Blind faith

"BITCH!"

Kyouko struck with her spear.

Oriko rose from her seat. Enough so that the gem on her collar was not hit, but could not say the same for her chest. She felt a mix of pain with cold from the metal in her guts, the blood rushing down her throat and choking.

"Oh no! It's too bad?" Asked Kirika in desperation.

Oriko was confused. She was sitting together with Kirika, next to a white table in the middle of a private garden behind a stone mansion, with high walls to prevent unwanted observers. In addition, she was not wearing her magical girl clothes.

Then she felt she was holding something, a cup, filled with blood. Startled, she dropped, letting it to roll through the table and pour the entire contents.

"Big love?!" Kirika rose from her chair. "Are you all right? I'll never make red tea again."

"It is not the tea. It is because I... I am a little tense." Oriko put a hand on her forehead. "I think it is anxiety about tonight."

"Hmmm..." Kirika took the cup Oriko had dropped. "No need to lie just because I made this tea to be a surprise. You looked like you were choking, if it's not good..."

"It is great." Oriko smiled. "We both had the same idea to make a surprise. What did you think of my cheesecake?"

"The best of all world!" Kirika answered promptly.

"I thought it was too mushy." Oriko stared at the dessert on her plate. "Have I missed something or needed to stay longer in the refrigerator or..." She stopped when she felt hands on her shoulders. "Huh?"

"Yeah, you're very tense." Kirika spoke in the ear of Oriko. "I think a good massage should help."

Oriko shifted in her chair. "Oh. Please continue."

Kirika began to squeeze the shoulders and using her thumbs to make a circular massage on the nape. "That's good? I'm not doing too hard?"

"The problem is not about the strength, but the spot." Commented Oriko, who hung her head to the side. "My neck bothers me."

"Ah... Kukuku..." Kirika blushed. "I'll have to examine this very closely."

"Uhummm..." Oriko just closed her eyes, smiling.

Kirika came very close to Oriko's neck skin and whispered. "It seems to be quite serious, it'll need a special treatment. What do you think?"

Still with eyes closed, Oriko replied. "Yuma."

"Hi?" Kirika was confused, then she glanced at the sliding door that leads to the garden.

Yuma was watching the two, grinning.

"Ah!" Kirika moved away from Oriko and began scratching her head. "Hahaha... You scared me, little love."

"Sorry papa, is that mama wanted to see how I'd get in that dress." Yuma swayed her black skirt, which accompanied a white long-sleeved shirt.

Oriko got up and approached Yuma. "Very good. I wore this when I was at your age, it' is of a fine quality." She then stretched the little girl's arm. "Your are shorter, I have to do a hem in that sleeve."

"Ahhh..." Yuma was disappointed. "So I wont be able to use it in our class today in the park?"

"Oh right..." Oriko did not want to leave Yuma even more sad, but there was no other option. "Today there will be no class, I have an appointment."

"Appointment?" Kirika approached the two.

"I will go out alone."

"Why?" Kirika was perplexed. "You had a vision?"

"Yes, I had." Oriko smiled.

"Big love, is not better that I go with you?"

"You would better stay here with Yuma."

"Mama!" Yuma embraced Oriko.

"Ahhh... Do not worry. I should be back before lunch." Oriko, with trembling hands, hugged her back. "By the way, what will happen can be good for us."

／人◕‿‿◕人＼

"Good morning!" Mami opened the curtains.

The morning light invaded the room and bathed the girl that was in bed. "Hmmmm..."

"Let's go Kyouko!" Mami waited. "Wake up. We have to clean the apartment."

Kyouko was groggy. "Today... is... Sunday."

"Yes. It was for us to have done it yesterday, but we had visitors, remember?" Mami put the hands on her hips. "So?"

"Hmmmm..." Kyouko remained motionless in bed.

Until she heard the sound of a lash.

"Hey?!" Kyouko opened her eyes. "Mami?!"

Mami, smiling, had a straightened ribbon in her hands. "You will not wake up?"

"Ah! Ahh! I woke up already!" Kyouko kicked the blanket and jumped out of bed.

Mami made another lash with the ribbon.

Even without being hit, Kyouko put a hand on her ass. "Aie! Aie! Aie!" And locked herself in the bathroom.

The yellow ribbon returned to Mami's ring. "Don't forget to take off the bedding before breakfast."

While arranging the glass table for the meal, Mami noted Kyouko, still in her pajamas, take the bedding to the laundry room.

On the way back, the redhead asked. "Hey. Did you see where's my sweater?"

Mami frowned. "Oh! You just went to the laundry, you did not see that was there?"

"Damn. I can't see anything." Kyouko rubbed her eyes.

Mami put the fruit bowl on the table. "If you didn't stay out late, you wouldn't be complaining."

"Tch... You who woke me early." Kyouko replied as she walked into her bedroom.

Mami was already sitting at the table when she saw Kyouko return, wearing a green jacket with hood.

The blonde pointed to the thermos on the table. "I prepared a strong coffee to make you more alert."

"Thanks." Kyouko sat. "So? When those three leave?"

"On nightfall." Mami cut a slice of bread. "And I already warn you that they will help us tonight to clean up the place where we stock the cubes."

"Mami. Mami. Mami..." Kyouko shook her head, disapprovingly. "They're experienced magical girls, not your new kouhais."

Mami stopped what she was doing and, without looking at Kyouko, spoke. "They told me."

"Is that so? Heh." Without containing a smile, Kyouko took the bottle and filled her cup. "If they told the truth, now you know that I didn't return to Mitakihara because of you."

Mami affirmed. "You could have chosen any other city."

"I wasn't in mood to explore unknown territory." Kyouko put three lumps of sugar in her coffee. When tried it out, she suddenly pulled the cup and put a hand to her mouth. "Gaaahh! Fucking hot!"

"It's cold these days." Mami took the opportunity to take a sip of coffee that was in her cup longer. "Alright Kyouko. What matters is that you stayed. Do you still remember the day you have returned?"

"How could I forget?" Since the coffee was too hot, Kyouko checked what was in the fruit bowl. "The day I took a beating from Homura."

Mami smiled. "You thought it would be easy."

"Of course, right?" Kyouko picked up the biggest apple. "She was armed with just a bow and I thought she was a newbie. Only when she came with those wings..."

"Akemi-san evolved very fast." Mami began to put grape jelly on her slice of bread. "And she had not even recovered the memories at this time."

"And Sayaka, that dummy, thought she could achieve the same..." Kyouko was staring off, she did not even had bitten the apple.

Mami sighed. "I failed with her."

"Ok! Enough of that, we now know that she's okay." Kyouko polished the apple on her jacket.

"Should we not have told about what happened to us to Mikuni-san and the others?" Mami asked.

"Yeah! Let's say that we were abducted to a fantasy world, which was within a soul gem. Ah yes! There we found a magical girl who is the embodiment of the Law of Cycles and she was accompanied by a talking doll that sometimes vomited a giant living toy snake that could ate anything and in another times a little girl. Oh! I almost forgot! Also had a magical girl that we knew before she was taken by the Law and now she can summon a giant armored mermaid and walking cotton balls with mustaches among other oddities."

"I know they would hardly believe, but it certainly has to do with the disappearance of Kyuubey. Maybe it could help." Mami spoke, as she brought the bread to her mouth.

"I doubt it. Anyway we're forming a new quintet. Huh?" Kyouko gave a good bite in the apple.

"You still don't trust them." Said Mami.

"Hmmm... It looks like we're all in the same boat, but this talk of 'telepathic connection' sounds bulshittery to me."

"We're also able to use telepathy. It can be just her being more talented." Mami took another sip of her coffee. "Do you know her well?"

"I know she thinks she knows how a magical girl should behave." Kyouko replied.

"Hisaomi Mikuni. You remember that name?"

Kyouko just shook her head, denying.

"I believe he is her father. He was a politician here in Mitakihara."

"'Was'?" Kyouko became more curious.

Mami continued. "The news said he was accused of misuse of public funds and embezzling money for businessmen who supported his campaign."

Kyouko smiled. "So she is a daughter of a criminal."

"He never went to trial." Mami closed her eyes. "He was found dead by hanging in his home."

Kyouko raised her eyebrows. "Her father killed himself. Hmmmm... and when was that?"

Mami put a hand to her temple, trying to remember. "I believe that was in the first quarter of this year."

"Oh yeah?" Kyouko opened a wide grin. "Because it was when she appeared in Kazamino."

Mami opened her eyes wide. "So her contract has to do with this event."

"And I don't see that Hisaomi walking around." Kyouko took another bite.

"What do you mean?" Mami asked, not understanding.

Kyouko chewed well before proceeding. "C'mon! She could have wished her father back to life, she could even clean his name. You can see how much she liked that guy."

Mami nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Okay." Kyouko was almost finished with the apple. "I'll give them a chance. Past is past, I can deal with it."

Mami narrowed her eyes. "And what can't you deal?"

Kyouko froze, except the hand holding the apple, which trembled.

"The little girl?" Mami nodded, confident in her suspicions. "It was because of her that you left yesterday. She reminded you of something?"

"She didn't remind of ANYTHING!" Kyouko replied dryly. Noting what she did, she took a deep breath to calm down. "The truth is that she must have reminded you of someone, right?"

"I won't lie, she did." Mami lifted her head and stared at the ceiling. "When I saw Mikuni-san with her, memories where I'm with Bebe came to my mind. I review every scene where she is a doll and replace with the girl I met so briefly. I imagine how would have been."

Kyouko had the last bite on the apple. "You would spoil her so much..."

Mami got angry. "Don't exaggerate, I'm not like that."

"Worse is that greenette is even younger." Kyouko was balancing what remained of the apple on her finger. "And she walks with these two other girls as if they were her parents."

"She seems happy about it." Mami replied.

"Please!" Kyouko opened her arms. "That's crazy! She should be with her family."

Mami put the hands on her head. "I can't judge people who I just met! Even more with this crisis we're going through, I can't think about it."

"You can't." Kyouko left the rest of the apple on the table, took the cup and drank all the coffee at once before getting up.

"Kyouko?" Mami called when she saw the redhead walking toward the exit. "What are you going to do?"

"Resolving what was pending."

"Kyouko..." Mami looked around, searching for anything she could say. "...y-you promised you'd help me clean the apartment."

"Leave some rooms for me to clean when I return." Kyouko opened the door.

"KYOUKO!" Mami reached out.

Kyouko stopped, but did not look back at the blonde.

Mami then retracted her hand, leaving close to her chest. Her gaze was a mixture of pain and guilt. She sighed before pronouncing. "I will not follow you."

"Thank you." Kyouko went out and closed the door.

Mami could hardly breathe with so much agony. She moved away from the table, sitting on the hard ground, leaning against the wall. Her figure, huddled, hugging her own legs, refuge to her face, was still bathed with the morning light.

／人◕‿‿◕人＼

There was not a lot of people in the public park yet, that was what Oriko noted, except on the track for runners. This would not be a problem as the place where she was going was far away.

In fact, the place was distant from everything. A forgotten place, where the grass was not well mantained, surrounded by a dense vegetation. A place to meditate and ramble about life.

Today would be a little different.

Once Oriko arrived, she did not bother to look around. She extended her hand, materializing the soul gem from her ring and, in a flash of white light, acquired her magical girl garments. Then she place her hands close to each other.

Between them appeared a blue crystal ball with a silvery metallic base with details of vines. It has ten centimeters in diameter and contained a weak reflection of the surroundings and Oriko on its surface. The girl, gesturing with her hands, did the sphere to float to a nearby tree, hiding behind the foliage.

Oriko sat down, straightening her great skirt, on the only bench available. The paint was peeled and the exposed wood was still dark with moisture of dew.

Now it was necessary to wait.

Oriko lowered her head to watch her silver gem. It was bright, ready for any eventuality.

Autumn's cold breeze carried away the dry leaves. At the top of one of the largest skyscrapers of the modern part of Mitakihara, visible from that position where Oriko was in, there was a huge digital clock showing the time of day:

08:17 am

Suddenly, a red magic girl with her spear landed just in front of the white magic girl.

"Yo." Greeted Kyouko.

Oriko frowned. "Sakura-san."

Kyouko looked around. "Didn't you bring your 'family'?"

Oriko ignored the question. "Why are you here?"

"Ah... I was looking for a nice snack to start the day and I just know a cool place, but then I ran into you." Kyouko said as she examined the tip of her spear.

Oriko straightened her hands lying on the skirt. "Then by chance this park, close to my house, that I visit regularly is just on the way."

"You're a smart girl."

Oriko then came with a slight smile. "And you are going to this place armed, because you does not intend to pay for what you eat."

"Ah! Lately it has become more dangerous around these parts. This spear here is for my self defense." Kyouko smiled back. "And look who's talking."

Oriko looked at their own attire. "I felt your approach."

Kyouko gave a slap on the forehead. "Ups! That's right! You have that... What is it? 'Pathetic connection', yeah?"

Oriko sighed. "Enough of jokes. What are your intentions? Or I can already assume that you do not intend to cooperate with us?"

"I can cooperate." Kyouko pointed the spear toward Oriko. "Just depends on the answers you give me."

"About?"

"That young girl standing with you." Kyouko lowered her spear. "How old is she?"

"Yuma became nine this year." Oriko answered.

"Nine years old... haha... nine years..." Kyouko shook her head. "Where did you find her? Don't tell me that you found her in a trash can like a stray cat."

"To my sorrow." Oriko looked away. "The way you described is not so far from reality."

A new breeze ensued, leading more leaves away and swaying the garments of the two girls.

"Me and Kirika were on another hunt in Kazamino when we feel the presence of demons in a residential condominium, more specifically inside a house." Oriko continued. "Usually the demons leave the site and accompany people when they leave, so we would have the opportunity to eliminate them without further inconvenience."

Kyouko noted Oriko swallowing hard. The girl who sat stood with a lost gaze.

"We waited for a few hours and even thought about giving up. With the dawn, the demons should leave too and we would have another chance. However we heard desperate screams." Oriko's hands clung to her skirt. "We then got closer and started to hear a cry through the bathroom window."

"That should be Yuma." Kyouko commented.

Oriko did not react, just spoke. "We break into the place and the first thing we felt was the strong smell of gas. The demons were small and Kirika took care of them quickly."

Kyouko bit her lip. "'Quickly'. I imagine."

"In the kitchen we found a man lying in a pool of blood, dead, so I followed a trail of blood. The house was filled with gas, if we were not magical girls, we would have succumbed." Oriko look back at Kyouko with a disturbing expression. "At the end of the trail I met a woman also fallen and bleeding in front of a door. She had a large knife. It was so much... so much blood. There were several knife blow marks on the door, the woman even managed to tear apart some pieces." She shuddered. "I managed to breach the door and found Yuma already unconscious, but still alive."

"Holy shit." Kyouko was rubbing her face with a hand, mulling over the story she had just heard. "Then you took her to your home."

"Of course!" Oriko exalted in disbelief. "Have not you noticed?"

Kyouko was confused. "What?"

"Screams that could be heard from afar and the cry of a child." Oriko was even more agitated. "Still, no one showed up! Neither the neighbors who lived on the wall next door. We warn the authorities with an anonymous call and left because we knew that they would ask many questions."

"No one came up searching for her then?"

"No. On the next day, there was a call in the news about the incident and the girl's disappearance, with her name. Just that, just once." Oriko breath deeply and she spoke more calmly. "Yuma only woke up when she was already in my house, was too weak and did not speak, but I soon discovered the marks."

"Marks?" Kyouko asked. Even if she had an idea of what that meant, she wished she was wrong.

"She had bruises, scarring throughout the body, including burn marks made with the tip of a cigarette. All this was hidden under her clothes or hair. In addition to her being too skinny. It was then that I understand why the neighborhood have not intervened, it was already a routine." Oriko tensed her face, those memories challenged her composure. "Then she opened up to me, cried a lot. Do you believe Sakura-san? That her mother beat her every day, did not let her attend the school and even expelled her from home? Can you imagine her in a park like these one during the night, hiding in a bush until dawn?"

"Yeah... I see that she had it rough." Said Kyouko, with genuine empathy, remembering harder days.

"The more terryfing is that she believed she deserved it. Her mother said she was a bad girl and was responsible for the difficulties they passed and by her father's absence." Oriko was still talking, shaking her head in denial, even being aware it was real those words coming out of her mouth. "It was not just the body, her soul was also too broken. I wanted to show that her mother was wrong, , that others can not impose who you are. So I continued to take care of her."

"As a daughter." Kyouko did an addition.

"She started to call me mother. I can not deny that I felt happy about it..." Oriko smiled, but it was a fleeting expression. "... and I felt guilty too. I took her without any consent, acted completely against the law."

Kyouko hit with the base of her spear on the ground to draw attention. "I don't give a shit about laws! The problem here is another."

Oriko remained silent.

The redhead continued. "She's a magical girl now."

Oriko took a while to answer. "Me and Kirika are magical girls. Kyuubey often visited us, so..."

"Don't fuck with me!" Kyouko interrupted and began to approach.

The heart of Oriko began to beat faster as she paid attention at the spear.

Kyouko was so close she could touch Oriko with a stretched arm. Her gaze was intense. "Say, what did she wish for?"

In a cacophony of chirping, a flock of birds came out of a nearby tree.

Despite the threatening aura of Kyouko, Oriko answered without delay. "She wanted to have the power to protect those she loves."

That statement has initiated a reaction in Kyouko. First her face twitched, then her veins stood out and her body began to shake. Like a wave, that tremor reached the hand that held her weapon and at that time she uttered.

"BITCH!"

Kyouko struck with her spear.

Oriko remained seated.

Accompanied by a sound that sounded like a ricochet of a firearm ammunition against metal, Kyouko felt the impact at the tip of her spear, diverting its path. She ended up piercing the wooden bench, a few centimeters away from Oriko, who continued to look at the red magic girl with impassivity.

Although surprised by what happened, Kyouko was undeterred. She brandished her spear with all force against her target.

Oriko then leaped, avoiding the attack.

The only victim was the bench, which was completely destroyed. Wood splinters flew in all directions, some falling over Kyouko. The furious girl looked up and soon found that Oriko had not exactly jumped.

At the height of four meters, Oriko was floating, sitting on a set of spheres. As she gestured with her fingers, new spheres materialized in midair and orbited her.

Kyouko gritted her teeth. "You used her for your own benefit!"

"No!" Oriko spoke firmly. "I never forced her to do the contract, let alone suggested that wish."

"But you didn't PREVENT!" Kyouko made her spear to subdivide by lauching the tip against the floating girl.

Oriko used one of the balls to bring down the tip of the spear, but it didn't suppress the attack. The tip began flying around the girl and the spheres. Seeing the tip making several laps, Oriko was already aware of the intentions of her opponent.

Obeying the will of Kyouko, the spear sought to trap and crush Oriko with its subdivisions. However, Oriko resisted, placing her balls to form a hull and exerting a counterforce.

"Sakura-san! Stop it!" Demanded Oriko.

Still looking up, Kyouko pulled the piece of metal that formed the base of her spear and the chain that accompanied it. As if she intended to lasso, she began to spin the piece above her head.

"Stop now!"

Kyouko ignored the request of Oriko but did not ignore the feeling of her soul gem in her collar being pressed. Looking down, she saw a sphere poking her vital point. "Guh!"

"You forgot the one that I used to divert the trajectory of your first attack."

Kyouko froze to the point of dropping the chain that was holding.

"Fortunately, unlike you, I have no intention to kill." Oriko sighed. "We are fighting in broad daylight and destroying public property. What would Tomoe-san think about it?"

"Tch." Kyouko contracted the muscles of her face at the mention of Mami, but even reluctant, she retracted her spear. "I already predicted that you would avoid my attacks, as always."

"'Predicted'." Oriko descended to the ground, standing. "The spear, please."

Kyouko looked back at the sphere that was millimeters from her gem, she could try to dodge but... "Fuck!" Finally, she gave up, making her spear to evaporate.

In response, Oriko did the same with her spheres. "I warned Yuma. I showed her the routine of a magical girl, a life without glory or recognition. With Kyuubey, she saw the miasma and how dangerous are the demons. She took this decision alone, knowing that I would not love her less if she had not made the contract."

"Yeah." Kyouko agreed in a tone of sarcasm. "Now she hunts demons for you as well as that other crazy girl, right?"

"No." Said Oriko, feeling offended. "She wanted to protect us, but that does not mean I should not protect her. Also she feels so helpful and content. Something she never felt before."

"Oriko." Kyouko heaved. "If anything happens to that girl. No matter where you go. No matter where you hide. I'll go after you. I'll kill you, and anyone who step in my way."

Oriko lowered her head. "If she... dies or disappear, I will give my gem to you personally."

"Disappear?" Kyouko asked in confusion.

And Oriko too. "Yes? Disappear. This is what happens when we let our gems too corrupted, did you not know?"

"It's not like that." Kyouko spoke. "It'll be even fair if this happens, she'll go to a better place and away from you."

"Better place?!" Oriko eyes widened in disbelief, but then relaxed and smiled. "Ah... Do you believe in the myth of the Law of Cycles."

"It's not a myth!" Kyouko said, irritably. "Prefer to believe, even knowing that magic and miracles are real, that we just cease to exist?"

Oriko shook her head, smiling at that naivety. "I just can not see myself being 'taken away', or think we deserve such fate?"

"How is it?"

"Look at you. Look at me!" Oriko exalted, putting a hand on her chest. "We are corrupted beings, a corruption these cubes could never remove."

Kyouko stepped back.

"How many magical girls have not been, are or will be like us? Our duty is to protect this world from demons, but we can use our magic freely, even to take the lives of innocents." Oriko gazed inside Kyouko's eyes. "Or worse, have done a contract which might cause this."

Kyouko's eyes widened.

"The spilled blood cries out for who was responsible." Oriko continued with an intimidating tone. "But no, such a person is a magical girl, so she could just stop to purify her gem and she will have free passage to a 'better place'. Fair enough, is it not Sakura-san?"

Kyouko lowered her head and looked away. "You're wrong. I have a friend who was taken... and I got to see her again. The Law does exist."

"Hmmmm." Oriko closed her eyes and smiled. "And you saw her where? In a dream?"

"I knew you would never believe." Kyouko said, frustrated.

"You are right, because it is UNACCEPTABLE to believe." Oriko was emphatic. "You fiercely defends your position, however why are you still here? Why do you continue to risk your gem be broken if you can just give up and get carried away?"

Kyouko clenched her fists.

"Uh-huh... You would have done it, just did not because of her. Tomoe-san would never accept such cowardice, never forgive..."

"Shut up! SHUT UP!" Kyouko snapped.

A breeze passed between the two girls. Oriko was silent, with a serene expression, waiting.

Kyouko bit her lower lip and pondered before speaking again. "Yes, it's because of her that I'll cooperate with you. But I warn you." She looked at Oriko. "Mami has a soft heart, but if you try to backstab us, you'll discover a side of her that will make you regret."

"So it is settled." Oriko affirmed. "Better bring umbrellas tonight."

Kyouko glanced at the clear sky. "Heh. See you." And went with a leap, passing between the trees.

The silence and peace reigned.

Oriko sat down, straightening her great skirt, on the only bench available. The paint was peeled and the exposed wood was still dark with moisture of dew.

Now it was necessary to wait.

Oriko lowered her head to watch her silver gem. The bottom of it was somewhat darkened, but it would be enough.

Autumn's cold breeze carried away the dry leaves. At the top of one of the largest skyscrapers of the modern part of Mitakihara, visible from that position where Oriko was in, there was a huge digital clock showing the time of day:

08:17 am

Suddenly, a red magic girl with her spear landed just in front of the white magic girl.

"Yo." Greeted Kyouko.

Oriko opened a smile. "Sakura-san."

Next chapter: An unforgettable name