And another month goes by. At least it wasn't that long a wait, comparatively. Anyway, enjoy if you can!

This chapter was not betaread.

Many years ago, southern wastelands of Vacuo, unmarked grave…

Kyouko stabbed Rossio Phantom into the ground and knelt before the stone cross carved into the cliff face. The letters etched into the stone were rough, but legible, and virtually unchanged from how she'd left it years ago. There were no names or dates; only a short epitaph that said very little about who was buried there.

A girl in green with short pigtails crouched next to her and began reading quietly. "Here lies a man whose will was broken by circumstance and a girl whose life was snuffed out too soon. May their souls find peace." She turned to Kyouko and adjusted her grip on her hammer. "Were these people important to you?"

Kyouko's gaze left the cross for only a moment, shooting the girl a weak smirk. "You know my history, Chitose. Make a wild guess."

Yuma Chitose fidgeted, averting her eyes. "I had hoped they weren't who I feared they were." She shook her head. "Why take me to see them?"

Kyouko rose from her crouching position and faced Yuma, feeling small despite towering over her. She sighed. "To be honest, I don't know. I never planned to come back to this place. Until today, I didn't think I ever would… or even could…"

"What changed, then?"

"You being here with me, I guess?" A shrug. "I don't know. I just felt like I'd be able to, now that you're here. You're keeping me grounded, somehow…"

"I think I understand," Yuma muttered. "If my family had a grave like this, I'd probably want some company too. Visiting them on my own just sounds…" She trailed off.

"Yeah, exactly." Kyouko glanced at the shorter girl. "Though, considering what your family situation was like, it's probably best that they don't have a grave for you to visit."

She chuckled weakly. "Yeah, I think so too. Just…" She looked down. "Part of me still wants them to have one, you know? The very same part of me that still loves them, despite everything…"

Kyouko let out a heavy breath. "I get you there, Chitose. I get you one-hundred percent…"

There was a period where they merely stood and stewed in their own feelings, the sounds of the Vacuan wilderness filling the void left by their silence. In that time, Kyouko retrieved her embedded spear, pulling it free with a flourish and resting its haft on her shoulder. The familiar weight gave her some level of comfort.

"So!" Kyouko let out a huff. "I'm about to start my final year at Shade and you're about to be taken to Atlas for that apprenticeship thing. We have little over a day left before we part ways. What do you say to a little spar?"

This suggestion earned a snort. "You just want to beat me up again."

"You do win sometimes," Kyouko reminded her. "Though, if you're really not interested, we could always take on the nearest pack of hysteria."

"It's always fighting with you." Yuma sighed and raised her hammer. "Fine. Let's go find a clearing or something. I could use a workout."

Early morning, northeastern quadrant of Atlas City, nondescript apartment…

Kyouko opened her eyes to the sight of a familiar ceiling, the smell of lavender filling her nostrils. She was unsurprised to find herself on Homura's bed, especially not after spending most of the previous day wrapped in the Valean's arms. What did surprise her was the fact that she was still fully clothed. When was the last time she'd slept on someone else's bed having not gotten laid in the process?

Not since I graduated, Kyouko thought with a frown—and her expression soured further when she continued that thought. Not since I parted ways with Yuma.

She recalled the dream she'd just had—echoes of a memory she'd nearly forgotten about. The visit to her family's grave; her brief spar with Yuma; and their hunt for grimm that lasted the rest of the day? Every detail felt so vivid now, as if the events had happened just recently.

It had been nearly a decade since she last thought of the girl she had once called her younger sister. Why would she remember her now of all times?

And how was the memory so clear?

The door opened as soon as Kyouko asked the question, Homura stepping inside with damp hair and a towel wrapped around her body. "I cannot answer your first question, but your second is fairly simple."

The red lancer sat up and raised a brow, watching as Homura tossed a hanger full of clothing from her closet onto the bed.

"This something to do with me and you sharing a soul, Hom?" she asked, pulling one leg up to her chest and resting an elbow on her knee.

"It's part of it, yes," Homura replied, shrugging off her towel and putting on her usual combat attire. "Important events in your life usually leave a strong impression on your soul. With the combination of my and Madoka's semblances, memories of those important events tend to return with remarkable clarity."

"So I tapped into your powers while I was asleep?"

"Something like that. Recall that this isn't the first time you've dreamed of a vivid memory."

Kyouko snorted, thinking back on that one dream she'd had about meeting Madoka's parents. If it hadn't been for that dream, she probably wouldn't have found out about her connection with Homura.

"Heh, I guess you're right." Kyouko stretched and yawned. "In any case, why are you awake so early? Isn't your operation way later in the morning?"

Homura stopped halfway through zipping up her skirt and looked at Kyouko, staring with a dryness that was becoming increasingly familiar these past two days. The same could be said about the feelings of exasperation and slight amusement that Kyouko sensed through their mental link.

"Yeah yeah, I'll find out." She rolled her eyes and scanned Homura's mind for the answer. "Oh, Ozpin and Kaname are leaving today?" She blinked. "I'm guessing this means you won't be joining this morning's spar, huh?"

"I wouldn't have joined anyway, on account of Nagisa's operation later, but Ozpin's departure is as good an excuse as any."

Kyouko nodded in reply but otherwise kept silent, allowing Homura to finish getting dressed without further interruption.

Unsurprisingly, the Valean displayed just as much speed and efficiency at putting on her clothes as Mami did. As such, the time it took her to complete her task was on-par with the Atlesian major—and far faster than Kyouko would ever be able to. It was a bit of a shame, though. There was something distinctly appealing about Homura while she was half dressed.

"I suppose I should just take that compliment," Homura muttered as she stood in front of the mirror to give herself a brief once-over. "Though, the details of Major Tomoe's morning routine were not things I ever wanted to know about."

"You've got a direct line to my memories. You would have found out about it eventually, wouldn't you?"

"Touché." Homura shot her a small smile before turning to leave, hesitating at the door. "I look forward to eating at that buffet place with you later, Kyouko. Until then…"

"Goodbye for now?"

"Yes. For now."

With that, Homura turned the door knob and exited, walking out of the room, then the apartment, then the building. The sensation of their intertwined thoughts and emotions grew fainter as the distance between them increased, eventually disappearing entirely, leaving Kyouko with a sense of emptiness and solitude. All she could do in the wake of Homura's absence was collapse back onto the bed and watch motes of dust catch the light from the window.

"Getting all sentimental like this… What the hell is going on with me recently?" Kyouko shook her head and closed her eyes once more.

Later, Atlas Central Command, Main Elevator Hall…

Sayaka quietly tapped her foot as she waited for the elevator leading down to the R&D labs, her mind still lost in the memory of her most recent defeat.

While she had only been sparring with Mami and Kyouko for two days, she at least knew them well enough to notice how distracted they had both been during their session that morning. As far as Sayaka could tell, they had been running on auto-pilot, treating their opponents less like equals to be respected and more like grimm to be slaughtered. Had they been any less skilled, they well could have killed each other.

Or killed me, she added with a bitter smile.

Still, Mami had taken her seriously for once and she was quite happy about that. The Atlesian major had always held back just enough to match her opponents' skill level. It was admittedly quite useful in a classroom setting, but was less than desired in spars like these. Evidently, Kyouko had been holding back as well, likely at Mami's insistence.

Then there was Homura, who Sayaka was actually grateful for holding back. That semblance of hers was busted. Manipulation of space and time? The only reason any of them even landed a scratch during their spar the previous day was because Homura let them.

Sayaka looked down at her feet as she recalled the few glancing blows she'd managed to score. Had the Valean simply allowed herself to get hit? Was Homura's semblance as integral to her fighting style as Mami's was, inherently making her weaker when she couldn't use it?

Or, Sayaka continued with a dubious frown, had she herself actually reached the level where she could keep up with three of the most elite hunters in Atlas?

She shook her head.

No, not quite. She was close—maybe in another dozen sessions she'd get there—but 'keeping up with them' was not how she'd describe her performance so far.

Her thoughts were cut short when she felt a strange presence brush at the edge of her perception. A discomforting tingle began travelling up her spine as the presence seemed to grow stronger and nearer.

What was it? Where was it approaching from? And why was it so… familiar…?

Come to think of it, she'd felt this presence before, hadn't she? Multiple times, in fact—but only when she was with Homura. It was the presence of someone not human who she had met during the party not even two days prior. The fact that she felt it now could only mean one thing.

The elevator opened and Sayaka pursed her lips. The boy in question was now staring at her with wide eyes and a charming smile, all while radiating an aura that simply felt wrong.

"Good morning, Sayaka Miki."

She glanced around before awkwardly raising a hand to wave. "Uh… Hello, Kyubey. Nice to see you, I guess…?"

"Likewise." He stepped out of the elevator. "It is to my understanding that you are on a schedule, so let us not waste time with small talk. Good day, Sayaka Miki." He began walking away.

"Er, okay…?"

With hesitant strides, Sayaka took Kyubey's place inside the elevator, unwillingly recalling the night she and Kyubey first met.

Homura had asked for her assistance for some sort of emergency. Kyubey had been with her, though Sayaka hadn't noticed it at first because of his semblance. Even back then, he'd worn that smile on his face, completely at odds with their dire circumstance.

"I just remembered something," she said, holding out her hand to block the door from closing. "A few nights ago, we had that… emergency…"

He stopped and turned at her, deep red eyes glowing with curiosity. "Continue."

Sayaka took a deep breath. "Is Nagisa alright?"

He tilted his head slightly, as if contemplating the answer. "She is not," he eventually replied. "But that is to be expected of someone in her situation."

"There anything I can do?"

He stared at her unblinkingly. "I recommend you do not worry about her. She is not your responsibility."

The words themselves were as she expected, though Kyubey delivering them in such a light tone made her scowl. "Can I at least check on her?"

He continued to stare. "You may not."

Sayaka clenched her jaw. "You don't get to say that after you asked me to heal her."

"The events of that night were both improbable and unprecedented. The chances of it happening again are even slimmer, especially given that we have contingencies in place now."

"That doesn't change the fact that I was the one who healed her, though."

"It does not change the fact that she is still dying, either." Sayaka flinched, but Kyubey continued unfazed. "Your help in stabilizing her condition was—and is—appreciated, Sayaka Miki, but do not presume that the services you provided us that night have granted you any special privileges. Unless you are capable of curing her outright, all matters regarding Nagisa Momoe's care will continue to be undertaken by the Aura Mod division alone."

Sayaka clenched her jaw tighter as she remembered Kyousuke's arm.

She was keenly aware of her own limits. If reconnecting severed nerves and mending incorrectly healed muscles was beyond her power, then she had little hope of curing Nagisa. Perhaps she could have said otherwise if R&D Biotech's nano-implants were more fully developed, but as it stood, they were still several weeks—possibly even months—off from making any headway.

But Kyubey was R&D Aura Mod. His division was the only one that showed results; the only one that had made any significant strides towards overcoming the maladies that aura and medicine could not solve. If anyone was best suited to take care of Nagisa, it would be them.

She sighed. "Fine, I'll drop it. Just… make sure she makes it out of this alive, alright?"

"She would not be under our care if we intended otherwise."

Her hand fell to her side and she took a step back, allowing the doors to slide shut. The last thing she saw before the dull grey of stainless steel blocked her view was Kyubey's fake smile as he turned his back and resumed walking away. Once she felt the lurch in her stomach that she always felt whilst descending, she pressed her forehead against the wall.

"I think I understand why all my coworkers hate the Aura Mod division now…"

Noon, Atlas Academy Entrance Hall…

Kyouko munched on a stick of pocky as she fruitlessly scanned the room for any sign of Mami. Having had four months to memorize the Atlesian major's schedule, she was certain Mami's break should have started by now.

So why wasn't she here?

With a huff, Kyouko ran a hand through her hair and began grumbling complaints to herself, ranging from how Mami was squandering a free meal by being so tardy to how the Atlas Academy uniforms looked so dull. The complaints only grew more irritable and petty as the minutes passed.

Thankfully, someone within the crowd caught her attention before her grumpy murmurs escalated to angry yelling—a girl with grey hair and a metal arm. Kyouko let out a calming breath and hailed her. "Oi, Bloodhunter!"

Maria Bloodhunter seemed to wince when she noticed Kyouko. She quickly approached.

"Sakura," Maria greeted with a curt nod. "You here for a date with the Major?"

A roll of the eyes. "We're not dating, but yeah, I'm treating her to lunch. Know where she is?"

The cadet shrugged. "I don't know. Haven't seen her since my last class with her yesterday. She didn't check up on anyone from our group before classes started this morning, either."

"Can you at least give me a guess?"

"I don't know, the staff room?"

"Where's that?"

Maria's face scrunched with displeasure. "Look, lady, I'm just a student here. Ask the receptionist if you need directions."

"But aren't you Mami's personal assistant or something?"

"I. Am. Not," she denied acidly, making Kyouko raise a brow. "I don't know what the Major told you, but make no mistake, I'm no one's personal assistant."

"Oh yeah," Kyouko muttered absentmindedly. "Mami only said she just gave you the offer; not that you took it yet." She waved a dismissive hand. "Ah, whatever. Doesn't really matter. You're taking me to her anyway."

"I just told you—!"

"I'll treat you to the same lunch Mami's getting if you help me."

The cadet blinked, slowly simmering down as she thought on the offer. "I won't say I'm not interested, but… wouldn't it be weird for one of Major Tomoe's students to third wheel you two on your date?"

A loud exhale. "One, it isn't a date. Two, you're not the only one who'd be joining us. Miki's invited too. Seriously, kid. It'll only be weird if you make it weird."

"Fair enough," Maria relented. "So. Lieutenant Miki, huh?" She smiled slyly. "I still have to pay her back for shocking me last week. You really know how to sell your propositions, don't you, Sakura?"

Kyouko gave a fanged grin, raising her hands in mock surrender. "Guilty as charged. So we have a deal?"

Instead of answering, the cadet turned and began walking away, beckoning Kyouko to follow her.

"Atta girl."

As they made their way through the lunchtime rush hour crowd, Kyouko noted how conveniently laid-out the building was. Important places such as the cafeteria, accounting office, and of course, the staff room were actually just one hallway away from the main entrance. It made getting to their destination much easier.

"Well, here we are. Atlas Academy Faculty Office." Maria gestured limply at the room around them as they entered. "She should be here, though I don't see her at her desk."

"Which one's hers?"

Maria pointed at an empty table stacked with neatly organized papers, spent shotgun shells and empty dust-ribbon spools acting as paperweights. In a vase next to the papers was a flower made of twisted wire, similar to the hair ornament that Mami used as her emblem. Mami's beret and what looked to be the jacket of her instructor's uniform hung from the back of the seat pushed up against the desk.

"Huh," Kyouko grunted, picking up one of the shotgun shells. "I don't know why, but I expected her to have more stuff."

"Why? She doesn't seem like a hoarder or anything."

"Nah. It's just that her apartment's full of knick-knacks and other junk. I guess she just wanted to fill up what would have been a lot of empty space otherwise. Not really much point to do that here when her space is only a desk."

Maria glanced at her, face unreadable, then shrugged. "Well, she's not here. Now what?"

Kyouko scratched her head. "I guess we—"

Her voice stopped when she saw Mami enter the room from a different door, fiddling with the ribbon mechanisms of her arm guards. When she looked up and met Kyouko's gaze, Seamstress and Tailor fell from her hands. "Kyouko? What are you doing here?"

Kyouko noticed an uneasy edge to Mami's voice, as if the Atlesian Major didn't want to see her. She tilted her head to the side. "What am I doing here?" she parroted mockingly. "I'm picking you up for lunch, dummy. You won the bet, remember?"

After a moment of simply staring, Mami shook her head and picked up her weapons. "Some stuff came up that I need to take care of. Rain check?"

Kyouko frowned. That was neither the reaction she expected nor the one she wanted.

And what could possibly be important enough that she'd skip out on a free meal for it? Unfortunately, Kyouko wouldn't dare ask that question aloud. She knew she'd receive the same canned response she usually received whenever she asked for information above her clearance level.

She glanced at the stack of papers on the desk—essays that looked like they'd already been graded. Then she glanced at Seamstress and Tailor, seemingly no worse for wear than she'd seen it during their spar earlier that morning. Finally, she glanced at Maria, who shrugged at her quizzical look.

It seemed like she wouldn't be getting her answers anywhere here. She sighed and shrugged as well.

"Alright, fine, but you won't be able to cash in today's reward anymore. You'll just have to beat me again tomorrow."

Mami smiled, taking a seat at her desk. "That's fine. Enjoy your meal."

Kyouko pursed her lips. "And you're definitely still gonna show up for dinner, right? You're the one paying for once and like hell am I gonna let that go to waste."

Mami had already returned to her fiddling with her weapons. "Of course, Kyouko. I'll see you tonight."

After a moment, Kyouko released another sigh. She gave a lazy salute goodbye and walked out, Maria trailing behind her.

"So," the cadet muttered as they exited the room. "Is that why you say you're not dating?"

Kyouko didn't bother to correct Maria or even to roll her eyes, instead pulling out another stick of pocky and biting at it aggressively. "There are a lot of things Mami doesn't tell me. There are also a lot of things I don't tell her back. And if we don't tell each other, what makes you think I'd tell you?"

Maria rolled the shoulder of her prosthetic. "Because I'm not her?"

Kyouko turned and smirked at Maria humorlessly. "That's not really enough reason, Bloodhunter, but you're getting there. Now, c'mon. Lunch awaits."

"Yes, lunch." Maria agreed, matching Kyouko's dry look with a sly one. "Lunch and a nice little talk with Lieutenant Miki."

Later, Atlas Central Plaza…

"Let me get this straight," Sayaka began, rubbing her temples. "You want another match to get even for what happened during the last one? Seriously?"

"Yes. I want one as soon as possible. I'd fight you right here and now if we were allowed."

At that utterance, the other restaurant patrons glanced at them warily. Some of them even started getting ready to leave. It took all of Sayaka's effort to keep herself from yelling in frustration.

"Bloodhunter, we're not fighting in the middle of a restaurant. In fact, we're not fighting at all. I literally saved your life. How could you possibly think you need to settle the score for that?"

The cadet glared. "What, are you scared, chicken?"

"It's not that I'm scared, it's—"

Maria cut her off by clucking and crowing like a demented rooster, causing even more people to look their way.

Sayaka growled before turning to Kyouko, who had been eating for the entirety of the conversation so far. "Can't you talk some sense into her?"

Kyouko swallowed her mouthful of beef and rice before raising a brow. "I don't see why I'd need to. She makes perfect sense to me."

Oh right, Kyouko was on a mission to fight every operating hunter in Atlas. Of course she would encourage this.

With a groan, Sayaka pressed her forehead onto the table. "Fine, you'll get your duel. But can't we hash out the details later? After we eat?"

Maria huffed. "Fine, but you better eat fast if you want any say in how and when we're doing this."

The cadet began shoveling her food into her mouth and Sayaka begrudgingly matched her pace. As a result, lunch went by so quickly that neither had been able to enjoy it, much to Sayaka's displeasure—and she quite liked Mistrali food, too. Afterwards, they spent a long time comparing schedules and arguing about when the spar should take place. They were in stalemate for multiple minutes by the time Kyouko intervened, essentially picking the date and time for them.

"Tomorrow at dawn, Training Arena A," Maria said as they exited the restaurant, shoving Sayaka's chest with a metal hand. "Don't be late." Then she turned to Kyouko, thanked her for the food, and walked away.

"Uhhhg, what a prideful, stubborn idiot," Sayaka grumbled as she watched the cadet disappear into the crowd.

Kyouko tilted her head slightly. "Weren't you exactly like her, way back when?"

"Don't remind me."

A yawn. "Well, either way, it's gonna be interesting to see how Homura and Mami'll react to the two of you fighting tomorrow. I'm sure Mami's gonna be real pleased."

Sayaka chuckled. "You really like pushing her buttons, don't you?"

"Why wouldn't I? Some of her reactions are hilarious."

This made Sayaka think back on her relationship with Hitomi. She smiled. "I can't argue with that logic."

After a moment of checking their scrolls for the time, the two bade each other farewell, Kyouko heading towards the Hangar Bay, Sayaka returning the R&D Labs.

"Oh good, you're here." The first person Sayaka saw when entered her division's chamber was her supervisor, who approached her with a bittersweet smile. "Come with me for a bit. We're going outside."

"But I haven't clocked back in yet."

"I'll take care of that later." Nanami grabbed her hand and dragged her back out into the hallway. "For now, we need to head down to the Aura Mod division."

Sayaka blinked but did not protest, allowing the red fox faunus to lead her to the elevator. Twenty seconds later, they'd descended one floor and resumed walking through the dark halls of the R&D labs, eventually stopping at an unmarked chamber.

"This is Doctor Nakamura of R&D Biotech, accompanied by Lieutenant Sayaka Miki," Nanami said into the intercom. "I believe our presence was requested?"

The intercom speaker blared wordless static for a split second before a fuzzy voice spoke. "Please stand by while we confirm."

Nanami scowled but stepped back and waited, the twitching of her tail betraying her impatience. Sayaka let out a sigh as she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.

"How was lunch?" Nanami asked after a moment of silence.

"Nothing much. Ate some food, had a chat with some friends. I did get challenged to another fight, though."

"Another one? You'd think a healer wouldn't be spending so much time in combat."

Sayaka shrugged. "Eh, it is what it is."

After two minutes, a different voice spoke on the intercom, one that made Nanami grimace and Sayaka groan.

"We thank you for your patience, Nanami Nakamura and Sayaka Miki. Please proceed inside the chamber. We shall meet you inside."

When Kyubey finished speaking, the hatch in front of them unsealed, allowing them entry. It closed behind them once they were inside.

"What a cheap-looking room," Nanami muttered.

The chamber was all unpainted grey concrete, with a number of wheeled tables pushed against the left wall. But despite the shabby first impression, Sayaka could tell the place was clean and completely sterile, similar to the chambers of R&D Biotech.

The hatch on the opposite side of the room opened and Kyubey was the first to step through. Homura followed closely after, seeming to beckon someone into joining them. After some convincing, a third person walked into the room, looking strikingly similar to Kyubey. Once all three were inside, they approached at a casual pace.

The first thing Sayaka noticed about the Kyubey look-alike was how their movements were awkward and halting, as if they were afraid they would fall over every time they took a step. The next thing she noticed was their eyes, which were bright amber yellow instead of red. And finally, she noticed their aura, which left a sweet and creamy impression, like high quality milk.

This person already seemed familiar to Sayaka—their aura especially—but she only truly realized who it was once they were face to face and spoke for the first time.

"Sayaka? You're the one who healed me two days ago?"

"Do I… know… you?" A gasp. "Wait, are you Nagisa Momoe?"

The girl smiled brightly, her expression looking infinitely more genuine than the one Kyubey always wore. "Yeah! I wanted to thank you for healing me. If you didn't, I would never have survived long enough to get my new body!"

New was certainly a word to describe it. Sayaka almost didn't recognize her. The eyes and hair was still the same color as her old body's, but everything else about her looked different. If it wasn't for her voice and aura, Sayaka probably wouldn't have believed this was actually Nagisa.

"Sorry for the trouble," Homura muttered, running a hand through her hair. "She wanted to personally thank every person involved in saving her. You happen to be on the short list because of what happened last weekend."

Sayaka scratched her cheek. "Uh, it's all good? If that's what she asked for, it can't be helped."

"Nagisa also wanted cheese, but they still haven't given me any yet," Nagisa added grumpily. "They said something about my taste buds needing driver updates?"

Sayaka cracked a smile as she remembered the little girl she'd met in the Hospital Terminal Ward well over a year ago. She'd loved her dairy even back then.

Okay, maybe Sayaka would have believed this girl was Nagisa. Eventually.

"Well, I'm sure they'll give you some cheese soon. Try to hold out until then, okay? In the meantime, this is my supervisor." Sayaka gestured at Nanami. "She was there with me when I healed you. Why don't you two get to know each other?"

"She helped too?" Nagisa's face brightened. "Hi! I'm Nagisa Momoe!"

Nanami shot Sayaka a searching look but said nothing, instead turning to Nagisa to introduce herself.

Once they were both occupied, Sayaka leaned in close to Homura, whispering, "Does that body of hers actually have a sense of taste or is the bit about driver updates just an excuse to not give her cheese? Because if it's the second option, that's a real dick move."

Homura winced. "She does have chemical receptors in her nose and mouth, but I'm not sure they function like normal human sense organs."

"What do you mean?"

"When we tested Kyubey's, he just gave us the molecular composition of whatever we fed him. It's still up in the air if that's because of the receptors or if it's just him."

"If it is any consolation, it was my first time tasting food," Kyubey remarked. "I do not imagine it was any different from what most humans experience."

"I'm not sure what you think humans are capable of, but most of them can't determine the chemical make-up of their food from taste alone."

Kyubey tilted his head to the side for a moment before nodding. "Acknowledged."

Sayaka coughed into her fist to regain their attention. "Her sense of taste isn't the only question I have about this new body." Her eyes narrowed. "For one, how is she even alive in there? The strain of a single organ replacement can kill people, even when using cutting-edge medicine and technology. Replacing everything all at once? Out of the question."

Homura winced again, though her gaze seemed so much more distant. "It's complicated."

"You know, I get that answer a lot and there are usually two reasons for it: either they don't know how to explain it or I'm just not allowed to know."

A wry smile. "A little of both. It certainly doesn't help that you need a degree in physics to even come close to understanding what we actually did."

"It's probably time-space mumbo-jumbo, isn't it?" Sayaka groaned. "Don't bother explaining, then. One of these days, I'll get promoted to a high enough clearance level to just read the report on it."

"If you're certain," Homura replied amicably.

With that, Sayaka returned her attention to Nagisa, who was currently regaling Nanami with descriptions of the various scientists of the Aura Mod division whom she had interacted with. The faunus looked contemplative, her fox tail flicking from side to side.

"What's the verdict, doc?" Sayaka asked.

"On one hand, nothing in Nagisa's story contradicts my assertion that the people working in this division are all misanthropes that no one should trust to tinker with their aura. On the other hand, I wouldn't enjoy being bothered by a child while I'm trying to work either."

"Hey, they said I wasn't bothering them," Nagisa complained.

Nanami rolled her eyes. "They were being polite, kid. Even if they said they weren't bothered, the fact that they were so rude means they were. It's just like how you wouldn't like being told to do chores while you were in the middle of playing a game."

Nagisa blinked, nodding slowly in comprehension. "How would I be able to tell if they were serious about not feeling bothered?"

Nanami shrugged. "Depends on the person."

A pout. "That doesn't help."

Sayaka giggled and stepped forward. "Do you remember Nurse Tanimura from your time in the Hospital Ward?"

"Ooh, I remember him! He would always make this weird face when he was upset and then start saying sorry a lot." She frowned. "He was the only nurse who was like that, though. When any of the others were upset, I wouldn't have found out unless they told me."

"Yep. That's what we meant when we said it depends on the person. Some people are just easier to read."

Nagisa lolled her head to the side. "I guess that makes sense." Then she perked up. "Oh, that reminds me! Kyubey?" She turned to the boy in question. "You had something to say, right?"

Kyubey stared unblinkingly before turning to Sayaka.

"Sayaka Miki, because of the information available to me at the time, I asserted that you were not permitted to see Nagisa Momoe. Given our current positions, I would like to retract my statement and any offence I may have committed."

Sayaka blinked. "Are you… apologizing?" she asked, genuinely unsure. Because if he was, it was one of the most bizarre apologies she'd received in a long time—and she was partners with Kyousuke.

"I am told it is considered proper to do so when one is proven wrong. I do not see the point, however. I was not wrong when I initially made the statement."

Sayaka turned to Homura. "Putting aside how weird it is that this exchange happened at all, he needs to work on his delivery."

The Valean rubbed her temples. "The sad thing is that I don't think anyone else in this division could have delivered a better apology. And even then, he wouldn't have done it if Nagisa didn't ask him to."

Sayaka glanced at the girl, smirking. "Yeah, Nagisa's a good kid like that."

Nagisa beamed at the praise.

"So tell me, what do you plan to do now that you have a new body? Surely they don't plan on keeping you here forever."

Nagisa shook her head. "They said I needed to stay for a day or two while they make sure my body works right, but after that? I'm free to go."

"Go where?"

The girl shrugged. "I don't know. Anywhere? They just said I could leave whenever I wanted to."

Sayaka and Nanami shared wary looks before turning to Homura. "What is she talking about?"

Homura did not meet their eyes, rubbing the back of her hand as she replied, "They're treating her like Kyubey. He's required to stay here for certain scheduled events, like routine maintenance sessions, but other than that? He has free reign to wander the city."

Nagisa perked up. "Oh, that sounds nice!"

Yeah, it does sound nice, doesn't it? Sayaka thought with a strained smile. Not to mention terrifying.

"Please tell me I'm hearing this wrong. Please tell me you don't intend to throw a pre-teen girl out onto the streets alone."

"Nagisa can take care of herself, you know," the girl asserted, puffing her chest as she crossed her arms.

"Yeah, I believe you, sweetie," Sayaka said, putting a hand atop Nagisa's head. "But you're still a little young to be completely on your own. I'm sure Homura agrees." She gave the Valean a pointed look. "Right?"

A sigh escaped Homura's lips before she nodded. "In truth, we're not sure what to do with Nagisa now that she's received her new body. The original plan was to assign her a guardian who would take care of her, but that was on the assumption that she'd receive her body in five months—not today. Finding someone on such short notice has been difficult, especially since she has no surviving family members here in Atlas, not to mention how her body is too valuable to simply put her up for adoption."

"Couldn't you be her guardian?"

Upon hearing Sayaka's suggestion, Nagisa blinked and tilted her head to the side, looking at Homura expectantly.

"I wouldn't mind," the Valean replied coolly, "but I'd need to find a new apartment. The one I currently live in is comfortable for me, but it would be cramped if I wasn't alone. Most unsuitable for raising a child."

"I'm not a child! I'm nearly a teenager!"

Sayaka scowled in thought. "Well, if not you, then maybe Kyouko or Mami?"

Homura shifted her weight, running a hand through her hair again. "Kyouko was deemed unviable as a candidate fairly early on, though I hear she is good with children. Major Tomoe is still on the table, however, assuming she's up to the task. We want someone who is mature, has a consistent schedule, and is capable of rushing Nagisa here should any emergencies occur. The Major certainly fits the bill."

"I guess we'll just have to ask Mami later?"

"Yes, during dinner."

"Is Mami nice?" Nagisa asked. "Will she give me lots of cheese?"

Sayaka smiled. "Knowing Mami, she'd spoil you with cheese cake every week."

"Not every day?"

Instead of voicing a response, Sayaka winked at the girl, eliciting a cute pout.

"But why not every day!?"

They ended discussion on the topic not long after, though they still stayed and talked about other things for another thirty minutes, mostly at Nagisa's insistence. The girl really missed conversation after being asleep for so long, and Sayaka was willing to indulge her. It was only when Nanami cleared her throat and jerked her thumb towards the door that they were forced to say their farewells.

"See you later, Sayaka, Nanami!"

"Yeah, see you. Take care of yourself, okay, Nagisa?"

There was silence for a time once they were back in the hallway, Sayaka still stewing on recent events. That silence would have continued until they returned to R&D Biotech if Nanami didn't growl in displeasure upon entering the elevator.

"How are we gonna compete with that?" the faunus asked bitterly, banging a fist into the wall. "Gods above, she's a full-body cyborg! She's probably not even the only one they've successfully done this with! And we're supposed to match that!? Give me a break!"

Sayaka remained silent as her supervisor ranted, looking down at her feet.

Thinking back, it's likely that the only reason the Aura Mod division allowed them to see Nagisa at all was because they wanted to show off. And how better to do that than to let their results speak for themselves? It wasn't even a contest.

But even then, Sayaka found that her thoughts were drawn less towards the Aura Mod division's machinations and more towards Nagisa herself. The girl just seemed so much more… alive… than she did when Sayaka last saw her. That smile of hers; those eyes; her aura—they were all so bright and vivid.

No matter what Nanami said, regardless of how logical it sounded, Sayaka just couldn't bear to feel bad about their competitor's achievement.

Because what they did—what Homura did—for Nagisa and everyone else they'd saved?

It was something she could only feel happy about.

Later, Atlas Academy…

The Haven Headmaster's departure went without a hitch, much to Kyouko's surprise. She expected at least another hour of maintenance before they could leave, but instead they were ready to go almost as soon as Leonardo arrived at the Hangar Bay. Was this an example of the fabled military efficiency or did Leonardo simply demand the schedule be adjusted to allow immediate take off? Either way, the delegation from Mistral was on their home before Kyouko could even finish the snack she brought with her. Mission accomplished, she supposed.

In the hours that followed, Kyouko wandered the city, spending the paycheck she'd just earned on various restaurants and cafés that caught her interest. When that grew boring, she took a cab back to the Training Arenas and looked for someone willing to fight. She ended up checking three more names off her list of every operating hunter in Atlas. It was late afternoon by the time she was finished.

Unfortunately, despite her faffing about, there was still a large blank space in her schedule right before dinner that she had no idea how to fill. She supposed it was one of the few downsides of completing her previous mission early.

In an attempt to stave off the boredom, she found herself standing in the Academy entrance hall once more, wondering if it was worth the amount of trouble she'd get into if she were to gatecrash one of Mami's classes unannounced. There were few enough people outside of their classrooms that it was unlikely that anyone would catch her if she tried—and even if someone did catch her, it wasn't like they could stop her.

Though, if she was really going to do this, she needed to at least make sure Mami was actually in class. It would be annoying to search every classroom in the building only to find out that the Major wasn't in any of them.

Mind made up, Kyouko leisurely walked to the staff room, doing her best to make it seem like she was supposed to be there and wasn't up to any mischief.

"If you're looking for Major Tomoe, she's in the middle of a mission briefing."

Right as Kyouko arrived at her destination, she heard a voice call to her. She followed the sound across the hall to the stairs, where a woman with white hair, a silly-looking top hat, and a knowing smile was watching her.

"She and three other instructors will conduct a group exercise with this year's graduating class in the coming week. I strongly recommend you don't bother them while they plan. It could lead to someone's death."

"Someone's death? Talk about dramatic." Kyouko put a hand on her hip and leaned against the wall. "What makes you think I intend on bothering them, anyway?"

"Let's call it intuition." The woman seemed to chuckle at a hidden joke before giving Kyouko a once-over. "So you're Kyouko Sakura, the wild red huntress everyone's been gossiping about?"

"Who wants to know?"

The woman bowed in greeting. "My name is Oriko Mikuni. I'm Major Tomoe's direct superior here at the Academy. I'd like to invite you to some tea and cake at my office."

Kyouko raised a brow. "Is this a play at keeping me from disrupting Academy procedures, or do you have your own reasons?"

Oriko lazily waved her hand from side to side. "Mmm, a little of column A, a little of column B. Does it really matter when I'm offering free food?"

A fanged grin. "Sure it does. It just matters a lot less. So, where we going, lady?"

Oriko gestured for Kyouko to follow. Two flights of stairs and a short walk down a hall later, they arrived at a set of double doors labeled Intelligence Department Head's Office.

"Fancy room," Kyouko remarked as she entered, staring at the mass of holographic screens floating above the center table. She noted at least a few of them depicting reports and graphs about various hunters' skills in combat. She saw glimpses of her own profile among them.

"Take a seat. The tea will be ready shortly."

Kyouko did so, turning to watch Oriko place a kettle on the electric stove in the corner. Once it was set to boil, she pulled out a box of cake from the mini-fridge and approached the table.

"Really fancy room," Kyouko corrected herself with a mutter.

"So, how has your stay in Atlas been so far?" Oriko asked, sliding a cup of tea and a plateful of cake in front of Kyouko. "Are the combat assignments to your liking?"

Kyouko picked up a fork, twirling it idly between her fingers. "Eh, they're alright. Starting to get boring, though."

"Apologies for that. Headmaster Lionheart wanted our most skilled hunters in his security detail. I would have convinced them to pick someone else if I thought it was worth it."

A raised brow. "You a Human Resource person or something?"

"Of a sort. I give advice to Command whenever they have hunters making a racket about things not going their way—like a certain Vacuan who wanted some amount of action in every mission they were given.

The red lancer speared her cake with her utensil, tearing off a chunk and bringing it to her mouth. "So you're the reason I was asked to fight every hunter in Atlas?" she asked as she chewed.

Instead of answering, Oriko took a sip of her tea, her eyes betraying the smile she was hiding behind her cup.

Kyouko swallowed, muttering. "Well, thanks, I guess."

The two ate and drank in silence for a moment, Kyouko eyeing the woman before her with both a new found respect and a deeper level of suspicion. Oh, don't get her wrong, she did appreciate how accommodating Command had become regarding her mission preferences, but they could have just sent her back to Vacuo if she was that much trouble. No, they had a reason for wanting her to stay, and Oriko was likely the one who gave it to them.

So what was that reason?

It was a question she was unlikely to find an answer to in just one conversation with the woman. She'd have to let things settle for a bit before she did some digging.

That said, there were some answers she was unwilling to wait for.

"So, the food's good," she began, "but you said yourself that this little tea party isn't just for the sake of having one. Cards on the table now, lady. Spill."

Oriko placed her cup on a coaster, folding her hands neatly on the table in front of her. "I'd like to know what you think of Major Tomoe."

With just a few short words, Kyouko's new found respect immediately vanished. She glared incredulously. "You brought me here to gossip?"

"Well, the plaque on my door did say Intelligence Department. What are rumors and gossip if not another means for an information network to do its job?"

Kyouko growled in displeasure. "If asking me about my love life's all you wanna do, I'll finish this cake right now and leave."

It was Oriko's turn to look incredulous. "Goodness, when did I ever say I wanted to know about that?" I gave you a mission to collect combat data from our hunters and you've been sparring with one of them nearly every day for the last four months. How did your love life come in to play? Were you just unable to connect the dots?"

"Maybe next time you should choose your words more carefully, Intel Department Head. Being all vague and cryptic could lead to someone's death." Kyouko looked away, tearing off another chuck of cake and devouring it angrily.

"Apologies for the misunderstanding, but I'd still like my question answered. It's never apparent in our footage how much Major Tomoe is holding back. Having fought her so many times, you are uniquely qualified to ascertain her skills."

Kyouko laughed, stabbing down at her cake, leaving the fork embedded in the dessert. "You're asking me? The one who's lost basically every single spar we've had so far? Lady, you said you were with Intelligence. At least show you have some."

Despite the blatant insult, Oriko's face was serene as she refilled her cup and took another sip, drawing it out with long, slow movements. "You have at least one win, Kyouko Sakura," she said when the cup finally left her lips. "So answer the question."

Kyouko bared her fangs. "That single win was because Homura was with me. It wasn't even a contest."

"And was Major Tomoe still holding back, hmm?"

With a blink, Kyouko thought back to the previous day's spar. Mami had been the same as she'd always been, right? Which means—

"She was," the lancer admitted. "She was still holding back, even though she didn't need to."

"And therein lays the crux of our problem."

With the tap of Oriko's fingers on the table, several holo-screens dropped to eye-level from the unorganized cloud above them, each displaying Mami Tomoe's combat data from even before Kyouko started sparring with her. Every graph was identical, save for a miniscule rise in combat rating from the previous day's spar, followed by a sudden drop from the morning after.

"We have reason to believe her skills have atrophied from disuse, but it is only a suspicion at the moment. We need confirmation first. And if we get it? Immediate correction."

"And are you telling me all this because you want me to be the one to do it?" At Oriko's nod, Kyouko looked down at what remained of her cake, her embedded fork slowly toppling to the side as the confection began to lose structural integrity. "Why me and not someone else? Like Homura. She's part of our spars too—"

"Miss Akemi," Oriko replied without missing a beat, "is engaged in other, more important projects right now."

Kyouko shut her eyes and sighed. Yes, she knew that already. She really shouldn't have expected otherwise. "Alright, what about the other question?"

"Well, as for why we want you specifically…" Another tap on the table replaced the screens of Mami's data with Kyouko's. "The graphs to the left are what little data we were able to collect of your battles out on the field. On the right are your spars. Notice the disparity."

Sure enough, her combat rating outside of her spars was several magnitudes higher.

"It's worth noting that a gap in combat rating is expected—your spars aren't fights to the death, after all—but when the gap is this large, one tends to wonder."

Oriko downed her tea and let her cup fall onto her coaster with a click that made Kyouko flinch. The woman was no longer smiling.

"Kyouko Sakura, as far as we're aware, you've been holding back just as much as Major Tomoe has. I don't know what your reasons are—and frankly, I don't care—but you are doing yourself, Major Tomoe, and Atlas as a whole a disservice by continuing this farce. While you're technically not part of our military, you're still an elite huntress. I task you now to act like it."

Kyouko gritted her teeth in silence for a long time, the seconds stretching into minutes as the two remained in frozen intensity. "I'll think about it," she conceded eventually.

With a half lidded gaze, Oriko tilted her head to the side. "I suppose that will be good enough for now. As long as you achieve results before winter, you're free to take it at your own pace."

The lancer wanted to ask why it needed to be before winter but she was almost certain that Oriko had deemed it something she didn't need to know. So instead, she finished off the last of her cake, pushing the plate aside once the dessert was all eaten.

"Thank you for the food," she growled, standing up.

"Actually, before you go, there was something else I wanted you here for. It won't be long."

Groaning in frustration, Kyouko sat back down. "Fine, let's hear it."

"I have a coworker who wanted to see you. She would have made contact sooner but she was out on a mission until relatively recently." Oriko's smile returned. "I believe she should be here now."

As if on cue, the door to the office opened behind Kyouko, a familiar voice entering.

"Oriko, is she here yet? I'm—Oh! Kyouko, is that you?"

At the sound of her name being uttered, Kyouko turned and came face to face with a woman with round eyes, green hair, and a hammer hanging from her belt. It was a person she'd nearly forgotten about until just that morning. What were the chances that they'd end up meeting again on the very same day that Kyouko had dreamed about her?

"Yuma Chitose," Kyouko breathed in disbelief.

Yuma smiled. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

End of Chapter

I did not intend for half of this entire chapter to be just those last two scenes but Nagisa's situation was important enough to warrant it.

Unrelatedly, this chapter was written while I had no internet. I didn't even have a copy of this story to use as reference. It was damn annoying and I'll be fixing that moving forward (especially since I technically don't have internet as I write this. I'm borrowing someone else's phone to use their data.)

Next chapter might take another month or two. Until then!