The sound of the wind and the blows of a shovel on the earth, that was all Revenant wanted to feel. It was not the heat, it was not the smell of the earth inside that hole, it was not the shadows of the crowd at her back, just the wind and her trusty green metal tool.
However, the work was done, she had to stop and turn around.
The morning light was hitting the backs of the novices and sisters who were watching. Still, their expressions of dismay and the tears were visible under the shadows.
Revenant said nothing. She looked at the corpse beside the grave, wrapped in cloths. She picked it up and carefully placed it inside. Then she climbed out and stood, holding the shovel.
From the group, Madre took a step forward and made the sign of the cross. "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit..."
The others imitated her. "... Amen."
Madre then announced, "Today we're gathered here to pay a last tribute to our sister Valkyrie. She represented Souls' Sisterhood with courage, with faith, and with a sense of duty," she paused, took a deep breath, and continued to speak, but her voice was no longer as strong, "but she'll always be my novice Jellah. With her captivatin' spirit, she shared her dream of becomin' a sistah ta others. Not every novice believes in the values of the Sisterhood, she never imagined how many she was able to convert, I never came close to what she was able to do." Madre sniffled her nose and closed her eyes to vainly hold back the tears, but she then nodded and smiled. "In our classes, she always stood up to ask the questions, she didn't like to be ignored. That's why she kept botherin' Merri... yes..."
Silence followed. It was a sign that someone else in a position to speak should take the opportunity. That person was Generalíssima, "When I came here to be in charge of operations, Valkyrie was a sister who stood out and I could trust. She would smile and make jokes to lighten the mood, but she knew how to show her commitment at the right time. May this day not only be one of sadness, but of our inspiration in her qualities, qualities that the Sisterhood will miss."
With the brief silence, it was Inquisitor's turn, in a sermonizing tone, "Be assured: She is already in the arms of the Father, in rejoice, knowing that one day we will all be reunited in Him. The pain is for those who are left." He exchanged glances with Generalíssima. "May we use it to make a self-reflection of our sins. Let us accept our imperfect nature and make the proper corrections."
Passing by Madre's side, Lucky came close to the grave wielding a revolver.
Revenant pressed her lips together and looked away.
"I wanted ta be theah ta help ya. If only I coulda found 'nd defeated the witch before..." Lucky said, letting more tears fall, "Valk, now I can only do this for ya." She aimed the revolver up and fired.
Then a shower of petals began to fall.
With that, novices approached and threw on the body wild flowers that they found.
While Lucky turned and ran, hiding her crying face with her hands.
"Aww..." Madre tried to reach for her with her arm, but she passed too quickly.
It was Generalíssima who managed to get in the way and hug her. The magical bunny girl sobbed on her shoulder.
Seeing this, Revenant's eyes threatened to water, she raised her head and gritted her teeth, while holding back the urge to scream and vent on something.
Generalíssima exchanged glances with the black woman and nodded.
Revenant began to put earth in the grave. The wind had lost strength, all that was left was the sound of the shovel to try to forget what she was doing.
"Follow me in this chant," Madre suggested and began singing right away, "Hold on to God's hand and go..."
"... Hold on to God's hand; For it will sustain you..." The sisters and novices complied with the request and sang, including Nano, even though she did not know the lyrics.
"...Fear not, go forth and do not look back; Hold on to God's hand and go..."
The child looked at Invader. The ballerina was crestfallen, eyes closed, while trails of tears glistened her cheeks.
"...The Spirit of the Lord will always cover you; Hold on to God's hand and go..."
She then looked at Generalíssima and Lucky. The bunny girl was not singing, she was inconsolable, while the leader kept a tense countenance, her gaze full of cholera.
"... Jesus Christ has promised that He will never leave you; Hold on to God's hand and go..."
She looked at the man. Inquisitor was singing, but he was not looking at the grave, but at the foot of the hill. There, at the edge of a large lake, Matryoshka was throwing pebbles, making them bounce several times on the surface of the water.
"...Fear not, go forth and do not look back; Hold on to God's hand and go..."
A few more chants were sung until Revenant had finished filling in the grave. She then brought out a large rock and scratched its surface with the tip of her shovel, drawing a cross. She placed the rock on top of the grave, with the draw part against the ground, and covered it with bushes. She used the back of her hand to wipe her face, not knowing if it was sweat or tears.
There was a long silence, nobody showed any intention of leaving the place.
[Twenty minutes until the next satellite passes in that region.]
Hearing Invader's voice, Generalíssima announced, "Let us return. Souls' Sisterhood must continue."
Conspirators
"You fucking bastard!"
In the meeting room, Inquisitor saw Generalíssima punching the table as she addressed him.
"You should never have announced that to everyone without consulting me! Do you want to destroy the Sisterhood?"
He looked at the other members sitting at the table: Lucky, Revenant and Madre. "I don't understand this overreaction. Nothing changed after I said that."
"Ah... It changed, it changed a lot!" Generalíssima leaned over the table, using her finger to poke hard at the surface of the furniture as she explained, "You might think that the person sitting next to you is the seed thief. You don't know why they did it, but you imagine that it must be out of fear, that they did it to have a 'guarantee' in this crisis. However, now that some idiot has decided to shout out what is going on in his head, you can only imagine that the traitor, now being a 'witch', did it to KILL!"
"At least now we would have a clear motivation for this theft," Inquisitor commented as he exchanged glances with Madre.
She returned to her chair, sighing and running a hand over her forehead. She said in a lower tone, "You know Matriarch's efforts better than me. How delicate that web of trust can be. If we start fearing each other, the Sisterhood will end here."
"I guarantee that the Sisterhood will end the moment we run out of seeds," Inquisitor stated, "but it seems that no one here is taking it seriously, just because we still have some left. At least now everyone will start paying more attention to each other."
"Yeah..." Revenant spoke in a spiteful tone, "if this thin' about the traitor bein' a witch is true, ya're the prime suspect."
The man promptly replied, " A killer of sisters should not be sitting at that table, much less giving opinions."
The black woman lowered her gaze.
"She's right," Generalíssima said.
Leaving Inquisitor uneasy, "How so?"
"Among the members who have access to the safe, you're the last one who was sent to this base." Generalíssima raised a finger and her eyebrows. "I must remind you that you came late and only contacted us AFTER Washington warned us that they had lost contact with Europe."
"That's exactly why I was late," Inquisitor said, calmer, "when I arrived in this country, I tried to contact Europe, because I needed to know if it was still safe to come here. I waited for an answer and didn't get one, so I contacted Washington. Sunbird informed me of what happened and asked me to proceed with the mission, although she didn't give me any further details, which I found odd." He nodded, concluding, "only then I contacted you for extraction."
Madre asked, "Matriarch didn't talk to you?"
Generalíssima replied before the man could open his mouth, "Contact with Matriarch has become very restricted with this crisis, to avoid the risk of exposing her location."
"That's right." Inquisitor crossed his arms. "Moving on, you believe that if the traitor is a witch, they would have been brought here, but there is another possibility."
"Which would be...?" Generalíssima was as confused as she was curious.
He emphasized, "one of us may have become one of these new witches here inside the base, maybe even by accident."
"Huuuuuh?!" Lucky raised her eyebrows, quite surprised. "And how come no one knew? We woulda felt the release of energy, right?"
Revenant agreed, "Yeah, he's bullcrappin'."
Inquisitor harshened his voice, "We don't know how the transformation process is like for this new type of witch. Besides, there is a great distance between the floors of this base, filled with tons of rocks and earth, and most of the members spend most of their time on the floor closest to the surface."
"That's true." Lucky had an epiphany. "For example, we don't sense what goes on inside the purification room, even with many witches inside, only if we're close 'nd focused for it."
"Yeah," Revenant added, "and that makes Inquisitor again the prime suspect."
He stood and vociferated, "WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS ACCUSING ME?! WHEN I AM THE ONE WHO IS TRYING HARDEST TO FIND THIS TRAITOR!"
Generalíssima raised an eyebrow. "They're just paying more attention."
"So that's it? A childish vendetta?" he said, wryly, "what a great leader you are..."
"Thank you for your opinion," she replied in the same tone, "now, why don't you ask the others about what they think of my leadership?"
The man retorted, "Perhaps I should ask Nano and Invader, but they aren't here for some reason, even though you have issued a convocation for this very 'urgent' and 'important' meeting."
Generalíssima rolled her eyes and sighed, "Invader is in the security room, paying cloooose attention to any suspicious movements. Nano, on the other hand, is checking to see if the manifestation of the witch's barrier has damaged the rocket. Once again I reiterate that this project is the purpose of this facility since the beginning."
"Oh yes, it's very important." Inquisitor narrowed his gaze. "It's so important that Nano should, since she's there and no one is looking, take the opportunity and occupy 'a little more' of our meager seeds to work on it."
"Leave," Generalíssima ordered.
He was as confused as he was appalled. "What did you say?"
"I don't want to see your face anymore today, I'm tired... I..." She raised her head and closed her eyes. "Gosh... What did Matriarch see in you?"
Inquisitor's eyes widened and the veins in his temples bulged out.
"While you like to question the maturity of others, you forget, or pretend to forget, the mistakes you make and think you are always right." She looked at him again. "You believed that Valkyrie was a witch, do you remember that? You can claim you didn't say that literally, but I can already read you." She shook her head, with a contemptuous look on her face. "You were wrong, she was always a sister."
"AND NOW SHE'S DEAD!" Inquisitor shouted from the bottom of his lungs.
Generalíssima remained silent, but her countenance was firm.
Gasping, the man calmed himself and headed for the exit of the room. The metal door opened and, with his back turned to the other members of the meeting, he said before leaving, "I wonder who'll be the next one."
Only when the door closed Generalíssima relaxed her posture.
The other sisters stared at her, saying nothing.
After taking a deep breath she said in a tired voice, "The meeting is over. Go get some rest, it's been a hard day."
Revenant was the first to get up. She headed for the exit, but was touched on the arm.
It was Lucky, who was standing up. "Wheah're ya goin' now?"
The black woman did not look at her, she just said, "I dunno, my room..."
The magical bunny girl asked in a lower tone, almost a whisper, "Dya wanna go in my room?"
Revenant glanced at her, before lowering her head and giving a timid nod.
Generalíssima waited for the two to leave the room. She stood up and was about to do the same, when she saw Madre approaching. The woman's gray eyes were staring at her, her countenance was different, something she could not decipher, which made her tense. "Yes?"
Despite her appearance, Madre's voice was still soft. "Before this meetin', I visited Invader in the security room and asked if she had any recordings of what occurred in this room when you're with Valkyrie and the two visitors."
Generalíssima looked at the only security camera in the meeting room. "And did she find anything?"
Madre shook her head. "Nothing, the part of the video with you inside here was corrupted."
Generalíssima nodded. "That's normal to occur when a witch barrier forms."
"I also spoke with Revenant," Madre stated, "she told me that she heard screams, and that was before the barrier formed."
Silence filled the room for a moment.
Generalíssima was beginning to understand what that countenance was and her voice became more serious, "Why are you asking the others? I was the one in the room, you can ask me."
Madre's voice was not soft anymore either, "That's what I'm doin' now."
"Well then, I'll give you the details." Generalíssima pointed at the table. "I was sitting at that table when I destroyed the false gem the witch had given me, that's how I proved her farce. Valkyrie and the other visitor were surprised, and the witch took that opportunity to attack. This is where Revenant must have heard the screams. I was counting on Valkyrie to react quickly, but she was weaker than she was showing." The Latina woman put her hand to her own chest. "I misjudged, that's really my fault. The witch stuck her body to the ceiling and formed her barrier. At that time, Revenant tried to open the door and the witch escaped. I was attacked from behind by a familiar and knocked down. There were already many familiars in the room, I killed them all, but the other magical girl was already dead and Valkyrie was wounded. Then Revenant managed to open a passage in the wall and that's all."
Madre did not look satisfied. "There's something strange about that story."
"Where?"
"The part where the witch starts attacking," the redhead stated bluntly, "I remember the messages the Indonesian cell shared regarding the first contact they had with these new witches. At no point did they mention any hostile action."
"Ah... For God's sake!" Generalíssima grimaced. "It's a lie, Washington has asked to disregard any information on their part."
"This witch was isolated in a place with dozens of magical girls," Madre raised her voice, "it could all be a pretense, but she'd first try to convince us that she wasn't a threat. It doesn't make sense what ya said!"
Generalíssima got very close to Madre.
The redhead held her position, not backing down one bit, looking deep into that pair of dark pink eyes.
Generalíssima tilted her head to the side and creased her eyebrows, whispering, "Are you siding with the witch?"
"I want the truth!" Madre narrowed her eyes slightly. "It was you who attacked first, wasn't it?"
"Attacked first?!" Generalíssima stood open-mouthed, dumbfounded, then gritted her teeth. "This witch attacked us the moment she crossed paths with Valkyrie and deceived her. Now I see that she continued attacking us, sowing doubt when she got here," she pressed her lips together and raised her eyebrows before continuing, "keep this in mind: them looking and acting like humans doesn't make them any less witches than they are. Anyone who doesn't understand that will meet the same fate as Valkyrie. Are we clear, sister?"
Madre looked down, more specifically at the clenched fists of the other woman. "Yes, it's clear."
"Great, the novices might be waiting for you." Generalíssima did not relax her posture. "I hope you haven't been spreading those ideas of yours to anyone else."
The redhead said coolly, "I'll go check to see if they've finished cleanin' up the rest of Valkyrie's blood that was in the hallways." Then she went for the exit. Already in the corridor, she turned around.
The metal door was sliding, until it closed and interrupted the intense exchange of looks between the two.
／人 ◕‿‿◕ 人＼
The door opened and Revenant saw that Lucky's room was the usual mess. There were cute and colorful animals plushies on the floor, and posters of male models on the walls.
Lucky was standing behind the black woman, gently pushing her into the room. "Come in, ya can use my bed."
The bed was untidy, with the fluffy blanket touching the floor with one of its edges. On any other day, Revenant would have complained to the owner, but this time she just sat on it and bowed her head.
Lucky used the electronic panel to lock the door before asking, "How are ya feelin', comfortable?"
Revenant said in a monotonous tone, "Go ahead, speak up."
"Huh?"
"Ya brought me heah for this. I killed our friend 'n ya wanna say 'Why?' even though ya know. Ya can blame on me, hate me, I can take it."
Lucky frowned. "Whatcha talkin' about? It's not yah fault."
"It's my fault!" The woman on the bed exasperated, "If I hadn't opened the door, the witch wouldn't have escaped the room 'n Generalíssima woulda killed it. The barriah wouldn't even have formed 'nd Valkyrie would be alive!"
The magical bunny girl said, "If I hadn't taken a few steps back, I would still be with ya 'nd I coulda healed her. Some things are just not in our control."
"I killed her, it was my decision!" Revenant closed her eyes tightly and tears trickled down. "I was holdin' the gem, I was the one who crushed her. I crushed our friend!"
Lucky felt her eyes threatening to tear up and she went to sit next to her distraught friend.
Revenant did not react; she kept her eyes closed.
In a soft voice, the freckled young woman asked, "Revah, look at me."
The black woman remained motionless, but her breathing was shaky.
"Reeevaahh~" Lucky stroked the shaved part of Revenant's head, "look at yah annoyin' drongo."
This time she obeyed, her eyes already swollen from crying.
"That won't work," Lucky showed a smile, "I won't hate ya, ya're my friend."
"How can ya be so strong?" Revenant shook her head, as if she did not understand. "Ya're already smilin'..."
"I had ta learn. It's not the first time I've lost someone dear to me." Lucky's eyes filled with tears, but her smile did not fade. "And it's not the first time we've lost a sistah."
"No, no..." Revenant shook her head more emphatically. "This time is different. We didn't even believe Valkyrie was comin' back, but she believed in us, she had faith in the Sisterhood. We're supposed ta be the safe haven for magical girls, that's what we've always been, and we failed!"
Lucky continued stroking her friend, with no objections.
"If we can't even do that, what's left of the Sisterhood? What'll become of us?" Revenant hid her face and her body shuddered with tension.
"No!" Lucky hugged her. "Don't hold it, let it go."
The black woman began to sob, followed by a long crying moan.
"That's it, release everythin'." Lucky rested her head on her friend's muscular back, as tears gently descended and dampened the fabric of her white shirt. "No one will know, this will stay just between us, for ya're Revah, my invincible friend..."
／人 ◕‿‿◕ 人＼
Invader waited for the heavy double metal door to open wide enough to enter. She hurried to the control panel to close them again.
Without the sound of the doors sliding, there was only silence, the blue ballerina was not used to that. She turned around and saw the rocket, with its imposing stature, but there were no drones, robots, and other machines that made this possible.
"Nano?" She walked through the space with a certain caution and concern. "Are you here, Nano?"
The child was sitting on the cold floor, her back against the silo wall, and a lost look on her face.
Invader approached. "Nano..."
"Hi." The child looked at her and showed a shy smile, which soon went away. "Aren't you supposed to be in the security room?"
"Yes, but Generalíssima gave the order for me to come here to check on the work being done." Invader looked around. "To avoid trouble, I got here through a security camera."
"Ah..." Nano shrugged. "I've already checked for any damage, but I haven't found anything obvious. The rocket is complete, I had finished it a few days ago, but the satellite..."
"Is there something wrong with it?"
"No, nothing wrong, but..." Nano shook her head. "You know, when we think of a satellite, we see it with those big solar panels. This one has none of that, it will run on nuclear power. Matryoshka told me that the generator will be ready as soon as we solve this seed issue."
Invader raised her eyebrows. "So that's all that's left for everything to be ready? I'll communicate Generalíssima, she can make some arrangements."
The child was looking at the floor.
An awkward silence settled in.
"Nano," Invader expressed in a more serious tone, "I asked a question."
"Yeah." The child took a deep breath.
Without waiting any longer, the ballerina sat down next to her, straightening her long, thin ponytail, and whispered, "What's the problem?"
Nano replied with a question, "Didn't you find it strange that I didn't cry at the funeral?"
"I didn't notice." Invader shook her head slightly. "But I don't think it's strange, Valkyrie wasn't someone close to you."
"I've lived with her longer than you have." Nano grimaced. "But that's not really it! I'm being dishonest again."
Such claim caught Invader's attention.
"There's something I want to tell you, but it'll change the way you see me." The child frowned more. "And I'm scared."
Invader widened her eyes more. "You're scaring me."
"Then it's too late..." Nano smiled with a certain nervousness and took another deep breath.
Invader gave her all the time she needed.
The child nodded to herself, drew in some air and declared, "I am older than you."
The ballerina blinked, expecting to hear something more. Since that did not occur, she spoke, "Well, then, magical girls don't age."
"Huh?! Don't you know?" Nano expressed more surprise than the other girl. "Magical girls don't become old, but they grow up. I was much smaller when I joined the Sisterhood."
Invader speculated, "So you wished you're younger."
"No, I'd have loved if that had been it." Nano lowered her head. "I'm twenty, or a bit older, but before I turned fifteen, I had an accident when I climbed a tree. I was left quadriplegic."
Invader commented, "And so, Incubator paid a visit."
"It took a while, but he came." Nano handled her gauntlet. "As in other stories someone may have already told you, it was a dream to me. He made me the offer and I wished for a new body."
The girl with icy eyes furrowed her eyebrows. "New body?"
"After the contract was made, I woke up. I thought the dream was over, but I could feel my body, but everything was different..." Nano closed her eyes. "I can still see it as if it were now. I was in a hospital room, but there was a strange person. She jumped up from the chair she was in and went to call the nurses. Soon more people appeared, screaming and crying, happy. The doctor pointed a strong light in each of my eyes."
"What..." A bad feeling took over Invader, uncertain if she wanted an answer. "What happened?"
Nano reopened her eyes. "I woke up in this body, a baby who had stopped breathing in her sleep. They managed to keep her alive, but she had become comatose and she had been in another room of the same hospital I was, for over a year."
Invader was stunned. "I-I've never heard of Incubator making a mistake like that! It was clear that you want-"
"He didn't make a mistake," Nano stated, with a bitter expression on her face, "you won't understand, it didn't happen to you. My body had withered away, I hated it, I hated the smiles of the people who came to see me, because I knew they cried when they were somewhere else. Everyone knew it was better that I had died, so that's why I wished for a new body, I wanted a new life." She looked nowhere as she shook her head. "Maybe, if I had known it was real, I would have thought better of it and wished to go back in time or something. I might even have wished for a cake! If I had known more about magical girls..."
Invader was speechless, still absorbing what she heard.
Nano's eyes reddened and her voice became weepy. "I warned you, I warned you that you would see me in a different light. I don't deserve pity! I don't-" Her arm was held.
It was Invader. "Calm down, I'm here."
With tears slowly sliding down her face, Nano touched the ballerina's sleeve with her gauntlet and continued to tell in a lower voice, "I was soon discharged from the hospital, my recovery was 'miraculous'. Everyone was impressed that I was able to talk, but the doctors believed it was because I must have been able to hear others talking while in coma. I had no trouble adjusting to the new home, the people treated me well, but I was a magical girl. Because of my age, I was always under supervision, I had no way of going out on witch hunts. Luckily, one of the relatives was also a magical girl and a member of the Sisterhood. I told her everything and she arranged a meeting with Sunbird."
Invader inquired, "Didn't you talk to Matriarch too?"
"I never saw her in person. I always heard she was in Europe, busy negotiating with Motherland Union." Nano returned to the subject, "Sunbird put all the blame on Kyuubey for what happened, and I agreed, it was easier for me. Since my case was exceptional, the Sisterhood decided to adopt me, that means erasing all physical and virtual records of my existence. My new family had their minds manipulated to forget me, while I was assigned to Washington for training and full time work. In the meantime, I discovered that my old body was still in the hospital, in a vegetative state, my family had not given up." It was almost a smile, and her eyes filled with more tears. "I asked Sunbird, and she sent Moonlynx. Five days later, I received word that my former body had died from septic shock. They really sent their best..."
Slowly, but without hesitation, Invader brought her hand close to stroke child's head.
However, Nano turned and raised her voice, as if to interrupt this act, "Terrible, huh? My selfish wish ruined two families and I still keep pretending I'm innocent. I'm the worst person of all."
"The worst person of all?" Invader smiled.
Nano was as surprised as she was confused; she had never seen her look that ironic.
Noticing that reaction, the ballerina turned her face away. "I was also a despicable person. I lost friendships and gave up on the world, I abandoned it on the other side of the wall so it wouldn't hurt me, but I was the one who was hurting myself. Joining the Sisterhood, meeting other magical girls, is what saved me, I owe you all a lot." Then anger grew in her voice. "The Sisterhood is your family, it's your home, you said that and you weren't pretending, I felt it! You can't be the worst person of all, to me you're not!"
Nano winced and frowned, holding back a cry.
Invader sighed and remained serious. "Why did you want to tell this now?"
"Because I don't know if we'll have another moment of peace to do it," Nano replied shortly, not being able to camouflage her anxiety, "there's something else I need to ask you. I want you to be honest."
The two stared at each other.
Nano faltered, "If, by chance, something happens and you have to deal with... my witch..."
"I kill it."
The child widened her eyes.
"I kill it," Invader repeated, "don't worry, I won't hesitate, I'll be doing you a favor."
"Well..." Nano nodded. "Then we have a deal. I... I will do the same if it's your witch. I won't hesitate!"
"Good." Invader made the same gesture. "But don't be reckless, call for help if possible."
"Is that meant to be a sermon?" Nano lowered her gaze. "So you still see me as a child."
The ballerina had the impulse to smile, but was strangled by the anguishing atmosphere.
／人 ◕‿‿◕ 人＼
In her makeshift laboratory, Matryoshka was with her coat open and examining a stack of photos that she had left on a box. They were satellite photos, black and white, of various geographical references, but what interested the woman were the photos of lakes. She continued her search until she found one with a familiar shape. The photo had a number in the corner, a coordinate. She took another document from inside her coat and opened it.
It was a detailed map of the country. She slid her finger to the point that interested her, then made a poke. "Здесь." She took a ruler and calculated the distances from that point to the nearest human settlements.
She heard the door open.
"Hello? I'm cleaning up the place, I'm not wasting magic for some experiment." She put the ruler and papers as quickly as possible into her coat, but she waited for a reply before closing it. Since that did not occur, she carefully withdrew a metal vial and hid it in her closed fist. "Looks like it's not something urgent." Then she closed her coat and turned around.
Inquisitor looked at her as the door closed behind him.
Matryoshka put her hands in her pockets. "And the lost son returns to his father's home..."
／人 ◕‿‿◕ 人＼
It was night in Mitakihara and the silence in the streets of the old part of town had its charm, it also proved that its stone walls could hold secrets.
Kyouko knew she was in Homura's house, but she did not know what it was really like inside. Sifting through memories of her other lives, she could only remember that space she was in, a white, well-lit room surrounded by chandeliers and shades. She was lying on a colorful couch, which was part of a set that was arranged like a clock, while looking at screens floating in the air. "Hey Homura, how did you learn to create such a place?"
Homura was standing with Oriko, closer to the screens. She replied, "Since witches come from magical girls, I tried to imitate what they're able to do, like the barriers."
Sitting on another couch, arms crossed, was one of the members of the Pleiades Witches, Umika Misaki. She commented, "So you have experimented with magic. That's unusual among magical girls, they usually settle with what they have, since those experiments can be dangerous."
"I had time to take risks," Homura said, without looking at her.
"Talking about time." Kyouko pointed at the ceiling. "I remember you had a bunch of gears and clock things hanging there."
Homura stayed silent.
Umika frowned slightly.
Near the redhead, Sayaka was sitting on another couch. "I feel so out of place when you start talking about the past."
Kyouko squirmed, "Hmmm... You've never been here, right?"
"And neither does Mami-san, I guess..." Sayaka became wistful.
"Isn't she a friend of yours?" Umika inquired.
"It's a long and complicated story." Kyouko raised her left arm, leaving her hand above it as she examined the ring on her finger. "But she is, she always has been."
From the shadows, Kazumi and Kaoru appeared, one was carrying a pile of bowls and chopsticks, while the other was carrying a tray with a large pot containing a creamy rice of a slightly reddish color. "It's reeeeaady!"
"YO!" Kyouko jumped from the couch to stand. "Finally! Ever since you've been talking about this strawberry risotto, I've been wanting to taste whether it's really that special."
"Do you think it took too long?" Kaoru cracked a big smile. "This time Kazumi managed to finish super fast."
"Ehehe! Yeah!" Kazumi was excited. "Homura-chan's kitchen is really nice! Everything is so clean, it even looks new."
Homura exchanged glances with that girl with peculiar hair, but it was brief, she soon lowered her gaze. "It hasn't been used much."
"Huh?" Kazumi was confused.
But Kaoru seemed to have understood everything, she whispered to her friend, "Her kitchen is really new. She must have been annoyed that we dirtied it."
"No, NO!" Kazumi raised her voice as if she was having an outburst. "Don't worry, we'll make it clean again! We won't abuse your hospitality any more than we've abused Oriko-chan's, right? Hehe."
"Oriko-chan..." Oriko muttered to herself, while covering her smile with her hand.
The one who was annoyed, if not impatient, was Kyouko. "The cleanup you see later, now is time to eat."
The risotto was shared with everyone.
Sayaka closed her eyes to enjoy the taste more. "Hmmmm~! That's really yummy!"
"I've never eaten something like this," Kyouko commented after finishing her bowl, "it looks like rich people's food, but it's good."
Oriko also praised, "This recipe does look professional, it's even better than the versions I've tasted in restaurants. Who taught you this?"
Kaoru replied, "An old friend, who learned from her grandmother."
Umika nodded, while Kazumi smiled.
Despite the quality of the risotto, Homura had other interests. "Mami-san was the one who met with you first and explained about the Law of Cycles, wasn't she?"
"Yes," Umika replied, "she was very honest and explained to us everything she knew about the Law of Cycles, about how Madoka-san's wish made the nature of magical girls and witches less... distinct."
[Strange.]
Sayaka heard Kyouko's voice in her head and glanced at her.
[Knowing Mami, I thought she would be even more cautious than we were. I never imagined she would mention Madoka.]
[Maybe she trusts these girls.] After answering her friend, Sayaka asked, "And weren't you guys a little... hmmm... worried about becoming a witch, but still being yourselves?"
Kazumi shook her head, smiling wider. "Nah! That's nothing new for us."
Sayaka, Kyouko, Oriko and Homura were perplexed.
Kaoru was quick to speak, "She means that strange happenings aren't new to us. As magical girls, we've seen a lot!"
Umika added, "We were also working on a way to reject our fate as magical girls. Before Mami-san talked to us, our group was known as Pleiades Saints and there were more members. We tried some solutions to achieve our goal, but in the end there were only the three of us left."
Kazumi stopped smiling. "Maybe we'll meet our friends in the Law of Cycles, huh?"
"Sure we will!" Kaoru gave her a wink. "After we deal with that threat, we'll ask Madoka-san for help."
"It's amazing that her wish was enough to solve this issue," Umika said, "how come another girl hasn't made this kind of wish before? It seems very simple to me..."
"Maybe Madoka-san is someone very special," Kazumi commented.
"You're very right about that," Homura stated, with a more friendly countenance.
Getting excited again, Kazumi exclaimed, "I would love to know her!"
"Pleiades Saints... hmm..." Kyouko used the chopsticks to point at Kazumi. "I don't remember that group, but I remember you."
The girl with red eyes and long black hair widened her eyes. "What?! How? When?"
"Heh, I've already visited your city, Asunaro." The redhead nodded. "I didn't stay for long, but I hunted witches and crossed paths with other magical girls, and I'm sure you were one of them."
Kazumi kept blinking her eyes and stammering, "B-But I... don't..."
Umika interrupted, "You must be referring to Michiru Kazusa."
"Michiru..." Kyouko pointed at Umika this time, agreeing, "yeah, that was her name. Now I remember it well, she can't be Kazumi, because her uniform was different, it was a black one and very revealing."
"Very revealing?" Kazumi blushed.
Kyouko looked at her again. "But you have her face and voice, are you twins?"
"No," Kazumi replied, still uncomfortable, "but she kinda related to me. Tehehe..."
Umika revealed, "She became a witch a while ago."
"That sucks..." Kyouko looked at her. "I think I've seen you too."
The girl's indigo-colored eyes turned sharp. "You never saw me."
The redhead raised her eyebrows, unsure whether this was a statement or an order.
Umika then smiled. "At the time you were in Asunaro hunting witches, I was busy writing books."
"Do you write books?" Sayaka's eyes widened. "Wait, are you Umika Misaki?"
Kyouko grimaced, confused. "Huuuh? Do you have amnesia?"
"No!" Sayaka did not even waste time getting annoyed, again asking, "I mean, are you the famous author, Umika Misaki?"
"I am." The girl with long dark blue hair bowed.
Sayaka was awestruck, babbling, "I-I think I've read almost all of your works! I loved 'A Duet in the Starry Night'."
"Oh, that one?" Umika frowned. "The critics felt that the romance in that story was too corny."
"But the romance was just what I liked best," Sayaka said.
"Ah, so it's really too corny." Kyouko played with her ponytail.
"Hey!" This time Sayaka could not help her anger. "Why are you saying that?"
Umika asked, "Have you by any chance read 'Maps, Letters, and Love Songs'?"
"I read it too, it's great, but isn't it by another author?"
Umika flashed a bigger smile, with satisfaction. "It is inspired by one of my drafts."
"Well, you can discuss about books later," Oriko spoke up, offering her empty bowl, "because I believe it's about time we start talking about the reason we're here."
While Kazumi and Kaoru finished putting all the bowls back on the tray, Homura stood near the screens.
When everyone else was sitting on the couch, the girl with long dark hair and violet gaze began, "Unfortunately, Mikuni-san didn't get any new information from her visions. So, we decided to work with the most peculiar clue."
The screens behind her changed, showing a number.
2305251263313
"Is that what Oriko kept hearing all the time in her head?" Kyouko crossed her arms, smiling, "Looks like someone's been leaving a few screws loose."
Homura ignored the comment. "From the beginning, I suspected that this number might be a coordinate. After some research, I came to that."
23°05'25" 126°33'13"
Kaoru put both hands behind her head to stretch. "Cool, so we have a place."
"Actually, with just the numbers, those coordinates point to four locations on the planet." Homura showed her hand with her index finger raised. "But only one is on dry land."
The screens changed, forming a mosaic of a map of a country surrounded by oceans.
Sayaka was somewhat surprised. "Australia? Really?"
Homura pointed to the screens as they showed a zoom of the map, and then satellite images. "The coordinates point to that spot, well inside the territory, far from any coastline."
"Far from everything, you mean," Kyouko said.
Kazumi asked, "Isn't that a desert?"
And Kaoru followed her, "Yeah, I don't see anything in these images, not even a building."
"Exactly." Oriko smiled.
Umika conjectured, "If there is a hideout, it may be cloaked with magic or it is subterranean."
"Oh no!" Kyouko complained, "underground, not again..."
The other girls, except for a certain blonde, were curious about this reaction.
The redhead continued, "Okay, Homura, what do you plan to do? You're not expecting us to go there, are you?"
Homura raised her eyebrows slightly. "Isn't that obvious?"
"Get real! You wanna us go to the other side of the world based solely on what Oriko is having in her head."
Kaoru commented, "Australia is just in the other hemisphere."
"Yeah, just like I said." Kyouko crossed her arms. "Other side of the world."
"I must agree with Kyouko-san," Umika spoke, "without putting doubt that Oriko-san is able to see the future, we have no guarantee that this information actually came from visions."
Hearing this, Homura quickly turned to Oriko, waiting for an answer.
"How preposterous," The ash blonde said in outrage, "why would I dare to make such a lie? What I want most is to protect Kaname-san and this city."
"Mitakihara?" Umika squinted her gaze. "Really?"
The two girls glared at each other for a moment that seemed too long for the others in the room.
Kazumi was the first to translate the tension present into an expression of concern. "Umika..."
Oriko relaxed her posture, smiling slightly. "I was going to say 'What are you implying?', and that would be what you were expecting to hear and then say 'When you contacted us, I researched you and I know what your father did.'."
Umika winced.
"Let's skip that part, shall we?" Oriko's gaze was more intense. "I already understand that you do not trust politicians."
Promptly, Umika complemented, "Eve-"
"'Even more when they are corrupt.'," Oriko interrupted her, "yes, I understand."
Umika gaped.
"I will tell you about my father. He was a coward, foolish and weak," Oriko stated without hesitation, "but he had plans for Mitakihara. Good plans, ones that would really help the city and its people."
"From what I know, he was involved in money laundering," Kyouko said, "that doesn't sound like a good plan."
Oriko replied, "My father wanted to be mayor, but to govern a big city like this, votes are not enough, you need support from people who hold influence and power, business people, licit or not. He knew who he was dealing with, he had inside information because he was a Mikuni, he trusted his family, that was his biggest mistake." She lowered her gaze, disgusted at her own words. "Someone in my family was already involved in a corruption scheme. When the investigations started getting too close, they used my father as a scapegoat."
Sayaka's eyes widened. "I-Is that what they did to a family member of their own?"
"That was why they gave support and information. From the beginning, they planned to use him as a cannon fodder, a necessary sacrifice." She looked at Umika again, once more a piercing gaze. "And he accepted it, but when I found his body at home, I knew at that moment that I would not do the same. His ideas have not died, I carry them with me, and I will not let anyone destroy the opportunity for them to be applied. I will protect my world at any cost!"
Umika nodded. "I feel passion in what you say, I'm... I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions."
"There is no need for that." Oriko relaxed her face. "In fact, I am even glad that there is another reasonable mind around here."
Kyouko spoke up, "Yep, nice speech, but I'm not convinced about what we're dealing with now." She pointed at the screens. "Look, we're talking about magical girls who are located nowhere, living in a top secret base with nuclear weapons. Don't you think that's a bit over the top?"
[Not at all.]
The redhead closed her eyes in an expression of disgust.
Oriko spotted a pair of glowing red eyes in the shadows. "So, Akemi-san's finding is enough for you."
Kyuubey stepped into the light. [I know of an organization with the resources to establish a cell at that location.]
"Organization?" Sayaka was surprised.
"Cell?" Kazumi was confused.
[Yes, they are known as Souls' Sisterhood.] The creature's eyes shone brighter.
The screens snowed for a brief moment before showing a symbol. It was a golden orb with borders, and with one half of the orb being blue, with white lines representing meridians and parallels. Connected to the edge of the orb was a cross, pointing downward, all of it reminded a soul gem.
"'Uno sumus animo' and 'Lex dei vitae lampas'." Oriko read what was written on the border of the orb. "That is Latin, it means 'We are one of soul' and 'The law of god is the lamp of life', respectively."
"Hey! Isn't that the symbol for feminine?" Kazumi questioned.
Umika corrected her. "It's not exactly upside down, the cross is slanting to one side."
Kaoru smiled. "Maybe they didn't want to make it too obvious."
Homura stated, "That is an orb of sovereignty."
"Orb of huh?" Kyouko grimaced.
"It's a Christian symbol," Homura explained, "it represents the kingdom of Christ, the cross, sovereign over the world, the orb."
"Wow..." Sayaka scratched her head. "Did you learn that in Catholic school?"
"Oh yes, I have seen it as an object being held by monarchs, in paintings," Oriko commented, "I believe it represents the ambition of this organization."
Umika looked at Kyuubey. "So, this is a group with a religious background?"
The creature swung its fluffy tail. [Yes, but that's not what the founder had in mind, that was incorporated later.]
"Founder?" Homura narrowed her gaze at the alien. "Who is it?"
[A magical girl who made a contract with me, of course. She is known as Matriarch.] Kyuubey's eyes again sparkled.
The screens now showed the image of a blonde, fair-skinned, pink-eyed girl. With a proud face, she was wearing an apparent military uniform and a beret.
Looking at that photo, Oriko muttered, "A religious militaristic organization of magical girls, coming straight from the worst nightmares..."
"Oi Oriko," Kyouko called out, "isn't that the blonde you've been seeing in your visions?"
"I am not sure, that picture looks very old." Oriko then asked the creature, "Incubator, what is her real name?"
[Irrelevant. She erased all her past as an ordinary person.]
All the girls were surprised.
Oriko decided to ask another question, "So... What was her wish?"
[She wished that humanity would never become extinct.]
And the girls were even more astounded.
Kyouko expressed it very well, "You gotta be kidding me!"
Homura spoke, "It doesn't look like that wish has been fulfilled."
[How not?] Kyuubey moved its pair of little ears. [As far as I know, humanity is alive and thriving.]
Homura narrowed her gaze.
[I may as well give the context, does anyone know about the Caribbean Crisis?]
"Caribbean?" Kazumi shook her head. "I didn't see anything on the news."
"Kazumiii!" Kaoru corrected her, "he's still talking about the contract he made with this blonde girl. It must be something old."
"Ah..."
Oriko questioned, "Are you referring to the Cuban missile crisis of 1962?"
[That was the moment you humans came closest to a nuclear war.] Kyuubey closed its eyes, it looked satisfied. [Thanks to this girl's wish, some switches were not activated.]
Sayaka frowned. "1962? For real?"
"This so-called Matriarch is a magical granny!" Kyouko exclaimed.
"I had never heard of a magical girl this old," Kazumi commented, impressed, "it's amazing that she's still alive."
Kaoru punched the air. "It must be because she's very strong!"
Following her friend's conclusion, Umika asked, "What kind of magic does she have?"
[The last times I saw her.] It reopened its eyes. [High-scalar telekinesis.]
Kyouko complained, "Translate that."
But it was Umika who spoke, "Would she be able to move the Earth out of its orbit?"
Kaoru turned to her, wide-eyed. "Why are you asking something so insa-"
[If there was a way to keep the soul gem purified...] Kyuubey paused before concluding. [I believe it would be possible.]
Homura gulped and clenched her fists.
Oriko, on the other hand, was more curious. "Why did you say 'The last times I saw her'?"
[It's something I can't understand. Like you, she witnessed the cycle of hope and despair of a magical girl, and when that happened, she started asking all kinds of questions about me and my mission. I gave satisfactory answers and the relationship between us was normal, but years later she cut off contact with me due to the creation of this organization.] With its hind paw, Kyuubey scratched its long ear. [She told me that I would be unnecessary.]
"Unnecessary..." Oriko muttered.
The creature's eyes sparkled and the screens now showed a map of the world. [Nowadays, the Sisterhood has grown, establishing mainly in the west. Their presence in Australia was known, but I didn't know there was a cell located at these coordinates.]
Kyouko looked at the map, more specifically at her country. "So they have no one in Japan?"
[A long time ago, they tried to establish a cell in Tokyo, but they failed to get members in the local magical girl groups.]
Kazumi raised her arms and waved them. Noticing that she had caught everyone's attention, she asked, "What are these cells you keep talking about? I only know the one they teach in biology class."
"Base of operations," Homura replied, "generally, with its own leadership and autonomy."
Kyuubey gave more details. [These are recruitment, training and indoctrination centers.]
The screens changed what they were showing. Now it was a large room with a sports court. There were dozens of girls dressed in military uniforms, varying in age, doing jumping jacks while a grown woman watched them and made notes on a clipboard.
"Whew!" Kazumi was amazed. "Look how many girls!"
"And they are all magical girls," Kaoru commented, more concerned.
Concern shared with Umika, who could not disguise the tension on her face.
[Some have other functions, such as research and experiments.]
The girls' eyes widened as the screen showed a laboratory, with piles of golden hoops on the floor. Kyuubey bodies, or pieces of them, were floating inside tubes filled with liquid. One of the creatures was stretched out on a table, its belly open and its entrails exposed.
Suddenly the image shook and moved violently, stopping when it showed the face of a girl up close. Her skin was pale and her gaze was sharp, with her left eye being yellow and her right eye being burgundy. Under her right eye, the skin had a large spot, a birthmark, red and in the shape of a spike. Her spiky hair was short and gray, and she seemed to be wearing some sort of white scarf around her neck. The girl was twitching her nose, as if she was smelling something, then she opened her mouth, revealing that her canine teeth were noticeably larger than average. She continued to open her mouth, which widened and also gained length, becoming a muzzle. The teeth grew and became sharp, and then the image was only able to show the giant tongue and the entrance to the throat before everything went dark.
"W-What was that?" Sayaka remembered Nagisa, but that girl on the screen was not supposed to be a witch.
[She is known as Moonlynx. She doesn't have a human name.]
"Those images..." Umika said, "that was the point of view of one of you, wasn't it?"
Kyuubey swung its long tail. [We never waste information.]
"Experiments," Homura said the word, feeling a bitter taste, "what are they trying to do?"
Oriko considered, "It looks like they are looking into what Kyuubey is made of."
"They want to replicate what he is capable of doing," Umika concluded.
The creature replied. [Yes, that's it.]
Kyouko furrowed her brows. "What the heck?!"
"That makes perfect sense," Oriko said, "to get new members, that organization depends on Kyuubey. They want to put an end to that and make him 'unnecessary'."
"If they figure out how contracts work..." Umika pressed her lips together before uttering, "they might be able to get any wish that favors them. Besides, they wouldn't limit themselves to making contracts with girls, anything with a soul would do."
[You shouldn't pay attention to that.] Kyuubey said. [They don't have the methods nor the tools. After decades, they haven't come close to understanding the process.]
"Maybe." Kyouko scowled. "But now I know why you're being so helpful to us."
The creature blinked and raised its small pair of ears.
The redhead affirmed, "You want us to do the dirty work and get rid of this organization for you."
"What?" Sayaka gaped and looked at the four-legged being.
Not only her, but the other girls too, all with a judgmental look on their faces.
Kyuubey closed its eyes and turned around, walking into the shadows while waving its tail.
"Incubator!" Homura called it.
It had already disappeared, but its voice was heard. [You should understand. This organization belongs to a world that Madoka Kaname wished to cease to exist. Souls' Sisterhood and the Law of Cycles will never be able to coexist.]
And then silence.
"Yeah, he's gone." Kyouko crossed her arms. "And I don't think even a bit that he told everything."
"No, but it's what we have," Oriko said.
Kaoru interlaced the fingers of her hands and stretched her arms. "So what are we gonna do?"
The olive green-eyed blonde lowered her head a little, pondering, "I am thinking we should talk to Kaname-san."
Homura looked at her with a face that mixed surprise and confusion.
"Ah, I'm glad you changed your mind." Sayaka nodded. "This problem is too big for us to solve without Madoka's help, she sure could-"
"Miki-san." Oriko looked at her. "Can you convince her to leave this world?"
"H-Huh?" Sayaka was speechless.
"This organization has many resources, it is certain that they are monitoring Kaname-san's movements," Oriko explained, "and it is likely that they will only proceed with the annihilation of the city if there is confirmation that she is still here."
"Well..." Sayaka shook her head, frowning. "I don't know if..."
"There are millions of lives at stake," Oriko insisted, "it would only be for a while, until we sort this out."
"Madoka won't do that."
The girls looked at Homura.
"She's not someone who will run away and hide if she believes she can do something. And I say: she always believes." Homura lowered her gaze, as if those words were directed at herself. "I ask you to understand. Given what she is now, her regrets last for all eternity."
"Then this is not a good idea," Oriko concluded, "however, I must say that I am convinced that there is no misunderstanding. This sisterhood is well aware of the Law of Cycles and what it represents."
"No, that doesn't make sense!" Sayaka exclaimed, "If these magical girls know the truth, why would they attack?"
Oriko looked at her. "Miki-san, consider the following: If you were the leader of a global organization, preparing the most powerful army in history under your command, capable of overthrowing even reality itself. The world would be at your mercy, and you would give up decades of work to get to that point for the sake of an offer of 'salvation'?"
Sayaka replied, without hesitation, "I would at least consider it. I would talk to Madoka, seek an agreement."
"Agreement?" Oriko smiled, and bowed her head, saying to herself, "she is hopeless."
Observing that reaction, Kyouko said, "So this diplomacy stuff is over."
"No, it is still our best option." Oriko looked at the other girls in the room as she said, "In my visions, I only see Kaname-san, but I do not think the other magical girls living in the city did not survive the explosion."
Homura picked up on her train of thought. "Then we will confront the assailants."
The blonde lowered her gaze and nodded.
Umika cogitated, "You don't believe we have any chance against them."
"We do not know how many members there are and if those are not as strong as this Matriarch," Oriko replied.
"The only certainty we have is that we need to act as soon as possible," Homura raised her voice, "we should now discuss preparations for the tra-"
"Wehihi... I think it's that button..."
And a song started playing. It was coming from Homura and the girl pulled her smartphone out of her pocket.
"Wasn't that Madoka's voice?" Sayaka was aghast.
"It's the ring tone on my phone," Homura replied, looking at the screen of her device, "she personalized it for when it was her number, but she didn't know how to use it right and ended up recording her own voice. I intended to delete it."
Kyouko gave a cheeky smile. "Heh, suuuure!"
Homura took a deep breath and answered the phone. "Homu here." Immediately realizing what she had just said, she closed her eyes and grimaced, holding back her shame and frustration. "I mean, this is Homura speaking."
But the other girls did not say a single word. Sayaka leaned closer, in an attempt to hear Madoka's voice on the call.
"No, I'm alone," Homura spoke, "but I'm on the street. I went to the grocery store to buy ingredients for our visit."
The Pleiades Witches looked at each other, somewhat confused.
"But speaking of that, could you talk to Mami-san about us postponing this visit? I don't feel ready to..." Homura raised her eyebrows. "Huh, she invited one more person? Is that why you called?"
Oriko smiled.
"'That' girl..." Homura uttered with an air of disgust, but soon began to nod. "Yes, yes, I know she's behaving herself. I want this to work out as much as you do, I give you my support, you know that."
Sayaka exchanged glances with Kyouko, and the redhead gave a wink.
"Madoka, I'm sorry, I wasn't honest with you." Homura held the smartphone more tightly. "I asked to postpone, but I just wanted more time to find an excuse not to go. I know I'm going to cause a disaster and..." She paused to listen and smiled. "Of course, Mami-san knows the circumstances and I won't be alone. All will end well, yes, I assure you I will do my best for that." She then pushed the phone away from her face. "I'm coming home, I need to look for the keys...so...I'll see you tomorrow." Hearing the same promise on the other end of the call, she smiled once again, and only stopped when she saw on her smartphone screen that the call had been ended. She announced to those in the room, "I can't miss this appointment or Madoka might get suspicious."
Sayaka shook her head, incredulous. "How can you have the nerve for that?"
"Experience." Homura put the smartphone back in her pocket.
"Yeah, I know, but that's so repulsive that there's no way I can't ask."
Kyouko asked her blue-haired companion, "Then why didn't you yell out so our pinky could hear you?"
Sayaka crossed her arms and turned her face away, "We still have an agreement, right? We're not going to attack that organization. Some of them may even know about the Law of Cycles, but there must also be a lot of innocent magical girls, maybe even children."
Kyouko raised her eyebrows and then lowered her gaze at this sudden realization.
Umika made a comment directed at Homura, "You and Madoka-san are close to each other."
The girl did not even move her violet eyes, merely giving a simple answer, "We're on good terms."
"It's painful for you, isn't it?"
She looked at Kazumi.
"Having to lie to a friend."
Umika and Kaoru exchanged glances, sharing a serious and sad countenance.
"For her sake, even pain is dear to me," Homura replied, before her gaze became lost in memories.
Oriko snapped her out of that trance. "Well, let's finish this meeting and wait. We can have another one to discuss this voyage."
"Wait." Kaoru raised her arm. "We still have to decide on a team name."
Accompanied by a polite smile, Oriko frowned. "Team name?"
"Of course! After all, that organization has one too." Karou gave a wink. "With a name, we'll seem more united and organized, they'll respect us more."
"Hmmm..." Oriko nodded.
Kyouko commented. "Mami came up with a name for our group, Holy Quintet. There are seven of us here, so it would be Holy... 'Se' something?"
"Septet," Umika said.
The redhead was disappointed. "Oh, never mind. It's ugly."
Kaoru came up with an idea. "Our original team, Pleiades Saints, also had seven members. We can call our group The New Pleiades."
Kazumi made a face. "But doesn't that imply that we are the old Pleiades? I don't know if I'd like to be called old."
Umika was more succinct. "I hated it."
Kaoru raised her hands in a sign of surrender. "Okay, okay..."
"We could put Hope in the name," Sayaka said, "that's what Madoka stands for magical girls."
Kazumi widened her eyes and pointed at her. "Hope Conveyors!"
"Huh?" Sayaka froze.
"Since we'll be bringing hope overseas on a diplomatic mission." Kazumi raised her arm and exclaimed, "Hope Conveyors!"
"I see what you mean," Umika said, "but Conveyors? Where did you learn that word?"
"Ehhh..." Kazumi ran her hand through her own hair, a little shy. "At a sushi restaurant. Heheheheee..."
Kaoru shook her head. "Yeah, we didn't even have to ask."
"That name sounds good to me," Oriko gave her opinion, "anyone else?"
"Hope Conveyors... Hope Conveyors... Hope Conveyors..." Kyouko nodded. "Kinda catchy."
Sayaka shrugged. "It has Hope in the name."
"Yaaay! It's decided!" Kazumi jumped from the couch. "Hope Conveyors!"
Kaoru also became more excited. "Cool, now we should come up with some poses."
"Hey girl..." Kyouko creased her eyebrows. "Do you think they'll respect us if we make poses in front of them?"
"No! Haha!" Kaoru gestured. "That's just to help us stick together more."
Umika spoke, "It would be nice if we got to know better what each one is capable of."
"Yeah!" Kazumi raised her voice, "we could create some joint attacks!"
"That requires training," Umika stated, "I don't think we have the time."
Kazumi insisted, "But we can already work out some names, can't we?"
"Whoa!" Sayaka commented, "you girls look like Mami-san."
In the midst of the heated discussion between the girls, Homura felt out of place.
[It is good that they are cheerful, is it not? This makes them question less.]
Hearing Oriko, Homura looked at her out of the corner of her eye.
[The situation is looking more dire by the day, but we have dealt with worse things. So, take your time and enjoy the moments with her.]
Still listening to her, Homura looked at one of the floating screens. A static image of Madoka appeared.
[It is like she said, you are not alone this time. We will protect our world, together, and all will end well.]
Next chapter: Extinction