A/N: Update at long last! Thanks for waiting!

chiseling
Chapter 2 - Fries and Orange Dinosaurs

It had been one of those days, Madoka realized, fiddling with the shrink wrap on her new CD. One of those days where everything was about as real as a painting with unreal colors. Hitomi was looking miserably at another love letter, Sayaka panicking over grades, and she herself, stuck between them as some middle ground between fear of failing and vague interest in dates.

Hitomi had, as she always did, gone off to one lesson or another, hours ago, and Sayaka was incredibly interested in the CDs again (was she going to ask him out? Or not?) So she had a few moments to herself, and was using them to doodle and finish her math. She sighed. She hated trigonometry. She glanced at the food court menu. Maybe she should get something to eat…

'If you were willing to share, that'd be wonderful as well.'

Madoka jumped, looking around wildly. "Eh… eeeh!"

'By your feet.' A creature, almost like a plush doll, sat at one side of her foot. "Would you mind sharing some fries?'

Perhaps it was the surreality of the experience, but Madoka found herself walking up to the counter and doing just that.

'One large fries please.'

'Two,' a new voice corrected, making Madoka jump again and stare at the tall girl who'd pushed her way to the counter. 'Two,' she repeated firmly to the counter-girl, who frowned but scribbled down the order and printed off a receipt.

The girl glanced at the amount and pulled out her purse.

Madoka blinked, pink eyes bemused. 'A-Akemi-san… you surprised me." She supposed that was a bit of an understatement. "Y-You don't have to pay for my share, I was just-' She trailed off in confusion. What was she just doing?

Homura had paid for both their shares, accepted the tray and steered her back to the table before she could finish that train of thought.

"A-Akemi-san!" She was a bit used to being manhandled by her mother, but wasn't this a bit much? She looked around for the white rabbit. It had asked her for the fries, hadn't it? But it was nowhere to be seen, red eyes and all. She blinked up at Homura, feeling a bit like an owl with ruffled feathers. "U-Um…"

Homura was more subtle as she scanned the table and she showed no change in expression as she placed the tray down. Madoka pulled out a chair and sat. Homura ignored the other chair on the table for two and just picked up her fries, chewing slowly on one.

'Are you happy with your life as it is?' she asked, finally, before Madoka could break the awkward silence with more innocent words.

Madoka frowned, thoughts thrown even further out of order. "Am I happy…?" She closed her eyes. 'My family is happy,, and healthy, and I rarely desire much, and I have important friends, but, while I say that, there are plenty of unhappy people, with poor circumstances, and if I could help them, it would really be nice.' She paused. "Are you happy, Akemi-san?"

Madoka wondered if she imagined the flicker of surprise and something else that danced across Homura's face before the stoic expression returned. 'If you're happy with your life, don't try to change it. Say no to anyone who asks you to change it.'

With her little piece said, Homura snatched up her bag of fries and walked off. She gave the impression of being angered, or embarrassed: something that made her want to be swallowed by the crowd and disappear. In truth, she couldn't afford too much time with Madoka. Not then.

Not with Kyubey so close. She had to get rid of him first.

Kyubey licked his paw and pouted. Silly girl, showing up and costing him those fries. And a potential Familiar. Though she hadn't necessarily cost him that. He was quite pedantic, and he had far more opportunities than she who could only chase after him.

Why she was so ungrateful, he didn't know. And it wasn't his job to know. After he'd recruited them, his only task was to watch, to observe. The rest was Misako's job.

Nevertheless, she looked at him with such rousing emotion. He almost regretted not having said emotions because identifying this one could prove enlightening to the cause. Why, it was something almost like murder.

'Is there a reason that you're looking for me now?'

Homura stepped into the sun and raised her hand. The black polish of the gun gleamed in that afternoon. 'There always is.' She levelled the weapon.

He might have seen her coming, but she still wouldn't miss.

'Is that so?' He did not flinch, merely washed an ear with one paw. "Well, pardon my curiosity, but dare I inquire as to why? My direct interference with you is now a very little requirement, is it not? Only one wish allowed, or am I misreading my own contract?'

Homura's lips twisted into a smirk. 'You have many contracts,' she said. 'One with each Familiar you've made. By your own logic, you have no business at all with anyone who isn't a Familiar.'

'But if that were the case, I would have had no business with you. And if that were the case, you would not be able to point that gun at me, am I not correct?'

'I believe it's called managing resources.' But the smirk had faded into a frown. 'The outcome of this battle between species is no concern of yours, or am I mistaken about that?'

"I would consider the battle between specie to make my appearance a necessity,' His smile only grew wider, and yet did not seem to change at all. "For I must also attempt to conserve these resources. Would not wish to overburden you, yes?'

He began to trot away. 'After all, far be it from me to get in the way of your duties. You seem to impede your progress just fine on your own.' He cocked his head in the direction Madoka had been. Then he disappeared from view.

Homura frowned and strained her eyes and ears in that direction. A large shadow, moving towards the mall. Smoke...and horns…

Madoka!

She broke into a run.

Madoka made it within three blocks of her house before she couldn't run any further, and collapsed on her side. Her lungs ached with pain and she almost cried. She dropped her bag at the sound of a snarl mere meters away, and pushed herself back up.

What was that? What was happening?

She didn't even have time to think those questions, she had to just get away.

Get away from that giant dinosaur. But dinosaurs were supposed to be dead!