A/N: Hey guys, MCN here bringing you my first update of 2017! Man, can you believe it you guys, it's a whole new year, 2017, that's like, the future! Anyway, I'm glad everyone is enjoying the story so far, even if people were annoyed with how closely the last chapter followed cannon, yeah that's kind of a bad habit of mine, what can I say, I can be lazy sometimes. Well, with that out of the way, let's get to the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kamen Rider Gaim or Puella Magi Madoka Magica

An Armored Rider's Responsibility!

"Mami-san, this is delicious!" Madoka cooed after taking a bite of some homemade cake.

"It totally is!" Sayaka concurred as she took another bite herself. The Magical Girl that had come to rescue them, a third year student at their school Tomoe Mami, had invited the two girls back to her apartment, and despite claiming to not be prepared for guests, she had served them some wonderful tea and absolutely delicious cake that she had made herself.

"Thank you." Mami said humbly with a slight bow of her head. "Since you've been chosen by Kyubey, that means you two are now involved in this. I think we should get you up to speed with things, and I'd also like to ask a few questions myself." She revealed the reason for her invitation.

"You bet, alright, let's get this Henshin Hero-Magical Girl info exchange going!" Sayaka declared enthusiastically.

"Sayaka-chan, that's a little…" Madoka awkwardly responded, though Mami just seemed to giggle in amusement.

"Well in that case, I'll go first." The third year girl replied before reaching her hand out and showing off the yellow crystal she had with her before.

"Wow, that's pretty." Madoka said as she admired the small gem.

"This is a Soul Gem, when Kyubey forms a contract with a girl, a Soul Gem is made." She explained. "It is what identifies us as Magical Girls, and is the source of our power."

"Contract?" Sayaka said quizzically, recalling Kyubey mentioning that before and desired clarification.

"I can grant each of you one wish." Kyubey chimed in, having been sitting on the table the entire time.

"Eh, really?" Sayaka replied, as she and Madoka looked at the creature in shock and wonder.

"What kind of wish?" Madoka inquired.

"Anything you want, I can fulfill any miracle you wish for." Kyubey declared, which served to excite Sayaka even more.

"Whoa, so you could wish for priceless treasures, immortality, or even a feast fit for a Chinese emperor!" The blunette said, though of all of her suggestions she seemed to be most enthusiastic about the last.

"I'm not so sure about the last one…" Madoka said.

"But in exchange for that wish, a Soul Gem is created." Kyubey continued. "Those who receive one are given the responsibility of fighting Witches." This last part is what really caught the girls attention, as the mood suddenly became much more serious, even the sun outside was covered by clouds limiting the light in the room.

"Witches?" Madoka said curiously.

"What's a Witch, are they different from Magical Girls?" Sayaka inquired, they sounded rather similar to her.

"If Magical Girls are born from wishes, then Witches are born from curses." Kyubey answered cryptically. "Magical Girls spread hope, whereas Witches spread despair, and to make matters worse they can't be seen by normal humans." He elaborated. "Doubt and suspicion, irrational rage and hatred, they sow the seeds of catastrophe in this world."

"Many inexplicable suicides and murders that occur are caused by a witches curse." Mami added. "It's a formless evil that eats away at humans from the inside."

"If they're so dangerous, then how come no one knows about them?" Sayaka asked, finding it hard to believe that such a terrible evil could exist right under everyone's noses.

"Because Witches hide within barriers and never show themselves to people, the labyrinth-like area you wondered into before was one." Kyubey answered.

"They're pretty dangerous, actually." Mami added. "Those who are swallowed up by the barriers don't usually live to tell the tale."

"Mami-san, are you really fighting something that dangerous." Madoka asked with great concern.

"Yes, sometimes my life is in danger to." She confirmed, though with a serious hardness of a veteran who was completely used to it. "That's why I think you two should weigh your options carefully. Now that you've been chosen by Kyubey, you can have any wish granted. However, doing so could lead to your death." She warned in a deathly serious tone, a far cry from the start of her explanation. Madoka could only make a shocked and concerned noise at the warning, and Sayaka remained silent for the moment.

'Any wish can be granted, but in exchange I'd have to put my life in danger…' She pondered the tradeoff, suddenly her offhanded suggestions before seemed rather childish and naïve.

"Hmm… Well in that case I think I'll pass." Sayaka suddenly replied, much to everyone's shock.

"Eh, Sayaka-chan?" Madoka said.

"Well I mean, I kind of already have power of my own, and I can't really think of any wish that would be worth trading my life for, so…" Sayaka explained while awkwardly rubbing the back of her head, perhaps she was a being a bit hasty, but she really didn't see any reason to become a Magical Girl when she was already a Henshin Hero.

"…I see, well it is ultimately your decision, all I ask is that you think hard about it." Mami replied in a strange neutral tone, it wasn't exactly disappointment, but not exactly relief either. She lightly touched her Soul Gem and it glowed brightly until it changed form into a silver ring with a yellow gem that rested on her middle finger. "Well then Miki-san, I think it's my turn now to ask you a few questions." Mami said almost cheerfully with a smile on her face.

"Huh, oh yeah, sure, go ahead and ask away." Sayaka replied, sitting up straight and folding her arms, a prideful smirk on her face.

"Thank you." Mami replied with a chuckle. "I suppose the most obvious first question would be… this power of yours, what is it exactly?" Sayaka's smirk turned into a more honest smile at the question as she pulled out her Cutting Buckle.

"It's this." She said simply as she placed the device into the table for all to see.

"Oh my, this is… a Henshin Belt, right?" Mami said as she picked up the device and began examining it.

"Yep, I call it the Cutting Buckle." Sayaka said with pride.

"Ah, I see." Mami said as she began playing with the knife. "But, what exactly are you cutting?"

"That would be… this!" Sayaka said as she pulled out the Raspberry lock and showed it off dramatically. "Ta-da, the Raspberry Fruit Lock!"

"Oh, a little fruit lock, how cute." Mami said.

"Isn't it?" Madoka cooed in agreement.

"That may be true, but this thing is actually really amazing." Sayaka explained. "You put it into the belt, cut it open, and you can Henshin into this totally awesome Henshin Hero… Though, I guess it didn't look like much when you came to rescue us, did it?" She said with embarrassment as she remembered how weak she must have looked to the powerful and experienced Magical Girl.

"That's not true, I was actually rather impressed with how well you fought, especially considering it was your first time in an a Witches Barrier." Mami rebuked.

"Eh, y-you think?" Sayaka said bashfully at the praise.

"Of course, I just helped a little at the end, you're the one who protected Kaname-san and Kyubey." She insisted. The blunette and pinkette exchanged smiles, of pride and gratitude respectfully. "Speaking of which…" Mami followed up with another question, regaining the girls' attention. "That other armored warrior from before, is it safe to assume that she's the same as you?" Sayaka tensed up at the memory of Homura, she became much more serious as she recalled her encounter with her before and after meeting Mami.

"Yeah, she was using a Cutting Buckle to." Sayaka confirmed.

"Do you know her?" Mami inquired.

"Not really, she's a transfer student that just started today, name's Akemi Homura." Sayaka explained.

"She got a lot of attention from the class, but she didn't really talk to anyone for long." Madoka added. "Also… she said something really strange to me."

"Strange?" Mami said.

"Oh yeah, something like, um… don't change or you're family will die…?" Sayaka struggled to remember.

"No, no, it wasn't a threat or anything, it was more like a warning." Madoka defended.

"What exactly did she say?" Mami inquired.

"Mmm, something along the lines of, 'if I cherish my loved ones then I should stay the way I am, if I try to change I will lose everything' I think." Madoka nervously recalled.

"I see, so it's like that after all." Mami said with concern.

"Mami-san?" Madoka replied quizzically.

"The truth is, there have been rumors going around lately about an armored warrior exterminating Witches around this territory." Mami explained.

"Eh, exterminating Witches?" Sayaka gasped, it made sense, Homura definitely seemed familiar with the Witch's Barrier, but…

"Then wouldn't that make her an ally, one of the good guys?" Madoka replied.

"That was what we were hoping." Mami said.

"Her appearance was actually rather shocking," Kyubey admitted. "In the centuries that I have been recruiting Magical Girls never once has a third party entered the conflict, so we had no idea what to expect from her."

"Of course I would've liked to meet her and find out her intentions peacefully, but after today it is clear that she is not our ally." Mami stated, glancing over at Kyubey indicated the girl's attempt to kill him.

"But, why would Homura-chan attack Kyubey like that?" Madoka wondered out loud.

"If I were to guess, it was probably to prevent the creation of new Magical Girls." Kyubey answered.

"Huh, but why, she's fighting the Witches to right, so wouldn't it be better to have more people fighting the same enemy?" Sayaka inquired.

"That's not necessarily the case." Mami replied in a somewhat solemn tone. "It's actually more common for Magical Girls to compete with each other."

"Really, why?" Madoka asked.

"There are certain rewards for eliminating a Witch, so in some cases it turns into a contest, and we may even fight over them." Mami explained.

"So basically, she predicted that Kyubey would try to talk to Madoka, and that's why she's been pestering her since this morning?" Sayaka deduced, much to Madoka's shock and discomfort.

"That's most likely the case." Mami replied.

"That being said, these rewards should have no value to someone who isn't a Magical Girl, so why this "Akemi Homura" would be concerned about competition is rather perplexing." Kyubey said.

"So in the end, we don't know who she is or what her intentions are?" Sayaka said.

"I'm afraid so." Mami replied, leading the two-second years to sigh dejectedly. "Now don't worry, it's true her presence is troubling, but I'm sure it'll all clear up eventually, for now I want you both to focus on making a decision about being a Magical Girl." Mami insisted. "Ah, I know, to help you make up your minds, why don't you come along with me on a Witch hunt?" She invited, much to her kouhai's surprise. "That way you can see what it's like to fight a Witch."

"Eh, really?" Madoka said apprehensively.

"Ah, but I already…" Sayaka began.

"You don't have to change your mind Miki-san, in fact I was hoping you could try fighting as well." Mami said.

"Eh, me, fight a Witch?" Sayaka stammered in surprise.

"Of course, knowing how well a Magical Girl and a Henshin Hero fight together would very important, especially if we negotiate with Akemi-san." Mami explained.

"…Yeah, that's true." Sayaka replied, though her mind was deep in thought, mostly about the mysterious transfer student and her motives.

The next day, during lunch break, Sayaka and Homura were standing alone on the rooftop of the school, the cool spring wind blowing their hair dramatically as they practically glared at one another, as if trying to size each other up.

"So, what is it that you want from me, Miki Sayaka?" Homura finally said, the blunette had called her out as soon as the lunch break began and she wasn't taking no for an answer.

"I told you before didn't I, that I would be getting some answers from you." Sayaka replied with an edge in her voice that showed how serious she was.

"…I see, I suppose I do remember you saying something like that." Homura replied nonchalantly.

'Don't act like it doesn't concern you damn it!' Sayaka thought in frustration, she really hated this girl's attitude.

"Fine, I suppose I do owe you for trusting me back then." Homura conceded. "Ask me anything you like and I will answer to the best of my abilities." She stated.

"Whoa, seriously?" Sayaka said with surprise, she honestly didn't expect her to be so compliant. "Then…" Sayaka wondered what she would ask first, of course the first thing that came to mind was to ask about why she attacked Kyubey, but she figured she shouldn't push her luck right up front, so she decided to ask something else she had been wondering. "Your belt and lock, where did you get them?"

"The same way you got yours I assume." Homura replied almost immediately.

"Same as me?" Sayaka said quizzically. "You mean you just found yours in your locker one day?"

"Not my locker, but yes, I found it amongst my belongings one day, no note or explanation of any kind." She explained.

"So what, somebody is just handing these things out to random people or something?" Sayaka said incredulously.

"Probably, like I said I don't know any more then you do." Homura simply waved off the question.

"Oh you don't huh?" Sayaka didn't know what it was, but somehow the way this girl carried herself made it seem like she knew more then she was letting on. "Well then explain this, why are you fighting the Witches?" She asked her next question. "I didn't know anything about Witches before yesterday, yet from what I've heard you've been going around hunting them for the past week, how did you know about them even though nobody explained anything to you?" She asked as she pointed accusingly at her. Homura's face remained stone cold, but there was a hint of surprise in her eyes and a slight shift in her stance. She seemed to contemplate something before replying.

"I knew about them… because I have been fighting them even before I received my belt." She admitted.

"Even before, but how…" Sayaka wondered out loud before realization struck her. "Wait, are you saying…"

"Yes…" Homura said as she her left hand; on her middle finger was a silver ring with the same black symbols as Mami's ring… as her Soul Gem. "I am… a Magical Girl."

Sayaka's eyes widened in shock, but soon her expression went from the simply annoyed and frustrated from before, to just down right angry, and almost spiteful.

"I see, so Mami-san and Kyubey were right." She said as she clenched her fists. "The reason you attacked Kyubey was because you don't want any more competition in hunting Witches and collecting those rewards!" She accused, but Homura simply sighed in reply.

"I suppose that's a reasonable conclusion, considering the circumstances, but I assure you I have no intension of competing with Tomoe Mami or any other Magical Girl." Homura assured, though her monotone voice made any sort of sincerity difficult to see.

"Yeah sure, so creeping on Madoka all day to keep her from making a contract had nothing to do with not wanting another Magical Girl around to steal your thunder." Sayaka persisted with her suspicion.

"…You stupid girl." Homura said under her breath, just soft enough to go unnoticed. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out what seemed to be a strange black ball with silver ornate designs and most strikingly a needle like spike protruding from under it. "Do you know what this is?" She questioned the blunette.

"Hmm, no clue." Sayaka replied.

"This is called a Grief Seed, it the reward that Tomoe Mami had mentioned to you." Homura revealed, sparking Sayaka's interest.

"What, that thing's the reward?" Sayaka said quizzically.

"Yes, when a Witch is defeated they usually leave behind these Grief Seeds, simply put it is a Witch's egg." Homura said.

"A Witch's… egg?" Sayaka repeated.

"If left to grow it will eventually give birth to a Witch, but in this benign form it is essential to a Magical Girl's continued existence.

"Continued… what do you mean?" Sayaka demanded.

"Magical Girls do not have unlimited power, any magic we use, of any kind, corrupts our Soul Gem, turning it darker." Homura began. "The only way to cleans a Soul Gem is by using a Grief Seed to absorb the excess corruption, once again allowing a Magical Girl to use her magic freely and continue hunting Witches." She explained.

"Ah, I see, that does sound like something Magical Girls would fight over." Sayaka said with a thoughtful hand on her chin, but as she processed this new information a thought occurred to her. "But wait, what if a Magical Girl can't get enough Grief Seeds and their Soul Gem gets completely corrupted, what happens to them?" She inquired. Homura seemed reluctant to answer, looking down at the Grief Seed in thought before replying.

"…It disappears and its owner's wish is revoked." She said, much to Sayaka's shock. "People seem to forget that being a Magical Girl and fighting witches is supposed to be the cost of having our wish granted, so long as we fulfill our purpose then we get to enjoy whatever miracle we asked for. But it is a lonely existence; normal people can't understand the responsibility we are shouldered with, and other Magical Girls will surely come into conflict with each other, all burdened with the knowledge that if we fail to collect enough Grief Seeds for ourselves then the miracle that we were granted will disappear, as if it had never even existed… it is a fate I wouldn't wish upon anyone, especially such an innocent, unsuspecting girl."

"…So what, you're saying that you were trying to off Kyubey to protect Madoka?" Sayaka said, still unable to cast away her suspicion.

"And anyone else that creature would wish to approach." Homura replied before bringing out her Cutting Buckle. "I was lucky, this belt saved me from that painful existence, with this I can fulfill my duties without ever having to use a single drop of my magic, with this I no longer require the use of Grief Seeds, and so I no longer have to treat every Magical Girl I meet as a rival… as an enemy." She said as she gripped the device in her hand. Before Sayaka could reply Homura tossed the Grief Seed she held to her, the girl fumbling slightly to catch it. "Give that to Tomoe Mami, tell her it is a peace offering and that I have no intention of fighting with her." She said before the turned to leave.

"H-hey, just hold on a second!" Sayaka protested.

"Remember this Miki Sayaka," Homura said from over he shoulder. "Magical Girls do not fight for "love and justice", they fight for the sake of their own wishes, at least with this you can choose how you use your power." She stated as she showed off the belt one last time before leaving for the stairs. Sayaka looked at her until she could no longer see her, taking out her own Cutting Buckle as she pondered over everything Homura said.

"I see, so she was a Magical Girl after all." Mami said as she examined the Grief Seed gifted to her from Homura. After school, Sayaka and Madoka met up with Mami at the same mall they first met, the group now sitting at a table in a café as Sayaka relayed Homura's message.

"Yeah, and has been one for a long time by the sound of it." Sayaka confirmed before taking a sip of her drink.

"So, Magical Girls need these to replenish their magic?" Madoka said, hoping she understood clearly.

"Yes, one Grief Seed can be used about twice before it becomes too dangerous to give it any more corruption, disposing of the used up ones is also part of my job." Kyubey confirmed.

"Because they have a limited usage, most Magical Girls see it as ineffective to fight together since in the end only two Magical Girls can share a single Grief Seed, as a they encounter more and more powerful Witches it becomes harder to have a surplus of Grief Seeds to use." Mami explained. "To give away a Grief Seed like this, even if she claims to not need it, practically says it all in itself." She said the last part with a hint of relief in her voice, but also a bit of sadness that only Sayaka picked up on.

"That's great, so that means Homura-chan really is an ally after all!" Madoka said with glee.

"Well, at the very least I don't believe we have to worry about her causing us any problems." Mami replied more conservatively, though still quite relieved. "So Miki-san, did she say anything else to you, perhaps regarding the belt and lock?" She questioned, stopping Sayaka from drinking her beverage. She frowned a bit as she pulled away from the straw, pondering before nonchalantly sitting back in her chair with her arms crossed.

"Who knows, I honestly can't make heads or tails of anything that weirdo says in the first place." Sayaka huffed.

"Oh, I see, well that's a shame, I was hoping we could find out more about your powers." Mami lamented.

"Yeah, same here." Sayaka replied. Why was she hiding everything else Homura had said, about the depressing existence of the Magical Girls, about her reasons for attacking Kyubey, did she simply not trust her enough to take her explanations seriously, or perhaps she was afraid that bringing it up would show a lack of trust in Mami, whom she trusted much more then Homura. Either way, she just felt more comfortable keeping it to herself, at least until more details come to light.

"Well then, shall we get going?" Mami said as she stood from her seat. "I hope you girls are ready for a crash course in Witch Hunting." She said playfully, as if to ease any doubt the two girls had.

"The light hasn't changed at all." Sayaka observed. Hunting for Witches was essentially just a game of "Hot and Cold", following the glow of the Soul Gem until you eventually find the Witch. They had started back in the storage space they first encountered it and were now well into the more desolate part of town, crossing a bridge to an old district where very few people went.

"It' been a whole day since it escaped, there's very little left to track." Mami lamented as she stared intently at the crystal hoping to see a change in the glow's intensity.

"If you had gone after it yesterday…" Madoka began.

"I might have been able to defeat it, but it wasn't worth leaving you two behind." Mami assured, but it did little to ease Madoka's guilt.

"I'm sorry." She apologized with a lowered head.

"It's fine." Mami said with a slight giggle, like a mother comforting their child. Meanwhile Sayaka couldn't help but recall Homura's words.

'…other Magical Girls will surely come into conflict with each other, all burdened with the knowledge that if we fail to collect enough Grief Seeds for ourselves then the miracle that we were granted will disappear…'

'I see, so letting that Witch go… was actually a really big deal.' Sayaka thought, the guilt of requiring her assistance in the first place weighing on her.

Elsewhere, in the old district, a single woman walks, or rather stumbles, into an old, abandoned factory, the only use it has seen in years was by delinquents who had painted the walls with graffiti. The woman aimlessly wonders the open space of the factory, her body swaying back and forth as she eventually reached the stairs. Her eyes are looking forward but are blank and soulless, taking in just enough information to know where she is going.

"I've had it already… I get no respect at work, no man would look twice at me, and my friends barely even know I exist." She mumbled to herself as she climbed the stairs.

'…My, what a pitiful existence you lead…' A foreign voice in her head whispered to her.

"Yes, pitiful…" She replies softly.

'…Perhaps it would be better if you just went and died…' The voice suggested.

"I should just… go and die…" She says, her eyes glazing over even further.

'...Yes, you should just die…' The voice repeated, though this time it seemed more like an order, one that the lady had no intention of disobeying.

"I should just… die…" She whispered as she continued up the metal stairs. Suddenly, she took a wrong step and tripped, quickly grabbing the rail next to her to keep her balance. However, rather then the feeling of cold, rusted metal, she was met with a more… organic feeling, looking over to see that the part of the rail she had grabbed was wrapped in a luscious green vine.

"Huh… what is…?" She wondered out loud, following the out of place vegetation until she found the source, a small garden of strange flowers that was growing right on the bars of the rail, and of all of the strange plants she saw, her eyes were drawn to one in particular… a delicious looking purple fruit.

"Hey Mami-san, what'll you do if the Witch left the city?" Madoka asked.

"If that happened then it can't be helped, I will have to let it go and hope another Magical Girl defeats it." Mami lamented.

"Oh…" Madoka said, almost disappointed in the answer.

"Of course I would like to make sure that the Witch is dealt with, but wondering into another Magical Girl's territory… will just cause unnecessary problems." Mami said the last part with a bit of sadness, or perhaps regret, Sayaka couldn't quite place it, but she knew that Mami was speaking from experience.

"…Hey, Mami-san." Sayaka spoke, gaining her attention. "To become a Magical Girl, I have to make a wish, right?"

"Yes, that's right, why, have you changed your mind?" Mami replied almost teasingly.

"No, not really, I was just wondering… what kind of wish did you make Mami-san?" She asked. Suddenly, Mami stopped walking, causing the other girls to stop dead in their tracks as well.

"Ah, no, you don't have to say it if you don't want to, I was just… curious is all." Sayaka frantically tried to recover, feeling she had offended Mami by asking something personal.

"No, it's fine, I suppose you would be curious, and I feel you have the right to know." Mami replied, looking to her with a solemn smile. "You see, about two years ago… I was involved in a traffic accident." She began, her companions gasping in shock. "I can still remember it, my body crushed by the weight of the seats of my family's van, blood dripping down my face as I took shallow breaths desperate for air… and that's when I met Kyubey."

"Wait, so you mean…" Madoka realized.

"Yes, I was the only one to survive that accident, and it's all because I made a contract." Mami revealed. Madoka and Sayaka were shocked at this revelation, they thought back to any possible wish that had crossed their mind in the passed two days, all seeming quite insignificant now. "Don't get me wrong, I don't regret it, I think my current way of life is much better than having died back then." Mami assured. "But you know, if you have the choice, you should think it through, I want you girls to have the opportunity that I didn't get." With that said she began walking again, as if signaling them to drop the subject. Madoka followed after her in silent contemplation, while Sayaka just stood there, staring at the ground.

'Mami-san's wish was… then the reason she's so serious about hunting Witches, is because if she doesn't, she'll…' She couldn't even finish the thought, could the selfless, heroic Tomoe Mami really just be in it for herself?

"Eh, Sayaka-chan, what's wrong?" Madoka asked once she noticed Sayaka wasn't following. However, before the blunette could respond, Mami's Soul Gem began glowing furiously.

"It's reacting to some very powerful magic." Mami stated. The reached out in front of her and the glow got stronger, telling them where they needed to go. "It mush be close". They all rushed in the direction the Soul Gem was glowing in, eventually stumbling on an old, abandoned factory, the Soul Gem flashing vigorously.

"There's no doubt about it, it's here." Mami confirmed, glaring into the dark recesses of the abandoned building. "Stay close you two, it may already have a barrier set up." She warned, the girls nodding in confirmation before following her into the building. There seemed to be nothing inside, but once they got further in, Mami's Soul Gem flashed once again and suddenly a strange portal with a crown like symbol on it appeared at the top of the staircase ahead. "You're not getting away this time." Mami said with a determined smile. She held out her Soul Gem, about to unleash its power, when suddenly Madoka felt her left shoulder get wet, looking over to see a slimy, drool like liquid staining her uniform.

"Eh, what is… KYA!" She yelped as another glob of the substance fell on her hand as she reached for her shoulder.

"What's up Madoka?" Sayaka questioned. Just then, they heard a low growling sound echo off the walls, it was difficult to pin point where it was coming from, but they eventually realized that it originated from above them. They all looked up and saw a horrific looking creature hanging from the ceiling, letting out a low growl as it spread its bat like wings.

"WHOA! The hell is that!?" Sayaka questioned as she jumped back.

"Is that… a Witch?" Madoka wondered as she hugged Kyubey tightly for comfort.

"No, I don't think it is." Mami said, weary of the unidentified creature. With a horrible shriek, it let go of it perch and swooped down at the trio, the girls quickly ducking down to avoid a swipe from the creature's sword like appendage. In the moment it passed, Sayaka managed to get a good look at it, she recognized some of the markings on its skin from the monster she had defeated before.

"No way, Madoka, I think that's a Lock Monster!" Sayaka said Madoka instantly recognizing the nickname he had given the creatures.

"Lock Monster?" Mami said quizzically.

"It's a monster that can be summoned by the Fruit Locks." Madoka explained.

"Yeah, but the last one we saw went berserk and started attacked people." Sayaka added, her eyes never leaving the flying beast overhead. It dived down at them again, Sayaka reached for her belt but she knew she would get it on in time, however she felt a glow behind her and Mami in her Magical Girl form shot at it was one of her muskets, the creature unfortunately evading but was put off course. Mami quickly summoned another and shot at it again, the Lock Monster once again dodging, but Mami didn't give up, firing two more shots before finally nicking it in the foot, making it shriek in pain. Having had enough of being target practice, the Lock Monster flew out of the factory, the following it to see where it was headed.

"It's heading back to town!" Madoka said.

"Not good, if it gets to a place here a lot of people are…" Sayaka said urgently.

"Is it really that dangerous?" Mami questioned.

"If it's anything like that last one, yeah." Sayaka replied. Mami peeked back at the entrance to the Witch's barrier as the shriek of the creature echoed in the distance, there was no doubt in her mind what needed to be done.

"Well then, we better hurry, if we go now we can probably still catch up to it." Mami said, much to the girl's surprise.

"Huh?" Sayaka gasped.

"But Mami-san, what about the Witch?" Madoka reminded.

"I don't think it's noticed we were here yet, it should still be here later." Mami assured before looking back out where the Lock Monster had flown in. "If it really is a threat, then as the Magical Girl of this city, I can't just ignore it." She said with no small amount of determination.

"Mami-san…" Sayaka said, her eyes wide and sparkling with admiration as Homura's words echoed in her head.

'…Magical Girls do not fight for "love and justice", they fight for the sake of their own wishes, at least with this you can choose what you do with your power…' With that in mind, Sayaka narrowed her eye in determination.

"No, I can't let you do that Mami-san." Sayaka said.

"Ehh?" Mami gasped in shock.

"Sayaka-chan, why not?" Madoka asked in confusion.

"Mami-san, it's my fault you had to let that Witch go before, if I had just been able to properly protect Madoka… I can't let you ignore it again just for my sake!" Sayaka insisted, it was clear she wouldn't take no for answer.

"Miki-san… are you sure?" Mami asked with concern, despite what she said the night before, she was still unsure of Sayaka's fighting ability.

"Of course I am," She said with a confident grin. "When it comes to Lock Monsters I'm the veteran here, I'll give that flying rat a good lashing just like I did last time!" Sayaka declared with a thumbs up. Mami was convinced, nodding her head in agreement.

"Alright, I understand Miki-san, just be careful." Mami replied.

"You to, Mami-san, and that goes double for you Madoka, make sure you stick to Mami like glue, got it!" Sayaka called to Madoka like a parent about to leave their child with a sitter.

"Uh, yes, good luck Sayaka-chan." Madoka replied, Sayaka winking back at her with a grin. With that Sayaka dashed off, her grin fading into a look of determination as she ran in the direction of the flying Lock Monster.

'Mami-san, mysterious person who gave me this belt, thank you, thank you both, for giving me the opportunity to make this choice!' She thought as she followed the sound of people's screams.

Back in town the Lock Monster had attacked a young woman, dropping her bag of groceries and letting all its contents spill out. The woman scooted away on the ground from the creature, but it seemed much more interested in the fruit that she dropped. It picked it up and sniffed at it before crushing it in its hands, turning its attention to the woman with an angry, feral growl.

"Hey, ugly!" Sayaka cried out, the Lock Monster turning around to face her allowing the woman to get away. "That's enough of your rampaging, I, Henshin Hero Sayaka, won't let you harm anyone in this city!" Sayaka declared as she took out her Cutting Buckle and strapped it on, pulling out the Fruit Lock in front of her. "Henshin!"

"Raspberry!" The lock exclaimed as she opened it, summoning the Raspberry Armor Part above her. Sayaka swung her arm around dramatically before placing the Fruit Lock in the belt and closing it.

"Lock On!" The belt announced before the standby music began playing, Sayaka taking a dramatic pause before slicing the lock open.

"Hai! Raspberry Arms: Ji, an, HA-HA-HA!" The belt exclaimed as the Armor Part fell onto Sayaka and unfolded, completing the transformation as the Raspberry Jian appeared in her hands.

"Let's go!" Sayaka said, the Lock Monster letting out a fierce growl before charging forward. Sayaka blocked its blade arm with her right-handed Jian, slashing across the creature's gut with the left as she took a step forward, the two switching positions. Just as the creature turned back to face her, Sayaka slashed the creature across the chest with each of her swords before kicking it away. The creature tumbled to the floor but it quickly got back on its feet just in time to evade two slashes from Sayaka's blade, leaving her open for the Lock Monster to land a slash with its blade arm on her face, causing her to stagger long enough for the beast to land two more slashes on her chest before jabbing her in the gut, sending her falling to the ground a few feet away. Sayaka struggled with the pain for a moment before the Lock Monster approached her, dashing forward with its blade raised to end her life, but just as it got in range Sayaka lifted both of her legs and kicked it in the gut, sending it into the air. However, the Lock Monster took a moment and regained its composure in the air, spreading its wings and hovering over the Henshin Hero as she stood back up.

The Lock Monster swooped down and clashed blades with Sayaka momentarily before immediately retreating back into the sky. It then circled back and slashed at Sayaka again, this time managing to nick her in the chest before elevating away to avoid retaliation. It kept doing this a couple more times, sometimes Sayaka would block a strike and other times she couldn't, but try as she might she just couldn't manage to get a solid hit on the beast with it flying around. Eventually, the beast just hung in the air above Sayaka before firing what can only be described as a breath of purple energy down upon her, sparks flying from her armor as she came in contact with the cloud and eventually forcing her back, dropping her twin blades. Sayaka moaned in pain and exhaustion, her armor still smoking as the Lock Monster brandished its blade arm and dived down towards her ready to finisher her. However, just before it got too close, four bullets of light were fired at it, forcing it down out of the sky and rolling on the ground away from the downed Sayaka.

"Eh, what was…?" She began, but quickly found her answer, looking up to see the familiar armored form of Homura, pointing the Musou Saber's gun barrel at where the Lock Monster was just flying.

"Transfer student?" Sayaka said as she stood back up.

"What are you doing here?" Homura asked.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on, shouldn't that be my line?" Sayaka rebuked, but Homura paid no mind.

"Why aren't you fighting the Witch with Tomoe Mami?" She inquired with a slight edge in her voice.

"T-that's none of your business, is it?" Sayaka replied indignantly as she went to go pick up her weapons. "You were the one who said I could choose what I do with my power." The moment she regained her Raspberry Jian the Lock Monster also regained its composure was prepared to continue their battle. "…You were wrong by the way." Sayaka said before she charged at the creature.

"Wrong?" Homura said quizzically.

"What you said before, about Magical Girls only fighting for themselves, it's not true!" She explained as she clashed blades with the Lock Monster.

"I assume you are referring to Tomoe Mami." Homura deduced.

"…Mami-san, even though she knew Lock Monsters don't drop Grief Seeds… even though she knew she wouldn't be able to replenish her magic afterwards… even though her life depends on getting as many Grief Seeds as she can, she… still wanted to go after this Lock Monster instead of fighting the Witch!" Sayaka elaborated between clashing with the Lock Monster, the creature taking flight once again in the middle of her speech.

"I don't care what you say, Mami-san is definitely an Ally of Justice… she puts the safety of the city above that "burden" you say she carries… that's why the best way for me to help her… is to make sure she doesn't waste her magic on anything besides Witches!" The Lock Monster dived down at her, bringing a downward slash to her head as Sayaka crossed her swords in a block, the two opponents struggling to gain the upper hand as they clashed.

"These Lock Monsters, and anything else that threatens this city, I'll take care of them myself if I have to. This is something only I can do, this is… my responsibility!" She declared, as she broke free of the clash, making the creature stumble back. However, it immediately took flight again, staying just out of Sayaka's reach. Homura that Sayaka was brutally honest when it came to things such as justice and heroism, she couldn't doubt the sincerity in her words or the determination in each frantic swing of her sword.

"Hmph, I suppose that's not a bad answer." Homura said to herself before loading the Musou Saber. Just as the Lock Monster pulled away from Sayaka, Homura shot it square in the back, forcing it back to the ground.

"Huh?" Sayaka gasped in surprise at the assist.

"You're at a severe disadvantage at long range Miki Sayaka, I will keep it in range." Homura stated, not even turning to look at her. Sayaka couldn't help but crack an appreciative smile behind her helmet.

"Heh, do whatever you want!" Sayaka replied before reengaging the Lock Monster, she landed two solid strikes to the creature's chest, but as she went for a cross slash the Lock Monster ascended into the air, avoiding it. Homura, as promised, fired at the creature, though it managed to evade the projectiles, however before the bullets even fully passed by Homura immediately turned the weapon in the direction the creature was headed, firing at just the right moment for the last two bullets to hit their mark right out of sky. As it attempted to stand, Sayaka brought her two swords down on it, the Lock Monster blocking with its blade arm only for Sayaka to kick it in the face, sending it rolling back. The Lock Monster took the extra distance to get back into the air, however Homura had already changed positions waiting for it, firing at its wings to ensure that it fell back down. Before it even hit the ground Sayaka leaped up and cross-slashed the creature, once it was on the ground Sayaka walked up and jabbed her Jian into its torso as if to pin it to the ground.

However, the moment it was pinned, the creature breathed another stream of purple energy at her, forcing her back a few feet and allowing the creature to get its bearings. Suddenly, a pleasant sent hit its nostrils, the familiar sent that it was searching for all along, it looked up and noticed a strange zipper like rift in a nearby alleyway just out of sight, within was what seemed to be a tree with the sweet, sweet fruit it craved growing on it just ripe for the taking. The moment it saw it, the Lock Monster dashed for it, staying close to the ground to ensure it was not fired at again.

"Whoa, h-hold on, here do you think you're going!" Sayaka cried as she began to run after it, completely oblivious to the tear. Homura wasn't however, she never saw anything like it before, or rather she did, the portals that their armor parts were summoned from.

"Wait, Miki Sayaka!" She called, but was ignored. "Tch, honestly!" She cursed under her breath as she chased after them. The Lock Monster nimbly dived into the zipper, Sayaka giving chase and a reluctant Homura following close by, as soon as the purple warrior slipped through the zipper closed up, disappearing as if it had never been there to begin with.

Homura was the only one to take note of their new surroundings, contrasting the city that they had just been fighting it, they were now in a strange, but luscious green forest, a light mist covering everything giving it a rather mystical feel to it.

Sayaka on the other hand paid no mind to the change in environment; she was too focused on the escaping Lock Monster, who took flight as soon as it entered the forest.

"You're not getting away!" Sayaka declared as she sliced down on the Lockseed twice.

"Hai! Raspberry Au Lait!" The belt announced as the Raspberry Jian was immediately covered with pinkish red energy. Sayaka threw the swords up into the air and from them generated three identical sword constructs that all fell to the ground, pinning themselves into the ground surrounding Sayaka. The armored warrior pulled out a construct and threw it at the Lock Monster, the creature unfortunately evading it as well as the one following it. However, the third sword managed to impale the creature's shoulder, making it screech in pain as its flight pattern was disrupted. Remarkably, the fourth sword, one of the real Raspberry Jian, was thrown right at the wound Mami's musket had made, stabbing right through the Lock Monster's foot and pinning it to a nearby tree.

"THIS IS IT!" Sayaka cried as she pulled out the last sword, overflowing with energy, and threw it at the frantic Lock Monster, the energy taking the form of a spiraling raspberry before exploding on contact with the creature, damaging even the tree as the Raspberry Jian fell to the ground. "Ha, ha, we did it!" Sayaka cried with joy, raising her hand up for a celebratory high five with Homura. However, rather then her hand, Homura smacked Sayaka on the forehead.

"Idiot, don't just go running into strange portals like that!" Homura scolded as Sayaka rubbed the spot she had hit, only to realize the helmet was in the way.

"It couldn't be helped, we had to make sure the Lock Monster wouldn't harm anyone again!" Sayaka protested as she went over and picked up her weapons from the grassy floor. It was then that she finally took a look at her surroundings, a blank look appearing behind her helmet. "So, where are we?"

"How should I know?" Homura replied indignantly. However, Homura was rather troubled by this, she really didn't have any idea where they were.

'A Witch's barrier perhaps?' Homura thought to herself. 'No, it feels a little different from that, more… alien.' She reasoned, though no closer to an answer. Sayaka looked around for herself at the strange fauna around them, until her eyes fell on some strange looking fruit.

"Huh, oh, hey, check this out." Sayaka said, gaining Homura's attention. "Ohhhh, don't these fruit look really tasty?" She cooed happily.

"I don't think that would be such a good idea." Homura said, knowing exactly what Sayaka was thinking… because somehow she couldn't help but think the same as she gazed as the fruit. However, Sayaka didn't listen and picked out a good-looking one.

"Maybe I should bring some back for Mami-san and Madoka." She said as she plucked the fruit from the vine. However, she didn't have the chance to admire it since as soon as it was in her hand it began glowing. "Eh?" She said quizzically before the glow faded, revealing the familiar looking shape of a Fruit Lock. "EHHHH!?" She cried in shock, regaining Homura's attention.

"What's wrong?" She inquired.

"The fruit…" She began as she stared at the transformed fruit in her hand, this time the Fruit Lock depicting what seemed to be a sunflower seed, L.S.-00 printed on it in the same stylized black letters. She couldn't believe it herself and so she tried it again, picking another fruit and just like before it glowed and changed form, this time it looked much more sturdy, depicting a green lime with L.S.-19 printed on it. "Look, it turned into a Fruit Lock!" She declared, showing off the Lime Fruit Lock.

"What the…" Homura said, equally as shocked. She looked at the vine of fruit and hesitantly picked one herself, once again the fruit changed into a lock, this one depicting what Homura recognized as a Dragon Fruit with L.S.-22 printed on it. "It's true! Then does that mean... all of these fruits…" She said in awe as she looked around at all of trees that barred the strange fruit.

"This forest, it's… a gold mine of new powers!" Sayaka exclaimed, Homura stumbling from the sheer stupidity of the remark.

"Hey, take this seriously, this is a big discovery here!" Homura stated.

"You bet it is, with all of these new Fruit Locks, no evil will stand a chance against Henshin Hero Sayaka and her sidekick!" Sayaka declared with glee.

"Sidekick, who are you call…" Homura began, but cut herself off as she caught sight of something concerning.

"Fine, fine, partner, teammate, whatever, let's just get picking!" Sayaka waved off her complaint as she picked another fruit from the vine.

"Uh, Miki Sayaka…" Homura said, trying to get her attention.

"Oh, this time it's a cherry!" Sayaka said as the sight of a new lock, L.S.-20.

"Hey, Miki Sayaka!" Homura shouted.

"Hm, what, you find a good one?" Sayaka replied.

"Look!" Homura cried pointing passed her. Sayaka did as told and snapped at attention at the sight. Coming towards them, growling rather angrily, was three almost identical looking creatures, only the color of their skins exposed from their shells differing in color.

"Wah, what are those, Lock Monsters?" Sayaka questioned nervously.

"And they're not alone." Homura said, turning Sayaka's attention in the other direction, another trio of Lock Monsters approaching.

"Uh, I think I know what this forest is now." Sayaka said as she stored away her new Lockseeds and brandished her Raspberry Jian.

"Yes, it's where the Lock Monsters live." Homura stated, loading her Musou Saber, back turned to Sayaka's, preparing for battle.

A/N: Well, there you guys have it, chapter 3. I know, I know, there was still quite a bit of cannon stuff in this chapter, but I couldn't help it, Sayaka and Madoka still needed Magical Girls and Witches explained to them and I did add some new parts in there, so it's fine right… right? Fine, but at least I didn't revisit the fight with Gertrud, and believe me, I was considering it in the early stages of planning for this chapter, but I think this works better, wouldn't you agree? And as for Homura's explanation of what happens to corrupted Soul Gems, of course she knows what really happens, but I don't think it was ever explained what the Magical Girls think happens, so I took it upon myself to come up with an explanation, so yeah. Well anyway, I hope you guys had a great New Years, fingers crossed 2017 doesn't such ask much as 2016, and I'll see you guys later, and don't forget to R&R please.