Chapter 51

Deluge

A slim, blue-haired figure peered out beyond the rain spattered glass doors. The gloomy light of a half dozen streetlamps illuminated the sodden, dark pavement that led off into the unfamiliar city, the strange buildings disappearing into the darkness and rain.

Adjusting the backpack that weighed heavily on her shoulders, the girl sighed and pushed open the door, stepping out from the shelter of the train station.

Chiharu glanced across the room, catching the eye of her new partner. The quiet, serious face of the girl gave a stoic nod, shoulder length black hair moving across her shoulders like a hood of shadow. With a slight dip of her head, acknowledging the older girl's place in the hierarchy of their little squad, Chiharu bit back on any lingering resentment at what had essentially amounted to a demotion.

Anything to get away from Mai's ever-increasing recklessness.

Shaking her long, dark blue ponytail that started near the top of her head, the Puella Magi took up position immediately behind Jun, following the dour, black-haired veteran up to the glass doors and into the night beyond.

"Shimai," a flat voice whispered ahead of her. Sister. It didn't make her want to smile, not like it used to. She'd thought the girls from her original squad had been her sisters at one point, too. In reality, it was little more than a title. A designation. Chiharu glanced at the older girl as she turned her head briefly, doling out instructions. "Circle around that building," Jun stated, not asking but telling. The ponytailed girl bit back a sigh. "The target is heading north along Fifth. Shigeko-san will be in place." She paused, taking a long look at the newcomer to her team. "Remember, Shimai-san, patience. Shigeko-san will initiate contact, we are only to assist after-"

"Yes, Jun-san," the shorter girl replied curtly, the dark blue ponytail swishing as she spun, running in a crouch until she disappeared into the haze and darkness. Shigeko was, according to rumor, somehow related to one of the bosses. Chiharu had already noted the subtle but insistent arrogance that radiated off of the leader of the group, and entertained no wish to aggravate her superior. Quite the opposite, in fact. But neither did she like the thought of putting up with Jun's condescending explanations anymore.

The older girl frowned briefly, then, with a last glance around, she concentrated and the night seemed to flash in a lightning strike, leaving behind a strangely garbed figure and not the faintest trace of thunder.

"Can this day get any worse?" Sayaka muttered morosely, leaning into the wind as she trudged along the sidewalk. Cold rivulets of water traced lines down her back and dripped down her chest. Five blocks in and she was already soaking. The rain had not let up; she glanced at a convenient entryway to a nearby building, but narrowed her eyes and kept marching on. She wanted to get where she was going.

It's not that far, she encouraged herself, having no choice but to trust a memory of a hazy day that seemed like forever ago... but couldn't have been more than a couple weeks. I was so arrogant, so sure of myself, she thought ruefully, remembering an apple of friendship, tossed aside like it meant nothing.

She didn't toss me aside. She came for me.

A grin flashed across the blunette's face. I'm lucky she didn't kick my ass right then and there. But the strangely fond memories only fueled the ache inside of her, and she redoubled her pace, determined to reach her destination. She's got to be there! I can't wait to see her ag-

The thought stalled. Blinking twice, the blunette came to a stop. Someone was standing on the street corner ahead of her. Just standing, looking up, getting drenched by the rain. Sayaka glanced across the street. It was silly, perhaps, but something was odd…

The figure turned, and through the rain the blunette caught a glimpse of something that was a combination of track suit and ornate battle costume. The storm began to let up, and as the deluge became a soft, gentle patter, the blunette could make out the sharp, intense face of a girl somewhat older than herself, tall with long blonde hair that hung wet and limp but still managed to look elegant at the same time.

"You look lost, little girl." the stranger began. Sayaka took a step back, detecting an undercurrent of menace.

No mistake, not with an outfit like that. Determined, she held up her hands. "Look, I don't want any trouble," she explained, heart hammering in her chest. Of all the luck, to run into some other Puella Magi. This was Kyoko's turf, what's she doing here?

"Oh?" The voice was curious.

"I thought… this place used to be where a friend of mine used to, ah, live." The blonde regarded her with that same look of inquiry, compelling her to continue. "It's… I'm trying to find her, and thought…"

"Thought she might still be here?" The girl took a stride toward her, and Sayaka vacillated for an instant, poised between transforming and standing her ground. She didn't want to exacerbate the situation, but neither did she want to fight a magical girl with just her backpack and two sweatshirts. "We'll help you find her." The girl took another step toward her, hand extended in seeming friendship.

Dropping her heavy backpack right into a large puddle, Sayaka brought her arm across her chest and in a flash of light her white cape was rustling through the air, revealing her own costume.

The blonde regarded her with a brief smile. "Now, now. No reason to do this the hard way," she murmured, glancing pointedly behind the tense blunette. Sayaka, unable to contain herself, spun around, and felt something inside her shrivel up as two more figures stepped out onto the street behind her.

"I… I'm warning you. Just leave me alone," Sayaka stated between clenched teeth, ready to will her sword into being. So far, no weapons had been displayed, and she found herself hesitant to begin the escalation. She took a step back, then another. When the three made no move to follow, she bolted down an alley, splashing through puddles as she came out into a refuse-strewn back lot.

A small part of her felt a deep shaming guilt at running away, at least until she saw her opponents again. They were waiting. Dammit! A black haired girl dressed in a wide-sleeved blouse or jacket, stood at one exit, cradling a thick sword in her hands. Down the other path, a smaller, ponytailed girl stood, her dark blue outfit fading into the darkness, arms crossed and with a pair of short, wide-bladed swords in her hands.

Laughter ran out between the buildings, and Sayaka spun to see the first girl, the blonde, stepping out from the alleyway into the empty lot.

Sayaka glanced back and forth nervously, heart beating wildly as she felt the first traces of panic begin to set in. Three of them… this was nothing like how she'd felt before, with Kyoko. This was scary. Swallowing, she carved a lazy arc through the air behind her, the whistling sword a reminder for the others to keep their distance. So far, they'd shown no signs of moving.

Trying to slow her incessant pulse, distracted by the thrumming in her ears, Sayaka could barely make out the taller girl's words. Long blonde hair framed the arrogant, cruel looking face. "Your mistake. Although, I always have preferred the hard way." Smiling, the stranger took a step forward, smirking as the blunette's grip tightened around her own sword. "And don't think anyone's coming to rescue you, say… a certain redhead."

The blunette felt her stomach clenching. Something about this whole situation was so wrong… "W-what do you mean?" The blonde smiled wickedly, her eyes slitted against the rain. "What are you talking about?"

"She's already been taken care of. Mai-san and the other Sisters already made the hit on your friend." She made a tsking sound, overjoyed at the sudden look of uncertainty that came over the blunette's features, along with a noticeable trace of anguish. "So sorry."

No! Kyoko! The blunette's thoughts spun madly. If it was true… It's not! She's lying!

"You lie!" Sayaka growled. Her eyes narrowed as the leader, the blonde girl, chuckled ominously and took a step forward, her hand suddenly holding a gleaming katana.

"I'll give you one chan-" Wide eyed, Shigeko dodged backward as the flash of blue was suddenly upon her, batting her sword away with incredible ferocity. Gritting her teeth, she weaved away from the clumsy strokes of the humming weapon, not even bothering to bring her own blade to bear. It wasn't so much for the benefit of her underlings, the assassin thought to herself with a certain sense of satisfaction as she bobbed under the caped blunette's furious swing. Jun, even Chiharu, knew their place. She had no need to prove herself to them. It was for the pure joy of spite; toying with the girl before finishing her off.

It wasn't purposeless cruelty, she acknowledged smugly. The added emotional turmoil and despair were the best ways to speed up the whole process. Despite the direct orders of the higher-ups, Shigeko was determined to harvest the target rather than simply destroy her. It's not like the bosses would ever know the difference.

Sayaka growled in frustration, feeling her sword swing through empty air yet again, watching the cruel-looking blonde keep just beyond her reach. Determined, she reversed her momentum and brought the sword across in a gleaming arc, curving it mid-stroke to cut low at the girl's legs.

Chiharu waited, shifting on her feet as she held the butterfly swords at her sides. This was exactly the kind of foolishness that had made her demand a transfer from the old squad. Mai was a hothead, and now her new leader was playing with their food. Shifting her gaze, she saw the look of admiration on the normally-stoic Jun's harsh features, and couldn't keep from shaking her head.

The girl, the target, fought with ferocious passion. But Shigeko fought with a skill honed by years of training with the masters. There was no doubt about the outcome of this fight.

Which ultimately made it pointless. A foolish self-indulgence. Chiharu sighed, shaking her head to adjust the heavy, wet ponytail that hung past her shoulder.

Tossing her sword at the dancing figure before her, Sayaka immediately reformed another in her hand, frowning with effort. Things seemed… difficult. The blade she'd thrown cut an electric blue arc through the night, but her opponent deftly leapt aside. Concentrating, the blunette focused on her sword, willing the blade to grow, dismayed at how resistant it was to her desires. Like she didn't have enough power-

All worries were cast aside as the blonde sword-girl abruptly came at her, slashing across her body, at her knees, at her neck. Breathing heavily, the blunette's sword deflected one attack after another, barely catching the final vertical slash to her head. For a moment, the two girls locked swords, Sayaka's curved saber sparking off the mirrored blade of her opponent's katana. For an instant, their eyes locked, determined sapphire staring into wide green orbs flecked with gold.

Without warning, the girl did something strange with her sword, the blunette feeling her own being twisted from her grasp. Sayaka, instantly realizing something was wrong, pushed off before the taller girl could disarm her. She backed away, sword up and ready, but saw her opponent standing where she'd left her, shaking her head sadly.

"You think of yourself as a sword-fighter?" Shigeko's delicate lips curled in a sneer of disdain. Her long blonde hair was plastered down her back, and she cut a few arcs through the rain with the sword in her hand, then leapt forward. "Sloppy. You should have stuck to chopping wood."

Having had a moment to regroup and catch her breath, Sayaka felt a sense of cold, bitter dismay well up as the girl closed in, cutting and stabbing in brief, fluid strokes. So fast! The blunette deflected a high slash with her own sword, only for the other girl to turn the motion into a quick stab up from the side. Barely avoiding being skewered through the belly, Sayaka gasped as she felt a sudden burst of stinging pain along her forearm. As the long gash cut by the razor-sharp blade welled up with blood, the blunette rolled backwards, ending in a leaping bound that took her high into the air.

Her attacker was not far behind, eyes blazing with the thrill of the hunt.

With a sense of relief, Sayaka felt weather shift, and once again the heavens opened up, the rain coming down in a torrent of fat, cold droplets, obscuring the battlefield.

Kyoko's stomach gurgled nervously. Can't this thing go any faster? The ferocious kick she delivered to the seat ahead of her earned a quick glance from a man sitting across the aisle, but after a moment he got back to staring at the rectangular screen of the phone in his lap.

It was such a stupid idea, it made complete sense. If Sayaka hadn't found her anywhere in Mitakihara… what was the next place she'd check? The only other place she'd check?

It won't be too late. But the redhead's face was twisted with worry, her stomach a hard, twisting knot in her belly. She hated the thought, loathed it, but it was entirely possible that Madoka or Homura had saved her life just by being around when the attack happened. Even if, in the pinkette's case, it had been accidentally wandering into the path of a bullet meant for her…

Strange, how luck works sometimes. Well, she amended to herself, not so lucky for Madoka, I guess...

She owed them. That was a hard enough truth to swallow. She could accept owing Sayaka something. It was even appealing, in a strange and fascinatingly novel way. A connection. Others, though, even… allies. This was exactly the kind of entanglements she'd spent the last year avoiding. But it wasn't her pride that prevented her from dismissing the thought from her mind. Instead, it spun around, again and again, churning about unproductively but obsessively until she could barely think straight.

The two girls, still back in Mitakihara, were allies. However reluctantly she'd been to think of them as such, in those first moments of the attack she'd felt concerned for them. She'd trusted Homura to deal with the one shooter while she herself got the other. It was a strange feeling, a bit uncomfortable, almost like she was in some way betraying Sayaka-

Sayaka. The thought continued to twirl around nauseatingly. She didn't have two allies who happened to be on hand.

Sayaka's all alone.

The spattering drops of rain increased, staccato pinging off aluminum somewhere nearby. The lights of the streetlamps seemed to visibly dim as the shower became a downpour.

Glowering with concentration, Sayaka felt the rain falling all around her, her senses shockingly keen through the murky darkness. She was getting cold, and tired, but as the clouds opened up she felt a brief surge of energy. It was almost like she could feel where the water was breaking around the other girl, the slim contour of her blade almost invisible but her body right there-

Blinking the water from her eyes, Shigeko held her sword before her, on guard. Before, the environment had been almost romantic, with the dark streets and moody rain giving an interesting flavor to what would have otherwise been a fairly standard confrontation. But now-

Spinning out of the night with a keening howl, a swirling blue ring of lightning seemed to materialize before her eyes, the cascading rain making it hard for her to react, to move, and she screamed as the glowing blade cut deeply into her arm.

Hearing the scream, the other two leapt into the fray, eager to intervene on their leader's behalf.

As the tall black-haired girl advanced through the storm, Sayaka briefly glanced behind her, looking for the other one. She could still hear her original attacker shouting obscenities from down the street. What I'd really like to do is shut her up-

The girl brought up her sword, a thick blade, slightly curved, that widened at the end. Not a stabbing weapon, clearly this was a weapon for inflicting deep, horrific wounds. As the girl brought the weapon around, she stopped it abruptly, and a strange, metallic clinking echoed off the nearby buildings.

Sayaka shook her head to get the wet, stringy locks of blue out of her eyes, annoyed at the distracting ringing in her ears. She watched the other girl, trying not to look down at what appeared to be a series of circular rings that ran along the back of the girl's blade. Nine-

Then something was right behind her-

Spinning around, the blunette deflected the smaller girl's lightning quick attacks with the wide-bladed cutting knives held in either hand. Shadowy and indistinct, the blunette knew she'd never have seen the girl without the strange sense of the water flowing around her. Flinging out her cape, Sayaka crouched and spun, sweeping her latest attacker's feet out from under her. An impressive force yanked at her trailing cape, and she darted away before the backhand sweep of the heavy broadsword could connect with anything more substantial, its discordant ringing loud in her ears.

The knife-wielder rolled up and away even as Sayaka backpedaled under the furious assault of the larger girl with the ringed sword. With each stroke, the rings clanked against the back of the blade, hollow metallic ringing briefly echoing across the rain-soaked pavement. Trying to focus even as she fell back under the black-haired onslaught, the blunette felt her breath leave as something cold and hard slid inside her lower back, up between her ribs, leaving a fiery trail of pain as the elegantly curved, mirrored blade exited her chest several centimeters, coming into her field of vision.

The blonde's now-familiar laughter rang out behind her. Stumbling forward, away from the blade that impaled her, Sayaka raised up an arm as the pitiless eyes of her black-haired attacker glared down with quiet triumph, the girl bringing her clanging, ringing sword down with both hands. Not fast enough, white hot pain exploded through her head as Sayaka felt the thing smash into her forearm and connect with her shoulder, the unreal, detached realization that a wedge of metal was imbedded in her bone gruesomely fascinating. With a violent yank, the sword withdrew and the blunette felt her knees give out.

Even as she fell, she could sense her body trying to kick itself into overdrive, flesh and bone regenerating so fast she could feel it happen. So cold. As the pain dimmed, Sayaka let out a little sob of pain as she awkwardly rolled to the side, feeling chips of pavement pepper her face as the blade came down where her head had been. Desperately, she pushed herself backwards across the pavement, seeing nothing but that immense, wicked looking sword beginning to descend yet again. She slid across the pavement, almost frictionless like some crazy waterslide, but was too panicked to feel amazed as the two girls came rushing towards her.

Scrambling up, she took off down the alleyway towards the street with one arm hanging limply, feeling her powers draining even as her shattered body continued to reknit itself. An icy coldness that seemed to originate from inside was slowly spreading, an insistent ache that wouldn't go away.

"After her!" Shigeko cried needlessly, the other two girls already moving to intercept. As Jun charged down the alley after the stumbling blunette, Chiharu took a moment to adjust her long, sodden ponytail. Should have just done it at the station, she thought regretfully for the dozenth time. But of course, that would have denied her new leader the fun and excitement of this little… charade. Eyeing the buildings nearby, she crouched and leapt high, clamoring the rest of the way up the four story structure.

Flipping over the ledge onto the roof, she swiftly headed to the corner, looking down-

A dazzling, kaleidoscopic swirl of lights seemed to hang suspended over the street, crystalline chandelier spikes that glowed with sapphire energy blinding her momentarily. She reeled back, gasping.

A dark notion flitted across the blunette's mind, grim and desperate. No, she thought to herself, thinking of the three soul gems in her cape, rescued from the mouth of something evil. Quite literally, in fact.

It was a terrible thought. She would never do something like that. Evil. She fought evil. Still, the thought lingered.

Something was wrong. Afraid to spare even a moment to glance at her Soul Gem, she envisioned it dark and cloudy. Emptying by the moment. She didn't have a Grief Seed, having given her last to Homura the night before.

But, from what she had remembered, there was a way-

Grimacing at the icy stabbing pain within her belly, Sayaka drew all the power she could muster. Turning a corner, she spun around, walking backwards as the shimmering blades slowly began to take form ten meters above the ground. Stumbling away, her shoulder grating like it was on fire, she prepared herself.

When the black-haired girl turned the corner, her eyes widened only slightly at the sight of the field of luminous shards hanging above the street. Hunching forward, she made as if to leap, and Sayaka let go.

The half-dozen painfully, meticulously wrought crystalline swords let loose a cacophony of sound, a deep, simple chord ringing across the night as they hurtled down towards the entrance of the alleyway. The ring-sworded girl lifted a hand belatedly before being engulfed in the sapphire explosion, the block briefly illuminated by the phantom lightning, rolling thunder replaced by the sound of a thousand chimes vibrating in an eerie harmony as the crystalline swords detonated in a glittering cascade of splinters.

As the sound faded, Sayaka picked herself up from where she'd fallen, struggling to stand. There were still the others… grimly, she noted the smoking remnants of the black-haired girl, too preoccupied to think about the matter for now. She was so cold, she could hardly think-

The butterfly swords were spinning toward her again, and she backed away, desperately blocking and parrying with her own sword. She was so tired, she could barely keep her arms up-

The blades spun, hooking Sayaka's weapon near the hilt. With a twist, the sword went flying from her fingers, cold metal suddenly finding its way deep into her chest. Grunting, the blunette pushed away from the smaller girl, sinister dark eyes narrowed in concentration as the blades flashed hungrily. Sayaka steeled herself, her mouth heavy with the tang of blood, crushing the sense of dread that was increasingly difficult to ignore. So close-

Her opponent's long ponytail swung through the air as the girl continued to slice and stab, not giving the tired blunette a moment to recover. Sayaka felt another gash tear open along her arm, and desperately tried to concentrate enough to summon back her weapon. But it was difficult, everything was foggy and cold-

The long ponytail swished through the rain, and a flash of memory rekindled Sayaka's guttering sense of determination. I'm not gonna die, not tonight! she raged, gritting her teeth as the cold seemed to solidify inside of her, feeling her organs and nerves and bones crystallizing, freezing and twisting and shattering into splinters-

A blazing, electric blade met the descending butterfly swords, and a hollow booming gong echoed across the street. Sayaka felt herself picked up off her feet, feeling the ground disappear for a brief, disorientating moment just before she reconnected with it painfully. Groaning, she tried to get up but couldn't. She tried again, struggling breathlessly, only to fall back limply, betrayed by her body's weakness.

She stared up at the sky, not even blinking as errant drops of rain hit her tired, blue eyes. Even trying to breathe was getting hard. She was so cold, she felt like she should be shivering or something, but everything was too tired and sore to move. Her whole body seemed unnaturally still. Maybe that was two of them. Or all three. Or… somehow, it didn't matter. She was so tired. The bone-deep chill she'd felt had seemed to soften, the sharp ache replaced by a deep, overwhelming numbness.

She felt herself drifting. WIth a start, she swallowed hard against the momentary feeling of panic, grimacing at the coppery taste of blood. Not that it would be so bad, she mused almost sleepily. The intense feeling, the sense of being scared, of losing herself, was already drifting away. She was so tired. And the cold…

It would be so easy to give up. Like going to sleep. She had this feeling, like if she just… just let go, everything would be over. The shame and sorrow she felt at what she'd become, the pain of having lost the one thing that seemed to matter in all the world. If it were true, what was the point? If Kyoko was dead... No. Her mind couldn't comprehend the thought. Kyoko's not dead, and if she's not, I have to find her and warn her.

Something inside her changed. Focusing with all her remaining mental energy, she tried to latch on to a feeling, holding on to a strange and wondrous sensation. Something that made all of this pain and anguish worth it. A purpose.

After a moment, she sighed, her body weak and exhausted. But, she felt awake. Happy thoughts. I'll find her, and then we'll… She shifted, looking down at her damaged body. The cuts to her chest were the most gruesome, and even with the rain and the dark, she could see the blood. More killing. More death. She'd been struggling with it all day, ever since leaving the house. She was already tired of it. There was no romance, no honor in fighting and killing another girl. Even back in Motogawa, it had been horrible. Kyoko could apparently be more philosophical about the whole concept, but to Sayaka it was abhorrent. They should be on the same side. Why were people such selfish assholes?

Not everyone, she smiled to herself, staring without seeing, blue eyes fixed on the clouds that covered the night sky. Although, truth be told, a week ago she was convinced that is exactly what kind of person Kyoko was…

Kyoko. With a flutter in her chest, the blunette tried to get up again, succeeding in rolling over on her side. She was lying. Filthy… fucking lies! With the help of an elbow and an unladylike amount of grunting and cursing, she worked herself up to a sitting position.

That's when she got a look at her Soul Gem.

As her heart stopped for a moment, Sayaka felt the horror welling up inside her. The dark crescent was a smoky quartz, dull and lusterless. Gasping, looking closer, she saw the network of jagged cracks running across the surface, cracks that, in the dim light, seemed to glow with the faintest luminescence, extending from the surface down inside-

No!

Breathing heavily, it was several minutes before Sayaka moved again. Happy thoughts. Her face was a grimace of determination.

Gotta… do… something. Sayaka glowered at the sky, blinking away tears with the rain. Can't just sit here, waiting for… something... to happen. The thought terrified her in a way little else could, and she willed her body to function. I'm such a fool! If I give up now, it's not over. There is no peace waiting for me.

I'll come back!

Again, the thought. The Soul Gems seemed to call out for her from inside the strange invisible pocket within her cape. They would have been used that way, anyway…

No. Even if… somehow… it worked. Offered salvation. She was willing to pay almost any price to live, now that she'd met Kyoko. It was a strength and a weakness; she'd realized it immediately upon falling hopelessly for the other girl. But this… this was something even Kyoko would find repulsive.

Besides, she wasn't gone yet. She was still in control, still Sayaka.

Still me.

The thought gave her pause. Maybe I should smash it myself, while I have the chance. But no, that was too much like giving up. Besides, she needed to warn her partner.

Glancing around the rain-soaked area, she couldn't find any trace of the girl with the butterfly swords. Worried, trying to hold on to the sense of determination that seemed already in danger of dissipating into the gloomy scene, the blunette got one leg under her, slowly bringing herself to stand.

She looked up from her feet, trembling with exhaustion, noticing without surprise but almost a sense of fatalism, the bloody, twisted visage of the girl walking toward her, the long blonde hair matted and torn, soaked from both rain and the girl's hideous wounds. One arm dangled limply, mangled and ragged. The other held the mirror-bladed katana at her side.

Dashing through the streets, Kyoko belatedly hoped that Sayaka remembered the route to her father's old church. She'd only taken her there once, after all, and the blunette was, at best, merely competent when it came to directions and spatial awareness. The tore through the streets, leaping over puddles and curbs with reckless haste.

When she turned the corner only a few blocks away, she knew instantly she was on the right track, the alternating red and blue flashing light from down the block making her heart drop sickeningly.

A wide, shallow crater marred the pavement at the entrance of an alleyway. Telltale scars in the surrounding stone told of a fragmenting detonation of terrible force. Approaching, heedless of the uniformed men walking around the scene, Kyoko ducked under the checkered blue and white tape of the Kazamino Police, reliving the horror of that night, years ago, when that tape had gone up around the smoking remnants of her family home…

She stopped, disgusted with herself. Get a grip. There's no time for that crap. Do something useful!

"Hey!" she began, walking over and tugging on a uniform. A calm-faced man looked around, then down, his eyes betraying his confusion. "Ah, sir."

"Little, er, young lady, how did you… this is a crime scene, ma'am. Miss." The man seemed confused at how to address Kyoko, with her green hoodie and short cut-offs, showing up out of nowhere. Gently, he made as if to grab her arm and escort her away, already striding toward the barrier. Kyoko eluded the grasp effortlessly, and as he turned she shot him a certain kind of gaze.

"Relax." The man seemed to deflate slightly, the straight posture sinking into an at-ease slouch. He turned to stare at her with mild expectancy. "I just wanna know what… what happened here."

"Terrorists," the man said immediately. Kyoko choked.

"Wha-a-at?" That had not been what she'd been expecting. Was this just a coincidence? Was Sayaka back in Mitakihara right now, wondering where the hell her lovable redhead had gone-

"We're still in the preliminary stages of the investigation, but the crater and reports of an explosion, along with the obvious shrapnel damage to the surrounding area make it quite clear some type of explosive device was detonated. In other words, a bomb."

Kyoko frowned. "You're a chatty one, aren't you?"

"I am known around the force for my amiability, and if I make detective then I'll finally be able to get out and be more hands on with the peop-"

"Yeah yeah," Kyoko waved the commentary away, frustrated. "A bomb, you think?"

"Definitely."

"Anything… I dunno. Strange, about this bomb?"

"Well, in point of fact, yes. Despite the amount of damage, and the reports of noises accompanying the explosion, we have been unable to locate any trace of the explosive itself. It had been raining fairly heavily, up until around an hour ago. That was around the time the reports started coming in." The man shrugged. "I suppose it's possible it washed away, but that wouldn't explain the lack of any actual shrapnel. No trace of any foreign material in that shredded wall." He pointed helpfully.

Dismayed, Kyoko realized she was a fool to have assumed it to be anything for what she thought it was. A battleground of Puella Magi.

"Any… bodies?"

The man shook his head eagerly. "No, none. Although several reports mentioned a scream, possibly several. Traces of blood were found spattered along the alleyway, there is a section where the rain was blocked by an overhang so it didn't wash away-"

Kyoko walked into the alleyway, the policeman following behind her obediently. Looking, she saw the brown droplets. Whatever she'd been expecting, they told her nothing. No telling who they belonged to.

With a chill of dread, the veteran wondered if she was even now looking at the last earthly traces of Miki Sayaka she'd ever see.

"Wh-" The redhead cleared her throat. "When did this happen?"

"A little over an hour ago. Just before the storm cleared up."

"Ma'am! Ma'am! Kyoshi, you moron, why are you letting this girl walk through a crime scene? You know what Forensics is going to say-" Another officer, this one glowering through a wrinkled face, approached from the other end of the alley, carefully avoiding the numerous little tags that had been meticulously placed by the investigative team over the past half hour.

With only the slightest twinge of self-consciousness, Kyoko slowly shifted in front of the small, shattered evidence tag, kicking it back and out of sight with her heel. Time to go-

"Kyoshi, you cannot go breaking protocol like this, it's exactly the kind of thing that keeps you from getting ahead in the department-"

"I… yes, I know, ah…" The bewildered policeman blinked several times, trying to get his bearings.

Kyoko, blinking back tears, reached down, tracing her fingers through something blindly. Heedless of the cries behind her, the redhead took off into the night, determined to get away. Shaking off the prickly shards of blue crystal coating her fingers, so fine it was almost like sand, she felt a howling despair build up inside of her.

It was time to get away from everything.

The rain came down in an incessant fury, the wind picking up as the blonde approached her with an awkward, shuffling gait.

"Who are you?" Sayaka cried, or tried to. It came out more of a croak. Swallowing, she stood her ground, concerned that if she tried to move she'd fall again. "What do you want?" Another lurching step. "Why don't you just leave me alone?!"

"Never," the approaching girl snarled. "Not after what you've done…"

If she hadn't been so tired, so cold, Sayaka would have shaken her head. What I've done? "I don't even know-" The girl took another step, just meters from closing the distance.

"You, and your dead girlfriend, crossed the wrong guy. One of my uncle's friends, apparently. A Boss. Not that those fools matter, not like Big Sister."

"Big… sis-"

The girl's face twisted, suddenly furious. "Shut your mouth, you dumb bitch. You're not just gonna die, though. No." And instantly, she was upon the blunette, tackling her to the ground. Sayaka tried to squirm, feeling the girl's arm reach around, encircling her torso.

"NO!" she sobbed, too late. Her body sagged helplessly.

Standing, her attacker seemed to glow with triumph. "Got it- damn!" The blonde's voice changed from exultant to frightened in an instant, seeing the dark miasma swirling within the cracked crescent. "Damn," she breathed, turning to look down at the blunette with loathing.

"You killed them. My squad. My… friends. For that, you're going to suffer. I'm going to watch you turn into a Witch, Miki Sayaka."

She knows my name! She's going to let me turn into a Witch!

"Which is convenient, because you're just about ready to crack." The evil, hateful grin was back, the girl's arm and face still badly lacerated from the explosion that had nearly taken her life at the mouth of the alleyway. Bloody, shredded fingers clutched around the dark crescent, shaking with anger. Jun, faithful, solid, dependable Jun, had not been so lucky. Seeing the fear and desperation in the tear-filled blue eyes of the wretched creature before her was small compensation for all she'd lost tonight. She had to make it worse. "It happened to your girlfriend, too. My friends have already tasted her Grief Seed-"

Something inside Sayaka snapped. From her knees, head bent to the ground, she felt an electric tingle run from her toes all the way up her spine. The icy cold was replaced by a flash of molten anger, a rage so stark and primal Sayaka didn't even realize what it was that upset her. Only that she was angry, furious, enraged… and everything inside her screamed to lash out.

With a scream of fury, Sayaka launched herself up at the older girl, not pausing to consider the sword in one hand or her soul in the other. Surprised, Shigeko backed away, stabbing out with her blade as the blunette closed the distance in the blink of an eye. As the sword pierced through the girl's chest, the street was lit by a blinding flash of light as the blunette's fingers clasped over her own.

Sayaka felt the cold metal pierce through her damaged torso yet again, amazed and a little proud of her body's resiliency. She just wanted this one last push, this last act of vengeance and redemption. Maybe Kyoko had gotten away, and by killing this girl, she'd be able to get away clean. Maybe her death would have some meaning, that way.

Deep down, that all felt like bullshit.

It was exactly the kind of noble death she'd fantasized about as a kid, watching old movies and trying to emulate a Hollywood version of Bushido. To go out fighting, against impossible odds, was as much as any warrior could hope for.

But, now that the moment was here, it did not sit well. This isn't what I want, she acknowledged. I can't give her up, I just found her! I don't want it to be over!

She needs me!

A flash, an instant of realization, of acceptance, was all that was needed. For some things, any price is worth paying. In the fraction of a second it took for Sayaka to close the distance, impaling herself upon the blonde assassin's sword as her hand reached out, grasping for her very soul, a singular dark and sinister thought became an intention, and the entire block was lit up with a ghastly, spectral blue radiance.

The damaged, bedraggled blonde stumbled back a step, the sneer gone and replaced with eyes wide and fearful, staring at the raging blunette who grasped her hand painfully, clutching desperately at the blackened crescent. Too late, she realized the tenuous position she was in, her weapon buried to the hilt in the unstoppable blunette's chest and unable to bring to bear.

Snarling like an animal and far beyond caring, Sayaka grabbed on to the girl's hand, twisting her arm down with a sharp snapping sound. She felt the pressure in her chest ease as the blade inside her disappeared, followed by the liquid eruption of blood. She staggered, but held on, focusing everything she could dredge up from within her-

She watched as her attacker's head craned back, the wide eyes growing even wider as she looked up and stared, almost like there was something behind the blunette. The assassin brought down a freshly-summoned sword, but the blade shattered before it could connect, the metal twisting and snapping. Gritting her teeth, Sayaka felt a wave of malevolent power wash over her, and she felt something inside her, a raging torrent of crystal ice and molten fire, coalesce.

A crackling tendril of energy, solidified lightning coruscating up from her hand, seemed to ignite the world in a ghostly flash. For a moment, every drop of rain, slanted against the wind, was caught hovering in midair, a hundred million glimmers of sapphire that lit up the world like a field of stars. For a moment, green eyes gazed in wide-eyed amazement, the suddenly-ruined hand and severed fingers forgotten in the shimmering, unreal beauty, capturing one last instant of attention.

Sayaka felt the weapon turn of it's own accord, the meter-long beam of crackling, spectral power sliding effortlessly through first the blonde's shoulder, then chest, then-

Screaming, realizing finally what was happening, feeling a horrible, twisting sensation of being drawn in, Shigeko threw back her head in agony as the blade continued to slide down, cutting her in half, rib by rib, until it hit-

Sayaka knew something was wrong. As the sword bit deeper, inexorably pulling her arm with it, she saw the glimmer of her opponent's Soul Gem for a second before it was engulfed in the energy pouring out from her fist.

An ornate, cerulean star dangled from the center of the girl's chest, pale blue and glowing with a light that seemed to dim as the crackling blade's radiance swept across it.

An echoing, terrified scream of pain and misery seemed to go on and on. Sayaka fell something happen, something atrocious, as the blade connected, breaking the gem apart in a shower of sapphire dust. The screaming abruptly cut off, but in her head the blunette could feel the echoing cries persist, the agony unabated by this ultimate violation.

A tiny puff of white mist seemed to explode out of the shattered Soul Gem, but instead of dissipating, Sayaka watched in horrified fascination as the tendrils were sucked into the sword even as the body standing before her seemed to crumble in on itself. The gleaming blue light, already dim and faintly sinister, became a ghostly spike of swirling mist, flickering madly.

YESSSSS. Something inside her growled hungrily.

Closing her eyes, Sayaka braced herself for the worst.

Hope you liked.

Thanks for the reviews! Sometimes more isn't necessarily better, but lots of times more is better. I'm talking to you, broadway. I love it! Please continue if you feel the urge.

If you haven't written anything, no pressure, but I do love to hear other's perspectives and opinions and ideas.

And those of you who I notice every month read this story all the way through within the first couple days, I am impressed.