Author's Note:

ALERT: I HAVE MADE AN EDIT TO A PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Ahem, it's not an edit that changes the current plot or anything, though it will probably become significant later. It's in Chapter 4 and it is when Key is having the flashback to when he gained emotions by absorbing them out of a Magical Girl turning into a Witch. The core of the scene is the same, but I've shuffled things around a bit and added some details. Anyone familiar with what I'm referencing will probably guess it immediately, and you know what, good on you. Maybe I shouldn't play so much to such references, but it felt like too good an idea to pass up on. And given that the characters I had in there before were basically whole cloth creations of my own without much character, I didn't feel too bad about the change. I hope you like it!

Please forgive me if I missed a few spots where I should've made an edit for this change. I don't know if I got all of them.

Unless specifically noted, assume that any mention of Key making noises is telepathic or simple animalistic noises that might be included for "realism" or to get Magical Girl's to drop their guards. He is made to look and appear like a cute cat after all.

Also, the first part takes place before Homura's near freakout in the last chapter. I know, I know, sorry for a bit of a confusing timeline, I'll try and be better about that in the future.


Soundtrack: Puella Magi Madoka Magica OST – Amicae Carae Meae

Oriko resisted the urged to fiddle with her dress as she stared down at Kirika's body. Well, actually since her Soul was not currently residing inside of it, would it be more accurate to call it a corpse? It was a grim thought and not one she was entirely comfortable with as she stared down at the . . . shell? . . . of her best and only friend.

"Was she . . . " Oriko struggled to articulate her question. "Was she . . . aware of what happened when you took her Soul Gem?"

Homura was standing a comfortable distance away with her arms crossed, a pistol still held in one of her hands.

She shook her head, "she was stunned from behind, much like you. As for how aware of the situation she'll be. As said before, that's your choice."

She made to turn and leap away, but before doing so, she had one final thing to say.

"Remember Mikuni, don't try and run, or think of betraying me. I know where both you and she live, I know about your boltholes, such as the warehouse near the industrial district." Oriko tensed as Homura named off one of the locations she had thought of as a fallback point in case they were discovered. "If you or Kirika step out of line, or if I get one bit of evidence that you're still planning to harm my group. Then I will remove both of you. Attempt to cheat me by removing your Soul Gems and then taking off the trackers, and they will render your bodies permanently unusable. Do you understand?"

Oriko nodded mutely and watched as Homura scaled the alleyway walls and disappeared over the roof. She turned back and knelt down beside her friend, holding both Kirika's and her own Soul Gem in either of her hands. She pondered what to do.

She wanted to tell Kirika, wanted to reveal everything and get some small comfort of someone sharing her pain. But, should she?

What would Kirika do if she found out that Oriko's life and Soul were now in the hands of Homura? What if she flew off the handle? Would she do that? How would she react if she found out that both she and Oriko's fates were at the mercy of a mysterious girl who seemingly knew way more than she should, and would be extensively watching them for some unknown reason.

Oriko couldn't help but smirk slightly at the ironic description.

"Irony, though art heartless."

Still, the question was appropriate. Oriko felt nervousness rise in her as she stared down at Kirika. Would Kirika be angry at her for this, for poor leadership? Another small pulse of fear had her wondering if Kirika would even want to stick around her after this disaster. But she was able to put that fear mostly to rest rather quickly. She wasn't sure if Kirika's . . . obsession with Oriko would allow her to even entertain those thoughts. But still, what if . . .

Oriko shook her head, really only two options lay open to her, tell Kirika or not. If she told Kirika, then Kirika would know and be fully aware of the situation, but might possibly do something rash or in anger that would make Homura think that both she and Oriko were too dangerous to keep around. But if she didn't tell Kirika, then Oriko would have to carry the whole situation herself, but it might keep Kirika from doing anything foolish.

Her mind swirled for a bit longer, but she also began to worry that Akemi would be getting suspicious of her long delay. So at last, she reached out and pressed Kirika's Soul Gem into her fingers. The girl's eyes flickered, then she began to blink. She twitched and suddenly, as though a switch had been flipped, she sat up quickly. But at this fast movement, there were numerous cracks and pops and she fell back with a cry of surprise.

"Ack!" she said lying on the ground, more out of surprise than pain, "why am I so stiff! How long was I lying there? Heck, why was I even lying there?!"

Kirika swallowed instinctively and immediately gagged. She stuck her tongue out and pawed at it with her fingers.

"Yeck! Gwoss! My tongue tastes like an old carpet left out in the sun! Ack! I just swallowed again! And again! Oriko, please! End my suffering!"

Oriko couldn't help herself. She found herself giggling in spite of the serious situation. Somehow, Kirika always managed to lighten her mood, even when she didn't know she was doing it. After about a minute of further lamenting from Kirika about the taste of her tongue and mouth, she finally sat up for good and looked over at Oriko. Oriko tensed slightly as she realized that she must now give an actual explanation for the predicament.

What should she say?

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her mind, so fast and eager when it came to making plans for the future, gave her no help here. Should she tell Kirika the truth, or try and keep her in the dark?

"Oriko, what's wrong?" Kirika asked, her voice going quiet as she perceived Oriko's distress. "Do you know why I got knocked unconscious?"

"I . . . I . . . it" Oriko didn't have the slightest idea where she was going with this, but Kirika just looked at her, calmly expectant.

"It was an experiment!" Oriko found herself blurting out.

Kirika blinked, "an . . . experiment?"

"Yes," Oriko said, desperately trying to stop herself from looking shifty. "I had heard that if you take a Magical Girl's Soul Gem far enough away from their bodies, that the bodies no longer work, so I wanted to see if it would work."

Kirika looked as though she were thinking it through. "Okay," she finally said slowly, "but why didn't you tell me what you were doing?"

Oriko thought wildly for a moment before an answer came up, "I was worried that that would affect the test."

"Please buy it, please buy it Kirika, if only for your own good" Oriko thought desperately. Kirika was looking at Oriko with an almost shrewd expression. Her eyes roved over Oriko before snapping back to the ash-blond girl's eyes. Oriko tried desperately not to blink, nor to let her breathing go shallow.

"Okay!" Kirika said as a smile broke onto her face. Oriko blinked at the sudden change.

"So, what did you find out?!
"Um, well," Oriko said, trying to regrasp the thread of the conversation, "it appears that it is true, your body didn't work anymore."

Kirika nodded sagely, turning to look at her own Soul Gem intently. Oriko bit her lip as she recalled the other thing she must do. She tried to suppress the twisting in her gut as she held up the items that Akemi had given her, carbon copies of the ones strapped to her own shoulder at this very moment.

"Kir . . . Kirika, I want to . . . to run another experiment."

Kirika looked at her encouragingly and she went on, "I need you to wear these at all times, never take them off, not even to bathe. Don't worry, they're waterproof. I have some on myself so we'll match."

"Okay!" Kirika said again, unintentionally repeating herself as she grabbed the devices and began strapping them around her shoulder without hesitation. As she did so, she looked at Oriko with a smile.
"It's fine if you can't tell me what these do. If you have to wear them for the experiment, then I want to wear them too."

She put a strange emphasis on the word 'experiment,' and it immediately made Oriko suspicious.

"Does she suspect something's up?" She wondered as Kirika finished putting the devices in place. Kirika wasn't stupid even if she acted childish (and perhaps a bit obsessive). It was entirely conceivable that she could tell that Oriko was in trouble of some sort and needed her to act naturally. But, Oriko supposed, did it make that much difference, at least in the short term. She'd been worried that if Kirika knew the extent of how Oriko was threatened, that she'd fly off the handle and do something they'd both regret. If Kirika was content to leave it as a mystery between them for the present, then perhaps she should just be grateful.

Oriko glanced up at the sky, but then noticed that it was starting to get late. In a flash, she remembered that she had agreed to meet with Komaki in order to hunt Witches together that night. She hadn't even explained the situation to Kirika or Kyoko yet and it was getting near to the time that they were supposed to meet.

"Kirika" she said as she stood up, "I forgot to tell you, tonight we'll be having a new friend join us for the hunt."

Oriko explained the situation and Kirika seemed intrigued. Then, Oriko called up Kyoko.

"Sakura-San?"

"Eh" came Kyoko's voice back.
"I've managed to secure a new person who might be open to joining with us. She's asked to hunt Witches with us tonight if that's acceptable."

There was a moment's silence before Kyoko seemed to sniff, "eh, can't think of any problems with it yet. I won't be pulling my punches for some rookie though. So where we meetin?"

Oriko relayed the destination and turned to walk away. Kirika was already bounding off in the direction of the park. On instinct, Oriko turned around and managed to see a head with black hair peaking over a nearby roof looking down at her. She could've sworn she saw the head nod slightly, and then it vanished. Oriko sighed, and then turned and continued forward.


Komaki was tapping her foot impatiently as Oriko and Kirika arrived. She was leaning against a pillar and looked annoyed at their slight lateness (even though it had really only been a few minutes).

"You always gonna be this late? Unlike you I got some people who'd get suspicious if I stay out too late. They're probably starting to think I go out drinking!"

Oriko mentally composed herself as she looked around for Kyoko and Yuma, only to hear the sound of feet hitting gravel behind her. Kyoko and Yuma had emerged from an alleyway nearby. Kyoko was looking at Komaki with a calculating look while Yuma just looked mildly intrigued.

The two of them walked up and the group stood in silence for a moment before Oriko cleared her throat.

"Ahem," she said, desperately trying to get her thoughts in order. It wasn't easy considering all she had just been through. Still, she attempted to shunt her worries to the side and focus on the task at hand.

"I suppose introductions are in order. Asako-San, this is Kure-San and Sakura-San, my current partners in our endeavor to learn about and potentially stop the rogue Kyubey."

Komaki's eyes swept over them with a calculating look of her own. When her gaze found Yuma however, her expression seemed to soften, if only just slightly. She knelt down so she was at eye-level with Yuma.

"What's your name kid?"

Yuma pouted slightly, "Yuma is not a kid!"

"Yuma huh, nice name for a kid" Komaki said with a smirk. It only got wider as Yuma stuck her tongue out at her. Then she frowned slightly as she looked up at Oriko, and then at Kyoko.

"So how does a 10 year old start hanging out with a bunch of Magical Girls?" Her eyes narrowed, "You ain't trying to get her to contract are you?"

"That's none of your fu-" Kyoko caught herself before continuing. "None of your business."

"Yuma is not 10!" Yuma said in protest at the same moment.

Komaki sniffed, "what, is she your little sister or something?"
Oriko saw Kyoko tense visibly and thought it would be best to intervene.

"Suffice it to say that she's under our care for now and that she'll be coming with us. Now I believe we are wasting time, so we should probably start our hunt."

Komaki looked Kyoko and Yuma up and down one more time before making a sound of affirmation. She turned and held out her Soul Gem to begin the hunt, using it like a divining rod. The five of them began walking off, Oriko joining Komaki in their search.

As they walked on, Kirika asked, in a tone that suggested she couldn't resist.

"So Yuma, how old are you?"

Yuma was silent for a good long while before finally answering.

"Yuma is 11."

Oriko and Komaki heard Kirika giggling quietly behind them.


Eventually, they had found a Labyrinth and were standing outside it. They had transformed into their Magical Girl Outfits and were waiting for one of them to be the first to move in.

"So what's with that thing your swinging around like a monkey? What did an axe and a shield get a bit too friendly and dumped their weird lovechild on you when the relationship fell apart?"

Kyoko was smirking at Komaki as she spoke, then she waited to see how the blue-haired girl would respond. Komaki was blinking rapidly as she stared at Kyoko. Finally, she seemed to come to a decision and snorted.

"Cheh, at least it's better than whatever the heck you've got there. What, did you get lost so much that you wished for a giant arrow to point you forward?"

Kyoko blinked in her own turn, but then her smirk turned into a grin, "oho, someone with some actual bite to them!"

She turned and began to stride forward into the labyrinth.

"C'mon axe-nanny, we got a Witch to kill and my 'arrow's' pointing me this way."

Komaki raised an eyebrow at Oriko as the rest of them followed Kyoko.

"Where'd you find her?"

Oriko smiled, slightly sardonically, "would you believe that it was on a rooftop while we were both spying on the same target."

Komaki shook her head, "I'm going to go insane before this is all over, aren't I."

"Probably!" Kirika said brightly, then she dived into the Labyrinth after Kyoko and Yuma. Oriko and Komaki followed suit.

The Labyrinth took the form of an endless sky crisscrossed with what looked like laundry wires. For a moment it was almost peaceful as they looked around. A breeze tousled their hair as they looked around from the platform they were on. Laundry flopped in the wind and the bright sun shone down on them.

Then Yuma gave a small cry and pointed up. Familiars, what else could they be, were falling like rain. They were shaped like a skirt covered lower half of a girl with ice-skating shoes on. Some were skating down the laundry wires while others simply dropped like stones from the sky.

The ones that were falling out of the sky came on fast and the girl's braced themselves. But before they came into range, a shield suddenly sprang up in their way and the familiars all splattered against it, some going spread-eagled, others doing the splits.

Komaki smirked as the shield she had conjured tipped to the side and the familiar's slid off into the void. She twirled her axe and gave a flying leap, landing on another nearby platform that sat suspended in midair.

"Well, only way to go is up!" she called over her shoulder as she began smashing her way forward. "You all just gonna leave all the work to me?!"

Kyoko snorted and, with Yuma in tow, leapt up to join the girl. Oriko and Kirika followed. From there on, they worked their way upwards, hopping from platform to platform. Oriko, being the only one of them with ranged weapons, followed a little bit behind the others. Kyoko kept Yuma close to her at all times, making sure that the girl never got anywhere close to the Familiars as they moved forward.

As they fought, it became apparent to Oriko that Komaki was no amateur. She was straightforward and blunt in her fighting style, but she also had the presence of mind to ensure that none of the Familiar's got an angle on her from behind or were able to sneak up on her. She also projected shields time and again when she saw opportunities to get rid of large groups of Familiars or when she spotted one making trouble for the rest of the group.

Finally, far up above them something enormous came into view. There sat the Witch. It had the vague form of a giant schoolgirl. But it had no head or legs. Instead, pairs of hands sprouted from its neck and bottom, giving it six in all and making it seem like some weird form of spider. Chairs, desks, and more Familiars came flying out of its skirt down towards them like hail.

"Get under here" Komaki shouted as another cone shaped shield sprung into being above her. Everyone quickly huddled under it and watched as the incoming debris and monsters impacted and slid off the shield.

Kyoko sniffed, "thanks for the protection and all, but ya do realize that we gotta go and kill the Witch eventually? It's not like I can just ring a school bell and it'll go away."

Komaki snorted, "of only it were that easy."

Oriko was looking up at the Witch, her hand on her chin before she nodded to herself.

She cleared her throat and the others looked at her, "ahem, I think we should approach this from several different angles. Currently, if not for the shield provided by our generous friend-" Komaki rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth twitched, "-we would be facing a near neverending stream of enemies. If we can divide up, I think we can split the Witch's Familiar's as well as its focus. From what I've seen, the Witch isn't the strongest and I don't think it'll be able to survive a full frontal attack by you three at once. Get above it and then attack."

The girls were nodding for the most part, but Yuma raised a hand as though she were in school. Oriko smiled and knelt down in front of the girl.

"Yes, Yuma?"

"If they're attacking it, what will you be doing Onee-san?"

Oriko continued to smile indulgently down at the small girl, "an excellent question Yuma. As I use ranged attacked rather than hand to hand combat, I will be providing covering fire for the others so that they can get in close."

Yuma nodded, but Kyoko was looking back and forth between Oriko, Yuma, and the Witch. Her eyes narrowed, as though she were thinking about something extremely hard. Then she gave a short puff of air.

"Fine, jump here, jump there and kill the thing. But I can't be carrying Yuma on my back when I'm jumping so much. So Oriko, you get to look after her while I'm gone. You good with that Yuma?"

Yuma nodded, smiling as she did so, "sure! I'm sure Oriko Onee-san will take good care of me!"

Oriko stared at Kyoko with a confused look. Had Kyoko just said what it sounded like she'd said?

Kyoko seemed to be feeling a bit awkward and seemed to want to get away as quickly as possible.

"We good?" she said quickly. When there was no response she continued, "good, well no time like the present, let's get going."

Soundtrack: Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Rebellion OST – One for All

With that, she bounded out from under the shield and began to leap and hop, ascending as she went. The flow of projectiles and Familiars that had been constantly raining down on the shield the whole time they'd been talking abruptly changed course to try and follow her. But she was too quick, striking aside anything that came close to her and effortlessly dodging the rest, her ponytail whipping in the wind as she flew through the air.

Kirika and Komaki took off themselves on their own paths up, dispatching their own obstacles as they ascended. Oriko stared off after Kyoko with a mild sense of wonderment. Kyoko had trusted her to look after Yuma. Oriko almost felt like gaping at the enormity of that. She wondered if the girl was even aware of what she'd just done.

Yuma was watching Kyoko intently, clapping as she watched the redhead advance.
"Kyoko Onee-Chan is sooo cool!" she said as she watched Kyoko carve a familiar in half.

"I suppose, in her own way, she is impressive," Oriko said as she pulled herself back to reality. She began to throw her orbs that functioned as her main weapon out. She mostly defended herself and Yuma and kept the pressure from becoming too much for the three other girls who had in a short amount of time, climbed to a level above the Witch.

The three of them seemed to look at each other and Oriko saw them nod. Sensing what they were about to do, she let fly a large clump of orbs that rocketed off into the Witch, causing it to screech as they connected. Then the three girls leapt at the same time.

Kirika landed first and began swiping at the Witch with her claws. Two of the hands attempted to grab her, but she fended them off and continued to cut the Witch. Komaki and Kyoko both yelled loudly as they came down, slamming their respective weapons into the Witch. The Witch was ripped from its perch as the two unstoppable forces came down on it. It fell past Oriko and Yuma, who stared over the edge at the falling creature. It twitched like a spider as it fell, not quite dead. Kyoko yelled something as she shoved her spear in further and Komaki nodded. She ripped her axe free of the Witch and, as Kyoko leapt away, brought the blunt side of her weapon smashing down on Kyoko's spear. The weapon was forced so far in that it came out the other side of the Witch, successfully impaling it. Oriko felt the Witch give and suddenly the labyrinth was dissolving.

There was some disorientation as all the girls suddenly found themselves on the same level, in spite of the fact that they'd been at clearly different elevations before. Then there was a clink as a Grief Seed fell to the ground. There was a moment's silence before Kyoko strode forward and scooped it up, smirking as she did so.

"Dibs, anyone got a problem with that?"

Komaki gave a glance towards Oriko, her eyebrows raised. Oriko simply shook her head.

"Kirika and I have no problem with it, we have some Grief Seeds to spare."

After a second, Komaki shook her head too while rolling her eyes, "guess I can afford to let you have this one so long as I get the next one."

Komaki then turned to face Oriko, her face inscrutable, "right, so you didn't try and off me or anything, so that's a point in your favor. You pulled your weight, even if it was mostly to keep the Familiars off my back. I still ain't convinced on your whole 'save the world' spiel, but I'm willing to listen. Give me a call the next time you go hunting and I'll see what I can do." She seemed to take a deep breath before continuing.
"You gotta give me more hard evidence to go on that just "feelings." Show me the Kyubey thing and that it's a threat and I'll consider helping you get rid of it. But until then, I'm only gonna help you on hunts."

She seemed to think for a second before adding, almost as a hasty afterthought. "Oh, and don't expect me to suddenly act all buddy buddy at school either. You ain't as bad as I thought you were, but don't think that means I'm gonna let you off the hook for the mistakes you make."

With that, she turned and strode off before anyone else had any time to say anything.

"Nice girl" Kyoko said with a grin as she watched Komaki's retreating form, "says what she means and never sugarcoats it. Who knows, I could get used to having a giant shield covering my back when I fight a Witch instead of a girl who throws marbles and a biker-chick."

"She certainly did contribute well in her own way" Oriko observed.

"She called Yuma a kid" Yuma said, as though that was the sum of Komaki's character. Kyoko smirked as she walked over and ruffled Yuma's head.

"Yeah, she did. Well c'mon kid, we gotta get back to our 'bedroom.'"

"Onee-Chan!" Oriko heard Yuma whine as the two began walking off. Now it was only Kirika and Oriko left. Silence reigned, and, in an instant, the business with Homura and the difficult situation she was now in came back home to Oriko.

"Oriko?" Kirika was looking at Oriko with an expression of caution mixed with worry. "About earlier, back when you woke me up. Was there anything else tha-"

Oriko held up a hand, trying to keep a calm smile on her face and stop her hand from shaking.

"Sorry Kirika, but I'm feeling pretty tired, I think I just want to go home and rest for the night. Is that alright?"

Kirika looked like she desperately wanted to say something, but it seemed that something else held her back and she finally nodded before turning and walking off towards her own home. Once she was out of sight and hearing, Oriko let herself slump, sighing deeply and passing her hand over her eyes.

So much to do, so much to absorb, so many people to juggle. As she walked home, she reflected that it would be a minor miracle if she got through this next month with anything approaching sanity.

When she had gotten home and gone up to her room, Oriko collapsed on her bed, already feeling sleep beginning to take her.

. . . Maybe this would turn out to be a good thing in the end. After all, she had had that one vision on top of the hill. In that future, she and Kirika had been with the other group. So maybe if she could gain Homura's confidence, she could persuade her to the danger posed by the Rogue Drone. She already seemed somewhat amenable to the idea, so perhaps she could spin this situation to her benefit.

She put her forehead in her hands and groaned softly. That would be all well and good if she felt like Homura was willing to listen to her. But all the signs, whether it be through her words or her body language, had pointed to Homura barely tolerating her existing as tool, let alone as an equal able to exert influence over her. How could she turn this situation around if she couldn't convince her of anything.

Some words she had heard from a younger version of herself floated to the front of her mind, "typical Oriko, always thinking that you know what's best."

Was her judgment to be trusted, given how utterly she'd been outclassed in less than a single day? She wanted to save the world from the future she'd seen, but how could she do that?!

She gave another groan. She turned over, and hoped and prayed that tonight would actually allow her to get some uninterrupted sleep, she really needed it. But for a long time, she just sat awake, staring at the wall, her mind turning over how hard her plans had failed and trying to come up with some sort of plan for the future. She hadn't made any progress by the time sleep finally took her.


Author's Note:

And so, Oriko now has to deal with the fact that she has the trust, or at least, confidence of several people who she's now expected to manipulate on behalf of another girl who seems extremely unstable to her.

Honestly, Oriko is interesting because she's fundamentally trying to accomplish what she sees as a noble goal. Her methods leave and morals when it comes to pursuing those goals leave a lot to be desired. A part of that was a her tendency to believe that she was more intelligent and better able to see the bigger picture than everyone else. That and the fact that she was probably grasping at straws just to do something to stop feeling worthless and her wish seemed to point her at a great evil that needed defeating. She's tragic, but not irredeemable.

So this story thus far has her gain a bit more in the way of a support structure, or at least compatriots. Sure it's in the form of Kyoko, Komaki, and Yuma, but the three of them are actually pretty moral and selfless people when you come down to it (for the most part). Yuma especially is shown to constantly bring out the best in people. Oriko is no exception to this. The other part of it is that she's quite literally had her plans first called out as stupid and immoral by what seems to be a representation of herself pre-personal tragedies as well as having her plans torpedoed and burned in one instant by Homura. She's still trying to get the spirit of them to continue, but she's been fundamentally shaken out of some sort of self-assuredness she had before. Who knows how she'll develop from here on out?