*Morning, Wednesday, 16th of March 2011; Residential District, Mitakihara, Japan*

Earth shook and seas simmered as the skies were torn open with eldritch energies no longer merely seeping into the reality, but flowing in freely, unbound and unrestricted, with dimensional flood gates open. They grasped the world, strong and unchecked, a blue fire lit for as far as heaven is wide as a whirlwind of space and time greedily swallowed the planet, taking it away from the Deceivers' reach and into His protective coils.

Oriko woke up, no longer terrified of her prophetic visions of the future that visited Magical Girl in her dreams and answered her wish for the reason to live she had made when she took Incubator’s contract. At first, she had dreamed of the Witch, resembling dramatically massive, filamentous shadows stretching upwards to form a twisted parody of a girl in the dress, one that would destroy the Earth by her power. And Oriko had set a goal to stop Madoka Kaname from becoming said Witch, to give herself a purpose, a fate different from dying at the hands of that apparition. She found there was something else she was destined for when her dreams changed...

“May I come in?” asked the distant voice of Kyubey before it let herself into the room regardless of Oriko’s subsequent consent, or lack thereof, and positioned itself on the top shelves of the half-emptied library. Magical Girl stared at him without a word.

“Aren’t you going to attack me today again?” He asked his second question without even receiving a response for the first one.

“For the time being, no, I won’t.”, Oriko said, calmly.

“Why did you attack me before then?” Another question followed, similarly cold and devoid of any feelings, with empty red gems of eyes staring blankly at the girl still laid comfortably on the bed.

“Let’s call it an irrational emotional response, so typical for humans.”, Magical Girl lied, but she couldn’t help to smirk internally as she looked at the ceiling. Their plans had changed, and there was something the Incubator wasn’t allowed to see, hear, or do.

“It’s true we don’t fully understand that emotion present in human beings.”, Incubator concluded, his tail lashing back and forth, but there was nothing that indicates what creature really thought or experienced,

“Incubator, why didn't you tell us Magical Girls turned into Witches?” Oriko asked calmly. She had no true desire to speak with him, and even less need for the answers for the question she asked the Deceiver each time he decided to give her a visit. She, however, was curious about the reaction - it could be called a hunch, and not an outlandish claim, considering the wish gave her vision of the future.

“As I already explained to you earlier, we meant you no harm and assured you we hold you in respect by asking for your consent with the Contract. Was that a reason for your attack?” Kuybey said, his voice unfeeling and stoic as always. The Magical Girl didn’t bother to get up from the bed, only prompted herself up on her elbows while bobbing her head in the mockery of Kyubey’s own behavior patterns.

“I am not a Witch yet?” Oriko asked, smiling. She was certain that no matter how emotionless Incubator was, it still confused him.

“You are a Magical Girl, Magical Girl fights Witches, and obtains their Grief Seeds to purify the Soul Gems.”, was the reply. It made the blonde girl grin, something in Kyubey that reminded her of the person who doesn’t want to give a straight answer without resorting to lies, something she, as the daughter of the politician, was very familiar with. Using misdirection, deflecting the questions, changing topics, withholding answers, all were tactics that Incubator used. Of course, statements weren’t wrong and questions were essentially pointless. It was something he probably didn’t realize, she thought - that two can play this game

“I don’t understand why you repeatedly ask those questions? Your behavior is very irrational.” The Incubator queried.

“Am I not allowed to ask questions?” Oriko retorted.

“Yes, in fact, you are. We just don’t understand the need for repetition,” he asked again.

“And what is the purpose of your visit then if not answering my question? Are you not satisfied with the tip for the Magical Girl I gave to you earlier? Or has she transformed into a Witch and you want me to fight her?” She followed with more questions.

“No, not really. I want to query you about the anomaly. Did you experience something unusual in the last two days?”

Of course, she did experience something, Magical Girl thought, an ominous storm from two nights ago that appeared without any explanation, mundane or otherwise, but she was not going to tell the little Deceiver about it. It has proven to be puzzling even for Incubators, otherwise, and Oriko didn’t intend to make it any easier for him. Her dreams, her power, told her that. She paused at that notion, wondering whether Kyubey could read minds. Once again, Magical Girl imitated the head movement her patron made.

“If you know anything about the anomaly, you must tell me. You must tell me.”

This was the moment she waited for. Despite the usual cold and unfeeling demeanor, there was something odd and unusual in the Deceiver's behavior as he insisted on being given an answer for something he couldn’t explain, a creature that can’t feel yet it was almost like he was afraid of what is coming. It was something that came with the storm.

“What is an anomaly, then?” Blonde asked, making herself look stupid.

She sat on the bed, leg crossed, rocking herself from left to right, smiling. She was certain she looked deranged, so even an alien wouldn’t bother with her, even if she hated herself for not looking composed as she always had been. But her fate relied on that.

And it worked. Even Kyubey paused. After her plans to manipulate him had failed, it made Oriko feel vindicated at each moment she sensed some confusion from him. It frustrated her that perfect, controlled behavior she was proud of, one that always worked for her before, was useless against him, and she found her act distasteful of playing insanity, yet strangely effective. After all, a self-professed lack of understanding of emotion was Kyubey’s weakness and Oriko couldn’t help herself but feel a little smug that the little bastard could not predict her actions.

“Why did you draw that?” He said, turning towards the painting Oriko made on the wall when visions overtook her. It ruined her mood a little and made her worried again that Incubator may start connecting the dots in the plan.

“I found my new calling! I am going to be an artist! Do you want me to stop?” She yelled out and launched, which was a blatant lie, but at the same time, it was presented in a way that anyone would question her sanity and won’t ponder about her true motives anymore. After all, it wasn’t in her interest for him to know, as there was no indication that the Deceiver was aware that her wish for a reason to live, for a meaning of her existence, turned her into the oracle capable of peering into the events that yet had to unfold.

“Some Magical Girls in the past also wanted to be artists.”, Incubator concluded, seemingly satisfied with the answer. He still didn’t leave.

Oriko finally gets out of the bed and onto her feet. She grabbed the brush left discarded on the floor and after applying leftover of the oil paint to it directly from the tube; she set to improve her amateurish mural - two sets of blazing crimson eyes of the Dragon that haunted her dreams, issuing orders, promising her true power, and more importantly, giving her purpose she longed for other. She would be able to save the world, if only through different actions than she originally intended. Her artwork didn’t give the images provided by her prophetic powers justice, the glory and the power she saw couldn’t be captured by her horrific art skills, but she didn’t try to. It was here for her to remind herself of the better fate she had.

She had to wonder if the Dragon truly spoke to her when she slept, or she envisioned him doing so in the future when her abilities gave her pictures of her kneeling before him, changed and more powerful than ever before. She could not be ever sure if it was the future or present, a distant place, and another time that never was, but she was something. There was hope, freedom from the shackles of Incubators, and the slowly dimming Soul Gem. She would have to address that permanent drain that came with her specific magic, the cost of her gazing into seeing events yet to come.

“Aren’t you going to go to school today?” Kyubey queried again.

“I am not sure yet. If you insist, then I may feel this irrational need to attack you once again.” She threatened him, a little frustrated that her acts didn’t drive him away yet.

“I understand humans have the need for privacy, even though your behavior is getting increasingly erratic.” He said. However, he didn’t leave as she expected. And he was right in this own way, a fact that Magical Girl hated as she indeed has been back and forth with her behavior once the magical storm brought the change for the

Oriko held herself from sighing. It didn’t go as she expected, but the situation wasn’t unsalvageable yet.

She left her improvised artwork alone, throwing the paintbrush away almost whimsically after her mural wasn’t up to her liking, and perfectly aware that Incubator’s eyes are still on her, she prepared for departure to school she never planned to arrive at.

She changed to her school uniform while the little annoyance tailed her like a curse, even though luckily she was at least left alone in the bathroom despite the unfeeling stare that found her everywhere at the house. Oriko had to curse the empty villa now her father had died, which means that Incubator could visit unimpeded regardless of whether he was visible to normal people or not.

Oriko hurried out, and when she shut the door behind her it suddenly felt like she was sealing a tomb, as her power reminded her she could die at the hand of Madoka’s determined, even if misguided, protector.

After a brief look into the clouded skies, she headed into the city, and towards the local middle school and the long alley lined by Sakura trees where a long stream of students headed towards their daily duties.

She stood sideways, no one really paid her any attention as she watched the passerby trying to pick one specific person among the dozens of others. Kirika found her first and headed straight towards the blonde, barely able to hide her enthusiasm. Oriko smiled at her pleasantly.

“Good morning, Kirika.”, she greeted her, even more warmly than usual, and grabbed her hand as a welcome, which surprised Kirika. In the way, her changed visions changed a little how she thought of her companion.

“G-good morning.” Kirika seemed confused but didn’t protest. Eccentric as she was, affection really surprised her.

“Would you mind if we skip school today, and go somewhere far today?” Oriko offered.

“Nope. Let’s go!” was the answer

“Would you mind if I just really quickly speak with someone, and then we can spend the day together?” The blonde offered, and her dark Magical Girl companion accepted without much hesitation.

Oriko looked up to the darkened heavens above for a brief moment. It filled her with unpleasant, nearly oppressive, foreboding sensations, but yet, gave the blonde girl a paradoxical hope at the same time, thanks to her powers. Somewhere beyond the sky, beyond the invisible stars, the Dragon waited. Or perhaps he was already there, Oriko didn’t know. She just needed to give him enough time to take them away. To achieve that, something needs to change. The fact that someone who she thought must die earlier had to live now was an irony, but it was an affordable cost to pay.

Oriko scanned the crowd once more, noticing the pink hair she was looking for the entire time.

“Let’s go.” She explained and two Magical Girls set off towards their new goal.