//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 - An Unexpected Encounter // Story: Fragmented Harmony // by Mares-a-Mares //------------------------------// The door softly knocked with a few thumps as the ex-weather pegasus groaned at the notion that somepony would be rude enough to disturb her precious sleep. She buried herself deep into the blankets as the door was knocked on again, this time a little louder. Just who had the gall to bother her at such an hour? …Wait, what time was it anyway? Rainbow Dash glared at the door to their rented bedroom as she heard the soft and delicate breathing from her roommate and Magical Girl companion. It looked like Fluttershy wasn’t budging from whatever was beating on the door, and she didn’t hear any footsteps, so Home Run wasn’t going to get it anytime soon…probably asleep, like she should be. Well, time to get some shuteye! The prismatic Magical Girl snuggled into the covers as she shifted into a more comfortable position, her eyes slowly closing as she let herself drift into a nice peaceful sleep… A loud booming sound came in from the door three times, causing the pegasus to growl as she peeled herself away from the pillows and sat up in the bed. Sheesh, whoever was out there was being persistent! Ugh! The growling sound caused her fillyhood friend to groan groggily. “…Dashie…stop…” She mumbled as she turned to her side away from the other and plopped her face into the welcoming pillows, her sleep not easily shaken. Rainbow Dash could only wish she had as much an endurance to sound…but being a light-sleeper…she was pretty much screwed out of sleep for the rest of the night. “Ugh, forget it! Fine, I just…I’m done!” The hot-tempered Magical Girl slipped out of the covers and exposed herself to the chilling feeling of Home Run’s air conditioner, yet she wasn’t really bothered by it. Her pegasus endurance to temperature must have lingered with her…she felt stupid for just now taking note of it. Anyways, she should probably see what annoying people are outside. Who would bother Home Run at this hour, anyway? It was a little past midnight, on a school night! She didn’t even bother changing out of the spare lavender pajamas she was lent as she opened the door and slipped out without slamming it shut behind her. Best not to kill anypony else’s sleep if she could help it. The prismatic Magical Girl held a groggy frown as she walked over and made her way to the door, muttering foul Equestrian language under her breath. It took a bit of time to reach over above and undo the latch before she could open the door. As she started to rattle the chain, she could swear that she heard voices from just outside… “…Oh, good! Akemi-san is awake!” She heard a smooth and silky voice in the Japanese language as she put her ear against the door. It actually sounded like something she heard before…Rainbow gave a deep sigh before thinking of what to say. “…Dare desuka?” She called out, twisting her dialect clumsily as she decided to practice her Japanese a little. “…What in…did she speak?” The sounds were a little more muffled, but…English? There was an English speaker? Not only that…but the voice sounded familiar…with a little twang to it… The silky voice spoke up again, this time sounding like she was trying to speak English to the English speaker. “Ah, that was Japanese. She was asking ‘Who is it’. Since it didn’t sound like Akemi-san or Fluttershy-san…Ah! Dash-san!” She called out through the door, causing the prismatic Magical Girl to pull her ear away. With a smile, she reached over and unlocked the door to turn it open. “There’s only one Magical Girl with that voice who calls me ‘Dash-san’!” Rainbow Dash stood in front of the door, taking note of the company in front of her. Just as she thought, Mami was right out the door, and she had a friend behind her…with a…Stetson? …Freckles? …A belt and some boots that had apples on it? The prismatic Magical Girl’s mouth dropped. “No way…in Tartarus. A-Applejack?!” I-It looked like her, but how did she even get here? Was it even actually her? What if she just mixed her up with someone else?! “…You’ve been here this whole darn time, sugarcube?! Ya’ll been gone for a week now!” Oh my gosh, it WAS Applejack. She wasn’t wrong! Applejack…was here in Mitakihara…with Mami… Rainbow Dash quickly clenched the veteran’s shoulder’s, causing her to gasp. “Tell me she didn’t contract! Applejack CAN’T be the mysterious Magical Girl!” Tomoe Mami winced as she pried the prismatic Magical Girl off of her, a feeling of knowing in her eyes. “…Mmm…” She slowly nodded, refusing to look into her magenta eyes. “I encountered her inside a Witch’s Barrier in the suburbs.” She spoke in clumsy English. Applejack nodded as her emerald eyes faced her very much changed pegasus friend. “…Eyup. Ah ended up getting involved in some lifetime servitude gig. Until Ah figure out a way around it, ya’ll are gonna have to go on without me. We came here to get you guys.” The prismatic Magical Girl shook her head in disbelief. “Wait, ‘we’?! Who the hay did you bring with you?!” It wasn’t just Applejack, but she brought somepony else here?! What if they ended up contracting!? The farm pony frowned as she lifted a hand in front of her to create a barrier of space to diffuse the situation. “If you calm down, sugarcube, Ah’ll tell you everything! Just stop looking like you’re gonna punch something!” Rainbow Dash stepped back in front of the doorway and took a deep breath before letting it out. “…Before you explain anything more, did you wanna come in? Home Run and Flutters are asleep, but the kitchen’s still there and I can fix you up something.” Mami shook her head. “As much as I love a gathering, I’m afraid I must refuse, given the current hour. If you can, would you be willing to heal Applejack-san while she’s here? With your power, I’m certain that you have the ability, but Applejack-san’s healing isn’t very effective, and I need to head home.” Applejack just stared blankly at the veteran as she slowly walked in through the doorway. The prismatic Magical Girl frowned as she translated Mami’s words. She couldn’t catch everything, but there were some key details she managed to catch. “Hai, odaijide kudasai. (Yes, take care of yourself.)” “…Huh?” The farm pony raised an eyebrow as she stared at Rainbow as if she was doing something weird. “Arigatou.” The veteran smiled softly before turning to Applejack. “Applejack-san, please take care of yourself. I will see you tomorrow morning.” She twisted her tongue as she briefly bowed before waving and making her away back on the road to her own apartment. The blonde-haired Magical Girl blinked for a moment before waving back, sort of understanding that Mami needed to go, and she was stuck with RD and Fluttershy for the time being. Good thing, too. She could fulfill what was left of the promise this way. Rainbow Dash yawned as she faced her farm pony friend. “Well, AJ, come on in. You feeling thirsty at all?” She offered as Applejack slowly made her way inside the building, her eyes focused on the rather strange paintings that were just…uh…floating in the air. No magic or nothing, just…they were floating in the air, and they had weird symbols on them. Her pegasus friend led her to what looked like a crescent red sofa, where she plopped her flank on the sofa just across the huge white table that sat in the middle of the room, littered in maps and grids and whatever was on there. It was downright messed up, but Rainbow seemed so accustomed to its weirdness, it was almost scary. “Go ahead, sit down. The sofa’s not gonna bite.” Figuring there was nothing else to do, Applejack sat down opposite to her friend. “…So, you wanted to know who else came here and all…” She started, but the atmosphere felt a little surreal as her friend sat there listening. “…After…a week of searching around, a sample of whatever Twilight sent revealed that ya’ll were sent to a different dimension. Since all the Princesses and Discord were keeping a portal up and running…Twilight stayed behind to run Equestria. The rest of us were sent to look for you both.” “So, Twilight’s in Equestria…so that’d be you, Rarity, and Pinkie…” The prismatic Magical Girl frowned as she crossed her arms and leaned backwards a little. “And you’re now contracted…so you can’t go back. Fluttershy and I are both currently in the same situation. We’re both Magical Girls, too.” The farm pony’s eyes widened to pinpricks as she clenched her fists. “But…but that means you can’t go back to Equestria! All this effort has been for nothing!” She felt a flame of hope go out as Rainbow reformed her Soul Gem into the egg form, the red purified light from the gem emanating magical energies as she held it in her hand. “Land sakes….ya’ll really ARE stuck in this mess like Ah am!” It was like a horror story come to life! The pegasus dropped her shoulders in resignation. “…More like you ended up stuck here because of the both of us. I’m…really sorry about all this, AJ…If it wasn’t for us disappearing like we did…you guys wouldn’t have ended up here in the first place.” Her mind drifted back to the veteran Magical Girl’s words. “…Anyways, since I’ve got my Soul Gem out…lie down on the sofa, will ya?” She held a small smile as she stood up from her seat. “…Uh…why do Ah wanna lie down all of a sudden, sugarcube?” She didn’t know what was going on…but she was willing to trust RD, so…The blonde-haired Magical Girl shifted her position on the sofa horizontally, so that she could easily lean her back against the cushioned leather, but her eyes stayed locked to her friend’s magenta as Rainbow Dash knelt down in front of the sofa, holding out her Soul Gem. “This might sting a little, so…try to bear with it.” She grinned sheepishly before closing her eyes and concentrating on strengthening the light coming from her Soul Gem. A vibrant rainbow light traveled from the hot-tempered Magical Girl’s hand and spilled down her fingers like a waterfall onto her farm friend’s back, causing the other to wince in pain before feeling a sense of peace as she moaned in approval. “Mmph! …Eyup, Ah needed this…” She breathed out with her emerald eyes half-closed in comfort, letting the powerful rainbow light heal her foolish attempts at fighting the way she did as a pony. Especially with her strength and build…even if she brought some with her from Equestria, she didn’t have enough to beat up those Witches with. She realized that now, and if it wasn’t for that Flufftail and Mami, she’d most certainly be a goner. Her friend’s chuckle rang through her ears, and they probably would’ve twitched if they weren’t so darn round. “…You like that, huh? It’s pretty awesome.” The farm pony kept her mouth shut at the remark. The pegasus gave a deep sigh before lifting the vibrant red Soul Gem away, commanding the rainbow light to follow. “…Alright, I think you can manage from here. How’d you get so beat up in the first place, AJ?” Her head cocked to the side. The farm pony sighed in satisfaction as she felt no more pain, but she still felt a stab to her already wounded pride. “…Heh…don’t ask. Ah ain’t proud of it, that’s for sure.” Her eyes followed the outfit her friend was wearing. “Anyways, Ah didn’t think lavender was yer color.” She grinned as a blush worked up on the hot-tempered Magical Girl’s face. “Oh, come on! It was lent to me by Home Run! YOU question her fashion if you wanna.” Rainbow crossed her arms and turned her head away. Applejack raised an eyebrow as she lifted herself off her back and sat up on the couch. “You keep talking ‘bout some ‘Home Run’, but who in the hay and where is this ’Home Run’?” The pegasus gave a deep sigh before pointing a finger towards a door that was decorated only by the two sets of candle-sticks that sat on the ledge on either side of it. “She’s in her room; probably sleeping like I should be right now.” She yawned involuntarily as she faced her farm friend. The blonde-haired Magical Girl blinked. “…Y’know, Ah could always get a drink in the morning, if you really wanna sleep that much, sugarcube.” She adjusted her Stetson a bit; it started sitting a little funny on her head after she got up. Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Eh, whatever floats your boat…I’m not sure if Home Run has anymore spare rooms right now…and our room is already full enough as it is…” Her voice trailed into silence as she took on a thoughtful expression, a screeching sound filling the air at a constant pace, never changing. In confusion, the farm pony looked up. “…Whoa nelly, what in tarnation’ IS that thing?!” The pegasus was forced out of her thoughts. “H-Huh? What?” Her eyes looked up for a bit before she looked back down, her expression rather calm despite all the strange decor. “Oh, that’s just the pendulum. Home Run’s always had it. It’s not gonna fall on us or crush us. It just swings around; I think she mainly has it for effect or something.” She shrugged. “Sometimes her antics are a little too weird to question, even though she’s as funny as Pinkie Pie is uncaring.” Applejack shook her head in awe. “…Ah can’t believe this…a-anyways, why don’t Ah just sleep here for the night? Ah ain’t bugging nopony here, and Ah’m pretty sure Ah can sleep through this dumb pendulum.” Her lips curled into a smile. The prismatic Magical Girl grinned. “Okay, I’ll see if we’ve got some spare blankets lying around in our room real quick.” She walked away from the table, making little sound with her feet as she went to another door that wasn’t Home Run’s room. Opening it slowly, she succeeded in letting light into the room without bothering her roommate, who wasn’t even facing the doorway to begin with. Fluttershy continued to breathe in a naturally relaxed motion while her fingers slightly clenched the tips of the pillowcase. Tip-toeing around the room, the pegasus reached into a box on one side of the bed, and managed to pull out a rather huge and soft blanket that was identical to the one already on their bed. Something like this should be more than enough for AJ to wrap herself in. Without a second thought, she slowly crept back out of the room, and carefully shut the door behind her. It didn’t take long for her to walk back into the center of the room where the table and Applejack was. “Hey, I got your blanket.” Rainbow Dash smiled as she handed the blanket to her friend. The farm pony blinked but sighed in contentment as she grasped the soft fabric and felt the warmth hug her body. “…It’s mighty fine, sugarcube.” She smiled as she sank her chin into it. “…But won’t yer Home Run be mad if Ah stay here? Ah don’t want no trouble.” The pegasus shook her head. “…Home Run will understand if I explain things in the morning. Seeing as I’m now WAY too active to get proper sleep, I’ll certainly be awake before she is.” She gave a light chuckle in reassurance. The farm pony held a frown for a little while more before giving a deep sigh, the exhaustion of her trip through the portal and everything with it weighing her down. “…Well…if you say so, sugarcube…Ah certainly hope Home Run does.” Her emerald eyes slowly closed as she sunk her head even deeper against the blanket, a shaky sigh escaping her lips. She looked pretty much how she and Fluttershy were when Home Run offered them a place to stay. What kind of adventures did Applejack face in order to get here, and why did she contract in the first place? While she figured Home Run would understand her staying over for the night, they still had to figure something out that didn’t require her sleeping on the sofa all the time. Maybe Mami had room at her place? It wasn’t cool to be separated…but maybe Mami could help them figure things out. According to what she heard eavesdropping on that Sayaka and Madoka one time, she had a sweet pad and awesome cake. …Speaking of that Madoka kid…what WAS up with Home Run talking about and looking at her with those sad eyes? Why does Cubes seem so eager to contract her? It wasn’t because of great potential alone, was it? If he actually managed to…that’d bring the Magical Girl count up to seven, and they’d really be in trouble…some of them would have to move into other territories, and from what she heard from Home Run before…they weren’t actually peaceful towards visiting Magical Girls. She shuddered at the thought of having to fight others to the death if necessary. Of all the Magical Girls she knew now…there was Home Run, her and Fluttershy, now Applejack…and Mami, and now that Sayaka that sat next to Fluttershy recently contracted. That brought them up to the limit. Rainbow Dash gave another deep sigh as she watched her friend’s breathing growing more relaxed, yet it was still burdened. Something was weighing down on her mind, the pegasus was certain. At least for now, though…it was best to just let her rest. But if Applejack was now with her and Fluttershy…just where did Rarity and Pinkie Pie end up? --- Sunlight generously poured through the windows of the bedroom, silver light glistening from her ammunition that rested on top of the desk against the wall as Akemi Homura was wrapped deep in her dark lavender covers. It didn’t take much effort for the apathetic Magical Girl to get up in the morning; she was naturally an early raiser and was usually the first one up. Once her alarm clock set off with a repetitious beeping sound, her royal blue eyes slowly opened as her mouth was shaped into a frown. …Time to start another day. Her eyes immediately sought for the Soul Gem that hugged her left middle finger as she lifted her hand to her face. Letting out a small scowl, she sat up in the covers as she scorned the small amount of corruption that made its way into her source of power overnight. Once again, being plagued by nightmares managed to set off unwanted emotions; the apathetic Magical Girl bit her lip in frustration. Without another thought, Homura stood up from her bed and quickly made her way to a drawer inside of her desk, where she kept her stock of Grief Seeds hidden. At the moment she was secured by the sight of 3 Grief Seeds, but even that would eventually run out soon enough. She needed to hunt, and was certain that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy also needed to. Above anything else…they needed to find a Witch today. “…Hey, Home Run! Wake up!” Homura jumped at the constant banging, a booming sound that caused discomfort to her ears. That voice…that sounded like Rainbow Dash of all people, but she wasn’t an early bird…Why would she be up before she was? Such a thing was unpredictable, and only complicated things. The apathetic Magical Girl frowned. …How are you awake before I am? She heard snickering just outside her door. Pfft, surprised you, huh? I couldn’t get back to sleep after Mami dropped by last night. You and Flutters were asleep, so…I didn’t wanna bug ya. Homura raised an eyebrow. …Strange. What was Tomoe Mami’s business for being here last night? Such a thing is unbecoming of her, considering her policy on respecting guests. She was certain she could sense a grin from the hot-headed Magical Girl. …Come out of the room and you’ll find out. Letting out an already tired sigh, Homura took the effort to get dressed out of her lavender pajamas and lifted her freshly cleaned uniform off of the hanger she had sitting by her bed. Honestly, how did that idiot have so much energy in the morning? Not to mention the fact that it was a school day…she should be getting ready for school in about an hour. But besides that…what did Tomoe Mami come over last night for? She didn’t usually visit people at such a late hour…so why did she come over when she wasn’t able to keep an eye on what occurred? What sort of conversation was exchanged? Would it affect their partnership against Walpurgisnacht? …If only that pesky pegasus woke her up. She slowly opened the door as she kept a small frown, the light from her white walls and the shadows from her swinging pendulum leaving her unfazed. Such a thing was unimportant to what mattered. Rainbow Dash was hiding something from her, and she intended to find out just what happened the night before. Her royal blue eyes focused on the center of the room where she saw the hot-headed Magical Girl standing nearby the table with her shy companion, accompanying another…strange individual. …A stranger was in her house without permission. Her eyes narrowed in confusion. “…Dare (Who)?” She spoke out in Japanese as Fluttershy let out a small yawn before quickly saying ‘excuse me’. Rainbow let out a grin as her magenta eyes met the apathetic Magical Girl’s eyes. “…Ah, Home Run! Kono hito wa Applejack (This person is Applejack)!” The blonde-haired Magical raised an eyebrow as she scratched her head. “Uh…what the hay did she say, Fluttershy?” The timid Magical Girl blinked before giving a small smile. “Oh, um, she just introduced you to Miss Homura. She and Miss Mami have been teaching us Japanese, so we’ve been trying to find opportunities to practice. Eventually…if you don’t mind doing so…you’ll have to learn the language, too.” Homura blinked. “…Applejack? ...Wait, is she the mysterious Magical Girl we sensed? Did Tomoe Mami find her?” She twisted her tongue to the farm pony’s relief. Rainbow Dash nodded as she crossed her arms behind her head. “…Yup. Applejack is also from Equestria, and a dear friend of mine and Fluttershy’s.” The apathetic Magical Girl sweat-dropped. “…Ah…so she must also be a pony.” Really, the idea of ponies turning into humans was once one of the most ridiculous things she ever heard of, but after being in Rainbow and Fluttershy’s company for some time, it was a little bit...easier to grasp the concept. Applejack blinked. “Y’know, that Flufftail also guessed Ah was a pony as soon as the critter had to teach me to walk like a human. He must have learned from you two.” Fluttershy gave a small nod. “QB was very helpful to us starting out, but Miss Homura doesn’t like him, so I’m afraid we had to separate.” Rainbow shrugged. “Eh, we see him from time to time anyway. Cubes has been hanging around that Madoka girl lately at school.” Applejack blinked as emerald eyes gazed into magenta. “…Since when did ya’ll start going to school here?” The timid Magical Girl gave a sheepish grin. “Umm…we had our first day just recently…just right after Miss Homura sensed your contract.” Her feet shifted slightly as she relaxed on the sofa. Rainbow woke her up today with a lovely surprise, and yet it was also greatly concerning to think that the rest of her friends could also get caught up in this life she and Rainbow had chosen. Applejack blinked. “Wait, you’re sayin’ ‘Miss Homura’…but Dash is sayin’ ‘Home Run’. Which is it?” It seemed like they each had a separate name for that Flufftail, too… The apathetic Magical Girl gave a short cough. “…My name is Akemi Homura. Akemi is my family name, so you may just call me Homura.” It was a pain having to constantly switch between languages…but it was risky to talk only through the mind where Kyuubey could detect them with ease. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Home Run’s way easier to pronounce. That and it’s funny.” It was amusing how the Japanese native would glare at her each time she used that nick-name. “…Hey, didn’t you say one time that your name meant ‘flame’?” Her royal-blue eyes narrowed as her patience grew thin with the hot-headed pegasus idiot. “…I did. I’d rather just to be called Homura.” The farm pony nodded. “…Alright. Homura. Ah’ll try to remember that. Ah don’t think Ah can stay here for life, so…know where Ah can find a permanent place to throw in the sack?” Homura closed her eyes with a light shrug. “…Tomoe Mami should have plenty of room. If she came by last night…chances are she’ll be back not too long from now with cake.” Fluttershy blinked. “I understand when she came for that meeting, but…she brings cake with her every time she visits?” It seemed akin to something Pinkie Pie would do…if she was around. According to Applejack, she WAS somewhere in this world, but nopony knew where. It was a scary yet almost refreshing thought to know that her friend was out there somewhere. After all…if they were in this world…and if each of them had potential…they could end up stuck to this world as well. If all of them ended up being trapped in this world of Witches and Familiars, how could they represent the Elements of Harmony with Twilight? It would hurt their friend badly if she ended up losing all of her friends at once… …But what could she do? She already made her wish. She couldn’t belong in Equestria ever again. “…Perhaps not everytime. Either way, we’ll probably see her at school today. Applejack could do some Witch hunting in the morning, and we will all meet together in the afternoon.” Homura explained in English, a mental schedule of the day running through her head. “After all, you are not a student – we can’t take you to school with us.” Applejack frowned as she nodded her head. “…Right.” She glanced towards her two friends before once again facing the apathetic Magical Girl. “…You sure Mami will let me stay at her place?” The rainbow-haired Magical Girl brought her hands out in a shrug. “Well, what else is there? We still need to get in contact with that Sayaka now that she’s contracted, and if she’s got plenty of room and already knows you, Mami’s the best option as of right now.” Fluttershy nodded in agreement as she looked towards her farm pony friend. “…No matter what happens, we’ll still be together. And Mami’s actually really nice.” The blonde-haired Magical Girl gave a deep sigh. “…Well, if ya’ll say so. Ah think I’ll try and look for Rarity and Pinkie Pie while you guys are at school. If Ah don’t find ‘em, Ah’ll see about taking down a Witch.” Homura narrowed her eyes into a stern expression. “…When it comes to hunting Witches…above all else, conserve your energy to save on how much Grief Seeds you use. There are too many Magical Girls in the area all at once, and the chance of more appearing is high.” She faced the other two Magical Girls. “…We need to get prepared for school.” Applejack blinked as she watched her two pegasus friends stand up from the sofa, their hands reaching for small navy blue bags. Come to think of it, all of them were wearing some creamy colored outfit with a red ribbon. “…Ah suppose that’s a uniform you wear?” Rainbow groaned as she tugged at the white collar covering her neck. “Ugh, don’t remind me of the stupid thing. It’s frustrating enough that I have to wear it every day. Enjoy the freedom, AJ!” She gave a wave as she was quick to follow her filly-hood friend out of the room. “…Hope you find the other two!” The farm pony bit her lip as a wave of anxiety rushed over her. “…Ah sure hope ah do, sugarcube…” --- The traffic of students flowed at a consistent pace as the three Magical Girls made their way down the paved walkway, Mitakihara Middle School growing closer as they continued to walk. Blue eyes glanced up with a smile at the blooming cherry blossoms – it really was a pretty area to walk through. If she had more time, maybe she could see what kind of animals were living in the trees and the bushes? Still, she couldn’t get distracted. Dashie would get annoyed. “…You seem awfully distracted with the trees there, Flutters…” The timid Magical Girl blinked as she turned to face her filly-hood friend. “Keeping an eye out for critters or something?” She blushed as the rainbow-haired girl gave a small smile. “Yeah, I thought so. Don’t think I missed that!” She teased as Fluttershy gave a sheepish grin. Akemi Homura stayed silent as she walked; her eyes glancing every now and then back at the colorful pegasus duo behind her, giggling as they continued talking about trees. True, it was a pretty area, but things like that weren’t important in comparison to what was bound to occur soon. With Miki Sayaka’s contract, there was always something to throw a wrench in her plans. From here, she had to make careful decisions if she was going to get help with Walpurgisnacht. ...Especially if SHE was going to come to this city soon…although she was a week late to come. What factors changed things? With her personality, maybe it was best for Rainbow Dash to approach Miki Sayaka regarding her contract. With another Magical Girl to accompany her, Madoka wouldn’t be as likely to follow her into her battles. Not to mention the fact that Tomoe Mami was around, so maybe Sayaka already had a companion to fight with. Nevertheless, they could discuss suitable partners over lunch. Applejack was a brand new variable to be accounted for, after all. The apathetic Magical Girl winced at the sudden jab in her shoulder. “…Hey, Earth to Home Run, you there?” Narrowing her eyes, royal blue orbs gazed into magenta. “...I’m here, yes. I was just thinking about what our next move should be. We should gather with Tomoe Mami and Miki Sayaka during lunch to discuss how to create fighting tactics.” Fluttershy raised a pink brow in confusion. “…Fighting tactics? As in…how we fight, and who we fight with?” “Yes. As of right now, we have me, you two, Tomoe Mami, Miki Sayaka, and Applejack, bringing us up to a total of 6 girls exactly. We can even off into partners based on who goes best with whose power or weapon.” The dark-haired Magical Girl explained, her hands counting the number of variables currently. Rainbow Dash wrapped an arm around her friend’s shoulder, her face full of confidence. “I’m sure it’s pretty obvious Flutters and I will be partners. That’s one pair figured out.” Homura sighed – while they were certainly willing to support each other and all, it wasn’t in her best interests that they stick to their own kind. They had to be mixed up if they had any chance of fitting in this world. “…We’ll address this during lunch with Miki Sayaka and Tomoe Mami. Until then, nothing is set in stone. We’re almost to the building.” The two nodded silently as they followed their caretaker and host – what was she planning? Weren’t they just going to school? Talking to the other Magical Girls? Why was she so focused on a plan? Rainbow leaned towards her friend’s ear. “…Why do I get the feeling Home Run isn’t telling us something again?” She whispered softly. Fluttershy gave a sigh in reply as she watched the apathetic Magical Girl. Even if she was, at this point it really wouldn’t surprise her. It seemed like Miss Homura worked at her own pace, and for her own hidden motives. The only thing that even gave her a clue was Miss Homura’s dislike of QB and Madoka’s great potential to become a Magical Girl…but so far that didn’t tell them anything. “…You know…I think you’re right about that, Dashie.”