[center][b]Danzig[/b]
[u]Third of May[/u][/center]

It was a beautiful day in Danzig as the people of the city spent their day of leisure basking in the unusual warm spell. It was the day of one of the town's largest celebrations, and the streets surrounding the main avenue were absolutely crammed with people waiting for the parade. All around, television crews could be seen entrenched in all of the best viewing positions on the sidewalk, and atop the nearby rooftops. 

It was on one of these rooftops, unoccupied by any bystanders, that a young girl and a mysterious creature both watched the scene unfolding below with the same idle expression.

[color=PaleVioletRed]"Do you have any idea what this is all about?"[/color] Minerva asks the creature at her side, not really expecting an informative answer. She had come to this country only recently, and having spent little time interacting with this city's people, she had no idea why all of the sudden everything seemed so festive. [color=PaleVioletRed]"Well,"[/color] she adds at his meaningful silence, [color=PaleVioletRed]"not that you would know anything about this, anyways."[/color]

Kyubey probably knew that the girl was only talking to herself, so he did not rise to give a response to any of her questions. Instead, the two of them continue the conversation they were having up until near a minute ago. [color=PaleVioletRed]"Witches cause bad things to happen, and feed on sadness and bitterness and things like that, right? Then what would one be doing here? It seems like this would be... outside of their element, or something."[/color]

[color=FFFFF0][i]Actually, I think it may be quite the opposite.[/i][/color]

[color=PaleVioletRed]"Eh? So you mean... with all of the people out on the streets, there's a lot of available prey, so something is bound to happen eventually?"[/color]

[color=FFFFF0]"Kyu~!"[/color]

...

[color=PaleVioletRed][i]Staying quiet, huh.[/i][/color] Somewhere deep down, Minerva swells up with pride, but she brushes past this without showing it. She gives Kyubey an appreciative look, understanding that he was letting her figure things out for herself, and resumes gazing down across the crowd of innocent, helpless people. All going about their lives, completely unaware of the danger they were in.

She smiles. And, in the clasp of her hand, she feels her Soul Gem warm up with an unfamiliar resonance. [color=PaleVioletRed]"Hmm?"[/color]
Questioningly, the new Magical girl looks down at the brightly coloured stone, blinking as it starts pulsing with a queer light. She sends a glance at Kyubey, wordlessly asking the question on her tongue.

[color=FFFFF0][i]It's reacting to the presence of a Witch. It's close.[/i][/color]

Rather than hardening, Minnie's expression suddenly brightens with enthusiasm. [color=PaleVioletRed]"Alright! I was wondering when I would get a chance to test this out."[/color] She stands up, and with a swift movement, the white animal who had been sitting next to her jumps up and onto her shoulder. And then she was on the move. Running to the Fire Escape, she jumps down onto the metal staircase, quickly descending before hesitating, and just jumping the rest of the way when she met the ladder down.

Landing in the adjacent alleyway, she runs to the street and looks in the direction she thinks the Witch might be in. Her Soul Gem seems vaguely warmer in her hand now that she was closer, and she infers that this means it worked based on proximity. So, the closer she got, the more her Gem would react. Helpful.

Prey in her sights, Minerva runs along the edge of the crowd, Soul Gem held out in front of her, following it like there was a string connecting it to the witch she was pursuing. In the back of her mind, she takes note of the cameras, and even sees herself on a nearby screen as she runs by. There, Kyubey could be seen resting on her shoulder, and she briefly starts, worried that others might see her. 

[color=FFFFF0][i]Don't worry, normal humans aren't able to see me.[/i][/color] Kyubey seemed to sense her intentions, and responded before she could voice her concerns. [color=PaleVioletRed]"Is that right? You sure are full of surprises, aren't you?"[/color] Smiling, Minerva continues her sprint down the cramped walkways, ducking and dodging out of the way of civilians as she goes. 

And then just like that, they were gone, and Minerva stood looking into an abandoned alleyway just off the main street. Something was off. Her Gem almost felt like it was humming steadily now, and in the darkness ahead, Minnie could see something like a faint, trailing distortion in the air, quickly receding into the dark.

[color=PaleVioletRed]"What is that?"[/color] She asks sharply, looking over at Kyubey for answers. But before he could say anything, the presence seems to sense her, and rapidly slinks back. Without thinking, Minerva jumps into a sprint in pursuit. [color=PaleVioletRed]"Get back here! I'm not letting my first prey escape so easily!"[/color] As she ran after it, she starts to slow into a light jog, and then a quick walk. She knew the creature had a head start, but there was no sense in running in without thinking, especially now that she had the trail.

She considers her environment, and the situation. They were in an alleyway, heading towards an area of the city away from the parade, where there would be less people. No matter where the Witch ran, she would be able to catch up and take it down when it was cornered. What she needed now was to look at the problem calmly, and intelligently. Come up with a strategy for attack. Prepare her special magic, if she needed it. She had all of the time in the world.

And so, she slows, waiting for the time to strike, taking advantage of her role as the aggressor. At the same time, Kyubey watches her carefully, content with maintaining its role as Observer, prepared to quietly watch how things play out without interfering.