[center][h1][color=skyblue]❅❄ Fuyuko Yamazaki ❄❅[/color][/h1][/center][hr]
[@VitaVitaAR]

During Fuyuko's fruitless investigation that night, more brutal clashes went on closer to her home - not all of them the kind the yuki-onna imagined.

A growl sounded through the street, followed by a thud. [color=crimson]"Uuugh..."[/color] The [url=http://i65.tinypic.com/awqali.jpg]red-clad magical girl[/url] staggered upright, gripping the pole of her battleaxe for support. Hefting it, she charged, only for the canine girl and her wolf companion to fling her aside once more. The Woodcutter's Axe clattered to the ground. [color=crimson]"I... I don't understand..."[/color] The losing fighter tried to rise, slumping, hood falling around her shoulders. [color=crimson]"We're friends, aren't we? And you said you're not even taking part!"[/color]

An unusually solemn look met hers. [color=mediumseagreen]"I'm sorry. Believe me, I wish things could be different. But some wishes are more important."[/color]

The red-cloaked warrior gave a breathless laugh. [color=crimson]"Believe you? Why should I? My, my, what big lies you tell. All the better to cheat your way through the Hex Night with, huh? And if you're really not taking part, then who is? Who are you literally throwing everything and everyone else to the wolves for?"[/color]

Silence. Then an answer that wasn't an answer. [color=mediumseagreen]"Just, please, stay out of it. Or I'll have no choice but to keep you out."[/color] While the okuri-okami watched for monsters, the wolf-eared girl kept her eyes trained on her opponent. [color=mediumseagreen]"It's not just shades I've got to be on guard for. Not any more."[/color]

Her heart clenched as her fellow magical girl, on the verge of tears, retrieved her axe and stumbled away. Leaning down, Noriko placed her hand on Kiyoshi's head. [color=mediumseagreen]"Did we do the right thing?"[/color] she whispered.

Kiyoshi nuzzled her fingers before responding. [color=slategray]"No. We did the necessary thing."[/color]

Noriko stared down the street, her home in the distance, the shades at bay for now. A lump welled in her throat. Fuyuko may be tougher than she gave herself credit for, but the less competition, the better. The friend they'd made yesterday, though - Sophia - If it came to that, could she drive away someone who gave off the same aura of desperation her sister did?

[color=mediumseagreen]"The necessary thing... That's all we can do,"[/color] she sighed. It was, even if Fuyuko ended up hating her for it.

[center]...[/center]

Fuyuko dragged herself through the school day, more exhausted than ever. Nearly an entire night of searching, and next to no result, save a dreamlike image of a mansion. Throughout classes, she mulled over the folk tales she knew about mysterious woodland houses, but her concentration kept slipping.

She couldn't forget how worse for wear her dad had looked asleep on the couch that morning. How out of it Noriko had seemed, for all her usual peppy encouragement. And she was sure she'd heard her mom crying, as she did more often these days. Trailing behind the other students as they left the school, she gripped her phone. The Hex Night truly was her family's only hope.

Scrolling through the chatroom text, she gaped at the latest message.

[code][CrimsonCloak]: Well, looks like I've gotta bow out after all, thanks to a certain someone who apparently had nothing to do with the Hex Night butting in. So much for just being a watcher. Now I'm not gonna get in edgeways. Ttyl everyone, and remember you really can't be too careful.[/code]

A watcher? Fuyuko's thoughts returned to that stare from behind a detailed mask. Her free hand raised to her mouth. Was the observer stirring up even more trouble than Shining Fist had thought? Were magical girls being threatened? Harmed? Lowering her arm, she tapped at the keys.

[code][snowfairy]: Oh god, are you ok? And this watcher, did they wear a rabbit mask and a suit, by any chance? If they did, this is something I'm helping to look into... Not much has come to light so far, but I'll keep trying[/code]

She waited a few minutes in case the dropout combatant was still online, but there was no reply. Fuyuko couldn't blame her for being in a huff, but resumed typing, this time to everyone else in the chat room.

[code][snowfairy]: Has anyone else had issues with a strange rabbit-masked person? If so, do you know who they might be, or anything about them?[/code]

Her mind raced. She had to warn Noriko, and get back to Shining Fist, before anything else happened...

[i]Thud.[/i]

Fuyuko went sprawling, her phone flying from her hands. [color=skyblue]"Ahhh! S-Sorry!"[/color] She brought herself to one sore knee, staring up red-faced at the small brunette she'd crashed into. [color=skyblue]"Are you alright? I-I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going..."[/color]

Her gaze drifted to the ground. What she saw brought a fresh jolt of panic. Her phone was undamaged, but the screen still clearly displayed the magical girl chat room - more specifically, its Hex Night channel. Her arm shot out, scooping up the device, but the student had most likely caught a glimpse.

Of course, there was a good chance she wasn't a magical girl, Fuyuko reminded herself. If she wasn't, the site probably just looked like a chat room for some anime fandom. If she was, though... What then?