There are 360 degrees in a complete turn of a circle. Each degree possesses 3600 arcseconds. What vast gulf separates each of those tiny increments? How does one turn the circle? There is a contagion ubiquitous to this world. It is called hope. Hope spreads the disease called faith. And those poor souls who are infected by faith know no bounds in what they may do. And all it takes to spread hope is a turn of the circle, ever so slight.

Episode 1 : Any Length That Is Needed

Kyōko Sakura was not having a good day. This was not a surprise. There were no good days for a Puella Magi, so far as Kyōko knew. There were only days with more or less food, softer or harder beds, better or worse news. Today was looking up in terms of food, but worse in news. Homu-homu must really need my help, she even sprung for beef and everything. Too bad the damn fluffball interrupted dinner. The thought spurred the girl with the wine-red hair to greater speed along the mean streets of Mitikihara, to find the newest of her competition, er, teammates. Sayaka Miki's exhaustion is proceeeding faster than expected. Kyōko shook her head, trying to purge the words of their deceptively-cute patron from her head. The taint in her Soul Gem is too great. If it is not cleaned soon, she may not be able to change back. These words were those of Homura, and they spurred Kyōko faster yet.

"Sayaka Miki, if I have to kick your ass again, I'll never forgive you!" Kyōko dashed unerringly to where she knew the blue-haired girl would be. She tried not to contemplate the fact that the sense which she was using to home in on Sayaka was the same sense Kyōko used to hunt Witches. However, even a mission of such dire importance couldn't break Kyōko of her base habits, and a convenient convenience store yielded a pack of crisps and some lychee jellies in under a minute. For one Kyōko Sakura, work for the jaw muscles always got the brain muscles working too. And why the hell am I rushing off to find her anyway? She's a stupid idiot and weak besides! A hero of justice? Ha! This job sure doesn't reward heroism, and where's the justice in dying for that stupid ferrety fluffball? And what does Sayaka have going for her anyway? With that coy, cocky smile and those deep, beautiful blue eyes. And that damn stubborn demeanor of hers.

Kyōko smashed a jelly cup as she ran, shooting the whole of the jelly into her mouth in one go. I've never seen that blockhead back down, ever, not even when death looks her in the eye. Another image blossomed in the mind of the most practical Puella Magi, this of Sayaka's pretty heart-shaped face, as seen across the head of her chain-spear. Sayaka had been disarmed and knocked senseless by an admittedly brilliant assault and she now looked Kyōko directly in the eye as the bloody-minded redhead stooped to deliver the killing blow. Okay, so maybe our first meeting didn't go so well. I was only trying to secure my territory. Even in Kyōko's head the words rang hollow. Oh you stupid stuborn thickheaded girl, you damn well better not die, not until you've apologized for making me feel this way! As she ran Kyōko's steadfast heart hammered on, delivering a strange new mix of feelings about her place in the scheme of things.

Suddenly the rounding curve revealed a curious sight: Homura Akemi in her Puella Magi's battledress, aiming a weapon at Sayaka Miki who was dressed just in her school uniform. Hey, what the hell? Homura, don't think I'm going to let you kill her just because you made me a cheap bowl of noodles! Sayaka is mine! Er, I have first dibs on the kill at least! In a flash Kyōko was garbed in her own battle gear, chain-spear reaching out to keep one girl whom she wouldn't admit to caring about from killing another girl whom she wouldn't admit to caring about. The chain ensnared an unsuspecting Homura and Kyōko pounced upon her with the fury of a hunting cat.

"Run! Get the hell out of here!" Kyōko shouted as she tightened up her chain, eliciting a wince. Sayaka climbed to her feet, but managed only to stagger off slowly, a wounded animal who could no longer defend herself from predators and at the same time what was a fluid glowing with the healthy color of oxygenated blood was spoiled by a dash of ink. "Hey! Didn't you come here to save her?" This last was directed at Homura, punctuated with an angry shake of the black-haired princess' shoulders for good measure.

"I came here to save the one who needed saving. Now let go of me." Homura retained a calm as cold as ice, where as Kyōko couldn't help but laugh as her blood sang in her ears.

"And who would that be? Obviously not the Puella Magi who's turning right in front of us!"

"Let. Go."

"Oh, I see, your time trick doesn't work with a passenger, does it?" Kyōko wrapped herself tighter about her opponent, a twisted parody of a lover's embrace. "Good!" she snarled, directly into Homura's ear. A heavy thump signaled Homura's next move, and Kyōko's eyes registered the fat lethal form of a grenade in Homura's hand.

"Do it! Obviously you're gonna knock us all off as soon as we become inconvenient to you, so why don't you save me the trouble and get it over with!" As Kyōko raged, Homura spat, and a pin pinged to the ground. Now she was just a hand-spasm away from blasting the angry girl on her back to scraps. If that bothered Kyōko, she didn't show. "Tell me, did you take out Mami yourself, or did you just sit back and watch?"

"!" was Homura's response. Kyōko was surprised to be flying through the air. As soon as her feet hit the ground the Puella Magi in maroon leaped and leaped again while bullets struck sparks where she had been just microseconds later. The chill serenity that was Homura Akemi was now broken, and in its' place was a furious engine of destruction. Kyōko spun her spear to fend off another shot and then a grin

crept onto her face. "Don't you dare say such a thing again, Kyōko Sakura, or I will kill you!"

"Fine, whatever." Kyōko spat on the ground, then she loosed her spear, the head dancing on supple segments. "You wanna dance, or what?"

"No." Now the ice queen was back. Kyōko cackled at the change.

"Well when you do figure out what the hell you want, lemme know, k?" And Kyōko dispelled her battlegear and walked away at an insolent pace. Homura was left to growl out an inarticulate roar of pain and rage through gritted teeth. Her nails dug into the flesh of her palm but only in one hand. It was then she noticed the still-primed grenade, waiting patiently. Homura discarded the weapon into a corner and snapped time shut out of habit.

"Ah! There you are!" Kyōko let herself collapse into the seat next to Sayaka, heart racing out of proportion to the distance she had run to catch her fellow Puella Magi. All this hard work definitely deserves a reward, Kyōko decided as she dug out her crisps and tore them open. Downing half the packet in one huge gulp, she turned back to the sorrowful blue-haired girl. "When are ya gonna stop being so stupid?" It was a rhetorical question, and so Kyōko was almost shocked enough to stop eating when she heard the answer.

"Sorry for wasting your time. I'll be sure not to be a bother any more."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Kyōko grumbled back, putting away the rest of her snack in another bite.

"Everything I wanted, I can't have. Hope and despair always balance out to zero. That's what you said, right?" Sayaka's shoulders sagged, and she no longer bothered to conceal that which sat in her hand. There was a bit of sickly indigo glow left at the top of her Soul Gem, but that was all that was free of the lethal corruption floating within. "I think I understand now. I gave them hope, and I took the despair into me. Look. It's all I have left now." The last shreds of indigo begin to fade like the last glow of twilight and Sayaka stood, mechanical and oddly calm.

"Sayaka! Stop!" If the words meant anything to her, it did not show on Sayaka's face, shrouded as it was. "You can't give up! People still care about you!" Kyōko was on her feet now too, unwanted tears in her eyes.

"Is that so?" Sayaka held up her Soul Gem while a sick parody of a smile creased her face. "Is that why I'm now shrouded in unending darkness? You'll have to lead me to them, so I can repay them." Instincts honed over the course of dozens of deadly conflicts overrode Kyōko's response and her Puella Magi dress burst into being as she threw herself forward. Kyōko Sakura wore her Soul Gem front and center, over her heart. It said a lot about the girl who created the costume, things which had been dead and buried for some time and had only now begun to reemerge. This also meant that as Kyōko made one desperate attempt to get a hold on Sayaka and stop her from unleashing the hate within her heart, their Soul Gems touched for the briefest instant.

When I first met you

I didn't like you

I was such a fool

You should know your eyes can't hide what your heart is thinking.

Sayaka Miki

I wanted to make you hard outside

But you made me soft instead

Do you know how dangerous that is?

If you can't tell the truth to yourself, you know, you can't be honest with anyone else.

With your 'Hero of Justice' line

You made me sick, made me angry

That I could no longer be myself

That I couldn't hide behind this mask anymore

I will accept the seed of this sweet pain into my heart so it may bear fruit for you.

I hate you!

Because

I love you-

The rafters rang with a howl of utter grief as corruption surged within the shell of the Soul Gem. Hot tears splashed down in an unending rain. A symphony of pain rang through the hall, written in fear to a tune which held no hope of repair.

"H-hey, c'mon now. It'll be okay." Sayaka placed a comforting hand upon Kyōko's head as the red-haired girl sobbed uncontrollably into Sayaka's skirt. A great gulping hiccup interrupted the wailing for a moment. And then Kyōko raised her head and saw what her magic had wrought. There in Sayaka's hand was a Soul Gem, still darkly clouded but whole and uncracked and alive with indigo light.

"Oh God," slipped from Kyōko's mouth. It was a curse, or maybe a prayer. "damn you. Damn you. Damn You. Damn You!" Tears flowed freely once again from Kyōko's eyes.

Deep light played over the subdued forms of both Puella Magi. Sayaka's Soul Gem shown an intense royal blue-it was still fairly full of corruption, but there was no longer any danger of the light winking out forever. By contrast, a bloody scarlet light shone upon Kyōko. What the hell? Kyōko dispelled her costume and then held her Soul Gem up to the light. It was . . . filthy, to say the least, like wine mixed with tar. Damn! And of course I don't have any on me.

"Whoa! What's going on there?" Sayaka pointed at the corrupted Soul Gem. As the blue-haired girl put a finger to the precious stone a shock lanced through Kyōko, like a heart attack and a birthday surprise all rolled into one. She swooned for a moment. "I'm the one whose Soul Gem should be dirty, not the brutally efficient murderous thief Kyōko Sakura." The words seemed to rebound upon Sayaka and she blushed and turned away. "Y-you fool."

"You're the one who is the fool, S-s-sayaka-s-san. Did you think n-no one would m-m-miss you?" Kyōko was barely able to get the words out. Why did it have to happen like this? Damn you Sayaka Miki, why did you have to break down all my defenses? Now I can't lie to you, and I don't know how to tell the truth. A finger turned Kyōko's head until she was looking at Sayaka who held her gaze despite the tears brimming in her wide blue eyes. I can hear you, you know.

Oh fuck.

"Hey now, that's not very ladylike!" Sayaka waggled a stern finger at Kyōko, but cracked up soon after. The sound wasn't quite healthy, but it was as welcome as the sun rising after a storm-wracked night. A bit of a smirk crossed Kyōko's face, and she decided to hold it there. The smile felt very good after the terrors of the day.

"Well in case you hadn't noticed, I'm not much of a lady." Kyōko grumped back, more out of habit than anything.

"You sure got that right! You're brash, rude, a thief and you dress like a delinquent. And you could stand to steal your way into a bathhouse a little more often." The remarks landed like bullseye arrows in Kyōko's heart and she found herself nodding along to each point. "You only think of yourself when you fight and you're definitely no ally of justice." Now Sayaka's voice began to thicken and get husky as she continued. "I never could understand how your Soul Gem could shine so bright. So why?" Tears returned to Sayaka's eyes. "Why did you give all that up for me?"

"You know, I thought I hated you the first time I met you." Kyōko's voice was little more than a hoarse whisper. "But it was only because you showed me how much of a coward I am. You refused to make the choice I thought had to be made to survive as a Puella Magi and you managed to keep going. And every time I saw you I couldn't stop thinking about you. And when I saw you give in back there, I knew I had to act. Because I couldn't bear to lose you." Once again Kyōko held out her Soul Gem to reveal the damage done. "So, I don't regret it one bit."

"It's okay. I forgive you." The words were scarred by a voice which still held pain, but there was something else there, a ghost of impishness which was new to Kyōko, and it made her blink and look to see what was happening now. "I forgive you for stealing my precious first kiss."

"A-wha?" Kyōko's mouth hung open in disbelief as her traumatized brain tried and failed to process what she was hearing. And then there were soft sweet lips pressed to her own. Fortunately the heart of Kyōko Sakura, bruised and fettered as it was, understood what was happening and kicked her brain out of the decision-making process. Kyōko returned the kiss and for an eternal second two souls were as one.

Sayaka broke free with a sudden "Ow!" and Kyōko's heart nearly seized, her frightened eyes going wide. No! Please don't let anything have happened to her now! But Sayaka just broke out in a grin. "I'm gonna have to be more careful next time. Either that or you're gonna have to file down those fangs," mused the blue-haired girl as she poked at one of Kyōko's prominent canines. The girls held each other's eye for just a moment before both breaking and flopping to the floor in helpless laughter.

"If you are quite finished," came a voice from behind. Homura Akemi was then obliged to take half a step back as a needle-sharp speartip came within mere inches of the soft flesh of her throat.

"Back to bother us some more, is that it? Do you wanna feel the wrath of the Knight of Justice?" Homura's eyes narrowed as she regarded the crusading lance with its' royal purple pennant. A quick shove pushed the weapon aside and Homura locked gazes with a fuming Sayaka Miki.

"No. I am here to investigate a strong magical disturbance I felt from the area, and clean up any aftermath." Homura flicked a hand through her long lacquer-black hair in an unconscious gesture. "Care to explain what happened here?"

"Eh, why not?" Kyōko gave a sharp-toothed grin. "But first off, can you spot me a Seed? I'm really hurtin' here." For emphasis the red-haired girl held up her sickly crimson Soul Gem. That sight was enough to knock Homura back a step.

"Uh, sure." Homura dug in a pocket and came up with a ball of blackened iron with a needle-sharp point at one end and tossed it near Kyōko. Hey, can you still hear me? A tiny nod of the head was Sayaka's response. Let's freak her out a bit, what'd'ya say? Kyōko's heart warmed as she could feel her fellow Puella Magi's devious mirth at the idea. Pocketing her Soul Gem, Kyōko picked up the Grief Seed. The blackened fragment was all that remained of a Witch's soul. This one had a faint aroma of sugary sweetness to it, which caused a momentary twinge in Kyōko's gut as she spun the Seed upon its' tip like a top upon her fingertip. Risks of the job, I guess. Sorry Mami, farewell. Kyōko put the bitter memory behind and drew out her Soul Gem.

"A-ha!" the redhead cried as she lofted the stone, as precious as life itself, in a careless arc. In it's place Sayaka's own Soul Gem landed, having just been thrown in a parallel arc. The girls grinned at each other and then thrust the other's Soul Gem to the Grief Seed at the same time. Foul wisps of smoke were pulled from both Gems into the spinning Seed until finally the blackened Seed fell to the ground, filled to capacity with corruption. Both Soul Gems were looking a bit healthier now, if nothing like the perfect shining specimens the girls had first possessed when Kyubey made his contract and drew them into the wicked world of the Puella Magi.

"I . . . see." Homura was beginning to develop an unhealthy twitch beneath one eye as she watched the scene unfold. "Vulgar, but interesting. I assume that this is somehow related to the situation?" the black-haired princess flicked her hair aside again in an attempt to regain her air of nonchalant coolness. Hey, so I wonder what would happen if we just . . . cut her hair 1cm short of where she flips it? This made Kyōko snicker aloud, earning a dirty look from Homura. I'd imagine she'd go completely frothing mad in a day!

"Yeah, you could say that, Princess. I found Sayaka here almost at her limit and well one thing led to another and we ended up sharing souls for a moment ('and spit!' cackled Sayaka. 'hey shuddup, my story!' Kyōko snapped back, until the angry tapping of a foot reminded them of the humor-challenged person to which the story was being related), which apparently spreads the corruption evenly through both gems. So did it make a really big bang?"

"You might say that. I felt it clear over at the park by the fountain."

"And so you came running to help, how sweet." The amount of sarcasm in Kyōko's voice was sufficient to slay a medium-sized politician. Homura flicked her hair again and bored in on the cackling redhead.

"I came here to make sure there was nothing happening which would jeopardize my mission."

"Yeah yeah yeah." muttered Kyōko as she felt around for her emergency backup. The redhead's face lit up when she laid ahold of the packet in question, but then she slumped into a frown when she discovered that the contents had been thoroughly smashed at some point. Still, Kyōko thought as she tore into the foil, gooey half-melted and broken Pocky is better than no Pocky at all. "Want somf?" Kyōko asked around a mouthful of the snack, holding the packet out towards Sayaka.

"Yeaaah no. You can go right ahead."

"So what do you say Princess? Do we pass? Are we not-a-threat enough for you?" Kyōko jabbed a Pocky stick at Homura for emphasis, and then the world twitched a bit and the stick was at the corner of Homura's mouth. Kyōko's brows furled together and she aimed a quality glare in the black-haired girl's direction. For her part, Homura chewed and chewed until just a tiny stub of the biscuit stick stuck out of her lip, which she spat away. Now a low growl erupted from Kyōko's throat which well matched her prominent fangs. "What exactly the hell is your damn mission anyway?"

"I must make sure Madoka Kaname does not make the contract to become a Puella Magi. It is of the utmost importance, and I will go to any length that is needed to accomplish that goal." As she spoke, Homura withdrew a big Beretta automatic pistol from the pocketspace which existed within the magic buckler which rode on her left forearm, slowly and calm so as not to provoke another aggressive response from either of the Puella Magi sitting before her. Then she drew out a fresh, full magazine and slammed it home in the well of the pistol and racked the slide, letting the metallic crack punctuate her point.

"Wait, what the fuck (So you are just a pervert stalker)?" Both Kyōko and Sayaka flinched and looked at each other as they spoke at the same time. Kyōko gave a short nod, and Sayaka continued. "That is what all this about? Madoka? What the fuck do you care? You don't even know her!" Whatever either of the Puella Magi had expected from Homura, it was definitely not a strangled gasp followed by the black-haired princess dropping to her knees as though she had been gut-shot. A thin whine escaped Homura's lips and quickly ran up the register until it was a piercing howl of pain, broken only by short, choking sobs.

"Oh, shit! I wasn't expecting that!" Kyōko didn't even notice the bit of Pocky that dropped from her open mouth, so great was her shock at the sudden change. And then another sight caught her eye- this a creeping stain overtaking the lovely violet light in the gemstone upon the back of Homura's hand. "OH SHIT!"