A low thud rang throughout Soma’s body as the fist connected, sending Soma from her chair and to the floor, the punch’s power was impressive for someone whose power wasn’t based in super strength. Soma could feel Ami transformed, but paid it no mind as she didn’t honestly expect the girl to attack her out of the blue, this was a wakeup call in more ways than one. The shield girl was lying down on the floor, staring at the ceiling as the dark one made her speech as if she were protecting the sheep from the big bad wolf. Eyes half open even though she was awake now that same uncaring face still painted across her face as the real shock was in allowing herself to get hit like that not so much in the fact it hurt. Although her own laziness got her hit, she didn’t seem too keen on changing that way of life and contemplated if this was worth it or not…. Of course not, but she might as well stand up for herself.

“We're doing this now?” she signed sitting up moving her jaw around with her other hand, “I think my sister hit harder than that before she was a magical girl, you’re either weak or Eve is a freak” Soma spoke aloud standing up top dust herself off, she spoke in a deadpan tone but in reality that blow made her face throb, a punch was a punch and it, in fact, did hurt. Grabbing her chair and sit down again, now without a desk and signed deeply, “I actually don’t have an issue with you or your playmates… I keep getting dragged into fights with others, but whatever, ” she sighed harder hanging her head at the irritation that talking this creature down wasn’t about to happen “Anyway… care to try again now that I care but please this time put your back into it if Eve can bite through my shields you should be able to give me a black eye”

---

---

Rose let out a chuckle at Aegis’ dismissive response, but overall acceptance of getting some help “Heh, don’t worry, I’m tougher than I look, ” she responded with a smile and kept following her optimistically holding her backpack upright completely immune or perhaps ignoring the death stare she was receiving “I have a decent Idea what I’m getting into” Rose said poking her tongue out playfully. It was all fun and games from there until her assistant chimed in her head.

//Magical anomaly detected in the schoolhouse forwarding it to your hud//

All at once her playful demeanor dropped as her eyes turned a bright yellow looking at the building observantly zooming in closer to get a better look at the two silhouettes. One was obviously a dark girl the other seemed to be the girl she met last night, the flag holder. “Since it’s a one on one I’m not going to play hero, although its weird, I’ve only known the girl for a few hours and the vibe I got from her was that she would be the last to start a fight… too lazy to do so” she continued to speak to no one in particular.

//The dark girl’s emblem is on her back in the middle to be exact, the power received would be fire based//

“Do you mean firepower like a gun or….”

//Literal fire//

@floodtalon @SimpleWriter

Tragedy? Ayumu held back a laugh at Yui's sickly-sweet speech. Oh sure, that was one way of looking at it, for bleeding-heart masochists who didn't know the meaning of the word fun. She wouldn't think about it like that. She wouldn't...

It was when the light girl's gaze rested on her that for just a second, her laidback attitude faltered. She blinked in surprise, one thought occupying her mind. How did Yui know? Was she that obvious, something no magician should be? Or had that sparkly bitch gone and told Yui, completely overlooking the fact that it was none of her business? Either way, no way was Ayumu going to let that little sap pity her.

At least Ami's comment lightened the mood, but of course the teacher had to dampen it again. Adults had no sense of humour. Once all the students had taken their turn, Ayumu waited until Miss Tamashi's back was turned and scribbled a note, handing it to Ami. Best speech by far.

Lessons dragged throughout the morning, and it seemed an eternity before lunch break arrived. Once it did, Ayumu slipped out of class, breaking away from the hustle and bustle of students, keeping a look out for one person.

Well, two people, actually. There it was again, that presence that set every one of her nerves on edge. She slunk forward like a cat hunting a mouse in an area that reeked of dog. It turned out her gut instinct had been right three nights ago. Considering how messed up Touka had gotten - not in any way she couldn't recover from, but even so - the newcomer truly was a danger.

Spotting the particular one of the two she'd wanted to find, who sat eating lunch by a window, Ayumu stayed back and sent forth an illusion of a shadow hand. It tapped Yui on the shoulder with a claw, then swelled into two outstretched arms and a grinning skeletal face with glowing eyes, looming over her. "Heh, surprised?" Ayumu taunted, strolling over and dismissing the monstrous apparition. "It's just you seemed oh-so-lonely over there. I thought you might want someone to chat to. Specifically about what you meant by all that warm and fuzzy bullshit about growing stronger through tragedy, cherishing what we have, yadda yadda."

She draped herself into a seat beside Yui, trying not to let her wariness about the all too familiar blonde outside show. "Don't think I didn't notice how you looked at me right at the end. Care to explain why?"

---

@floodtalon @Noxx

Throughout the lesson, Tama could barely concentrate. The class had too many empty chairs, their usual occupants now injured, or mourning loved ones, or... The bluenette clenched her fists under the desk. If only she and the others could have done more.

By lunch break, she still had little appetite, but trudged out of class gripping a packed lunch nonetheless. Together, Yui had said that night. Tama made her way down the hall, in search of the rest of the team. Supporting each other was more important than ever now. And just maybe... she wasn't going to get her hopes too high, but there was a chance... This could be the day they'd find Alara.

A flare of dark energy and a glimpse of red-veined black armour caught her attention. At the sound of a thud, followed by yelling - one of the voices familiar - she quickly checked nobody was around to see her disappear, then unleashed her own magic. Blue light flowed from between her shoulder blades, forming a rough gem-like structure around her, which broke apart. The pieces spread out, solidifying into her crystal shard wings.

Angelite stormed into the room, her fears confirmed in more ways than one. Soma picked herself up from her sprawled position, rubbing her jaw and giving the blonde who stomped all over her lunch a piece of her mind, while other students gawked. No wonder. Not only would Soma appear to them as if she were shouting at thin air, her half-transformed state would add ghost rumours to the ever-growing list of unexplainable events.

Striding over, Tama placed herself between Soma and the roiling mass of hate and anger. "You heard her," she said, wings stretching out as if to protect her friend. Despite having been a magical girl for two years herself, she didn't know Ami well - just how quickly had she gone dark, Tama wondered - but glimpses of her gleefully destructive battles as a dark girl proved she meant business, provoked or unprovoked. "There are two things you need to get into that hot head of yours. One, we have every right to be here. Two, she's far from the aggressive type so I think you'll find uncalled for doesn't even begin to describe that."

Folding her wings, she turned to Soma. "Are you alright? And, uh... It might be best to come away from here for now... For a few reasons." She motioned to leave the room. "There's something I've got to point out." Maybe living apart from society meant Soma didn't realise how she looked to most people while half-transformed, but she needed to be told.

---

There went Ami again, causing a ruckus in the middle of glass. Though at the very least, she had enough common sense to transform before decking Soma for all to see. True be told, Touka could give no cares if it was a light girl; it was why she made no move to stop Ami’s actions. Not like anyone could see her after all. To the few students who still ate their lunch in class, it would have appeared Soma was smacked in the face by an invisible force, followed shortly by threatening said ghost.

Ironic since, given with her half-transformed state, Soma looked like a spirit herself. Only now had Touka realized the light girl was stuck in a limbo of sorts. No wonder she hadn’t noticed her on her radar. All the same, she turned back to Seyrun in the efforts of ignoring the tussle. Ami could handle herself and she was encouraging of Soma being put in her place. Yet before she could continue her conversation, two presences suddenly spiked up her spine. One was very familiar, almost making her clench her fingers into the desk out of immediate bellowing rage.

Aegis, that bitch, was back. Touka snapped her gaze back outside to the window where the snow fell. The holy aura that inspired fear, dread, but most of all, spite, plagued her like a heat glowing in the icy storm. That holier than art thou Angel was roaming the school, her school. She didn’t need to tell the other Detention Club members Aegis was here because they would all feel her presence eventually, light and dark girl alike. It only made Touka bristle more when she sensed the second interloper.

The three transformed girls in the room would notice it quite clearly, though the sight to behold was meant for Angelite. A maze of wires had been delicately placed, stretching from one corner to the next. How long had they been there? Regardless, most of them seemed to sway in Angelite’s direction. Seeing as she failed to notice Touka in the room before, she would most definitely feel the burning aura of anger and hate that was the dark girl’s leader now. No words were said, not when Tama was transformed as she was.

But the Detention Club President didn’t need to, not when her angled glare at both Tama and Soma was enough. If Ami was an inferno of darkness, the negativity sprouting from Touka was enough to eclipse the room. Sensing Aegis on school grounds had more been more than enough to set her on edge and she was almost itching for a reason to maul the two light girls where they stood. And maybe leave some pieces for Ami. The intent was clear; they could either stop ruining her lunch or get out. This time, it would be through the efforts of the Black Knight and Red Wire.

Across the other side of school, Chie would feel the surge of darkness flowing from Touka. In consequence, it too would bolster her irritability and aggression. It was perhaps good conscience of choice, in hindsight, Kanbaru had visited her partner. There was no telling what sort of havoc Chie would cause if Touka decided to break down into a maddening fury in the middle of the school.

---

@LuckyBlackCat

Yui was sitting on the edge of a window, enjoying the peace and quiet of a seemingly abandoned corridor while looking down as Aegis and co. finally seemed to be moving on. She sighed internally. Aegis presence was sure to cause trouble, as it already did, and yet...

Her train of thought was cut short by a grinning shadow which looked like a nightmare. Startled, Yui almost attacked it but she felt...nothing. She did not feel the usual dread and darkness emanating from a nightmare. She did feel another kind of Darkness, though...A Dark Girl.

Yui straightened herself a bit and even made some place for Ayumu to sit beside her on the edge of the window. She didn't strike Yui as the aggressive kind. Indeed, she was the only one that spoke to her without threatening her in some way or another. Well, two out of three times at least. "Hello, Harasawa-san." Yui said of her light hearted voice, smiling at the new comer. There was no trace of distrust or apprehension in it.

"What I meant? Hmm..." she took a bite and left the chopsticks at her lips for a few moments, thinking. "I'm sorry, I don't have a good answer to that!" Yui simply answered, obviously looking embarrassed as she fiddled with her hair lock a bit.

She continued with a half smile, looking down "You were right, you know. It's not all sunshine and rainbows. Being a Magical Girl it's...harder than I thought. I learned a lot: from my friends, from experience, from loss...and from you and your friends."

Yui packed her lunch box and stood up softly. "I told you before...I aim to bring joy and happiness to others even at the cost of my own. The opportunity to truly cherish life. Not just for my friends, but for you, too, and your sisters. Our sisters.

That's my Justice."

This power we have...it comes with a duty. You know that, Harasawa-san...you've just forgotten it. You buried it..." she pointed at the middle of Ayumu's chest "...but it's still there. Hold onto that light, it gives you strength. Lie to me or yourself all you want, but you can't lie to that Hope which is still in you, whatever or whoever it was. Think on that."

@Noxx@TheWindel@floodtalon

With this, Yui turned talons and made her way back to the classroom. She could only hope the dark girl wouldn't jump her, but she felt the commotion happening...and she felt the familiar transformation of her friend as well as something more...dreadful. Soon enough, the door would open up again and an all-smile - and all transformed - Yui would walk in, completely ignoring the Dark magical Girls...though not out of spite. Rather, she was seeking to avoid confrontation.

"Tama! Soma! When did you get here?" she said as if nothing was happening. As if they were not all transformed. "Tama had a great idea - let's go for a walk. I, too, would love to speak to you guys about some things. Also, I am certain that the President of the Rehabilitation Club would condone conflicts during class hours?" her eyes only briefly shifted to look at Touka as she said this, then she stepped aside as if to invite Soma and Tama to leave with her.

She looked at Touka because she was the Club President, but that other girl seemed to be the problem at this precise moment. If Touka looked like she had low patience, this one looked like she had an even worse temper... Not to mention: destructive potential.

---

"Ugh, beginning a commotion in the middle of their own school? I didn't expect these girls to be this dumb," Aegis thought as an exasperated grimace found its way to her face. "And then, there's the issue of how to deal with this girl who just can't catch a clue. Are all humans born stupid or something like this?" she continued her introspection while unconsciously nibbling at one of her nails before sighing and deciding to follow up woth her business since she had nothing to do with these juvenile delinquents.

Once she made her mind up, Aegis took a moment to look around and be sure that no one was observing her before casually jumping over the school's wall. Going through the hoops of being inconspicous was pointless now that she had someone tailing her, furthermore, the commotion created by the other magical girls was certainly more than enough to allow Aegis to do what she wanted to.

A moment later, she reached the main school building and found her objective. There it was, a Mascot perched at the roof, looking over the school, like some kind of deformed gargoyle. Without losing a second, Aegis reached for the creature, moving so fast that it looked like she might as well have teleported to someone of lesser power.

"Alright, Teletubbie, if you don't wanna end up in a pawn shop, show me where I can find my sister. I'm sure that you and your friends must have an idea of where she's," Aegis said as she caught the cat by the tail.

---

---

Chie recoiled under the bed sheets when she felt someone barging into the nurse's office. However, when she noticed that it was none other than Kanbaru, Chie stuck her fiery redhead out of her makeshift hideout. "I was beginning to wonder when any of you guys would show up, especially you," she said, greeting her partner with a grin stamped in her face.

"Well, can you blame me? That blondie was the only one that was fun to play with among those Lightards. We might not have been friends but at least we could understand one another while trading blows. You know how that feels, right~? Also—" Chie made a pause and grabbed the bedsheet's with enough force to make her knuckles go white as she felt Touka's irritation, no doubt caused by this commotion that she could feel from as far back as here. "Also, don't you feel like you need to knock the teeth out of that shield girl's mouth everytime you see her? Hiding behind a wall and tryignt o sound cool while doing nothing? How the heck can someone be that smug? Right, right?" she added as her lips slowly twisted in a progressively more murderous grim.

God only knows what would happen if Kanbaru wasn't there, since it was beginning to get as clear as day that, while she was under control now, Chie could easily go strangle someone if she were left unchecked in this situation.

---

---

Perhaps she'd been callous in her assumption but with Chie's nature Kanbaru couldn't take her words at face value. She could understand being hurt over the loss of a particularly enjoyable adversary given how much they both got into fighting each other, but it could just as easily be an excuse for Chie's own rampant battle lust. Regardless it did nothing to stop Kanbaru from reacting harshly in face of Chie's sudden surge of murderous intent amidst the wash of Light and Dark energy in the school.

Lurching to pull herself fully onto the bed Kanbaru straddled the red head, using her superior size to force Chie down while her hands closed around Chie's wrists in a tense grip. "Hey, eyes right here, Chie. Feel that tickle of murder welling up in the back of your throat? That's Touka, not you. You're right here and you're going to stay calm until the moment shit explodes on us. Then I'll cut you loose. You give me a hard time and I'm freezing you to the bedframe."

Her gaze flicked to the walls, trying to envision the confrontation that was no doubt causing this. If this does escalate we're liable to not have a school afterwards...

---

---

The Light Girls and the Holy Monster posing as a normal teenage senior had passed her by, Tsuruga petrified in the street by a simple fork in the more metaphorical road. On the one hand, they were heading to her school and that would blow up in everyone's faces when either side saw the other, and she should therefore be there for her faction. On the other, Aegis would be there and they would have no chance if something like her went all out, so she should therefore flee and wait for the others to do as well.

Then the inevitable occurred and she flinched as the geyser of power that was Miso High, normally dormant as the Detention Club went about their days, erupted with an intangible force of Darkness and Light warring against the others presence. "Che, this is just fucking fantastic..."

Tsuruga turned towards the school with eyes frantic and unsteady, her index finger being worried sharply between her teeth. Latching onto the mingling energies she tried to grasp the situation from afar, detecting that nothing had as of yet happened to level the school. Then she caught upon the familiar signature of her partner and screamed shrilly, abandoning her consternation and leaping into the air with a frantic heave of her wings.

"My idiot, meathead, touchy feelly, food for brains, caring partner! Idiot idiot idiot idiot!" Tsuruga screamed, lost in the jet stream of hurtling towards the contested class. Reason re-asserted itself and she hammered her wings hard. The windows of Touka's class shuddered in their frames drawing the gazes of mundane students who'd only see the empty air and think a particularly strong gale had come through. Everyone else would find the light of the sun blocked out by outstretched wings, Tsuruga's maddened face all but pressed to the glass as she zeroed in on Ami.

"I swear to all the Nightmare's in Miso if you start a fight I will burn your house down mid-sleepover!"

Ami's fist clenched as the Light Girl began to shit talk her, her temper flaring as she desperately tried to hold herself back. Another one appeared trying to lecture her, flames began to gather in her hand as she summoned her sword. The Club President was on her side, emboldening her even further as she glared at the two Light Girls. She took a single step forwards, getting ready to cut their pretty little arms off-

"Tama! Soma! When did you get here?" Another Light Girl interjected herself into the situation, casually placing herself in between Ami and her targets of rage with absolutely no fear. "Tama had a great idea - let's go for a walk. I, too, would love to speak to you guys about some things. Also, I am certain that the President of the Rehabilitation Club would condone conflicts during class hours?" Her eyebrow twitched as she was casually ignored, the temperature in the room rising another few degrees as her focus shifted entirely to the newcomer.

"Listen here, if you don't get the hell out of my school in ten seconds, I am going to actually demolish you. Don't look at the Prez, she's not going to help you out here. The only things you should be looking at are either the nearest window you can leap out of, or me as I-" A thump against the glass of said window interrupted her mid threat, her head swiveling towards it as her partner blocked out the light and screamed at her.

"I swear to all the Nightmare's in Miso if you start a fight I will burn your house down mid-sleepover!" She gasped in surprise, dropping her sword as she covered her mouth with both hands. After a moment of silence she squealed with giddy anticipation, doing a little hop as she ran over to the window and opened it, pulling in Tsuruga for a big hug.

"I knew you wanted to have a sleepover! Oh we're gonna have so much fun, we gotta get snacks, we gotta figure out some movies to watch, get matching pajamas- oh, we should invite the rest of the club over too! My apartment has plenty of room, we could totally make it a big thing!" As she rambled on, it was pretty clear that the situation had been defused, aside from one last passing remark. "Seriously though, you guys can go. Nobody wants you around here, you're just being annoying. Now Tsu, do you wanna go straight to my place or should we stop by the store first? Oh, maybe we should go to my place, then go get some stuff for free when everything is closed! Oh man I'm so smart!"

The situation went from a minor annoyance to a complete migraine as more girls from both the light and dark side pooled into the classroom, her irritation only grew as somewhere deep down inside she could feel eyes on them from afar. These people had too much time and energy to waste, especially miss PuffnStuff here who seemed to get hotter under the collar at every noun and verb the crept from Soma’s lips, those cutting words angered the walking Mount Vesuvius showing she was easily manipulated. The shield girl sighed of relief at how easy it would be to goad Ami into doing anything out of anger, in fact, she reminded her of a darker version of Luna or maybe she just judged everyone with a short fuse too harshly. Soma rolled her eyes as Tama entered and began to do her best to defuse the situation to which good on her, although there was only one girl in this room that gave too much a damn and it sure wasn’t her but good on Tama for doing the right thing or attempting it.

“You’re talking to a brick errr firewall I’m sure she has soot in her ears, her and the rest of her…. friends want to own the school because they see a public structure as their 'bastion'” Soma sighed, shaking her head “Foolish but who am I to judge” It was at this point Ami started to count, a threat she had to have known wasn’t going to work, no light girl was outright afraid of her and Soma was too lazy to care one way or another. A rare smile overtook her usual natural frown as a thought of something to test out the stability of Ami.

“One,” she counted out loud looking up with a wide smile curling up her fingers ready to test out a new shape shield. “Two” This counting didn’t get passed that as Yui came in and further killed the tension so much, so Soma gave up on killing the monotony of it all and just accepted where everything was going. She didn’t get a chance to actually hear what Yui said being that Tama in her infinite wisdom, decided to evacuate the still talking Soma from the classroom as quickly as she could.

Once they were well out of earshot Soma pressed her back up against the wall and folded her arms, her face returning to its resting bitch face position. “I suppose you want me to leave too, well forget it, I want something in this school or at least I want to learn something about this school and Miso city as a whole,” The stubborn girl said, “With that said, what did you want to talk about?”

---

---

Rose walked along the edge with a smirk drawn on her face looking out at the commotion happing in the school while Aegis decided to interrogate her target.

//I have recorded her movements and am now recording this conversation//

Her assistant had already rattled off what she would receive from each girl that flared up their magic, giving an entire laundry list of things, some useful others not so much.

“Interesting” Rose just said to herself tilting her head back at Aegis herself.

//Power obtained: Unknown. Emblem location: Unknown. Apparent age: Unknown. Suggestion use friendship to extract more information//

“Interesting even more so but let's not do that last part, not a fan of being fake” She grinned and turned her head back, it was always a surprise when her assistant knew exactly what she was thinking and attempted to make it a reality.

//Suggestion: Get Bastion’s power first it will give your base armor and upgrade, then the girl who stopped you at the school entrance or Tama for aerial combat upgrade//

“I wonder if Bastion is going to succeed in getting what we agreed on this morning,” Rose said to herself focusing in one where Soma was currently

“Looks like they settled down more or less, the emotions are still running high, but I think that the distraction was enough to keep eyes off us” She continued only now it was loud enough for Aegis to hear and understand her.

@SimpleWriter @floodtalon @TheWindel @Noxx

Around the room, Tama noticed metallic glints, all too familiar ones. The sight cut almost as deep as the wires, leading back to Touka, almost certainly now could. Back then, she'd known on some level this would happen. That trauma, shame, hate that had steadily seethed through Touka, that she'd never talk about... Whatever had happened, no wonder she'd fallen so deep into darkness, although that didn't make the display of hostility any less painful to Tama.

Even so, the crystal winged girl stood her ground. As Yui rushed in, trying to defuse the situation, she nodded, even while tensing further. If they didn't leave for that walk right now, who knew how badly the presence of three light girls would set off the Detention Club. "Yeah, let's..." she started, only for Ami to drown out her words with abuse hurled at Yui.

Glare sharpening, Tama stepped in front of the other light girl. "Leave Yui out of this," she demanded, her firm tone disguising fear. Ami wouldn't try anything in the middle of a classroom, would she? The dark energy blazing like an inferno around her suggested otherwise... "Come on, let's not add fuel to the fire, so to speak." Before Ami could follow up on her threat, Tama dragged Soma from the room, urgently gesturing for Yui to follow. If the dark girls called them cowards, so be it. If they chased and picked a fight elsewhere, so be it. The lives of innocent students couldn't be risked.

Luckily, the seething rage fizzled out a moment later. As unlikely as it seemed that the arrival of another dark girl would defuse the situation, it did. Tama didn't look back to see who it was, instead hurrying along the hallway and breathing a sigh of relief. "Whew. Looks like that's the school saved," she muttered, before turning to a less than pleased Soma.

"Look... It isn't that," she explained. "Like I said, we all have a right to be here. It's just..." She trailed off, thinking how to word what needed to be said. "Those half transformations. I take it you didn't know, it's not like the mascots let on all that much, but you know how most people can't see us when we're in full battle mode? Well, being half transformed has a rather inconvenient side effect. Namely, being only half visible."

---

@SimpleWriter @floodtalon @TheWindel

For a moment, Ayumu was silent, almost as if Yui's words had resonated with her. Then she burst out laughing. "Oh, you're a natural comedian all right," she said, slow-clapping. "Every speech gets more hilarious than the last. At least you admit you don't know what the hell you're talking about!"

As Yui left, Ayumu followed with whispered taunts. "And you really don't. You know what happens to a magical girl who gives up her own happiness? Think on it. When the light goes out..." An image appeared in front of Yui. A green-haired figure, ragged wings stretching from her back, wilted flowers adorning her black dress. Eyes devoid of joy and warmth stared at the light girl as if from a mirror. Ayumu's sneer grew as she let the illusion fade. "What's left but the dark?"

It was only fair to warn her. Although if that idiot wanted to cling to the light until she just couldn't any more... like she herself had done... Well, that was her problem.

At the sudden commotion she felt from the classroom, her eyes widened in fascination. "Ohh, this is gonna be too good to miss." She snuck into a corner to transform, then hurried to the classroom like a spectator to the front row, all the while aware of something besides curiosity drawing her to the scene. As much as a fight would liven up the atmosphere for the Detention Club, a certain somebody would be rather less amused...

As it turned out, there was no reason to worry. Of course, that meant a rather anticlimactic scenario as Ami seemed to forget all about stirring up trouble, though thankfully not before driving the light girls from the room. "Aw, that would've been quite something to watch," she commented. "Although it's probably for the best. As great as it'd be to have no more school and our winter break back, even we have our rules, and..." She gestured towards the window, in the direction of that unsettling aura. "That killjoy outside would surely have a thing or two to say."

Just then, she felt another presence rush closer. A smaller one, but still gratingly pure. The magician rolled her eyes. "Speaking of killjoys..."

---

@floodtalon @TheWindel

A fully-transformed Allegra burst in, red glare burning with passion as she took in the scene. Someone's squashed bento all over the floor. Casual talk of stealing. A gathering of girls who gave off the same feeling as that deranged duo from three days ago, one of whom stood by the door right now, fixing her with that look of condescension.

"What was all that just now?" the musician yelled. "What is WITH all of you?! Magical girls aren't supposed to be this way! Were you always like this, or..." Glancing at the brunette, she recalled how utterly lost and empty she'd seemed under that air of nonchalance. No excuse, of course, but Honoka's grip on her guitar relaxed a little nonetheless. "Just what is this?"

It still all came as a shock to her. Everything had been so different when she'd left for Christmas break as an ordinary student. She'd never imagined returning as a magical girl would mean finding out so many people had been like her all along... only not. All these dark auras, and surprisingly few light ones. Had the stage magician and the ringblade wielder been the rule rather than the exception? If so, why?

---

As much as Touka would have enjoyed seeing the light girls be rightfully put in their place, it was not to be. Ironically, the building tension had been diffused by one of their own. The blubbering fool Tsuruga; Touka was much too annoyed to distinguish friend from foe right now. But she supposed it would have been too big of a mess had Ami been allowed to blow up. She hardly cast a glance at Tama, giving her secondhand hatred. Her full negativity was directed at Yui.

Before she could insult the traitor and the paragon, they had both begun to escort Soma out of the classroom. Good riddance then. Touka’s demeanor visibly calmed and she pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers. “Tch. Morons…” The normal students would have no clue what was going on, unaware of their short, very short lives being spared by a denizen of the dark. Soon enough they went right back to eating their lunches and chatting away. The indifference of it all almost made Touka sick to her stomach.

Almost. Another surge of light bubbled past the door a few minutes later. Such a conflict in magical property made Touka realize that at some point, Ayumu had also entered the room. But that wasn’t what she was concerned for. With an exasperated sigh, she turned a low glare at the transformed Allegra. Thankfully Seyrun had left to rummage for an item in her bag, leaving nothing standing in the way of the Club President and Allegra.

“And what do you want, little light.” There was less rage in the dark girl’s voice but it was clear she was annoyed. For Allegra, that only meant there was less chance of being strangled in wires and more a chance of meeting Touka’s shoe in her face. Lunch was ending soon but she had enough time to follow up on that threat.

At least she had a distract from Aegis walking the school grounds. Speaking of which, the Angel was closer than expected thanks to her goals.

Outside the school, the Mascot shrieked as much as it physically could, caught in Aegis’ grip by its feline scruff. As the scary girl began questioning it, several marks flashed on its televised screen. !!! <.<! ??? >.>? It wasn’t talking but it was probably easy to figure out the creature had no idea what Aegis was talking about. Sister? What sister? It didn’t know of any sibling…

---

---

Above all else, Tsuruga hadn't been thinking at all when she flung herself at the window and screamed threats of bloody murder upon her partner. Petrified via the power of hindsight she realized she could have easily been shot out of the air if the situation had been any tenser, a casualty by merit of being the first to move into line of sight at high speed.

Then again, that sounded like a blessing to her compared to the reality of being embraced in a claustraphobia enducing embrace with her arms pinned to her sides, warbling madly against Ami's deluge of excited rambling. "Gah, not so tight, Ami! Oh god everyone can see us too!"

Tsuruga's pitiable whines went unheard by the common masses and blessedly ignored by her cohort, with some of the Light girls leaving now that Ami wasn't holding someone at sword point. Clearly her sacrifice went unappreciated but she wasn't going to seek their acknowledgement either. Of course, there was one little matter that to deal with: Ami opened a window in the middle of winter, and no one can see either of them. Knowing it was only a matter of time before a student got fed up with the chills and tried to slam it closed on Ami and get mule kicked for their troubles, the Iron Winged magical girl beat her hardened pinions against the air and pulled Ami along with her.

"Umm, let's just go shopping now. It's not like anyone can see us take stuff off the shelves now, right? All they'd have is footage of a ghost cart rolling down the isles." Tsuruga offered, face scrunched up in tension as her hands dug into Ami's sides to keep her from falling. It shouldn't have been difficult to go about reaching a servicable store, but there was a complication.

She flew upwards, and thus both she and Ami ascended to roof level, staring at a terrifyingly familiar Paragon of Light throttling an innocent mascot. It would never even occur to one of the Dark girls to strangle one of the engimatic creatures and the sudden shock had her drop Ami a few feet onto the roof while her wings rattled with the sound of gnashing steel. "You l-let him go right n-now!"

@TheWindel

That surge of malice had diminished, and some of the girls started to leave the scene, one taking to the skies with another through the window. Even so, the green-haired student's glare served as a reminder that this group wasn't to be messed with, but Allegra stepped forward, meeting that knife-sharp gaze. She wouldn't be deterred as easily as the grouchy dark girl wanted.

"Answers! It-It's answers I want!" she demanded, hoping nobody saw through her defiant facade to how unnerved she was. "First of all, is anyone hurt? Secondly, what was that even about? And last of all..." She scanned the room. "What's going on with you? I mean, why are so many of you like this?"

Although less intense, corruption permeated the classroom like acrid fumes as it seeped from some of the occupants, in particular the one she now confronted. It was as if a black hole of negativity had devoured all light this student may have once had within her. How did anyone fall this far, Allegra wondered, let alone a magical girl?

---

@TheWindel

Phantasmagoria leaned against the wall, lips twitching upwards in a mix of contempt and amusement. "Oh please, you sound like that little flying gnat. Except your buzzing's even louder," she sneered. "And that awful din you make must have messed up your hearing, because I gave you the answer to that last one, right after I saved you from ending up as ground chuck all over the streets. If you can't brighten the darkness, you might as well embrace it. Of course, we all have our reasons, but that's what it boils down to."

Her eyes shifted to Touka, who sat glowering at the noisy nuisance. "Let's go easy on this poor sap, after all she kindly used herself as Nightmare bait so Jin and I could get extra helpings of that gourmet meal."

Who knew, after such a rude awakening, this newbie might even change her tune both literally and figuratively before long. Plus, it would be a bad idea to piss off Aegis, even worse than for a light girl to piss off Touka, which was saying something. Phantasmagoria could only hope for Team Knightfall that their shopping spree would go as planned.

Ami continued babbling on about what kind of snacks they would eat, what movies they would watch, if they should wear matching pajamas, even as another confrontation went on right behind her between the pres and some other annoying light girl. Even when Tsuruga pulled her out the window she didn't really mind, used to her partner trying to take to the air to escape a good hug. Thankfully she didn't just drop her like she usually did, instead just ascending to the roof to drop her off.

The moment they landed Ami felt it, that same revulsion she had been feeling from the other light girls, but cranked up to 11. The fact that Ami hadn't noticed it before was a bit off putting to be quite honest, if she had she probably would've ignored all those little ants to come after their Queen. It could only be their Queen, their club pres if they even had a club. And this Queen of Light was strangling their fluffy mascot, something only she was allowed to do. And she did it with hugs, which were fun for all parties involved.

Her sword was quickly drawn, Ami powered up completely as she stared at Aegis, face contorting into a snarl as she geared up for a fight. "Put the Mascot down now. This is your first and last warning." As she spoke she made sure to flare her aura, trying to alert the other club members of the emergency happening on the rooftop. Normally she would be confident in a two on one, but something about this girl made her think twice.

Soma released her half-transformed state turning back into her regular civilian look which, unlike her last visit to this institutional prison was complete with uniform, only with the addition of the jewelry from her flag decorating her in the form of earrings and rings alike that shined almost otherworldly bright. The light girl crossed her arms and listened to what Tama had to say with a look of visible irritation, knowing her house was no longer in place as she could feel her D. arm waiting to be summoned. Her golden hair falling partly over her fast hiding a good portion of it as it came to rest nearly completely even with her waist, clearly a haircut was needed.

“I keep my trans up to keep my home in place when I turn normal like this all structures that are summoned to this plane of existence are automatically forfeit pulled back into the flag” Soma explained sighing heavily curling her fingers around her locks of hair and pulling it to the side like a curtain to reveal her face. “Look, I won’t tell them this to their faces, but they’re not stupid enough to call a public building their personal home base when they all have homes, something has to be drawing them subconsciously” Bastion explained. “And if not, SOMETHING is up with this city, for instance, why do nightmares appear more in this city than anyone else and why is it that bad shit happens here so much that the general populace is barely phased; don’t be like Luna please say you have a shred of curiosity” Soma continued pacing back and forth in front of Tama.

---

---

The interrogation seemed to be going nowhere fast, Rose got a couple of useful things out of this conversation, however, for one there was at the very least two of these unique magical entities and two these girls or at least Aegis couldn’t have cared less about the mascots. Rose continued to survey the area when suddenly, her proximity alarm went off and her AI dragged both her eyes from one point to another, forcing her to fix on the two fly anomalies; dark girls. Taking a few hurried steps forward, she observed both as they slowly approached the top of the building.

“Hey beautiful, we got company” Rose warned ascending to her fully transformed state calling up her entire overlay of reality.

//Warning. Two dark magical entities. The grounded enemy’s magical signature matches the one previously in the school, be advised the weapon obtained is one based in fire//

“So, her magic itself is probably fire conjuration or manipulation” Rose muttered to herself transforming her arm into its signature cannon and pointing the barrel down range.

//The wigged one is from in front of the school house… the flyer, unsure of magical ability, but the wings seems to be metallic//

“We're going to have to test that durability”

//Suggestion. Acquire the fire ability, then melt the other’s wings… possible corruption warning//

“Hey Aegis, that’s a fire starter and the other is an unknown flyer, but her wings don’t look too tough, we could clip the bird and make a break for it?” Rose suggested, she wasn’t interested in backing down from an outright fight, but she didn’t know Aegis’ magic and that made it difficult to formulate an attack plan.

---

"I should have expected it. Your bunch is even more useless than I thought," Aegis said. She let out an exasperated sigh when it became evident that the Mascot didn’t knew a thing of what she was talking about. She was sure that these things can get her on her sister’s trail, but maybe they haven’t picked up her scent yet. She just had to give time to time.

"Talking about time..." Aegis thought. A frown found its way to her face as she turned around after being shouted at. "I’m neither blind," she shot a quick glare at Rose before turning back to Ami, "nor deaf. If you really want this thing, you can have it. It’s not like it’s of any use to me right now." Aegis let the Mascot go after she said what she had to and casually began to walk towards the roof access door, not paying any mind to the standoff between Rose and the dark magical girls.

"That was a complete waste of time," she said to herself. "Either way, I have to get going now. Contrary to you girls, I have actual bills to pay so have to work. Don’t have too much fun without me, will you?" the blonde added as she walked nonchalantly past Ami, right within the reach of the flame-wielder’s blade.

---

@Noxx

As soon as Soma reverted to civilian form, so did Tama, her wings closing around her body and fusing into a crystal structure which faded. Listening to the other girl's explanation for her in-between form, the bluenette gave her an apologetic look. "Well, normally it wouldn't be too much of a problem," she explained. "Even small amounts of magic use mean we barely register on people's radar, but in a public place like a school, there's going to be an apparent ghost sighting sooner or later. Not that you're the one to blame for what happened just now."

She shifted her gaze down the hallway, towards the classroom. That eruption of hate had died down, but Touka's venomous glare remained fresh in Tama's mind. Guilt weighed on her more heavily than any stone armour. Soma wasn't to blame for the incident, but were the dark girls either, for having gone that way? Was Ami? Was Touka? Whatever it was that had happened to the latter... All Tama knew was that it must have been awful beyond imagining. And in that time of need, she'd failed yet another friend.

Would the right thing to do have been to follow her into the darkness?

Tama rested her fingers on her woven bracelet, once colourful, now faded and threadbare. No, following her, Ayumu, or anyone else who went dark would have meant abandoning others. Falling in with crowds of bullies was something she'd sworn never to do again. Yet did this path cause any less harm?

Hiding her troubled thoughts behind a mask of composure, she turned back to Soma. "Here," she said, holding out the bento. "Feel free to have some of my lunch." As Soma vented stress of her own, Tama gave a solemn nod. "Yeah, this place seems to have been bad juju central for quite a while, though I've never known things sink to this kind of low. All we can do is keep looking into it."

Right on cue, the unusual aura that had been spreading through the area drew closer. One of the presences from three days ago, yet it didn't feel negative or threatening like the other had, more like an air of righteous strength. Maybe this was someone who could help...

Sensing a swell of the same tainted energy from a moment ago like smoke billowing from fire, Tama winced. "Crisis not so averted."

---

“Answers? You have eyes, don’t you. Look around and find your answers there.” Touka went back to her lunch. She wasn’t going to entertain the notion of conversing with an idiotic light girl. Clearly there was no one injured, student or Magical Girl. Yet. She didn’t need to answer Allegra’s equally stupid final question because Ayumu gave her the truth. Touka raised an eye to hear she had encountered this light girl earlier but didn’t pay it much mind.

“Is that right.” Hearing Ayumu’s explanation, Touka turned her piercing stare right back onto the light girl. “Well, you seem like you have half a head on your shoulders. You’re a smart girl, right? Smart enough to know you shouldn’t be poking wild animals set loose.” Touka grinned, baring shark-like teeth before Allegra. “Or you can decide to side with us. We’re much friendlier than the crowd you’re running with.”

As she spoke, there was a sudden surge of negativity that passed through the entire classroom. To the ordinary student, it was only a quick wave of rising heat, assuming they had no demons of their own. To the Magical Girls, especially the dark ones, it was indication of Ami’s power fluctuating. For Touka, it pulsed right above her and she snapped her gaze at the ceiling. “Tch. Holy bitch,” she spat, zeroing in on Aegis. Another surge of hatred sparked and wafted over, snaking to Chie’s location. The only reason she didn’t get up right then and there was because she sensed another dark presence in the school.

Even the Mascot noticed it, a red fat <.<! expression bleating on its televised face. Dropped by Aegis, it landed on its paws before bounding up Ami’s arm and resting on her shoulder. There it would stand perched, turning its head downwards towards the school they were standing atop of. The negative presence was moving, unseen by humans; no doubt it was a Magical Girl. Or perhaps, the sister Aegis was looking for.

The answer would be found out by the two slackers. As Kanbaru and Chie were having their play playing hooky during lunch, the dark aura came closer and closer to the nurse’s office. Passing by there door, there was a dark-cloaked figure. Fully transformed, Chiaki was invisible much like her fellow Magical Girls. As she passed by the nurse’s office, she gave neither girl a glance, carrying with her darkness incarnate.

---

---

The two of them were anything but slacking, finding themselves quite physically active in the nurse's office all by their lonesome with Kanbaru enacting her duties to their fullest. Keeping the Detention Club safe from threats within and without required constant vigilance anda dogged pursuit of one's goals till the job was done. If that just so happened to leave her licking her lips clean as she pinned Chie beneath her, then all the more power to Kanbaru.

It wasn't easy work either. Chie could be a biter when the mood struck her, and the surges of bloodlust Touka was sending her way made that a cerainty to be contended with. The bluenette took all of this with a grace and dignity unbeffiting their horizontal stature, right until the feeling of someone walking over their own grave struck her cold and she turned to the doorway. There passed a specter of death...or more accurately, the specter of a grieving sempai clearly on the war path if the drawn weapon was any indication.

"Touka's pissed. Chie's frenzied. Now Chiaki is here looking for blood? Oh damn it all we're going to level a city block at this rate, never mind the school." Kanbaru said, panic springing forth almost as fast as she did from the bed, dragging Chie to her feet alongside her. "Come on, Touka's in no shape to get involved, so we're going to have to play at being responsible here."

---

---

The mascot was spared any further abuse, a small weight falling from her bowed shoulders as the tiny applaince creature bounded onto Ami's person. Tsuruga couldn't say she adored the fuzzball but it was hard not for a girl to get attached to an intelligent, fuzzy animal that hung around and didn't pea in the corner. Even better, the strange senior saw them all as being so beneath her notice she made to leave rather then press the issue.

Tsuruga wasn't going to run away with her partner grounded but that didn't mean she wasn't relieved to have the choice taken out of her hands. This feeling, though, was tempered by the vicious impulses that were seizing her as the rather bizarre light girl she'd accosted earlier made her presence known in full transformed state, looking the most eager of all of them for a fight.

"Don't look tough? Try saying that when she isn't here to cover for you!" The Iron Winged magical girl seethed, pushing up her glasses with a trembling hand. She could imagine the scolding she'd get for perferating the roof with her pinions but thought it would be worth it to silence just one of the uppity Light Girls invading their territory.

For the most part, Yui ignored any negative comments, threats or death stares directed at her or her friend. She felt like addressing any of the Dark Ones directly would result in a fight, and thought this was best. Her eyes only briefly met with Ayumu as the Dark girl entered the room just as Tama, Soma and Yui left it. For the next few moments, Yui seemed to have been stuck in her mind, remaining silent as Soma and Tama spoke. Ayumu's last words stuck into her mind. Like an empathetic weight on her shoulders. More than that, her Magical Girl senses were assaulted by everything that was happening in the school. Back in the classroom, their youngest member seemed to be in possible trouble. She also felt agitation on the roof, as well as the blond haired Magical Girl they met the other day. And the approaching darkness...just what was going on?

Yui landed a hand on her friend's shoulder and gave her a smile before talking to Soma. "It's true that Miso City seem to be a little...troublesome to say the least. I don't think Luna was blind to it, Soma...she was focused. Just like we should be. This city might have it's secrets, but we have a duty to keep it safe before all else - including poking around. With Luna's gone..." her mood faltered for a moment, but a deep breath brought her back into the sun "...and Yurei's missing, we are the only defense against the encroaching darkness."

"That being said..." Yui transformed once more into Gaia "There might be a way to have some answers to some questions today. Let's go talk to one of the source of today's agitation...hoping she will grant us time." They were bound to run into Aegis soon enough. Maybe she held answers to some of their questions?

In the meanwhile, further away in the corridors of the school, Chiaki was not stalking alone. Tailing her was Rania. Like a regal shadow, she followed Chiaki without the trace of a doubt. While her partner looked at nothing else than forward, Rania's gaze briefly lingered on the two Dark Magical Girls in the Nurse's Office as she recognized the aura of her replacement as Code Keeper. She graced them with a smirk before disappearing past the door frame. Chiaki was burning with Dark energy, and was bound to attract something. Whatever her plan was, Rania would be ready to assist if need be.

---

The issue of Chie’s enraged behavior was left behind as fast as it was brought up after Kanbaru helped… cool her down. Of course, since they can’t have nice things, someone had to come and interrupt when it was getting good. And, who else would it be other than the shadowy figures of the former head and deputy of the Detention Club.

Seeing her partner act responsible, spurred Chie to do so as well. The redhead sprung out of their previously shared bed and assumed her dark magical persona before following the beacon of ill humor that was the club’s former president. “Hey, I don’t know what’s on your head but, how about stopping for a moment and thinking things through? I’m sure we don’t wanna lose our heads at a time like this,” Chie said as she caught up with Chiaki and put a hand on the blonde’s shoulder while completely ignoring Rania’s presence.


Meanwhile, Aegis left the roof behind her and was making her way back in a nonchalant way. The sight of a tall, well endowed, foreigner college student walking through the corridors of an unremarkable high school such as this one was bound to attract many eyes. It didn’t take long for a teacher to stop her prompting Aegis to produce a piece of paper from her bag and hand it to him.

“Ah, I see, you came here to borrow a book under Professor ---’s name. The library is that way. If you can’t find it, don’t hesitate to ask someone,” the older woman said before going back to her usual business, leaving Aegis to wander the school as she pleased.

”It’s very convenient that these humans are so weak willed that I just need this to trick them,” Aegis said to herself as she looked at the blank paper. ”Anyway, I should get out of here without looking suspicious, this place has too much concentrated stupidity for me,” she added as she continued to make her way out while trying to not alert anyone.

---