Faith and Sammy enjoyed their snowball fight, but all good things must come to an end. Nuncio eventually arrived with a car. Faith sat in the back seat by herself, while Sammy sat up front with Nuncio

”You dames have a lotta fun?“

Sammy was dumping snow out of her hat and onto the floor. ”I can’t deduce how they were able to hit me. I had every advantage and my logic was sound. I suppose that’s two mysteries I didn’t solve in Penrose.“

”It was nice to see them one last time before we left.“ Faith said, not sounding at all happy about it.

”I notice that you’re sad though.“ Sammy looked over her seat. ”My next case will be to find where your happiness has run off to.“

Faith waved at her friend. ”Oh-ho~! It’s right here, it’s just, well, resting a bit.“

”I work 24-7, and I’ll be a monkey’s uncle if your happiness isn’t working as hard as my deduction skills are.“

While the two had a friendly exchange, Nuncio was alone with his thoughts. He had been a Mint agent for a long time, and it was likely that they wouldn’t forgive him so easily for this. But Nuncio didn’t feel like that was his fault. Al was the one who refused to let him see Sammy. Al was the one who put Viper in charge of getting information out of someone who gladly would have told Nuncio anything. Even if Nuncio was in the right, the Mint had a reputation to uphold. He would have to have one eye looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life. Faith and Sammy weren’t safe either, at least as long as Nuncio was alive. But the magical girl business wasn’t an easy one to get out of. It wasn’t like killing himself was going to fix the problem for everyone. They’d still try to do something with his friends. Their future was uncertain, but there’s just one thing Nuncio had to do moving forward.

He had to tell the truth.

Not just moving forward. Sammy and Faith needed to know what he was. It was the best way to prepare them for the new life they were going to lead. Not now though. Once they got further north, he’d tell them everything. How he was a mint agent, and how he was changing, and how they were all targets. It was going to be hard, but he was also looking forward to getting it all off of his chest. At the very least, Sammy would understand Nuncio didn’t go missing to fool around with girls. That had to be a good thing.

Right?

---

The end of another chapter.

Su had been around for a very long time. Or at least, her memories had been. Regardless, she had at least fifty years on most of the magical girls in Penrose. When she was younger, it seemed like the weeks lasted forever. Now the few months she spent in penrose flew by like they happened just yesterday.

But what an eventful time that had been. She followed Boteg and Amber into Penrose. In those few months, she had lost Amber, gained Helga, slew many monsters and discovered the presence of more golden dragons. All exciting developments that turned Su from a flighty bird into a strong woman. Her contributions to Penrose were small overall, but she contributed nonetheless.

The only regret she had was leaving her promise to Mariette unfulfilled. Su would have loved to take Mariette into her arms and show her what real parents were like. But Su realised that it was a selfish wish. She always wanted to be a mother, and Mariette seemed like someone who could use one. But Mariette was still figuring herself out, and Su got to be a mom for Mika. It was a feeling she wanted to experience longer, but that was what motherhood was. While Su would never consider Mika anything but her daughter, children grow into adults and require less supervision from their parents. There also comes a point where a parental guardian can inhibit growth, and she didn't want to do that to Mika. Even if it wasn’t everything Su wanted to do, she could hold her head up when she left Penrose.

”That was lucky.”

The day Su planned on leaving, she was approached by a magical girl that was interested in running the hotel in her absence. It wasn’t really worth anything, given how far real estate in Penrose had plummeted. But it was nice to have a prospective magical girl willing to run things for her. She really didn’t want her clients to become ensigns in Penny’s personal army, or worse, mint agents. Time would tell if this was the right move or not.

Boteg had taken his true form. A massive golden dragon with wings longer than some buildings are tall. Su and Helga had climbed onto the great creature, who flew into the night sky. That night they left their woes and regrets in penrose, and soared to a brighter future in the north.

---

Tetrad, Trixy, and Veronica were at the edge of Penrose when they stopped walking. ”Is something wrong, Veronica?” Trixy looked to her former employer.

Veronica was silent for a time. ”No.” She fret her brow. ”I’m just surprised at how quickly Maura has become, how shall we say, comfortable using my powers.” She looked at Tetrad. ”You’re all squared away?”

”Of course!” Tetrad winked. ”Found someone who was able to take care of everything on Glimmr. She’s a friend of Emily’s so that was cool. Did you make out alright, Trixy?”

”Yea!” Trixy grinned. ”I got to talk with the magical girl back when I was a famil-”

”We can continue this conversation in coms if need be.” With a groan, Veronica placed a hand on her head.

Tetrad walked up behind her. ”Hey, are you okay?”

”Just a migraine.” Veronica continued to walk. ”We won’t see Penrose again for a very long time. It’s possible we will never return. Are you fine with that?”

”Yea.” Tetrad shrugged. ”I never got to do anything with Samantha, but I still feel like I did okay. I can’t wait to see Elvira at the outpost base!”

”I only regret that Samantha and I couldn’t leave together. But I’ll manage.” She took a step closer to Veronica ”How about you?”

”I don’t know, really. I suppose I would have enjoyed a final confrontation with Justine, I would have found some catharsis before crushing her skull between my fingers. I can practically see the whites in her eyes expanding as my thumbs plunge into her irises, and the blood runs down her face like candle wax. All sensations dulled by pain, her ears deafened by her own screams, and her world eternally devoured by darkness. ” The corners of her lips were starting to curl into a smile, but then she straightened out her face. ”The present outcome was not to my taste. The fates conspired against me these past few weeks.”

Once they cleared Penrose, Tetrad looked to Veronica. ”So what are we doing now? If we’re going to be gone for a while, we’re doing more than just getting you surgery.”

”Yes, I may have to start working on a new squadron. We’ll patrol the area around Penrose. It’s hardly the only place where things this bad crop up.” Veronica pulled Trixy and Tetrad under her arms before smiling. ”How does the title Garnet Gemini grab you?” And then they sunk into the depths of their shadows.

---

Oros sat behind Boteg’s desk, running her fingers across the smooth mahogany surface. She didn’t really have a need for a hotel, but the place had carved its way into her cold, dead heart. Even if it wasn’t this world’s Boteg, Helga, or Su that she remembered, it was just as effective at stirring those old memories.

"Raugh!" She placed her hands on the sides of her head. "I’m running out of time!"

She was, too. The end of the season wasn’t too far away now. Maybe one more event before the entire thing came to a close. That was probably when the end of the world was going to happen. She needed to do something before that came to pass. Not only had she failed to get in touch with the Mint, but she was wasting her time here, reminiscing about moments that had long passed.

It wasn’t all bad though.She had encountered Tetrad and managed to get some sweet sweet intel that might help her get what she wanted. Only time would tell if that actually played out into anything.

”Excuse me, miss!” One of the maids entered the office. ”Are you ready for the next interview.”

While it might seem like easy work just owning a hotel, The fact of the matter was that not only had the owner left, but his two best managers. Oros was perfectly capable of collecting money, but she’d need some people who could manage things for her. The employees were lost without someone to guide them.

Oros composed herself before responding. "How many people are left to interview?"

”Well, um!” She looked out the door. ”All of them. Pretty much every employee and guest wants to be a manager. Some of them are having trouble making ends meet, so a new job is a great thing for them.”

"I’ve interviewed twenty people, ma’am." Oros stood up. "Half of them just wanted to flirt with me, the other half had no charisma whatsoever, and all of them were a waste of time."

”I’m sorry ma’am..”

"We need a way to screen them." Oros poked the table firmly. "I want two managers. I’m looking for confident, independent people, you know? The type of people who command respect when you see them. I’m not looking for a stone faced god, but someone normal. Preferably someone who doesn’t have a bunch of mental mutations. They need to look nice,and that means clean. If I see one more bitch in a bikini I’m going to scream. No piercings, no tattoos, you know how Su ran things."

”That’s rather strict.”

"Well I only want two, so there had better be at least that many out there who match tha.."

”Alright I got it. So no one gets an interview unless they look clean, friendly, and dependable.” She turned to leave. ”No exceptions at all?”

Oros sighed. She didn’t really care if the hotel did well or not. Any moment and the calamity would start. But if she was going to hire people, might as well make them people she could tolerate being around. "If there happens to be any cute, innocent looking types, I’ll give them a look over. You know the type, submissive or naive. Not a mean bone in their body. I don’t care if they’re a boy or a girl, but I’d prefer something with a small chest, okay?"

”I think I can work with that.”

"Thank. Jebus."

The maid departed for a bit. Usually she came right back, but this time it was a full five minutes before she returned. ”We have the next one.”

"Alright, send her in."

Reaver sighed as he straightened himself before reaching his destination. The monochrome altered reality field muted all colors in his vicinity, like it was always when in the presence of his Office. Mentally he thought it could have been worse. With that much of an oath? That girl had completely wasted it.

Deep in the end he wasn’t thankful he would not be put in a direct conflict of interest in that regard, as he knocked on Al’s door to report some minor odd jobs and hand some reports. The Mint didn’t have the same connection as he had with the Allfather, so it wasn’t instantaneous.

The door opened, and Reaver entered the office. There, he saw as Al was writing something on an antique typewriter. He briefly glanced from underneath his fedora.
“Put them on the desk,” he mentioned, before going back to his work.

Reaver did so, as he nodded. “By the way… capo, I did run into a bit of trouble the other day. Women. I do never learn.” He said. “Nothing major that will harm the Mint’s interests…”

“Hm?” Al didn’t stop writing, but he leaned his head so that one of his yellow, glowing eyes stared at Reaver. “What, got lost in the love life? Your problem, peguci.”

“Well yeah. She’s quite a looker. Also heck of a swindler. Turned Cradle, and put me in a bit of a pickle.” He shrugged. “I owed her big time.” He paused. “But thing is she called the favour on Betty. Says you stuff that other pretty minx in a closet. Can you imagine wasting my man’s word on that trifle?” He said.

“Nevertheless…”He added. “...A man’s word is a man’s word… so I’ve come to pester you about it. They want to buy her back.”

Al was initially uninterested, until Crimson Cradle came up. He stopped his writing, and with a sweep of his hand, the typewriter disappeared, sinking into a dark shadow.
“Betty, you say? And you say you owe her?” He put a hand to his chin.
“How did she learn about you? Is she an old flame?”

“Wiped my wallet and broke my heart a couple of years ago.” Reaver said.” But she’s gone a bit soft. With that much sway over me she could have asked for more. I’m relieved and disappointed at the same time. I just gotta try to convince you to set up a meeting, rather than, dunno… more radical stuff, capo.”

Al frowned, and shook his head. “You’ve been playing bad. She shouldn’t have learned you were part of the family. But, this could also be a new opportunity.” He took out some files, and Reaver could recognize Betty’s mugshot from them. “The broad is currently serving in the Ace of Diamonds. You know the story.”

He sighed... “Ransom is better than chattel slavery, capo.” Reaver sighed. “Offer and supply, isn’t this what this world keeps spinning?”

“Damn right it is, peguci.” Al threw the file to Reaver. “Pick her up and bring her to Warehouse K. She’ll need to put on some makeup first.”
“That bad huh? My heart bleeds…” Reaver said, mentally thanking that this had gone way better than expected. “...well with this my part to her is done.” He paused, as he went to do as instructed.

It was a good thing he was decent at healing.” Is her mind still sound? That penal regiment is the scummiest and most desperate of deserters and traitors. As fucked up as a Horror's anus after eating chili.”

“Betty followed Veronica’s lead when she defected, so she was put into simple jobs like serving drinks or running supplies,” Al mentioned with a smirk. “And only for a short time, too. She should be in mint condition.”
Leaving the ominous words hanging in the hair, Al summoned the typewriter, and went back to his work. ”Oh, I almost forgot. The codeword when you retrieve her is ‘Debt.’ Report back to me when you’re done.”

-------------------------------------------------------

“Sheesh, this brings me memories. From my father.” Reaver said as he coursed through to the hidden facility where the Ace of Diamonds resided. He didn’t look much at how devastated the place was. He could revel on it, but Hyeronimus Bosch paintings were still more stylish than this. “Hello, sirs. I’ve come to dig a Diamond from the mud.” He said to the wardens. They did look a bit like Al. What the hell did they eat?

“Oh yes, Codeword... Debt. Name being Betty,” He added as an afterthought.

The wardens nodded as one checked the database. “Diamond 11037, confirmed. Please wait a moment.” Soon, Betty arrived, escorted by a warden; she was dressed in a black military uniform that seemed heavily used, caked in blood and dirt. She had no expression in her face, and resembled a doll. She saluted, but said nothing.

“Codeword Debt,” one of the wardens stated, and something happened to Betty; she blinked, as if she had woken up from a dream.

“H-Huh? What is this?”

The wardens seemed to expect that reaction, as they didn’t waste time. “You’re being escorted outside. Just follow him for now.”

Betty looked at Reaver, and nodded. “Uhh, ok I guess?”

"Mind tampering. Great trick. But she could have used a skimpy maid suit. Show some leg." Reaver said, to the eye rolling of the wardens. "Oh hi, my lady. It's your lucky day. Your parole might be accepted and if it goes through you might see your former buddies. Name's Reaver."

He indicated. "So we will get you prepped up, if you are so kind of following me…"

“Oh, that’s great to hear!” Betty answered, and the two left the facility.
Their next stop was Warehouse K, where Mint agents were already waiting for him outside.
“What’s the codeword?” One of them immediately asked.

"Debt." Reaver said, after escorting Betty.

The agents looked at Betty, and then at each other. “Got it. Miss, if you could come with us, we’ll give you a new clean uniform. Then you’ll be free to go.”

Betty seemed hesitant, but then smiled. “Alright. I was tired of wearing this old thing.”

Once again Reaver was forced to wait. But as part of the Mint, it was something to be expected; every part of the organization was layered in secrets and false leads, both to ensure security in the Mint’s processes, and to catch any agents too careless to cover their own tracks.

Finally, Betty arrived; she now wore a clean black uniform, with not even a single speck of blood remaining on her. She was also given some light makeup, and now looked more presentable than before. “How do I look?” She asked, while one of the agents appeared. “We got a message from Boss,” one of the agents said to Reaver, and handed him a paper note. “He has arranged a rendezvous spot.”

"Looking good, Black Betty." He said, humming along the namesake. "Now let's get this show on the road… Let me call the other side…"



The phone rang several times, far surpassing what most would consider a reasonable time to pick up. But on the 20th ring, there was an answer. “Gah!” Oros practically gasped into the phone as she picked up. She just breathed into the phone for several seconds before responding. “Sorry Willy, you caught me while I was in the shower. ” She still sounded breathless. “Did you get me that negotiation?”

"Yes. And a spot." He said, sighing. "Better make a good offer."

“My offer will be the best offer in the history of offers made to the Mint. Your boss would be foolish not to take it.” Reaver could hear something sliding open on the other end. “Do you guys like to dress up for these negotiations? I dunno what to wear. If it helps, I have a pair of white underwear and then this daring little black frilly thing with purple laces. Also knowing where and when to meet you would be good and shit.”

"Anything will do. That's not the important part." Reaver sighed. " 20's Dry Law film kind of look if you are interested. I will text you the coordinates." He added. He made a mental note to warn Al about the offer being fishy.

”You guys like to roleplay even during serious negotiations? Well, I mean I guess we’re all being roleplayed, but-” There was a burst of static. ”Alright, they probably didn’t have underwear back then, so that answers my most pressing question. See ya later, Willy!” The call ended with a click.

---

At a remote location some time later, the rendezvous was to take place. Reaver was there with Betty, waiting for the other party to arrive. Of course, Al was monitoring the scene through hidden means.

“If there’s trouble, you know what to do,” was his last message to him before signing off.

Reaver sighed, as he stood in his best looks. Hopefully that shameless girl would show up in time. He nevertheless kept a firm grip sword in hand.

The mob boss had picked a misty back alley that you'd expect some shady person to pick as a place to conduct their business. There was old brickwork on either side of him, with a patina of moss and mold growing over the graffiti covered walls. There weren't many classy places left in Penrose to conduct business. Reaver would just have to put up with the smell of refuse coming from a nearby garbage can until Oros arrived.

Which would not be long, as it turned out. Or perhaps she had been here the entire time and just now decided to show herself.. Oros stepped out from behind a chimney and jumped into the alley below. She still very much looked like herself, but she did dress for the occasion. Her pink hair spilled out of a baller hat and poured over her shoulders like a tumbling river. A pair of black suspenders held her pants up, and rested on the shoulders of her dress shirt. Her tie fit around her neck like a noose, lightly obscuring her cleavage. Oros was generous enough to leave the top three-four buttons of her shirt undone. If Reaver was unable to tell by how “springy” her breasts appeared, he could visibly see she wasn’t lying about what she was going to wear under her dress shirt. But Oros did not look like someone who was here to fool around. Her gaze was sharp, and the corners of her lips were curled towards her chin.

”Where is your boss?” They aren't just handing her over, are they?”

“He’s… overseeing.” Reaver said, briefly looking to any shadow corner he could. “He is the… discrete type.” Reaver added, shrugging.

”I think you meant to say the cowardly type.“ Oros grit her teeth and pulled on the brim of her hat. ”This just feels like a huge waste of time, but whatever.“ She shoved her hands into her pockets. ”Right, so here’s the deal. I have something to offer and you have something I want. Problem is I know Mint far too well, and coin brokers just love to send their minions into situations they don’t fully understand. This is a huge red flag because while your boss could easily confirm that’s Betty you’re with, it’s much harder for you or I to do.“ Oros reached for her hip and drew her black katana. ”Fortunately, I do have a way to verify that’s Betty. But you’re going to have to move her a little closer to me.“

"Please explain in detail so we may accommodate. Drawing weapons can be misunderstood." Reaver said, unfazed.

”This sword is a mystic tool.” She gave the blade a shake. ”And I’d like to confirm that she’s not just someone posing with a disguise or has some other enchantment placed on her that might fool my sword. For that, a closer inspection is necessary.”

He gave a thought, as he grabbed Betty’s shoulder, and drew closer to Oros, his other hand noticeable on his own sword. “It is reasonable. You may proceed.” He said, allowing Oros to draw closer to him.

”Thank you.” With a nod, Oros glanced into her sword ”Why, it seems that the Mint has not betrayed my trust! This is truly a surprise. But that begs a question.” She lowered her sword before taking a step closer to Betty. ”Why do her up in so much makeup?” She extended her hand to stroke Betty’s face. ”Does she really need it If she needs so much...” With a sigh, her hand came to rest on the girl’s neck. ”…Maybe she’d look better without her head.” Her hand turned into a crab’s claw and clamped around Betty’s neck with as much strength as she could muster. A normal human’s head would pop off their shoulders almost instantly.

A barrier would impede Oros from fully enclosing Betty, just as Reaver pulled her away. “If you break her, you had better pay extra. You’ve got your information.” He said, his sword skillfully drawn as she pulled the girl away.

”The hell are you talking about?” Oros looked perturbed, but wasn’t holding her sword in a way that suggested she would attack. If anything, she seemed fairly relaxed. ”Look, I don’t know what your boss is planning, but Betty has a soul stone, one that happens to be in Penrose at the moment. Cutting her head off is practically one of her features! Not to mention her brain is probably filled with vampire cooties right now. Separating her head from her body might free her from the mega mind whammy she’s under.” Her claw turned back into a normal hand. ”By the way, I was there when Vippy and you botched the cardinal assassination and killed Cindy. If Vippy can fool all those people with magic detection, who’s to say my sword isn’t impervious to such forms of magic?” She shook her finger at Reaver. ”I’m also going to call bullshit on you having enough time to block a surprise attack with your sub optimal AGI and MAG, being that they both pail in comparison to my AGI and STR scores.” She placed a hand on her hip. ”You still wanna deal?”

“Then you must have said at first. I have been gracious alone to allow you a check, but no further. If you keep changing your mind like that, It’s not going to work for a deal.” Reaver said, in a defensive position, holding Betty close to him. “State your offer.”

”I’m gunna kill Penny.”

“That’s a declaration of intentions.” Reaver said. “Those don’t have much value.” The Mint agent sighed. “And each moment passes, I doubt your lip promises. My boss is even less accommodating than that” He frowned. “Give me a real offer.”

”Maybe to you, but when your friends ran away It was pretty much just me against Penny and her friends. I took her to the overcity. Then to my Patron’s realm. Though it turns out patrons aren’t all that strong these days.” She spun her sword. ”I don’t see the problem. The Mint clearly wants Penny done away with. Betty has no real value to anyone ‘cept me. But with her on my side I can ensure Penny’s death is an absolute certainty.” She shrugged. ”Though if you doubt me, what’s going to happen? Worst case scenario I die and take some Cradle agent with me.” She threw out her hand. ”What? Do you hope Veronica gets emotionally compromised and does something reckless? She left Penrose buddy. Betty’s just a pretty face now, and I doubt anybody wants a doll without a soul. You can dig plenty of those up. She has no value.” She rested her sword on her shoulder. ”You want to feel like you got something out of this? Sure, I can call myself a Mint agent if that makes you all warm and fuzzy. ”

“We would appreciate all the Cradle info you’ve come across.” Reaver said in return.

”I bet you would. I imagine as soon as I turn over Betty, they’ll see me as an ally they can tell everything to.” Oros rolled her neck until it cracked. ”Does that mean you’re interested in hiring me?”

“Hm.” Reaver stood by. “I’m just a middleman, let me do a quick check with my superior.”
Reaver put a hand to his ear for a couple of seconds, and then nodded.
“Al says the Mint is willing to write up a contract regarding possible future cooperation with the goal of undermining the Crimson Cradle.”

The corners of Oros’s lips flicked up into a smile. ”Well, I’ll have to read the contract carefully. If there’s nothing underhanded in the fine print, I don’t see why I wouldn’t sign it. So long as you give me what I want.”

“We have a deal, then.” Reaver said, as he began to discuss the logistics of the contract signing with his boss, Al Scarpe.

Not long after, Al himself appeared, as if he had been whisked there by the winds of darkness itself.
“What would you be having then, miss?” He spoke, and a paper made of shining gold appeared in his hand, a pen in the other. “The Mint is able to provide various goods and services.”

”Just Betty, that’s all I really need for the moment.” She stood beside Al and watched him write the contract. ”Maybe once I get set up I’ll have to rent Willy some time, but for now Betty will do.”

Reaver watched intently, muttering something about women and luck under his mouth, as he looked at Betty.

Al nodded. “Betty it is then.” He wrote something into the paper, and it shimmered as he let it go, letting it float over for Oros to read.

In exchange for receiving Diamond 11037 "Betty" in their custody, the signee for this contract will hereby provide the Ebon Mint with the currently possessed information on Betty and the Crimson Cradle, to be handed to Reaver in 24 hours after the contract is signed. The information is to be handed out as a written report or recording. As a bonus, the signee will receive a Black Coin.

Al then spoke up. “Very simple terms, yes? If you accept them, you may sign it.”

”That’s a rather strange call-sign for Betty Biohazard.” She looked between Al and the contract. ”Well whatever. You guys are mega Chunni,and that’s okay.” She took the pen. ”By the way, why do you guys need to know more about Betty? She’s like, right in your custody, isn’t she?”

Al lit a cigar. “Nothing more than a simple query, miss,” Al then answered. “We are curious to know about your association with Betty, as that is relevant to our interests.”

”Oh, hah, well, that’s kind of embarrassing.” Her hand hovered over the paper. ”I really hope she doesn’t remember any of this. It’ll make it kinda weird if Cradle decides to peek inside her head, ya know?” Her hand was still hovering. ”You can wipe her memories, right?”

“Any classified memories will been removed of course,” Al stated, as matter-of-factly as stating the weather. “There should be no complications with her returning back to living as she has before.”

”Alright, thanks for the reassurance.” With a few flicks of her wrist, the contract was marked with a large “M.F.” She handed the pen back to Al. ”There we are. Now what?”

Reaver looked at Al, then at Oros and then at Betty, before releasing her. “Enjoy your Betty. Do write the report nice and tidy.”

”Writing’s for chumps. You’ll get a recording, and only after the delivery. That’ll hardly take 24 hours.” Oros was full on grinning now. All signs of her aggression from before seemed to have vanished.

“Naughty.” Reaver said.

……

…

…

…

…

This thing on?

Hah! I’m kidding, I know it’s on.

Anyway I’m not sure who’s going to be listening to this. If I had to guess I’d say Willy would give it a listen before passing it off to big Al. Maybe someone else? I don’t care. I’m gunna pretend I’m talking to Al because it’s his contract and shit.

*BZZZZZZZT*

So what was it again? “Currently possessed information on Betty and the Crimson Cradle?” This shouldn’t take too long.

*BZZZZT*

I guess I first talked with them on Glimmr. Tetrad was trying to see if anyone in Penrose would be willing to try and track down Betty Biohazard. I think there was a post by a “SUPER_SLEUTH_789” that said she was retiring, and don’t know why, but I just knew I had to help. She was standoffish at first, but I earned her trust. We knew some of the same magical girls, had some of the same ideas about Penrose. I’m actually pretty good at telling people what they want to hear, haha!

*BZZZZZT*

This was where I learned that Veronica was leaving Penrose. Apparently she’s leaving for a long long time, and may not even be coming back. She’s not even the head of the Cradle anymore. Passed it off to some other girl. Gotta admit, Tetrad’s good at playing the intelligence game. She didn’t tell me anything more than what I needed to know. She let me know that she had a thing going with Willy, and that I could maybe use that to get her back. But I didn’t wanna be a gopher, I wanted to get something out of this. So I agreed I’d do it under the condition I could borrow her sword arms for a while. There were no problems, a deal was struck.

*BZT*

Later that same day, Binky walks into my hotel, looking for work. Pretty random, but I guess he showed up to receive Betty and make sure she was okay. Gotta say, I’m almost surprised she was the real deal. OH! But the contract says I’m only required to tell you currently possessed information, so I guess you’ll have to lend me Willy at a later date if you want to know more. But yea, genuinely surprised you didn’t try to dupe me Al. Hopefully your underlings learn well from you. Keep being classy!

*BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT*

Only other thing I really know about Cradle is that Tetrad, Trixy, Veronica, Maria, and Blair are all outside of Penrose. So their presence in Penrose should be a bit smaller now. I’ll see about being buddy buddy with the new boss. From what I heard she’s a witch of some kind? I dunno, I’ll likely have more for you next time.

Oh, and Samantha doesn't like being in a swimsuit. Maybe that can be used against her?

*BZZZZZT*

Now for Betty and I. Well, I hope you’ve got a box of tissues beside you Al, not for crying though.

So I kind of use to do this thing where I visit other realities. I enjoyed sampling the local cuisine, you know? Like, have you ever gone to a party, and the party is just full of beautiful people, and you just wanna take all of them home with you? But since you know that would never work, you just kind of, relive that party over and over taking someone different home each time? I basically did that with Penrose.

*BZZZZZZZZZZZT*

Now I’m not the type of person who gets attached easily, but some of those people were better than others. I’m sure you have your preferences, Al, it was like that. Maybe you liked the cut of a girl’s dress, or wanted to examine a guy’s tommy. I don’t judge. Well, Betty was the one girl that both excited and infuriated me. Like, she’s the one person who doesn’t have a single selfish desire in her body. When I wanted to romance up Veronica, I just had to help her dominate the world, or do everything Chloe wanted to a T. You remember Chloe, right? Wild girl. You were pretty selfish too, Al. That’s fine though, that’s what makes the world go round. Anyway, Betty wasn’t like that. In order to make her think better of me, I had to help other people. Helping an old man cross the street, donating to those less fortunate, defending the weak, sure, some girls like nice people. But even on a personal level, any time I got her a gift, she would always say something like “Well why not give it to X, since they need it more?” At first I thought she was brushing me off. But then, heh, well this is a Christian forum, so I won’t go into details.

*BZZZZT*

But she always kind of frustrated me because I could never do anything nice for her. Even when we made love, I felt like it was something she was doing for me. So I guess this was sort of my way of doing something nice for her, even if it’s not the same Betty...and...yea… See? I told you it was embarrassing! Haha!

*BZZT*

Man, she is going to be soooo useful when I go to kill Penny! Normally I wouldn’t care, but it’s harder to do the deed as a normal magical girl. This is the ace up my sleeve I needed. And Willy handed over that coin, too, you sly dog! But I’m not interested in going full Mint. Though I guess a lot of people have said that, huh?

Sigh...

Al, why are you guys bullying Cradle? Beacon is running around with the Ascendancy, becoming more powerful than ever, and you’re over here trying to crush a tiny indie upstart. What you’re doing is the equivalent of Myspace trying to put icanhas.cheezburger.com out of business because they think that’ll give them a better chance at Facebook. It ain’t gonna work, buddy. Beacon has the Ascendancy and Penny up their sleeve. and you want to mess up Cradle’s shit? This is why they totally ignored you all season long. You guys should put aside your differences and combine your edgelord powers to take on the real enemy.

Well whatever. No sweat off my balls. You keep handing me people and I’ll keep feeding you information about Cradle. I’m pretty sure I have their trust now. If you wanna make contact with them though, you know who to call.

Oros, out!

It had been a week since the unsuccessful purification weapons test, and four days since the Howell sisters had fallen off of Beacon’s radar. Things weren’t looking good. Either Cindy’s plan to separate didn’t go as planned or something else had happened. Finally though, Alicia received a message to meet at the old lake house outside Penrose. There was really only one person that would request this location.

It was still daylight out this time. The lake looked quite different this time with it being frozen over. With her arms folded around her and glowing with some magic for warmth, a girl waited. The freezing wind caused her long white hair to flow behind her as eyes as icy blue as the lake looked out over the scene. Two smaller girls, clearly Twinned Soul, stood by wrapped in pairs of wings for their own warmth.

Picking up the Beacon girl’s approach, the white haired one turned and gave a cheerful greeting. ”I’m glad you got my message.”

It felt like Alicia was walking down memory lane as she approached the lake. It was crusted over with a thin layer of ice at points, but overall it had not been too affected by winter. It had been months since then, but with the time dilation they had suffered it had been far less for them. So her memory of meeting Janet after the fight with Justine here was much more fresh. Despite everything that had happened.

Drawing near the meeting site, her gaze narrowed as she eyed the trio that waited for her. Only one person knew this location, and the numbers matched up. It seemed she should not be in ease. ”Janet, Jenna? I see you’ve had a makeover again.”

”A bit more than a makeover I’m afraid. I can explain, but my name is Kayli Devon.” She would introduce herself.

Alicia lifted an eyebrow as she regarded Kayli somewhat skeptically. ”I see. Well met Kayli. Go ahead and explain what’s happened this time.”

Kayli couldn't help but laugh a bit. ”Yes, this seems to be a theme of theirs. I am not sure if you are aware, but the test of the weapon did not go as hoped. Four days ago the twins had an encounter with the djinn girl. Seeing this as another chance they wished for a weapon of purification. For whatever reason the wish enveloped and used them to fulfil the wish and created me. I am my own person with pieces of the ones you know as Janet, Jenna, and Cindy filling in the gaps. I have their memories and share most of their aspirations. It's strange to say the least, but the struggle they were having is over at least." She gave a light shrug and took a couple steps closer. "They promised to update you, and I thought that if there was anyone they would want me to tell it would be you and perhaps Penny."

Alicia nodded slowly as she listened to Kayli’s explanation. It sounded ridiculous, but after everything Janet had been through it came off as more reasonable than one might expect. She looked Kayli over once more, critically and trying to observe what she could. ”Well, that explains that I guess. I don’t suppose you feel particularly weapon-y, do you?” It was a long shot, but if that was what the wish had been about then it was odd that nothing had come of it.

Holding out her left hand, Kayli summoned her lance of purifying light. With her third eye Alicia could tell that it's magic was not much different from what she'd observed purifying Janet before. Looking at it briefly she soon lay it down across her other arm. "It appears I have been crafted to better bring purification to others. When I came to the djinn girl was gone so I was not able to ask why the wish manifested the way it has."

The girl with the reddish hair spoke up. She was a little sheepish at first, but seemed to gain some confidence as she went on. "Uh, hi there. I'm, er, was Hilde." She started off. "I was there when they made the wish. I think that maybe it didn't go like the wish girl though it would because she seemed surprised when it went around Janet and Jenna. I tried to get them out of it but, well, the magic changed me too."

Having offered what little she could to explain things she gestured to herself and then the similar girl beside her. "You can call me Rose and this is my new sister, Iris." She offered a weak smile. Iris gave a slight wave but didn't add any further comment.

Alicia eyed the lance curiously, recognizing the magic at play and how Kayli interacted with it. That was impressive, though at the same time it did raise a lot of questions regarding her abilities. If the potion had been able to purify the Spark, who knew what Kayli could do now?

Before she could pursue that further, Hilde drew attention to herself. Alicia would admit that she had not been as close to her, so the news of her fate was not as personal as it had been with the Twins. But it was still interesting to see nonetheless. ”It sounds like their Patron was playing some tricks of his own,” she observed. It was the only explanation she had for this happening.

With that having been explained, she turned back to Kayli. ”So what will you do now? I’d like to hope we can still be friends.”

The weapon disappearing from her hands, she gave a smile and clasped her hands together. ”Yes, I would like that very much. I realize it may not be the same as with Janet, but I would like to do my best to be helpful to you and Beacon. I believe we have similar goals. Though I hope to offer a lighter touch. Since I am not affiliated with any patron perhaps I can serve as a go between for some of the factions here in Penrose. I am confident that a few of them are more reasonable than one might expect.” As she spoke, her words carried magic with them. It wasn’t necessarily something she was purposely using to persuade Alicia. Rather the Beacon girl would pick up that this was something of a side effect of her altered magic. The djinn certainly did a number to her friend.

Alicia folded her arms over her chest as she settled onto a back foot, listening to Kayli’s explanation. She wasn’t sure about how successful the girl would be, but perhaps that was because of the tug of magic that accompanied it. Trying to purify her of the Spark? It was hard to tell, but it made her a bit more wary all the same.

”That sounds pretty good, though you can turn off the magic whammy. I’m not the one you’d need to convince after all.” It didn’t seem like Kayli intended to become some sort of evil villain, so Alicia was not opposed to her expressed goal. ”That said, I am going to miss having you around.”

Taking a breath and holding it for a second, Kayli reigned in her passives a bit. ”Sorry. I’m not quite used to some of the nature of my magic. I didn’t mean to… She sighed a bit and looked down at the ground. She could tell Alicia was being cautious of her. Taking a few moments her magic guided her a bit. ”I will miss being around. I’m fairly certain I couldn’t rejoin you in Beacon even if I wanted to. At least not in an official capacity."

Hesitantly, she stepped forward with her arms open a bit. It looked like she was asking for a hug, but she didn't want to just give Alicia one if she didn't want it. "I don't want to hurt you in any way, Alicia. And would like to keep up the friendship you had. In a way, you were instrumental in forging who I am now. The circumstances might be dubious, but I wouldn't go around your back to change you or anyone else in Beacon. I know it's like family."

Alicia slowly nodded, less tense now that the magic had been dialed back. As much as she hated to admit it, Kayli was right. She wouldn’t be able to come back so long as she was still purifying herself of the Spark. That would raise too many questions, too many doubts. It wasn’t like Janet had been particularly trusted even before all of this had gone down.

Though Kayli advanced hesitantly, she would meet with a warm reception as Alicia gave her a modest hug. It did not last long, but it was notable nonetheless. ”I’m glad to hear that. You’ve got my number, so feel free to send a message whenever you want to chat or hang out or something. I can make the time.” If she could work Penny into her schedule, she could do the same for J-Kayli.

"Thank you. I'm just glad the crazy roller coaster is over." She smiled. "I'll be talking with Penny next. See if maybe I can help things there. I still believe we can work things out between them and Beacon. If nothing else I can help remove some of the more harmful mutations with my magic, if they'll have me."

Alicia could only hope that Kayli was right about the ride being over. For some reason though, she did not find herself at ease considering such a thing. Not with past experience. ”Sounds good. I wish you the best of luck with that.” She certainly didn’t mind Kayli helping out with the Sanctuary and Penny. So long as she was still doing good, then what was there to worry about?

Remembering something, a red envelope was presented. "Oh yes, Jenna was given this to give to friends. We were all invited to a Christmas party by Dan the Dolphin. You can concentrate and make copies to give to others at Beacon. Maybe you could invite Rachel so she can meet Dan and clear up that we were indeed trapped in his world. He's fixed the time dilation issue so we don't have to worry about that happening again."

A hum escaped as Alicia took the envelope. A Christmas Party run by Dan? Considering what had happened last time, that sounded...interesting. For now, Alicia slipped it into a pocket so she wouldn’t forget it. ”Thank you. I’ll see what I can do, but no promises that Rachel will go along with it.” At least they wouldn’t have to worry about missing several months again.

The answer was fair. Seemingly out of things on her mind, the white haired girl let out a sigh. "Well, that was the main things I had on my mind. I don't know if you have any questions for me or anything. Or maybe if you aren't too busy we could try and do something more normal to unwind" She would offer. They had something of a friendship from before, but in other ways they were starting over.

”Not right now. But if I do then I have your phone number. So it should be fine,” Alicia replied as she shook her head. Things seemed fairly straightforward at this point. The only question was whether more would develop from here that could complicate the situation.

There was one thing that occurred to her though. It was small, relatively minor given the use of magic, but knowing how Janet had been it seemed only reasonable to ask. ”...What should I tell your ‘parents’?”

That question gave her some pause. Beacon had provided her parents, and she wasn't really sure if they were created or an existing family. Thus far their memories seemed to alter to fit with Janet's various changes. This time though she wasn't connected to Beacon so it was hard to say if the wish would make the same leap. Her expression became more solemn as she contemplated what to do there. For all they probably knew, their girls went to a game with their cousin and they all just vanished. Opening her mouth for a moment she stopped. "C-could we go back to my place first so I can see what they believed happened? I don't want to send them the wrong message. I don't know what Beacon does with families if their girls go missing." It was a rather heavy topic, or at least could be.

”Of course,” Alicia assured Kayli with a quick nod. It seemed the question had been as important as she had expected it would be. She then extended a hand to her friend. ”We can leave whenever you’re ready.”

Kayli would take the hand.

Together they would make their way to the home the twins had been given by Beacon. As a format member, with a little looking Kayli would be able to see that there were some changes. Alicia though would recognize right away that Beacon had removed their magical protections.

”I guess Beacon knows already,” Alicia observed once the pair had returned to that familiar dwelling that Janet had lived in during her time in Beacon. ”The magical protection is gone, since it isn’t really needed anymore.” After all, the protection they provided was for the well being of their members families. So they could do their jobs without worrying.

Alicia then turned to face Kayli. Learning this did change a few things. ”I can’t promise that they’ll remember who you were before. But if you want to try anyway, I won’t stop you.

"Uh, well… Let me take a look." Her magic was sensing something up in the room. While she wasn't as strong as before she was still pretty agile and climbed up to look into her old room. Two beds sat there in their usual place. However, they were not empty. Two girls slept, looking strikingly similar to Janet and Jenna's untransformed appearance. Eyes growing wide she slipped down back to the ground and stood silent for a while.

Breathing in she exhaled in order to calm herself. "It looks like… Beacon replaced Janet and Jenna with normal girls so their parents wouldn't worry. Uh… " The development left her a little conflicted and she sat down on the porch.

Waiting down below, Alicia was silent as kayli scaled up to the second story bedroom to confirm what she had sensed. She slowly nodded as Kayli returned and revealed what she had found out. She’d heard about this, but had never experienced it personally. It seemed that things were running particularly fast with Rachel here to supervise.

Stepping over to Kayli, Alicia crouched beside her to rest a comforting hand upon her shoulder. “Do what you feel you should. You wouldn’t be the first.”

Despite what Janet or Jenna would have felt Kayli was not them and she seemed to rationalize the scenario rather quickly. Brushing a little water from her eyes she reached up and put a hand over Alicia's. "It's alright. There was no way I could really go back and give either of them a proper send-off. They would be happy to know their parents didn't have to go through losing them."

Removing her hand she would take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Putting on a much more peaceful smile she stood back up. "I have a new life to live. Your friend's memories will help guide me. Hopefully I can live up to their hearts." Her confidence seemed to rise as a burden had been lifted. Kayli could let go of one of the biggest problems the Howell 's had been causing her.

Smiling, Alicia removed her hand now that it was not needed and Kayli announced her intent. She didn’t mind either way, so long as there were no regrets about the decision made. And right now, it seemed like that was something she did not have to worry about.

For now, she nodded in approval. “In that case I suppose this is goodbye.” she mused, though her smile nonetheless remained. “I’ll see you around.”

Giving her friend one last hug the two parted. There were a few other loose ends the twins and Cindy had left that needed tying up.

Having received a message from Connie about a Christmas party, it took several days to get back a response. The message was brief and cryptic, but implied something significant had happened. After a little back and forth a meeting was arranged to clear things up as best it could.

Since most of Penrose was still in ruins, or at the very least, shut down, Connie suggested that they meet in her and Mia’s room at the orphanage for lunch. Hilde had been there before, and, as far as Connie knew, still possessed the ability to teleport, so getting in discreetly shouldn’t be much of a problem. Connie nervously waited on her bed, while Mia went out to get some pizza for them. Connie knew she probably shouldn’t worry, but Hilde’s messages had been somewhat mysterious. Something had happened, and the timid girl was worried about her new friend’s wellbeing.

Since some secrecy had been requested so as not to cause a scene, a couple girls walked their way around until they could see the window to Connie's room. Sending a message first to let her friend know she was about to enter she waited until she saw a read checkmark. Transforming, Iris placed a hand on Rose's shoulder. For Connie, two winged girls suddenly appeared in the room. The red haired one raised a hand and waved sheepishly. "H-hi Connie. I-it's me, sort of. "

“Eeep!” Connie yelped, jumping up and hugging herself as two strange girls appeared before her. One of them did seem a bit familiar, though… “H-Hilde…?” the timid girl whispered, clearly very confused. “I-Is t-that you?” Turning to look at the other girl, she added, “I-Is t-this a f-friend?”

Perdictably Connie jumped. At least the girl didn't completely freak out though. "Yeah, it's Hildebell. Or as much as I can be I guess. I remember being Hildebell." She put a finger against her lips for a second thinking about it. Her attention shifted when Connie pointed out the other girl. Smiling brightly she put an arm around Iris, her pigtails bouncing a bit as she moved. "This is Iris. She's my twin sister. It's kind of hard to explain but I got caught in a magical spell and it, well, did this." She gestured to her and the matching girl excitedly.

Connie’s eyes grew wide at her friend’s explanation. “R-Really? A s-spell did all t-this? G-Gosh… Oh!” she exclaimed as something occurred to her. “I-I’m C-Connie, b-by the w-way,” she told Iris, while holding out a trembling hand. “I-It’s v-very nice to m-meet you.”

Giving a soft smile, Iris gently took the hand and shook it. "Lovely to meet you. Rose told me all about you. I look forward to getting to know you myself." She would release her hand and stand up straight. She certainly didn't seem as excitable as her sister.

“R-Rose…?” Connie asked with a frown. “Y-You d-decided to c-change your n-name?”

"Wah?" She waved her hands. "N-no. I-I woke up as Rose. I love the name Hildebell. Its just- "

Iris held up a hand which cut off Rose. Kneeling down, she spoke softly. "The magic that effected us was meant to create a new magical girl. The best I can explain is that Hilde's memories still remains inside of Rose and she would like to remain your friend." She smiled. "And I would like to be your friend too, if you'll have me."

Rose looked around a bit. Not seeing Mia she would ask. "Is Mia around?"

Connie’s troubled eyes seemed to water as Hildebell, or rather, Rose, spoke, but then Iris went on to calmly explain the situation, concluding with a request to be friends, and Connie’s somber demeanor changed in a heartbeat. “O-Of course! I-I’d love it if w-we c-could be f-friends!” Connie gushed happily as she wrapped Iris up in a tight embrace.

Rose then asked about Mia, but before Connie could reply, the door opened and the tomboyish young woman herself entered carrying a pair of pizza boxes.

“Pizza’s here!” she announced, before freezing in her tracks at the sight of their two guests. “Uh, who the heck are you?”

“Hi, Mia!” Connie greeted her friend exuberantly as she finally released Iris. “T-This is H-Hildebell, b-but she g-goes by R-Rose, now, a-and this is her n-new sister, Iris!” she added, introducing her new friends. “T-They s-said they w-were in s-some kind of m-magic spell a-accident, or s-something, and… Yeah…”

“Okaaay…” Mia said as she slowly put the pizza boxes down on their small table. “Well, it’s, uh, nice to meet you, I guess?” she added, holding out her hand to the two girls. “A-Anyways, you guys hungry?”

The girls let the two friends update one another. After Mia put the boxes down Rose ignored the food question and grabbed Mia's hand. She pulled her over to Connie and Iris where she gave them all a big hug with her arms and circled the bunch with her wings. "I thought I might never get the chance to see you again! I'm so happy!"

“M-Me too!” Connie agreed with a big smile. “L-Let’s promise to always be f-friends, n-no matter what!”

"I promise." Said one twin.

"Alright." Said the other.

Letting everyone out of the hug, Rose was about to turn to deal with the pizza when she remembered something and snapped her fingers. "Oh yeah, try not to tell everyone who we are. The girl we work for might get in trouble if certain people find out." To a degree there was limited they could do to keep all the details under wrap. What Kayli did to out herself they could only partly help with.

“O-Okay,” Connie said with a nod. “I-If anybody asks, I-I’ll just s-say that you’re our n-new friends, Rose and Iris. A-And that reminds me!” she added, while reaching into her jacket and retrieving a small piece of colorful paper. “I w-wanted to invite you to a C-Christmas Party! T-This really adorable t-talking dolphin named Dan is h-hosting it in his beach dimension, a-and I think it’ll be r-really fun!” she told them with an excited smile as she handed the magically duplicated invitations to each girl.

“It’s one heck of a beautiful beach, that’s for sure,” Mia agreed. “And it’s the perfect place if you’re getting sick of our current arctic climate,” she added pointing her thumb at the window. The weather outside had noticeably worsened, and snow was beginning to be blown about by a harsh wind.

The two took the invitations and looked them over. "Oh yes. I believe Kayli received one of these. We would love to join you." The girl nodded approvingly.

“G-Great!” Connie cheered, her eyes shining with joy. “M-Mia and I c-can introduce you t-to Amanda, and M-Mayra, and a-all our other n-new friends! A-And you c-can introduce us to K-Kayli! Oh! A-And Faith m-might be there w-with some of her f-friends, too! She h-had to move away, b-but she said she’d t-try to make it, i-if she could,” Connie continued to ramble. “O-Oh… B-But, um, I h-hope s-she doesn’t g-get upset that you c-changed your n-name…”

“Come on, Connie,” Mia chided playfully, while putting an arm around her friend’s shoulder. “This is Faith we’re talkin’ about. I’m sure a carefree person like her would be perfectly fine with it, especially considering Rose’s current situation. Besides,” she added. “We’re not really supposed to tell people that Rose and Hilde are actually the same person, remember?”

“Oh gosh!” Connie exclaimed, while placing her trembling hands over her mouth. “Y-You’re absolutely r-right! I-I’m so s-sorry!” she apologized to the twins. “I p-promise I’ll t-try to r-remember!”

"Maybe it's best to think of us as Hilda's friends too?" She gave as a suggestion. n

“O-Oh, u-umm, I g-guess that c-could w-work…” Connie noted, not fully convinced on the idea herself. “B-But then, w-what should w-we say if p-people ask about H-Hilde?”

Pondering the question a while, Rose pointed at herself. "Not that I want to say this, but Hilde is gone. I know you because Hilde did. But the spell used Hilde as a vessel to create us to fullfil a purpose. We exist now to aid and protect Kayli in her mission." She put her hand down on the table and went quiet to let that sink in.

“G-Gone…?” Connie echoed, her voice a plaintive whisper, and her eyes filling with tears. For a moment, she just sat there, a look of confusion on her trembling face. “O-Okay,” she sighed, while lowering her head in sullen resignation. “I-I understand. Y-You j-just have her m-memories, b-but you’re n-not her. N-Not really… H-Hilde was my f-friend,” she added, using the soft sleeve of her jacket to wipe the tears from her eyes. “A-And I’m r-really g-gonna miss her. B-But, I also m-made two new friends,” she smiled up at the twins. “A-And that t-takes some of the s-sadness away.”

“Thanks for agreeing to come here, and for explaining everything,” Mia spoke up. “I know ya didn’t have to, but it really means a lot. To both of us.”

Rose cringed as Connie worked through what she said. It clearly hurt her to hear and see how the girl reacted. She seemed to react as though Hilda was still somewhere in there as she held a hand over her heart. She was starting to tear up herself. "I'm sorry. I just… It wouldn't be right to pretend. And Hilde would want you to know. She wrapped the two in her arms again. "You were some of her best friends and it's a blessing to hold her memories of you."

“T-Thanks, Rose,” Connie told her, smiling as she returned the girl’s embrace. “I-I just know w-we’re gonna have l-lot’s of fun t-together, r-right Mia?”

“That’s right, little sis,” Mia chuckled. “But what are we still sittin’ around here for? That pizza’s gonna start gettin’ cold soon!”

Letting them go again, Rose moved around the table. "Alright. Let's eat. " After letting her secrets out she felt a little tired. As they went along though and got the chance to relax they moved on to more fun topics. As they would find, Rose seemed to have inherited Hilde's cheerful demeanor while her sister Iris was a lot calmer and kind of anchored her sister before she got too carried away.

After the meal, the four of them spent the rest of the afternoon playing some board games, just as they had on the day they’d healed Faith and Hilde got her new name. With the departure of Faith and the death, for lack of a better word, of Hilde, the memory was now a bittersweet one, but Connie cherished it nonetheless. And now a new memory was being made, the first of what she hoped would be many more to come.

---

Club Lightstrand was alive again, oppressive beats thumping as a six fingered DJ spun hot tracks. As the premier destination for supernatural nightlife in Penrose, it was always packed with inhuman patrons. Elves slapped orc booty, mindflayers grinded fishmen, redcaps drank mermaid spit. Wild debauchery persisted all around, as vampiric thralls in black leather slipped around, silent as shadows, to attend to the customers. Lively and erotic, the frenzied excitement of the three-story establishment was enough to lure a line of eager customers (some underaged) that extended around the block. A thick-skinned asura bouncer stood at the door, checking IDs and examining the blacklist, while his partner, a rhino-headed snakeman, deflected flirtations from a couple of scantily-clothed pixies trying to skip the queue.

Having yet entered the establishment, a silver-haired girl and her partner waited in the middle of the line that formed, the girl seemingly having not a care in the world. Red eyes glossing over the crowd of people waiting to get in, she briefly turned to her strange acquaintance with dire news. “Hilaria doesn’t think there’ll be any tasty food here,”

Reaver tilted an eyebrow, as he gazed the crowd that was going to enter the club. Not many of them looked appetizing in his eyes either. His companion was...quirky to say the least, but who would pair with a practically unknown in this city for a dangerous hit? The bottom of the barrel and the weirdos. Well as long as her quirks did not get in the way. "Depends on the food you are seeking. This place is for… lets say, other kinds of tastes. I bet Hilaria might find a good match there."

Hilaria shrugged. The food she was seeking was food, naturally. Any other such service this club or any of its patrons would offer was completely dull and uninteresting. Pleasures of the flesh could never compare to a well-cooked steak, or a trip to a nacho mountain. That said, most things were certainly better than waiting in line. The currently unarmored girl retrieved a small bag of chips she had stashed in case of emergencies and began munching on them. Time then seemed to pass rather quickly, the line shortening significantly. As it neared their turn, Hilaria looked at Reaver. “Hilaria wonders if you’re aware of what we’ll be dealing with~” she looked him in the eyes, and then offered a chip.

Reaver was not one to refuse free food so he took the potato chip and ate it. He… resisted licking it out of the other magical girl's hand, though. "Nosferatu. Strigoi. Vampyr. Has many names, and each tale has different points. Several things are common though. The ability to bewitch, drink blood and regenerate. It's a tough target." Reaver raised an eyebrow at Hilaria. "Odin would not have it in another way."

“Tough target?” A third voice joined their conversation. Looming three feet above them, a muscular demigod folded his arms, his glowing eyes narrowed as he inspected the two magical girls. “Yer not here to cause no trouble, are ye?”

"We are here to vanquish the cuckolder's evil! Chicks love that! Mwahahahsha! Are you the ancient Rakhasha of the seventh wheel? " Reaver said, trying to ham it up as best as he could...obviously not very well. He looked downright silly and pathetic. "...I...uh, sorry? We are a couple with weird kinks, really… She loves to play the potato chip eater with the third person thing. Also to put me in an armlock." Reaver said. "I love people putting me in armlocks. I bet you could put me in an armlock too."

Cementing herself as the most willful girl in the cast, Hilaria managed to not respond to Reaper’s… cover? with disgust or confusion. Instead, she retained her smile as she replied to the demigod. “Hilaria thinks kink-shaming is rude!”

“Uh...huh.” The asura leaned back away from the two magical girls, muttering under his breath ‘fucking weirdos’. The line didn’t seem like it was shrinking at all, and his contract was that he was on the job until the line was done, so with a sigh, he decided to just...not give a shit about whatever the hell these children were doing in a 200+ nightclub.

“Alright, sure, whatever. Just gimme yer invites.”

“Oh, invites, yes right away!” Reaver said, before thinking hard. No one had mentioned this place was invite only, so his thoughts raced fast. “Okay, that’s one of the keywords, right? I’m supposed with… I can’t find them, can I pay for them with my body?” Reaver added as he began to undress.

Hilaria looked at Reaver, then back at the bouncer. “Oh, so you are into that stuff?”

The asura gave a deadpan glance. It was literally only 2 AM and already he felt like sticking someone headfirst into the concrete. But a job was a job, so…

He leaned in, grabbing and lifting Reaver’s face up by the chin, pulling apart his lips to inspect his gums, then move his other four hands all over the dark magical girl’s body, feeling for the distribution between muscle and fat.

“Hrm. Boss might be interested…” He turned to Hilaria. “Your invite?”

Hilaria blinked. "We do everything together, of course~!" she declared. "From eating food, to going out, to invites, to, hopefully, finding a way to replace them~"

Another one, huh. With a bit of a grunt, the asura removed his hands from Reaver, before pulling out a couple of wet wipes to disinfect with. Could never know with dark magical girls, after all. Moving onto Hilaria, he did much the same to her, tracing paths up and down her body, checking complexion and dental health, before examining her eyeballs quickly as well. She was a good deal fatter than her companion, but there were patrons interested in extra meat too. After a couple more moments, he sighed and brought out an old, rectangular pager, dropping a line to whoever it connected to.

“Alright you two, step off to the side and try to make yourselves presentable and attractive. The Madame will check you out soon enough, and if she finds you decent, she’ll get you glammed up for the Boss.” With that, he shooed them off, and got back to going through the rest of the queued-up supernaturals.

Now standing off to the side, Hilaria gave herself a once-over and then, apparently satisfied with herself, smiled. "Hilaria is happy we're getting this chance," she said to Reaver. "Let's try our best to make an impression~"

“That went better… than I expected.” Reaver said, raising an eyebrow, as he rearranged his hair, loosened a few buttons in the shirt, and tucked some… extra cushioning in some place. “I suppose you don’t have...uh… black lipstick and mascara on you? Normal makeup could be good.”

Hilaria shook her head, retrieving something from her person. "Can you use this~?" she asked, presenting a blue push-pop.

Reaver squinted. “Oh what the hell, I need a little sugar, anyway, and I’m not concerned about my self image at this point. Thanks Hilaria.” He added, and then applied the children’s candy with… manly conviction to darken his lips.

After a couple minutes of last minute adjustments, the doors to Club Lightstrand opened, not to let someone in, but to let someone out. A snake-woman with alabaster scales and beautifully vicious eyes slithered out, three feathered boas wrapped around what one couldn’t really presume to be her neck, unless they were to imagine that she was all neck. She circled around the two magical girls momentarily, tongue flicking in and out, before saying, “Tommy, dearie, thesssse are the twooo?”

“Yes.” went the asura, intent on talking as little as possible to her.

“Theeeeey could do ssssome work, but...yesssss, I’m ssssertain the Bosss will be willing to take them in.” The snake-woman nodded her head a couple times. “Now, darlingssss, just follow me…”

With a flick of her glitzy boas, she slithered back into the nightclub, the magical girls following after. Circumventing the main area, where all the debauchery was happening, the snake-woman led the two of them through an ‘Employees Only’ door, before bringing both to a warm room filled with lightbulbs and mirrors. There was a rakshasa there, trimming his legs with a razor, while a leprechaun spritzed alcoholic perfume over her lush beard. A salamander chewed on dried peppers as she lounged on a steel plate, the object glowing warmly, and a hippopotamus was doing squats, each downward movement causing a slight tremor...or was that just the bass drop? Though varied in species, however, all the people in the room wore collars of sorts, black leather with a red pearl inserted upon the buckle.

The snake-woman flicked her tongue towards two swivel chairs.

“If you’d pleassssse?”

“Eh, what’s that bauble? Looks so cool! Can i have, like, half a dozen of them?” Reaver asked.

Hilaria spent this short amount of time Reaver had afforded her practically, making sure to wave to any of the beings who might’ve looked their way. None of them did though; magical girls were nothing special in Penrose.

“Tisss a sign of servitude to our employer, y’sssssee.” The snake-woman produced one of the collars from within her feathered boa, which must have been some sort of hammerspace inventory. “To keep our...rougher employees from being disssobedient.”

“So, is this an offer of employment or something? Or a play? Can I just, dunno, get a blue choker?” Reaver egged the snake woman, while looking at Hilaria. “But, you know, if I leave my neck guarded, you can’t give me hickeys! Ain’t that right, Hilaria? Snek hickeys are best hickeys.”

Hilaria gave Reaver a sharp, discreet elbow. "Hey~! That is rude~! Is that any way to speak to a potential superior~? Don't be so offensive~!" she chided. "Hilaria knows they tend to prefer the term "serpent."

“I rrrecall that you were the two who expressssed interessst in paying with your bodiesss.” The snake-woman continued. “And you may reffffer to me as the Madame durring your ssssojourn at our essstablissshment. You’ll find too, that guarding your necksss from intrussssive individualsss is important in thissss line of work.”

“...what, like Vampires? Those don’t exist!” Reaver said, before closing to Hilaria. “We do an awesome joint number...Always together.” He drew closing, caressing Hilaria’s body… and at the same time putting a reinforcement spell upon her. He leaned to kiss the girl, and whispered to her ear. “If I start doing strange shit, you know what to do.”

“Well, me first!” He said, as he sat on the chair… and concentrated on reinforcing against any kind of mental manipulation.

Hilaria took her seat at the other chair, ever smiling. “Oh, Hilaria is sure it’s going to fit you just fine~!” she laughed.

The snake-woman smiled as Reaver sat down, tracing one of her rhinestone-studded fingernails over his neck. “I ssssure hope you enjoy your firsssst experience with a nightwalker then…”

With a click, the item was set, the leather band tightening over Reaver’s throat until the red pearl bobbed alongside his Adam’s apple. Sliding sensuously over to Hilaria, the Madame equipped the ever-hungering girl with the same choker, gleaming in the incandescent lighting of the makeup room.

“Now, my darlingssss, do you prefer to work...publicly, or privately?”

“That’s a good question! I mean… we’re much better doing this on a two-people team, you know, exotic fare.” Reaver said, looking at Hilaria. “For private views?”. Reaver thought. Private meant less likely to be overrun.

“Hilaria would say she would prefer to work in a more private environment out of the two,” she answered for them. She, like Reaver, imagined this may be the better call, but there was no way to tell for certain. “Yes, that one~”

The Madam regarded them contemplatively, her reptilian eyes flicking like her forked tongue from one side to the other, before dipping her head in assent.

“Of courssssse. Right thisssss way.”

Ushering them out of the make up room, the snake lady slithered through winding corridors, her body twitching at every bass drop that rumbled through the walls of the employees-only area. The two magical girls passed beside a variety of doors with nameplates, no doubt meant as private rooms for high-selling courtesans, and would note too multiple sets of staircases, guarded by duos of muscular, humanoid monsters in sharp suits and sunglasses. The sound grew stronger the further in they got though, until they reached a particularly grand set of doors, embossed with fiendish, winged ladies of the night and well-endowed, horse-headed studs.

“Well then,” the Madame said, her mouth stretching out into a sadistic smile, “I do pray you two can self-promote.”

With that, she pushed open the doors and shoved them in.

…

It was a blinding experience. Strobe lights hammering, EDM blaring. A pink bear man DJ’d on top of a tower that looked like a top hat, while monsters danced, suspended up on cages that looked strangely familiar. The floor was teeming with all sorts of beasts as well. Weretigers drawing blood sensually, goblins breakdancing on their noses, a herd of stallions trying to get lucky with two well-endowed etin girls. Reaver and Hilaria would find themselves on a raised platform as well, and behind them, a neon display read ‘0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze’. What was that supposed to mean?

Though their mere emergence drew a couple of glances, after a couple of seconds, no one paid them any attention at all.

“So that’s how it is going to be?” Reaver said to himself, while looking at Hilaria. Thank god he had the film Full Monty fresh on his mind, so he played along for a bit, doing his best twists and dances and discarding random amounts of clothes, even shedding his own blood at times.

Hilaria did not have the same ‘inspiration’ as Reaver had but she had experienced more than her a few gatherings similar in nature, albeit with less lights and music played by live performers. She found herself stealing a few glances at the other ‘performers’ and content with her superiority over the other female (or femalesque) beings when it came to the chest area, she began dancing in a provocative dance with moves that emphasized her bust, hips, and thighs.

Though Reaver and Hilaria undoubtedly had exceptional bodies, neither of them were all that interesting. There were seven billion humans on the planet, after all, and to the uncultured monstrous patrons of Club Lightstrand, they all looked sorta the same. A couple of giant slugs weren’t even really able to tell what sex either of the two magical strippers were.

Still, an offer was an offer, and if no one was going to make an offer, that just meant that some of the fellows who had no money on them could afford something nice. While the crowd’s apathy and inattentiveness continued, a scrawny orc in a suit that looked like he stole it from his father timidly raised his hand, clutching the three silver coins he received from his big brother on his birthday.

Behind them, the neon display changed to ‘3 Silver’, a ten-second countdown starting and ending without much hurrah. The orcish youth let out a sigh, before approaching the stage hesitantly. Swallowing twice, he tried to gather up his courage, then failed, and settled for downing the rest of his beer with a grimace that made it clear that the alcohol went down the wrong tube. He coughed a couple more times, green skin turning red in embarrassment, before saying in a soft tone, “Uh...um...I’m Brahza and like...we should go, like, upstairs now, I think...if you want to?”

Reaver looked at the Orc, offering his best smile while grimacing internally, and shooting a complicity look at Hilaria, he took the initiative. “Sure, you big, bulky boy. Let’s have some fun.”

There was a point where someone would have thought he had gone too far. If that had once been for Reaver, the sunk cost fallacy was being too great. Then again, all he needed was an excuse to get into the Vip rooms. The stealthy approach had been overused to death.

He would play for a while. And then, Rip and tear...Until it is done.

Hilaria apparently saw nothing wrong with introducing a young lad to the joys of life. He was at the ripe age of *mumbles* and managed to steel himself for what was most likely spiking his risk for heart attack. What a trooper! After today, she was sure this orc would leave the club feeling much more mature, wise, and ready to take on the world! She would position herself behind the suited orc and softly massage his shoulders. “Oh, how wonderful it is you’ve chosen us~” she said. “Hilaria is sure you’ll have some fun~”

The young orc twitched, obviously unaccustomed to intimate contact with someone who wasn’t his mom, before bobbing his head up and down. “Yeah,” he croaked. “Let’s g-go.”

The etins guarding the staircases hardly gave them a glance as Brahza brought them up to the second floor. The stairs continued to a third floor, of course, but a velvet rope blocked off access to it, a sign reading ‘Employer Only’ hanging from it. The decor of the second floor was much more subdued, a russet red carpet and classical paintings giving the floor more the vibe of a fancy hotel than a brothel. A faint, pink mist pervaded the entire area, smelling sweet, and after some fumbling about with directions and such, Hilaria and Reaver followed the young orc into a private room that looked...remarkably normal. There was a large, heart-shaped bed, warm lighting, a patio with a magical view of Paris, a box that contained plenty of things one would need to enjoy adult entertainments safely, as well as a separate room that opened up into a large bathroom, complete with a light-up jacuzzi.

Brahza, of course, sorta just stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, nervously looking about. “So, uh...like, I think you girls should shower first...right?”

Reaver let his best charming smile as he guided Hilaria into the shower too. “Of course… be right back…” And as soon as the perp was out of earshot, Reaver addressed his partner. “Okay, let’s get this cruddy thing off. I’ll get yours. You’ll get mine.” Reaver said, not wanting to really risk the whole side effect of the thing. Assuming nothing prevented them from doing such, Hilaria would comply and assist Reaver in removing the devices, freeing them from potential mental manipulation.

“Hilaria feels all better now~!” she told him, eying the door to the shower. “Mmm, but she’ll feel a bit sad for him…”

It was easy enough to remove the chokers. The accessories fell off after some force was applied, the red gems dulling into black.

"Was planning to off his sorry life tho. Shower to make it realistic? Nothing ...uh, weird, even if you have your charms." Reaver almost stammered.

“Hilaria could go for a shower… but that other thing is a no-go~!” she denied. Considering what he had proposed, the nonchalant way she rejected the idea of harming the poor youth could’ve had a bit more firmity. She acted as though she was a mother scolding a child for putting their hand into the cookie jar rather, not like someone deciding the fate of a poor young soul.

Reaver twisted his mouth, his mouth curling up like a snarl. “He could be calling others…” He said, his muscles tensing. He really wanted to rip and tear. Probably take a bit off someone. “So, who first?” He winced, like a dog being forced to be restrained from eating his favourite food.

Hilaria shook her head. "The only thing he's calling upon is the courage deep within~" she replied, disrobing as she did so. When she was bare, she tilted her head. "First~? Do we have that sort of time with our company waiting~?" she wondered, before going ahead and entering the shower anyways.

“Think on the mission, think on the mission, think on the mission.” Reaver added, as he was baffled by the girl’s response. Well, no time for dilly dallying. He was no coward, the sight of the exuberance of a naked woman wasn’t going to stop him!

It was probably one of the more challenging moments in Reaver's life. Hilaria seemed wholly unconcerned with the fact she was in such a confined space with no clothing next to Reaver, and even helped washed his back as if it were the most normal thing in the world. In the end, the shower took maybe five minutes, but Reaver could not be blamed if he had thought it was longer.

In the end, the two stepped out of the room, freshened and ready to take on the world. Or rather, the young boy who was hopefully not dead from nervousness and excitement. "Oh, Hilaria is sorry to have made you wait~"

Brahza sprung up from the bed that he was sitting on, the young orc almost stumbling forwards when the bounciness of the mattress proved greater than he first expected. “Oh, uh, it’s not a problem,” he squeaked. “But, so...should I shower too, or? Like, I don’t know if you humans like smells or not, so…”

“Well, why not? I mean, It’s another life experience.” Reaver said, trying to strike a small pose. He still was trying to piece together what the hell had happened in that shower.

He craved for burgers too. For some reason.

Hilaria nodded to the boy. "It's best to look and smell your freshest for encounters like this~" she told him, approaching him with sway and giving him an encouraging pat on his back.

“G-got it. I’ll, uh, see you ladies soon then.” The orc tried to sound confident, but certainly gave the two magical girls a wide berth as he headed into the shower room. After a couple moments, they could both hear him absolutely decimate the toilet, the nerves of the situation giving the poor orc-boi the runs.

"Let's lock him in and run for our target." Reaver said, probably not realizing that Hilaria had already begun moving the heart-shaped bed into the front of the door as a barricade. When she was finished, she nodded.

“Hilaria is bored, so she wants to go finish this up~” she announced, leading the way out of the room and towards what seemed to be an area restricted to normal party-goers.

“Alright.” Reaver added. “Time to put the raving… into the rave.” He said. “Wait, that does sound odd. Nevermind.” He added, fully suiting up and heading towards the ‘Employer Only' floor. “Ladies first?”

Hilaria shrugged and, assuming nobody stopped her, pressed forward past the velvet rope in their path and took a peek inside.

No one stopped them. If the second floor had a lurid silence that promised raucous love-making if one could somehow get past the amazing sound-proofing of each individual suite, the third floor held a silence that was uncanny and heavy. None of the merriment down below reached this high up, no matter how rowdy the crowd. The wide staircase lead to a set of double doors, oaken and engraved with the motifs of devils and virgins. Stone gargoyles leered at the two magicals, but showed no sign of becoming animate.

As they regarded their surroundings, the double doors creaked open, revealing a pitch-black void. No light entered, and no light escaped. It was a darkness so thick that it felt tangible, and if they put any part of their body through it, they lost sensation of it.

“Well?” A voice, malevolent and ancient, filled with seductive intrigue, sounded through the void. “Enter.”

"Nice decoration." Reaver commented. "Although it would be nicer if we could actually see it. Please excuse us." He said, already steeling himself for the confrontation. It did not hurt being polite, though. If anything, vampires were suckers for cultivating an air of class to hide their ravenous appetites.

Hilaria had a blithe disregard for the situation, admiring the void as if she were a kid at a candy shop. “Oooh~!” she put a finger into the room and immediately noticed it became numb. “How cool~ But what if Hilaria trips~?” she frowned. “Is it dangerous here~?”

“Only if you want it to be~” The voice responded. The two heard the sound of a fingersnap, and various candles lit up, dimly illuminating the room. There, lying sideways on a queen-sized bed, one leg propped up in a bold manner, was the vampire, wearing a luxurious bathrobe seemingly made of shadowy silk. “My oh my...I did not expect to receive two for the price of one.” He leaned on one hand, and used the other to gesture them towards him.
“But you do look very lively...Mmm, yes. Now, come here, and let me give you a kiss~”

“Uh, thank you my lord… but I mean, It doesn’t look like proper…I mean, they put us this choker for a reason. I’m very confused about this place’s guidelines…” Reaver said, scratching his head apologetically.

After glancing around the room again, Hilaria gave the vampire a courteous bow, giving the man a peek at her chest. Unlike Reaver, she seemed confident, but submissive to the man, approaching with a lowered head. "Hilaria would love to satisfy your want for skinship, should you have her~" she had begun to enter the room, but wasn't quite yet at the vampire himself.

“Oh, you can forget such silliness,” the vampire replied, flashing his sharp fangs with a devilish smile. “You only need to listen to me~” He was seemingly pleased with Hilaria’s teasing. “Mm, how lovely. Don’t be shy now.” He then stared at Reaver with hunger. “Yes, how beautiful...Let me take a closer look at your neck...”

"Oh, okay. Well I guess a kiss should be fine… I mean, It's not everyday you meet a fine lord of the night." Reaver said… as he drew closer. His neck would therefore be closer to the vampire's fangs…

But the opposite was also true. Reaver was not always the submissive sort. Sometimes he wanted to lead the foreplay. Especially if this was the kind of person he had to get rid of. So, he struck first. And gave the vampire one hell of a kiss. Well more like it was a really savage bite, like an angry chimpanzee trying to disable an opponent's face.

Probably would not hurt much, but at least it would be a good distraction.

Noticing Reaver had taken the initiative, Hilaria discarded any attempt at camouflage and donned her armor and weapons. A strong vampire, in her opinion, was not an opponent to be taken lightly. She had zero qualms about making use of the element of surprise, so as Reaver bit their foe, she would call out for the man to move and then swing her axe down upon their target, assuming he listened or was able to.

“AAAHH!” The vampire howled from pain, his upper lip and right cheek having been torn off by Reaver’s savage chomp, as Hilaria came in for a lethal swing. The undead fiend was swift, however, and managed to avoid decapitation by slashing at Reaver with his sharpened fingernails and rolling backward. He stumbled off the bed, and scrambled up, shaken by the sudden attack. “Guards! I’m being attacked by assassins!” He called out, but it was useless; in the heat of the moment, he had forgotten that the room was sound-proofed.

"Don't be shy now~" Reaver parroted as he tried to avoid the worst of the attack and Hilaria's ax, but not being very concerned about the fingernails attack. Instead, he used the blood drawn to draw a light rune to daze the night denizen, while Hilaria would follow up with a shotgun blast if the vampire did not move.

The vampire was backed against the walls, clearly panicking. “Do you want money? Power? I can give it, just spare me-” The vampire was interrupted by Reaver’s blast of light which caused his sensitive skin to slightly burn. “F-Filthy cattle! I have friends here who’ll get you-Hrkkk!” He clutched at his chest, which was blasted by Hilaria’s shotgun, piercing his heart, and ending the monster once and for all. However, the shot also blasted open a hole in the wall behind him, causing the residents there to shriek. It wouldn’t be long before they called the guards.

"Filthy cattle~? But aren't you the one being culled~?"

“Thanks.” He said to Hilaria, as he used some other blood to trigger a Fire Rune this time… aimed at a specific place. The fire sensors. Every single club had one of these, and whenever it lit… It usually meant Pandemonium. Let the confused crowd be the shield beneath them and the guards. Reaver then began to make his way to the exit, transforming as he did so.

Hilaria looked disappointed with the outcome of their engagement. “Were we too dangerous, Hilaria wonders~?” Remaining transformed, she followed Reaver, but glanced around with her enhanced vision, looking for some of the familiar faces. “Mmm, weren’t we ssssuposed to deal with his thrallssss, too~?” she mimicked the serpent from earlier, ejecting a shell from her shotgun. This was an interesting feat given that it didn’t use physical ammo.

“Oh, right.” Reaver said, while summoning his sword. “But that’s not going to be hard… What happens when an alarm is triggered in a place so full of people?” He said, unsheathing his sword and started cutting up anyone who dared to be in his path. “Mass panic and trampling. Single out the ones that don’t run.”

Soon enough, an alarm did blare out, causing all kinds of customers and employees to scramble out, trampling over each other in a desperate struggle. Reaver and Hilaria easily passed through the mass of bodies with Reaver cutting through, leaving a bloody mess behind.
“Stop right there!” The guards had found them at an intersection, wielding weapons that glowed with a blue shimmer. There were two guards in their way, and two more were fast approaching from another corridor.

Hilaria pointed her shotgun-axe towards the two who had just appeared from the other corridor and fired a blast at them. "Hilaria would love it if you could handle those two~" she told Reaver in reference to the two that had stopped them, then broke off into a dash towards the ones she had shot at, intending on ramming one of them off their feet unless they did something about it.

Reaver smirked, as with a feint, he cut the choker skillfully with his own sword, and pointed his blade at the other two guards. He wanted to try something. He would lead them into thinking he was going to attack with the sword.

Only for him to then try and reinforce their bodies. Only one specific part of them. Their hearts. Making them try and pump harder and faster… without reinforcing the rest of the blood vessels of their bodies. Eventually causing rupture by excessive blood pressure.

If not he could always use his Odin-infused swordsmanship to chop them up, but that was what they would be expecting him to do.

The guards attempted blocking the shotgun blast with their swords, but failed to keep their composure, allowing Hilaria to easily smash them against the walls with her charge; in close quarters combat, the heavily armored dark magical girl reigned supreme.
The guards lost consciousness, allowing them to pass through. However, they were also pursued by two more guards, which Reaver confronted.
“It’s all over, criminal!” One of them taunted as Reaver’s spell failed to pass their magic-resistant armor, but their swordsmanship did not match up to Reaver’s sheer brutality as he painted the walls red.

However, they could hear more coming, and knew it was only a matter of time before they would be overwhelmed. They reached the entrance hall, and saw that it was pure chaos, with the entrance crowded with people attempting to exit.
“Out of my way, scum! I am a member of the house of Carstein!” They heard a pathetic high-pitched scream, recognized one of the escapees to be the vampire’s thrall, trying to pass through the crowd blocking the exit.

“Mmm, that one is being easy, but we need to find all of them~” Hilaria smiled at Reaver. “Hilaria will deal with this one since he’s being obvious. You should try to see if there are any others around here~” she suggested, before taking off.

Hilaria didn’t want to hurt people she didn’t need to but that did not mean she wouldn’t push them down if they were in her way to the thrall. Of course, considering she was fully armored and wielding an axe, most people had probably gone out of their way not to be near her to begin with. “Nowhere to run~” Because there was little time, would release her shield and use her free arm to pull the thrall to the ground, if unimpeded, and follow that up with a vertical swing of her axe.

Reaver for the time being, stood silent, and decided that he really needed to flush them out at all once. He focused his third eye, and stood up, shouting all from his lungs.

"Death to the cravens of Carstein!" He shouted out loud, while he scanned the crowd with his third eye to see who would react to that banther.

The thrall could only flail around as Hilaria floored the vampire spawn and removed his head from his shoulders. Then, as Reaver announced their now obvious plans for the rest, two figures shook, looked at each with a nod, and then transformed. They turned into bats and flew out of the exit, attempting to escape.

Reaver screamed “Bats!” to Hilaria, his eyes on the targets, attempting to get through the exit. Ranged combat was not his forte, but he would still try to shoot javelins made out of reinforced barriers to skewer those bats mid-flight, all the while using his third eye to keep track of them.

“Ok~!” To the contrary, Hilaria avoided firing her shotgun while there was still the chance of hitting one of the fleeing civilians. Moving as fast as she could in her bulky armor through the exit and knocking aside anyone who was still in her way, she would only begin to shoot once it seemed they were clear of collateral.

The javelin failed to hit either thrall, the bulky magical construct hindering its ability to move through the air. Hilaria barreled through the crowd like a juggernaut, scattering the crowd as she made for the exit. It seemed the guards on post attempted closing the doors on the two, but Reaver's javelin had lodged itself against them, forcing them open.

The two ran outside into the night, where the thralls were flying. With an accurate shot, Hilaria managed to hit one of the thralls, causing them to fall down from the sky, while one more fluttered as hard as it could, until it disappeared into the night.
The remaining thrall had transformed back, and clutched at his wounds, now near death.
"You...You murdered my master…" He groaned.

Hilaria watched the other one flying away, not looking at the downed thrall as she spoke. “These things happen to those who make a bad scene~” she shrugged. It didn’t seem like she had any sympathy for the vampire.

"Nothing personal… just business." Reaver said as he moved on to finish the thrall. He cursed under his breath that one had gotten away.

Hilaria frowned, looking back. “That leaves a bad taste in Hilaria’s mouth~ But Hilaria supposes it’s better than letting the big bad go~ As for us, it would probably be best to leave~!” she opted to flee the scene, having no more reason to stay.

"Yes." He began to walk away. "Best to get some food too. I have gotten hungry."

Hilaria paused briefly. “Mmm~ Something’s off, though~ Did Hilaria forget something~?” she wondered aloud. “Well, it probably wasn’t important if she did~” shrugging, she left it at that and the two left the club.

What went on unbeknownst to the two of them in the club was repeated banging upon a door inside of it. Drowned out by the music and the fact that most people had abandoned the place, the cries for help behind the door went unnoticed. “H-hello? Is anyone out there?” the young voice of Brahza called out.

…

…

...

In the end, while one thrall did escape out of the three that the vampire had, the bounty was paid in full; the primary goal for the poster of the hunt revealed that the removal of the Carstein family from the ruling class of the night had succeeded. And, thankfully, someone did eventually let the orc out, although the smell that permeated the room followed him, much to his rescuer’s dismay.

A foot tapped against concrete, a hand adjusted glasses as they fogged from the mixture of cold air and warm breath. The brick wall supporting her back sent chills along her spine, but that was not a discomfort for the girl. There were worse things to deal with than cold weather.

Once more blue eyes swept the square as Lysandra searched for any sign of the girls she had agreed to meet with. She would have preferred to convene in the Overcity, but apparently her companions did not naturally have access to that dimension like she did, so they would meet here first before going there together.

A sigh escaped as she glanced at her watch before once more sweeping the area, trying to recall what she knew of the girls she was meeting with. Ronin, short girl, black hair, one of those ‘for hire’ types, though she did seem to have standards beyond simply getting paid as far as their interactions had indicated. Then there was Sakura. Light hair, a brawler, the sort who didn’t waste time in small talk but who also sounded like she’d been a sailor in a previous life.

Hopefully they were up for the task ahead.

For now, Lysandra continued waiting. She’d give them another half hour before moving. As it was though, her magic tended to make her...easy to overlook. She might have to approach them first, so she’d keep her eyes peeled for their arrival just in case.

Sakura arrived in full regalia, the pink motorbike stopping with a skillful skid mere inches away from Lysandra, her eyes scanning the other magical girl before smiling softly, running a hand through her unfortunately always gorgeous hair as she stood in front of Lysandra. She was a bit of a gray character, but Sakura was sharp.

"Fucking traffic motherfuckers."

If there was any illusion of cuteness it was promptly ruined.

"You the Lee Sanders girl?"

At some point within the time-limit, a girl in a samurai-inspired state of dress dropped out of the sky as she'd been practicing her “running in mid-air technique on the way, grinning as she did a perfect “bent knees” landing. ‘Ronin has arrived!’ the visually seven-year-old called excitedly.



‘Now, where is- Oh…!’ she sounded out, looking around and suddenly fixating on Sakura…’s bike. Ronin promptly jumped over, eyes beaming. ‘Oh, man, that's a sweet ride, both in senses of the word! I'd have wanted one for myself, but it might clash with my aesthetic. Teh-heh, Motorcycle Ronin. That's a TV-series just waiting to happen~’ Ronin said with a grin, now giving room for replies.

Lysandra’s gaze narrowed for a moment as Sakura approached and made her introduction. Though she did not say as much, she was clearly not impressed. “I am,” she replied with a curt nod. “But we’re waiting for one more. Then we can get down to business.”

Fortunately Ronin did not take much longer past that. Admittedly she did fixate on the bike first, but that was fine. She seemed a bit more professional at first impression. “Hello,” she said to Ronin before looking between the two magical girls who would serve as her escort on this trek. “Thank you for agreeing to my contract.”

Sakura tilted her eyes, and then eyed the newcomer with a raised eyebrow, before beginning to speak in a different language, Japanese. <<”You know, you look more like shinobi than Ronin. Where’s your armor. And why the flashy jump? Disgraceful”>> She said addressing Ronin.

“Heh, don’t mention it, Lee.” She quickly switched to address her employer. “So how many fools do we need to turn into burgers?”

Ronin froze up when the bike-rider spoke to her in what she definitely absolutely recognized as Japanese. That didn’t help the fact that she had no idea what Sakura had just said. Oh, shit, it’s the real thing.

Fortunately, Sakura had turned to speak with… “Lee”? Oh, well, anyway!

‘No problem! And, heh, more than turning others into burgers, we’re to prevent HER from becoming a burger! Anyway, hello! So, what will we be doing in the Overcity?’ Ronin asked, smiling happily, inwardly panicking about being revealed to the authentic Japanese to be the pretender she was.

Sakura’s eyes narrowed, upon seeing the reaction. “Oi, you would not be one of those gaijin pretenders who just slap ninja, samurai and ronin just to look cool?” The pink-haired girl quickly switched to english as she bore a hole in Ronin’s head with her glare.

Ronin positively winced. ‘Noooooo, that’s not it! I just picked a suitable moniker for my appearance!’ the tinier girl waved her hands in panic. ‘Look, I didn’t even realize I was picking my Magical Girl appearance at the time! Call it a homage! A sign of admiration! Samurai are cool, and I wanted to be one that moment! Sure, I might not be the most authentic real deal around, but I’m stuck like this, so I just had to go all out with the theme, you know!?’ Ronin explained, starting to grin happily half-way through her defense. ‘I’ll happily take pointers…!’

"You know, if you want to behave like samurai you have to err… act all serious all the time, face opponents head on… also prune bonsais. Bonsais are important." Sakura said, folding her arms. The junior wanted pointers. She would happily give em. Even if she only had a few pointers from drama movies. " I will make a man out of you, girl!"

Ronin’s eyes widened as this girl, that except for knowing Japanese she really had no proof of actually knowing what she was talking about was talking being serious and, huh, pruning trees. ‘I-I’m not sure I’m cut out for acting serious…!’ Ronin replied, grinning once again. Still, seemed like she was gonna give her pointers, and it seemed too fun not to play along, so Ronin happily saluted (no matter how inappropriate the gesture may be). ‘Yes, sir! I mean, sensei!’

Somewhat overshadowed by the talk of Samurai and etiquette, Lysandra coughed in order to draw their attention back to her rather than their discussion. “Anyway,” she resumed, her fingers no longer drumming on her upper arm. “I don’t know what the opposition looks like yet. We’re retrieving an item known as Vuvoteya’s Shard. The stories I heard claim it was bathed in the energy of several intersecting dimensions at their formation, bestowing it incredible power.” she just wasn’t all that strong herself, which was why she had reached out to them.

‘Oooooh,’ Ronin made a noise of realization. So it wasn’t just a matter of getting Lys from point A to point B. They were DEFINITELY going to be fighting something. ‘Sounds cool! What would you like to do with the shard?’ she asked with a little grin.

Sakura winced so slightly, at the mixup of answers, before looking at Lysandra. “Seems like outta a chinese cultivation novel crap.” She added. “Betcha there’s a bunch of people who want it to become boss.” She added. “Let’s show em who’s boss instead.” The pink-haired vulgar loli grinned. “Yeah, that’s a good question. What are you going to do with it? Super power level up juice? A bonsai ornament? Hmm?”

Pleased to find that they were interested in her work, Lysandra saw no harm in indulging their curiosity. “Study it, for one,” she said as a finger rose to adjust her glasses. “That artifact could further our understanding of the ways dimensions interact and affect each other, as well as the source of magical energy that all beings draw from.” Past that she wasn’t sure, maybe a museum? But one thing at a time for now.

‘Teh-heh, alright. Well! To start with, just as a matter of precaution!’ Ronin said, stepping forward to Lysandra and holding her hands forward on her. She just did a couple of Reinforcement enhancements on her, some typical magic glowing effects taking place… ‘There, that should make you a bit more durable, just in case~’ Ronin said and smiled widely. ‘Alright! Shall we?’

“Hmm, can we fit us three in a motorbike? I mean it’ll be a tight squeeze but we could do it faster…” Sakura pondered.

Lysandra eyed the bike somewhat distrustfully once Ronin was done laying on her wards. “I’m not sure how well that will work on the terrain we may end up in, especially with all three of us.” That, and she was not quite comfortable with Sakura’s demonstrated driving skills when she was going to be a passenger.

“I’m ready to go,” she added, glancing between her escorts. She knew Ronin was ready, but was Sakura?

“Fine, fine we will do a leg workout.” She started walking, without much further prompt.

‘Alright! Then let’s goooo~!’ Ronin called excitedly.

Nodding, Lysandra raised a hand into the air. “By guiding light, the stars shine upon me. Transform!” With that she shifted into her magical girl outfit, which comprised of a purple beret, short cape, and gold studded outfit like one would see in a marching band.

Focusing, the Overcity Shift would take but a moment as she sent the three of them to a point near the walls of the city. Once they had arrived she took the opportunity to orient herself in the exotic locale before gesturing towards a glowing star in the alien sky. “This way,” she told her bodyguards, and soon they were underway. Lyandra moved confidently, only stopping a few times to make sure that they were on track as they went along.

‘Weeeeeeeee! Back here!’ Ronin called at the walls as they appeared in the Overcity. And then… ‘Alright! Onwards!’ Ronin skipped a bit to be in front of Lysandra, just in case, and then headed on towards wherever they were going.

“Hey, what the hell you are doing.” Sakura interjected. “You’re the loli, so you stay back with your eyes peeled, I will take point!” The former yakuza interjected as she one-stepped Ronin, her keen senses scanning for threats.

‘Um,’ Ronin was a little confused about the label, but, eh, sure! She grinned widely and waited a bit to take the rear instead. ‘Okay, sensei!’

Lysandra was silent for the most part, not really caring who was in front as long as it didn’t interfere with their progress. “Size matters less than ability,” was her sole contribution to the discussion at large.

After some time of uneventful walking, they would reach the edge of a deep crevasse. “We’re going down there,” their employer noted, moving to the edge and looking downwards for a viale route. “There’s a cave along the wall that we need to reach. It will lead towards our destination.”

‘Heh, then perhaps I should lead, anyway?’ Ronin skipped forward. ‘I can do a little something like this!’ she said, jumping off the edge, but landing on mid-air, standing on a small barrier, but left enough room for someone to stand next to her. ‘It’s a little tight, though. Hey, Lys, can you fly? Otherwise, I can carry you~!’ Ronin said, spreading her arms to potentially grab onto Lysandra if she felt like obligating.

"Show off." Sakura said, tapping her fingers with arms crossed as she looked at Ronin. "You are making yourself one hell of a target. Wait until there are freaks to pummel. " Sakura said, as she focused and using her Eternal Style, created the frilliest parachutes ever, while grimacing, and handed it over to Lee Sanders.

"This is better."

Looking between the two options presented, Lysandra would admit she was a bit more confident with the platform than with the parachutes. “I haven’t used one of these before,” she noted. “Is it hard?” After all, what would a magical girl need a parachute for?

“Shouldn’t be too hard. Strap and pull. We got the loli’s barriers and healing if need be.” Sakura grinned as she strapped the chute to herself. “But this doesn’t give off as much as a wimey piffey magic smell shit or whatever you call it.”

Ronin grinned a bit. ‘I’ll make sure to catch you~’ she said, before skipping down to the cave, somewhat assuming Sakura would be able to get there safely, but she’d make sure to catch Lysandra if she failed, heh.

Shrugging the parachute on, Lysandra would look over the thing one more time before taking a strong leap out into the chasm. Deploying the parachute went easily enough, and she gently floated downwards to land near the entrance of the cavern that she had mentioned. Fortunately there had not been any complications, their own making or otherwise.

She would wait for Sakura to land as well, before gesturing to the wide cave entrance. “Next we go through there. This should bring us close to the junction point.”

‘Senpai, is your specialization cloth?’ Ronin asked curiously as they were on the way. ‘I’m Reinforcement, as I'm sure gathered already! I make barriers, enhancement and healing and stuff~!’

“Nope, this is just Eternal Style. Since I’m not fond of dresses -stupid ass rat-, I find other uses, kid.” Sakura said confidently, as she created a small gathering of sparks on her hand. “I can zap people.” She paused, before taking point from where Lysandra indicated.

‘Oooh,’ Ronin made a noise of slight amazement. Wonder, could Deni do similar things with her shapeshifting? … She doubted it, as she’s forming her own mass rather than create it out of nothing. Instead, she grinned. ‘Well, guess that regardless we’ll be using my platforms to make a staircase to get up again~!’

Into the cavern they moved, through winding tunnels and down rocky slopes. As they walked along Lysandra would guide them, making sure they did not get lost on split paths or loops. As they progressed further down the rock changed as well, morphing from what one would expect of normal stone to different colors and textures. Some had bumps, others ridges, astill more had spikes protruding from them. In an odd case, they would find a section where part of the wall was not solid at all. Touching it caused ripples to spread across the surface like it was water, but it did not fall to the ground.

Eventually the tunnels widened out into a cavern. Stone spires crisscrossed the inside, leading to different parts of the cave system and deeper beneath the Overcity. “So far, so good,” Lysandra noted as they moved onto the first bridge. “Watch your step.”

‘Watch your step, yes,’ Ronin said with a smirk. ‘I’d fall just a meter before I stopped myself, don’t know if it’d be the same for you~’ she said, but otherwise kept formation of being behind, but regardless kept her wits about as who knows if something might attack them in here?

“I can ride the lightning, chibi.” Sakura said, eyeing Ronin with a glare, and stepping through the bridge with the keen senses of a martial artist, her eyes also scanning for threats on the van of their little formation.

‘You can!? Oh, man, that is so cool, sensei!’ Ronin briefly exclaimed before they kept going.

Lysandra huffed at her bodyguards and their seeming lack of difficulty with this obstacle, though she supposed she could always make an ice slide or something if she had to. But that would not be nearly as comfortable. So they walked on, her watching her step all the way.

Fortunately the ice bridge seemed sturdy enough, and their progress would see little difficulty to the other side. Drawing to the entrance of the next set of caverns, they would hear sounds emanating from beyond. Scratching and growling and other ominous noises emanated from within, though the sources were not in eyeshot just yet. “I think you two are going to earn your keep soon,” Lysandra noted as she moved inside with little sense of fear in her stride.

“Right on.” Sakura said. “Loli, you cover the target. Imma do retcon in force!” Sakura butchered the pronunciation of the word, as she went with a brisk pace, trying to keep herself inconspicuous with her Awareness and Incognito traits.

As directed, Lysandra hung back near the entrance. She had no intention to run into a mob of monsters if she could help it, though depending on how things went she might plunge ahead regardless. She was not a coward, after all.

While Awareness would be a boon, Incognito did not provide the effect that she might hope it would. Initially she would not encounter anything in her plunge down into the depths of the overcity. Merely more tunnels. But the sounds drew nearer all the same. Then they appeared, rat-like beings entering the passageway she was in from the side. They were about the size of a small dog, with sharp teeth, claws, and whipping tails. About five of them ended up emerging in total, snapping and lunging at Sakura. They were hungry, and she looked like a tasty meal. And if her Awareness was not wrong, more were coming too.

‘Alright, sensei!’ Ronin said about covering the target, and then turned to Lysandra. ‘Alright, stick close so I can cover you while I do generic fighting!’ she told her, because Ronin had no intention of sticking by the entrance. Then, Ronin also started going inside, albeit a bit after Sakura as to let her take the first blow so Ronin could stay back and cover Lysandra if so needed.

‘Woo, rats! They’re like, half-way to Skaven! You got this, sensei?’ Ronin asked loudly, stopping a bit to see how Sakura dealt with them but also with a hand on her sheathed sword in case any came her or Lysandra’s way, so she might cut them through.

Sakura raised her eyebrow at the animals. Any other girl would have been grossed out, but not the former Yakuza. She instead grinned back and bared her teeth, in an aggressive smile. She could smell a fight. They thought she was the meal. But vermin like these should be taught their places. Adopting a fighting stance, she eyed the animals…

And then she burst forth like lightning, sparks on her fists as she relentlessly targeted the weak points of the rats with her own hands. Eyes. Snout. Neck. Soft abdomen. Everything was fair game to her.

The rats charged in, heedless to the danger as Sakura struck. Her fighting style was well suited for rapid combat, and she cut a swathe through the attacking monsters. Bones were smashed, claws slashed, and she defended her charge.

Yet just as her Awareness had indicated, more monsters showed up to replenish the ranks of the fallen. Their weight became that much harder to resist, and some would seek to slip past Sakura and attack the two girls behind her.

Taking a step back, Lysandra glanced around at their surroundings as she calculated in her head. It was looking like they might be in need of a backup plan. But what to do from here…

‘Heh, if it’s just these…’ Ronin grinned, before darting forward and drawing her sword to slice, while a barrier formed to block other rats from approaching. Then she’d dart around, kicking a barrier in mid-air to launch herself to the next rat, having some barriers handy to make sure they didn’t get past her. If they were just “some”, Ronin should be able to handle them easily enough. ‘I can handle those that slip by, sensei!’ Ronin claimed.

“Annoying shitbags…” Sakura muttered, as she concentrated and performed a change of tactics. Fighting on fists and kicks alone wasn’t feasible, but giving the amount of crowded rats it would bring forth other tactics. Being that crowded, they would be vulnerable to lightning blasts, as she quickly switched from punching to zapping the creatures.

Lysandra would be forced to admit that they had perhaps underestimated the duo. They dealt with the rats quite handily, working in tandem with each other and their magic to block the rats and keep them hemmed in for Ronin’s blade and Sakura’s lightning blasts. Soon the last one fell, the smell of charred meat filling the air at the same time.

“Good work,” she told them as she stepped forward. There was a bit of urgency in her step though, as they would be able to hear other things appearing, some from behind them as well. “We should be going before we get stuck here all day. The chamber shouldn’t be far.”

‘Phew. Sensei, we're awesome!’ Ronin called about their latest achievement, dead rats all around. Lysandra urged them to move on… ‘Alright! Then let's go!’ Ronin excitedly called, skipping onwards on the way.

Sakura for her part, was sporting a vicious grin, as she received each scream of the critters with delight, the awful smell of charred flesh being somewhat rewarding. Yes, nothing like the smell of charred vermin and the thick of battle to keep one alive. Lee Sanders and the excitable loli’s words woke her up from her ever increasing rapture, as she narrowed her eyes at the even more giddy Ronin.

“Save that for when we’re done with the mission. Stay sharp. This is never this easy.” Sakura said curtly. “You’re the barrier loli. Stick to the lady Sanders. I will take point” She added, as she overtook Ronin to keep doing recon-in-force, grumbling somewhat she had run out of targets this quickly.

Onwards they moved, passing through yet more tunnels. Lysandra remained resolute in her pathfinding, head held high as they made their way onwards to the junction point. There were no more rats to bother them, leaving the only danger as their attitude towards each other. Lysandra did her best to bear with it, pushed onward by the promise of the reward she was seeking.

Rocks shifted and twisted, shimmering with alien patterns and colors. Little waving roots sprang from the ground below their feet, shrinking as they passed by only to spring to life once more. The feeling of magical energy grew more palpable, even for those who might not be attuned to such sensations. This was a place of power.

Yet for all her plans, there were some things she could not predict. It was hard to notice at first, a slight intensifying of the colors that filtered through translucent crystal sections of the walls. There was a shift in the charge that hung in the air. Then the ground began to shake. It grew in power and intensity, throwing Lysandra off balance and causing jagged cracks to appear all around them. The walls, the ceiling, even the beginnings of fissures in the floor.

“Dimensional shift!” Lysandra cried with wide eyes. “Hurry, before we get buried!” sure, maybe they could survive with Barriers and healing, but she would have to give up any chance of reaching their objective. And she was not ready to accept that.

‘ALRIGHT, THEN!’ Ronin called out upon Lysandra’s command of hurrying, and quickly yanked up their charge into her arms so that the tiny samurai carried her, then skipped up on a mid-air platform as to be unaffected by the shaking and fissures, and then finally dashed ahead on a series of small platforms towards their destination. She assumed sensei could handle herself. She was awesome, after all.

"Fuck" Sakura muttered as she concentrated briefly, focusing as much lightning as she could on her tiny legs to dash forward leaving a trail of sparks on her way. She combined it with her knowledge of wall running to her maximum effect.

While Ronin would gain her and her charge safety, it was only temporary. Shards began to crumble and fall from the ceiling at varying speeds, as if it defiance of the normal laws of gravity. Jagged spikes suddenly shot into the air at any time and at any angle, forcing her to course correct quickly.

Meanwhile the fissures shifted as well. Some grew in size, glowing light issuing from deep inside them. Others snapped shut after a few moments for no discernible reason at all. But that was not the only hazard Sakura would have to deal with. A rumble filled the air as the tunnel began to shift and buckle wholesale. Some pulled away, creating larger dips, while other portions moved to close and make the tunnel impassable. The latter was of a greater concern as they continued their flight. Hopefully Lysandra’s escorts could keep up with the sudden and erratic changes occurring around them.

Ronin made quick course-corrections, but the fact was, Sakura was much more agile than she was. She made a quick assessment.

‘Sensei, I’ll hold onto you and Lys, run on my platforms!’ she called, spreading her mid-air platform for Sakura to potentially jump up on, with the intention that she’d adjust so she held Lysandra in one arm and grab onto Sakura with the other, and then she’d make Reinforcement barriers for Sakura to run on so the way faster Magical Girl could carry them safely forward!

Sakura, for the most part, made a clicking sound and put all of her senses and martial arts training to work, dodging and deflecting as best as she could, while keeping her arms and legs charged with lightning. “This might pull a little.” She said, gripping both Lysandra and Ronin with as much force as she could and then pulling like there was no tomorrow, her feet becoming hot with lightning as she tried to plow through the landscape as if Ronin and Lysandra were just a couple of training weights.

“C-Careful!” Lysandra yelped as Sakura grabbed on to her and then pulled both magical girls forward like so much dead weight. Which would have been more fair if they were, in fact, dead weight. Unfortunately Lysandra did not quite fit that description, and she was left yelling and twisting as they ran along to try and dodge an unfortunate end.

Still, the haste was warranted. Things only grew more intense and volatile around them, rocks crashing together and pelting them with sharp fragments from near misses. Blasts of energy crackled through the gaps, adding to the chaotic destruction that occurred around the trio. It might be easier for Sakura to handle, but being dragged meant that both Lysandra and Ronin would suffer several close call.

Eventually it was too much. The tunnel slammed together behind them, dimensions crashing together with forces immeasurable to the human mind as the boundaries of realities reshaped themselves. In more practical terms this manifested itself in a massive shockwave, one that would catch the fleeing trio and shoot them forward like a rocket along with a bunch of rock and crystal and the like. Despite Sakura’s best efforts, she would not be able to hold on to the other two as they were all tossed about in the blast wave. They would be ejected from the tunnel into a large cavern at the end, where hopefully their prize waited. If they weren’t crushed by everything else flying and landing along with them, anyway.

Ronin did her best to hold onto Lysandra as well as they ran, keeping reinforcement magic working on her to keep her protected from damage as good as she could. Then, when things crashed together and Sakura couldn’t hold onto them, it was up to Ronin to keep Lysandra safe. If she too had lost grip of her she’d spin and kick, a barrier manifesting as a platform to let Ronin propel herself so she could catch the one they were to protect. Then, she spun so her legs could step on a barrier slightly angled from the direction they were coming from. If this succeeded, she’d create more barrier to create a weak but workable slide that was going to periodically slow them down, periodically turning away from the direction they were heading to slow down their impact speed.

If that succeeded and they came to a stop, Ronin’s next job was simply to establish a new barrier that was as strong as her low magic could make to block any debris from crashing into them, and dodge out of the way if she figures it won’t be enough.

Sakura, cursed under her breath as the swerves made her go off course, trying to break her landing and succeeding in some measure, as she managed to twist and turn and avoid massive damage.

Until she noticed she was essentially ass up, and like everything on her magical girl kit, her private cloths were a cutesy pink.

The group went flying through the air, Lysandra flailing as she combatted her sudden disorientation. Her hold was temporarily lost, but with quick thinking and deft feet Ronin would catch her before she fell too far away. That was just in time for them to exit into the larger chamber.

Unlike before, Lysandra finally made herself useful. She augmented Ronin’s barriers with her own magic, using Ice magic to create a much more functional slide than the barriers alone would have. They’d end up feeling a chill, but the solid fall was translated into more of a tumble along the ground by the time they came out of it. That left the rocks, pummeling the barrier for a few seconds until tentacles lashed out to aid in the defense.

Then in the blink of an eye it was over.

Rising to her feet, Lysandra looked away from Ronin with a blush. “Apologies. You weren’t meant to see that,” she muttered as she shifted back to her feet. It seemed she was sensitive about some aspects of her powers. Once back on her feet, she pointedly ignored Sakura to instead look around their surroundings.

Ronin grinned at her. ‘It’s cool! Just as long as you’re not using them for the Japanese purpose, it’s cool!’ She knew tentacles were a relatively common power, after all. She skipped up to follow. ‘Hey, sensei! Save that for when there’s a boy around!’ she 100% joked.

The walls of the cavern shimmered, a mixture of ice and crystal and stone and unknown materials, all fused together and clashing from the pressure of the dimensions around this space. It was of a moderate size, with large arches and a central pillar over uneven ground. Given what they had just experienced, it stood to reason that things could shift at a moments notice. And in the middle of that central pillar, a glowing object that shone too bright to see and illuminated the entire cavern with its radiance. Though light did glimmer through the surrounding walls too.

Lysandra froze, eyes widening as she beheld it. “I think this is it,” she said to her companions, hurrying forward. All that calculating, all that work, her quest seemed to finally be at its end.

‘Nice! Just beware of any final traps!’ Ronin said, hurrying to keep up, because Lysandra by herself could be hurrying into her death somehow.

Sakura for the most part stood silent. Her earlier blunder, and the sudden reveal of tentacles made her a bit weary. It was one thing watching videos, and the other being a protagonist. She eyed her two colleagues as she took notice of Ronin.

“I’ll go first.” She said as she carefully treaded towards it. “You stand back for now.” She said as she kept her eyes peeled for any kind of reaction.

Lysandra hurried forward, too busy to respond to Ronin and oblivious of what Sakura was saying. How could she show caution at a time like this?

After some jumping and running, she reached the pillar. Her gaze rose up as she touched it, deducing the structure of the column, its various physical qualities. She quickly discerned what was going on. “It looks like the resonance between dimensional planes has created a barrier. I’ll need to figure out how to access it.”

It was a task easier said than done as the cavern was rocked with a sudden tremor. Fissures opened up like the ones that they had encountered before, Unlike before though, shimmering monsters began making their way through. They were spectres from other worlds, trapped in the void between dimension and bereft of much of their power and form in this space. Hulking monstrosities, tentacled humanoids, all advancing towards the trio as Lysandra worked.

‘I… guess we’re to protect you while you’re doing that?’ Ronin asked, looking startled at the shimmering monsters on the way through. ‘Whelp, okay, then. Sensei! I’ll guard Lysandra, you can go do damage!’ Ronin figured was a good plan, the Reinforcement girl establishing numerous barriers around while she brandished her sword, intending to stay reasonably close to Lysandra as she was going to use her skill to dodge and cut monsters headed for their charge!

"Alright you fucking uglies." Sakura said as she got ready, her first crackling with Lightning. Since the objective was defense, Sakura did not commit much effort into putting them out of commission, merely striking to get them off Lysandra and moving all around the battlefield to single-out the nearest attackers.

Lysandra focused on the crystal pillar, tapping it, feeling out the vibrations, working out numbers in her head. She didn’t respond to Ronin, so focused was she on the work that she had to do. At least she wasn’t in danger right away. Meanwhile Sakura fought. She would quickly find that physical blows were less effective than magic, owing to the strange ethereal forms the monsters that she fought held. She could blast them back with Lightning, but her fists were more likely to just pass right through. The reverse was not necessarily true, claws slashing and blows flying as more monsters entered the room.

“Okay, I’ve got it,” Lysandra announced. “If I can set up a harmonic resonance to match the frequencies of the dimensions, I can crack open the pillar.” Muttering to herself, she crouched and began assembling some devices from what she had in the pockets of her outfit. It seemed that she would need more time.

‘Oooooooh, darn,’ Ronin said, noting how their enemies were unharmed by physical attacks. That’s basically all she had to work with. Well. It was time for some experimentation. She focused her reinforcement magic on her blade. On the surface of her weapon, she created a barrier that followed the edge of the sword, creating a sharp magical barrier, and infused it with extra magic to not let it break as easily. That meant some of the barriers around Lysandra had to go, but it seemed otherwise Ronin wouldn’t be able to fight. Still, did a barrier on a sword even count as magical?

‘Whelp, only one way to find out!’ Ronin called, leaping at the closest to cut it, only going so far away from Lysandra that she could still get back if any monsters started a mad dash for her.

“Hey, loli samurai, got any of those for my fist? Could use some to channel my lightning.” Sakura said, getting tired of not being able to punch these denizens properly, forcing her to switch to shooting lightning to keep these beings at bay.”

‘If you get over here and let me enhance your fist, then yeah, sure!’ Ronin called, probably somewhat behind Sakura, but yeah.

“On it. Fuck. “ Sakura said, as her scratches stung, and channeled blasts of lightning to suppress the advance of the beasts, to allow Ronin to apply her magic on her.

While the two conversed, Lysandra worked. She had assembled her devices, and was now hammering them into place at various points from the pillar itself. This required the others to shift to protect her as she circled the center, though at least they did not need to defend the devices she was deploying once they were in place. The first finished, she moved on to the next.

Roars filled the air as blasts of lightning flashed and pushed the monsters back. Some of them were dispelled. They sought to close the hole between Sakura and Ronin, to isolate the duo, but Sakura was able to prevent that. Though she would need to act fast. One of the more feral and misshapen creatures leapt at Ronin with wicked, serrated claws, while a bipedal-alligator looking thing sought to sweep Sakura’s feet out from under her and then pummel her while she was defenseless. They had to do their best to keep from being overwhelmed.

‘Okayhereyougo-!’ a mildly panicked though perpetually grinning Ronin said, placing one hand on Sakura’s fists while swinging her Reinforcement-barrier-covered blade at the claws of the beast that was attacking her, intent to just keep it off her long enough for the fist-shaped barriers to manifest. ‘Rightdon’topenyourfiststhosebarriersarenotmallable!’ Ronin cried finally before dodging under another swipe and now testing if her magic barriers allowed her sword to cleave the misshapen creature swinging for her. She definitely had to look over to see if anything was approaching Lysandra now-!

Sakura let out a snarl as she quickly.performed an evasive jump to avoid being swept, using her momentum and knowledge of martial arts to rain a hammer blow on the creature attacking Ronin, followed up by a ground lightning strike at the bipedal crocodile.

Ronin would find that there was some resistance to her barrier clad blade, though she would succeed in slashing through and dispelling the beast with additional force. Not efficient, but it worked. Sakura would have a bit more ease, thanks to her lightning magic to boost her power.

This was a good thing, as Ronin would spot Lysandra having finished the second of the four points she needed. Which would have been fine, except she was headed towards a point opposite the duo and completely oblivious of the monsters. Specifically, some big thing with segmented carapaces, like a giant vicious centipede. With arm blades. This one looked like it might be a bit tricky. Especially as it loomed over their charge.

‘Alright, I CAN cut them!’ Ronin exclaimed after her magic barrier on sword apparently worked. Though, then she saw that. Yeah, that needs handling. ‘… Sensei, that one!’ Ronin made a quick estimation of their abilities and figured probably better she dealt with the small fries and Sakura dealt with the giant centipede! That said, Ronin still kicked off a barrier to fly closer to Lysandra, ready to raise barriers, grab the monster’s attention or grab Lysandra to carry her to safety if so was needed…!

Sakura wasted no time into getting in action using her reinforced wrists to redirect the blows from the blade arms back to itself and punching deeply in the joints of the segmented beast, sending shocks all the way. "Alright let's dance you gross noodle!"

Looming tall over her, the beast reared back and prepared to strike Lysandra. For the most part she had been oblivious divining the location for the next marker, but she finally realized her situation as she saw the shadow looming over her. Eyes widened as she prepared to move, only for Ronin to intervene with her barriers.

She could have said something about earning their pay, but Lysandra was much too focused on the task at hand. “I’m close ""to working this out,” she told her bodyguards. “Just a bit longer!” With that she went back to work, deploying the third spoke.

Sakura would find this foe to be a tough one. It was surprisingly fast on its feet for such a big creature, arms swinging at her in wide, sweeping blows. Which would be easy enough to handle, if they were not coming from multiple angles. It roared as Sakura sought to strike the joints, but that ended up being easier said than done for the moment. And with more monsters approaching, Ronin would soon have her own preoccupations.

"Hey, loli." Sakura said. "Can you reinforce cloth?"

‘Uh, yes. What for?’ Ronin answered, smiling and working on plans.

"On my signal." Sakura said, as she focused, creating an abundance of frills and ribbons with Eternal style. So many legs meant so many ways to tangle it up. "Now! make that fucker choke on it!"

‘Oh, yikes-’ Ronin leapt past Sakura, grabbing the apparently limitless amount of cloth generated through Eternal Style, then skipped on barriers as she enhanced the cloth. There was a lot of it, though. Did enhancement work like her barriers had? Oh, what the heck. She had an idea. She ran on the side of the beast, letting it be focused on Sakura, and then threw unenhanced parts through the creature’s legs. Then, she jolted an enhancement through it, hopefully making it manifest as if physically to it after it had passed through and tightened. Then, one large piece was thrown similarly, hoping to attach around the centipede’s head, leading back to Sakura. ‘Something like that!?’

Sakura would then see to use the assorted clothes to wrangle the creature in hopefully a better striking position.

The centipede shrieked as Ronin and Sakura went to work, entangling it and blinding it. Its limbs thrashed, erratic swipes cutting through the air and threatening potential harm to both girls. It stampeded one way and the other as it tried to throw Ronin off, at least until its legs were immobilized. But they would find that that was only temporary, as ephemeral blades began to cut through the fabric Sakura had created.

Meanwhile Lysandra finished the spike she was working on and moved for the last. Though monsters closed in, she was able to handle herself for the moment with blasts of freezing magic and thrown icicles. Still, her progress was notably slower than before as the amount of foes finally interfered in her efforts.

“Stay still. This will hurt a lot, you fuck noodle!” Sakura gritted her teeth, as she moved towards the head, now that the blades were cutting through the bounds, instead of threatening her and Ronin’s flesh. She then charged a powerful dropkick, electricity crackling on her heel, aimed at the creature’s eyes, with the intention to pierce and fry its brain. “Loli! Get to Lee Sanders!” She urged.

Well, that kinda worked. ‘Yes, sensei!’ Ronin called and spun, kicking herself to end up between Lysandra and the monsters, slicing at whichever ones came closest. She’d use barriers to stop some advancing so she could focus on taking out one or two at a time, using her Martial Training to read the movements of her enemies to keep them at bay. They only needed to hold them off for a little bit longer, maybe, possibly…!

The dropkick was a bit difficult to manage with the thrashing and shifting, but with a yell of determination Sakura’s foot slammed home. Electricity shot through the monster with a loud ‘crack’, and it lost all tangibility before sinking through the floor. It might not be dead, but it was out of the fight at least.

For her part, Ronins interjection would draw much heat from Lysandra, who nodded in approval as she located the precise spot needed and got to work. But all that fancy Martial Training would only go so far as the group of smaller creatures sought to pounce and drag her to the ground by brute force. Could she endure their assault a bit longer?

“Switch, Loli!” Sakura said, as she inhaled breath, to get herself back into rhythm. She eyed her coated fists. “Time to make some more damage!” She said as she charged the smaller creatures with forward flips, and began punching to try and stagger and swat them away from Ronin. There were simply too many to go for the kill but if she could manage an elastic defense by striking opponents out of the way, they would manage… hopefully.

Sakura shouted out to switch, and Ronin rolled backwards to avoid a blow and let Sakura forward flip above her to punch into the enemy Ronin had been about to be pounced by. Ronin got back up on her feet, smiled a bit, and then resumed the protection of Lysandra by cutting at ethereal monsters that were getting too close for comfort. Frankly, she was starting to run low on magic, maintaining the barriers on both her sword and Sakura’s fists, and all that had been happening before that. Still, it was time for teamwork, and she’d help keep the monsters away from Lysandra for a bit longer!

Shrieks filled the air as Sakura clashed with the horde of ravenous monsters, pushing back and doing her best to keep herself from getting outflanked. Ronin helped with that last one, protecting Lysandra too. Sakura would find some success, though she was starting to accrue an unsightly amount of scratches and cuts from slashing fangs and biting teeth.

No doubt she would have gone down too, but she did not. Lysandra finished driving the last spike in, and fished a detonator from the rest of her gear. “This might get a bit bumpy,” she warned her companions. “Here goes nothing!”

With the press of a button a high pitched whine filled the air as the four spikes attuned and directed their vibrations towards the central point. The ground rumbled and the monsters reared back, moments before large cracks lanced up the pillar. Then, with the sound of shattering glass, chunks of the crystal fell away to reveal the glowing object within.

Lysandra wasted little time as she leapt upwards and grabbed the glowing object as it hung in midair. Hopefully it was what she had said it was, and that it lived up to expectations. As she landed, she marshaled her magic and triggered an Overcity Shift. “We’re out of here!”

The trio vanished in a warping of space, leaving behind the monsters that sought to do unspeakable things to them. With the trio departing, the monsters would leave too, slipping back through the wall that had admitted them here in the first place. Monsters snapped and roared their frustration, and a blond girl with rainbow wings giggled maniacally as she sank back through the floor. Peace descended once more.

As for the trio, they appeared in the parking lot of a department store several towns away from Penrose itself. It would be a bit of a trip back, but given how distance worked in the Overcity it wasn’t much of a surprise. Better than being eaten by monsters at least. Lysandra took a deep breath as she relaxed, mentally bracing herself before she made the effort to look at her prize.

Sakura felt the breeze of the city on her stinging wounds, as she looked at Lee Sanders and Ronin, before pulling out a crumpled packet from her waist, and extracting a white tube from it, pressed it against her lips, lighting it with a simple spark before she made a deep inhale as she smoked.

"Bit of a scrap, that one. You did well, loli. Least you're not an entirely fake gaijin pretender." Sakura added, as she looked at Lee Sanders. "So that the stuff thingie, yah? Must be worth a lot."

‘Woah, that was a show…’ Ronin sighed out, wincing a bit as they’d come back to their world. Then, sensei praised her, instantly boosting the tiny wannabe samurai’s energy level. ‘Thank you, sensei! You were great, too!’ she immediately said, smiling and bowing to Sakura. Then, attention went to Lysandra, and the item she got.

‘Is the shard we were looking for? Is it safe, now?’ Ronin asked, looking curiously at it.

Glancing over at Sakura, Lysandra held back a scowl as she clutched her prize protectively. “Incredibly. Dimensions colliding with anything surviving is very rare. Don’t worry, you’ll get paid fairly.” So long as Sakura didn’t try to steal what they had come to acquire, of course.

Ignoring Ronin for a moment, Lysandra carefully unclenched her hand. Still glowing, a jagged spike laid in her grip, slightly larger than her palm. To call it crystal though would be to undervalue this material. It was captivating to the naked eye, swirling with exotic structures and patterns, a testament to the forces it had been subjected.

“I’ll have to run some tests, but this should be it. We won’t have any more problems,” she confirmed once she had inspected her prize.

"It hurts to look at." Sakura said, as she blew out a bunch of smoke out of her mouth. "Just be careful about that. Run the wrong experiment, and a horror poop is eating some poor bitch's face away." She eventually gave in to her tiredness and squatted on the ground.

‘Well, if something goes wrong, just post another bounty and we, or someone, will be on their way!’ Ronin called, chuckling a little.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Lysandra agreed with a nod. “It was a pleasure working with you.” Judging by how she was positioned when she said it, it was clear that that comment was directed more towards Ronin than Sakura, at least at present. But she left things as they were as she began walking back towards Penrose. The sooner she could begin her tests, no doubt the happier she would be.

Regardless of how one felt about the personalities involved, it had been a successful mission.

Three girls approached the entrance of the Sanctuary. One had long white hair, striking ice blue eyes, and a calm, almost disarming aura about her. Following behind were twins wearing elegant black dresses adorned with roses, one had plum colored hair with curled ponytails while the other had mostly short royal blue hair. Speaking with the one posted at the door they requested speaking with Penny Asimov.

The girl posted at the door was outside the Sanctuary rather than inside it as normal, they also seemed to be out of uniform, either that or their uniform was rather mundane compared to normal. Baggy cargo pants, and a large zipper jacket. The hood was up, but the girl in question was leaning up against the wall looking towards the sky so her face wasn’t fully hidden. And long neon blue hair could be seen spilling from within the hood as well.

“Newcomers looking for the Queen?” The girl would ask, still gazing skyward “Mind if I ask what it is you’re wanting to talk with her about?”

Taking a little more time to observe the one before her, Kayli offered a smile. Drawing on memories not her own was still a bit slow for her. ”I wish to be of assistance to you and the inhabitants. My name is Kayli Devon, the Keeper of the Keys. However, you may more recognize my predecessors, Cindy and the Howell sisters.” She offered some vague, yet apparently truthful information about herself.

Penny would adjust her gaze towards three girls in front of her, taking a closer look at all three of them with a guarded look in her still golden eyes. Locking eyes with Kayli after a moment “And how exactly did this latest twist come to be?”

”The twins attempted to make use of a wish and I was the result.” She answered calmly.

Sitting forward Penny would maintain eye contact, before speaking softly “Running full system diagnostics. Machine status: Fully operational. Combat Stations: Online. All Systems: Primed and Ready.” A short transformation sequence later and the Queen was no longer in hiding.

“And what assistance is it that you want to provide to me and mine?” She would ask still sitting, though the pressure of her presence was notably greater now that she was no longer sealed.

She opened her mouth for a moment but paused briefly as if considering something. It wasn’t long before she continued. ”I am made up of your friends. Facets of their personalities and memories. My magic has been altered though so I may provide others with purification unassisted. That is my primary purpose. But I do wish to fulfill some of the goals Janet, Jenna, and Cindy did. I can help with defense in the form of wards and maintain the peace with my own inherent presence.” She offered. For the moment she was acting a little like Janet with her straight forward answers. There certainly didn’t seem to be any attempt to hide anything.

“So, potions and Coins still, just cutting out the middleman.” Penny would say with an amused lilt as she stood. “I take it Alicia doesn’t know about this” She would say more than ask, knowing that if Alicia had Penny would have learned before just now.

“And what about them?” Penny would go on before Kayli could answer, nodding at the rose themed girls that flanked the Keeper of Keys. “Who are they?” She would ask looking at the girls in question willing to let them answer in place of Kayli if they wanted.

Rose waved a bit, somewhat excited. ”Good to see you, uh, again? I think we’ve met. You can call me Rose.”

The blue haired girl hadn’t entirely been paying attention, looking around from time to time. Now she just nodded a bit. ”Iris. We are the Keeper’s Guard”

Kayli let out a little sigh as she turned back to Penny. ”Hilde tried to pull the Howell’s out of the magic from the wish and got caught up in the transformation as well. They are my allies and defenders. It is unfortunate, but we are unable to change our fates now.” She shrugged a bit. The two other girls didn’t seem to mind Kayli implying that they served her.

Penny would nod as she folded her arms across her middle as she continued to examine the three before her. She would be silent for a few moments, obviously contemplating. “You are free to enter Sanctuary, it’s never been my prerogative to turn away those that find this place, nor am I going to change that anytime soon.” She would start once again settling her focus on Kayli “But there are two things I want to cover with you before you head inside. First is a promise I made to those within the Sanctuary.”

“I promised that I would never enforce purification on them, as I know that there are some that prefer their new found forms. To say nothing of the fact that they have been forced to lose the form they had before. Know that if you break that promise of mine there will be consequences.” She would explain firmly.

“Secondly, if they ask, you get to explain what happened to Cindy. I won’t announce it to them that you used to be her, but Cindy and Janet did put me in an uncomfortable spot for a moment. So if it comes up, it is your responsibility to explain it.”

“If you can agree to those two points we won’t have any complications going forward.” Penny would conclude comfortably. “Any questions?”

”I agree to and with your terms. I may be tasked with purification, but I would much prefer it be done by choice. And who I was is not as important in my opinion. It might be better to consider me as inspired by the others.” Her mood shifted a bit as her smile brightened up. This process was going to have to be repeated when she went to talk with Alicia. There had been some internal debate on who she should go to first. Eventually the Sanctuary won out as the wish was primarily made for them.

“I consider you someone new compared to who it is that comprised your memories.” Penny would say “I’ve enough experience with splitting and stitching the soul than to assume you are the same as them. But not everyone is going to be the same, and I’m not going to be the one feilding the questions when people start asking.” Silently Penny wondered how the Sanctuary would feel to learn that the Cindy copy was now gone. Mostly relieved she was willing to bet, but her being the one to tell them might not be received too well considering how poorly her first announcement of it went.

“Regardless, welcome to Sanctuary”

”I see no reason to bring it up. I’m telling you because I trust you. If it does come up then I will explain as best I can.” Seemed the best direction to go. ”And thank you. Even though I’ve never been here myself, I miss the place.” She gave a warm smile as she was let in.

Penny would nod once again, some of her cold demeanor finally bleeding away as she turned to lead the way. “Follow me, I’ll introduce you to Dina. She’s the Regent so she’ll want to meet you as well.” With that she would open the door and step inside.

From there she would lead the three back into Penny’s room. It was larger than most of the other rooms in the Sanctuary and was divided into two parts, one was a sitting room. Which had a halfway decent couch and a couple jury rigged chairs around a rough metal coffee table that had a handmade metal chess board set up on it.

The other part was the bedroom, which rather than actually having a bed held a large nest of blankets and a night stand that had a plush doll of Penny and a small lamp.

Dina for the most part, was curled up atop the massive pile of blankets, her tail swishing lazily as she waited for a couple of catmaids to serve her a snack. She had gone through a lot of experiences, and since she had managed to convince that despite the gruesome toll the bakenekos sustained during the attack. Her eyes rested lazily on the opening door as she stretched into a more graceful position, scanning the new arrival.

“Your Highness? Fancy a snack?” She said, questioning Penny, as she ushered the maids to go and increase the snack amount.

“I’m fine Dina, don’t want to dip into the screws at the moment.” Penny would say as she walked into the sleeping area “Brought along company though. A few new faces that want to help defend Sanctuary, they are also bringing Purification expertise.”

Seeming more at home inside, Kayli took a brief moment to look around while being led down. Probably the most notable thing aside from the people there was the statue to Cindy. That perhaps added a little context to what Penny had said earlier.

Regardless when presented to Dina, Kayli gave a respectful little bow with Rose and Iris following her lead. ”It’s a pleasure to meet you Dina. I hope we aren’t interrupting. My name is Kayli Devon and these are my allies, Rose and Iris Silva.”

Dina’s eyes went back and forth with the trio of people that had come in. She was about to greet them with a smile, when the word “Purification” was slung around. Her wariness then kicked into full gear and assumed a neutral expression.

“Pleasure is all mine.” She said in a rather cold addressing. “And I am the one that should be asked for leave. This is her Highness room after all. However, If I am bold to assume, I would say she wishes me to make sure you all feel welcome with the due respect you deserve.”

She paused for a moment. “Would you care for a snack?”

Thus far Dina kept her cool as expected. Though this was just the beginning. ”If it isn’t too much trouble that would be lovely.” Kayli responded back.

“Not at all. Just the usual” She said, as she snapped her fingers to signal the squad of maids.

"I brought them here to meet you" Penny would confirm once greetings were exchanged. "They didn't come seeking refuge like most of those here, they came looking to give assistance." She would explain pulling over one of the chairs. "Both as defender and warders, but also in offering purification to those who want it."

Dina's wariness about purification was known to Penny, as she held some of her own concerns on the topic as well. Which was the main reason she wanted to introduce everyone. More eyes on Kayli to help keep things going smooth, and make sure she wasn't taking advantage of the girls here.

"Dina is the Regent." Penny would turn towards Kayli and her followers "I'm not always available, for a host of reasons, but she speaks with my voice when I'm not available"

Nodding to the explanation, the three visitors took a seat. ”Yes. I have heard of this place as a refuge for those that are hunted or may not have a home. While I am not a monster girl myself I am quite familiar with the hardships they experience. I understand that this facility was attacked recently. I can create defenses to hide and ward off others from slipping in unannounced.” She would begin with something relevant, since it was surely a fresh topic.

Dina took a small breath as she looked at the newcomers. “It’s not the first time I have heard this plight. Not the last time I shall hear of it.” The catgirl then licked one of her hands and adjusted one of her ears, as her sight pierced. “It’s either folly, or hides ulterior motives. Especially if you pair it with the Purification, the anathema that Beacon has for monster girls.” She paused. “We’re not in a position to be exactly trusting, even if you are truly sincere.”
“I’ve met you before. Not with this face. But not with this name either. Yet the paradigm stays the say. How can the purifier support the corrupted?”

”Why must it always be so black and white? I don’t wish to purify those who refuse it. Not everyone is unhappy with how they are. And that is perfectly fine. I am not beholden to anyone, much less Beacon. They may agree with some things I do, but I doubt their leadership at large will be happy with me before long. An unfortunate but necessary consequence if one actually wishes to operate beyond their rigid mindset.” Her eyes narrowed a bit, but the move almost seemed in jest as she brightened up again. Waving a hand next to her she couldn’t help but smile. ”Besides, what I offer is far more refined than any potion or coin. There are some mental mutations that are less than helpful to themselves and those around them. Individual mutations can be selectively removed while leaving the rest of someone as they are.”

Folding her hands in her lap, Kayli kept her eyes on Dina. ”If it is the case that you do not want or need anything from me though that is just as well. Penrose has enough going on to keep anyone occupied.” An understatement if there ever was one. Sanctuary or no, her work was cut out for her.

Penny was tempted to point out the hypocrisy of asking for a non black and white out look while painting Beacon in purely black and white roles, but didn’t really want to hash out that argument at the moment. She made no secret about her status as a Beacon member to the girls here, she never had, but somehow people kept forgetting it.

“Sanctuary is open to all who need it” She would say instead “Even if we turn down your offer of purification, healers and defenders are always welcome. Though we would need to move before S.E.P. wards started to work again I think”

“Yet, for it to stay open… certain agreements have to be made.” Dina said. “T’was never about the black or white… but more of what it appears to be. Sanctuary can’t afford to be murked down.” She paused. “Thing is, we’re just a bunch of misfits. But we’re not exactly rebels. Your offer is welcome, however, it is folly to assume that people will agree with such… outlook you have quite easily.” Dina said.

“I know you mean well.” She paused. “But you must be careful about it. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, as they say.” She perked up, when she smelled the tray of tea and pastries her cat girls had managed to bring in to serve. “Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but I cannot afford to drag Sanctuary into more than we can chew.”

“So, here’s the thing.” She perked. “You never ever mentioned purification. You are just a healer who for some reason, likes tea and biscuits.” Dina said nonchalantly. “Don’t advertise what you’re capable of. Start little by little.” She added.

“That way we can see how serious you are.”

Kayli listened carefully, and for a moment she didn’t seem to catch Dina’s drift. Were her sensibilities not as mellowed out she might have taken offense. Presented with tea and the pastry she took part and thanked the maids with a smile. Mulling it over she eventually nodded in agreement. ”Yes, you are right.” She held the cup and saucer daintily, clearly versed in some etiquette when presented something more familiar.

Looking between Dina and Penny she chuckled to herself a bit. ”I am glad I came. Things are still a bit confusing for me and I could use some grounding. I would love to assist you in any way I can.” Taking a sip of her tea the tension in her body relaxed a bit. It wasn’t something she realized was happening. She really didn’t want to screw this up, and given who she was there was ample opportunity for that.

Penny waved off the maid that approached her with a smile. The serving tray was filled with bits of polished scrap from the looks of it and Penny would have to remember to thank them for the thought next chance she got.

"It's nothing against you" Penny would say after giving everyone a chance to settle in with their tea. "More so that the last time wide scale free purification was brought up here in the Sanctuary it nearly ended badly." She would look down as she contemplated how to go about explaining things. "I have contacts due to my connections. Who provided some potions and coins for the sake of offering what you now offer. Few trusted it then, it's not much better now"

"Oh, I see. She glanced at Rose and Iris for a moment before looking back to Penny. "I don't want to create more trouble if it can be avoided." Apparently she would have to shelve some of her ideas for the time being. To an extent it conflicted with the purpose of her creation. She still wanted to help everyone here as best she could, and there were many ways to do that so it would be alright.

“There’s more help than just fancy abilities who tend to attract attention.” Dina said. “You could run errands. Not all girls here have… amenable appearances, as you might have surmised.”

“Shoring up defenses is something else, as well as medical help” Penny would add “Most of the wards on this place are to prevent people from finding it which is quickly proving to be no longer any real defense. And there are only a few girls that live here full time that have access to magic that can help heal.”

“I appreciate the offer, and I feel that you do genuinely want to help the girls here.” Penny would say before sighing a bit “It’s just that the timing of it all that’s the issue. Some of the girls here are still unsettled due to an attack that happened recently, same day as the purification announcement in fact. Slow and steady is the best way at the moment otherwise they are going to scatter and then no one gets helped.”

For the most part the two other girls had waited quietly. Beginning to see a pattern though Iris would speak up. "I think we get it. Kayli can let her passion get ahead of her sometimes. Rose and I can keep an eye on her. Slow her down." Catching a slightly surprised look from Kayli, Iris gave her a cheeky grin. Keeping their leader out of trouble was their job after all.

“Believe me… It’s not the first time I have seen tempers very hard to control.” Dina said, as she stared at the trio. “So, are we in agreement?” She said, eyeing Penny first and then the trio of girls.

“I’m fine with this” Penny would agree with a nod.

”I can agree with that.” Kayli would confirm. The two others would nod as well.

“Then we have reached a consensus. Let us enjoy the tea then.” Dina said, as she began to cat-lick her own brew. “We can hash out details later.”

Sometimes, ruling did have their own sort of unsavoury things and awkward bed partners. It had been a while since Penny had decided to make her an important person in her cabinet. Of course, the memories of both the Mariette raid and the subsequent attack were fresh. Above all, Dina was becoming painfully more aware and aware that Cindy’s demise had not been the opportunity she had once hoped to be.

It had been a very dire warning. One that made her rethink the whole status quo of the city.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing“ Dina said, she sipped her iced tea on one of the still shops that like weeds, still stubbornly surviving in the near empty city. This reeked of a warzone to her memories, albeit one of a shadow war. While her appearance as a monster girl was not usually a concern, she had taken extra care to make an effort and appear as a human girl this time.

“Well, we’re not exactly men, but we must give it a shot I think.” Dina said, as she awaited. She had pulled this unlikely information out of the Queen herself. And the first time they saw each other, they were on opposing sides.

And yet, they had almost reached a compromise. She had felt bad things had fallen through. And Mariette, as bound as she had been bound to help her, had a terrible master who had actually tricked the well-meaning but utterly clueless Beach Guardian in a conflict that had been Anathema to it all.

So, it was time for a chat in neutral territory. With Alicia. She had laid some groundwork, but she did not fully expect her to show up.

it was interesting, Alicia noted to herself as she walked down sparsely populated streets. She was used to being contacted by Penny, but being told that there was someone in the Sanctuary who might want to speak with her was a bit more unusual. That it had actually happened even stranger still. From what she’d been told, the two groups rarely found reason to intermingle, aside from coincidence.

Dressed in a heavy coat to brace against the cold, Alicia made her way to the cafe that she had been directed to in the message. Truth be told, she wasn’t sure what she intended to accomplish with this. Humor a friend/ Make new allies? Raise the flag? It was all kind of up in the air. So she resolved to be flexible and play things by ear. It was the best way to approach an uncertain situation

at last she arrived at the cafe. It was not hard to figure out who she was here to meet, given there was basically no one else besides employees around. ”Dinah, I assume?” she asked as she took a seat across from the tea sipping girl.

“Indeed.” Dina said as she called the waitress to serve Alicia. “As surprising as it might be, lady Hayden.” The disguised catgirl said. “It’s a change...from how we first met, don’t you think?” She added, offering a small smile.

”Most situations are pretty different from that,” Alicia observed as she glanced at the menu. She settled for some hot chocolate, to balance out the cold that currently afflicted them outside. ”So, what did you want to talk about?’

Dina raised an eyebrow at the choice of the senior Beacon leader, but did not comment further. Trust youths to have a sweet tooth. "Take a look around. What do you think you see?"

Alicia glanced out the window before returning her focus to Dina. ”So, cooperation to get the city back on its feet then? Or is this about the Ascendancy?” Those were the two things that immediately sprang to mind based on the prompt she had been given.

"The second is merely a consequence of the former." Dina said. "This city's future...does not bode well at all. High handed has become the common language… and as such, everything suffers. Both magical and non magical worlds are intertwined like vines." She added. "And a difficult choice is slowly but creeping in. Peace paid in blood, or Justice over ashes."

An eyebrow rose as Dina laid out her view in eloquent language. Still, Alicia did her best to cut through that to the heart of what she was trying to say. ”And which of those do you value most? For those who would disturb the peace must be brought to justice, lest they continue to scheme unchecked.” Like Mariette, or Justine.

Dina said. "It's a terrible choice, indeed… but If I were to say I prefer to bring the former. Scheming is part of any being, and there will be no shortage of schemers. All doctors seek to undo all ailments, but sometimes a triage has to be made."

"Would I ever meet with you if I did not think that sometimes It's better the evil you know, as they say?"

”I see.” Alicia did her best to overlook the fact that she was being described as an ‘evil’ in the first place, albeit a lesser one. ”I take it that’s why you chose to join in the defense of Mariette the last time that we met? She is one of the more egregious schemers after all.”

Dina's lips curled in a slight frown. "My patron was not the smartest tool in the shed. He was tricked in believing it so. And I honour commitments. Nevertheless, Dan has taken one of Mariette's most powerful artifacts and locked it down until she behaves. Trickery comes at a price."

An eyebrow rose as Alicia took in what Dina had said. She recalled Janet mentioning something like that, though those details had been from a different perspective. Interesting to know, though perhaps not that helpful at present. At least she knew a bit more than she had before.

For now she left that behind, to approach the actual details of this plan. ”So how did you intend to go about creating this peace? Some sort of conference of big factions, or playing middleman to keep people from taking shots at each other.” Even if Beacon agreed after all, one would still have to convince everyone else who might ruin that peace.

"That would be ideal yes, but not all factions care about reputation in that way to work… unlike real world state affairs." Dina said. "We cannot be at peace… but we can scale things down to a cold war."

Her gaze became unfocused for a brief moment. Those words brought bad memories. "Standoffish attitude is already taken care of, unfortunately. We need a sort of Red Phone to avoid escalation."

"Like Mariette calling friends, Justine calling allies… What was a feud between two magical girls dragged half of Penrose with it. I am sure you did notice."

Dina then looked at the rest of the cafe, and the lack of crowds."I am not sure how many of these escalations this otherwise industrious city can take, If I am being honest with you."

”Yes, I noticed,” Alicia replied, verging on a grumble without entirely expressing that exasperation. So she could see what Dina was going for. That said, it was not necessarily a foolproof decision. ”That only worked because of the threat of mutually assured destruction. There is no verifiable way to claim that the destruction of Penrose is assured, aside from personal feelings. And there’s enough people who don’t respect Mint or Beacon that a ‘Red phone’ would only be of limited use. Unless i’m misunderstanding what you’re aiming for.”

“The scale of it, mainly. We need to round up as many pragmatic people as we can across factions, and get them in touch. It’s true that there’s no shortage of rash individuals.” She placed the teacup on the saucer dainty, with a small clatter. “People like you are far rarer.”

“We have had attempts to reach out in the past… but how do I say, they seemed as if they were meant to appease someone’s conscience rather than actually helping a fellow. They did lack the weight of commanding.” She stared at the Beacon girl.

“I was that hydra, you know.” She then promptly revealed.

Alicia barely reacted as Dina revealed the other role she had played in the last fight. ”So you were,” she answered, her tone measured and calm. It wasn’t as if that hydra had fought her, and it only played a small part in her general frustration with the event.

For now, she did her best to move on. ”Regardless, I am open to the idea. If you can provide proof that it will work as you hope it will.” She had been led astray by words before. She would be a fool if she let it happen again.

Dina sighed. "If i was able to produce proof beyond doubt, would I even be talking to you and not your superior?" The catgirl said. "Fortunately, It is not as the world will end tomorrow. I may be able to gather some good will in the meantime." She paused. "I heard that there was a nasty attack on the Cardinal. How is she?"

While Dina pointed out the fairly obvious, Alicia found it hard to be sympathetic. After all, her weight was only really good with the Sanctuary, and if that were a problem then Dina wouldn’t be here. ”Well then, let me know if you make any progressOur word may not be all that much in bringing people on board.”

Sipping her drink, Alicia turned to the matter of the Cardinal. ”On the mend. Things were tense for a bit there, but she was able to pull it out with some help.” Luckily for everyone involved. Otherwise there would have been no check on Rachel’s authority

"Hmm, less bloodshed. That is… good." Dina said. She then pulled a pen and some paper from her purse, and began scribbling in exquisite penmanship, before she handed the paper to Alicia. "My contact details." She added.

Alicia took the paper, glancing at it before slipping it into a coat pocket. ”Do you want mine?” she asked, more out of courtesy than anything. After all, Penny had her number, so Dina could always just ask her if it was needed.

“I could use it. Her highness it’s not a phone company… I mean, she might as well be, but that is beside the point.” Dina said, tilting her head.

Nodding, Alicia picked up a nearby napkin and jotted her number down on it. Once finished, she passed it over to Dina. ”There. Now you can skip the help line.”

“Brilliant.” Dina said, offering a smile. If her ears and tail were out, her tail would be stiff and up like a pole. “Here is some little extra. From Saladin to Richard.” Dina added as she pulled a small bag, with a glittering substance. “Some fairy dust. I could get some unicorn horn if need be. For your leader.” She added.

It took Alicia a moment to figure out what reference Dina was making, partially because she wasn’t that old and partially because the normal school system didn’t go that deep into the crusades unless you were taking a particular class. But once she’d figured it out she would nod and take the offered bag. She didn’t imagine it would be needed, but it would be rude to refuse.

”Thank you, but this should be alright,” she assured Dina. ”I’m afraid I didn’t bring anything for you though.” she might need to start doing that in the future, if these sorts of diplomatic meetings were to become more common.

“Your presence is a good enough gift.” Dina stated. “I do like these sorts of meetings… unlike most girls with my condition. Mine is surprisingly much more manageable.” The catgirl said. “I’d love to stay and enjoy more company, but I am afraid we might be accused of colluding.” Dina said, waiving the waitress for the bill.

””Fair enough,’ Alicia agreed with a shrug. That was probably more of a problem for Dina than herself. It wasn’t as if she had not dealt with those sorts of accusations before. ”I’ll look forward to your next message then. I hope you find success in your project.”

“Be well, this city needs you.” Dina said, as she paid the expenses, before draping her skirt in a curtsy and leaving with measured steps.

Alicia observed Dina leave, taking some time to finish her hot chocolate before she considered doing the same. ”No pressure,” she muttered, with the hint of a smile to accompany it. It seemed there was still plenty going on these days.

With Oros’s newly hired staff putting in the work, there was little Oros had to do to keep things moving smoothly. Aria and Binky were a lucky break, perhaps the luckiest break in all of this.

To kill some time, she was walking around at night. Her shoes making light crushing sounds as she walked through the snow. Was it going to be Christmas soon? She felt like that was four or five months ago for some reason. But if that was the case, they should be on the tail end of spring. Well whatever.

"Man." Oros thought to herself. "Sure is boring right now. It would be really cool if I could just sorta bump into someone."

And since this is supposed to be a collab, she was bound to bump into someone eventually. That someone being a certain Eliza, albeit untransformed at the moment.

"Er, pardon me." She excused herself, intending to walk past.

Eliza didn’t get to take more than a few steps before Oros grabbed her shoulder. "Wait a second." Oros walked backwards untill she was in front of Eliza again. "This meeting of ours was fated by those who write the history of our world." She retracted her hands and shoved them into her pockets. "There must be a reason why destiny brought us together."

Eliza comically blinked. Once. Twice.

"Uh...I don't know. Fate seems to like pulling fast ones on me, but whatever floats your boat." She shrugged, then held a hand out for Oros to shake. "I'm Eliza."

"I know." Oros took Eliza’s hand and gave it a firm shake, sliding her thumb along her knuckles. "I’m Oros. But more importantly, what has a girl like you walking around at this hour?"

"To be fair...nothing much. I don't get alot of downtime like this, so there isn't much to do besides hunt monsters or scry on people. Among other things." The witch looked around. "Though I can't complain. With everything that's happened and will happen, it's good to get some rest."

"The future, huh?" Oros started to grin. "The past is history, the future is a mystery, and now is a treasure. That’s why it’s called the present." She chuckled at that increadibly lame bit of philosophy she got out of a fortune cookie. She ate a lot more of those now that she owned an oriental themed hotel. "Your future can’t be any more bleak than the one I see coming, but lay it on me anyway, I’m curious now."

"See, there's this Christmas party coming up, and concidering how the last shindig ended, I'm worried someone will be stupid enough to crash that too." Eliza confided to Oros. She crossed her arms. "It's bad enough my boss is worried about things going to Hell-in-a-teapot due to the current power inbalance. And since things aren't even trying to be better, I can see why."

"Oh, you got a ticket to that too?" Oros held up the ticket that Emily had given her, turning it over in her hand. "I dunno. I mean I get it, people like to turn fun things into not-so-fun things. But even when there isn’t a distraction, look at how damn impassive everyone is? Penrose is a shitting crater, and magical girls are still patrolling the place like there’s something here worth protecting.." Her eyes moved onto Eliza’s. "Any reason why you hang around here? And don’t say ‘because my patron wants me to,’ because that’s not a real answer. "

Eliza furrowed her brows when she looked back at Oros. "Well someone's gotta keep the two powerhouses here from starting the apocalypse."

Oros laughed. "Yea, it seems that Beacon has really pulled ahead of Mint in that regard. The fact that Mint is even considered a superpower at this point is pretty laughable. I think Penny and her sanctuary probably has more going for them than the mint does, at least in terms of a presence in Penrose. But she’s on their side, so I guess they’re pretty much the same thing." Oros’s laughter died down with a sigh. "I think people talk enough about that shit though." She pointed over her shoulder with her thumb. "Wanna do something cool? I own a whole hotel now, got a game room and everything. But if you still wanna hunt monsters, we could go kill a few."

"...Eh, what the heck, I can game a bit. Lead the way." Eliza shrugged again, stuffing a hand into her pocket.

"That’s cool. I wanna regail you with the tale of my heroic victory over the Mint. Right this way, ma’am!"

---

It didn’t take the two more than a few minutes to find their way back into the game room. It hadn’t changed much since Eliza had her going away party with all the Cradle agents earlier. Only now Oros was here, and there was a lot of alcoholic beverages on a catering table that one of Binky’s clones had rolled out.

"…And then Al was all like ‘Wow, you’re pretty strong, even the ace of spades is no match for you borrito!’ Just a FYI I have no idea why he called me a burrito. Probably because I kicked his ass so bad that he had to drop the fake Italian gig. I always knew he was Mexican, but I’m getting side tracked! He handed Betty over to me, and pleaded with me to spare his life." Oros took a shot. "Also he had an inept bodyguard that totally wasn’t able to just no-sell my attack because they were on guard." She burped. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Eliza appeared dumbfounded at the story, despite knowing that most of it was bull thanks to her light magic. She took a sip of her drink. "Well uh, other than most of the bullshit you made up to look cool, I'm glad you got Betty back for us."

"Did you just call me out? After I invited you in here to play games and shit?" Oros stroked her chin. "I suppose I did bend the truth pretty far that time. There no way anyone wouldn’t instantly understand why they were called a burrito."

Eliza then gave Oros a comical look. "But what's the catch?"

Oros blinked. "The, the catch?" She placed her hands on her hips. "The catch…" Her eyes drifted from Eliza’s face down the front of her body, to her short-shorts, and finally her exposed legs. "The… Catch…" She wiggled her fingers. "The catch is, that she’s going to help me out." Oros’s eyes shot up to meet Eliza’s with a smile. "She has an important job, and nobody can do it but her." She traced circles with her finger on a nearby pool table. "But I’m not holding her against her will or anything. Did you want to see her?"

The comical look faded when Eliza was asked if she wanted to see Betty. "Sure. I gotta catch her up on what's happened during her capture."

"B-but before that..." Oros took a few steps closer to Eliza. "I mean, uh, I'm really bad at picking up subtle hints. Was there suppose to be a catch? Was I suppose to ask you to do something for me?" Her eyes shifted side to side. "Just asking for a friend is all."

The witch gave her a reassuring smile. "Hey, you're fine! I wasn't sure if you were allied with Cradle or not. Just wanted to make sure you won't stab us in the back or something." She waved it off, then looked Oros dead in the eye.

"You won't stab us in the back...right?"

The beast girl blinked. "You’re a light girl, huh? One of those babes that can’t be lied to. Well, not in an obvious manner anyway." She sighed and folded her arms. "Gotta say, kinda hurts having an accusation thrown at you after rescuing one of your agents. Guess that’s the world we live in now." Oros sighed. "But to answer your question, I have no desire to stab Cradle in the back. That could change with time, but it seems unlikely." Oros pulled up a pager and clicked a button on it.

The witch frowned. Did she go too far? "Forgive me. It's hard for me to let my guard down these days. Like I said, you're fine." She apologized.



A white and black blur flew into the room and whipped out all three of its massive swords. ”Huzzah!” She turned to look at Eliza. ”Hold on a second! You’re a cradle agent!”

"Betty, Eliza, Eliza, Betty." Oros waved her hand between the two girls as she introduced them. "Don’t you guys have mental intercoms or something?"

”Actually, the brainwashing seems to have locked me out of that. I’ve mostly been keeping in touch with Trixy and Tetrad when I get a moment to myself.” She inched closer to Eliza. ”Actually, I think we’ve met before. You were at a few Cradle meetings, right? I don’t think we exchanged many words.” She nodded. ”They didn’t tell me everything but, a lot’s changed, hasn’t it?”

Eliza waved when Betty made her grand entrance. "You didn't miss much. Cindy got assassinated and Penny took her place as queen; the rave was a bust, people got mass murdered. We had to keep Justine and Beacon from killing Mariette and succeeded, not to mention Maura's the new leader now. Oh yeah!" She pulled out her invitation and copied it, giving the second one to Betty. "There's a Christmas party coming up and I'm sure as hell it's gonna get hijacked, wanna join?

”Um!” Betty could do little else other than just hold onto the ticket Eliza had handed her. ”That sounds like a lot.”

"At least a year’s worth of posting." Oros cackled.

”Well, I wouldn’t mind hearing about it all in more detail but-” She ran over to Oros, still holding the ticket. ”I’m going to be done with the super important task in time to join the party, right?”

She shrugged. "I uh, don’t really know when it’s happening. But probably?"

”Yes!” Betty pulled Oros into a hug. ”And I’m going to make sure that whatever evil threatens the party, I’ll make sure to slay it with impunity!” She still had an arm around Oros when she swung her sword through the air. ”Just point out the enemy and I’ll cut them down!”

Eliza chuckled at Betty's optimism. Atleast one of them was confident, even after getting kidnapped. Speaking of... "Did the Mint hurt you any? I can let Maura know to reconnect you to the magicoms but other than that-" She clicked her tongue at the realization. "Damn, we gotta get more healers with us." She shook her head. Remedy was out and the twins were dead, what could she do? Maybe one of them had a healing artifact?

”Oh I’m fine! I can’t remember much after the rave.” Betty held up a tiny cracked lantern. ”I’ve got this healing artifact though, so my physical injuries have all been taken care of. I was in touch with Veronica long enough to verify I had no problems, just my access to the network is down.”

"Right, I'll see about having Maura get you back online later." Eliza nodded. She then looked around, then back at the two. "So, now what?"

"We originally came here to play games, right?" Oros spread her arms. "Take your pick."

”Darts!” Betty prepared to throw one of her daggers at the dart board when Oros offered her a dart. Which she gently removed from her hand.

"Fine with me." Eliza casually shrugged, grabbing a few darts and waiting her turn.

---

”that was really fun!” She hopped into the air and punched over her head. ”I guess I should talk with Maura at some point. First impressions are important!"

"Guess I can let you go." Oros bowed to Betty, who returned the gesture before darting out of the game room. Before Eliza could depart with Betty, Oros placed her hand on her shoulder. "So earlier, you asked if I would back stab you or not. I said I had no intention of doing something like that, but it is important that you realize that my answer was conditional. If you give me reason to betray you, I will." Oros`s eyes softened. "But I really like you guys, so I hope you don't break my heart." She stepped in front of Eliza. "Speaking of hearts, are uh, in no, going to the party like, 'with' anyone?"

Eliza silently listen to Oros, then calmly smiled. "Now why would I do that on purpose, hm? Maura would have my head if I alienated a possible ally." When the party was mentioned, her eyebrows rose. "Like a date?? Not really. Why, what's up?"

"Well, certainly not for a date!" Oros placed her hands on her hips. "I was just curious what you were doing." Before Eliza could call out Oros for lying again, she clarified. "It’s been a while since I’ve gone to a party or anything of that nature. Wasn’t sure if people were like, showing up with their friends and shit like that." She looked away. "But if the person I wanna go with isn’t available… Anyway, we’ll see. It probably doesn’t matter." Oros walked out of the game room. "You’d better catch up with Betty. I’ve only known her for a few days, and she seems like the kind of person who has difficulty navigating. Does she even know where Maura is?"

The witch shrugged. "Platonic date then?" She walked out of the game room behind Oros. When Maura was mentioned, she looked around for any shadows. "As far as I know, Maura likes to lurk through shadow, dark places, yknow? Her type of magic connects them on an interdimentional plane or something." Eliza explained, calling the necromancer through magicoms just in case.

"I didn’t, actually." She turned around. "Also um, I’m going to my office. Is there a reason you’re following me? Do you really want a date that badly?"

Eliza stopped to give Oros an unamused look, despite being the one who idly followed her. "I was just answering your question, toots." she shook her expression off. "Right, I'm gonna catch up with Betty. See you.

Oros scoffed and rolled her eyes. Eliza hadn’t taken five steps before the beast woman’s voice cut through the air. "You know what? Fine! You’re not going to stop nagging me anyway, are you?" Oros pulled out a PDA and scrolled through her busy schedule, which was mostly just stuff that had nothing to do with. "I’ll go on a date with you since you’re sooooo damn persistent! But I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. I’m a free bird and I do whatever the hell I want." After scheduling something in, Oros folded her arms. "So I’ll stop by your place with my magic lotus to pick you up. You can be ready by eight the day of the party, right? "

Once more, Eliza was dumbfounded by the other girl's rantings. But after a second, she broke into a giggle. "Alright, alright, I'll bite." she pulled her phone out from her pocket. "I should probably give you my number then, so you can let me know when you've arrived." She smiled.

"Sure thing." After they exchanged phone numbers, Oros pointed at the door. "Now get out of here, I’ve got a foot massage in five minutes."

"Right, catch ya later, Oros." Eliza nodded, and walked out.

@Ariamis

Finally, the day came when Reaver’s request was finally acknowledged, as he immediately understood when he saw something glimmer in Al’s hand upon arriving at his office.

“There you go, peguci: a bona fide Red Coin.”

Like a magician making a sleight of hand, Al let the crimson piece of condensed magic drift through his fingers dexterously, until he flipped it to Reaver, letting him catch it.
“It’s the real deal so don’t try to bite it. Even we don’t know what happens then. Now, this is a big allowance for a big kid, so don’t spend it all in one place, hah.”

“Thank you capo.” Reaver said. He knew this was putting a rope on his neck, but what choice was there? Everyone seemed to be able to shift and be reborn these days. Different coins and whatnot. “I shall make the best use of it… considering how much of a favour this is.” He reminded himself. Well, this should have the side effect of assuaging Al’s fears of needing more control over him.

“If you will excuse me, capo… I am going to need more privacy.”

“Suit yourself,” Al responded, and turned his chair away. “But remember; even if you change your face, your voice, hell, even what newspaper you’ve subscribed to...We’ll know.”

“It’s etched on my very soul. I don’t know why fools even attempt it.” Reaver said.”Farewell.”

Reaver held the coin on his palm, as he breathed in and weighed it. So light… yet so heavy. It was worth a lot, and It was not easy to get. Yet he had to use it. He had been less than careful with his showings, and now he was paying the price for it. The coin that could rebirth him into something else. Something better hopefully.

But couldn’t he ask for more? The smug contract he had signed had been underwhelming. Cindy had been a struggle. Cradle had always been denied. He had been robbed of Penny. He had been called by that crazy hand-licking broad “subpar”. If the powers of the coin were true…

He did not hesitate in the slightest, as he gathered a bunch of his other hard won coins, and stepping in a secluded spot in an abandoned building, focused and felt the warmth of the coin doing its work.

It was warm.

And then it was hot.

---

His flesh was melting in agonizing pain, as his senses grew increasingly numb. And then a void. Had he lost consciousness?

“What am I going to do with you… William?” A soft-spoken, but deep voice spoke at his back.

Reaver turned his gaze, eyeing up the imposing figure. He could not move, but he whispered under his lips.

“Allfather.”

The figure’s only eye pierced Reaver. “You showed great promise. The self-sacrifice touched upon me, and I granted your wish for power. Yet for all for your initial drive… you fooled around too much.”

He tapped his head. “And now your body is about to tear itself apart and become something new. You could even cut ties with your former patron, and yet you do not do it. You’re … one of a kind, child.”

“It was not enough…”

“I know. We all do these kinds of contracts to trap those who have hubris to dare to know more than the gods or other patrons.” He sighed. “But I appreciate that despite being a Mint tool who only thinks with his nethers… to choose me again despite all of what has happened… it has piqued my interest.”

He sat besides him, in what seemed the inky void. “I could simply rebuke you, and let the use of this greedy red coin be your new future. Without me. Not many patrons would be this understanding… or accommodating with the kind of reputation you’re bringing to the table. Most are loath to share with the Coin Brokers too.”

“I’d like to renegotiate terms.”

“Ha! So stalwart.” Odin said. “I have always liked that about you.” He continued, before tapping the empty socket right next to his working eye. “But … power and knowledge require sacrifice. And don’t you think that the brokers will get the lion’s share...boy.”

“What do you ask of me, o Wise One?” Reaver said. He could not feel his body. Did he even have a body right now?

“Straight to the point.” He muttered. “But there’s hardly any rush. This isn’t happening in a real place, or a real time. This is just your inner mind sanctum, as your outside is undergoing the transformation.” The norse god raised one of his fingers. “I shall indulge, however.”

“One...you relied way too much on your regeneration. That made you sloppy. You can’t have courage if you can shrug off a lot of damage. You shall pick another power.” Wotan then raised another finger. “You shall surrender your manhood and become a Valkyrie of mine. It should help you resist that annoying...thirst of yours.” A third finger. “You are to forfeit Gram. That sword no longer suits you.” Soon followed by a fourth. “Your afterlife in Valhalla is forfeit too. You shall not partake in the feast, but you shall be the one serving drinks. Displease me, and I will see that you only serve the rowdiest of Einherjar. Please me, and I shall… relieve you of this condition.”

For the first time… Reaver hesitated in answering. Death did not scare him. Being a plaything of warriors of legend during all eternity as one divine ale wench was… another thing entirely. He winced.

“Fine. I could use the look change anyway.”

But Reaver could not find the Lord of Valhalla anymore. Instead a spear was piercing his chest, and all the pain rushed in, burning, changing him.

“We have a deal, William.” A disembodied voice was heard, alongside chuckling. The pain turned to pleasure. The pleasure turned to pain. He was shifting. Becoming nobody. Becoming somebody.

Mighty wings spread from his figure, as his bones were forcefully rearranged to suit the new age and gender. It could no longer be called a he. She screamed. She laughed. Tears of joy. Tears of pain.

“And your name shall be Sanngridr, like the most vicious of my Valkyries.” She whispered words that Wotan had whispered in her ears, as she staggered. She felt… alive once more, with an itch she could not scratch.

Destroy. Feed. Intense urges… but she could keep them at bay for now. She advanced through the building, finding a mirror to look at herself. She examined her silver hair. The majestic wings. The sword besides her hip.

She smiled. A cruel, cold smile.

With the group of girls at the Sanctuary coming up with various ideas, Melisa led them to where she last saw Penny. Since they were getting things back together a bit she wasn't all that hard to find. "Hey Penny. I have some new friends here. We were talking about some ideas and they wanted to ask you some questions." Her brain wasn't quite recalling everything right at that moment. It was probably better to let each present whatever it was they had in mind.

Penny halted in her conversation to assess the group that came forward. Of them she recognized most of them, but only knew one of them. She gave most of them a sharp analytical gaze for a moment before turning back to the half feral looking wolf girl she had been talking to. "Get started on the damage to the front wall, Ashlyn and Maggie are working on it." She would say before reaching out to place a hand on the wolf girls shoulder. "And thank you Belladonna." The girl would nod before heading off towards the task assigned to her.

Penny would then turn to face the assembled crowd once more. "Glad to hear you were able to make friends in the chaos. And I'm sorry that you got dragged into it with no warning" She would reply to Melisa with a short smile.

"The rest of you had ideas you wanted to run by me?" She would ask the rest of them, her tone losing a bit of it's friendliness.

MDP’s eyes went wide and seemed to fill with stars at the sight of Penny. While Melisa had captivated the part of her that loved cute things, Penny appealed to her love of advanced technology. Although she had seen technological magical girls in the past, like Nykannis, the young woman before her now was altogether different. Where Nykannis had been an eclectic hodgepodge of bizarre gizmos and gadgetry, Penny was a thing of sublime beauty, a true work of art.

“Wowie zowie…” MDP sighed in a dreamy daze. “Sooo pretty witty…”

In fact, MDP was so distracted by the mechanical girl that she completely forgot what she had come to ask her about.

Amanda sighed, stepping up to speak for MDP. "We were thinking the residents of this place could stay at Dan's dimension. Er, at least for a while. Since people can't hurt each other there, it seems like a safer option at the moment."

"Aaaand me and my sisters could stay in town for awhile, y'know, to help out your little pest problem~" Maribel added, twirling her parasol out of slight boredom. But she didn't mind, it was important.

Penny’s indifferent demeanor did crack a little at MDP’s blatant star struck reaction, and the robot girl let a smirk grace her features at it, but didn’t call out the pink pixie like girl over it. Instead she addressed Amanda “That would be something to talk to Dina about” she would nod to the Catgirl who wasn’t far away “Dan is her Patron so she would know best.”

“As for the pest problem” Penny would turn towards Maribel doing her best to keep the red out of her eyes “Any information you can get me about the Mint and their locations would be much appreciated. They are slippery at worst, and I would love to repay them for their hospitality.” The growl that crept into Penny’s voice promised little more than pain if she were ever to get her hands on a mainstay Mint operative.

Dina for the most, stood there, holding herself steady and poised, besides a couple of dirty looks thrown in the direction of the canine girl earlier. She tilted her head. "I am sure something like that can be arranged with Dan..." She sighed. "If he graces us with his wisdom in that matter."

Her eyes rested on the trio. "Hmm, It is not in my self to doubt people in the first instance, but what do you gain by trying to play good samaritan here?" Dina said, addressing the trio. "Besides... a resort vacation." She added. "We have had our share of sketchy helpers and flat out poisonous people trying to lend us a hand... and in the end, this is what it amounted into." She paused. "Regarding the Mint, I do believe I can ascertain some pattern on their behaviour. They're profiteers and they think us easy pickings. Just follow the mayhem and strife, and you're bound to find them."

It was perhaps a good thing that MDP was so enamored with Penny that she had tuned out nearly everything else occurring around her. If she had been fully cognizant of what was being said by the others, she would have heard the Ebon Mint being discussed, and not in a favorable manner. Needless to say, this would have likely caused more than a few problems, but as it was, the childish magical girl remained blissfully ignorant. She only broke out of her adoring reverie at the approach of Dina, but her joy at seeing the cute cat girl again was quickly dampened when said cat girl went on to make some rather unkind insinuations about MDP and her friends.

“Like, that’s not very nicey wicey, Dina Wina!” MDP told her with a cute pout, while placing her hands on her hips. “Magical Dream Princess just wanted to helpy welpy Melisa Wisa and all the other people weple heresie weresie, and, like, so did Maribel Waribel and Pastel-chan! There’s, like, no reason for you to be such a meanie weanie head!”

Amanda gently placed a hand on MDP's shoulder. "Now now, Dreamy. It's understandable that she's wary of us." she then looked to Penny and Dina. "But there is no way I'm connected to the Ebon Mint. I might have been a journalist once, but even I know not to toy with people like that. I take it you know Eliza and Valerie? I'm basically in the same group as those two, if that helps put your worries to rest."

"Ah, I take it this 'Ebon Mint' you keep referring to sticks out easy~?" Maribel giggled. "If anyone knows about stuff like that, It'd be Lauren. She'll appreciate the info!" the witch motioned to the emerald-haired girl, who had finished up cleaning the place of any otherwordly goo.

"I do apologize if we come off a bit cold. Our home was just attacked, and neither of us had it easy in defending it before that" Penny would say towards MDP "And I've met both Eliza and Valerie before. Didn't know they were under the same Patron, I'm assuming that the curse was removed then?"

"And no, they stick to the shadows. Only reason I know it was them is that I knew one of the people that attacked this place." That combined with their attack on Cindy made it rather obvious as to who it was. At least it made it plenty apparent to Penny. "Dina's not wrong with their character though."

MDP smiled at Amanda when the magician calmly explained the situation. The bespectacled girl was just so smart, and MDP was once again thankful that she had such a kind and helpful best friend. Something did catch the whimsical girl’s attention, though, as Amanda and Maribel talked. A certain name…

“The Ebon Webon Mint…?” MDP wondered aloud, while tilting her head in thoughtful uncertainty. “Like, why does that namey wamey sound so familiar wiliar…?”

That confused line of thought dissolved a moment later, when Penny once again addressed them, and a big smile returned to MDP’s face.

“Like, that’s okie dokie, Penny Wenny~! (giggle!)” the whimsical girl replied to Penny’s apology. “Magical Dream Princess totally wotally understandy wandies~! And, like, she just wanted to tell you that she thinks you’re the most pretty witty mechanical wanical person worsen she’s ever wever seen~! (giggle!)” she added as a bright blush colored her cheeks.

"They are one of the more major entities in the magical world" Penny would reply to MDP's wondering "Lots of people talk about them" She would explain. She herself wasn't blushing, mainly because she couldn't, a fact she was somewhat thankful for at the moment.

"And.. thank you." She would go on to say rubbing the back of her neck "I drew up the schematics myself. All custom work" she would explain a touch shyly. It was the first compliment she had ever gotten after all.

"I love your necklace" She would reply after a moment gesturing the rainbow colored pendant that MDP wore. Penny couldn't compliment the girls magic because unfortunately she hadn't seen enough of it to know what it was. But she could compliment her choice of magical accessories.

“Like, really~?!” MDP exclaimed after Penny complimented her power artifact, the whimsical girl’s eyes now filling with entire galaxies worth of stars. “Super duper thankie wankies~! (giggle!) Magical Dream Princess is, like, sooo super duper happy wappy that Penny Wenny noticed~! (giggle!) Like, Magical Dream Princess totally wotally wuvs her pendant wendant thingy wingy too~! It’s, like, soooo super duper pretty witty, and it’s also Magical Dream Princess’s most favorite wavorite color wolor in the whole wide woldsie~! (giggle!) But, like, did Penny Wenny say she designy wynied herselfy welfy~?!” MDP went on to ask, clearly amazed by the idea. “Magical Dream Princess thinks that’s, like, soooo super duper cool~! (giggle!)” she gushed, her cute face taking on an even more dreamy expression than usual. “Like, Magical Dream Princess designy wynied some mechanical wanical thingie wingies too, but, like, none of them were as pretty witty as Penny Wenny~! (giggle!) And, like, Magical Dream Princess would just totally wotally wuv to take a closer woser look, if it’s okie dokie with Penny Wenny of couresey worsey~”

It was at this point when Dina did a coughing sound with her mouth, eyeing both MDP and Penny. "Well crafted stone indeed, but there might be time to admire... crafts later...your Highness." The catgirl said, as she moved onto getting Dan in shape for a request. "I'd like to restate our apologies for being so curt, but we have much to do to recover."

Dina's interruption stopped Penny's first reaction, which would have been a sudden shuttering off and returning to cold indifference. Because the last person who asked to see how Penny worked caused the massacre at the Rave. That moment of distraction by Dina let Penny redirect that into a more subtle caution.

"Another time" Penny would say with a nod instead.

“Like, okie dokie~!” MDP would chirp, seemingly unbothered by Penny’s slightly more frosty demeanor. “Magical Dream Princess will totally wotally look forward to it~! (giggle!)” she added with a wink.

"Please...behave yourself." Amanda facepalmed with a grimace.

“Awww…” MDP pouted at Amanda’s admonishment. “Magical Dream Princess just wanted to get to know her new friendy wendy better~ Pastel-chan doesn’t have to worry, though~! She’s still Magical Dream Princess’s most super duper BFF in the whole wide worldsie, after allsie~! (giggle!)” she added, while giving the dream magician a big hug.

Amanda sighed with a smile, before returning the hug. "It's fine, it's fine. Chivalry habits." She comically patted her back.

Meanwhile Maribel patiently waited off to the side with her sisters.

Not really feeling like she could contribute to the conversation going on, Melisa stood by content to listen. Other than the vague concept of needing to keep the Sanctuary safe most of the stuff seemed either over hear head or not particularly important. Looking off to the side she noticed she wasn't the only one just hovering on the outskirts. Turning herself in their direction she figured she could get to know the nightmare user a bit more. "Hello again. Uh, I have a question. You said you have nightmare magic right?"

Dan suddenly squeaked as he held his head, still dizzy from Dina’s fully justified retaliation. However, he quickly recovered thanks to her assistance. “Phew, remind me to never wake a sleeping feline again.” He shook his head and recovered with a smile. “Anyway, did you need something Dina?”

"You are always up for girls being joyful, right, master Dan?" She said. "Well, there's this little problem. A lot of girls ended up homeless. There's a lot of space in your realm. It would be temporary."

"Homeless sad girls? That's terrible! I'll do something about that!" Dan seemed to perk up as he approached the rag-tag group of monster and dark girls. A showman's hat appeared on his head, along with a wooden walking cane on his fin.

"Hello there, everyone! Have you recently lost your house? Misery struck your life? Well have I got a deal for you, or my name's not Dan the Dolphin!" The crowd seemed distrubed but curious about the wacky dolphin's presentation as he now summoned a projector screen that showed various pictures of his dimension.

"That's right, for absolutely no money, you too can get a temporary stay over at Isla Paradiso, complete with full lodging and as many kebab rolls as you can dream of!"

He noticed a couple of them raise a hand to ask questions.
"You there, with the snaggletooth!"
The monster girl in question seemed to be shy despite her feral appearance, and averted her eyes.
"Um, this sounds too good to be true. What's the catch?"

Dan nodded. "Yes, of course there is one. I'm sorry to say this, but as long as you're on Isla Paradiso, you must obey two rules. Number one: no fighting outside the arena, and number two, which is even more important: have fun!"

The crowd was still hesitant, but one shorter dark magical girl stepped up. "An arena? I'm in!"
Soon enough, she was followed by all but a few of the homeless. "That sounds awesome! I'd love to get to do some fighting!" Dan nodded. "Alrighty then! Now, no shoving or pushing," he advised as a portal appeared and the crowd started moving through it.

"It is not what you...nevermind." Dina added, fighting temptation to spill the truth about the Keijo arena.

Penny's reaction was at first a quiet one. She watched as the majority of the Sanctuary left for a brighter place and she wanted to feel happy for them, and she did, but the larger part of herself just felt hurt and angry. It felt predatory to her, to take advantage of this pain, to whisk them away like it never happened. But she understood that not everyone would feel safe to decompress here. That did not mean she had nothing to say however.

So she waited until those she had promised to care for were gone, and when they were she stepped forward to Dan. "In five days time this place will be repaired and they will have their homes once again" She would say coldly locking eyes with Dan as she spoke [color=9e0039][u][b]"Once those five days are up anyone who wants to come back is free too. If you try and keep there will be consequences" She promised him eyes flickering red as she spoke.

"I am grateful for you being willing to assist them" She would add "But you stole two thousand, one hundred and twelve hours from me in which I could have made sure this never happened. I will never forgive you for that." She didn't say anything else for a moment, just stayed glaring at him. She wanted to hurt him, but it would serve no purpose. So she set aside her anger as best she could and turned back to those that had approached her.

She stayed silent a moment longer, trying to stay calm, but her anger wasn't something that could be easily soothed with thoughts. Action and words would be needed, but none she was willing to show here and now. [color=9e0039][u][b]"Are there any other matters you would like to bring up at the moment?" She would ask aloud.

Dan turned in place with a couple of hops to look up at Penny's face, or at least as much as he could see of it from where he stood, and immediately turned a lighter shade of blue, scrunching his face as she threatened him. "I'm not-" he attempted to squeak, but Penny had already left the dolphin to speak with others.
"Ooh, that much hostility got me feeling weak...Dina, I will be going back now, but make sure to call me if you need me," he said, and then poofed out.

"Hm." Dina. "Don't worry. I will talk to her highness about this." She said, to Dan, giving him an ever so scarce comfort touch ever before he disappeared.

“Like, Magical Dream Princess just remember wembered something womething super duper important wortant~!” the whimsical girl exclaimed after Penny had asked if there was anything else they wished to discuss. “Ta daaa~! (giggle!)” she announced while holding up three colorful pieces of paper. “Danny Wanny’s gonna have a super duper fun Christmas Wistmas Party thingie wingie at his beachy weachy placey wacey, and he, like, gave Magical Dream Princess some invitation wation thingies to give to all her friendy wendies~! So, like, here you go~! (giggle!)” she said as she handed them out to Penny, Melisa, and Maribel. “They’re magical wagical, too, so you can make more just by thinking winking about it~! (giggle!)”

After bouncing up and down in gleeful excitement for a few moments, MDP turned to look at Amanda and Melisa. “Like, now that all the trouble wouble heresie weresie is over wover, Pastel-chan and Magical Dream Princess should probably wobably go back to Danny Wanny’s placey wacey nowie~” the whimsical girl observed. “Did Melisa Wisa wanna come along, too~?” she asked the doll with a big smile. “Magical Dream Princess can introduce you to her other friendy wendies, and we can all build sandcastle wastles together wether~! (giggle!)”

A beach? Wasn't it like, cold out? The others seemed excited about it though so there must be something she was mising. "Sure! I'd love to go."

Penny would accept the offered Invitation with a nod. "Since there is nothing else.I'll be going." She would say with another nod before she turned and walked away. She had to talk to those that had stayed and figure out how many people she had working with her on the restoration.

---

Step by step Dina marched onto the bowels of Sanctuary, her sight resting on Penny. After all what was fought and lost, the aftermath came. She had expected to half lose the favour of the maids, after failing to deliver on her working conditions. Playing queenmaker in Penrose had been quite an experience.

She could hear the ghost of Cindy, or whatever that artificial construct was, laughing and condescendingly addressing her at her inaction, and at how much of a folly this action was. She was about to break. Twice she had cheated death, and she had been pushed too far. But she could not afford to break, just yet.

It was then when she reached the true sanctum of the Sanctuary. The safest place. Penny’s room. As long as the current queen was there, she would not be hurt.

But then again, that probably was fleeting. Unable to cope anymore, and wanting to shut herself down, she grabbed blankets, and wrapping herself on them, hid under Penny’s bed, her gleaming cat eyes peeking from underneath its shadow.

“...Let me...stay like this… your Highness… Let the world pass me by.”

Penny, similar to Dina, had ducked away into her room to decompress. She had delegated various clean up and repair tasks to the girls most suited, those that had stayed at any rate. Told Belladonna that any assistance would be counted towards community service, as had any action she had taken during the attack.

Then she sent Snoopy out to keep an eye on things in the Sanctuary barren as it now was.

But now she made it into her room and the door closed. She let out an inhuman snarl and tore one of the chairs she had set about in half. Before hissing a stream of static that sounded venomous on tone alone.

It would take a few moments of her pacing and letting out more bursts of static before she bothered to move closer to where Dina hid. And when she did she simply dropped onto the ground next to the blankets. "Fucking gods damned Mint" she would mutter before shaking her head.

"Take it defending Mariette was stressful as well?" She would ask looking over at Dina.

Dina didn’t answer for a long while, instead choosing to shuffle further inside. It was a good thing she was under a bed and wrapped, or else Penny would have noticed how she was trembling. After a long while, she began to talk, slowly and tired.

“I’ve lived a long life. Longer than you think.” Dina said. “It never gets any better. I feared for my life. They’re all like the madmen that tore me from the Tsar’s court, never to live my former life again. They are bitter, and unable to see anything but grisly force.” The catgirl said.
“Maybe Cindy was right. I was far too soft and accommodating.”

“Cindy was half blind and willing to plunge into a war she couldn’t win over her damned pride” Penny said trying not to growl and mostly succeeding. Her anger was a seething thing just below the surface, one that never really went away, Penny was just good at directing it towards the appropriate targets.

Once upon a time Cindy had been among those targets, and yes she was still bitter about it.

“As for ‘They’ I’m assuming you're talking about Beacon?” Penny would continue on “Rachel is a zealot so I’m not going to disagree with you on your assessment of her, but Alicia was burned by Mariette before. Makes it hard to try for diplomacy when it blew up in your face the first time”

“Alicia is on the path of becoming a second Rachel.” Dina retorted, as she began to crawl out of under the bed. “But she would not listen to a newcomer out of nowhere. She almost...did, though. It was an embarrassing failure nevertheless.”

“And despite that, and the fact I nearly died once again you named me Regent. Your highness’ wits astound me.” Dina commented.

“She stopped to listen” Penny would defend “That’s no small point for either of you.” It spoke to Alicia not being as bad as Dina assumed, as well as it spoke to how strong Dina’s charismatic capabilities were.

“As for Regent” Penny would simply shrug “That one you earned by the simple virtue of proving that you cared for the girls here and are willing to do what you feel is right for them. I called you out when you first arrived and you summoned staff to help out. I nearly destabilized the place with blunt honesty, you helped cool things down before it imploded. The place was attacked, and you hardly let yourself rest before you were back on the front lines defending this place”

“You prefer diplomacy over violence and you're not afraid to call me out on bad calls” She would shrug again. “You care for the girls here, and both me and them recognize it. There are ones out there that would prefer you leading rather than me. You have nearly the same amount of sway I do here. Officially recognizing that is the least I could do.”

“Well, I had better make use of that title.” Dina admitted, tiredly as she stretched out of the blankets and curved her back like a cat, finally assuming the regal stance. “It would do us no good if people realized I’m mortally afraid of dying.” She said, pushing herself to smile, despite some residual trembling she had. “I’ll- I’ll do my best.”

She then pondered, her tail curled up against her leg. “There’s something I’ve kept under wraps, but I have had to reveal as people… have forced my hand indeed. I may not be a warrior, but I do possess a non-trivial ability to fight. It’s regrettable, but I should need to hold out on my own.”

“And I do think your highness and I should put all our cards out between each of us. We cannot afford sloppy teamwork with so many people wanting us to fail.”

Penny would nod in agreeance, but there would be a notable pause before she spoke “I can do that” Full honesty wasn’t something Penny really excelled at. There was only one person that she gave that honor too, and that had a lot to do with trying to make up for how poor of a friend she had been. She would glance at the door, her senses reaching out for any irregularities for a moment. “Where would you like to start?”

“Let’s fight.” Dina said, she said, flexing her hand up and down.

Penny's expression was more than just a bit perplexed and she blinked rapidly as she replayed the last few bits of conversation parsing it out differently.

"Okay" She would say slowly "One: Not before the Sanctuary is better repaired. Two: I'm not capable of going all out in a sparring match. Three: Why sparring?" She would explain/ask. She could make guesses, but it was still a bit out of left field for the inorganic girl.

"Si vis pacem, para bellum". Dina curtly replied. “It’s regrettable...but necessary.” She said, her voice with a hint of sadness. “And there will be a lot of… fighting from now on.” Her sight turned onto Penny as she concentrated.

“Truth is, my original patron did not abandon me for being a monster girl.” Dina said. “It was because of a certain power.”

Penny was torn between sighing and laughing at the latin phrase. It was far, far too appropriate for the situation at hand. “I guess it is too much to expect this to be the last of it” She would concede with little humor.

“What power did you manifest that caused them to abandon you?” She would ask, more than a touch curious. There weren't a lot of Powers that Penny could think of that would cause a Patron to drop someone, but at the same time she didn’t know what type of Patron it was that first picked up Dina.

“It’s quicker if I just show your Highness.” Dina said as he began to concentrate. “Hen to Pan.” She said in a raspy voice. Reaching out to her inner reserves, the pain flaring up which made her gasp for air. Her specialization soon became tinged with many others, as markings appeared all around her body. Once she had stabilized enough, she pointed a finger Penny.

“Scramble”.

And just like that, all of Penny’s specializations, Metal, Electric and Gravity were effectively countered with an equal power.

“Some call it Avatar. I believe Cradle made a semi-reliable way of evoking it in magical girls.”

Due to her own Power Penny was fascinated to watch the way Dina’s magic fractled out into all of them. It was beautiful in a way that words wouldn’t do justice to.

Then she felt her magic being suppressed and very nearly took Dina’s head off. It was only the fact that Dina’s magic didn’t penetrate past Penny’s skin that stopped the girl from lashing out.
“Don’t do that again” Penny would say after a moment of forcing down the kneejerk anger at the unintentional attack. “I kind of need those to stay alive” Because after all Penny’s body ran off of her specializations, without them she would start to die rather quickly.

“Regardless it is a beautiful Power.” She would go on setting aside the incident easily for now, as ruby red lines suddenly flared across her body in the design of circuitry. “Why this made them abandon you I’m not sure I’ll ever understand” She would say bringing up her hand so that she could manifest a small fire before snuffing it out and cycling through other small manifestations of various specs.

“And as you can tell, I’ve got an outlier when it comes to Powers as well. I can copy those that others use” She would explain as she continued to play around with small displays of the various magics.

Dina sighed. “And as your Highness can tell, the consumption rate of this power is terrible. Unless you have accumulated a lot of mystical energy, the burden is too much. Copying does not imply mastery of it.” She added, cancelling the manifestation and suddenly wobbling and kneeling on the ground.

“Shortcomings, aside.. What would your Highness think at what age I did become a magical girl?” Dina said.

“Not mastery, true” Penny would agree, keeping up her own Avatar for a bit longer, knowing that it was her own rather impressive mana reserves and Regeneration that limited the draw back of such a state, but her own limited magical qualities served to impose their own drawbacks. “But I am good at adaptation, and mid combat it’s an unexpected ace to have.”

“And I would guess you got picked up later in life. Past sixties at least.” She would answer “You mentioned having a grandson, and just earlier you mentioned being ripped from court. Neither of those are things that young people have.”

“One hundred and five.” Dina said solemnly. “A puchuu was getting really desperate, and saw potential in me. That creature however, did not calculate well. Upon contracting I became… as warped as you see. And I had gained that power.” Dina said. “Now imagine if I had been reached out in my prime.”

“I was discarded because I’m an existence that subverts the common reason of reality.” Dina said. “Add to that said Puchuu was licking boots to a faction of Beacon… and well.”

Penny mulled over what Dina had said for a moment. She supposed it made some amount of sense, as much as any Puchuu made sense to Penny at least. “Not sure if you being contracted when you were in your prime would have produced a stronger reaction.” She would say eventually “Life experience and wisdom are just as viable conduits for mystical strength as vitality and youth are. At least that’s my take on things.”

She would contemplate the topic for another moment before looking over at Dina “Since you brought up age, how old do you think I am?”

“No older than thirty. Twenties-ish, Your Highness, if I have to gauge.” Dina said. “That is, your original self. In some respects you radiate the quality of an infant. So your Highness seems to be a fragment of someone else?”

“That’s not wrong” Penny would say bobbing her head side to side “But not fully correct either. Depending on how you look at it I am only a year old. Which is how I view my age, but at the same time I have at my disposal a collective of thirty one years of life experience to draw from. Most of which isn’t mine.”

“I was grafted onto the psyche and soul of someone else at my birth, and their induction to the magical world, but we never really integrated all that well. So I wouldn’t say I am a fragment of them either. As far as I am concerned this” She would gesture to herself “Is my original self. Not the person I woke up attached to.”

Dina stood up, looking at Penny for a second before taking a seat besides her. “I had better retract my offer of sparring. I would feel bad to beat a toddler up, your Highness.” She said, trying to process what Penny said. “If the ship of Theseus was to be displayed in a museum, and as the parts that compose it were replaced as they rot away… would that still be called the Ship of Theseus? Furthermore, if said discarded parts were cured of the rot and assembled back once more, what would be the real ship of Theseus?” She mused.

“So, in the end you’re Penny, mayhaps a different Penny from a Penny in the past.” Dina as she drew her arms closer to grasp Penny into a hug.

Penny accepted the hug without complaint but couldn’t help the wry chuckle that escaped her. “I get what you are trying to explain, but you’ve still got it wrong. It’s not a ship of theseus problem. Me and Jason, the person I was grafted onto, never integrated enough for that to be the problem.”

“It’s more mixing paints. I’m one color, he was another, but we were never mixed fully. It is very easy to tell what was me, what was him and where we did mix. I’ve always been Penny. That was the name my first Patron gave me, but Jason never really accepted it. The starting point of all our issues with each other really.” She would let out a snort. “Just realized that means that my old Patron is my father technically. Never thought about it like that.”

Shaking her head she would refocus “I can remember a time before I had access to Jason’s memories, a time I was a passenger in our shared body. I have a lot of holdovers from him, because not using them would mean I wouldn’t be able to understand any of you. I was born a Monster, a machine, and grafted onto a Magical girl who used to be a human male.”

“I’m not afraid or ashamed of that. He was”

“Mm. It seems that your Highness is long overdue for certain things.” Dina said, as she slid Penny’s head just above her chest, so her heart could be heard. “I admit this body is lacking in certain traits, but it should do.” She purred softly. “You have been through a lot, and the world is a scary place.” Dina said, steeling herself. It was like a different person than when she first arrived in this room. “Your Highness needs some pampering. And the Regent needs to provide.” She added.

Hesitant was the key word for Penny at the moment. She understood what it was Dina was offering. But Penny wasn't sure how she wanted to accept the comfort, or if she even wanted it. She was technically young, but she was far from a child.

"I don't." Penny started slowly trying to find the right words "Really understand how to accept such." She knew how Jason would have, but she didn't want to emulate him in these circumstances.

“You don’t understand pampering. It’s something we come to accept as solace in this world.” Dina said. “Some place you can yearn to return and just let yourself go… because too much at once makes the mind weary.” She paused. “It’s part of what makes us human. We wonder at the small things sometimes. And It’s something… you’ll eventually grow into.”

The hesitant tension in Penny’s body didn’t leave, but it was lessening as Penny worked to simply accept someone else offering her simple comfort.

Before she was fully relaxed however she suddenly sat up. A moment later someone was pounding on the door to the room. The only reason the door didn’t cave under the violent knocking was that Penny had long since reinforced her own door against any slip of control from herself. That didn’t stop the angry voice on the other side from being heard though.

“Come and face me you damn coward!” They yelled as they assaulted the door, seemingly trying to break it down. “I’m challenging you for the Throne! So stop hiding you weakling and face me!”

Penny stayed sitting for only one moment longer before she sighed and stood “No rest for the weary” She would remark. Before setting a determined stride towards the door. Fully intending on introducing the face of the suicidal idiot on the other side of the door to the concrete.

Dina shook her hand, and stood slowly from her sitting position arranging her dress. “Do you want me to discipline them, your highness?” She added.

Penny would shake her head as she reached the door. Sometimes a show of force was a good diplomatic tactic. If this one girl thought her weak, then so would others, she could not back down from the challenge if she wanted to rectify that image. “You can put them back together if I get too rough” She would reply instead.

She would pull open the door suddenly leaving the girl on the other side to pound on Penny for a moment before she noticed. The blows failed to make any notable effect. Penny would simply glance down at them coldly, not in contempt or in anger just cold apathy.

“I accept your challenge” She would state simply “We can settle this on the main floor”

“Probably I’ll have to be the referee.” Dina said bitterly. “Children.” She muttered under her breath.

The beginning of this bounty was a fairly simple one. The boy and girl that had agreed to it had received a message with the general area being affected upon confirmation of their participation. They were able to meet up there, and undertake the mission at their leisure. With a bit of pressure of course, given the danger that was being posed to the civilian populace.

The coordinates they received would direct them to a spot some distance from the Sanctuary in the Industrial District. There the sewers that ran beneath the Sanctuary empties into the river and were carried to the coast beyond. That would explain why it had ended up here. The river was fairly deep, though cleaner than it would have been otherwise with the disrepair of the city and lack of continuous pollutant output. It wound forwards in a slowly curving path with little in the way of immediate surprises. Aside from the obvious of course. They just had to locate what they were here to dispose of.

Borrowing the Nature's Staff that he usually left for the Sanctuary, Shane spent a little time after the attack tracing where the drainage went underground. Most of that he was able to scrub up himself with Earth magic. The runaway was more to go after and once he had word of effects of the magic he went to find and fix the results.

The boy would be at the bank of the river feeling out the ground nearby. Most of this area was built up so there wasn't much vegetation, but he would be able to find any oddities below the water's surface while he awaited another for assistance.

For her part, Gaia had been notified of the river’s recent contamination by her Patron, and as Mother Earth’s representative, it was only right that she should assist in the waterway’s restoration. Seeing that a young man had arrived before her and was already at work, she called out to him in a serene voice, “Good evening. Am I to assume that you are also here to cleanse these troubled waters?”

He looked back to see Gaia. Given the type of work to be done, she was a perfect partner to handle the potential plant life. He raised his hand and waved back. "I am indeed. I'm glad to see you answered the call. I'm not quite sure what to expect yet and I can only do so much with this." He would point to his magical staff.

“Ah, I see that one of Mother’s blessed implements has found its way into your possession,” Gaia noted with an approving nod. [color=SpringGreen]“I believe it shall prove more than sufficient, especially when coupled with my own abilities,” she added, conjuring Nature’s Blossom. The moment the leafy staff touched the ground, dozens of flowers and other small plants sprouted up through the pavement. “Although I am curious as to who I shall be working beside,” the verdant magical girl said after a moment. “May I have the honor of knowing your name?”

"Shane Brahm. It's lovely to meet you miss?" Upon being given a name and a bit more time to look him over, Gaia would recognize him as the boy that had joined them for the movie night.

“Gaia, Daughter of Mother Earth,” the verdant magical girl introduced herself with a graceful curtsy. “It is my most sincere pleasure to make your acquaintance. Although…” she added, while placing an elegant finger below her chin in a gesture of contemplation. “If memory serves, you attended Miss Sakura’s movie night, did you not? I trust you were able to extricate yourself from your budding relationship with Shoggy without too much trouble?” Her serene voice took on a slightly playful tone as she said that last part, while her emerald lips gave the barest hint of a smirk.

While Shane kept his cool for the most part, he did have a slight blush. "That was awkward. But yeah,her patron eventually took her away. I'll have to be more careful about who I shock from now on." He would offer as some explanation.

“I am glad to hear it,” Gaia replied with a melodious giggle. “Shoggy is a sweet girl, but I fear she is still rather unaccustomed to the ways of humans. We can only hope that she will improve with time, hmm?” the nymph-like girl observed, giving Shane a sympathetic smile. “In any case, shall we get to work restoring this noble channel to its former glory?”

Returning the smile the boy nodded. "Yes, I've been trying to track this stuff down for a while. I hope it hasn't caused too much trouble." He would start to make his way down stream, slow enough to allow Gaia to catch up.

The search began, the magical girl and boy working in tandem as they swept the river near the position they had been given. It was not incredibly difficult to determine what they were looking for, as the abandonment of much of the district had left the river relatively clear. A welcome change from how things usually were, no doubt. Normally it would have been extra difficult because of that,

Soon, the duo came across their first sign of the magical influence. The walls and bottom of the canal the river flowed through had been altered and warped, twisted and now stained in colors far from natural. But that was mere traces of it, not the main portion they were looking for. That would be further on.

“What a hideous sight!” Gaia declared after taking one look at the waterway’s defilement. “If you do not mind, I should like to begin the river’s purification here. We can then proceed systematically, until we reach the source of this foul corruption.”

A moment later, the verdant magical girl produced the Orb of Spring, and, placing the flower-covered purification artifact within the large flower atop Nature’s Blossom, dipped it into the murky waters.

“Healing power of Mother Earth, flow through me, and cleanse this suffering stream of all its impurities! Let it once more bring life to all it touches! So commands Gaia, Daughter of Mother Earth!”

With that, a massive pulse of emerald green life energy expanded out from the submerged Orb, spreading across the water in waves of shimmering sparkles.

“Soon, noble torrent,” the verdant magical girl whispered gently. “Soon you shall once again become the source of refreshment you were created to be. This I promise.”

Since Gaia was much more adept at cleaning up the water, Shane focused on scraping up what there was on the surfaces and using the staff to eat away at the gunk. This little stretch was done pretty quickly and the two would move on. "Good work. Let's see if we can narrow down where this stuff went." As they moved he would stop and cast a spell to sense any unusual changes in the Earth. Knowing that plants were involved he especially was looking for root systems.

“A most excellent idea,” Gaia concurred, giving her partner a radiant smile. With a graceful motion, the verdant magical girl cast a handful of seeds into the water, where they immediately grew into what appeared to be a cross between a lily pad and a jellyfish. Infused with Gaia’s mystic power, they would be protected from the slime’s ravages, while they sought out its source. Noticing Shane’s spell, Gaia would proceed to aid him, supplementing his staff’s power with her own.

Working in tandem, the two were able to make quick work of the magical refuse. Some care needed to be had of course, but in a spot like this there was little chance that they could be affected by what they were cleaning up. They worked methodically and made their way up stream, nearing a collection pool in the stream. As they did so the signs of magical contamination grew more pronounced, forcing more time to be taken and indicating that this might be the source they were looking for.

The Earth at the bottom of the stream raised to surround the pool to prevent more from running off. Creating something of a dam the sediment would loosen and shake to allow water to seep and filter the contaminants while they continued on. "We're getting close. This will keep things contained while we clean up." He would begin to move around to the other side of the pool to see what else there might be.

“My, how talented,” Gaia noted approvingly after Shane used his Earth magic to contain the corrupted water. “And I concur, this does indeed appear to be the source of the blight. Let us discover what lies at the bottom of this poisoned pool,” she added, while commanding her botanical constructs to dive into the depths of the murky water. Employing her connection with them, the verdant magical girl attempted to locate the best target for their purification efforts.

”I have some experience.” He would give in response.

The dam was successful for its purposes, blocking the flow of water and keeping the ooze contained. It might seep through eventually, but that would not happen if they were not delayed in doing so.

As for Gaia, her constructs would make it some distance into the murky depths. They would spot an orb of waste floating suspended in the water, but before they could go further they would find themselves suddenly and viciously attacked. The snapping of teeth, and the barest glimpses of fish with double mouths, extra eyes, tentacles, altered by the very magic they came to clean up. Those could make things difficult.

“Mother’s Mantel!” Gaia gasped as her constructs were torn apart by the mutated wildlife. “It would appear that the river’s corruption has spread to its denizens as well,” she observed, turning to Shane. “The, fish, in particular, have been twisted into truly horrific monstrosities.”

Unfortunately for Shane he didn’t really have a way to tell what was happening in the water. He would turn and step a bit closer to the pool he created. Oh boy. Well… ”Let me see if I can scare them off without hurting the thing too much.” He wasn’t completely sure what it would do if they tried to restore the creatures. Building a charge he would hold his hands out and send a shock through the water to try and drive them away.

Unleashing a burst of magic into the water, Shane would find his efforts less than successful. While it did temporarily force them back, the fish would just swim right back now that they were alerted to the presence of something. A more forceful touch might be needed. But at least they weren’t jumping at him yet so that was good, right?

”Might need a more creative solution to this one.” He would say as he took a stepback. Stopping the water filtration and using it simply as a dam he would redirect his efforts to a bare patch of earth nearby. He only had the chance to work out a few old spells since getting back his Earth magic. Flipping through he would cast one that would allow him to lift a decent size chunk of the ground and move it off to the side. ”It might take me a bit but I should be able to make a deeper spot for the water to drain into.” He would have to cast this spell a few times before it would be well and deep enough to drain all the water so they could get to the bottom of the original pool.

“I see,” Gaia observed with an approving nod. “Most creative indeed.” Standing by while Shane completed his task, the verdant magical girl would keep careful watch on the gradually emptying pool, ready fire off a blast of mystic energy from her staff, should any of the pool’s corrupted denizens decide to attack the Earth mage.

It was a creative solution to employ, one that began to pay dividends as the water level sank and more of the corruption was revealed. It took a bit more time, perhaps, but it was definitely safer for the both of them as well.

Meanwhile Gaia stood on guard, a wise choice as the forceful reshaping of the earth stirred the mutated fish. They leapt upwards as the water sank, jumping and snapping. A few were even able to musters blasts of corrupted water, lightning, and the like. They snapped with sharp teeth and sought to strike them with whip like appendages. If Shane was to complete his task, Gaia would need to be alert and do a good job as he was the main focus of the fishy attack. Hopefully she was up to the task.

Gaia was somewhat surprised by the array of offensive abilities possessed by the mutated fish, but that did nothing to hinder her ability to defend Shane from their assault. Arcing Nature’s Blossom across the fish as they leapt from the pool, she unleashed a torrent of arcane energy, the emerald bolts shooting out with the speed of a machine gun. Striking the twisted creatures with enough force to stun, but not kill, the bolts would hopefully suffice in keeping them from interfering with Shane’s work. In the event that greater firepower was needed, Gaia would scatter several seeds around the edge of the pool, from which would sprout odd plants that almost resembled small green cannons. These would proceed to fire a stream of green orbs, which exploded into clouds of potent sedatives upon striking any of the corrupted fish.

The water continued to drop, but the fish remained no less vicious. That was where Gaia came in. Her bolts forced them back, rebuffing their attacks and forcing them to look for an opening. Even if it felt like she was almost at the point of being overwhelmed, her seed cannons helped to turn the tide in their favor.

At last the water was in the hole that Shane had been crafting, the fish either flopping uselessly on land or contained in it. But the duo had not emerged unscathed. They had been struck by some of the tainted water, delivering unto them some unexpected magical effects. Gaia would find her feet leaving the ground, hovering in midair without any active effort on her part. It seemed the magic had rendered her able to fly, at least for a short period of time. Shane was more dramatic, as he proceeded to burst into flames. But...they didn’t burn him. He was just perpetually on fire.

Aside from how awkward that was, they had succeeded. It would be a simple matter of removing the magical refuse and completing the bounty. However, Gaia would notice something amiss. It was as if the energy from her plants was being drawn away further underground. There shouldn’t have been anything down there with that sort of ability, sure to kindle her curiosity. She did not need to do so, of course, but did she want to leave this mystery uninvestigated?

“Well, this is rather peculiar, I must admit,” Gaia observed as she felt herself begin to hover above the ground. Catching sight of Shane, she gave a startled gasp. “Shane! Are you all right?!”

Upon receiving confirmation that her companion was not being harmed by the flames that seemed to cover every inch of his body, the verdant magical girl gave a relieved sigh. However, she would soon have a new mystery to deal with. As she and Shane finished purifying the last of the corruption, Gaia noticed that the various plants she had been employing to aid in the cleanup seemed to be having their energy leached away by something deep underground…

“Pardon me, Shane,” she asked the earth mage. “But would you be so kind as to do me a small favor? Something beneath us appears to be drawing mystic energy from my plants. Do you think you could possibly employ your Earth magic to locate whatever it might be?”

After an initial panic of spontaneously combusting the magical boy managed to calm down a bit once he realized that he was not burning to death. ”Good grief, this magic is all over the place.”

Cleaning out what he could with Nature’s Staff to help Gaia, he would return the fish to the water. Things looked to be pretty much done until his companion requested checking for a potentially other issue. ”Right, let’s see.” Casting a spell a small seismic wave would go out to allow him to sense out what was under his feet.

The seismic wave revealed a large underground cavern, built into the dirt underneath the river. There was a tunnel that served as an entrance, which dipped down and went underwater so you’d have to swim under rocks and then go up to reach a surface and enter the cave. The seismic wave also revealed a chaotic root-system in the earth underneath and around the cave; whatever was within that cave had a lot of roots.

“Most curious,” Gaia observed after Shane had reported his findings. “Although it may lie beyond the scope of our task here, I should like to investigate this matter further. Would you care to accompany me?” she asked the Earth mage.

Nodding, Shane would begin to move toward the water to begin swimming. He didn't want to open up another entrance below in case it caused an issue. "I think whatever this is needs to be dealt with."

The two would swim their way down into the cave and into the subterranean space below. Following what his survey had told him they moved toward the mass of roots. Funny enough once Shane dried up a bit he set on fire again which worked wonderfully for lighting the way.

“I am glad to see that your spontaneous combustion problem has at least one positive use,” Gaia noted with a playful giggle.

Expanding her awareness, the verdant magical girl attempted to commune with whatever plant the tangle of roots belonged to, in an effort to assess its health and discern if it, too, was in need of purification.

Diving down, the two found the underwater entrance to be pretty well camouflaged. There was nothing there telling that there was a secret entrance until they had actually entered the little pocket in the rocks. From there, they could swim upwards and reach a surface in the water, the water-level ending lower than the level of the river outside and just as the tunnel smoothly panned out to be horizontal again. Then they could continue following the tunnel, towards a place where the cave opened up to a large chamber.

The place was overgrown. It was like they had walked into an underground jungle. Green spiky leaves stood out in all directions in a place where there was no light other than the fire Shane brought with him. Wooded trees proudly stood, covering the ceiling with their large crowns and branches, with vines hanging down from them. Bushes and moss covered the floor, it was hard to look anywhere without seeing something alive… except there wasn’t a single animal in here. There weren't even any bugs. It was all plants. Very healthy and not corrupted at all plants, as Gaia would notice.

Yet, there was something else in here. Something lightly tugging at them, or more accurately, at their magic. Far in the back, there was something unnatural. Standing by itself, built seemingly in black rock, was a large, bulky round frame. Attached to the top of it was a smooth, red jewel, clearly visible through the green jungle as it lightly glowed. And within the frame… was darkness. It was a passage somewhere, but only darkness could be seen, and it was unlikely shining a light on it would clear anything up. The tug of magic was heading for there…

A tree next to the frame suddenly moved. Something severed from the tree, revealing itself to be a humanoid shape. It took a couple steps to stand between the new arrivals and the black rocky passage. It gave them an expressionless stare, as her feet implanted themselves into the ground where she now stood, her whole body seemingly built out of wood.

Gaia had seen this person before. In a painting in the foyer of a mansion. At the beach resort that followed.

A pulse of magic shot out of the wooden woman, which could only be seen because each plant in the vicinity reacted to it. Only that which responded to the spell’s own strain of magic reacted, and as such, the bearer of Nature’s Staff and someone with the appropriate specialization felt it too. It contained a very simple message.



Leave

Gaia’s eyes widened as she beheld the subterranean jungle, and grew wider still, upon catching sight of the strange frame and the glowing jewel atop it. It was only when the dryad-like woman emerged into view that the pieces of this puzzle finally fell into place.

“Greetings, Lady Esther,” Gaia told the tree-woman with a graceful curtsy. “Please forgive our intrusion, my lady. You have my word, as the Daughter of Mother Earth, that we do not wish harm upon you, or upon the wonderful garden you have so lovingly cultivated here. We were simply purifying a local river of corruption,” Gaia explained, “and we wished to insure that what you have created here had not also been tainted by it. As that is clearly not the case, we shall now take our leave. I only wish to make one small request of you, on behalf of Mother Earth,” the verdant magical girl added. “Please refrain from causing harm to those who dwell in the city above us. As long as you confine your garden to these subterranean caverns, I myself shall ensure that none shall disturb you. Does this meet with your approval, my lady?”

With Gaia’s words, Esther gradually changed her pose. She’d held a bit of a hostile pose, but when Gaia made it clear she wasn’t intending on having a battle, she adjusted, losing some tension and some more wild branch growths settled down on her. Her face remained as expressionless, however, made out of wood and all. Instead, she gently nodded, accepting Gaia’s words but still wary of them. The dark passageway remained open behind her.

It was moments like these that Shane wished he had Third Eye or the like. Most everything around seemed perfectly fine. The plants and everything was actually quite beautiful and magical. Though the framed darkness gave him an uneasy feeling. He had no real way to know what it really was or its purpose sadly. ”Forgive the fire. The magical waste apparently has bizarre effects.” He would look around casually. ”I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t mind an environment like this. A lot more relaxing than the cold and ruckus in the city.”

“Agreed,” Gaia replied with a blissful sigh. Indeed, a part of her wished she could remain in this wondrous refuge of nature. “Although we should probably be heading back there now,” she added with some resignation. “After all, we must respect Lady Esther’s privacy.”

Esther just stood back there. Staring at them. Not moving. Like she was now just another tree among many.

Seeing there wasn’t a response, Shane glanced at Gaia for a moment before shrugging. He would turn back to Esther. ”Alright then. Stay safe.” It was a little awkward of a moment, but he would turn away and start making his way back down the tunnel with Gaia. He wouldn’t say anything on the way out until they were well and outside. It was also something he would have to think through first anyway.

“My apologies if that was a bit awkward for you,” Gaia would tell him, with a sympathetic smile. “Lady Esther is a very powerful being,” the verdant girl explained. “From what little I have been able to gather, I believe she was once something not unlike Mother Earth for her own world, a caretaker and protector. I, too, am slightly concerned by that strange arch we saw,” she confessed, “but this was neither the time, nor the place to address such a potentially weighty matter. Lady Esther is an associate of Miss Mariette, whom we shall see at the upcoming Christmas Party. Perhaps I shall have a chance to discuss the matter with her then. Oh, that reminds me,” she added, retrieving a colorful slip of paper from the folds of her voluminous tresses. “Have you received an invitation yet?”

While the boy was listening he didn’t seem as engaged as he could have been. He had taken out his tome and was working on something. At least until his attention was drawn by a question about the invitation. ”Huh? Oh, no I haven’t.” He would accept the invitation. ”A Christmas party at Dan’s place huh? Well that should at least keep people from fighting too much.” Something else occurred to him. ”Speaking of, apparently my patron arranged for me a little R&R there and said I can bring a guest. Kind of out of nowhere but you’re welcome to join me if you’d like.”

“Why Shane!” Gaia exclaimed in mock surprise. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

”I am.” He would offer a smile. He didn’t seem particularly embarrassed about it.

“Truly?” Gaia asked, slightly taken aback by his earnestness. “In that case, I would be most honored to accompany you, Shane” she told him, after regaining her serene composure. “Especially since I was planning to attend already,” she added with a playful wink.

The boy smirked, having somewhat turned the tables on the girl. He wouldn’t revel in it though, that would be rude. Gaia mentioning she was already planning on attending he raised an eyebrow. ”Oh? Did Paree talk to you already?” For real it wouldn’t surprise him if his patron had gone and set something up without telling him. Thus was their relationship as it were.

“I am afraid I have yet to have the pleasure of meeting this Paree,” Gaia would reply. “I received my invitation from Miss Mariette. I was in Dan’s beach dimension with some friends, and she handed them out to everyone present,” the verdant magical girl explained. “I believe Dan’s intention is to create an opportunity for otherwise antagonistic factions to come to a peaceful coexistence in a relaxed, non-threatening atmosphere. Quite ambitious, I know, but I really must commend him for making the attempt.”

”Oh, you’re talking about the Christmas party. Let’s see.” He would focus for a moment and then his patron would appear on the mound of dirt they’d excavated.

”...May I help you?” The creatures would cross it’s tiny arms.

Shane would cough slightly. Same old mood as ever. He would hold up the invitation he had. ”The agreement with Dan was for this event right?”

Looking at the envelope for a few seconds the puchuu scratched the side of its face. Was this really why he was called? ”Not to my understanding. It will be for you and your…” His eyes would drift over to Gaia slowly and look her over as if trying to come up with the right way to describe the girl. ”...Mate, suitor, girlfriend? Whatever it is you call it this century.” He didn’t seem bothered getting it right or if his choice of words were not appropriate for the circumstances.

“Pardon me, but, am I to understand that you have arranged for Shane to have a, shall we say, ‘couple’s trip’ to the beach dimension?” Gaia asked the small creature with a cocked eyebrow. “I must say, that is awfully generous, and I am very honored to be chosen as your consort,” she added, while giving Shane an appreciative smile.

"It may be whatever you wish to call it. I simply arranged for Shane to receive a reward for his work. Whom he chose and for what reason is none of my concern." He would look at Shane. "So long as it does not interfere with your tasks in the future."

"You don't have to be so dramatic, Paree." The boy would blush a bit at Gaia's phrasing. Seemed she was more than open to going on a date so that was good to hear. "Alright then, it's a date. I'll talk with Dan and let you know when we'll be going." He would take out his phone to take down Gaia's number.

“I shall look forward to it,” Gaia told him warmly. Although she didn’t like to carry her phone with her while doing magical girl work, she had memorized her number well enough to tell Shane. “You know, I don’t normally give my phone number out to just anyone,” she teased. “And especially not to handsome boys, so I trust you won’t make me regret this.”

He would send a text so she would have his number whenever he got back to her phone. ”I certainly would not want to disappoint.” He would say cheerfully.

That done he would raise a finger. ”One more thing while we’re still here.” Setting his book down on the bank of the river he would channel some magic in order to create a map of the terrain below, and notably where the mirror was. Should they tunnel away or change something he should now be able to tell if he ever came back. Taking up his tome he would tuck it away. ”Just in case we need it.”

“A very wise idea,” Gaia commended. “If that is all you wished to discuss, then I believe I shall bid you farewell for the evening. It truly was a pleasure working alongside you.”

”You too. Have a good night.” He would say as they parted. He stayed just a little bit longer to clear up the earthen mounds and dam he’d made so it looked mostly like it did before they arrived. And now he had a little planning to do for his date.

---

Back in the cave, Esther still stood immobile, staring ahead at the exit which the two had left through. There was a bit more movement suddenly, as something slid down a tree to her left, having been hidden in the thick foliage of the trees.


‘Fortunate, that they would have the good sense to leave. Still, unfortunate, in another way. Why did that corruption have to appear so close to our base? How very annoying…’ Freya said with a sigh, sliding up next to Esther, frowning and crossing her furred claw-hands under her chest, thinking about this. Esther didn’t move the slightest.

‘We’ll need to warn Mariette that the mirror has been seen. This base is compromised, too. Guess we’ll need to move it…’ Freya said, sighing again. Esther now suddenly turned her head to look at Freya, who was a bit startled.

‘Er, don’t worry, I’m sure you can keep your garden,’ Freya quickly assured, and Esther responded by turning her face back towards the entrance. The furred lamia breathed out a bit in relief. ‘I’ll go make the report. You stay, just in case someone comes back. It’s your garden and all…’ Freya said, turning around and looking at the lonely-looking Esther, who’d she’d never ever heard talk. Shrugging, she skipped through the dark portal, leaving Esther standing alone with her jungle, not to move until the next time someone came in.

After MDP and Amanda had gone to help the Sanctuary, Connie, Gaia, and Mayra had set out to build some sandcastles. Connie and Gaia had just finished their castle when Mayra (who had left to find building materials for a secret construction project) returned, carrying a wooden catapult in one hand and bag full of small stones in the other. With a cheerful shout of “AND NOW THE CASTLES ARE AT WAR!” she promptly used her siege engine to lob a few of the stones at Connie and Gaia’s castle. The barrage ended up overshooting its target, but one of the stones still succeeded in smashing apart the top of the castle’s tower.

“The king of Castle C is jealous of Castle B having a taller tower and has catapults attacking! How will the king of Castle B respond!?” Mayra asked, looking expectantly at her two friends.

As it looked like she’d be very disappointed if they didn't play along, Gaia decided to indulge the playful dragon girl.

“It would seem your royal engineers need to work on the accuracy of their siege engines,” the verdant magical girl observed with a teasing smirk. “Thankfully we have no need to employ such crude contraptions.” she added as, with a wave of her hand, a quartet of vine tendrils sprouted from the ground around her castle. Picking up the stones Mayra had launched, they wasted no time in firing them back, causing significant damage to Mayra’s castle in the process. “Our king’s consort happens to be a nature sorceress, and she is fully capable of defending her home from jealous neighbors.”

By the time Amanda and MDP returned with a new friend in tow, the battle had reached a stalemate, and both sides were happy to see that reinforcements had arrived. After MDP introduced Melisa to the group, the six girls split into teams and got to work building a pair of even larger sand castles (which also went to war upon completion). This was followed by volley ball, before moving on to some water sports (no deep water stuff, like diving or snorkeling, though, since, as Mayra herself put it, "Fire dragon and water doesn't mix"). Connie decided to sit out on these, seeing as how she didn’t know how to swim. Thankfully, Melisa (who couldn't swim either, what with her metal body and all) was kind enough to keep her company, especially after the timid girl had said she was feeling tired and wanted to take a nap.

Casting a spell on the exhausted girl to ensure she had only the sweetest of dreams, MDP left Connie and Melisa on a comfy beach chair and went off to play with the other girls. Much fun was had, but eventually, Amanda said she had to get going, with Mayra also having to depart soon after, due to her other allies leaving the dimension. Now only Gaia remained, but that did nothing to dampen MDP’s bubbly spirits as the two of them walked side by side along the beach. Indeed, as the graceful Daughter of Mother Earth glided serenely across the sands, the playful Princess of Dreams splashed around in the surf, giggling happily as she kicked the water up with her feet.

“Magical Dream Princess just wuvs this placey wacey sooo much~! (giggle!)” the whimsical magical girl announced as she did a few somersaults, before jumping into the air with her arms raised high. “Like, if she could, she’d stay heresie weresie for ever and ever and ever, but she’s got lots and lots of super duper boring work to do tomorrow worrow, so she thinks she should probably wobably go back home nowie…” she added, looking rather dejected. “Oh~! But, like, she just remember wembered she had something super duper important wortant to ask you~!” the energetic girl exclaimed as she turned her full attention to Gaia. “Magical Dream Princess’s daddy waddy got really super duper sicky wicky right before that big ravey wavey thingie wingie, and some kinda winda shady wady people weple told her that it was because of a magical wagical cursey worsey, or hexy wexy, or something womething like that, so, like, you weren’t responsible wonsible for that, were you, Gaia Waia?” she asked in a pleading manner as her eyes began to tear up. “Magical Dream Princess really super duper hopes not, but, like, she just wanted to make sure, cause, like, even though Daddy Waddy’s a lot better nowie, it’s kinda winda a mystery wistery how it happen wappened in the first placey wacey, and, like, Magical Dream Princess had just been given wiven a way to stop Connie Wonnie’s nightmare wightmares from bothering wothering Daddy Waddy, and then that happen wappened, and Magical Dream Princess got sooo super duper scared, and…” the poor girl paused in her agitated rambling to catch a breath, tears streaming down her face. “I-I j-just wuv Daddy Waddy sooo much…” she sobbed.

Gaia was understandably shocked by this sudden change in her whimsical companion’s demeanor, but she didn’t let that keep her from offering what comfort she could. Wrapping the crying girl up in a big hug, Gaia patted her head gently, while whispering in a soothing voice, “That’s it, just let it all out. Your father is very fortunate to have someone as caring as you for a daughter,” she added with a warm smile.

Nuzzling her head against Gaia’s ample chest, MDP returned the hug, before wiping her eyes with some of the verdant magical girl’s voluminous hair.

“Are you feeling better now, Your Highness?” Gaia asked.

“Uh huh,” MDP nodded, her smile slowly returning. “Thankie wankies for the huggy wuggy, Gaia Waia~”

“It was my pleasure,” Gaia replied. “I am just glad to see that you are back to your usual cheerful self. And to answer your question,” she added, while placing both hands upon MDP’s shoulders and looking her squarely in the eyes. “You have my word, as the Daughter of Mother Earth, that neither I, nor Connie, had anything to do with what has happened to your father.”

“Like, that makes Magical Dream Princess soooo happy wappy~! (giggle!)” MDP cheered. “But, like, now she has to find out who was really responsible wonsible…” she added, her joyful demeanor changing to one of worried uncertainty.

“I would be only too happy to assist you, if you would like,” Gaia offered.

“You would~?!” MDP asked, her expression dramatically brightening. “Golly wolly~! Magical Dream Princess would like that lots and lots~!”

“Very well,” Gaia noted with a serene nod. “In that case, we can start right now. Would you be up to answering a few questions? I know your memory isn’t the greatest when you’re in this form, and, considering your desire to preserve your true identity, I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to change back to your normal self in such an open location as this.”

“You’re probably wobably right about that…” MDP conceded. “But Magical Dream Princess will, like, totally wotally do her best~!” the energetic magical girl added, here eyes filled with a look of determination. “Like, she can actually wactually remember wember important wortant stuffy wuffy if she thinks really super duper hard about it~!”

“All right, my first question concerns the people who told you that your father had been cursed. Who were they, and why did they think what happened to your father was the work of a curse?”

“They were, like, a business wisness that dealie wealies in magical wagical stuffy wuffy~” MDP explained. “They were kinda winda shady wady, too~ They first met with Magical Dream Princess back before she became Magical Dream Princess, when she was looking for whoever wever was giving Daddy Waddy all those horrible worrible nightmare whightmares, and they told her that they could helpy welpy, so she signed a contract wontract thingie, and they eventually wentually told Magical Dream Princess about you and Connie Wonnie~! Oh~! And, like, before that, they, like, gave Magical Dream Princess a thingie wingie to blocky wocky all those nasty wasty nightmares, and also this special wecial phoney whoney thingie wingie that could do all sorts of super duper cool stuffy wuffy~! (giggle!)”

“I see…” Gaia said thoughtfully. So that was why Connie’s magic was no longer able to affect the elder Covington. Very interesting… Even more interesting, and more than a little alarming, was the knowledge that this mysterious organization knew the identity of both Connie and herself. Although Violet was no longer antagonistic towards them, this unknown group could be a very different story indeed… “Can you recall the name of the organization?” Gaia asked, her expression becoming slightly more troubled than her usual serene countenance.

MDP’s own expression became one of intense concentration as she tried to recall the requested information. Her eyes were squeezed shut, while her brows furrowed. “Please, brainy wainy…” she begged her ADHD addled mind. “Pretty pretty please let her remember wember…”

“Please do not force yourself,” Gaia told her gently, while placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She felt so bad for the poor girl. MDP was immensely powerful, but it seemed that power came at a price, especially where her mental faculties were concerned. While it didn’t normally seem to bother the whimsical girl, at times like these, it was obviously quite upsetting for her.

After trying her best for a few more moments, the childish magical girl finally gave voice to a long sigh of defeat.

“Magical Dream Princess, is, like, really super duper sorry, but she just can’t remember wember their namey wamey right nowie…” she mumbled dejectedly, her tears threatening to return. “Fluffer wuffer… Magical Dream Princess wishes her memory wemory wasn’t so terrible werrible whenever she’s Magical Dream Princess… Ah~!” she exclaimed, smiling brightly as an idea seemed to occur to her. “Magical Dream Princess knows~! She can do the thinky winky dance~! (giggle!)”

Gaia couldn’t help but giggle herself as she watched the childish magical girl preform an incredibly silly (and incredibly adorable) little dance.

“Think, think, think~! Thinky winky wink~!” MDP sang as she shook her hips in time with her singing, while playfully tapping a finger on the side of her head. “Thinky winky~! Thinky winky~! Wink, wink, wink~! If you can dream it, you can do it~! Don’t give up, there’s nothing to it~! Got a problem~? Dance right through it~!” she went on, while striking series of cute poses as she acted out her song’s advice. “Take a look around~!” she sang, while leaning forward with her hand shielding her eyes and twirling in place on her tiptoes. “Make a happy sound~!(giggle!) ‘Cause, when you do your very best, happiness abounds~! So, think, think, think~! Thinky winky wink~! Thinky winky~! Thinky winky~! Wink, wink, wink~! Ah~!” the playful girl squealed in exuberant delight, before jumping up in the air with her arms spread wide like a cheerleader. “Yaaaay~! Hip, hip, horaaaay~! (giggle!) Magical Dream Princess remember wembers~! She did it, Gaia Waia~!” MDP shouted with glee as she bounced over to the verdant magical girl and wrapped her up in a big hug. “She really really did it~! (giggle!)”

“I am so happy for you, Your Highness,” Gaia told her warmly as she returned the excitable girl’s hug.

“Like, super duper thankie wankies, Gaia Waia~! (giggle!)” MDP beamed. “But, like, Magical Dream Princess should probably wobably tell you what she remember wembered before her memory wemory goes bye bye againsie! So, like, the namey wamey of the people weple who helpy welpied Magical Dream Princess is the Ebon Webon Mint!”

Gaia frowned at the mention of the shadowy organization. “The Ebon Mint? Are you certain?”

“Like, absodutelylutely~!” MDP replied. “It was totally wotally the Ebon Webon….” her happy smile vanished as a distressing realization fully dawned, and she gave voice to a sharp gasp. “Golly wolly goodness woodness! Like, those were the meanie weanie heads that trashy washied Penny Wenny’s placey wacey! They’re, like, super duper nasty wasty, and, like, Magical Dream Princess signed a contract wontract with them and everythingie wingie! But, she, like, totally wotally didn’t know!” Her eyes threatened to overflow with tears as she clutched both sides of her head. “Penny Wenny hates them, and Pastel-chan does, too! A-Are they gonna hate Magical Dream Princess when they find out?! A-Are they?! Magical Dream Princess doesn’t wanna lose her friendy wendies! She really doesn’t wanna! W-What should Magical Dream Princess do, Gaia Waia?!” she sobbed desperately, falling to her knees in front of her friend. “W-What should she do?!”

Gaia’s concern was now clearly evident in her normally tranquil countenance. This was definitely bad. She didn’t know much about the Ebon Mint, but what little she did know painted a less than pleasant picture. The verdant magical girl could only imagine what such a sinister organization would do with access to someone of Violet Covington’s wealth and influence, but she forcefully put those ominous thoughts aside in order to focus on her whimsical friend’s current plight. By this point it was clear to her that, much like a small child, MDP’s emotions were exceptionally pronounced. Although normally the embodiment of bubbly exuberance, the whimsical girl was now a hysterical mess, and Gaia’s heart ached at the sight. Gently massaging her sobbing friend’s shoulders, the verdant magical girl spoke to her softly.

“Shh… Shhh… It’s okay, just take some deep breaths for me, and we’ll get everything sorted out. I promise.”

The nymph-like girl’s soothing voice, combined with the relaxing fragrance released by several colorful flowers in her hair, managed to break through MDP’s hysteria, and, after taking a few deep breaths, she slowly began to calm down.

“There,” Gaia whispered. “Doesn’t that feel better?”

“Y-Yeah…” MDP sniffed, once more using her verdant friend’s hair to dry her tears.

“Now, from what I can tell, you didn’t know what the Ebon Mint even was when they approached you, correct?” Gaia asked. “If that is indeed the case, then you cannot blame yourself for accepting their offer of assistance. In fact, since it was your concern for your father’s well being that prompted you to need that assistance in the first place, it could be argued that I am ultimately to blame for this entire situation, as much as I wish that were not the case.”

“B-But, w-what about Magical Dream Princess’s friends?” MDP asked in a shaky voice. “She doesn’t want her friends to be angry with her…”

“From what I know of your friends, and Amanda in particular, I am confident that they will not blame you for making a simple mistake due to a lack of knowledge. After all, you were not even a magical girl at the time, yes?”

“Y-Yes…”

“I do not know Penny,” Gaia continued, “but if she is anything like the rest of your friends, I am sure she will forgive you as well. The next time you see her, simply tell her the truth. You can do that, right?”

“Magical Dream Princess guesses wesses she can… But, like, she’s still super duper nervous… She really likes Penny Wenny a super duper lot,” she added as a blush began to color her cheeks. “A-And she really really wants Penny Wenny to like her, too…”

Smiling sweetly, Gaia gave MDP’s cheek a gentle caress. “I do not see how anyone would not like someone as adorable as you, Your Highness,” she told her childish friend. “Especially when you have such an obvious crush on them,” she added with a playful giggle.

“M-Magical Dream Princess doesn’t have a crushy wushy!” a flustered MDP attempted to deny, before turning away as a dreamy smile spread across her face. “Weeell~ Maybe waybe she does have a little wittle one~”

“You are just too precious,” Gaia observed as she watched MDP write Penny’s name in the sand, before putting a big heart around it.

“Gaia Waia?” the whimsical girl asked after a moment. “What do you think Magical Dream Princess should do about her contract wontract thingie with the Ebon Webon Mint? Like, she promised womised that they could use some of her company wompany’s stuffy wuffy, but she doesn’t know what they’re gonna do with it, and, like, that makes her super duper uncomfortable womfortable…”

“Yes, that makes me rather uncomfortable as well,” Gaia agreed. “But perhaps it provides an opportunity…” she mused. “If you were to continue to go along with their requests, then that might provide us with valuable information on what the Mint is planning.”

“Ooooh~! Like super duper secret wecret agent wagent stuffy wuffy~?!” MDP asked, clearly excited by the idea.

“Something like that,” Gaia agreed with a melodious giggle. “In any case, I believe it might be best for you to think on this some more when you return to your normal self. You may remember something important we haven’t considered.”

“Like, Magical Dream Princess will totally wotally do that~! (giggle!)” MDP replied with a playful salute. “Gaia Waia is just sooo super duper smart~! (giggle!)” she added, while giving her verdant friend another hug.

“I am most grateful for the compliment, Your Highness,” Gaia told her. “But I imagine that if we were to assume our mundane forms, your mental prowess would far surpass my own.”

“Gaia Waia’s probably wobably right about that~” MDP agreed with a playful smile.

“Come on, Your Highness,” Gaia giggled as she helped MDP to her feet. “Let us return to Penrose. I know you have a lot of work ahead of you, but please remember that your friends are here for you,” she added with a warm smile. “If you ever need help, all you need to do is ask.”

“Like, Gaia Waia doesn’t have to worry~! (giggle!)” the whimsical girl declared as she struck a cute pose. “Magical Dream Princess’s memory wemory may be terrible werrible, but she’d never ever forget that~!”

Sharing a happy giggle, the two friends headed back to where Connie and Melisa were waiting for them.

---

After bidding Connie and Gaia farewell, Melisa and MDP watched the pair vanish through one of Dan’s portals. “Like, Magical Dream Princess is gonna head back to Penrose Wenrose nowie, too~” MDP told the doll girl. “Is Melisa Wisa staying heresie with Danny Wanny and the other people weple from the Sanctuary Wanctuary~?” she asked with a smile.

”Mmm, I think I’d like to see what else there is in Penrose. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in town. It’s sad to see the place in such a mess.” She waited and looked around while she thought about what she might be able to do.

“Soooo, are you, like, going back to the Sanctuary Wanctuary, thensie~?” the whimsical girl asked, tilting her head with a look of slight confusion. “It, like, doesn’t really seem all that safey wafey right nowie…”

Looking unsure, she kicked at the sand a bit. ”I could go back to my place I guess, for a little while. But I don’t really want to be alone like that.”

“Like, Magical Dream Princess knows~! (giggle!)” MDP declared. “You can come stay with her~! At least, for a little wittle while~! (giggle!)” she added with a wink. “Would Melisa Wisa like that~?!”

Looking up for a bit, MDP’s energy seemed to draw her back in. A smile slowly came across her face and she responded back with a high child like voice. ”I would love to!”

“Yaaay~! (giggle!)” MDP squealed as she bounced up and down with glee. “That makes Magical Dream Princess, like, sooo super duper happy wappy~! (giggle!) Magical Dream Princess and Melisa Wisa are gonna have, like soooo much fun together wether~! (giggle!)” she added, scooping up the doll girl and playfully spinning around. “Okie dokie, Danny Wanny~!” MDP called to the dolphin. “Magical Dream Princess would like to go homey womey nowie, so, could Danny Wanny, like, pretty witty please make one of those portal wortal thingie wingies~?”

After a portal had been opened, MDP cheerfully skipped through. “Super duper thankie wankies, Danny Wanny~! (giggle!)” she called back to the dolphin. “Bye bye for nowie~!”

Once on the other side, Melisa would find herself in an opulent bed chamber, one that exuded elegance and refinement.

“Ta daaa~!” MDP announced as they entered. “This is Magical Dream Princess’s homey womey, and, like, this over heresie is her bed~! (giggle!) It’s, like, super duper comfy womfy, and Magical Dream Princess just knows that Melisa Wisa will totally wotally wuv it~! (giggle!)” she added, while jumping up and down with childish delight.

While Melisa had made a decent living for herself as a business woman, the scale of expense for just a bedroom was something else. Eyes widening her pink eyes lit up as she looked around. Stunned silent for a bit she turned her whole body around as she looked. There were a number of questions she had, but she would wait to give those a little later. For now she would give MDP her attention.

Though she was short, she definitely had more strength than she looked she did. With little effort she jumped up onto the bed. ”Woooow.” She plopped down with a small thump. ”I don’t think I’ve ever been in a bed this soft.” It probably helped that she wasn’t all that heavy even made of metal. Her arms where spread out to her sides and she enjoyed the floof.

“Like, Magical Dream Princess said it was comfy womfy~! (giggle!)” the whimsical girl told Melisa as she jumped onto the bed next to her and spread herself out like the doll girl had. “Oh~! Does Melisa Wisa wanna know something special wecial~?!” MDP asked excitedly. “Magical Dream Princess has never ever wever had a friendy wendy sleep over beforesie, not even Pastel-chan~! Melisa Wisa gets to be the very wery first~! (giggle!) Pastel-chan was gonna come over wover, but she’s been really super duper busy wisey lately wately, and, like, so has Magical Dream Princess~! And, like, golly wolly!” the innocent magical girl exclaimed, her eyes going wide. “Magical Dream Princess just remember wembered! Now that you’re heresie, Magical Dream Princess kinda winda has to let you know her secret wecret identity wentity! Maybe waybe she shouldn’t have invited you over wover, but she was just sooo happy wappy to have a friendy wendy spend the nighty wighty…” she added, looking somewhat worried and uncertain.

Melisa would look at the magical girl for a moment and seemed to be considering things. After a bit she rolled over and sat on her legs. ”I don’t really know that many people in the grand scheme of things. You’re also super nice and kind. I won’t tell anyone. I promise.” She crossed her heart. Something occurred to her and she held up her hand with her tiny pinky outstretched. ”Pinky winky promise.” She would giggle a bit.

If MDP felt any trepidation about revealing her true identity to Melisa, it completely evaporated after hearing what the doll girl said. Giving voice to a squeal of joy, the whimsical girl reached out her pinky to touch that of her friend. “Pinky winkie promise~! (giggle!)” MDP told her with a smile spreading from ear to ear. “Okie dokie~! Magical Dream Princess is gonna changey wangey back to normal wormal nowie~! But, like, she has to warn Melisa Wisa that she’s totally wotally different wiffernt when she’s not Magical Dream Princess~!” MDP added.

The next instant, there was a bright flash, and the whimsical girl was replaced by a dark-haired young woman wearing a silk bed robe. She gave Melisa a small smile, as her cheeks took on a crimson shade.

“So… this is what I really look like,” the young woman said somewhat hesitantly. “I-I hope you still like me this way,” she added, clearly a bit embarrassed. “I know I am nothing like how look or act as Magical Dream Princess, but I am still your friend, and I am still so very happy to have you here.” she told Melisa, while gently patting the tiny girl’s head.

The tiny girl smiled brightly from the head pats. Seemed she didn’t mind being treated in such a way. Looking over her friend she shook her head. ”I don’t mind. I sometimes get carried away with whatever magic changed me too so I don’t exactly act myself if I’ll be honest.” She offered with a knowing nod.

“Thank you, Melisa,” the young woman replied with a warm smile. “Oh, and please allow me to introduce myself,” she said, rising to her feet and giving a curtsy. “My real name is Violet Covington. Yes… That Covington…” she added when Melisa seemed to recognize the name. “We are actually in the penthouse of Covington Tower right now,” Violet explained.

Understanding seemed to come to the doll’s eyes. ”Mmm. Well the room makes more sense now. Melisa Reese. I don’t really have my old identity anymore so…” She shrugged. Her “disguise” wasn’t much use to her most of the time. Didn’t help that if it was night and she drops the disguise then she couldn’t put it back up. ”I don’t know. I didn’t really have much other than work anyway so getting dragged into this was more of a shock than anything.”

“Work pretty much defines my existence as well,” Violet commiserated. “I was trained since early childhood to be the successor to the family name and the CEO of Covington Industries. I never had any time for fun, games, or dolls. That is why I so dearly love being Magical Dream Princess! When I am her, I can do all the things I was never permitted to. I can make all my deepest dreams come true,” she added, slightly bushing upon realizing how corny she sounded. “But I can understand if it is not the same for you, Melisa,” she told the doll girl with a small frown. “I know you did not ask for this, and it is not like you can still maintain your old life as I am able to. Do you… truly enjoy your life in this new form?”

That was a good question. She hadn’t really had a whole lot of time to feel out this new life. If anything she’d come to the realization of why Penrose was coming apart. With something of a sigh she leaned a bit. ”I don’t think it really matters how I feel about it. As far as I understand I’m stuck this way so complaining about it isn’t going to help. I think whatever this doll is encourages me to accept it is some way though. It gets better when I’m having fun or get the chance to eat.” Given she was hollow it was a little hard to tell exactly how consuming anything would help at all. With all the commotion though it had been a while since she’d had the chance to consume a dream.

“Well, I am sure that we shall have lots of fun together,” Violet told her. “As for food, I can procure a great deal. I do have my own private chef, after all,” she noted with no small amount of pride. Violet was a bit unsure of how a doll could even eat food in the first place, but then, she had seen Melisa eat the ice cream she had made back at the Sanctuary…

”Oh uh, I don’t eat food. I feel hungry until I ‘eat’ someone’s dream. The ice cream tasted good but it didn’t really do it for me. I have to find people that are asleep. At the Sanctuary I would find people with nightmares and eat those. I have to be careful not to enter the dream too long though. They tend to get worse the longer I’m in the dream.” She would explain a bit about her unusual needs.

“Eat… Dreams…?” Violet wondered aloud, frowning slightly. Melisa then went on to clarify, and the heiress’s expression softened once more. “I see… So you try to mitigate the problems you might cause by taking away people’s nightmares? I actually do much the same as Magical Dream Princess, although I don’t consume the nightmares themselves, only convert them into sweet dreams. Perhaps we could work together to help banish nightmares from Penrose once and for all?” she suggested with a smile.

”Yeah. I found out they're pretty much the same thing as far as my hunger is concerned.” Considering Violet’s offer for a bit, she would smile. She wasn’t all about getting rid of nightmares per se. It would help her feel better either way though. ”I can help with that, I guess. My magic isn’t all about dreams, but I try not to take away ones that are good if I can.” She would tap her singers together nervously. It seemed like a task that was bigger than she was ready for.

“I am glad to hear that,” Violet told her. “And I certainly do not wish to force you into anything you are not comfortable with. On that subject,” she continued, becoming slightly more serious. “I want you to know that you have my full permission to enter my dreams whenever you are feeling hungry. Do not worry about me,” the heiress would reassure her small friend if the doll girl seemed concerned, “I shall be fine. Besides,” she added, her voice taking on a more somber tone. “It is only right that I atone for may past mistakes…”

Looking a little confused for a moment the girl nodded. ”Thank you. But uh…” She looked at the girl a bit. Despite her current stature and sometime behavior she was quite a few years older than the girl in front of her. ”Mistakes? You seem a little young to have a lot to atone for.”

“Perhaps,” Violet conceded, “but I have been entrusted with far more responsibility than most people my age. Although,” she added with a sigh of resignation. “That was not exactly what I was referring to… Melisa,” Violet said, a hint of sadness in her voice. “There is… Something I need to tell you. Now may not be the best time for it, but it is something that cannot wait. I did not realize it at the Sanctuary, because of my… memory issues when I become Magical Dream Princess, but the Ebon Mint, the organization that attacked the Sanctuary? I… I am sorry to say this, but I… I once made a deal with them,” the heiress told her, wincing as if she were pulling off a bandaid. “It was before I even became a magical girl,” she added. “Someone was attacking my father with magic, and the Mint approached me and offered their services to discover the attacker’s identity. Not having any other options, and not knowing how monstrously evil the Mint truly was, I accepted. Since then, I had not given my association with them any further thought. At least, not until tonight, not until I saw their vile actions with my own eyes. Melisa,” Violet pleaded, gently taking the doll girl’s tiny hands with her thumb and two of her fingers. “Please believe that I never would have worked with them had I known what they were really like, and please, please trust me when I say that I will never, ever allow them to hurt you. I pinky winky promise,” she told Melisa, holding out her smallest finger and hoping her tiny friend would accept it.

To some degree Violet was lucky that Melisa didn’t know much about the various magical groups. Her opinion of the Mint was sour, but she’d only heard them talked about and she wasn’t entirely sure how people knew it was them that attacked to begin with. Seeing that the girl took it seriously though it had to mean something. Looking at their hands for a bit she accepted the promise.

”I believe you. This magical girl stuff sounds like it can be shady business sometimes.” Putting a hand to her face she thought for a little while. She would need answers from people more knowledgeable with the kind of activity that went on here in Penrose. Setting that aside she looked back up to her new friend. ”Is your father alright? Did they find who attacked him?” Seemed a reasonable question to ask.

“Thank you, Melisa,” Violet replied with a relieved exhale. “And, yes, Father is doing much better now.” she told the doll girl with a smile. There was still the matter of the “curse” the Mint itself had very likely placed upon him, of course, but he was currently in stable condition, and the heiress felt it wouldn’t do to worry Melisa about it. The tiny girl seemed to have enough problems as it was. “Shall we retire for the evening?” Violet asked, as she slipped under the covers. “Although,” she added after a moment’s thought. “Are you even capable of sleep in your current form?”

”I… rest I guess. I’m also still somewhat damaged from the attack so I can use that time to fix myself.” She gestured to some rough repairs that her patron had made. Her magic would deal with the rest over time. Really all she needed was the raw material to get it done.

“Very well then,” Violet replied. “I suppose I shall leave you to it.” After laying her head on her fluffy pillow, the heiress closed her eyes for a few moments, before asking hesitantly, “Um, Melisa…? C-Could you, maybe rest next to me for a short while? I-I’ve never been allowed to have a dolly of my own, a-and I’ve always wanted one… N-Not that y-you are a dolly…!” Violet hastened to add, her flustered face growing a bright shade of crimson. “I-I mean, you are, but you are also a person, and… I’ve never had a friend spend the night either…”

The request was silly and sad all at once. But the small girl didn't take long to decide. "Of course." She said cheerfully. Crawling over to one side Melisa lay down on the bed and snuggled up next to Violet. Thanks to her patron's influence she almost craved being seen and treated as a doll.

“Thank you,” Violet whispered, giving Melisa a happy smile as her eyes began to tear up ever so slightly. “Goodnight, Melisa,” she added, giving the top of the tiny girl’s head a kiss. “Rest well.” With that, the tired heiress drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Penny was knee deep in half destroyed electronics trying to repair what she could of the Media room when a thought occurred to her that had her cursing internally.

It had been just about a day and a half since the Sanctuary had been attacked. Which meant it had been that same amount of time since the Assault had failed. And Penny hadn't yet talked to Alica.

Gods she felt like a poor friend.

Not bothering to extract herself from the spot of her repairs Penny pulled up her comms system and set Alicia a call. It wasn't like what she was working on was particularly complex tech at any rate.

'Pick up, please' she would murmur on the line.

Things had been a bit more sedate for Alicia. She did not have bases to rebuild, or challenges to her leadership that she needed to deal with. There were the wounded, but she did not do that personally. All she had was the paperwork and the gnawing feeling of dissatisfaction inside of her.

As such, the phone call was a welcome distraction. She was quick to pick up the phone at her desk, a smile lighting up her face with the sight of the Caller ID. ’Hey Penny, how’s it going?’

Hearing Alicia's voice lessened a knot in Penny's chest that she'd hadn't even realized was there. She let that relief bleed into the call as a relieved sigh [color=9e0039]'Bit better now' She would respond 'Realized that I hadn't seen how you were doing yesterday and I wanted to check in on you.'

'Downside to having a high speed brain, you can think more troubling thoughts in less time' She would quip with a chuckle.

Smiling mostly to herself, Alicia chuckled at Penny’s joke. ”I can see how that might be an issue, she agreed with a small nod of her own. ”Anyway, that’s good. Things are calming down. Now it’s just dealing with paperwork and figuring out what to do next.”

'Good to hear that, I know things didn't pan out like you were hoping, but I'm glad that you made it through whatever it was that happened out there.' Penny didn't know all the details. The file on that Op was above the mechanical girl's clearance, and while she could slip in anyway doing so seemed like a good way to piss off Elora.

'While I've got you on the line, how would you feel about meeting up? It's been a while since we've had a chance to hang and we could probably both use the chance to unwind.'

Alicia shrugged, once again mostly to herself. Penny always had some good sense of her feelings, and this was just another example of that.’Sure, that sounds fun.’ she quickly agreed. Like Penny had said, it had been a while. She could use something a bit more casual.

Of course, they couldn’t just leap into it. Not with the responsibilities both of them had. ’So where did you want to meet up?’ she asked. ’It’s a bit cold to be hiding on the roof of my house again’

'Sadly true, but the stargazing then is still one of my better memories from when I was back seating.' Penny would muse aloud as she sifted through ideas.

'We could hunt down a cafe in the Overcity' She would offer 'Or I could find a space heater or something like that and we could meetup Downtown at one of the skyscrapers, if your wanting to stay in the city'

’I’m not even sure what stargazing would be like in the Overcity,’ Alicia admitted. She’d been there before of course, but she had not thought of doing that sort of thing there. Would they be able to recognize the constellations there, if there were even stars at all? ’Skyscraper could be fun, as long as you promise to catch me if I get too relaxed.’

‘I think it would depend on where in the Overcity you are’ Penny would reply, even as she too pondered that thought. She’s rarely had reason to look up while in the Overcity after all. Always fighting or on the move when she is there.

‘And I promise, If I can get you relaxed enough to forget the drop I’ll be there to catch you’ She would remark with a smile. It was nice just talking with Alicia. ‘When do you want to meet? My schedule is pretty open so I’m free whenever.’

Alicia nodded along to herself as Penny assured her that there wouldn’t be any problems with their high rise perch. Asked about timing, she glanced at the documents she was working on and considered the time her responsibilities would take before providing any answer. ’I should be free around 8;30 or so? Just got a few things I need to wrap up here.’

‘Sounds good’ Penny would reply ‘I’ll send you a text with the location once I get set up?’ She would state more than ask, but the question was still notable.

’Sure,’ Alicia agreed. She would be able to manage that. After all, what good leader could not delegate?

‘See you soon’

---

It was well past sunset by the time they were able to meet up. The winter season was in full effect after all, but the cold hardly bothered Penny as she set about setting up. Clearing a bit of snow from the rooftop of choice, she set down a tarp she had brought along as well as her jury rigged heater. It worked well, and was safe, it just didn’t look all that elegant. The rooftop was part of an office building Penny thought, she had never been inside. So she was only guessing from the looks she got from the windows. It was one of the taller buildings in Penrose, and she chose this one because of the small lip around the rooftop itself.

With one last look about the place she would send the location off to Alicia, before sitting down to wait. Idly she wondered if any of the other supplies she brought would see any use, but would worry about that later.

It would take several minutes for Alicia to arrive, having made her way downtown in anticipation of Penny’s message. Just because she was not the one deciding the location did not mean that she could not be proactive. Once she did know the location there was not much time wasted as she parkoured her way up to the roof. She could probably have used her wings, but that wasn’t very subtle and she would like to avoid the extra attention from other magical girls.

Arriving at the top of the office building, Alicia smiled and waved to Penny. ”Well, fancy meeting you here,” she said with a laugh to accompany it. ”It feels like it’s been forever, doesn’t it?”

Penny bit down on the desire to flirt back and simply waved as Alicia came over. “I know what you mean” She would agree instead “Feels like a lot more has happened then really has.” She shrugged, last time they had gotten together was when they had sparred, which wasn’t all that long ago, but it felt like it had been longer than it was.

“On that,” she would shift to give Alicia a more critical look “How are you holding up?” She would ask genuinely concerned for her friend. “I’ve not read the report, didn’t want to step on Elora’s toes to get it, but Mariette did make a brief appearance while I was dealing with an issue. That’s how I know things didn’t pan out like you were hoping”

Stepping away from the edge of the building, Alicia glanced around at everything Penny had brought with her for this meeting. Trust her to have everything covered. They’d just need to see how the heat worked out up here.

A sigh escaped as Penny brought up Mariette. Alicia idly kicked her feet, and she scratched at the back of her neck with a frown. ”Turns out Mariette has a lot of friends. A lot of familiar faces among that number too. She got away, material losses are unclear but can probably be recovered from in time. She may have been purified but she’s also still with Asengav so who knows how long he’ll let her stay that way.” She was still subservient to a Horror after all. Independent thought was something of a premium there.

As if that were not bad enough, that was not the end of the story. ”Oh, and Leena’s seriously injured and won’t be able to be out in the field for a while, the rest of the girls involved also had it rough, and Justine was captured by the Cradle so there’s no way we’ll be able to do this again if we have to.” There were no tears shed for the vampire. Only frustration at being so deprived of resources when they had not secured what small victory they had.

Penny withheld a wince. As there was another, less charitable, way to describe the outcome. A total loss. Which couldn't be easy to swallow after all the work that had been put into the assault.

"I'm sorry to hear that" She would say, which felt inadequate. "I might be able to help Leena, assuming that she'd be willing to trust me." She would offer. Information on Mariette's friends or the Cradle was also on the table, Penny supposed, but neither of those would be as instantly helpful.

"All things said, I'm glad that you didn't get hurt." She would go on to say as she pulled the heater over and started it up. Less for her sake and more to do with the fact she could see Alicia's breath. "And as much as I wish I could say I wanted to be there, I'm more glad I stayed behind." She would set the heater on the edge of the tarp once it was up and running, pointing more towards Alicia than herself.

"Mint tried to trash the Sanctuary, but something botched their plans so only structural damage stuck around."

Alicia was grateful for the offer, and Penny’s continued willingness to help despite all the difficulties that the Sanctuary had introduced into their relationship. Aside from the other difficulties, of course. ”Well, she’s on the mend. But I’ll let her know you offered.” If Rachel would allow it of course. That sort of thing wasn’t her decision to make.

Penny’s gratitude then earned a wince and a look of chagrin. ”Well, what’s a couple broken ribs in the grand scheme of things.” she observed. Alicia had given as good as she had gotten, so she could take some comfort in that despite their failures. The heater hummed to life, though it would take a few minutes or so for it to really alter the temperature here.

She tensed a bit at the mention of the Mint, though at least it seemed like things had not gone too badly. ”Any idea why?” she asked. It didn’t seem like the sort of move they would pull.

“Hurt too badly” Penny corrected with a roll of her eyes, hoping to hide the flash of red in them after hearing Alicia did get hurt. It was irrational, and she knew it. But Penny still cared for Alicia deeply.

“And because the Sanctuary is a massive threat to their normal hiring scheme” Penny would continue with a grimace. “It’s not something I feel that most people at Beacon would think about, especially no one from Ascendency, but most girls of the darker persuasion don’t really have a lot of options.”

“On the streets everyone kinda knows that the Mint is a terrible idea, but for those that need to eat or other specific needs there isn’t really anywhere else to turn to. Normal girls don’t have the resources to help, if they care to figure things out in the first place, and outside of Penrose Beacon oaths kill any cooperation.” She would explain leaning back to gaze up at the stars. It wasn’t a good situation for the Dark or Monster girls out there, and Penny knew that because she had lived it.

“So Mint offers them just enough rope to hang themselves. But morals get hard to hold on too when you’ve not eaten for a few weeks” She gave a sorta helpless shrug “Not everyone has it bad, some have Patrons that are willing to take care of them, but for the rest? Before the Sanctuary there wasn’t anywhere they could reliably turn to for help.”

“That’s my guess anyway” She would add after a moment “Didn’t exactly get a chance to beat any answers out of the bastard before they ran.” She didn’t bother to hide the flash of red or the growl in her voice at that declaration. They attacked her home, that would never be something Penny would take lightly, even without the Sanctuary added on top.

”Fair enough,” Alicia conceded as Penny laid out the reasons for the Mint’s attack. She would admit, her own perspective usually came from the notion that the Mint only ever sought to increase its own power. She was less informed on how it interacted with normal magical girls, and the sort of methods they would use to recruit someone. If Penny said it, then she had little reason to doubt the veracity of her statement.

Still, at least they had come out of the attack alright. Damage could be fixed, given enough time. ”Between this and the Rave, they’re getting pretty proactive. I’d say they were getting spooked, if we weren’t doing so badly ourselves.” It had been hard to go after the Mint following the Rave with everything else that had been going on with Justine. Now there was the opportunity again, but she wasn’t sure where to start. It was the same old problem.

“It almost seems like they are trying to provoke a reaction if I’m being honest.” Penny would claim. “Not sure if it’s because so many of us came back, or it just took them time to get set up, but they just seem to be trying to stir up conflict.” Perhaps it was simple paranoia, but the mechanical girl couldn’t help but assume that all of it was building towards something. Only question is what.

“Tracking them down is a pain as well” Penny would continue on, unknowingly voicing Alicia’s thoughts “I might be able to scrounge up one lead but if it doesn’t work I’m in the dark unless I want to go asking for favors.” Which Penny really didn’t want to do, but she also really, really, wanted to put some hurt towards the Mint for their attack.

Alicia nodded along as Penny laid out her thoughts. She moved at last, going to take a seat at a spot where she could enjoy the warmth of the heater while still having a good view of the city as they enjoyed their rooftop perch. That was what they had come to do after all, so it would be a shame to just stand around and converse.

Feet idly kicked in time with the frustrations she had. ”Well, if that’s their plan then it’s working,” she grumbled. If Penny had a lead, it was more than what she had at the moment. ”I had hoped we might find something by targeting the Independent, but that’s come up as a bust so far.” Not for lack of effort of course. Beyond that, they could just keep patrolling and responding to things as they happened. Not exactly the sort of mindset she had gone into leadership wanting to have,

“Really?” Penny was honestly a bit shocked at that. “I would have been willing to put coins on them being a part of the Mint.” She mulled over that for a moment, wondering if it was something they had interrupted or if the PI just had different goals in the first place. “Means that buying it up isn’t as bad an idea as I thought it might have been.” She would muse aloud.

“My lead” She would go on to say using air quotes “Might not even be of any good anymore. But I was given a location I could go too to try and get in contact with the broker I was under. Only problem is that my Broker was the one who split off to make the Crimson cradle so following that line might just blow up in my face worse than leaving it alone.”

“And tracking her down to get leads on the Mint is the realm of favors that I don’t want to touch.” Penny would let out a sigh. “Surprised that Rachel isn’t more interested in hunting them down herself.”

Alicia shrugged. ”I thought so too. But if they’re connected then someone did a really good job of hiding it.” She didn’t claim to know the full circumstances yet, but this was just what her investigation had uncovered so far.

A twitch ran through her as Penny mentioned who her ‘source’ was. ”Probably for the best. Between helping Mariette and everything else, the cradle seems as shady as the Mint ever was.” Maybe she was just being bitter, but after what they had gone through it felt like it was a deserved anger.

As for the mention of Rachel, she met that with a shrug. ”She cares, but in a more general sense. If an opportunity arose I’m sure she would take it. But right now she’s more concerned with order in the streets and preventing stuff like the Rave from happening again. You know, priorities.” Where once she had thought they could remove the Ascendancy easily, that was no longer the case. Alicia wasn’t sure what would happen from this point on.

“Hah, you don’t know the half of it” Penny would let out a bitter chuckle “Joining the Cradle gives access of all of your memories to the founder of it. She claims it’s to help keep everything transparent but it just makes my skin crawl” She would shudder for effect. “At the very least I trust them to hate the Mint, but they haven’t differentiated enough in my opinion to fully trust them.”

She would flop back onto the tarp with a sigh. “And I wish that didn’t make as much sense as it did” Penny didn’t want to like Rachel, but knew that the Inquisitor had a point. After all neither Penny nor Alicia had any solid leads on the Mint either.

Reaching into her leg compartment she pulled out one of the varied goodies she had stored away, a large D battery which she tossed up and let fall into her mouth. “You ever think about moving?” She would ask, her voice not affected at all by the battery she was crewing on.

“Getting away from Penrose and all of its insanity?”

Alicia shivered along too, unnerved by Penny’s revelation. ”I’m not sure if that’s paranoia, or just excessively controlling. It’d explain why she broke off the compartmentalized Mint at least.” It definitely did not do anything to endear Veronica to her, that was for sure.

She leaned back slightly, and moved to avail herself of one of the drinks that Penny had brought for her. As opposed to Penny and her taste for mechanical parts, though that was not exactly unusual by this point. A hum escaped as Penny raised a question, and Alicia paused for a few moments to think about what she wanted to say and how to say it. ”I’ve considered it,” she admitted as her head fell.

Memories flashed by, of everything that had happened since her journey began. ”Sometimes it gets unbearable, with all this bad stuff happening and people turning against you. But Beacon wants me here and thinks that there is still good that I can do. The Ascendancy stuff sucks, but if people like Cardinal ishtar still have faith in me then I can’t give up.”

“I know what you mean” Penny would admit “There was a long minuet after my reforging where I was so very tempted to just leave. Go somewhere, east maybe, or into the Overcity. Somewhere no one knew me, so that I could find myself without Jason’s memory lingering overhead.” It was one of the first thoughts that Penny had once she was whole again. One that didn’t get easier after finding the override chip.

“I’m glad I chose to stick around though” Penny would keep her gaze up at the distant stars and pointedly not mention that Alicia was one of the key reasons why she had stayed. Any chance of that had passed, ruined by Jason’s thoughtlessness.

“What’s the Cardinal like?” She would go on to ask. “I’ve been thinking of trying for a meeting with her like I did with Rachel”

Alicia nodded along, glad that penny had stuck around as well. It was good to have friends here, and without her around she would be that much more isolated. And probably the worse off for it too. But there was no use dwelling on what might have been. At least, those sorts of ‘might have beens’. There were others that she did not mind dwelling on though, like the most recent raid. But at least she had plenty of distractions on hand.

She grinned as Penny asked about the Cardinal. ”Honestly, I’m not sure what I can say without it sounding like a cliche,” she mused aloud. ”She’s compassionate, considerate, a lot less hardline than Rachel is, and she walked to that park meeting despite knowing it was probably a trap because she believes that much.”

"Huh" Penny would muse over that for a moment. "Sounds like the kind of person we need more of in Penrose." And while it was cliche, sometimes that was the truth of the matter.

"Oh!" Suddenly sitting up Penny would be grinning, "That reminds me." She would say before plunging her hand into her chest, the plates and other mechanical parts seamlessly parting.

A moment later she pulled out a small glass looking orb that was filled with streaks of white plasma. "What do you think?" She would ask Alicia, offering up the glass orb for her to hold.

Alicia was about to agree with Penny when her friend suddenly seemed to remember something. Bracing herself, Alicia’s eyes widened as she beheld the glowing orb that Penny produced.
”Wow.” she took the orb, lifting it and examining it from different angles while also feeling what it was like. ”You’ve been busy with more than just repairs.”

“That one is on you actually” Penny would say with a smirk. “I always got the impression that my magic is fundamentally different than most peoples as far as I can gather, pulling that up just proved my theory” She would explain as Alicia examined it.

It felt slightly warm to the touch and carried a sense of purity that was strangely familiar to the angelic girl. It also felt slightly unreal, like a held dream or physical idea.

“It’s also physical proof that Rachel and the Ascendency is wrong, same with most of Beacon if I want to be petty.” She would go on to say drawing out the tension about what it was that Alicaa was holding.

“Because, that’s my Shine Spark”

Alicia’s eyes widened as Penny revealed what she held, and the girl suddenly found herself a lot more self conscious about what she was holding. She subtly adjusted her grip, just to make sure that there were no accidents atop this very tall building. That would have been very awkward.

After a few moments she gingerly passed the orb back to Penny. ”So you pulled out part of your soul to prove a theory about magic. What are we proving Rachel wrong about again?” she asked, figuring she might as well get this out of the way before they got much further.

“Give me some credit” Penny would scoff as she accepted the Spark back “My soul is damaged enough I’m not going to go tearing it more. Especially since I don’t have that Spec.” She would shake her head, though she got where Alicia was coming from “All I did was give it a physical form, that was what I was proving about my magic.” She would go on to say holding the orb up so that Alicia could clearly watch it as it slowly sublimated back into her. “Not saying that someone couldn’t do some serious harm to me if they got their hands on it, but normally it’s not actually a physical thing for them to grab. Though I will admit how that works isn’t something I’m really sure on other then ‘Magic’”

“As for what it proves Rachel wrong about, that’s simpler” She would go on with a shrug “That Monstergirls aren’t inherently evil. Shocking revelation I know, but I can prove conclusively that the Spark doesn’t clash within a Monstergirl.” Granted Penny knew that the odds of another Monstergirl mimicking what she was capable of when it came to adaptation was effectively zil, but it was still proof that being a Monstergirl wasn’t an automatic exclusion from having Humanity.

“Though I’m still half way conceived that if I showed Rachel that, she would just straight up punch me”

Alicia watched as Penny returned the Spark to herself, a bit more relaxed for it but still with a heavy helping of disbelief that it had been there in the first place. ”Oh definitely,” she agreed with a quick nod. ”I’m pretty sure that’s super heresy or something.” She wasn’t sure how else one would label physically manifesting a Spark.

She sat back to relax once more, though it was a gesture which did not make its way through her entire body. ”Well, at least you’re making some progress. I’m a bit frustrated right now, though admittedly for selfish reasons.”

“Perhaps” Penny would say bobbing her head side to side, “Kinda just feels like I’m spinning gears most of the time if I’m being honest.” Because yes she was getting work done, but it didn’t feel like it amounted to much some days.

“But enough about me, what’s got you frustrated?” Penny would ask as she settled down once more. “And I’ve got a flask of rum if you're wanting a drink.” She would offer. Most of the stuff she had brought was simple snacks, granola bars, couple juice pouches and the like. Same foodstuffs at the Sanctuary, but she also brought along a flask or two of alcohol. As she did still have some of the stuff hidden away from when she was under Laat. Stuff was a good firestarter in a pinch.

”A drink would be good,” Alicia agreed as she extended a hand towards Penny. Maybe she didn’t need it, but it would make her feel better.

She would take a sip before elaborating. ”I just feel like I’ve wasted a lot of effort, you know? All that stuff to deal with Mariette, and I guess Janet went behind my back and fixed it with Ronin. The Cradle dealt with Justine, the Bates got handled offscreen, Eden’s gone. All these times when I got so determined and angry, and they just ended up getting solved without even being around. It wears you down, you know?’ The same with Chloe, though she didn’t mention that with Penny here. She still had some level of tact after all.

“First conflict with Justine was that way as well, and can’t forget Chloe up and vanishing.” Penny would add, because she didn’t care for tip-toeing around her own faults “Cindy and her whole dieing and not being fully dead thing going on. The absolute mess that was the Rave operation.” She would let out a sigh. “Yeah I can see how all of that would be exhausting.”

“Not much at the moment, but I’m sorry for my own role in some of those.” She would go on to say “I know I wasn’t the cause of them, but I sure didn’t help make many of them better”

”Getting frozen in a block of ice for most of that fight was pretty awkward. And what came after it…” Alicia fell off, doing her best not to think of the girl she had killed, before she knew Justine’s minions had been mind controlled. Just the first she had to make up for.

She shook her head after a moment, and took a sip of her drink, before she responded to Penny. ”I don’t think I’d have had the strength to make it this far without you, or the lesson you provided. I’d probably be just as eager as the Ascendancy is.”

“I’ll drink to that having helped you from that” Penny would say hoisting up another battery, more in the spirit of the statement then anything else. “And one of my own, for without you I’d still be stuck with Jason” She nearly spat his name, yet it was also spoken with an odd mix of nostalgia and affection.

“That would be the darkest timeline I’m sure”

Alicia shook her head. ”I think the worst timeline is the one where we’re all dead and darkness rules unchallenged, but that would be pretty bad.” she lifted her drink in a salute as well. What else needed to be said? They’d taken the paths they could, and history could not be changed. They just had to live with the consequences as best they could.

Penny would shudder a little at Alicia’s proclamation of the ‘Worst Timeline’ because if Oros and her Patron were to be believed she had seen that, or at least a version of it. Reviewing those events did make Penny sit up a bit straighter though. “Been there, wasn’t pretty” She would say with a shrug knowing she would need to explain that eventually “But I was able to snag somethings that might help us make sure that we don’t find a new way to cause that outcome.”

“It’s out of date, and unverified, but I do happen to have a glimpse into what the Ascendency is up to. Plus a lot of other stuff as well that I've not fully sifted thought”

An eyebrow rose as Penny revealed she might know what the Ascendancy had in mind to do in penrose, among other things. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but Alicia would admit that it was not the sort of thing she felt was particularly urgent these days.

For now she took things casually. ”Does it involve a city shattering laser? Because I knew about that already,” Alicia asked calmly, glancing over at Penny as she waited for her response.

“Weaponizing Purification” Penny would reply dryly “And the retaliation of such” She would shake her head to focus “Got kidnapped to another dimension where the worst timeline came true. Over there, shortly after the Rave, things went downhill fast.”[/b][/u][/color] She would explain quickly, now wasn’t the time for a deep dive into all of it “An arms race started up between Purification and Corruption. Pretty sure you can guess what the fall out of that would be” She would explain.

“If the data I got is valid, this gives us a chance to stop a catastrophe before it happens.”

Penny’s explanation was unexpected as well as curious. Alicia could see how what she was saying might be the case, but at the same time it also seemed fairly far off. Unless the Ascendancy had more resources devoted to that than she knew of.

”I see. Still, from what I’ve heard Janet and Jenna have been having trouble making a Purification weapon. I’m not sure how feasible an arms race is if we can’t actually get our side of the race off the ground.” This was probably classified or something but it wasn’t as if Alicia cared. Penny could keep a secret.

“Huh” it was obvious that Penny was a bit flat footed at this. It was ostensibly good news, but she couldn’t help but feel like they had been robbed of a chance to do some good. She took a moment longer, before blaming it on the horror that was lording over that dead realm. “Well I’ll keep an eye out for the other side regardless, but glad to hear that there is one less problem for Penrose at the moment.”

“You get an Invite to Dan’s party?” She would go on to ask after a moment of quiet.

Alicia did not have much more to say on the matter of Weaponized Purification. It was entirely possible that the Ascendancy was still working on it, or that Janet and Jenna had been stonewalling on purpose, but she was not in a position to dictate whether that was true or not. For now, it seemed to be a dead end. ”Sounds good.”

For now the topic shifted, and Alicia quickly nodded to confirm her situation. ”Yep,” she replied. ”I’ve been assured that we won’t get time warped this go around, though sometimes I wonder if it wouldn’t be better if we were.”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to gaining time” Penny would say “Go in for three weeks come back and only an hour has passed kind of thing.” She would explain with a shrug “I didn’t really notice until I was looking at Dan again, but the stolen time really got to me. So not looking forward to a repeat of that anytime soon.”

“A chance to avoid all the drama of Penrose is still tempting though” Not that Penny would take such, she wanted to be involved regardless of how it eventually panned out. “Regardless I’m curious as to how we will end up dressed this time”

Alicia nodded along, sipping her drink as Penny ruminated on the nature of lost or gained time via magic. She found it hard to argue the point, though at the same time she got the suspicion that there was a bit more to it than that.

“Why do I get the feeling that we wouldn’t be saying that if we didn’t have so much responsibility now,” she observed with a chuckle. “We’re our own worst enemies.” Admittedly they had not invited all this responsibility on themselves, but they had not refused it either. So here they were now, amidst a burden of authority while they sought refuge in this tiny way.

For now they had the party to look forward to. “Well it is Christmas themed,” she pointed out, extending a hand over the edge of the building. “I expect a lot of Santa Claus outfits, ugly sweaters, and a lot less keijo.” Admittedly she could be wrong, particularly on the Keijo from, but she was fairly confident with making that guess.

Penny agreed with Alicia, if they weren’t under the yoke of leadership neither of them would be as stressed, yet there were few people in Penrose that Penny really trusted to be in these leadership positions. So hopefully together they could plot a better way through all this mess that seemed to fall onto Penrose every other day.

“Well, I’m going to build a Snow Castle and throw snowballs at everyone I’m annoyed with while ensconced within it, and not even Dan will be able to stop me” She would say with an over the top haughty expression on her face. Being a leader could wait for a bit longer, now it was time to plot out snowy shenanigans.

The notion of Penny building a Snow Castle seemed to hover near the absurd, but Alicia could picture that pretty well. Though it might just be because she knew Penny was fond of building things. There was no doubt that she was going to terrorize the party later.

“Really, you’re going to throw them?” she asked with a laugh. “I figured you’d have a catapult or a cannon or something for more volume of fire.”

“Well, now that you mention it…” Penny would say with a sly grin “Think that Dan would let me summon the Earthbastion again?” The cannons on that would be able to output a lot of snow power. Otherwise, Penny would just have to figure out a way to make a catapult out of snow.

Alicia scoffed, face twisted in amusement at the thought of the Bastion delivering powdery snowball justice en masse. But as amusing as it might be, she had the feeling that using it in such a manner would probably not be approved by the Dolphin.

“I don’t think he’s going to go for that,” she mused thoughtfully. “After all, the last time it was at least thematically consistent with the atmosphere that he was going for on the beach. A giant mechanical pirate ship thing isn’t what I’d consider ‘Christmas Spirit’.” Not that Penny was going to have much trouble coming up with a catapult. She just needed to make sure she had a spot inside the snow fort rather than being the one to try and take it.

A large sigh of disappointment would follow that proclamation “Drat. Well at least he can’t stop me from just using Gravity to fling it at people” Penny would say with false dejection. She already figured, but the mental image was just too fun not to bring up at least once.

“Wait…” Penny would turn a suddenly bewildered look at Alicia “The Ascendency has a city shattering laser!?”

“No comment.”

Beacon HQ. Even with the Ascendency having the run of the place it still felt welcoming to Penny. She nodded or returned greetings to the various members who would call out to her, but her nature as someone who kept to herself was still well founded within these walls.

There was still the odd stares or cold indifference that on occasion was pointed her way, but honestly she had never cared about that. So it was easily ignored. Instead she was more closely examining the network, and wondering what had caused the deviations between the network here and the one in the dead world she had escaped from.

It was really just a thing to pass the time, as she was off to a meeting. One that she was honestly surprised she didn’t have to push harder to get, but she wasn’t going to complain about her luck there. After all, meeting the Cardinal was something that she had wanted to do for a while, and now more than ever it felt like the Sword of Damocles was hanging over her head. So she wanted to seize this chance to talk with Ishtar before it fell.

She turned down the hallway to where the meeting room was and came up short. There was a pair of guards posted in the hallway. Their faces were grim upon seeing Penny, the Ascendency emblem proudly on display. It didn’t take supernatural senses to guess why these girls were here.

Penny barely made it another step before the guards called out to her. “Halt! This area is off limits.”

“I have a meeting with-”

“That is irrelevant. This area is off limits to those without proper clearance.“

“The Cardinal is-”

“To be protected, hence why this area is off limits.”

Holding back a scoff Penny slowly moved until she was standing in front of one of the girls in her way. “I went through the proper channels for this meeting” She would say calmly, leaning ever so slightly into the girls’ space while she maintained eye contact. “The Cardinal agreed to this meeting,” Penny would continue not blinking as she stared pointedly into the guards’ eyes. [color=9e0039][u][b]“She reserved the room. For us. To have this meeting.” The barest hint of pressure would come Penny as she stared down this girl, for once letting her relaxed persona slip letting some of the frustration and anger that dwelled within her all the time surface. Even as she kept her tone smooth and calm.

“Now.” Penny would adjust her posture so that she stood proudly at her full height, a few inches taller than the girl she had selected for this display. “Are you going to move out of my way? Seeing as you have no reason to be in it.” the ‘Or am I going to have to move you’ went unsaid.

Penny could see the expression of the girl on the left tighten as Penny’s piercing glare bored into her, and the girl on the right visibly sweated from her brow. Finally, the girl on the right relented, and silently stepped aside. “But Ros-” The other Ascendancy girl exclaimed, before she bit her lip and also allowed her passage. “Make it quick. The Cardinal has more important matters to attend to,” she muttered, and Penny entered the room.

Ishtar was reading a book, and closed it as she looked at Penny with a tired expression. “Greetings, Penny. Please excuse my guards; they are devoted to their task of protecting me.”
She waited until Penny closed the door behind her and took her seat before she stated: “I have heard stories about you, Penny. Some are wonderful tales of bravery and virtue. But I have also heard other tales...Worrying ones.”

Penny would let out a breath after the door closed behind her. “You’re probably right, just not the first time I’ve been stonewalled by them” She would shrug it off before sitting down across from Ishtar. “And I can’t say I’m surprised that my reputation precedes me. I tend to be a rather divisive person.” Especially where Beacon was concerned. But that was neither here nor there she supposed.

“Before we dive too deeply into that. I wanted to say thank you. I know you have your own reasons, ones I'm sure aren’t up for discussion. But the first trial when we got back, Thank you for choosing leniency for Alicia and others.” It was something that Penny had been wanting to thank Ishtar for for sometime.

Ishtar nodded with closed eyes, a subtle smile on her lips. “I simply did my duty as witness to Alicia’s courage and faith. But no less do I appreciate the courtesy because of that.” She clasped her hands together, and looked at Penny. “Alicia is fortunate to have made friends with you. You see, one day she will lay the first steps towards a new future.” She sighed. “Anyway, you wished to speak with me. What burdens your soul?”

“Alicia has already taken those first steps if you ask me” Penny would say with a soft smile. “And the general state of Penrose is the main burden I’m carrying. But that has less to do with why I wanted to talk with you.” Penny would lean back in the chair adopting as comfortable and casual a position as she could. “I wanted to talk with you, both to get an idea of who you are and to help clear up any questions you might have of me.” She would go on to explain “You, and Rachel, have a lot of pull on with the upper echelon and you likely understand why I want to have as clear an understanding as I can get given my circumstance.”

“So you have spoken with the Inquisitor then?” Ishtar asked, a curious look in her eyes.

“I’ve talked with Rachel before, you are a bit harder to get a hold of.”

Ishtar nodded. “Yes, I understand what you wish to learn. The recent events at Penrose have raised concern with Beacon beyond the confines of the city. The Ascendancy’s losses have been most alarming, of course,” she spoke, knowing Penny would understand the context. “But as much as I try to, I cannot sway the Inquisitor from continuing her campaign here, not as long as fear and terror yet pervades Penrose.” She leaned forward, her expression having turned more serious. “The Mint are starting to take hold of this city, grasping it from the shadows. It is only a matter of time before people lose hope, and resort to salvation in their greedy, uncaring hands. That would give Rachel everything she needs, her final justification.” She averted her eyes. “I dread to see that happen.”

“Honestly if you could persuade Rachel I’d be a lot less worried but rather surprised as well.” Penny would stay relaxed though the look on her face told enough about how serious she was taking this conversation. “I’m not going to argue that the Mint is a problem, anyone who does either hasn’t thought it through enough or is working for them. The issue is that most of the people still living here that are of a darker shade don’t trust Beacon anymore then they trust Mint. And the more that Rachel pushes the worse it’s going to get, as they don’t know the difference between the Ascendency and Beacon.”

“I’m doing what I can to preserve that hope, not that that should be much of a surprise.” Penny knew she was close to admitting blasphemy, but honestly that was the least of her worries and she knew it. “Because I don’t think anyone except for Rachel and those she trusts most want to see what it is she has in store for this city if she gets the proof she’s looking for.”

“That does have me wondering though” Penny would tilt her head a bit as a thought occurred to her. “You are ostensibly a part of the Ascendency, but I’m not sure I understand what your role is.”

“It is true I am part of that organization,” Ishtar replied, “But only as an overseer. The Central Government has decreed a Cardinal to be sent to accompany any mission assigned to the Ascendancy, both to ensure that the proper bureaucracy and protocols are performed, and to act as judge, to ensure neutrality in the trials they conduct. But even so, Inquisitor Rachel is unlike others I have seen; her unwavering faith is like a fire that burns within her.”

She rubbed her thumb against the palm of her other hand. “I know she is partly to blame for the suffering of many, including the poor girls of the local guard. But that is her way of coping with the darkness of this world.” She took a handkerchief, and wiped the corners of her eyes. Then, she looked right into Penny’s eyes; the robotic girl could feel like she was staring right through her. “Penny, you spoke of being a preserver of hope. What does it mean to you? How much are you willing to sacrifice to protect that hope?”

“My Oath is to Hope” Penny would say without hesitation, meeting Ishtar’s gaze head on as she did “To that end it means I’ve chosen to be an optimist. The one who looks towards the silver lining, the one who finds the good when everything is going bad. It also means that I’m not willing to sit back and let bad things happen if I can help it, not going to drag people down unless I am also there to help them build back up better. It means to be a defender and protector first, and an attacker last.”

“I am willing to sacrifice more than you would believe to protect hope. Because hope is vital to us all.” She would lean forward never once breaking eye contact as she spoke “and hopelessness, true hopelessness, is a fate far worse than death for us. Because after all the death of you or me is temporary, but the death of someone's hope. That is a lot harder to bring back.”

Ishta nodded, and then clasped her hands in silent prayer for a moment, before she spoke again: “That is the answer I hoped to hear, Penny.” She opened her eyes again, and Penny once again felt like she was looking far too intently at her. “There is a great darkness within you, remnants of a war that had waged in your soul. It had been rent, slashed, clawed and burnt. Yet, a light of hope had kept it together, like a prism that splits it into colors of the rainbow. Even as an echo of ruin and damnation resonates through it, that light has not been consumed by it. You have faced many hardships, Penny, but you have also taken so many of them on your shoulders, for the sake of others.” She smiled. “It is fitting that you would be the shepherd for the lost lambs.”

And that caught Penny’s attention. She didn’t start, or jump, but her focus sharpened much more then she was expecting to need for this conversation. It was all true, Penny knew that, but she hadn’t really explained much, if any, of that to anyone else. It was magic, that much Penny was sure of, but a type of magic on a level of which she wasn’t sure of.

Penny would go through the motions of taking a breath and holding it for a moment, reinforcing her apparent humanity even as she knew she had stopped worrying about blinking. “That. Is a very specific way of putting things.” She would say at last, still meeting Ishtar’s gaze, her own now much more searching. “You…” Another moment of silence as Penny weighed the pros and cons of asking outright. “You know a lot more about what is going on in Penrose then most, don’t you?” She would hedge instead. Too many possible ears, and plausible deniability.

Ishtar continued smiling gently, and placed a soft hand on the table. “Over the years that I had served as a beckoning star, I have seen many things. Joy. Anger. Sorrow. Hope. And despair. But here, I can’t see much. Penrose is clouded in darkness. But you can help clear the skies, Penny.” She clasped her fingers again. “You’re the light that shines in the deep.”

Penny stayed silent for a few moments, simply to process. What Ishtar was saying wasn’t deeply profound. But it hinted at a level of trust that Penny wasn’t sure she fully deserved. “I will do everything I can to that end.” She would say at length “I hold Beacon as an ally, and I do believe in the underlying principle that it is founded upon.” There was audible whirring as Penny spoke and it was easy to see her chest plate shifting slightly.

“But It is safe to say I don’t agree on everything.” Her chest plate would slide open revealing a small glass looking orb filled with soft white light that licked the inside of the glass like strands of plasma. “If it ever becomes a contested enough point, ask and I will return this.” She would say solemnly “Because I don’t want to risk this and my own chaotic nature might find a way to do that if it is taken abruptly. Do you think that is something that can be done?”

Ishta slowly shook her head, still smiling. “No, Penny. I won’t take your Spark, for it is yours, and yours only. And it shall be, as long as your heart is righteous and free of temptation.” She now had a serious expression. “The only one who can master the maelstrom in you,” she spoke with a raised hand, “is your own will. Learn to harness it, Penny, and it can be a force for good.”

Penny gave Ishtar a long, lingering, look before she nodded and retracted the Spark. “I’ve done what I can so far to keep it aimed at being such.” And she had, the Sanctuary was proof of that, or at least Penny hoped it was. “But mastery will only be proven when fully unleashed I think, and I’m hoping that neither of us need to see that for a long time yet.” Hoped for, but somehow Penny doubted it would be that easy.

She would let the conversation die for a moment as she reviewed all that was covered so far, before shaking her head “Have to admit this was more enlightening than I expected it to be, and I’m glad I was able to find the time at last.” She would say with an amused huff. “I’ve learned what I wanted to and said what I wanted to. Anything else you would like to address?” She would ask.

Ishtar quietly prayed, her head hung low, until she lifted it in response to Penny’s question. “For the longest time, I have believed in an absolute light. When illuminated over all, everyone can see the world for what it truly is. They can share the warmth from a single fire, and learn from the same book that the light grants us vision of.” She paused. “But such a light...It doesn’t have one form. It can be a great bonfire, worshipped and praised. It can also be the tiniest ember, glowing in the black coal of the earth. It may be shunned, maybe even despised, but it is light. For it was light in the past...And from its ashes, a new one can spring forth.” She turned to Penny. “Prove to the bonfires that you are an ember, Penny. That all the embers can join with the bonfires, even as embers they remain, so that we can all see the world as one.” And then, she turned silent, and resumed her prayers.

Penny would let out an amused chuckle as she stood. “I think you would have gotten along with Laat.” She would say and she meant it as a complement. Time had cooled her knee jerk anger at her founding Patron. “From Royalty to Clergy I will always be willing to talk at your table.” She would say with a short bow “Enjoy the rest of your day Ishtar.”

With that Penny would leave. But she would linger outside the room for a moment as she once again mulled over the conversation she just had. It was a good one she would conclude before turning towards the guard she had stared down earlier. “Hey.” She would call out, waiting until she had the girls attention before continuing. “I wanted to apologise for earlier. You were just doing your job and I’ve been having a rough week. Wasn’t fair to you. Either of you” She would glance over at the other girl as well to let her know that Penny was talking to her as well.

“You’re still posted to protect the Cardinal, I get that, but if you want. I can run to the cafetiera and pick you both up a drink or something. My treat.”

The guards looked at each, and then at Penny. Suddenly, the girl on the right had sparkles appear in her eyes, while the other rolled her eyes.

“We would appreciate that.”

“Great” Penny would take their order before venturing off to fill them.

Seems that things weren’t so dour as they first looked. ‘I should tell Alicia to talk with Ishtar as well’ She would muse to herself as she went ‘With any luck should be a good experience for her as well.’

Mac usually felt pretty good after a shower. But it didn’t always wash away all of her problems. These days, it was becoming less and less efficient at doing so.

The christmas party wasn’t too far off now, and she had no way to join it. Getting in should be easy, technically. All someone had to do was hand her a ticket, one of which could replicate indefinitely to whoever held it. But in order for her to receive one, that would require her to exist as a person. To lower her illusion magic and be noticed by the outside world. That was not in the cards for her. Veronica was no longer in Penrose, and visiting Aria was too risky. Less because of Aria herself and more because of the company she was with. She did not want to risk a run-in with Oros at this time. Certainly not for a party. But that was fine, really. There was no reason for her to really go there herself.

But it would have been fun to go.

At the very least, it seemed like Penrose was doing better. The city was starting to see a turn around economically.

Mac had sat down on a park bench to watch people come about. It was still cold weather, so there weren’t a lot of joggers or people playing with their dogs. But seeing anyone out here was better than what it had been.

As Mac continued to take in the sights of the wintry park, the sound of cheerful humming would reach her ears, punctuated now and then by a stream of sweet giggles. The source of the lighthearted tune soon revealed itself as a smiling girl with pink twintails and wearing a stereotypically “cute” magical girl outfit. A trail of glitter and sparkles followed in her wake as she skipped and twirled her way along the path, seemingly without a care in the world.

Stopping in front of Mac’s bench, the whimsical girl gave voice to a squeal of delight as the lamp post next to it turned on, revealing that the pole had been wrapped in a string of colorful Christmas lights.

“Ooooh~! Sooo pretty witty~! (giggle!)” the girl declared in a sickeningly sweet and annoyingly high-pitched voice. “Magical Dream Princess just wuvs Christmas Wistmas lights~! (giggle!)” she added as she bent over to inspect them in more detail.

Mac already had goosebumps. You don’t walk out into the winter straight after taking a shower without feeling something. But they felt a bit tighter now, and the hair on the back of her neck was standing up to. She was fortunate it was too late in the day for coffee, as she might have been wearing it if MDP had surprised her earlier in the day. With a deep inhale, the winter air filled her lungs.

But wait, was this an opportunity?

MDP was one of the girls that had one of those tickets! All she had to do was get her to share one with her and she’d be all set. Of course, she had to do so in such a way that she didn’t reveal herself. More importantly, word about her couldn’t spread. She had to do this carefully, less her cover get blown over at a christmas party. Mac had to laugh though. For all of her abilities, everything that she had done, talking to people was something she was a little out of practice with. But it was something she used to be good at, so, what should she do?

Mac stood up and walked just out of sight. She walked around the back of a tree and, upon coming out the other side, she looked like an entirely different person. Someone who could be a magical girl, but otherwise unremarkable. A teenager with a yellow jacket and a bob cut. She grinned a bit before approaching MDP, still unsure what she was going to say to get a copy of that ticket. Perhaps an icebreaker was a good way to start.

”They’re great, aren’t they?” Mac’s delivery was a little late, but she hoped the girl wouldn’t notice. She had just mentioned the lights a moment ago. ”Christmas is my favorite time of year, but decorating is my favorite part. All the lights go up, and everything shines like the stars!” It had been a while since Christmas was anything more than one of the holidays where she treated herself to a dozen donuts, but that was really good for some people. It certainly was to Mac.

MDP whirled around with an overjoyed smile upon hearing the “new arrival’s” comments.

“Like, it’s Magical Dream Princess’s most favorite wavorite timey wimey of the yearsie wearsie, too~! (giggle!)” she agreed. “Like, she can’t decoratey watey anythingy wingie herselfy welfy, so, like, she wuvs to look at all the pretty witty decoration wations around the city witty instead~! (giggle!)” the whimsical girl explained, jumping up and down in barely contained glee.

Even though Mac was covered in illusion magic, there was little she could do from preventing her eyes from squinting in pain with every syllable MDP spoke. ”W-wonderful.” Mac extended her hand. ”I’m Ashley. What’s your name?”

Although it didn’t seem possible, MDP’s smile grew even wider when the new girl introduced herself.

“Like, it’s super duper nicey wicey to meet you, Ashley Washley~! (giggle!)” MDP replied, shaking the girl’s offered hand perhaps a little too enthusiastically. “And, like, Magical Dream Princess’s namey wamey is Magical Dream Princess~!”

”Ah! Right, a fellow magical girl!” The brunette pounded a fist into her palm. ”Ashley is what the public calls me, but my friends and enemies know me as, bum-bada-bum!” After some campy effects went off around Mac, just enough to conceal her form, she had changed yet again. Her bron bob was a brilliant red, and she looked like a pilot for a space craft in a sci-fi show. ”The Knight of Tonight!” A futuristic steering wheel appeared in her hands, as she couldn’t think of a more suitable weapon for this dubious, thrown together identity. You’re the first Magical girl I’ve met since I arrived in Penrose, ah, can we be friends?”

“Wowie zowie~!” MDP exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with childish wonderment. “You’re a magical wagical girl, too~?! Like, Magical Dream Princess thinkie winkies that’s totally wotally amazing wazing, and, like, she just wuvs your super duper spacey wacey outfit woutfit, and she’d, like, super duper totally wotally wuv to be your friendy wendy~! (giggle!)” she added, giving the girl a possibly bone-crushing hug.

It was fortunate that Mac was one of the more Durable Magical girls in Penrose. However, her durability wasn’t really the issue with being this close to MDP. It was that she needed to use gravity magic to simulate the feel of her outfit to anyone close enough to touch it. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem as Ashley’s costume was more or less as form fitting as her true form. Though with MDP hugging her so tightly, simulating the bulkier parts of her suit became a necessity to keep up the illusion. Would MDP notice otherwise? It wasn’t something she was willing to chance. Moreover, MDP was even louder in such close proximity.

”A-and I think you look positively stunning as well! Like the stars even!” Mac was unsure if she wanted to wrestle herself out of MDP’s grasp. ”So! Um, yea.” Her arms were pinned at her sides. ”The hug was very nice, but I don’t think I can feel my hands.”

“Golly wolly! Magical Dream Princess is sooo super duper sorry worry!” the whimsical girl apologized while quickly releasing her new friend. “Magical Dream Princess just wuvs making new friendy wendies sooo much, she guesses wesses she got kinda winda carried away…” she noted with a small frown, before quickly brightening up once more. “‘Cause, like, making friendy wendies is, like her most super duper favorite wavorite thingie wingie in the whole wide worldsie~! (giggle!) Friendy wendies~! Friendy wendies~! Yay~! Yay~! Yay~!” she cheered while doing a silly dance around the “Knight of Tonight”. “Friendy wendies~! Friendy wendies~! Hip hip horaaaay~! (giggle!)”

While Mac was not oblivious to MDP’s eccentricities, she had underestimated how pleased she would be to get a new friend. This was a bit of a problem though. There was the chance that MDP would try to find her new friend at the party, and had powerful connections she could make use of to that end. This could alter the foreseeable future in ways none of her previous actions had. In hindsight, she should have just asked MDP if she had a spare ticket because she lost hers, and then broke away as soon as possible. Mac might have been the master of going unseen, but being forgettable was not one of her stronger skills. But she was able to think of something while MDP was parading around her. ”Which reminds me, I heard about a Christmas party for magical girls. You wouldn’t happen to have a ticket for that party I could have, would you?.”

“Golly wolly~!” MDP exclaimed, bringing her little dance to an abrupt end. “Magical Dream Princess totally wotally forgot about that~! ‘Cause, like, her memory wemory is, like, super duper terrible werrible when she’s Magical Dream Princess~! (giggle!) And, like, she totally wotally does~! Heresie~!” the bubbly girl declared, holding out an invitation to her new friend. “Oh~! And, like, this invitation wation thingie wingie is magical wagical, so you can, like, make copy wopies for all of your other wother friendy wendies, too~! (giggle!)”

Mac pinched the ticket and dragged it out of MDP’s hand, slowly, like she was handling a smelly sock or someone’s underwear. ”Thanks…” After stashing the ticket away, she folded her arms. ”However, Magical Dream Princess, I do not think I will be able to make much use of the ticket’s ability to duplicate.”

“You won’t?” MDP asked with a frown, while tilting her head in obvious confusion. “Like, why not?”

Mac smiled, but it was bitter sweet. ”Well, it’s just that I can’t have too many people learn about me.” Her eyes half closed. ”I’m not exactly real. I’m, well, a make-believe friend.” She sighed before placing her hands on her hips. ”If too many real people learn about me, I could disappear forever. So it’s important that I only ever talk to other make-believe people. Though you’re an exception, because I’m part of your imagination.” Mac raised a finger to her lips. ”Which is also why I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone about me. Because I might not be able to show up at the party otherwise.”

Did Mac go overboard with that one? It sounded like it might work when she thought about it, but now that she actually said it out loud, no one could possibly believe that. Right?

“Wowie zowie~! You’re an imaginary waginary friendy wendy~?!” MDP gasped in childish wonderment. “Like, Magical Dream Princess has had lots of those beforesie~! (giggle!) But, like, she wasn’t supposed to, ‘cause Daddy Waddy says imaginary waginary friendy wendies are, like, super duper childish wildish, so she had to be extra wextra careful wareful to keep them a super duper secret wecret, so, like, Ashley Washley can count on Magical Dream Princess to not tell anybodywody about her at allsie~! (giggle!)” the whimsical girl declared with a playful salute. “Like, Ashley Washly will be Magical Dream Princess’s super duper special wecial secret wecret imaginary waginary friendy wendy, and that’s, like, her super duper special wecial pinky winky promise womise~! (giggle!)”

The bitter sweet smile Mac was faking before became a whole lot more genuine as she listened to MDP go on. She couldn’t remember much of her own childhood, but there had been times where her own parents had told her she couldn’t do things. Their requests that she decided were less reasonable she still did, just less openly. On more than a few occasions she purchased a candy bar from a vending machine, despite her parents being concerned about her weight. She’d also stay up late, and watch shows her parents deemed inappropriate. Though her parents had never attempted to restrict her creativity. While Mac couldn’t remember any of her imaginary friends, she didn’t remember ever being told she couldn’t have them. Mac had fully planned on never using this ridiculous cover identity again, but maybe, just maybe she could show up for MDP from time to time.

When she felt like she could tolerate her antics.

”Alright.” While “Ashley” extended her hand to receive the pinky promise, Mac had stepped away from her illusion. ”Pinky promise it is.” Once their pinkies locked together, the knight of tonight’s form flaked away. ”See you at the partyyyyyyyyyyy!”

Giggling with delight, MDP wrapped her pinky around “Ashley’s” and gave it a shake. “Okie dokie~!” the whimsical girl called out once her new friend had departed. “Bye bye for nowies~! (giggle!)” she added with a happy wave, before setting off down the path once more, cheerfully humming as she skipped along.

What an unusual character. It was a shame her voice was so grating, as Mac might have liked to talk with her a bit longer. But it was probably for the best she didn't get too attached to her. MDP was just a mark after all. A means to an end. With a sigh, she brought the ticket up in front of her face and smiled. She'd need to think of a better weapon for "Night of Tonight" while she was at it.

---

Oros was a bit perturbed this morning. She was having a good old time chatting with radio personality Pac-a-fist, only for Broken promise’s antivirus to go haywire and erase all progress. See, for some reason, Avast thought that it was suspicious that a word processor was trying to create and modify files, so it stopped its ability to do those things without warning. It even did this to BP image editing software, which was when he finally noticed it. So a lot of work got flushed down the toilet. But we’re not quitters here at DbD, so what can you do but start over?

The studio room was small. a table ran down the middle of the room and was divided by a single sheet of plexiglass. The guest’s side of the room was cozy, with gold and brown colors swirling over the back wall. There was just a table microphone, without any other distractions in the room. On the radio personality’s side, things were a bit different. There was a monitor on either side of Pac-a-fist’s console, which was covered in switches buttons, and a keyboard. The microphone and a cup holder had to be hung from the ceiling because there was simply no place to put them on her compact working space.

”…And that was ‘smells like teen spirit’ by Nirvana, for the two of you who didn’t know. And hello, hello, hellooooooooooo! Jame’s shift is over and Pac-a-fist is with you all live, here at KPAK-Penrose!”

KPAK-Penrose was the most popular radio station in Penrose. With only soulless organizations like Starbucks and Mcdonalds staying open in such a dangerous place, its primary listenership was teenage boys. Though KPAK is enjoyed by many young girls too. This is largely due to most wage slaves fitting in that demographic. That was also what made Pac-a-fist so popular in the morning time slot. Not only did KPAK focus on the types of songs teens in the area liked to listen to, Pac-a-fist’s talking segments happened to focus on things like videogames, movies, and occasionally talked about tech. Even when she’s not on air, people love to watch her streams that she does in her spare time, and she’s worth keeping in your social feeds if you like pictures of cute gamer girls doing cute things. She’s remained popular largely because of how genuine she seems while doing all these things.

”Before we play more music, I’ve got a guest with me here today. She recently acquired a hotel in Penrose. Now I know most of you aren’t interested in hotels, but she’s really turned the Golden Trove into a cool hangout spot for the locals. And she’s hiring! Thank you for coming on air with us Oros, the previous owners turned down all my invitations.”

Oros was filing her nails. "Well, the old crew was kind of old fashioned. Me? I can always reschedule my massage for later. Though it is important that you know I missed out on that because of you. "

”Hah! Well, we can have someone give you one right now if you’d like.”

"Could you give me one?"

”Ahhhh…” She chuckled nervously. ”Why not? It would just be kind of alkward walking back and forth between the switch board and your side of the studio.”

"Never mind then. Wouldn’t want my date getting jealous."

”Hah! Is she the clingy type? I guess we should get started with the interview.” She looked at Oros. ”Now I know the ownership of the Golden Trove is kind of a weird topic, right? You own it, but you also don’t own it?”

"Yea, you know how huge bushiness chains work? It’s kind of like that, only on a smaller scale." Oros folded her hands into her lap. "There was a family emergency, and the head manager was looking for someone who could run things in their absence. So Mr Boteg still owns the Golden Trove, but I make all the decisions. I only have to answer to him if we go into the red, but that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen for a long time. I guess ownership really depends on how you want to phrase it."

”I see what you mean. Now, let’s talk about some of the big changes you made. I used the arcade the other day and WOW! You’ve got a nice selection of games in there! Pac-man is always going to be my favorite, but I really like the Batman driving game too! You can take any bat mobile ever for a spin!”

"I knew a regular hotel wasn’t going to make it in Penrose. The old management team had the right idea going for a themed hotel, but I wanted even more spectacle. So we’ve been upgrading all of the rooms to make them the best they can be. A lot of our customers aren’t even hotel guests. You can just purchase a day pass if you want to go on an outing with your friends. The arcade is cool because it’s finished, but the Golden Trove also has an auditorium we’re going to convert into a theater."

”Do you think the local businesses see you as a threat?”

Oros grinned. "Maybe? I dunno. I think the types of services I offer differ enough from everyone else that it shouldn’t be a problem. You won’t be getting the newest movie releases at my theater, and Penrose hasn’t had a proper arcade in a long time. I think I’m creating places for all the workers at those mom and pop places to come work. The only business left in Penrose are these huge chains, and I’m glad I could stand against that. But in the end, we live in a capitalist country, so people are gunna chose who wins with their wallets."

”Which leads me neatly along to my next question: You’re still hiring?”

"Yea! I could use a cute radio personality! You’d make an excellent receptionist!"

Pac-a-fist chuckled. ”Afraid I’m pretty attached to my job. But you’ve got lots of openings?”

"You bet your sweet bipster I do! We’re full on hotel staff, but I need people with skills. Someone who can maintain the arcade machines, stuff like that. We’ve also got a lot of roleplayers staying with us, so anyone who has something that might appeal to them is welcome to an interview."

”Roleplayers, huh?”

Pac-a-fist occasionally did “roleplaying sessions” where she would talk about the more magical aspects of penrose, but that was often a very small part of her show. Trying to turn what the general public viewed as a tragedy into some kind of magically inflicted nonsense was sure to drive away the normals, which was their core audience. But it did offer a way to subtly talk about magical girls in a way that didn’t make the whole thing sound like nonsense to the average radio goer. Everyone was aware of the cosplayers around Penrose, this was just a way to address them to the public at large.

”Do you get along with most roleplayers?” Pac-a-fist let her hands rest on a switch board.

"I’m pretty okay with most of them. Some take their roleplaying a bit too far." Oros wasn’t smiling anymore.

”Well I mean, I’d think you’d be good friends with ‘Penny’ right? She’s created a sanctuary for roleplayers, or do you see her more as competition?”

A snort escaped Oros’s nose. Then a shrug. Then her shoulders seemed to tremble, only for the trembling to amp up until it was clear she was trying to hold back a laugh. That was when she brought her fist down on the table. She wasn’t transformed, but it was hard enough to cause all the instruments on Pac-a-fist’s side of the table to jump. "Right, Cindy ford lost her life, and that parasite moved in and claimed her title all for herself, denying Cindy’s friends even a square shot at it. Then after she declares herself queen, what does she do? She moves into some warehouse to hide from the world. She’s not queen of Penrose, she’s just barely queen of her own home." Oros folded her arms. "I kicked her butt anyway! So where’s my crown? Does Dina have it? She kicked my butt afterwards, but all I’m hearing about is how glorious this cockroach is!" Oros took hold of the microphone and held it up to her face. Her eyes looked red and blood shot. "Tell you what, Penny. I’m not sure if you get radio in that dingy sewer you’re the queen of, but I’ve got a little proposal for you. Being the queen is old news, I’m the president of Penrose! If you want to challenge the power of democracy, just march your butt over to the Golden Trove and my secretary would gladly schedule a rematch if one loss to me wasn’t enough for you. Should you win, you’ll be the proud owner of two hollow titles."

”A-ah…” Pac-a-fist was frozen in place.

"Too much?" Oros’s grin returned. "It’s just roleplaying, they eat that stuff up."

”Of course! Hah!” She scratched the back of her head. ”It was a very convincing performance.”

"I am thinking of running for mayor though."

”Hold that thought. We’re going to take a break and play some Pearl Jam, along with some messages from our sponsors!” During the brief time Pac-a-fist was looking away from Oros, a dark shadow expanded behind her. Oros noticed it just in time to start screaming, but the shadow closed around her and pulled her into the floor before any sound could get out. The radio host only noticed that she wasn't there when she was done making her anouncement. ”Probably just took a bathroom break.” She sighed. Oros was kind of obnoxious, but there was no way she, a heterosexual white girl, would get away with silencing a bisexual Indian girl. For the moment, she just relaxed and listened to the radio play.

---

Having a place of her own, Emily had to go out from time to time to restock on everyday items. On her return from the store, there was a muffled poof sound that seemed to come from a nearby alley. Stepping out into view was a tan girl with red hair and dressed in a white belly dancer's outfit. Glancing around she didn't really see anyone too nearby other than Emily.

Putting on a little smile Ruby skipped on over to the Puchuu girl. "Hello. Looks like you're the lucky one today." she stated somewhat vaguely.

People emerging from alleyways so suddenly were generally the sort to mug others, so Emily was initially cautious, though after confirming there was no apparent hostile intent she relaxed. "Lucky?" Clearly confused, Emily tilted her head. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, maybe I should start carrying around a lamp. Nah." Taking a little bow she introduced herself. "My name is Ruby. And I am here to grant you a wish." The jewelry she wore seemed to shimmer with magic for a second.

"You have such a beautiful name! Um, mine is Emily, pleased to meet you!" Emily returned the bow, albeit less elegantly, and listened to what the girl had to say. When Ruby finished, Emily seemed curious. "A wish? How do you mean? I don’t remember buying any lottery tickets or doing any raffles..."

Of the different reactions she would get from people, ones like these were always fun. Emily was adorably confused and it caused Ruby to giggle a bit. "Aren't you sweet. Your name is beautiful too." Stepping forward she briefly took the shopping bag Emily carried and set it down. "I was created to grant wishes, so my magic leads me where I need to go. And this time it lead me to you. No purchase necessary." She added on the little git on the end just to be funny.

"So what will it be? I love to hear all the things people decide." There were times like this where she had to wade a bit through the bewilderment. Since her change though she'd been in a much better mood.

"Oh, um, then..." Emily appeared to deliberate on the choice for a solid few seconds. "I-it doesn't need to be material or something like that, right?" she asked to be sure. "If not, I would love to befriend more people!" she told Ruby.

"It doesn't need to be material. So if that's what you want then you just need to say it in wish form." She confirmed.

"Oh, that's good, then!" Material gains did not seem to interest her as much considering how happy she looked after Ruby told her that. "Um..." the request did throw Emily for a short loop, but she figured it out soon enough. "Um, then 'I wish I could befriend more people'. Like that?" she looked at Ruby to see if she was correct.

”Exactly. And that’s a lovely wish.” Lifting a hand, it and Emily began to glow softly. Unlike some other wishes she’d granted, this one was more subtle. As magic flowed from the djinn girl, Emily would begin to become aware of little things about Ruby. That she was thankfully not feeling sad, things that could potentially lift her spirits, and most importantly ways she could be befriended. Things she wouldn’t realize just yet is that others would have a better view of her, be more lenient if she made mistakes, would find it easier to gain help from others, and making allies would just take a little conversation to work out. She had been given the Power of Friendship. ”Your wish has been granted.”

Feeling the obvious changes to herself and noticing the brief glow, Emily glanced over herself, smiling a bit. "Ooh, that feels a bit strange! But not in a bad way!" she admitted, gazing deep into Ruby's eyes. "Um, is there a wish I can grant for you, then? N-not that I have any special ability."

”Not really how it works if it’s using my magic. Has to be used for other people. I appreciate it though.” She gave a little explanation.

"O-oh, well, I meant if I could do you any kind of favor," she clarified, picking up her grocery bag. "My sister taught me always to repay kindness with kindness, you see. Um, but if there isn't anything I can help you with right now, then perhaps another time?"

”Hm…” For the most part she could get anything she wanted materially. There was maybe one thing that she could help her with, assuming she could get some other help also. Would have to see about that later. Emily would pick up with her new magic that there might actually be a way she could help give Ruby an actual wish if she used her Mana Channel with someone else. Didn’t look like the circumstances were right at this time though.

”Well I guess I could always use allies. I’m usually pretty safe, but as you can imagine what I can do grabs attention sometimes. So I guess I could be your first new friend.” She said with a wide smile.

Elated, Emily's smile couldn't be filled with any more warmth if it had tried. Excited about this news, she couldn't help but give Ruby a quick hug, but backed off after a second. "O-oh, sorry, I'm just very happy that you would be my friend!" A small streak of red appeared on her face as she was embarrassed by her small outburst. Emily then took out her phone. "Would you take my number?"

Ruby put a hand on the girl’s shoulder. ”It’s fine. Friends are kind of new to me to be honest.” At the offer of a number she scratched her head. ”You’ll have to write it down for me. I don’t have a phone to save it to.” She said sheepishly. Maybe she could start carrying around a pen and paper just in case. Though right now the list was only like three numbers.

"Oh, no, that's absolutely fine! I only recently got a phone myself!" she assured, putting her phone away and reaching into the grocery bag to retrieve the receipt for her purchase, and then her pocket to grab a pen she carried on her. She rested said receipt on the back of one hand and used the other to write her number on it and presented it to Ruby when she was done. "Here! I suppose you'll have to borrow someone's phone or something, but I'll definitely respond if you do call."

Emily looked at her bag. "Oh, are you hungry, by chance?"

”Uh, yeah I guess. I don’t really need to eat much but it is nice to do sometimes.” Tapping her finger on her lips a couple times. ”That would be fun though. I haven’t sat down and shared a meal in ages.”

“Um, I have a friend who would change that any chance she gets. Maybe you’ll meet her? She shows up at my place sporadically.” Emily could’ve seemed happier when describing this person, but it didn’t seem like she disliked it either. “A-anyway, I don’t have the fanciest place, but I try to keep it clean. I hope you don’t mind…A-a-and, um, my roommate is a bit vulgar, but she means well.” Saying this, Emily urged Ruby to begin following her as she started towards her apartment, which they eventually reached without incident. Using her key, Emily unlocked the door and opened it, motioning for Ruby to make herself at home.

”Thank you.” Ruby stepped in and took a quick look around. The place was nice by her standards. She’d seen many different places, from palaces to dirt huts. So any modern apartment was usually pretty good.

What awaited Emily was something she rarely got to see. It was downright creepy, and quite the surreal scene. Sakura was quite the warped magical girl, and she was indulging in her most unspeakable desires which touched upon a near primordial feeling.

Of course, warped by Sakura standards was herself coyly giggling and humming to herself while carefully doing some trims on a bonsai, all while whispering how cute it was. So entranced the magical girl was she failed to notice the new guests and Emily coming back, until her eyes crossed again.

“Oh, more of them. Fucking great, Em.” She said.

Tilting her head to the side slightly Ruby walked closer. Folding her hands behind her she leaned closer to the bonsai. ”Don’t see many of these around here. I love the look of them but I don’t know if I could ever tend it properly” She admired the small but well kept plant.

"Sakura..." Although Emily was upset, she also seemed somewhat exhausted. Ruby could probably infer this wasn't the first time they'd had this sort of interaction. She looked at Ruby, who appeared relatively unfazed by the rude language, and secretly let out a sigh of relief while she was behind them. "Oh," she stood beside Ruby, glancing at the plant as well. "They are pretty little trees, aren't they?" Emily commented before looking at her grocery bag again.

"I should probably put some of this away and start food," she said, looking at Sakura. "Please make Ruby feel at home for me, would you?" Emily pleaded.

Sakura’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly, before a damning scissor snip drew all too close to Ruby’s face, defending the last bastion of her old life against the maddening tides of the new. Pity that Emily, as sweet as innocent as she was… had to say the words. “This is a bonsai that has been taken care of for decades. Not just a random Pretty Little tree. This is just the last hobby I have from my past life, which I have kept it against all odds, pruning the branches relentlessly before the crude reality slams into my face and tells me I cannot even reach the counter, hire an hotel, or act in the very least intimidating while being peppered by cutesy catcalls by half of Penrose’s population and I have to mooch off what is possible the most pure Magical girl in all of the city.”

She let herself catch her breath after her rapidfire rant, as her gaze drew increasingly close to Ruby all the whole time. “So… yes, taking care of them is a lifelong commitment and therefore...not easy.”

The scariest part was that Sakura had not even used a bad word in that entire rant. “Just because it’s you Em. If someone else had asked, I’d have asked to go fuck themselves with a file.” She paused as she put the bonsai on a safe shelf. “So whaddya want from me? A massage? I can set bones pretty well.”

Admiration of Sakura’s work was cut short as the red haired girl jerked back. Eyes drifting over to Sakura, Ruby listened to the rant about all the things she didn’t like about her new state of affairs. ”Sounds like you got dragged into this magical girl thing kicking and screaming huh. That happens a lot. A guy I take it?” She commented.

When offered the brief assortment of services Ruby just smiled. ”Oh, I don’t really need anything right now I don’t think. I just helped out Emily with something and she invited me over for lunch.” From the complaints earlier the pink haired girl struck her as a good candidate for a wish. Not everyone responded the say way to being presented one though, so she’d try and guide the conversation that way.

“No longer. I was pretty manly back in the day, and took crap from no one.” Sakura said. “Unlike Emily. Girl has a pathological need of trying to be friends with everyone. Kinda not half bad as a cook. It rubs on you.” She added, as she began rummaging for a hidden stash, producing a banged up packet of cigarettes. “D’ya mind?” She said as she tried to lit one of said cancer sticks, despite looking no older than 9.

"Not at all." She said as she found herself a seat. "Ah I see. That makes sense considering Emily wished to be able to make friends more easily." Putting a finger on the side of her face she seemed to think for a moment. "Hmm… I might be able to help you with your being stuck as a girl problem." She mused out loud.

Sakura eyed her guest with a little apprehension as he opened one of the windows and began smoking at earnest. "Like what, you a magical lamp or something?" She sneered as she puffed. "It would be grand to have my old body back. Or something even bigger. I would forgive not being a guy anymore as long as I can reach the fucking counter. But that's wishful thinking."

Chuckling a bit the girl sat forward. "So at the very least you wish you were taller?" Generally bringing people back to their old form didn’t fly, so she wasn’t going to push that idea too much.

"Duh". Sakura answered. "Being younger in body than my own daughter is not amenable."

"Hmm…" Mentally poking at her patron for a little while she finally stood up and held out one hand. Magic began to flow through her arm into her palm. With a pop sound an object appeared in her hand, a full sized Red Mushroom from Super Mario. "Your wish has been granted. " Lifting out her arm she presented it to Sakura. "Touch this, and you will grow taller."

"Uh." Sakura said… before eyeing the mushroom. It then clicked on her, as she shook her head. "I must decline. If such a thing was possible, It would be bad karma to just accept it to get taller." She finally said, frowning. "So no thanks. I guess that wish is going to be wasted."

Blinking a few times, she glanced at the thing in her hand. Tucking it under her arm she stood pondering what Sakura said. "I don't think I understand. Isn't this what you wanted?" The thing she conjured being rejected didn't seem to bother her so much as confuse her.

"Yes. But it's not what I really wanted. It was just fucking small talk." The tiny girl said."Well, not like a brat like you could have understood at first glance. We just met."

"You would like to go back to your old life. Your family. Even I have to follow particular rules though, so I can't give you that." She would give a little explanation.

"Yeah...about that. I was aware about that impossibility since day one. So wrong again" Sakura said, extinguishing the smoke.

Rubbing her chin a bit, Ruby shrugged. "Well, no big deal. I can just keep this for later. Or decoration." The space she occupied became empty for a few seconds before the reappeared. "I won't count that one against you since you never used it."

Sakura sighed. “The real answer would be that Yui and Aoi live on happily without me and without any kind of want, belly-chan.” She paused. “You should wise up belly-chan. Otherwise, if those wishes of yours are genuine, a lot of people will be unhappy. Or you could end up causing more harm than good.”

"You're not the only one without a choice." In reality it didn't really matter all that much to Ruby. Not granting wishes meant imprisonment. Also making a mess of things sometimes was fun. She would make her way back to her seat casually.

"Yeah, well. I have fucked up enough lives already… and as you can see, Karma delivers." She added. "Best if you try to improve yourself a little." Sakura said, not exactly specifying who that was referred to.

"Just a ton of money on my daughter and wife bank account will do. Could also use some spare money for myself, but as long as I get a roof and some booze I am not complaining."

Just a few minutes later, the two would then hear Emily set a few plates down on the table. A glance at those would reveal what appeared to be hamburger buns with some sauce and cheese on them. There were two on each plate and there was a plate for all three of them. "I hope I didn't make you guys wait too long!" Emily walked over to the two of them and offered a smile. "Hilaria made some of these and they were really tasty so I had her show me how. They're called pizza burgers, and they weren't too hard to make so even if it's my first time, I think they'll be good!" as she got done explaining what she had made, she asked, "Are you two enjoying yourselves?"

Considering what Sakura said, it made sense. Sadly she didn't entirely have the luxury of staying out of other people's business. Not that she would fully tell anyone that. "I'm having fun." She would hop up and step over to the table. A pizza burger? "Huh, sounds interesting. I'm willing to give it a try."

“It’s all western food to me. But it has extra meat, so It is a plus.” Sakura said, before greedily snatching a piece. “Great stuff, by the way. You would make a good housewife.”

Emily had begun eating her own food when Sakura made the comment, coughing once or twice after narrowly choking on it. “W-what are ya sayin’?!” she rapidly got red in the face. “U-um, well, there’s no point in thinking about that sorta thing…”

Ruby would take a seat and try a bite of the food. "Mmm, this is pretty good." She would take a couple more bites as the other two spoke. Wagging her fork a bit she mentioned. "Why not? I think it would be great if I could do that sort of thing some day."

“Y-ya do? O-oh, well, it’s just that, um, it’s not easy to settle down in this line ‘a work…” Emily directed her eyes towards her food and tried really hard to concentrate on that instead, taking small bites out of her pizza burger.

“Downright impossible, I would say. This work is full of loli hags. Still, no harm in dreaming, Emily.” Sakura said, as she greedily took another slice of food. “We need to find you a proper boy, not like those Oreo Lions in Beacon.”

Ruby shrugged a bit. "I guess. My patron wouldn't let me be in a relationship anyway, so you have a better chance than me." Seeing that Emily was somewhat avoiding the topic, well, the djinn girl could be a tease. "Unless Emily isn't really into boys. You don't strike me that way though." She would grin a bit.

It had its intended effect on Emily. She only seemed to be getting redder. “A-ahm, b-boys are… I-I don’t dislike them they’re just… h-hard ta talk to,” she stumbled on her words, continuing to let an accent leak. “W-what about y-you, Ruby?” she tried turning it around. “U-uh, if ya could, I-I mean!”

Without skipping a beat the girl would answer. "Well I've always been a girl, so that helps. But I've always just liked boys. I was that snooty popular cheerleader of the school so I would have had my pick. That attitude is what got me in trouble and into this gig though. Taught me a lesson."

"Well I was a man among men so feel free to ask, Em." Sakura did say, before tossing a glare at Ruby. Snooty types were one of the things that got on her nerves.

Emily seemed almost jealous. “B-boys sorta avoided me…” Emily sighed, presumably thinking about unpleasant interactions. But for a moment, she looked confused, yet quickly replaced the look with a strained smile. She didn’t let anyone ask about that, quickly speaking. “A-ah, well, there’s a lotta work to be done, right? Penrose is super busy all the time, so that’s why I think it’s okay to not worry about this stuff! I wouldn’t let it affect my ability to help people, so as long as I have friends, then I’m okay with that...”

Ruby caught the glare from Sakura, but wasn't completely sure why so she passed on commenting. Emily was once again dancing around the subject. "I don't know if it's that busy. We're sitting here right now and sharing a meal. Others seem to make it work, like that Lily girl and Alex." She would offer more examples, but that was the only one she personally knew about.

"Honestly, I still cannot believe you can still be so pure at your age. Probably for the better. A lot of people would just trick you to get you naked." Sakura bluntly stated.

“W-well, before I could e-even think about that, I’d have to find someone I l-like…” she argued. “...but then I’d have to talk to them and…” she put her hands to her face and was clearly nervous beyond belief thinking about it. She seemed to be caught in a loop Ruby was perpetuating. “A-ah, well... “ Sakura making her comment didn’t do anything to calm her down. “P-pure or not, it’s cold in Penrose right now! W-who would want someone to catch a cold…?” she asked, neglecting to mention the fact that cold weather had no effect on her.

“Ah, Em sometimes I forget why you’re cute as shit.” Sakura said, leaning towards the older-looking magical girl, and doing something very invasive. Headpats. “Well, don’t fret about it. Most guys are bastards. If I see any horndog around them I will fix what went wrong in their magical girl transformation.”

Ruby would shrug a bit. ”Never know until you try. And you have Friendship power now, so it will be easier! You’ll see.” The djinn girl would have to agree with Sakura’s assessment, at least if her experience in highschool was any example. As far as magical boys go that was harder to say since they were few and far between.

“Well, I’ll be in your care then!” Emily caved. “And thank you again for that! I’ll make good use of the ability, I swear! Oh, that reminds me! Ruby, have you gotten an invitation to the winter party?” she asked.

"Oh yeah!" Scooting closer and leaning over the table she would whisper to the other two as if it was a secret. "I'm helping coordinate it." She would beam.

“Figures.”Sakura said. “You need to start saying no to things, Emily.” The tiny pottymouth said.”At least I’m going with you, people start funny when drunk on that horrid concoction that is eggnog.”

She was confused at first about the secretive way in which Ruby told her this, but played along, whispering, “Then I’m sure it’s going to be a blast!” Sakura, of course, had to ruin this by mentioning one of Emily’s trigger words. She looked at the short yakuza, surprised. “Eggnog?” she repeated as a light went off in her head. “Oh, yeah! There’ll be a lot of that, I’m sure!” she excitedly said, nearly bouncing at the thought. “I can’t wait!”

"Eh?" That hadn't really been a thing on her list. Did Dan want that kind of thing? Well, if people wanted it then she'd check. Most magical girls were older than they appeared anyway. "I have a few plans. They'll have to be a surprise though." A grinning Ruby would tease slightly.

Sakura frowned, still remembering her past experiences with the horrid concoction. “Yeah...wonderful.” She added.

Emily’s eyes were stars. “Now I really can’t wait!” her cheerful expression was in contrast to Sakuras, but she didn’t seem to notice. “Would you need help with anything, maybe?” she asked Ruby.

Mulling over the question, the djinn girl thought it through for a while. ”Well, I think most of it is being taken care of. We’ll have food and games. Unless you have any ideas you’d like to see.” With Dan covering most of the stuff and herself handling the White Elephant style game it would just be a matter of setting other things up.

“Oh, I couldn’t think of anything that you guys haven’t already thought of, I’m sure.” Emily stood up and would grab any empty plates along with her own, taking them to the sink. When she returned, she looked at her small roommate, who didn’t seem to be near as eager as her for the party. “Sakura, is there anything you might like to see at the party?”

“Real liquor. Some good pork snacks. Chicks in naughty Santa suits if need be.” Sakura grumbled, as her mood darkened to all the prodding. She couldn’t be mad at Emily, she was too sweet, but all these new friends of Emily and their energy were wearing her patience thin.

Ruby would make note of the requests. ”I can see what I can do.” She would nod. Looking at Sakura for a moment she could see she was getting worn out. Perhaps she should change the subject.

”I think I can take it from there. So earlier you were saying something about providing for your family. If that’s what you want then you’ll have to actually wish for it.” She tapped on the table a bit with a finger.

Sakura sighed. “Well… no harm in trying.” She said. “I wish for a steady supply of money to keep my family safe and fed, now that they’ve moved to… whatchalit, San Aunt Tuna?” Sakura shrugged.

"How selfless!" Emily applauded.

Wishes of this like were not uncommon. Holding up a hand she put her index and thumb together. In a flash a card would appear in her hand. Setting it down on the table she slid it over to Sakura. "You're wish has been granted." On it was details outlining that Sakura's family had been selected to receive funding each month from the Wishing Well Foundation. "They will receive $6,000 every month. That should cover most of their needs and a good head start on savings for college."

"Huh." Sakura said, looking at the piece of paper. "So there's such a thing called wish granting heh. And without seven magical dragon orbs." The pink haired girl.

It was then, when it hit her. A slight tremble as she withdrew her stare from Ruby, choosing instead to gaze at her feet. She was getting a little wet around the corners of her eyes, as she uncharacteristically spoke in a thin, higher voice than ever.

"I will not forget this. It was my biggest regret." She said, almost hiccuping. If there was a time Sakura ever looked like a 9 year old, it was now, at the verge of tears.

She then breathed deep. She had to get a grip. She could not show her uncool side to Emily. She instead focused on the fact there was a wish granting magical girl in front of her.

"Say, could you make me a guy again? Or taller and meatier, like Em?" She ventured to ask.

She would rub her chin a bit. ”I can do those things. You’ve got a couple wishes left.”

“I see.” Sakura said. It definitely was possible. “But no more… I guess.” She paused. She contemplated as she weighed her choices. Her former family had closure now. This weird girl, in so little time, had made reaching her goal of achieving her older body easily. But… had she deserved it? She shook her head. True, she had done justice.

“... I don’t think I deserve them.” Sakura then began to talk, a grave hint in her voice. “I led a life of vice… that culminated in me running over a magical girl while driving. I had… drank a lot… and taken other things.” Sakura then said, eyeing first Ruby and Emily. “I’m just scum.” It was when she stopped.

“And now, by sheer luck… all this penance would be erased. But at what cost, I wonder?” She paused. “It would tempt me greatly, Belly-chan.” She said. “But even Sun Wukong had to learn that he was but dancing in Buddha’s palm. Just like my old master said.” She thought deeply, as deep as she had not done in ages. She wasn’t smart, or even morally righteous.

“You two girls deserve those wishes.” She added. “So here’s my other wish, belly-chan.”

“I wish for you to be freed from the need of granting wishes. You shall have a choice.” Sakura added. “As for Em… what is what you want, Emily?”

Some people might argue about how best to use the wishes. Ruby's place wasn't that though, and she knew almost zero about Sakura and her life anyway. So she didn't really comment. When the girl decided to pass off her wishes to the other two there. With the first wish Ruby would draw back a little bit. "Oh uh. Sitting awkwardly for a moment she would laugh nervously. "I appreciate the gesture but... I can't grant that wish. It's not something that's within my power to do." She would try and explain.

Emily didn't seem surprised by Ruby's inability to grant that wish. She turned to her smaller friend and kneeled, looking upset. "Sakura," she hugged the girl. It lasted only a brief moment, and she pulled away and looked Sakura in the eyes with a very serious expression. "You're better than you think, you know? Even with a... potty mouth, you've been doing your best to look over me! And look how you've spent your wishes! You do not have to worry about your family with this new life, but you chose to anyway! And even if you just met Ruby, and it didn't work, you intended to spend a wish for her sake!" Emily wasn't a wreck, but she did have to wipe away a tear. "Please, don't call yourself scum! You're worth so much more than that!"

Sakura eyed Emily for a brief second, stunned. She didn’t know what to say. She was pretty unused to these bright personalities. In the end, she chose to just let out a deep sigh. “If only you knew, Emily. You’re too pure.” She then eyed Ruby. “Figures, there’s no easy way of freeing you of this stupid shit. Then, is there anything you want?”

She then also eyed Emily. “And you?”.

Putting a hand to her head she would fuss with her hair a bit. ”Uhm, give me a minute. Wishes for myself don’t always work so I usually leave that to everyone else to just choose something for me. You can probably tell by now that I’m not free to do whatever I want with this kind of magic.”

Emily tried to hide the embarrassment from having that small outburst in front of Ruby by focusing on the conversation. "Oh, I'm sorry about that..." she sympathized with Ruby's condition, despite such a power probably being ideal for Emily herself. "And, uh... I'm not sure if I could think of another wish..." she would grant Sakura the body she wanted if that wouldn't immediately contradict what the girl had done. And somehow, Emily figured ending world hunger was not going to fly. "...really, the best I could do was wish I could find things and people better," she sighed. "But it kinda feels like I'd be using Ruby."

Sakura looked at Ruby, then at Emily. “Wish granters often want their wishes to be used, Em. If not they would not offer in the first place, or there would be a terrible catch. Do you truly wish for that, Em?” Sakura said. “And take your time, Belly-chan.”

Rube wasn’t really sure what she could wish for. Pulling one over on her patron wasn’t really a thing with their mind link. Even her loosely cobbled deal with Penny for a perspective second wish was a rough deal now. Lost in thought she didn’t really listen to the conversation going on in front of her.

After a bit she would just sigh with frustration. ”I can’t decide. I don’t want to get in trouble again. Not that I want to dump it on you guys, but I think it’s best if one of you chooses something.”

Emily looked at Ruby with, frowning. "It's okay. I suppose it's a little rude to be so against accepting a gift, so I'm sorry about that," she was a bit disappointed they couldn't do anything for Ruby, but such a power was clearly riddled with limitations only Ruby would know. "I-in that case, I'll go ahead with what I said earlier," it felt weird that, for once, she had to be the selfish one. So much so that that was all she could think of, even if she could really use personal wealth right now. "I wish that it was easier to find things?"

Sakura did look at Emily and then repeated her words. "I wish that it was easier to find things for Emily."

That was something she could do. The girl would glow a faded red. That wouldn't last long though as the glow collected into her hand. Holding open her palm the outline of a locket would form. Looking at it for a moment it would eventually solidify into a magical item. The item itself looked to be made of brass with a small linked chain so it could be worn as a necklace. "There we go. This should point you in the right direction." She would produce it to Emily. Flipping open the face of the locket there would be a small needle that would point like a compass toward the thing the user was seeking. They of course would have to have a decent idea of what they were looking for. As a whole it functioned very much like Absolute Direction.

Ackerson looked at the locket with a conflicted expression before pocketing it. She curved her lips back into a warm smile before looking at Ruby. “Thank you very much, again!” It was not hard to hear the genuine appreciation. And Emily did seem like the type to be beholden to someone who did something for her.

Sakura then pondered. “I wonder… would you rather have me as a guy or as a girl, Em?” Sakura did add.

”The magical world could always use more guys.” Ruby would tease just a bit. Though if the conversation from earlier was any indication it wasn’t that difficult to draw she probably still held her preferences from her high school days.

Emily was taken aback by the sudden prompt. “Um,” she paused to think it over. “I would prefer you were a guy,” she told Sakura. “Because it's been hard on you to adjust to a new life like this, right? It may not be your old life, but you would be happier as a boy, wouldn’t you? I think that’s what is important.”

"I see." Sakura did say. "Well, since I cannot do anything for belly-chan, better not waste the opportunity." She said. "I wish I was a 16 year old boy." Sakura did say. If someone as pure as Emily did not mind her being a boy… It should be alright, right? Besides… it was not like she was skipping on her duty to the magical world.

There was a sparkle in the eyes of the djinn girl. Most of the other wishes had been “smaller” in a way. Wishes like these were a lot more interesting. Hopping off her seat she would rub her hands together. ”Alright! It amazes me how so few people ask for this.” Clearly drawing on significantly more magic this time her eyes began to glow white.

The light flickered for a moment as a halo of light began to glow around her form. Stepping forward she raised a hand. ”Your wish has been...” She placed her hand down against the top of Sakura’s head. ”granted!”

Magic rushed down through the small girl’s body. Momentarily she would feel floaty, like she’d lost touch with her body. However it wouldn’t be long before a sensation not unlike when she’d first become a magical girl as her body began to shift and change. She would become a he again and begin to age up to the designated age.

Sakura tried to say something, but the magic had engulfed her, changing her once more, as she floated around. When all was said and done, the new figure stopped floating as the now he came to his bearings.

“Did...did it work?”. The figure would then ask, as he began to pat himself up and down. Specially down. “It’s back… I’m back!” He said, his eyes beaming with illusion. “Mirror...mirror…” He said, before rushing towards the toilette.

“I still look like a girl… but this much is great.” He added, as he posed in front of the mirror, eyeing his new look.

With the boy having stepped away, there was a moment where Ruby seemed slightly taken aback. It wasn't the look she had quite expected. Was Ilum messing with her granting again? Maybe. At least the result didn't seem to have elicited an extremely poor response. Further confusion was curbed a bit as she was feeling a little drained after granting one wish after another. Following after the boy she gave a smile. "Glad you're happy with it." She would poke her head into the room.

Emily was beside Ruby and also peeked into the room, a bit excited as well. It could be deduced that she was likely suspecting something a bit more masculine, but she smiled still. "You look good!" she told Sakura, who didn't seem as caught up on the feminine appearance as she thought they might be. Maybe it had something to do with their time as a little girl? "How do you feel?"

“Like I want to get some chicks and beer.” Sakura said, brilliantly, as he whispered his transformation words… “Spark, spark love of my heart.” He didn’t mind it being so cheesy, at least not this time.

...And it was when it went wrong, as the magical energies, fizzled and sputtered… and then a second time, Sakura was thrown up into the air, the energies changing his body once more.

“WHAT THE HELL?!” He gasped, looking at the mirror. Once more in girlish clothes, it seemed. Well at least he wasn’t a 4 foot tall loli any longer.
“Trying to change the terms of the contract with a third party?” A voice said, appearing now at the sofa. A fluffy white creature sitting on it, and grooming its hairs. “It shan’t do. Especially not after your last slip with the Mirror girl. I was bound to do a little penalty on you, since I cannot prevent you from getting paid.” The voice of Umukamui was heard across the room, as the creature looked at Sakura. “I shall allow you to keep your change of gender and age as it incidentally could potentially make you more effective in combat, but no more than this.”

Some of the confusion was cleared up with the introduction of a Puchuu. Some patron had stepped in. Well… there wasn't much she could do about that. "Ah. You have a particular agreement then?" She would ask as she turned around and stepped back out of the way.

Emily's expression was a rollercoaster for a minute as she processed what happened. She went from an elated smile, to a confused tilt, to a horrified understanding, until finally, she rested at what was far and away the angriest Sakura (or perhaps anyone) had ever seen her. It wasn't the sort of anger that looked harmless -- she was absolutely livid.

She stomped over to the Puchuu, glaring at it. "How can you be so cruel to someone you're supposed to protect?" she clenched her fist tightly, knowing the question was pointless and the answer was obvious. She also knew that there was little point in doing anything violent to a Puchuu. "Leave," she ordered. "You are not welcome here right now. Go mingle with Jonald or something."

Umukamui eyed at Emily. “We are not supposed to even pretend to understand cruelty.” Umukamui replied. “I shall… affirm your queries to fellow agent Jonald.” Umukamui said, deciding to jump off the sofa… and then it was gone. Just as it had appeared.

“I should toss him into another truck.” Sakura said, eyeing the skirt-based uniform, before quickly dismissing it.”Well, at least I got my manhood back.” He said, before moving onto Ruby, slipping a hand on her waist. “I guess… I will start by making up for lost time, then.” He said, in as grave as he could be in his feminine voice could do.

"Oh?" She turned slightly toward the boy. "And what should I call you now that you're you again, hmm?" The appearance of the boy didn't seem to bother her so much.

“Sakura is also a boy’s name.” He said. “Now, lay on the couch, if you would.” His eyes darted to Em. “I’m gonna show Emily how boys should treat beautiful girls.”

Glancing between Sakura and Emily for a moment, Ruby would eventually move in the direction on the couch. On one hand she was hesitant, but also curious as to where exactly the boy was going with this. She would lay down to wait and see.

Emily's eyes had lingered on where Umu had been, her fist slowly unclenching as she began to calm down. Her heart rate and features soon followed. "O-oh, um, sorry about that..." she hadn't turned to face them yet. But when she had finally did look at the other two, Ruby was lying on the couch. "Um, what's going on?" she looked to Sakura, who seemed to be trying to show her something, but she obviously didn't understand what exactly that was. "...?"

Sakura grinned. “You know Emily, when a man wants to conquer a beautiful girl without being… let’s say, an unwholesome individual, there’s a few things one can do. Nice dinner, small talk… and then some skin to skin touch.” Sakura went on, as he carefully grabbed one of Ruby’s legs and traced it down to the ball of the foot.

“And a massage does wonders. Especially the feet. Girls do like shoes that sometimes are torture instruments.” He said, as he began kneading the soles of Ruby’s foot. “And now that I have a guy’s hands, I can finally do it.”

Getting a surprise foot massage, Ruby would relax a bit. Folding her arms behind her head to prop it up she would nod approvingly. ”I can confirm this is quite nice.”

Emily looked between Ruby's foot and her face, gauging her reaction. Emily thought she looked satisfied with the process. "So then massages do feel nice?" she asked curiously.

“If the one doing them is not a complete buffoon, yes?” Sakura continued to work on Ruby’s foot, expertly finding and pressing the pressure points of the wish-granter’s foot. “I’ll give you one too, but belly-chan is our esteemed guest? Yeah, that, esteemed guest.” The boy continued. “If you want that is.”

"Umm..." Emily looked at Ruby once more, seemingly nervous. But the girl's enjoyment of the massage apparently convinced Emily. "If you're offering... then sure."

Time. It sometimes felt like the procession of time was the only constant in Penrose. Whether that was a good or bad thing was up to perspective and debate, but for the moment the Queen of Penrose was glad for it. A week had passed, a week of which she sored up her home, defended her title, made new friends and kept in contact with old ones.

It was also in the effort of fulfilling that last one that Penny was currently searching the networks in Penrose. There were a few different people she was still on the lookout for, and while she could always just call them, her interdimensional comm link was useful for that, she also wanted them to be in Penrose when she did so. Mainly because she had noticed them dropping in and out of Penrose’s network, and had half a mind about why and didn’t want to interrupt in case she was right.

So when she caught sight of the signal she was looking floating about Penrose once again she gave it a ring. With luck Ronin would be free to catch up.

Meanwhile.

‘Why the heck are you so much better than me? We split from the same body!’ Deni asked, mashing her controller with no success in sight.

‘I was blessed with the gift of patience. Also, you were dead for a while, so guess I’m the older sister now. I got experience on you,’ Eli replied, chuckling a bit, completely beating Deni in the fighting game they were playing.

‘Nope! Doesn’t work like that! I’m the older sister!’ Deni chuckled right back. They’d been taking some time just enjoying their newfound freedom and being reunited, not doing anything particularly amazing. Playing games together and so.

‘Are we entirely sure about that? We were two souls in the same body. Are we entirely sure you were first?’ Eli asked, her tone a bit teasing.

‘… I don’t remember that far back, but there just GOT to be a basis for why I have our original name, right?’ Deni grinned a bit. ‘Eeeeh, let’s not worry about it!’

‘Then let’s not worry about who is the older sister, either~’ Eli replied.

‘That’s still totally me, though.’

‘You sure?’

The two girls giggled together, when Deni’s phone rang. ‘Oh, gotta take this, the queen of Penrose calls me personally~’ Deni said, kind of jokingly. Eli giggled a bit more before pausing the game as Deni answered…

‘Hiya! Ronin speaking! What’s up?’ she asked, reverting to using her cover-up name.

‘Hey Ronin, hope I’m not calling at a bad time.’ Penny would reply, glad that she was able to get a hold of the tiny samurai. Who wasn’t sounding as tiny as she remembered. ‘Wanted to check in on how things went with your plan since I wasn’t free to help out when you texted me’ She would go on to explain. She was currently out and about from the Sanctuary, patrolling, but the follow up was the more important thing at the moment.

‘Not a bad time at all, go ahead!’ Ronin started, then listened to the rest. ‘Oh, yeah, probably should tell you about that. Is, uh, is this line secure? Actually, would probably prefer to tell you face to face…’ Ronin said. One of Asengav's champions was a technology-girl, couldn't be too careful.

‘It’s as secure as I can make a phone call’ Penny would say amusement coloring her voice. She knew she wasn’t the only techie in Penrose, but she was the only one who had an innate connection to said tech. Which meant her protections weren’t something to scoff at ‘That said, I’m open to a face to face. Got a bit of an upgrade since we last met, so now's as good a time as any to show off the new look’ That and Penny was curious about the voice change. Not something normally so apparent over a phone line, but again innate connection to tech, so the voice difference was clear as crystal to the mechanical girl.

‘Anywhere you want to meet up at?’ She would ask as she considered a few places that should be safe to hold a conversation.

‘… You wouldn’t happen to know where I am right now? Because here would be nice,’ Ronin said, giggling a bit. They were currently one of the apartments that Eli and Mariette had once scouted out for safe places to portal into, one of a great number of safe havens that had popped up recently with many of the residents of Penrose leaving and such.

‘I don’t’ Penny would say even as she was cracking into the GPS system of Ronin’s phone ‘But I can find out easily enough’ She would add after a moment. Tipping her hand at just how easy it was for her to go ‘Big Brother’ was always something she tried to avoid, but the pros seemed to outweigh the cons at the moment.

‘Give me fifteen or so and I’ll be there’ She would add after a moment of silence. Because a simple phone wasn’t much of a challenge when she already had an open connection with it.

Ronin giggled a bit. Yes, that was a test. She wasn’t sure, but yes, now she knew. ‘Great, I’ll see you here, then,’ she said, and then turned to tell Eli.

True to Penny’s estimation she arrived on the balcony of the apartment just a bit shy of fifteen minutes later. To which she tapped on the glass door leading in to note her arrival in case neither Deni or Eli were on watch.

What she arrived too was only Ronin chilling on the sofa, arms behind her head. She looked a bit different, 11 instead of 7, yet still in a clear samurai-theme. When Penny arrived, Ronin bounced up with a grin and ran over to open the glass. ‘Heeey! Hello, I’m Ronin! I kinda used a Red Coin since last time, but I’m still pretty similar, right~?’

“When from tiny to small” Penny would agree with a smirk. Because over all that was the main difference aside from the cosmetic changes.

‘Anyways, before anything else, I want to introduce you to someone! My sister!’ Ronin said, as she spun around and gestured behind her. That was the cue for Eli to come walking out, looking very similar to Ronin but with red and a bit longer dress, nodding politely to her.

‘Hello, Penny. It’s nice to meet you,’ she said.

‘We don’t actually have a name for her yet! If I’m Ronin, we figure she should have a similar theme! Best I got was Geisha, but…’

‘I’d want something that sounds a bit more adventurous,’ Eli told.

‘Yea, still working on it!’ Ronin said with a grin.

“Well there is always Kunoichi” Penny would toss out. “It’s a female ninja” Which fit more how Ronin’s new look went, but semantics “Anyway nice to meet you” She would greet offering a hand for the ‘new’ girl to shake.

“Do have to ask though, why do you need to come up with a name for her?”

‘I considered Kunoichi, actually, but it feels a bit too long. Maybe Miko. Maybe,’ Eli said, giggling a little as she took Penny’s hand. Then, for the question…

‘… Because I don’t want Asengav’s forces to realize she’s actually their slime-girl, Eli, that I stole and had purified,’ Ronin said, grinning a little as she said. She wondered slightly if Penny had enough information to figure Ronin out based on that.

‘So, I was going to tell you. We DID manage to catch Mariette. We removed her brainwashing, but…’ Ronin sighed a little, looking a bit sad.

‘… But the choice to be purified must come from her,’ Eli filled in. ‘There’s no point in freeing her mind so she can make her own decisions if we’re just going to make those decisions for her. She’s gone back to Asengav for now, considering her options. He shouldn’t be able to find out we’ve removed the mind-bending… yet, anyway. It was Janet and Jenna that helped us remove the mind-bending, they and Su, Helga and the Djinn Sisters helped us capture Mariette.’

‘And Gaia, Connie and Magical Dream Princess helped me get to Eli, and Veronica and her Cradle were on standby to help out as Mariette’s allies during the battle even if it didn’t really result in anything. Yeah, it’s been a team effort!’ Ronin said, grinning to Penny. ‘Still. Keep this in mind next time you talk to Mariette. But, uh, don’t blow her cover! They don’t know she’s un-mind-bent!’

Penny nodded along with the explanations. Not outwardly reacting to learning who Eli was, which was enough for Penny to put together who Deni was. She had met them both briefly once before after all, last time Justine and Mariette crossed each other in fact. The reason for the lack of reaction was because she was a bit stuck on another point.

“Please tell me that you gave her some way of keeping in touch with you both.” She would say a bit strained. “And please tell me that she has a safe place to go to if she needs.” Because breaking the mind bending wouldn’t necessarily change anything. Not without Mariette being given a reason to try and change her thought patterns. Which were entirely toxic due to the influence of the Horror. “And you realize that she’s not corrupted right? Purification wouldn’t change anything for her.” A claim Penny felt rather comfortable in making since she had seen and felt both Mariettes more well known specialization and her Power.

Both Deni and Eli blinked a little by the new tone Penny took with them. Deni was quick to make an affirming nod.

‘Yes. She has my phone number, not to mention she has Absolute Direction, she can find me whenever. She also has access to the dimensional home of the Djinn Sisters. Not even Asengav can look for her there,’ Deni assured.

‘The purification potions have the ability to sever the connection to a Horror,’ Eli explained. ‘So perhaps it’s not entirely the right terminology, but that’s what we meant.’

“Really?” Penny would be drawn short by that relviation of the capabilities of the purification potions. “Didn’t know they could do that” She would mutter to herself before shrugging it off. Content to ponder over that bit of knowledge later.

“Anyway, good.” She would relax a bit knowing that Mariette wasn’t trapped, physically at least, there. “I would like to state, for the record, that I disagree, vehemently, with leaving Mariette under the purview of her patron.” She would state firmly “It’s like leaving someone in an abusive relationship. You just got her to be able to look at the abuse rationally, but then left her at the slimeballs place. But there’s not much to do about that now.” And it was perhaps not quite the same, but Penny didn’t trust most Patrons when it came down to it, and there wasn’t really a way to ensure that Asengav didn’t already know. It was his magic that was coursing through Mariette after all.

“Would it be safe to text her and let her know that I know, in case she wanted to talk to a third party?” She would ask. “Give her more options and other ways out in case things go sideways.”

‘RIGHT!?’ Deni made a very loud agreeing noise about not liking leaving Mariette with Asengav. ‘We should have kept her for as long as necessary to make her understand in that dimensional home, and- yeah! She doesn’t even know what’s out here…!’ she looked over at Eli, who swallowed a little because she became aware she was alone to defend the decision. Su wasn’t there, who helped with it.

‘… She’s… not exactly abused with Asengav. She’s the leader. His foremost champion. The difference is that, now, she knows she was being made to work for him. I firmly believe she’s smart enough to understand the difference. We, Su and the Djinn Sisters all said our parts to sway her, but in that room, it was obvious that Mariette needed more time. That’s… how we came to that decision, and we parted ways on good terms,’ Eli explained. That was bending the facts a little, as when failing a mission Asengav dealt rather harsh punishment, which Eli believed would result in Mariette fleeing to their side… albeit it was hard to say that to Penny and Deni right now. Deni never faced that punishment.

‘… Sending a message to Mariette is dangerous. There’s a technology girl in Asengav’s charge. She could… no, probably is keeping a pretty close look on that phone, and Mariette knows that, so she won’t use that phone if it’s for this matter,’ Deni said, still looking a bit upset as a somewhat sore point from the earlier scene had been brought up again.

“It’s a good thing I have her number form before all of this then” Penny would say after a stretch of silence. Mariette’s situation was a complicated mess, and Penny was sure she was only getting half of it at best. “I can call her without raising suspicion.” Something that Penny felt she needed to do in light of everything here.

“And Eli, abuse doesn’t have to be physical to leave scars. After all, you're still defending him, and you know that he’s not worth the effort. I don’t doubt that Mariette’s smart enough to recognize things, the question at this point is if she is courageous enough to do something about it.” Because being the ‘Champion’ of a Patron was a daunting thing, at least it had been for Penny. She could still recall with clarity the feeling of always having Laat’s gaze resting on her in the presence of destruction. Perhaps it was different with Horror’s, Penny had no desire to find out, but perhaps it wasn’t.

“It…” Penny would trail off before letting out a sigh. “I get it.” She would say quieter “Breaking away from them is terrifying, and I just want to make sure she is safe.”

‘Yeah, please do so. Mariette needs all the friends she can get,’ Deni nodded to her about calling her. Eli, meanwhile, looked a bit ill at ease as Penny gave her lesson about the matter. There was little doubt Penny was probably more experienced than her, not that she knew how old Penny maybe was. Eli’s hands grasped one another before her as her confidence had taken a slight blow.

‘… There should be no happiness in continuing to work for Asengav now. We’ve thoroughly explained and shown the way out, which she can take at any time. As soon as she realizes she doesn’t like working for Asengav, she should be coming to us… was what I figured. If we had pressed the matter in that room, I was afraid we’d alienate and scare Mariette away ourselves, so…’ Eli gave further reasoning, trying to think back on why it had felt like the best move back then. Still, it felt clouded, now.

Quietly Penny would step over to Eli and place a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t doubt that you want to help Mariette, you know better than I do what you are trying to get her away from after all. And you are right, forcing her to choose right then might have caused her to flee towards him.” She met the smaller girls eyes “I don’t know all the details, Deni doesn’t know all the details either I’m guessing. We are just worried. But never feel like that means you aren’t doing everything you can to save her. Because as I said I get it. Breaking free from a Patron is terrifying, you know that as well as I do.” Penny would say earnestly. She could have kept hammering in the point that leaving Mariette alone wasn’t the best, but then again as she admitted she didn’t know all the details. It might have been the better of two bad choices. Harping on it now wasn’t helping.

“You trust Mariette to understand and to get away, then I will trust you. Because you know her better than I do.” She would give Eli a small nod “You and your sister work on making sure that she has a good place to run to when that time comes. I’ll make sure that she knows I’ll be there to cover her if she needs it. It’s one of the reasons I founded the Sanctuary after all. To be there to protect those who need some help”

“We’ll get her out of there, and get her safe”

‘Oh…’ Eli made a little unexpected noise at that Penny came over and placed a hand on her shoulder. She lifted her gaze and listened, nodding a bit at points. ‘Yes… I’ll do so. We’ll do so. Thank you…’ she said, a bit teary-eyed, nodding to the last part, too, not able to find more words to say. Deni sighed a little and walked over to hug her sister, because she was getting emotional.

‘There, there. Don’t kick yourself when things haven’t gone wrong yet. I won’t let it go wrong. We’ll manage this. Alright?’ Deni said, smirking a bit. Eli nodded again, and wondered briefly if she’d somehow unintentionally manipulated them into somehow feeling sorry for her when she was losing the argument, but decided to keep quiet, and agree.

Penny would step back while Deni comforted Eli, thoughts spinning out and about on how to approach Mariette. It wouldn’t take her long to come up with the basics of one, but she would set it aside for now.

“Now that that has been covered, anything else you two want to talk about?” She would ask with a tilt to her head. The conversation had gotten a bit heavier than expected, but with that out of the way perhaps they could move on to happier topics.

There was a moment of silence as the two twins looked at one another, but guess not, then Deni smirked at Penny. ‘Hey, Penny, you still eat, right?’ Deni asked, to make sure.

“I can still” the robotic girl would admit “Granted my tastes and preferences are kinda odd, as you might be able to guess” She would go on with a shrug. “That won’t stop me from sticking around if your offering a meal though”

Deni dashed off somewhere, leaving a slightly smiling Eli in place. ‘Not a meal.’

‘CHERRY PIE COOKIES!’ Deni suddenly came back, smiling excitedly with a tray of mostly cherry cookies, multiple occasions where the contents had spilled out of their supposed confines or where there was hardly any cherry at all. ‘I’ve been trying to get into baking! If you could tell me about your tastes and I could bake something entirely for you, that’d be really cool!’ Deni said, excitedly.

‘She still makes a lot of mistakes, but she’s trying, and I do my best to help,’ Eli said, giggling a little, as Deni so excitedly held the tray of cookies for Penny to try one. While they were haphazardly done, they probably tasted roughly how they were supposed to.

Penny would gladly take a cookie and sample it thoughtfully. Normal food always tasted very different while transformed, and this was the first bit of normal food that Penny had tried since her reforging. It wasn’t bad, but it also didn’t really do anything for her. In all likelihood it would just be charred into carbon, as her body could make use of that if nothing else.

“Not bad” She would say taking another bite “I’ll have to give them another shot once you’ve gotten a better hang of it” She would go on to say, her voice still coming out clearly despite the fact that she was chewing on cookie.

“My normal tastes aren’t something one can really bake too unfortunately.” She would go on to say as she glanced around the room, before noting a remote laying about. A small application of gravity would bring the remote to Penny’s hand where she would quickly take out one of the batteries and hold it up. ”I tend to snack on things more like this. Or bits of metal, such as nails or forks.”

‘Weee!’ Deni made a happy noise as her cookie was praised, then she looked on curiously as Penny went over to point out what it was that she normally ate. Deni blinked a bit at her, and then crossed her arms with a thinking expression. ‘Hmm. HMMMMMM…!’ she made a noise, then grinned, turned and ran off for a bit.

‘Oh, dear,’ Eli said with a giggle, before Deni came running back with the widest grin and a notepad and pen.

‘Now, Penny! What tastes the best for you? What’s fat that could be trimmed? How do you experience the texture of different things? Tell me!’ Deni said, looking so intently at Penny.

‘This could get expensive,’ Eli giggled a bit.

‘It’ll be worth it!’ Deni insisted, clearly inspired.

Penny was honestly stunned by the offer. It was a kind one and a thoughtful one. One that had never really been offered to Penny before. So it took her a moment to actually answer and even then it was slowly spoken. ”I’m not sure.” She normally took bits and pieces of scrap if she felt like eating, but even then sustenance wasn’t a requirement for her so she didn’t often think about such.

“I know that galvanizing the metal makes it taste different, same with rusting it.” She would go on as she pulled up all the little facts she had about her tastes. “Enchanting the metal adds more kick to the flavor, while plating sorta blends them. Texture isn't something that comes across, nails and screws both taste the same for example. It's more composition that I’ll notice. If there is more copper or iron in the mix. Precious metals don’t taste significantly better than any other metal, so while I can make great use of gold or platinum they don't stand out for taste, at least not that I’ve noticed.” She would rock back on her heels as she tried to consider what else might affect the taste of metal but couldn’t come up with anything definitive.

“I’ve never really cooked or baked any of my meals before” She would admit with a shrug “Your guess is as good as mine at this point”

‘This calls for experimentation!’ Deni said, writing down most of what Penny said and with eyes glued to the paper. ‘First things first is going to be, does hot metal taste better? How hot can you handle? When you picked the battery I totally thought you meant “sources of energy”, I don’t know the first thing that’s in batteries, haha!’

‘We’d need a pretty powerful oven,’ Eli commented, looking amused. ‘And a better supply of metal. Is there a blacksmith somewhere in town?’

‘We should totally feed you a katana, see if all the folding makes it taste better,’ Deni chuckled as she said.

‘Not ours, though!’ Eli interjected with a giggle.

‘I would 100% just start picking things from inside this house, but these things don't belong to us, haha,’ Deni chuckled some more, as she kept trying to think of metal methods that could change the taste. ‘How about shapes? Anything that's more convenient? Any sauces? Drinks? Is it oil for the internal machine?’

“Never eaten hot metal” Penny would start to answer a smile growing as she recalled the last time Ronin bombarded her with questions. “Pretty sure my melting temperature is beyond most other metals. Damage likely wouldn’t happen unless I tried eating something over the Curie temp, though molten metal might cause problems before that. Metals of all kinds can be bought from Brittney, in her building supplies section. Folded metal likely will have a different taste since it homogenizes the composition of the metal in question.”

“Shape would be best as either a round cookie or a bar cookie. Not sure about sauces, but acids might be a good try. The acids in batteries taste good, but that could be due to the byproduct of them creating electricity, which I can also eat, but that’s even harder to cook I would think. As for drinks, likely the same line of thinking as sauces, so gasoline or equivalents might work. Oil I think is a stereotype, as it’s a lubricant not a fuel source so I don’t think so, but I’ve not tried it either. And if all else fails water is still perfectly fine to drink.”

She would let them recover from that deluge of answers for a moment before letting out a laugh. “Have to admit I’ve never bothered to figure out this stuff, and no one has asked before, but it sounds like it’s going to be fun.”

Deni was busy writing down every bit of information that Penny could provide, before grinning widely at that last statement. ‘It’s an entirely new field of culinary arts! Who wouldn’t be interested in trying it out!? Just because your feeding habits are a bit different doesn’t mean you can’t have good meals!’ she declared excitedly.

‘I warn that both of us are amateurs at cooking and even less knowledgeable on metal, but hey, we sure got passion!’ Eli inserted, giggling a bit more on the side.

‘Electric stuff, eh. So if I just, ran electricity through your meal, hmmm~’ Deni commented thoughtfully. ‘Right, not oil, fuel, that’s what I meant. Right. What’s NOT edible? Just to get it off the list, you’re not just able to eat anything, right? It needs to be metal and slash or electricity? Wood, plastic and rubber are as much normal junk for you as anything else?’ she asked, to make sure.

“Most things are edible, in that I can consume them, but outside of metals, electricity, or other fuels it ends up taking more energy to convert it into something I can use then I would gain from the final product.” Penny would explain picking up another cookie “For example the cookie, when I’m eating it I don’t digest it since I don’t have a stomach, it gets placed near the base of my gauss array where the Lightning in my body reduces it down to just ash which with Gravity, Metal, and a bit more electricity I can convert into either rudimentary diamonds or just raw carbon. Either can be used to assist in making metals for cheaper, mana wise, but I don’t normally store the stuff long term since I don’t have all that much storage space as is”

“Other metals or electricity just get converted on into what I’m already working with. So either actively repair me quicker, refill my mana, or supercharge my systems.” She would finish with a shrug “Granted most things outside normal food or my niche menu tend to have no taste.”

‘Diamonds, eh. Heh, do gemstones taste?’ Deni asked, but otherwise finished writing and then held up her notebook like it was now a treasure to be admired. ‘Excellent! If you’re up for it, we’re gonna do a bunch of taste-testing that needs your presence! I’m gonna need detailed reports on how each experiment goes! Got it!?’ Deni said, eyes positively gleaming.

‘Let’s just avoid ending up in-debt for a hobby, haha,’ Eli said in the background, already imagining how much Brittany would likely charge them for the materials.

“Not really” Penny would reply, “I don’t really need the crystal lattices for much. And we can start with more common things before we have to work up to buying things wholesale from Brittany I think” She enjoyed the offer, but didn’t want Deni or Eli or go broke over it.

“And I’m ready for the taste tests when you are”

‘Excellent! Alright, let’s go!’ Deni said, standing up with her notebook and turning towards the window, which happened to be the primary entrance/exit.

‘We’re going right now?’ Eli asked, looking curiously at Deni.

‘Time and tests wait for nobody! Do you want to come and help us out? We’ve got a bunch of resources to find!’ Deni asked Penny, smiling so widely.

”Sure, I’ve got a while before I have to be anywhere” Penny would agree with a grin “Let the great ingredient hunt begin” She would add moving to follow Deni.

With that, they embarked into the city on a mission to find out just what it took to make a proper meal for their mechanical friend.

It was at Valkyrie’s home. A proper little house, apparently, located somewhere in Penrose. Valkyrie had left to the Overcity for a time, but allowed Deni and Eli to settle down inside her home to ensure it wasn’t unoccupied during her absence. Which made it a great, completely free house of residence for the two to live within and form new memories! They’d invited new friends, so the two were taking the time to make a lemon curd tart to serve to their friends! Deni had taken to baking during her stay in Penrose since she came back, and Eli was more than happy to help out! They were probably doing that, when…

“Umm, R-Ronin?” a hesitant voice called out after a brief knock on the door. “I-It’s us, C-Connie and Mia! M-May we c-come in?”

Deni smiled, nodded to Eli who stayed in the kitchen, and then skipped towards the door. She was still transformed, because being seen untransformed could cause a problem, yet, she didn’t look like she had the previous time they’d met. ‘Absolutely! Come on in! I warn, I look a little different, but it’s still me!’ she said, opening the door for them and letting them see her new look. It was still asian-inspired, but she was now 11 instead of 7, and the attire was shorter and blue instead. The effects of a Red Coin, she briefly wondered if her friends knew of those.

“O-Oh, wow!” Connie exclaimed at how her friend had changed. “W-Were you j-just disguised b-before, a-and this is how you r-really look?” she asked.

“Whatever the case, you look good!” Mia complemented. “I love the new color palette.”

Deni smirked at Connie’s exclamation. Right, time to be Ronin. ‘Thanks! But, nope! This is how I look now. You know what a Red Coin is? Well, I used one! I had a special reason to!’ she said, skipping back. ‘C’mon, let’s go to the kitchen!’

“Uh, n-no, I-I’ve n-never heard of R-Red Coins before,” Connie admitted. “B-But if e-everything’s all right, t-then I g-guess it’s f-fine?” she added, still a little unsure of why her friend would need to make use of such a thing.

“Yeah, we were kinda worried when you didn’t come through the portal to Dan’s place with us,” Mia added. “Did ya get everything sorted out?”

Ronin smirked. ‘Yeah, I did.’ She kept her sentence short, because she knew she had more to explain later.

“I-Is t-this your home, Ronin?” Connie asked as their friend led them to the kitchen. “I-It’s r-really nice.”

‘It actually belongs to a friend of mine called Valkyrie. She’s off in the Overcity right now, but she’s letting me borrow it!’ Ronin said, and then they turned and entered the kitchen, where…

Someone had been baking for them. Specifically, a rather large lemon curd tart had been prepared, and someone who looked a lot like Ronin was placing it on the table with a couple plates, wearing a red longer attire, giving them a smile as they came in. ‘Welcome, Mia, Connie. Make yourselves at home,’ she said, just smiling for now, and Ronin kept a close look at the reactions of her friends.

Upon catching sight of Eli, Connie gave a small gasp of surprise, not expecting anyone else to be here. “Oh! Umm, h-hello,” Connie told her, while holding up her hand and giving a shaky wave. “A-And t-thank you,” she added with a smile as she sat down.

“Yeah, thanks for havin’ us!” Mia said with a grin. “So, I guess you're one of Ronin’s friends, huh? Or maybe a relative?” she added thoughtfully, after noting the strong resemblance between the two.

‘I am. I’m her sister. You may… call me Miko. I apologize about not using our real names, there’s some people that’d hunt us down if they knew our real names, so we want to keep those under as much wraps as possible,’ the apparently newly named Miko said.

‘Haha, didn’t you say that Miko didn’t fit because you had no spirit specialization?’ Ronin asked, chuckling a bit.

‘Eh, it’s short and sweet,’ Miko said, shrugging. Ronin skipped to beside Miko.

‘So, we’d like to extend our thanks that you came to help me try to save Mariette. I… didn’t tell you, but I was also on a quest to save my sister. I’m sorry about that. But now, I am in your debt! Thank you… so much!’ Ronin said, bowing down deeply.

‘It’s partly thanks to you that I’m free now. Not only that, but we managed to remove Mariette’s brainwashing. We want that to be kept a secret, too, don’t go telling people about that. But now, Mariette can escape on her own when she wants to. You helped with that, too. Thank you, so much for helping my sister!’ Miko bowed to them too, both sisters bowing to them with gratitude.

“I-It’s v-very nice to m-meet you,” Connie told Miko after the later had introduced herself.

“Likewise,” Mia grinned, glad to see that her suspicions of a family resemblance had been proven correct. “And don’t worry about the name thing,” she added. “It’s totally understandable. I mean, I usually don’t go around advertising my true identity when I’m out doing magical girl stuff, either. Heck, some people even go so far as to adopt a whole new personality, though I can see why you might not wanna take things that far.”

Then the two sisters thanked them for their help, and Connie felt a blush color her cheeks. “O-Oh! U-Umm, y-you’re v-very welcome! A-And I’m s-so glad to hear that!” she added, giving the twins a big smile.

“Yeah,” Mia agreed. “We’re just happy we could help. Seein’ you two together like this is all the thanks we need.”

‘You followed me into a death-trap of a mansion to help. You can tell me that’s all you need, but I am going to be forever willing to jump into the fire for you if you ever need me to!’ Ronin raised her head to say, grinning widely.

‘The Magical Dream Princess, too. You all helped us. Please, if you ever do need anything, don’t hesitate to talk to us. We will always be ready,’ Miko said, raising her head and looking happy.

‘Buuuut, since you don’t seem like the kind to send us into sudden danger just yet, I did the next best thing and let you experience the fruit of my labour! I made a lemon curd tart!’ Ronin said, skipping and smiling as she gestured towards the not-entirely-professional-quality pastry available.

‘Emphasis on “lemon”. She put way too much lemon in it,’ Miko said, giggling a bit.

‘Eeeeeeeh, it’s probably still good! Have some cream!’ Ronin said, skipping over to grab a bowl of cream to bring over to the table.

“I-It looks d-delicious!” Connie told them happily after Ronin presented her culinary creation.

“Don’t mind if I do!” Mia added when the excitable samurai girl offered them some cream.

“Y-You k-know,” Connie said after a moment, while reaching into a coat pocket. “T-There actually is someplace w-we’d like to i-invite you to,” she explained, producing two colorful slips of paper. “D-Dan the D-Dolphin is hosting a b-big Christmas Party at his b-beach dimension. I-It s-sounds like it’ll be a l-lot of f-fun, s-so we’d be r-really h-happy if you s-said you'd come!”

“And those invitations are magical,” Mia added. “Just think about wanting more, and they’ll duplicate as many times as you’d like.”

‘Ooooh, a party! Thank you!’ Ronin said, reaching over and grabbing the papers. She then excitably looked over at Miko. ‘We going?’

‘We going,’ Miko shrugged with a smirk.

‘We going!’ Ronin cheered, before handing the pie-cutter over to the guests.

Then they ate away the evening, taking part in Ronin’s newly developed exceedingly sour but still kinda good lemon curd tart. It was a good time.

---

It was a regular night of patrol for the Ascendancy, as FanFan jumped from rooftop to rooftop, surveying the scene.
“Hmm, it’s become rather quiet after the whole shebacle in that other dimension,” she mused to herself, when she came to the fairgrounds at the city harbor. The place has been closed for winter, and so wasn’t hit as hard by the destructive events that had happened afterwards. This gave FanFan an idea. “I’ll go check this place out and go down the harbor,” she informed her comrades-in-arms. “See ya in 30 minutes at the bank~”. She then went down to the fairgrounds, and decided to take a stroll. “Ah, such a nice place, beautiful even when closed down...”

Perhaps unsurprisingly for such a whimsical girl, MDP had the exact same idea, seeing the fairgrounds as a perfect place to play around and test out her magic. Upon catching sight of the elegant Ascendancy girl, she gave a squeal of delight. “Wowie zowie~! (giggle!) Like, you’re that pretty witty person werson with the metal wetal armsie warmsies that Magical Dream Princess, like, totally wotally forgot the namey wamey of~!” the cheerful girl exclaimed. “Super sorries about that…” she added in a more sullen tone. “She wanted to talk with you super duper bad, but, like, since she didn’t remember wember your namey wamey, she didn’t know if she’d ever wever be able to find you again, but, like, Magical Dream Princess was super duper lucky enough to find you heresie weresie, so, like everythingie wingie is okie doki nowie~! (giggle!)”

After finishing her rambling explanation, the bubbly girl gave FanFan a big hug. “Like, heresie~!” she added after they’d separated, while producing a colorful piece of paper. “Magical Dream Princess wanted to invite you to a super duper fun Christmas Wistmas Party~! (giggle!) All her friendy wendies will be there, and one of them is this super duper adorable worable dolly wolly person werson, who just wuvs tea parties, and Magical Dream Princess would absolutelylutely wuv if you could come, and then we could have a super duper cute tea party together wether~! (giggle!)”

FanFan lightly gasped in surprise with her hands on her cheeks as MDP greeted her. “Magical Dream Princess! Oh, it is absolutely delightful to meet you again~” She didn’t seem upset at all about her name being forgotten, and politely hugged MDP back with the help of her metal arms, showing a surprising tenderness to them. “No need to be sorry. FanFan is a foreign name, so it can be difficult to remember at first~”.
Then MDP gave her an invitation, to which the Ascendancy girl looked astonished.
“For me? Oh, you shouldn’t have! I would love to join you, thank you!” She opened the invitation and read it, and a curious expression came to her.. “Dan the Dolphin? Is this the same dolphin I saw in the other dimension? Are you friends with them, MDP?”

“Yeperoonie~! (giggle!)” MDP replied. “She, like, totally wotally is~! Danny Wanny is, like, sooo super duper nicey wicey, and sooo totally wotally adorable worable that Magical Dream Princess can’t imagine wagine anybodywody not being friendy wendies with him~! (giggle!)” she added, smiling at the thought of the whimsical dolphin.

FanFan seemed to first stare at MDP, before she let out a curt giggle. “Oh, that’s good to hear. I must admit, I was a bit worried that he might be a familiar or demon that Mariette conjured up, but it seems I was misguided~”. She went over to a carousel, and petted one of the wooden horses. “Ah, this reminds me of when I was young.”

“Like, Danny Wanny’s nothing wothing like that~! (giggle!)” MDP replied after FanFan had voiced her concerns about the dolphin’s nature. “Danny Wanny’s a Lesser Wesser Forcey Worcey~! At least, that's what he said when Magical Dream Princess asked~! (giggle!)”

FanFan then proceeded to admire the horses of a nearby carousel, which caused MDP to bounce over while giggling with glee.

“Like, those are such pretty witty horsesie worsesies~! (giggle!) Magical Dream Princess always wanted to come heresy weresie and ride them, but Daddy Waddy wouldn’t let her!” the childish girl explained with a cute pout. “But, like, now that Magical Dream Princess is a magical wagical girl, she can come visit wisit the horsesie worsesies anywany timey wimey she wants~! (giggle!) Like, did FanFany WanWany’s mommy and daddy let her come to this placey wacey and ride the horsesie worsesies~?!” she asked excitedly. “That must have been, like, sooo super duper fun~! (giggle!)”

FanFan nodded. “Yes...It was a long time ago, but I vividly remember when dear mother took me to the fair. It was something we did every year, in fact.” She looked out towards the ocean, reminiscing. “I remember how we would first take a tour around all the attractions, basking in that excitement, followed by some cotton candy. Then we’d buy souvenirs, and I’d always get one of those little pendants. They were like lucky charms to me.”
Her tone changed.
“However, it was one day when my fortune was reversed...That was when I lost my parents to the demons.”

MDP listened to FanFan with a happy smile, until the Ascendancy girl mentioned losing her parents. To demons…

“Golly wolly!” the whimsical girl exclaimed, her eyes tearing up and her hands covering her mouth in horror. “That’s, like, super duper awful waful! Magical Dream Princess is, like, sooo super duper sorry you had to go through something so terrible werrible!” MDP told FanFan, while giving the elegantly attired girl a big hug. “Magical Dream Princess lost her mommy wommy, too,” the childish girl confided. “She got super duper sicky wicky when Magical Dream Princess was very wery little wittle, but Magical Dream Princess still remember wembers how nicey wicey she was, and she still misses her lots and lots…”

“Oh, my condolences for your loss. I’m sure your mother would be proud of you. After all, you’re a magical girl blessed with the power to bring justice to this world.”She seemed to brighten up afterwards as a smile came to her face. “Shall we go look at the pier now?”

“The pier~?” MDP asked after FanFan seemed to cheer back up. “Magical Dream Princess guesses wesses we could~ She always wanted to walk along the pier, especially wecially this close to Christmas Wistmas, when it’s decorated with all those pretty witty lights~!” the cheerful girl explained. “But she doesn’t thinky winky we’ll see any wany of those tonight…” she added, looking around the darkened fairgrounds.

FanFan and MDP went to the pier, and just as MDP assumed, there were no decorations this year. She seemed to be deep in thought, until an idea came to her. “Oh, I know! If you want to see lights, I’m sure the carousel will illuminate brilliantly.” They went back to the carousel, where FanFan gracefully opened the door to the control station, using her Metal magic to remove the lock, turning it into a tiny statue of a nutcracker soldier in her hands.
“These are traditionally made of wood, but nonetheless, I would like you to have this~”

“Wowie zowie~! For Magical Dream Princess~?!” the whimsical girl exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with delight as she beheld the small figure. “Like, super duper thankie wankies~! (giggle!) Magical Dream Princess, like, totally wotally wuvs it~! (giggle!)” she added, giving FanFan a big hug.

FanFan graciously accepted the hug again. "You're welcome. Now, are you ready?" She pressed the switch on, and the carousel lighted up; numerous colors now surrounded the ride, placed into the central pillar as well as into the collars of the toy horses that now began to move. Cheerful music accompanied the whimsical sight.
"Ah, how nostalgic~" FanFan mused.

“Yaaay~! (giggle!)” MDP cheered, jumping up and down, while clapping her hands with glee. “FanFany WanWany woke up the merry werry go round~! (giggle!) It’s, like, sooo pretty witty~!” she added, while staring at the spinning collection of lights in childish wonderment. “Magical Dream Princess never ever got to see one of these thingie wingies in person werson, beforsie~! It’s even better than she imagined wagined~! (giggle!) Like, does FanFany WanWany wanna ride on the horsie worsies~?!” she asked excitedly. “Cause, like, Magical Dream Princess would totally wotally wuv it if we could ride them together wether~! (giggle!)”

“I would love to~” FanFan clapped her hands together with a sweet smile, and then proceeded to ride one of the toy horses. As they rode, FanFan seemed to be thinking.
“Magical Dream Princess, you are truly a wonder upon the world of magical girls. You know, we could use someone like you over on Beacon; someone who can dazzle the world with such many colors.”

“Beacon Weacon~?” MDP asked, tilting her head. “That namey wamey sounds familiar wiliar…” she added thoughtfully, while tapping a finger against her cheek.

FanFan out a hand over her mouth, visibly surprised. "Oh, you haven't heard of us? Beacon's an organization of magical girls who have united over the cause of bringing the light of peace and prosperity to the world. Together, we fight monsters, rescue civilians, and make sure the day is saved, as it were~" She stood up on her toy horse, easily balancing on it as it continued spinning around the carousel. "And we could have a spot of tea every day. Doesn't that sound lovely?"

“Wowie zowie~! Like, that soundy woundies super duper wuvly~! (giggle!)” MDP exclaimed cheerfully, her eyes glittering with wondrous excitement. “But, umm, Magical Dream Princess already has a Patron Watron person werson…” she explained, sounding a little apologetic. Brightening a bit, she added, “But, like, even if she can’t join Beacon Weacon, Magical Dream Princess would still really really wuv to work together wether with FanFany WanWany and all her other friendy wendies~! (giggle!) Would that be okie dokie~?” she asked, her face taking on a hopeful expression.

FanFan pouted, and crossed her arms. "I suppose...But it really would be a great opportunity. How about you one day come and visit our headquarters here in Penrose?" She jumped off the carousel. "Once you get to meet some of my sisters in battle, I'm sure you'd understand better."

“Like, Magical Dream Princess thinks that soundy woundies like super duper fun~! (giggle!)” the whimsical girl replied. “Like, making new friendy wendies is, like, the super duper besty westiest~! (giggle!) And, like, that remindy windies her of something womething~!” she added, her eyes glittering with joy. “That invitation wation thingie wingie Magical Dream Princess gave you is totally wotally magical wagical, so it can, like, duplicaty watey, so you can give one to everybodywody at Beacon Weacon~! (giggle!)”

FanFan blinked, and one of her metallic arms picked the invitation from a pocket.
“Oh, is that so? In that case I’m sure to bring in a plus one~”
The carousel slowed down to a stop, and FanFan offered her hand to MDP as she got off the ride. “When would you like to come visit, then? Next Saturday, perhaps?”

“Like, Magical Dream Princess has to check her schedule wedule thingie, but she thinky winkies that might work~! (giggle!)” she told FanFan as the Ascendancy girl helped her off the carousel. “And, like, if FanFany WanWany wants to keep in touchy wouchy, Magical Dream Princess can give you her phoney woney number wumber~! (giggle!) Ta daaa~!” she announced as she produced a bright pink phone, covered in stickers and glitter. “Like, this is Magical Dream Princess’s special wecial magical wagical girl phoney woney~! (giggle!) She decorated it aaaall by her selfy welfy~! (giggle!) Like, she added all these super duper cute thingie wingies to it, like hearts, and stars, and rainbows, and unicorns, and kitty witties…” she continued to ramble, pointing to each item like an excited child at show and tell. “And, like, the very best part is that her number wumber is right heresie as soon as she presses wesses this button wutton thingie~! (giggle!)” the hyperactive magical girl finally concluded with a big smile. “Like, she had to do that as her normal wormal selfey welfy, so that she could find it when she was Magical Dream Princess, cause, like, otherwise she’d totally wotally forget how to do it~! (giggle!)”

“Ooh, fashionable~” FanFan commented with restrained glee upon seeing MDP’s phone. “Mine isn’t as pretty as yours, but it serves its job well enough.” She had a smartphone made with a sleek, white design. “But I would love to try decorating mine too. Perhaps you’d know of some good keychains for it.” She shared her phone number with MDP. “I’m not really supposed to give this number to any non-Beacon members, but I trust that you’ll keep it a secret. Pinky promise?”
She asked, holding her pinky out.

“Pinky winky promise~! (giggle!)” MDP declared with an exuberant smile, while linking her own pinky with FanFan’s. “And, like, Magical Dream Princess would just wuv to helpy welpy FanFany WanWany decorate her phoney woney, too~! (giggle!)” she added, giving FanFan a playful wink. “Like, Magical Dream Princess is gonna write herselfy welfy a note right nowie, so she doesn’t forget~!”

“Alrighty~” FanFan giggled. “Goodbye for now then. See you soon!” She waved to the magical girl, and then left, using her metallic arms to swing under lightpoles like a mechanical monkey.

“Okie dokie~! (giggle!) Bye bye for nowie~!” she called, waving excitedly as FanFan departed. Giggling happily, she jumped on a newly-conjured unicorn pegasus and flew off into the winter skies in search of more nightmares to banish.

---

A girl stood, focused on the pins ahead of her. There was an alley. Ten pins. The ball in her hand. She took a deep breath, and… she rolled the bowling ball with a dramatic swing, releasing her grip of it just as her hand left the lowest part! The bowling ball took off at a dramatic speed, smashing straight into the pins! In a dramatic fashion, the pins flew in all directions, taking down all of them in one fell swoop!

‘YES! GOT THEM!’ the untransformed Mayra yelled out happily as she skipped on the spot, just about time for her invited friends to arrive at the abandoned bowling alley that Mayra had her technical friends hack to make functional for her.

“M-Mayra…?” a timid voice called out. “A-Are y-you in h-here?”

A moment later, a transformed Connie would emerge into view, followed by Gaia, close behind. The masked girl and her verdant friend had been patrolling the city, when Mayra had texted them, asking to meet up.

“Bowling, hmm?” Gaia observed with an approving smile. “That might be rather enjoyable.”

‘Oh, yes! I’m here, I’m here!’ Mayra replied, skipping over to where Connie and Mia was coming in. She waved at them with both hands. ‘Yepp, it’s me! Just got my disguise on! It’s just SO much more satisfying when I succeed without using my normal dragon strength…!’ she said, laughing a bit about it. ‘You like it, too? It’s really kinda fun! Perfect accuracy, needed over and over, except I can do it on varying angles and spins, and, haha!’ Mayra laughed a bit over Gaia’s apparent interest in it

‘Anyways!’ Mayra’s gaze sharpened towards Connie. ‘Are we ready!?’ she asked, eyes positively sparkling.

Connie couldn’t help but giggle at Mayra’s excited ramblings, but her amused expression dissolved into a slight frown a moment later.

“U-Uhh… R-Ready for w-what?” the masked girl asked, more than a little confused.

‘We were going to give me a nightmare, right!?’ Mayra asked, eyes still shining.

“O-Oh! U-Uhh, I g-guess we c-could d-do that n-now…” Connie conceded somewhat hesitantly. She really didn’t like the idea of giving one of her friends nightmares, but Mayra did seem very enthusiastic about it…

“Are you certain about this, Mayra?” Gaia asked, slightly concerned. “The nightmares my dearest Connie creates draw upon your deepest fears and have the potential to be highly unpleasant.”

Mayra grinned eagerly at Connie’s acceptance, and then turned her head to grin at Gaia when she asked if she was sure. ‘I couldn’t tell you what my deepest fears are. I’m REALLY curious, what’s my nightmare? Can I beat it? What effect will it have on me? What will break first? Oooooh, I get tingly just thinking about it-!’ she said, clutching her fists, her eyes still sparkling. She looked back to Connie. ‘Should I be my normal self? I was thinking maybe I should be human-me to not endanger you while I’m in the dream? Or maybe that’d make the dream worse? How about it!?’ Mayra asked, highly enthusiastic.

“Umm, I d-don’t think it r-really m-matters,” Connie would tell her. “I-I was g-gonna p-place you in a N-Nightmare B-Barrier,” the masked girl went on to explain. “S-So, uh, t-that should p-prevent you f-from h-hurting us, or a-anything else h-here…” She was still worried, not so much for herself, but for Mayra. “I-If y-you’re sure t-this is w-what you r-really want, t-then I g-guess w-we can s-start now…”

Raising a hand towards Mayra, Connie conjured a Nightmare Barrier, centered on the dragon girl. Sickly tendrils of dark energy swirled out of the masked girl’s hand to coalesce into an obsidian dome. Harsh flashes of amethyst lightening briefly illuminated that dreadful pocket dimension, revealing the shadowy forms of twisted tentacles, wicked spikes, clusters of unblinking eyes, and various warped faces frozen in horrific torment. Whether or not any of this bothered Mayra in the slightest was rendered immaterial a moment later, when Connie charged the barrier with a massive, focused Nightmare Pulse, after which, the dragon girl would suddenly find herself someplace altogether different…

‘Okay!’ Mayra said, and as the dark tendrils swirled out from Connie, Mayra released her human disguise and then briefly flexed her muscles in her dragon form, tail swinging a bit as she excitedly focused forward. Mayra was inherently unfazed by most things that Connie first showed her, but then-

Mayra suddenly found herself randomly in a normal living room. There was a table for eating, a TV on the side, a couch, shelves, windows, a door, etc. There’s a garden outside the window. She looked around in confusion. She’d really expected something that she was going to fight against. Immediately bored of this environment, the dragon girl walked over to the door, gripped the handle and pulled. Not only did it not open, it didn’t even budge. Somewhat irked, Mayra punched a fireball into it, expecting it to be blasted off its hinges. The fire impacted and dispersed, and… nothing... happened? The door stood entirely unharmed.

Realizing she was trapped, Mayra went around and kicked and slamed into every surface of the room, trying to find a way out. Nothing. The furniture inside the room were easy enough to destroy, but it brought her no pleasure because she still couldn’t get out. Worse, destroying that furniture made the room even more featureless, making Mayra want to leave even more. The garden outside the windows remained unchanged and free, but Mayra couldn’t get there. She struck at the window trying to force her way outside, but the unbreakable window just wouldn’t let her.

She felt time pass. Seconds were minutes were hours were days, an ungodly amount of time. She felt alone and scared, two feelings she had to contemplate the fact she could feel at all. Even if she hadn't actually been experiencing this for too long, she felt like she's been here forever. And... it feels like the room is getting smaller. Mayra had a startling realization. The room was getting smaller, very slowly, over an exceptionally long amount of time…

Grabbed by a panic unlike what she had ever felt before, she slammed herself against the window, blazing up an inferno using all her fire-powers and punched as hard as she could into the window, managing only to hurt herself. After enough punching and kicks, her hands and knees were bleeding, and the window wasn’t even singed. She screamed at the window as she slammed her head into it, but once again, she only succeeded in making her forehead bleed. She stumbled back, gasping a bit and would have fallen over, but the room was now so small she couldn't even fall backwards. Her back just hit the wall. She’d been trying to break the window for that long.

The room was so small she couldn’t strike the window properly. Unable to give up, she still tried to strike the window, which still showed the unchanged vision of freedom just outside. Mayra screamed and filled the tiny room with fire as her panic continued, and she once again felt like she was stuck in there for far, faaaar longer than she actually was, trapped in a tiny pocket all alone and unable to get away...

Mayra woke up. She winced, gasping for air, strings of smoke and fire flowing off her scaly body within the barrier. She sat up, taking deep breaths, contemplating what she had just experienced with wide eyes. Okay, seemed like she could have nightmares, after all. She straightened her back, growling and stretched out her limbs, relieved to be able to stretch them out again, relaxing with closed eyes, not saying a word to the ones who put her in the nightmare for now…

… Then Mayra grinned widely, opening a determined pair of eyes at Connie, bringing her dragon hands together and cracked her knuckles loudly.

‘Again.’

Having dispersed the Nightmare Barrier shortly after Mayra had woken up, Connie was stunned when the draconic girl asked to go through the whole thing again. Connie had watched Mayra’s experience via her mystic artifact, or at least the beginnings of it, and was horrified by what she’d seen. Greatly distressed by how her friend was suffering, she had wanted to end the nightmare herself, but Gaia had persuaded her that such an action would be a great disservice to their friend. Mayra had asked for this, and it was only right to allow the monster girl to see it through to the end. Even so, Connie’s gentle heart couldn’t bear to put her friend through further suffering.

“A-Again…?” Connie asked, her mask displaying an incredibly concerned visage as she knelt down in front of Mayra, her trembling hands clasped over her heart. “B-But w-why?!” she asked, black tears streaming down the cheeks of her mask. She was utterly unable to comprehend why anyone would want to voluntarily suffer such torment.

Mayra smiled, facing Connie’s disbelief straight on. She looked intently at her. ‘It was unlike any challenge I have ever faced before. It wasn’t a challenge of strength, it was a challenge of the mind. I didn’t even know there were things I was afraid of. All my strength was useless against the power you command. You are amazing, Connie,’ the dragon girl said, meaning every word.

‘… But I haven’t given up yet! I lost this first round, but I want to go at it again! I’ll find some way to win! I’ll defeat your nightmare, and become even stronger for it! That’s why, that’s why I want to experience that again! I can confront my fears, and your magic at the same time! A challenge like no other! I… I’m so excited!’ Mayra said, breathing out a slight puff of flame extending only a decimeter from her mouth.

‘Will you please let me try again!?’ Mayra asked, clutching her fists, her expression one of eagerness. She did recognize that Connie wasn’t comfortable with it, but at the same time, this was just so… glorious…!

As Connie listened to Mayra’s words, she began to understand where her friend was coming from. The dragon girl wanted to conquer her fears, just like Connie herself did. Because of that, the masked girl reluctantly decided to grant her friend’s request.

“A-All right…” she conceded with a sigh of resignation. “W-We can d-do it again. B-But I s-still feel like I’m b-being a bad friend…”

Mayra grinned so happily. ‘I think you’re being awesome! You’re facing your own fears to let me challenge mine! That makes you the best of friends! Thanks, Connie!’ she said, exceedingly excited.

“O-Oh! U-Umm, y-you’re v-very welcome, Mayra,” Connie said with a smile as the cheeks of her mask turned a bright red. “H-Hearing you s-say that m-means a l-lot.”

‘Alright! With that covered, let’s do this again!’ Mayra said, stepping back from Connie again and taking a pose as if she was going to actually fight the nightmare, albeit armed with additional knowledge this time.

Once again, the Nightmare Barrier was conjured, and once again, Mayra would find herself in the same small, outwardly unthreatening room.

Inside the room again, Mayra grinned. She knew what she had to do. This wasn’t a challenge she could overcome with raw power! It was one of those “master your mind” kind of things! So, with determined moves, the dragon girl sank down onto crossed legs to sit, putting her hands on her legs, closed her eyes, and focused. She just had to not break down. If she didn’t break down, she’d have won. As simple as that.

…

…

…

…

…

So, uh. Just how long did she have to sit here?

She tightened her grip on her legs, blinking a little at the realization that nothing was changing. The imposing walls still closed in around her over an unbelievably long time and the teasing unbreakable window still promised freedom just out of her reach. It was thoroughly against her nature to sit still like this. Was it even helping? What was she even doing? Mayra shook her head, trying to get those thoughts out of her head, yet her heart-rate was increasing, her limbs starting to shake. It was taking so long. The walls were even closer now.

Mayra grunted, hanging her head, itching her eyes shut, clenching her fists. No, she wouldn’t let it! She wouldn’t break just by this! She was stronger than this! She gave an unintended whimper as some flames were coming off her body, from the stress she was feeling. She wasn’t built to stay still. Time was still passing, at an unbelievable pace, making her aware of how alone and trapped she was. The walls were closing in. Her whole body was shaking somewhat now. She was telling her body to cooperate, this wasn’t so bad, she knew what was really going on, and-

A piece of the approaching wall touched her foot. In sheer instinct, Mayra kicked at the wall with the full force of her leg, but the only thing she managed was to break her foot. With the pain surging through her, she lost any chance of staying still. She screamed, fire overtook the room once again, and she flailed in panic…

…

‘W-well darn, that didn’t work…!’ a panting Mayra eventually said, back in the real world, a hand on her heavily beating heart and eyes wide in alarm, her body all tense and breathing rapidly from the settling panic. Yet, her tone was weirdly cheerful for what she was commenting on, and her face still bore this wide smile of someone who was kinda amused by all of this. ‘R-right, maybe I should consider my tactics before I go again, haha,’ she chuckled, also stammering a little for maybe the first time in her life. … Though then she smirked a little wider at Connie. ‘… Or maybe I should just ram my head at it until it no longer scares me? That kinda sounds fun. Hahaha!’ she laughed some more, entertaining the idea.

For a moment, Connie just stared at her friend. She felt so bad that she was the one responsible for putting the dragon girl through this horrible ordeal and her body trembled at seeing the condition Mayra was in. But, somehow, the monster girl still seemed to want more…

“U-Ummm, i-if you t-think that will w-work…” Connie said hesitantly, still unsure if Mayra’s new plan would be at all viable. “J-Just don’t h-hurt yourself, o-okay?” she added, placing a concerned hand on the dragon girl’s shoulder.

Mayra blinked a little in surprise at Connie placing a hand on her shoulder. From the touch, Mayra calmed down a bit, smiling. ‘Heh, to make you worry so about me, I must have been worse for wear,’ she said, and then her gaze flashed up with newfound determination, her fists clenching with incredible guts. ‘Don’t worry! I’ll show that dream who’s boss! With this boost in confidence of you caring about me, there’s no way I’ll lose! Count on it! Send me in again!’



‘THE DREAM’S GOT TO BE CHEATING! I’m calming down, just as I have to, but the dream keeps, like, injecting despair into my head, IT’S GOT TO BE CHEATING! I wouldn’t panic that easily…!’ a somewhat alarmed Mayra complained with wide, frowning eyes, sitting shaking somewhat on the floor, some flames leaking out between her scales as she tried going over what went wrong in her head over and over, unconvinced at the result. ‘Grrr! Again!’ she requested, fists clenched.



‘Could you like, I don’t know, make your nightmare not do that? Wait, right, that’d be pointless, I have to beat the nightmare as it is, or it won’t count!’ Mayra said, pacing back and forth over a bowling alley, frowning and walking with the pace of someone somewhat upset and really just had to move. ‘Maybe if I took some calming medication…? No, wait, that’d be cheating, too!’ she grunted, crossing her arms, stomping a bit with her foot. ‘Ooogh, thinking was never my strong suit! Get me in there again, I’ll figure something out!’ she requested, spinning around to Connie…!



‘What am I doing wrong? I’m focusing all I have to try to accept the scene as it is. What am I so afraid of? It’s just a room! I don’t… I don’t get it,’ Mayra asked, kind of curled up to the side for a bit, bouncing with her legs somewhat. ‘I just… need to sit still for a long period of time. I just literally have to do nothing. Why is that so hard? Why do I always panic? I don’t get it. But even if I don’t get it, I won’t give up,’ she said, and turned over towards Connie, frowning. ‘Please, again!’



Mayra was lying prone on the floor, staring up at the ceiling, panting a bit. There was a decent amount of disbelief in her eyes, and her body was also completely exhausted.

‘I… I think… that’ll do it for today. Thank you, Connie. You win. Hahaha…’ she said, her voice kind of weak compared to earlier, yet she still chuckles, even when utterly floored. Looks like they were done with nightmares for now.

This was probably for the best, as, a moment later, a swirling, multi-colored vortex appeared above them and deposited a giggling young woman with pink hair. The speed of her descent was such that it caused her skirt to fly up, revealing frilly panties covered with smiling flowers.



“Ta-daaa~!” the whimsical girl announced in a cheery voice as she struck a cute pose. “Magical Dream Princess is here to make all the nasty wasty nightmares go bye bye, nowie~! (giggle!) Huh~?” she added after she’d focused enough to fully take stock of the situation. “Like, it was just you, Connie Wonnie~!” she exclaimed, her eyes brightening as a big smile spread across her face. “And, like, Gaia Waia’s also heresie, and Mayra Wayra, too~! (giggle!) Magical Dream Princess is, like, so super duper happy to see you girls~! She sensed some super duper strong nightmare wightmare magic wagic, so she totally wotally thought she’d have to fight some meanie weanie heads, but now she gets to play with her friendy wendies instead~! (giggle!)” she cheered, bouncing up and down, while gleefully clapping her hands.

‘… Hey, it’s the pink princess…!’ Mayra said, grinning and waving to her, still lying where she was on the floor. ‘Connie’s got some awesome magic at her disposal. I insisted she use it on me until I beat it, but I haven’t been able to yet!’ she said, chuckling a bit at the end.

“I-I’m just g-glad I didn’t h-hurt you too b-badly….” A still concerned Connie told the dragon girl as she knelt down beside her.

“You wanted to have nightmare wightmares on purpose wurpose~?” MDP asked Mayra, tilting her head in obvious confusion. “That’s, like, totally wotally crazy wazy!” she exclaimed, her expression one of complete shock.

‘But, if I beat the nightmare wightmare, that’d be totally wotally awesome sauceome, wouldn’t it?’ Mayra asked, grinning and copying MDP’s speech for a bit. ‘In any case, I’m totally fine! Connie’s really nice to me, haha,’ Mayra said, holding up a thumbs up, but because she was looking back at MDP, she was probably holding the thumb upside down and pointing down at the floor.

“Magical Dream Princess guesses wesses it could be…” the whimsical girl conceded, while seemingly thinking over her draconic friend’s words. “But, like, you made poor Connie Wonnie super duper uncomfortable womfortable!” MDP admonished, while wagging her finger in a scolding motion. “And that’s, like, totally wotally not okie dokie! Bad Mayra Wayra!”

“I-It’s o-okay…!” Connie spoke up, hoping to calm MDP’s indignation. “M-Mayra j-just w-wanted to o-overcome her f-fears,” the masked girl explained. “A-And, as s-someone who w-wants to do the s-same, I was h-happy to help in a-any way I c-could!”

“Yes, you did a very good thing, little sister,” Gaia concurred, kneeling down next to Connie and gently massaging the timid girl’s shoulders. Turning to address MDP, she added, “And remember what I said at the beach dimension? About what happens when Connie doesn’t give enough nightmares? Well,” she continued while giving both Connie and Mayra a warm smile. “I don’t think her Patron will have anything to complain about, after tonight.”

“Sooo, Mayra Wayra and Connie Wonnie helpy welpied each other wother~?” MDP asked, before smiling with her characteristic joyful exuberance. “Like, that makes Magical Dream Princess sooo super duper happy wappy~! (giggle!) Super duper sorries, Mayra Wayra…” she added. “Magical Dream Princess didn’t understandy wandy everythingie wingie… But, like, Magical Dream Princess just noticed woticed~! This is a bowling woling placey wacey, isn’t it~?! Magical Dream Princess has never gone bowling woling beforsie, but she’d, like, totally wotally wuv to try it out nowie~! (giggle!) Can she~?!” the hyperactive girl asked excitedly. “Can she~?! Can she~?! Can she~?!”

Mayra totally had her own excuse prepared, but seemed like Gaia had it covered, so Mayra just grinned. ‘Wait, dreamie can sense nightmares? So, if Connie’s ever in trouble, can she just give herself a nightmare and you could sense it and come running?’ Mayra asked, curious if that’d work.

Then, upon bowling being reached. ‘Oh, yes!’ she called, suddenly flying back onto her feet like the earlier exhaustion was all in her head. It was, mental exhaustion, anyway! ‘Let’s do it! Let’s bowl together!’ she called, and then disguised herself as a human again to limit her incredible strength to show her capability in the art of bowling.

“Yaaay~!” MDP cheered. “Bowling woling time~! Bowling woling time~! (giggle!) And, like, Magical Dream Princess can to totally wotally sense those nasty wasty nightmare wightmares~!” the whimsical girl added, answering Mayra’s earlier question. “Like, she wouldn’t be able to stoppy woppy them if she couldn’t findy windy them~! (giggle!)” she noted with a playful wink. “But, like, she’d never ever wever want Connie Wonnie to give herselfy welfy a nightmare wightmare, cause that would be, like, super duper mean to poor Connie Wonnie! And, like, if Connie Wonnie’s ever in trouble wouble, she has Gaia Waia to keep her safey wafey~! (giggle!) They are super duper best friendy wendies in the whole wide worldsie, after allsie~! (giggle!)”

“W-We s-sure are!” Connie added, smiling as she gave her verdant friend a hug. “B-But I’m s-so happy I was a-able to m-make so many n-new friends, too!” she added. “I-I’ve n-never been able to d-do anything like this b-before, so I’m r-really looking forward to it!”

“As am I, little sister,” Gaia agreed. “Now then,” she added, picking up a green bowling ball and spinning it between her fingers. “Shall we begin?”

It seemed that downtown Penrose could not catch a break. They’d dealt with street fights between magical girls and liches, animated armors, rampaging monster girls, and more. Now they were dealing with a whole new threat.

Raucous laughter filled the air, accompanied by the grumbling of metal, explosions, shattering glass, and more. Once again the quiet city streets were thrown into chaos, though admittedly the chaos was less than it would have been had the city not been evacuated. But it was still something that could not be allowed as cars were destroyed, buildings looted, and mayhem sown.

At least a dozen short statured creatures ran about, cheering and causing a ruckus. Some smashed things with hefty metal studded clubs, while others chopped with serrated blades that were closer to meat cleavers than to swords. A veritable ball of destruction moved towards a main street, promising much greater chaos if it was not stopped.

One guy, near the middle, wore a makeshift crown of metal spikes and magical materials. He waved around a legitimate sword, marking him as the leader of this band of misfits. “Tear it down, you hear! The humies don’t want it, that means its easy pickings for us!” A fireball soared over their heads and slammed into a shop front, where it promptly exploded. Would someone step up, and put an end to this chaos and devastation?

… Some things in life were complicated. Like having your brainwashing suddenly removed and learning you were apparently controlled by the one you thought saved you as a child and having to consider that maybe everything you thought you did willingly maybe you didn’t, and having to consider if you wanted to continue that life actually willingly because it was easier or if you were to somehow break free from said controller into a life which you had no idea what the point of it was or how it looked, with the added caveat that then said controller would probably hunt you forever.

This? This wasn’t complicated. This, this was simple. This was evil. And Mariette had a lot of steam to let off.

A series of portals manifested high in the air between the crowd of demons and the store they were advancing on, and numerous beams of light-magic struck down like a fence of light, stopping their advance. On a building next to the store, Mariette strode out on the corner, long white hair flowing in the wind and dark dress similarly being pulled, her hand-mirror weapon in one hand and plushie held with her other arm.


‘I am Mariette Pedersen! Your unopposed wretched behaviour ends tonight! As of this moment, this area of Penrose is under my protection! Leave, or suffer the consequences!’ … There was something inherently cathartic about doing something obviously right. Also, she had to give the option for them to leave, or she wouldn’t look so good.… And consequences there would be, if they stood and fought. She had Absolute Direction. She’d hunt them down no matter where they fled to. Every, single, one of them.

The lasers were an impressive display, to say nothing of Mariette’s declaration of intent. Heads swerved to gaze up at Mariette, and the numerous demons fell silent and let her speak, if only out of awe and nothing else.

There was silence for a few moments once she had finished, before the crowned demon spoke once more. “Oy, you think we’s gonna leave cause you gots some pretty lights,” he yelled back eagerly. “Last I looked, there’s a whole lots of us, and only one of you! Get her boys!”

With the command given, he aimed the sword in her direction. Cheering, the raucous horde charged forwards toward Mariette, slinging fireballs and stones in equal measure as they sought to take her down. No one could fault their enthusiasm, even if they might be lacking in intelligence.

While Mariette was probably more than capable of dealing with all of the incoming projectiles on her own, two figures swooped into view. Like guardian angels the two moved into the path of the shots. Wings spread, they began striking out with their blades and sending the attacks off course with poise and precision.


”Mind a little help?” Rose would ask over her shoulder?

Mariette had a couple tiny portals in the sky connected to the eye behind the eyepatch, and as such had seen the figures approaching. Given that, she did nothing and let herself be rescued from the attacks. She nodded to her momentary guardians.

‘Your help is appreciated. I’ll support with magic from behind. I’m a bit frail up close,’ she said, stepping back and charging some more magic. Before committing, she’d inspect what their foes were doing through her eye in the sky…

Despite the arrival of more numbers against them, the enemy remained undeterred. Mostly this was because they’d already gone in for it, and they weren’t the sort to have common sense that worked on a dime. By the same token Mariette would find that most of them were just kind of charging forwards, though a few split off to try and flank the trio, ceasing their ranged attacks as they did so. Well, they were trying at least, even if they didn’t recognize how outmatched they were.

Each raising a hand, the twin's would summon spirits of light. Two fingers outstretched they would touch the gem on the chappe of their swords and infuse the spirits into the blades. With Mariette set to give them support they dove down to catch those trying to climb up.

Each would prove to be rather alloying in their tactics. Unlike a brute force fighter they didn't commit to heavy blows. Instead they would drive the tip into their target before drawing back and goading out an attack before making another shot. The spirits in the blade caused blinding flashes of magic and a burning to the demons as the cuts had a slight purifying effect to them.

Mariette, meanwhile, raised her hand-mirror. Some of those demons were using ranged attacks, better deal with those first. She opened two portals. One acted as a shield, leading from midair to the floor on the bottom level of the building she was standing one. The other led from right in front of her to in the air behind the demon lines. From here, Mariette unleashed some quick blasts of light to surge through the portal and hit those demons from behind, intending to pierce their chests. She was prepared to have her Tentacles erupt from her shadow to protect herself, just in case any demons managed to get an angle on her.

The trio went to work, Mariette doing ranged suppression while her new allies got in close. They definitely succeeded in infuriating the demons, and some of them were disabled as the burning strikes sent them tumbling to the ground below from being in mid climb. Meanwhile the demons were unprepared to be struck from the rear, and more were disabled as a result of it. Still their morale held and they continued to fight.

Some turned to address the threat from the rear, contesting shadowy tentacles with gouts of flame and cleaving blades as they drew near her portals. Meanwhile the first of the climbers scaled the roof and advanced on Rose/iris, some charging in to meet their blades head on with clubs and hacking tools, while others sought to swarm around and strike them from behind. Perhaps there was some intelligence in them after all.

Oh, no. It seemed like they were being surrounded by demons climbing the building and approaching Mariette’s portals from the other way. If only there was a way to get out of a disadvantageous position.

Mariette opened a portal and walked through while her dark tentacles fenced with the demons, ending up in a room in a building across the street. From there, she turned around and blasted charged beams of light at the roof-climbers that were trying to come after her. She was entirely fine with if the ranged enemies tried to go through the other portals, they’d end up on the roof and right in the place Mariette was currently targeting with laser-blasts.

She opened another portal close to Rose and Iris, also leading to a nearby building. ‘If you need a bottleneck…’ she whispered through a smaller portal, and let them choose if they wanted to go through it or not. She kept an eye looking down to make sure the demons didn’t somehow have a sense for her real location through the portal, would be a pain if they turned around and threw fireballs at the building she was actually in.

The twins would fight off a number of the demons. They were about to take to the air when a portal was opened up to them. Being a better option they would retreat through the doorway. As said the demons coming through were bottlenecked which made fighting them off much easier. One would basically become a pincushion coming through.

Things did not go the demons way, targeted with lasers and finding that the girls they had pursued were retreated or outright vanishing. They didn’t seem to know where Mariette had relocated, which worked in her favor as more fell from her laser barrage. But it did have some downsides as they began randomly targeting buildings with fireballs in their anger. Which did not stand much of a chance of hurting her, but would increase the collateral damage quite a bit.

The portal bottleneck also worked as intended, the first demon going down with a surprised gurgle as he was stabbed. But the others persisted, all but trampling over their fallen comrade as they sought to reach the duo in their anger and ferocity. All while that crowned demon oversaw the operation from the middle of the diminished group.

“Come on,” he ranted, waving his sword wildly. “It’s just a couple of humies! Put some back into it!” Momentarily the assault on Iris and Rose would cease as the demons launched a volley of fireballs through the portal, before resuming their assault.

Mariette noted how the demons had lost her position. Well, guess that was fine. Now to make them hate themselves.

Using her eye in the sky as a viewpoint, she focused her powers and opened portals before their fireballs. She redirected them, through one portal back at the casters, making them flame themselves, and she did her best to catch as many of the fireballs as she could. Now to check; were demons immune to fire? If they were, oh, well. She’d just start mixing in her own portals to right beside her so she could shoot light.

When they started shooting fire into the portal of the twins, she opened a different portal next to them, leading to right above some unprotected attackers. In case they wanted to drop down on them.

These portals were proving to be quite useful. Ducking into the portal, Rose and Iris came down on the unsuspecting demons. Slashing and stabbing they would continue to move around. Stepping where they could see the leader, Iris would hold her hand out to her sister. Nodding the other girl would take hold and the two would blink away.

There were a lot of places they could go, but since their portal hopping they’d drawn off I good amount of the group. A light flash of magic and the two girls would appear in front of the lead demon. Turning in counter directions their blades hummed as they cut through the air. Crossed like a pair of scissors they would try and decapitate the demon. ”Surprise!”

Mariette would find that while the demons were resistant to fire, they were not immune. Shrieks filled the air as the beings were hit by their own spells, sending them flailing in pain and running for cover. “Ey, what’s dis then?” one of the demons yelled at another who had been practicing his archery.

“It wasn’t me,” the demon yelled back, expressing the sort of turmoil that Mariette had hoped for as the argument escalated.

At least, until the crowned demon stepped in. “Get yer heads on straight. It’s that girlie stirring up trouble!’ With order restored the attack resumed, though they were more cautious as they sought out where Mariette actually was.

It was easier on the part of Rose and iris, whose blades were met as the demon swayed backwards and caught their scissor slash with his sword. “There yah are,” he grunted, before letting out a dark chuckle. “Think yah can take me on? Well forget it!’ Wielding his blade with one hand, he manifested a spectral limb over the other that lashed out at Iris with a solid punch, while using the sword to defend against Rose. The real battle was joined at last.

Mariette opened a portal behind the archer. Numerous dark tentacles suddenly lashed out, grabbing onto him and then to pull him back into the portal where he’d likely never see the light again, after which the portal swiftly closed. She opened another under the feet of a different demon, tentacles reaching out to grip and pull him into the darkness that was actually just the apartment she was in so she could light-blast them one by one. Now that the demons were probably realizing she was kidnapping them, she’d start opening false portals to fool them while then opening a new portal behind them as she dragged them off one by one.

She trusted the twins could survive a moment with the head honcho. Mariette was just going to clean out the trash, first.

Reeling back from the punch Iris would have to take a step back and reassess. Releasing the light spirit from her blade she would replace it with another to increase her speed. Thanks to the reach she didn’t have to get in as close. So while Rose worked to keep the opponent’s blade busy, Iris would move around and make quick strikes at the leader's unshielded limbs to try and whittle him down.

Mariette went to work, dragging the demons away one by one. They did their best to respond once they realized what was going on, grouping up and countering the tentacles with their blades and clubs. But there was a limit to what they could do, especially with the false portals.

Eventually it became too much, and those that were left ran away. They had little shame as they cried in fear, seeking just to escape and nothing less.

Of course, the leader was aware of the ignoble flight of his army. “Cowards, the lot of yah,” he yelled, all but dancing on his feet in impotent frustration. “I’ll skin you all, see I will!” But there was nothing he could do while still fighting the Twins. He spun about as Rose and Iris worked in tandem, blocking wildly while his shelled arm flexed to deflect Iris’ blows. Still, it was wearing him down with accumulated light wounds as he punched and stabbed and soldiered forward. There was no doubt that he was a cut above the demons they’d fought so far tonight.

‘Will you, now? With those limbs?’ Mariette asked, having finished her task when the other demons broke away, walking out of a portal a decent distance behind the leader. She kept small, low-energy portals open around, closing and opening to follow the surviving demons so they heard her words as they fled. ‘Let this be a lesson of what happens when you mess with Penrose.’

With that, Mariette opened two smaller portals to the left and right of the demon, and her tentacles charged through, intent on gripping his arms, the shelled one and the sword one, to hold them in place or at least occupy them, to allow Rose and Iris to do their part. Just in case, Mariette had walked out onto a portal of her own, which she could just fall through in a case of emergency.

With Mariette now helping, the twins moved in to make some more bold strikes. They were not going to let up and did their best to keep the pressure on. ”You’re pretty good.” She would admit to the demon. ”But This isn’t a fight you’re going to win.”

Mariettes words filled the air, only spurring the flight of the demons away from the sight of battle. Not that there had been much chance of them coming back, but this made sure that was the case.

The demon that remained snarled, spinning and slashing as the tentacles sought to bind him and the twins ramped up their attacks. He did his best, shelled limb tearing free from the initial grab to lash out at her. Yet he was struck as well, and lost his sword as it fell clattering to the roof of the building.

Faced with this, it seemed the tide was turning. Grimacing, the demon tapped into his inner power and resorted to more drastic measures. The ground below Mariette began to glow before abruptly erupting into a pillar of fire that soared upwards several meters and was about as wide as a tree trunk. More would follow, erupting almost randomly on the roof.

This allowed the demon to shell itself much like it had its single limb. With Mariette having to dodge the pillar and fireballs launched at the twins, the demon would break free. Then it engaged in the oldest and most powerful of demonic strategies – running away. It leapt off the roof and made its way after the other fleeing demons, clearly no longer interested in sticking around here either.

Mariette blinked, startled, as the ground beneath her began to glow. Fortunately, she was already standing on a portal. As she was worried she wouldn’t fall through the portal fast enough had she opened the portal as she intended, she crouched and inverted the portal, meaning the stream of fire shot directly up into the portal which back she stood on and emerged in the room she’d been planning to escape to. The room was unoccupied, sure, but a burst of fire from a window some bit away informed that she’d just turned the inside of a home into an inferno for her own safety.

That… was scary. If the burst had instead come from above her, chances were there’d been nothing Mariette could have done. As it was, she’d manage to weather the storm, but she’d have been very vulnerable had the demon chosen to use this opportunity to leap at her.

Fortunately, their quarry then chose to escape. That meant the battle was already over. Nothing ever truly escapes from Mariette.

‘… I’ll open portals for you to emerge ahead of him,’ Mariette informed Rose and Iris, sighing as she opened such exact portals for the two of them. She then reached her hand-mirror to her right… and formed a ball of portals, forced to take hexagonal shapes, all the portals linking to another in here. From there, she started blasting shots of light into the ball, trapping the blast of light in an eternal loop, and then another, and another, and another… she was going to charge up a ball of absolute power before she returned to the fray. Meanwhile, she used Absolute Direction and her eyes in the sky to follow the demon, every step of the way.

Striking at the fireballs they went off and the two had to shield themselves. Despite the damage they were still mostly unharmed. Iris would point to the portal that opened. "Cut him off!" The blue haired girl pushed off the ground to get a little air. While she couldn't fly without a good amount of effort, she used her wings to get some speed up.

Rose however dove through the provided portal and thrust her sword against the shielded demon. The defense seemed to do its job as the strike didn't get all that deep. Iris had other ideas as she teleported in behind the leader with her momentum and went to kick him in the back. Bracing herself, Rose held her stance as the twins attempted to pinch and drive the sword through the creature.

While Mariette went to charge up her extra powerful finishing move, the demon engaged with Iris and Rose. Some might argue that it was pointless with an ally that had portal magic and Absolute Direction, but that was besides the point. They fought on nonetheless.

Things were difficult with this magically armored foe, who used this to increase his strength as well as his speed to some extent. He blocked one blow, launched a wave of fire at the other, took hits and just kept on moving. The clash of metal, the exertion of muscles, none of the trio gave as they sought to hammer and anvil, and he darted to the side. Yet as they wore down the demon the ground began to rumble. Unlike the fire pillars from before they could start to see space warp and twist. If they did not act fast then the demon would escape back to whatever realm it came from. Presumably they wanted to avoid that.

‘Where do you think you’re going?’ Mariette asked through a portal that manifested within the demon’s sight, aiming a hand at him and firing a blast of light. However, this move was but a distraction. By making him dedicate himself to a means of defense, be it dodging, defending or counter-attacking, Mariette could know where he’d be the next second. That’s when she opened a different portal, the one leading to her ball. A wall of small portals opened, directing all the gathered blasts into a single beam. With Iris, Rose and Mariette all walling off options there were only a few options available to him, and Mariette made sure the beam came from behind as it surged to punch through his back on an angle that wouldn’t hit Iris or Rose as it passed through.

The demon’s eyes widened as Mariette surrounded him in portals.He blocked the blast of light, but that ended up being a distraction as her accumulated spells gathered into a single beam and struck him. Eyes widened as a ghastly scream filled the air, and the demon vanished in a blaze of light and energy. He had been incinerated outright by the power that had struck him.

With that and the flight of the remaining demons, silence fell over the city streets. Victory was theirs.

”Whoa.” She would stand still for a moment and look at the space where a demon used to be.

”That was cool!” She would look back and it seemed that most of the other demons were either running off or just gone. The job done the two would sheath their swords and look around for the girl that they came in to help.

Mariette sighed out as she stepped out of her portal. That took more effort than she liked. That didn’t feel like a C-rank bounty. B, at least. Wasn’t C-rank supposed to be those that aren’t dangerous at all? She just wanted to unwind… Regardless, she shook it off as she inspected the two other girls that were here.

‘… I am Mariette Pedersen. Who are you?’ she asked, idly curious about these girls she couldn’t remember ever seeing before.

The two would step over to Mariette. ”Nice to meet you Mariette. My name is Rose Silva and this is my sister Iris.” She would motion to the girl next to her. ”Hey, how did you do all those portal things.” She would gesture like she was opening portals with her hands.

‘It’s my specialization. An Oddball one, I believe is what it’s called,’ Mariette answered. ‘Penrose has been dangerous as of late. Are you new magical girls, or have you travelled here for some reason?’ Mariette asked, momentarily forgetting that girls have been changing their appearances frequently around here nowadays.

”We’re new. Still getting settled in.” Iris would explain.

Rose would hold a hand up to Mariette for a high five. ”Great job by the way. We made a good team!”

Mariette nodded to Iris, and then stared at Rose like she was an alien or something with the raised hand. She nodded to her too. ‘You did pretty well. If you need allies, I can point you the way to some friends of mine. How many have you met, yet?’ she asked, idly bothered by the thought that if they were entirely new and didn’t know anyone they’d be high on a possible to-potentially-kidnap list. Not that Mariette kidnapped people still, but the thought occurred.

After getting nothing from Mariette, Iris would high five her sister. Rose would think for a bit. ”Hm, we’ve met a few people. Some people at the Sanctuary and a Beacon girl. Our leader usually arranges that stuff though.” The girl said happily. She didn’t seem the particularly secret type as she spoke and hopped from one foot to the other on occasion. Clearly the bubbly twin that kept all the social energy.

‘It seems you’ll do fine, then,’ Mariette concluded. Still… ‘Who is your leader? Is there others in your group?’ If there was a new force in this world then Mariette wanted to know about it.

Nodding the blue haired girl would answer. ”Our leader is The Keeper of the Keys, Kayli Devon. She’s another magical girl. We’re here to get a better grasp of things going on and protect the city. From what we understand there’s a lot of fighting and tension between a bunch of the groups. The Keeper would like to see a more peaceful resolution if possible.” Even though Kayli wasn’t here didn’t mean the twins couldn’t try and build a bridge with some of the other girls around.

Mariette held a very neutral expression as Iris explained who Kayli was. ‘… As would a lot of others in this city, yet there’s always those who’d prefer it otherwise…’ she replied, with a gentle sigh. ‘Everything would become much easier if such a thing was proven possible. I wish you luck,’ she continued, having ran out of her current questions for now.

Iris would nod and sigh a bit. ”Yes, from what I understand of the matter. But meeting with the various leaders first is a start. We try and stay neutral parties. I’m sure the Keeper would be willing to meet to talk with you as well.”

Mariette gave her an inspecting look, then decided to ask a very simple question. ‘Do you have a plan of some sort?’

”Mmm, the Keeper might. With Penrose in as much chaos as it is it would be tricky no matter what I feel.” From what they’d discussed with Kayli, she had some ideas that weren’t quite confirmed possible yet. And even then there was no guarantee it would change anything ultimately.

Mariette tilted her head a little, inspecting her…

‘Get Beacon to stop attacking me. Let me hear their set of demands, if they have them, and I’ll see how possible they are. Anything that involves the purification of me or my allies is rejected outright. Then, I’ll be impressed,’ Mariette said, her tone maybe just a bit darker than before.

Despite the less that friendly tone, Rose would smile. ”We’ll see what we can do.” It felt like things were getting just a little tense, but she would still ask. ”Anything else?”

Mariette looked over at Rose with a neutral expression. ‘… If you somehow succeed with that, making peace with the Ebon Mint would be the next step. Oh, and if you could convince my patron to-’ the portal girl caught her tongue, she probably shouldn’t be saying that. ‘… Some patrons are naturally inclined to inspire violence. As are some people. Justine von Visceral is a recent example, but I hear she’s been dealt with. Peace can only be maintained for so long. But, I suppose my immediate concern is that Beacon’s trying to kill me. Any offense I commit to will be with the interest of keeping myself alive. If I am no longer in danger, I will not attack. My patron can be satisfied by me feeding him monsters. So, that’s that,’ Mariette said, ending it with a sigh.

Rose looked concerned. For the most part she didn’t really know all that much about Mariette. Probably the main thing she could recall was Janet and Jenna attempting to help her. ”Goodness. Well you seem nice enough to me. We’ll try and talk with some Beacon people for you.”

‘…’ Mariette was quiet for a bit, then turned around. ‘I should tell you, then. The reason they want to kill me. I once kidnapped a series of Magical Girls in a deal I’d made with Justine. I was a young Magical Girl, I didn’t realize the ramifications of my actions. They were claimed by my patron, I can no longer give them back. I regret that,’ she said, shaking her head a bit. ‘… But I can’t afford to pay the price. Hence, I am on the run, and Beacon’s after me…’ She gave the slightest of a chuckle, and then looked back at them. ‘Do you still think you can do it?’

The two girls would look at each other for a bit. That potentially made things more difficult. Still… ”Never know until you try. The Keeper is already working to get old enemies to at least come to the table. Perhaps if they better understood the situation then we could work to some compromise?” It was more of a rhetorical question than one meant to be answered here and now. There at least seemed to be some regret in the girl’s mannerisms. This detail about the patron was just one of many reasons the trio were solo as they were.

Mariette kept her eyes on them a bit. She really wasn’t expecting much. Still…

‘… Penny has my number,’ she said, pretty simply. ‘Good luck.’

Rose would wave, since it seemed like Mariette was wanting to leave. ”Thanks and you too. It was nice meeting you.” The two prepped to leave themselves.

Mariette nodded, and a portal manifested in front of her. With that, she wandered through it, and the portal closed behind her…

And then she used Absolute Direction to see if any of the demons were still in this realm. Because if they were, she was going to portal over and disintegrate them. One at a time. Acceptable targets. The twins themselves would also make a couple passes in the general area to be sure things weren’t burning. Before long though all would part and go on their own ways.