✦✧✦ Tama Miyara ✧ Angelite ✦✧✦
The night that had devastated the city was over, but its aftereffects continued.
Tama did her best to lessen those aftereffects, to little avail. Grief and paranoia manifested in great swathes once evening fell, the kinds of Nightmares she was used to, but fending off that many was still no easy feat. The fact that the light girl team had lost yet another member didn't help matters.
For three days, there had been no sign of Alara. Not even during hunts. It wasn't like Alara to ignore Nightmares, but every time Tama held out hope of picking up on that familiar aura, she'd return home disappointed. That sick feeling of dread grew with every fruitless search.
If anything had happened to her, a mascot would let us know, she'd tell herself, but even if Alara was still alive, her disappearance could only be due to something bad.
Worries whispered in Tama's mind, day and night, yet what she couldn't do was let them consume her. She had to hold on to enough light to stave off darkness, whether it took the form of shadow creatures or whether it threatened to take over from within. Soma was safe, for one, thanks to the timely intervention of the robotic magical girl. Then there was the other new girl, Honoka, accompanying the group during nocturnal battles, that relentless peppiness and determination bolstering their spirits. And of course, Tama and the others had to stay strong for somebody else. Luna. No longer near them, but no less someone to respect.
Tama traced the fraying cord bracelet under the fabric of her sleeve as she trailed beside Honoka towards the school building, her plodding steps contrasting with the redhead's springing gait. For the remaining light girls, it was a matter of clinging to their solidarity for as long as they could.
"Great way to help people affected by all this, pile school pressures on them early," she muttered to Honoka, catching sight of a certain dark-haired student and turning away. That last meeting with her former ally played through her mind.
...
Besides the newcomer in futuristic armour, Tama sensed another light presence, accompanied by one that felt all too familiar but wrong. She turned to see a scarlet haired girl in blue and white, the guitar strapped over her shoulder swinging as she stormed away from... Tama winced. She'd never get used to seeing her formed friend like that. Even if Ayumu had every reason to go that way.
"How can you just... just act like all this is no big deal?" the redhead yelled over her shoulder, fists clenched, visibly trembling all over. Various cuts and bruises peppered her skin, blood streaming down her side from claw marks.
Ayumu grinned, a twisted version of that uplifting smile.
"Hey, I thought you light girls were all about positivity. Look on the bright side, it was a golden opportunity for me and Kiru to feed. And if anything like this happens again, it could be for you too. Things you can't do shit about won't bother you so much that way-Oww!" The new girl had whirled round, raised a hand and slapped Ayumu across the face.
"Aw, c'mon!" the magician continued, putting on an exaggerated pout.
"Don't diss it till you try it."With a shaky breath and a steely glare, Tama advanced.
"I think," she said, resting a hand on the newcomer's shoulder as she faced up to the dark girl,
"she's made it clear enough this isn't what she needs right now."Unfazed, Ayumu simply skipped over like in old times.
"Ahh, Miyara, long time no see," she chirped. Up close, a hint of unease showed through the facade, face pallid, eyes haunted.
"Look, I was just trying to help, is that such a crime? But since helping is the domain of you goody-goodies, I guess I'd better leave her to you." With that, she sauntered back to the ringblade-wielding girl.
Maybe it was the nature of bonds to break. Which meant new ones had to be treasured and nurtured while they lasted.
...
Looking up at the building instead, Tama sighed. On the surface, this all seemed so normal. The early start could be to settle people back into routine, give them something to focus on, as well as for protection. Yet after this Christmas break, things could never go back to how they'd been.
♩♪♫♩ Honoka Takahide ♪♫♪ Allegra ♩♫♪♩
Despite her parents' increased protectiveness, Honoka had been just as busy as the others, sneaking out at night to join them. She could still barely believe it, so many magical girls in one place - Maybe this was what gave her hope after such a disastrous event. As eagerness to prevent further tragedy spurred her onwards, she did her utmost to spread that positivity to the team, all the while keeping her own fears and doubts to herself.
What if she wasn't strong enough? What if she wasn't a help to her new friends, but a hindrance?
No. She couldn't think like that. They could train her, after all - provided the early end to the holidays left them enough spare time.
Bouncing alongside Tama, she leaned and whispered in her ear.
"Think about it this way. These people all around... students, teachers... You could be the reason many of them are still here. The reason they're able to go to school as usual. You, Soma and Yui, you did more than you think."This earned the slightest hint of a smile from the teal-haired girl, but something about her still seemed doubtful. Honoka hadn't expected such pessimism from a fellow light girl - was it due to the massacre she'd witnessed, or had she been like that for a long time, for other reasons? Either way, all Honoka could do was be as uplifting as possible, even if thinking back to that night made her ribs clench the breath out of her.
"Well, gotta get to class, so later!" she called, heading into the building.
"I'll go check on Yui."She hurried down the hallway a little too fast, wincing and clutching her side. The jolt of pain, the bandage she could feel through her shirt, reminded her why she needed to get stronger. She wouldn't be too much of a nuisance if she asked Yui and the others for a training session... would she?
Spotting Yui standing by the classroom, she put on a brave face, bounding over and clapping her on the shoulder.
"Hey! You'll do fine, I know you will," she said, with what she hoped was a reassuring smile.
"Let me know how it goes!"As she left for class, she thought over the New Year's resolution she'd make - be a valuable team member.
♥♠♦♣ Ayumu Harasawa ♥♠♦♣ Phantasmagoria ♥♠♦♣
Typical. Just as the fun had started, Miso City High had to go and ruin it all, Ayumu thought as she woke up that morning. Fun. That was how she had to think of the mutant Nightmare incident. If she viewed it any other way... She shook her head, shuddering. That was exactly why she couldn't. No point in self-inflicted torment. She needed to make the best of bad situations, quit dwelling on things she couldn't change, live for herself.
"I promise," she whispered.
On the way to school, she reminded herself the cancelled break didn't necessarily spoil everything. Surely the Detention Club would have plans for a New Year celebration. She suppressed a smirk as she made her way along the snowy path to the building, sending a quick text to Touka.
"So!" she tapped.
"What shenanigans are we going to be up to later on?"It was when she put her phone away that she spotted two people who sent an unexpected pang through her. Turning her head, she inwardly chided herself for being silly. Why should a glimpse of Tama or that wannabe rock star even affect her? If that killjoy wanted to deal with shit every night and drag the newcomer through the mire with her, that was her choice. They just couldn't expect to come out of it squeaky clean. Nobody did. Hopefully these two and the other light girls would learn this with minimal drama, willingly cast off their ideals instead of having them ripped away.
She might have to talk some sense into them later, but not right now, she decided. Being late would tarnish her good girl act. She headed inside, towards the classroom - then stopped.
"Huh. Can't say I expected to run into you here," she commented, strolling over to the little green-haired nuisance, noting her awkward pose.
"No need to be so nervous, it's not like you don't already know some of your classmates. Who knows, if you wanted, you could fit right in with us."To any ordinary student, she'd sound friendly, encouraging. Only Gaia would pick up on the underlying taunt - and piece of advice. Advice she probably wouldn't listen to. Yet.
Taking a seat, she raised her head as the teacher strode in, exuding cringe-worthy cheer. Ayumu resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Sure, she was partial to theatrics herself, but she pulled them off
much better. Of course, to make matters worse, the first thing Miss Too-Much-Caffeine did was stick her and Ami into a group activity with that Murata girl of all people.
Ayumu bowed her head. Best to get this over with.
"I'll go first," she offered, pretending to have enjoyed Christmas time more than she actually had.
"Winter break was a great chance to hang out with friends, and to put on magic shows at parties." Like at the Detention Club get-together, and during the regular 'parties' the dark girls had every night... just not the kinds of magic shows most students would have in mind.
"I got to try out some new tricks. I'll bet nobody expected me to pull off this fully mechanised Drill of Death illusion! Nahhh, just kidding." Or so the ordinary people would think. That Nightmare had made a most amusing assistant for that little display.
She turned to the other two, eyes flicking between her friend and her enemy.
"Ok, which of you wants to go next?"
