The spider teacher smiled at what Lilly said, though it was not a smile of mockery. It was a smile that made the entire class hush suddenly in silence. A smile that could only be genuine.
"So do I, Lilly." The teacher said solemnly.
Every child looked to the teacher at that. None would dare even laughing now. It was certainly very strange now that they thought about it. They could not make fun of Lilly, if an adult admitted the same thought. Indeed, it actually made the squirrel girl seem to have as much status as the teacher. A very odd situation to be in.
"Y-You too miss?" she asked with her large almond shaped eyes, wide as anything. She placed her hand over her mouth, and cringed slightly as it brought attention to her large teeth.
The spider teacher nodded. "Of course. But magic... if it exists, is new. Very new..."
The squirrel girl's ears flattened a bit. "T-Then nobody can tea'h me?"
The entire class became very quiet at this. Jenny and Artemis shared a look to each other.
The teacher glanced at the blackboard, wondering how best to explain something so difficult to a little girl. She had a talent for it though. "I was not born a teacher Lilly, I had teachers too... everyone is taught... and everyone improves on what they know. I can not teach you magic... but if you promise to work very hard, I will teach you everything I know. Every teacher in this school, will teach you everything they know... things I do not know myself..."
That made Lilly swallow. Suddenly the enormity of being back in school, in this body... it hit her. She was going to be taught things again that she didn't know the first time. Things that were new...
The spider teacher then took out a few sheets and placed them on Lilly's desk. "Now... if you are serious about learning the impossible... learn what is possible first. learn it thoroughly, and work as hard as you can. I promise you, if magic can be learned... you will need to know all of this first."
Lilly stared at the simple mathematical problems. She felt like the teacher was challenging her... but for some reason she didn't buckle. This was different, she wanted to do something. could she... really do it? Could she really learn magic some day? Part of her wondered if this was some kind of adult trick... but it made perfect, logical sense. She had to do well in school, otherwise she couldn't learn anything.
"Yes miss!" The squirrel girl said eagerly.
"Good girl. I'll be giving you double homework from now on."
The children gave a little laugh at that.. but Lilly didn't care. She was going to learn, she was going to make her parents proud... and one day, maybe... she could learn magic.
Becca was feeling quite a lot better now in school. Having spoken to Sarah, and being wrapped in her beautiful colourful wings made her feel strangely happy. She couldn't really remember a lot of what they once shared, but even so... they still cared for each other. Sarah made her feel... connected? Was that the right way to think about it? It was like something of the old her was still around. Memory was such a powerful anchor, and maybe the two of them remembering bits of it... who she was, was not gone in the metaphysical sense.
Maybe Becca should have felt sadness at the loss now, maybe it should be even more profound... but it wasn't like that. Not when she didn't have the feeling in the first place any more. Should she feel sad about loosing a feeling? A little.. yes of course. But knowing that feeling was replaced with another different feeling, was also welcoming. She knew she could trust Sarah as much as her own mom and dad. It was... nice to know.
"Trident?" the little girl called.
"I'm here," She said with a smile, casually lying inside Becca's pocket. "What's on your mind?"
"T-The sun made me a- a- magic girl, right?"
"Yep. Like I said, you're a magic girl. Though we really need to get you training more." Clearly someone else might have been holding the fort for her, but things could only get harder as they went.
"But why me? Why am I a magic girl?"
Trident shrugged. "I dunno. That's the card you've been dealt, and its the one I've been dealt in guiding you. Why all the questions?"
"I-its just... wouldn't it be better if you had got a real girl instead?" Becca looked at Trident with some real confusion at this. The world needed a magic girl. Fine, she could sort of understand that. There was something bad in the world, and for whatever reason magic girls were the counter to it. It didn't make much sense really, but... that seemed to be it.
Tetra looked oddly at the question. "You are a real girl." What in the world was Becca thinking?
"N-no I aint!" The blue haired girl huffed a bit at the indignation. "I weren't always."
"You are now," shrugged Trident. "That's what the sun does. You are what you are. And as a real girl, a real magic girl, we have a job to do." Trident looked about in thought. There was that strange other girl they saw earlier.. lately they had found out her name. Morgan. Why did that name feel so familiar? It was like something tickling on the back of the small woman's head... something dark and... dangerous? But she was just an ordinary kid... though who was ordinary these days?
Becca adjusted her dress a bit as she took out a few pens and things from her locker. Being in school and a child like this again... at least she was doing okay. She hoped she could make friends again. Though she felt so worried about it. Still they were only kids, why should she worry? "W-What if I don't be a magic girl?" Becca asked.
"Then a lot of bad things will happen dear," Sighed Trident. "Are... you really thinking you don't want to be one?"
Becca thought about Sarah. She wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her, or her parents.. or even the Madison family. They took such good care of her, and asked for nothing. "I- I jus' feel scared." Becca bit her lip. She hated to admit fear, but right now she really was a girl. A scared girl.
"Ah buck up," smiled Trident. "All magic girl stories end well," She smiled.
For some reason that did not make Becca feel any better.
"...and you got me." Trident continued.
That did make the girl feel happier. Becca wasn't sure how or why... but it certainly did. "You must have a mummy an' daddy too, right Trident?"
"I can't remember," said the small doll. She guessed she did, but for some reason nothing was more important then Becca in her mind. That was her sole reason for being. She had to help her, come what may. A shadow crept up behind her.
"You're talking to your doll again." Morgan said tilting her head.
Becca nearly jumped. "A- h-hello. Morgan?" she smiled looking at the older girl shyly. This felt so awkward and weird as anything.
Morgan's earnings chimed softly in the air, with a strange hum to Becca's ears. She looked at them briefly, wondering what it was. Then she glanced down at herself, as she felt a slight jolt of something. The strange symbol on her collarbone returned, and glowed blue briefly. It traced a pattern down her skin obscured by most of her dress though just slightly visible. Three elliptical lobes, partially seen. She gasped a bit turning around worried if Morgan saw it.
Morgan stared dead paned by the sight.
