Jessica observed the situation from the dark alleyway as she debated when to make her move. Her hand gave a soft white glow of energy. She was the Magical Girl of Justice… protecting humanity from the dangers of the magical world and all their kind. This was a serious egregious breech that must be vanquished immediately.
This was a fully manifested harpy… an actual harpy. No doubt this was some kind of invasion force, worming itself into reality. Humans were in trouble. “Lady Nishi? How bad is it?” She asked using the telepathic link to her mentor a little worried there could be more. She knew how dangerous harpies could be.
A few seconds later Lady Nishi responded. ‘It’s not good… but has not taken root yet. Once you remove the creature, reality will return to normal. Please do so as efficiently as possible. For the Good of All. I have arranged the Veil… you may use all your power.”
The veil was spread evenly… and it was like time stopped- at least for mere mortals.
Jessica smiled. The Veil always made things easier… Now anything that happened, people would find an excuse for it. Humans could never understand magic after all. However the girl the harpy was with was not affected… Curious. “The Veil didn’t take… to the girl she is with.”
Nishi frowned slightly at that. “Hm… give me a moment to see through you eyes. Let me look at her.”
Jessica’s eyes gave a soft glow while the connection was made. Now Nishi saw everything. “What do you think? An independent faction?” Jessica asked. “Reality might have been corrupted more…”
“Ah.. that one.” Nishi gave a chuckle. “That one is Cursed… leave her be. She is… my responsibility. You can stun her easily. It’s been done often enough.”
“Understood. I’ll stun her then take out the Harpy.” The magical girl did a dramatic short ranged teleportation- higher level magic then she would like to use for the initial encounter but it was important they understood she meant business. “That is as far as you go Evil Beast!” she shouted. “You will return to your Queen and inform her that this world is protected by the magical girl of Justice!”
Terry The harpy was stunned to see a girl just ‘teleport’ in front of her, let alone spout some crazy words right out of a comic book. “Uh- hold on did you just- look I just turned into-“
Jessica was not hearing any of it as she suddenly waved her wand, drawing a magical circle. “Time for you to leave!”
“Terry!” The small woman cried out. “…Jessica…” she then said staring at the girl.
The harpy was now contained… all Jessica had to do was finalise the spell but she was caught off guard. The small woman had called out her name… but in her magical-girl form that should be impossible. “What…”
‘Ignore the Cursed… focus on the mission.’ She heard Lady Nishi insist. ‘Do not be concerned. It is because she knows too much that she is being punished… stun her.’
Jessica looked down at Eva. “Mortal… This is not your concern. Please leave us.” She began to prepare a simple sleep spell.
“I won’t! Terry is my friend! My... Friend.. Friend…”The small woman raised her arms repeating it as if afraid to forget it but Jessica simply whispered a spell making her fall asleep. She then gently teleported her towards the edge of the Veil. “There.. no more distractions. It’s just you and me! Tell me your mission…”
“Uh… I work at the post office…” Terry explained as the magical circle kept her inside. “I don’t really know what else to sa-“
The girl looked at the monster with some quiet annoyance. “Ha! Playing a little hard to get little harpy?” She shook her head. “Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter. I will now send you to your Queen! Begone!” The strange magical circle around the harpy glowed a bright red as more and more power flowed into it.
Terry started to panic, feeling like something was pushing against her… something very powerful, as if the universe were imploding around her. Her body began to fade away as she stared looking at the ghostly appendages that her wings were becoming. “No- what’s happening! Please you have to believe me I’m just a human! I’m really a human!”
“Lying Evil Creature of the Harpy Queen, return now to the realm of your kind!” She increased the flow of magic…
Maya was nervous…
She was now a magical girl, and currently in her new magic-girl attire which her ‘animal companion’, Risu stated would be important when undertaking such missions. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as if she was given any ‘instructions’ on how to get there or what to do when she got there. She had this vague ‘impression’ of something being wrong and felt a thread tugging her towards it.
Half the time she wondered if to just ignore it. She knew she could of course but…
‘Someone needs you.’
Someone needed… her? In a world where she mostly just did her own thing, making money and letting people get on with their lives the idea of anyone ‘needing’ anyone was entirely foreign to her. She wasn’t a ‘hero’ and perhaps it was best to show she wasn’t any hero material and give this gig to someone else. “The sooner the better…” then she could get her male form back and be an adult again.
Of course, she had to take the bus… but at least she only paid the child fare.
People looked at her and her costume, wondering what such a young girl was doing out in the evening dressed as she was. She looked a bit embarrassed trying not to draw further attention… placing her hands over the frilly skirt not making any eye contact. ‘just be cool…’ she muttered to herself.
‘…help…’ the voice called again.
It was close. This was her stop… “Hm…” Maya looked around as she got off the bus. She wasn’t too far from the docks and her workplace at the post office… but now she felt something weird. A shimmering field… It was like a curtain drawn across reality that she just walked through. People inside appeared to be frozen… but she could move. More weird magical weirdness… she carried on towards the centre of these peculiar events. “What is this…”
‘It is a spell called the Veil…’
“The… Veil” Maya frowned a bit. “… and who are you?”
The voice did not respond. She glumly continued but felt that cry for help again… from a collapsed mortal woman.
Maya ran towards her worried but she just appeared to be sleeping. Wait a minute- this was the same woman who had sold her the tape that changed her into a magical girl! The one who was going to be her ‘renter’ to sort out her finances according to Risu. “…you.” She grimaced. “You- you changed me-“ she felt so angry… upset and- how could ‘this’ be the person asking her for help now! Angrily she wondered what to do. “Wake up!”
The magical girl ‘touched’ her and suddenly, the small woman’s eyes opened. She suddenly smiled. “…hello. Do… I know… you?”
“You could say that…” Maya responded quietly.
“Yes…Please help my friend.” The small woman asked. “I don’t have many friends… are we friends?” she asked hopefully.
“Friends?!” Maya clenched her fists. “Yeah- sure.” Of course, she was the one who ‘made’ this situation in the first place!
The small woman sniffled a cry. “I can’t remember… but yes. I feel… like I know you. I… trust you. Yes. A long time ago… I can’t remember… ” She stared up at the young girl again. “Please… please help… she’s going to make Terry go away… she’s the only friend I really remember now…”
“...Terry?” That was her friend from work- wait- the harpy?! What’s going on- why was Terry a girl and a harpy now! There was a magical girl- A MAGICAL GIRL!? No way… and the harpy in the circle seemed to be fading away. “Stay here.”
The small woman nodded and quietly hid behind some boxes.
Maya grimaced as she approached the other magical girl… who was glowing with powerful energy. Maybe she could convince her to stop. “Hey- you!” She cried out.
Jessica turned to see Maya for the first time, a mirthful smile on her face. “Oh… what do we have here? Such a cute new magical girl!” She smiled. “Do not worry I got this one. This one is mine.” She gestured to The Harpy girl.. caught in some strange power.
The harpy girl looked distressed as she was trying hard to escape. She looked like she was fading away. “Help!” She shouted. “Someone help me!”
Maya stared at her. “Hey! What I mean is- you can’t do that to my friend! Stop it right now!”
Jessica arched an eyebrow. “…you are a magical girl though!” She shook her head, her hands still raised as lightning ran between her and the magical circle. “Don’t tell me nobody told you how it works. It’s simple! Monsters appear and you send them back. Don’t you know anything dear?”
“…what?” Maya frowned. “I think you have this all wrong. Terry isn’t really-
“-and it’s done!” Jessica smiled triumphantly.
Terry’s screams faded away… there was nothing left of her. She was just … gone as was the magical circle.
Maya stared at what happened. Did she screw this up? NO! She- she thought she had time! She just wanted to talk to her! She stood there in stunned silent as the energy pulsed across the ground… the existence of the Harpy, gone… fading now away from everyone’s memories. There were no such thing as harpies any more… reality had been ‘saved’.
“T-Terry-“ Maya stammered. She looked at Jessica with complete fear and alarm. “You- you…”
Jessica smiled and pated Maya on the head. “Let’s team up some day! There’s lots of monsters to fight between you and me- AH!” The pulse of pure magical energy nearly burned Jessica’s hand.
Maya didn’t know what this power was... but she was upset. A golden crown appeared over her head, as the powerful magical aura unleashed itself, zipping across her body. She seemed to suddenly gain light wings on her back as she looked so angrily at Jessica. The older girl took a few steps back in fear. “You… HURT…” Maya spoke with guttural anger in her voice.
Jessica took up a defensive posture reading a shield spell- but her mentor suddenly spoke to her. ‘Jessica. Don’t fight her!’ Lady Nishi quickly communicated. “Leave! Leave now!”
Jessica stared at the strange magical energy. Such a powerful light, as bright as the sun… she quickly teleported away… dazzled but also quite happy. ‘She’s still cute… We should team up! So much power!’
‘…too powerful…’ Nishi replied.
Maya was floating in a sea of energy… power… unrestrained… she failed to help Terry… She… needed to do ‘something’. “I told you I was no good at this! I’m not a freakin’ Hero! I always make the bad calls. I always make mistakes! I just let someone die… I…” She collapsed at that point. She didn’t know if she just burst a blood vessel or the shock finally did her in… but she just had to ‘stop’.
Then she felt someone embrace her. Arms flowing around the young girl giving her sudden warmth and comfort.
Maya felt her tears well and she cried… she didn’t know who this person was and she didn’t care. She was so upset and distressed that she bawled her eyes out to this strange glowing woman… feeling her soft fingers running through her hair.
“…there-there my daughter.” She said gently. “It’s quite alright. The Harpy Queen is coming for Tea, if you would like to meet her. I’ll make sure she brings Terry.” The voice was quite mirthful for some reason.
Maya blinked and looked… up. It was a woman with long silvery hair, sharp blue eyes… dressed in darker blues hues. Almost alien but with gentle very maternal looking curves. She looked like she was made of light… small specs of starlight could be seen in her clothing, though it was like her clothes and body were all merged into the other. There was nothing of mortality in her… “W-Where am I…”
“My castle,” The woman replied as she started to gently guide her through some stone corridors. “I suppose it’s ‘our’ castle now!” She giggled. “Oh how I am so pleased to finally meet you!” She suddenly embraced Maya in a hug.
“Mph- who-“
“I’m your Magic Mom.” She replied. “I guess you can call me the Queen but please… just call me mom!” She said excitedly. “This is indeed a wonderful occasion. I never had one that was part mortal before… or a boy, come to think of it. Come now, arranging a meeting with the Harpy Queen will require you to wear some appropriate clothing. We’ll let you see your friend.”
Once again Maya gave her dumfounded look.
