"Okay, what should we watch first?" Seina's friend, Aiko, placed a collection of DVDs on the bed.
Takako sat in her pajamas on the other side of the bed they shared, arms crossed. She wondered how Seina even convinced her into participating in this ridiculous slumber party. Her eyes scanned the room, noticing the enormous stuffed animal collection her enemy had accumulated. Many were in rough shape, but Seina had put considerable effort into restoring them. Some were even of her own creation. While crude, the girl constructed them with a considerable amount of love. Takako spotted a sewing machine sitting in the corner.
"Let's see." Seina's eyes scanned the random assortment of titles. Some were anime. While others were foreign films translated into Japanese. Seina's eyes avoided anything that was horror-based, which Takako noted for later.
After scanning the titles twice, Seina nodded, picking one from the pile. "This looks super cute!" It showed a young girl with an umbrella standing next to a weird giant cat thing.
"No way! What's with your obsession with cute things? How childish." Takako said, unable to withhold her opinion any further. She picked a different title from the pile. It showed a picture of two scary-looking monsters fighting each other.
"What's wrong with liking cute things?" Seina puffed out her chest.
Takako only rolled her eyes at such a childish opinion, but Colten, Seina's fairy partner, looked thoughtful. "I suppose that isn't surprising considering your past."
"Her past?" Takako replied, blinking in confusion.
Seina's expression turned painful. "Yeah, the vampire running my group enjoyed making our lives miserable, destroying anything he considered cute or beautiful. He once had me whipped for making a doll."
"What?" Takako's breath caught in her throat, unable to believe what she'd just heard.
"Yeah, ten lashes," Seina replied, nodding. "It hurt so much I couldn't sleep for days."
Takako gaped at the girl, unable to push such a horrible image out of her mind. That's what the ex-vampire lords did to people?
Her magical girl rival's expressions quickly shifted into a forced smile. "But that's ancient history! We've beaten the vampires for good! Besides, I actually got off easy. He could have executed me." Seina said with shocking casualness.
Aiko smirked. "The poor idiot. He doomed his entire species!" Seina, Colten, and Aiko shared a laugh about this.
"The taskmaster of my group was a real jerk, too. He enjoyed randomly depriving us of food rations. We wondered every day whether we'd even get fed." Aiko looked towards Takako, studying her. "I'm surprised this shocks you so much. It was pretty standard from what I understand. Did you have a nicer taskmaster or something, Maeko?"
"No! Mine was a real jerk as well!" Takako said a bit too quickly. "I'd rather not talk about it. It wasn't great." Much to Takako's relief, the two girls nodded. They didn't press their new friend further on her fake history.
"I understand," Seina replied, putting a comforting hand on Takako's own. "But if you ever want to talk about it, we're here. I find speaking about it helps."
Takako forced her own smile. "Right." Still, she couldn't suppress her horror. She hated the haunted look in Seina's eyes. How much horror had this ten-year-old girl suffered through?
And I'm working with those people. Her mind flashed back to the vampire queen bragging about returning her kind to their former glory. Takako shook her head, considering such thoughts foolish for a magical girl. Such sentimentality was a weakness! Besides, Takako was a bad girl, completely heartless. Caring about such nonsense was beyond her.
She coughed, eager to change the subject, grabbing the DVD Seina had picked. "On second thought, let's watch it! It looks good."
"Yes!" Seina beamed, placing the disc into the DVD player, forgetting their previous conversation, much to Takako's relief.
Despite herself, Takako found herself charmed by the movie. Unfortunately, the disc had some serious scratches, stopping midway. Aiko declared she'd use her contacts to find another copy, so they could finish the final twenty minutes.
"Contacts?" Takako asked, bewildered. Wasn't she a ten-year-old? Why would she have anything like that?
Aiko's eyes glinted with triumph and mischief. "You underestimate my power. In this world, you can't achieve anything unless you're well connected. Besides, I have to support Seina somehow. I'm not strong, but I still have her back."
"Right," Takako replied, uncertain if the girl was making this up. "Anyway, how about this movie?" The cover depicted a woman in a white gown whose long stringy hair completely masked her face. A giant white ring surrounded her.
"Must we?" Seina's voice became weak. "I don't like scary things."
"You fight actual monsters!" Takako replied, incredulous.
"I know, it's stupid. But, the characters in those movies don't have my abilities. I don't like watching them get hurt." Seina's voice trailed off.
Colten flipped in the air. "You're so nice, Seina."
Strange girl. Still, Takako hid a secret smile, glad she'd already discerned several of Seina's weaknesses.
"That's fine. I wasn't in the mood for another movie, anyway." Aiko turned her attention towards Takako. "Maeko? You haven't suggested anything yet. You've been going along with whatever we've wanted."
"Maeko?" Seina asked, getting Takako's full attention.
"Right! I suppose that's true!" Takako coughed in her fist, pretending she'd been spacing out. In reality, her fake name was still unfamiliar to her. If she wasn't careful, they might get suspicious.
What do I want to do? Usually, she enjoyed curling up on a couch, reading manga in her spare time. Takako wasn't a social creature, enjoying being alone. Other people were so lame. It'd been centuries since she'd hung out with anyone other than Nier. Much to her horror, Takako realized she looked like a deer caught in headlights, paralyzed by this simple question.
"Talk, I guess?" Takako faked a smile, hating her lame half-hearted answer.
"Oh, sure!" Seina said, nodding.
Aiko yawned. "Yeah, it's getting late, anyway."
"You know, Maeko," Seina said, her eyes eager. "You have spoken little about yourself."
Takako smirked. They'd prepared for this. The vampires had forced her to spend hours memorizing this backstory. That effort was about to pay off. With her expert acting skills, no one would ever suspect a thing.
"I'm no one special," Takako replied. "I'm originally from Tokyo until we moved here. My father was a clerk before the vampire uprising. My mom was a housewife. They had us working in food processing before you defeated them all. My father got a job in Osaka, and we moved here. Tokyo is still in rough shape. My parents thought it would be safer living here. Like I said, not that exciting."
Aiko nodded. "So that's why you have a Tokyo accent. I was wondering about that."
While powerful, Shinobu's illusions couldn't disguise Takako's natural voice. Any attempt to fake an accent failed miserably. But with a slight shift in pitch, it changed her voice enough to sound different. It was an impressive feat even for her.
"So, why are you so acrobatic?" Seina asked. "I can't imagine food processing would need such a high level of athleticism."
"Yeah!" Aiko said, enthused. "I've seen nothing like it!"
"Well." Takako faltered. While they'd devised many fake stories for her past, none of them covered something like this. Her mind raced as her audience watched her expectantly, eager to hear her answer.
"Well, you know. I'm just that good!" Takako replied, her voice smug. "I'm just very talented." Try questioning that!
"So, you've been training on the side?" Seina asked, trying to understand her new friend's response. "Food processing must have better hours. After the usual 78-hour workweek, I barely had enough energy to sleep."
Aiko nodded. "Wow, Seina, you must have had a particularly cruel taskmaster. Mine only made me work 76!"
"Really?! I'm so jealous!" Seina replied. "Only 76? Boggles the mind."
Takako waited for the girls to smile and tell her they were joking. Much to her horror, she realized they were serious. Even the hardest-pushed salarymen didn't work that many hours. The vampires made ten-year-olds work those hours?
She examined the two girls closer, horrified by what she saw. Both looked dangerously thin and unhealthy, with pale skin and bags under their eyes. Two weeks of better food and freedom had only slightly improved their condition. Takako recoiled in disgust. Her mind returned to the other citizenry she'd seen, recalling their similarly poor condition.
"How about you, Maeko? How many hours did you work?" Aiko asked, returning her attention back towards Takako.
Takako found herself lost for words for several moments. What was wrong with her? After a deep breath, she regained her confidence. Takako Kodama was a magical girl of the highest caliber, unshakable and evil to the core.
"70. Such long hours weren't necessary in food processing." A light flashed into her head, providing inspiration. "I'm so athletic because the higher-ups enjoyed some entertainment. If I performed well for them, they provided us with extra food rations."
"Wow, lucky!" Both girls cooed in amazement.
"I guess some vampires have half of a heart after all?" Colten said.
Takako coughed. "It's getting late. How about we get to bed? Don't we need to wake up at 6 this morning?" She had no desire to hear more about their horrible life before Seina became a magical girl.
Seina sighed and yawned. "That's true. I'm still not used to these 8 hour nights."
"I know, right!" Aiko replied, nodding.
"Night!" Takako quickly switched off the room's light. Why was everything in Seina's old life so horrible? The girl didn't even mind waking up before dawn. It was beyond inhuman!
Takako facepalmed, realizing she'd agreed to wake that early too. I really hate this assignment. I should be back in Starlight Dream playing video games!
"Night!" Seina said, snuggling up with Colten next to Takako.
"Night!" Aiko said from the bed's far end.
"Night," Takako replied with little enthusiasm.
The other two girls fell asleep almost instantly, leaving a wide-eyed, restless Takako alone with her thoughts. She replayed the conversion in her head, realizing she'd learned more about her foe than she ever desired. The girl was too open about her past. Didn't she realize how uncool that was? She couldn't help but remark how different from the other magical girls Seina was. Not just her kindness, she also radiated a light the others didn't.
What are you, Seina Kamiyama? Terrible past aside, you're just an ordinary girl. You have no training or skill, yet power radiates from you, bursting at the seams. These questions troubled Takako deep into the night.
---
Maeko snorted, proud of herself, reaching the finish line first. "Is that all you've got, Seina?"
"This isn't a competition, Maeko," Seina replied, panting as she met the stopping point.
Besides martial arts, Mr. Kiyojiro had ordered other physical training. The bodyguard wanted to give them more well-rounded physical capabilities. Seina hated every moment. Maeko, however, seemed to relish in it, especially whenever she beat her so-called rival. Her friend couldn't help but gloat whenever she won. Despite herself, Seina resisted the urge to transform and humble the proud girl. No, that wouldn't be fair. She'd win through her own efforts.
"Ugh, so close!" Colten said.
Mr. Kiyojiro looked at his stopwatch and nodded. "You're doing much better, Seina. Good work."
"Indeed, give it a few years, and you'll be capable of matching me," Maeko said.
What's with this girl, anyway? Still, despite Maeko's over-competitiveness, Seina had enjoyed the girl's company the last few days. They had more in common than Seina had expected. She enjoyed reading the manga her new friend brought her. They shared a surprising interest in sports manga. Seina particularly enjoyed the one about the boy playing basketball. She found it endearing how hard he worked to earn his crush's affections by learning the sport. She just hoped the oblivious girl would notice and appreciate his efforts. Love was complicated. Hopefully, her future romantic prospects would be easier.
Oh, it won't be. Seina's mood plummeted, remembering, as a magical girl, she didn't age. It was something she avoided thinking about. It was probably easier for the evil magical girls. But Seina was an ordinary girl with actual aspirations for her life. What would her future be like? Fighting monsters forever alone with no one else, friends or boyfriend? Some future.
No, don't think like that! You're a smart girl! You figure out some solution to your not aging problem. Besides, love was never off the table! Seina laughed to herself, glad she'd resolved that particular issue.
"Again." Mr. Kiyojiro said, thankfully pulling her away from her dark thoughts. For once, she welcomed the hard physical labor, providing an excellent distraction.
---
"You really seem to enjoy this Maeko," Aiko said as they exited the dojo.
"What can I say? When you're good, you're good." Takako smirked. While she had a reputation as a lazy layabout amongst the magical girls, she worked hard when motivated.
"Sure, sure." Seina rolled her eyes. "See you tomorrow."
"Night." She waved goodbye, heading back towards Lilha's apartment. It was a dump, and Takako hated living in the cramped place. While tempted to ask for another sleepover, she decided against it, considering it too presumptuous. She couldn't allow her rival to become suspicious. Besides, it would give the impression of a clingy girl with no other friends.
"How'd the training go?" Nier asked as Takako entered the apartment, slinging herself onto the couch. "You look tired."
"Yeah, Mr. Kiyojiro pushes us super hard. He's serious about preparing her to fight against the other magical girls." Her fairy companion became thoughtful.
"What's the matter?" Takako asked.
"Can she be a threat, though? Her magical skills are a joke, but her physical power still makes her dangerous." Neir paced for several moments before returning his attention to his partner. "What am I worried about? Without magic, she can't beat any magical girls above your level. Their special abilities would make quick work of her."
Takako placed her feet on the couch's leg. "True enough. She's still bothersome though." She knew a magical girl capable of reversing vectors, any vectors. Seina's mighty strength would be useless against her.
"Still though. It's baffling that she's so powerful." Takako said. "It's worth investigating. I doubt it's Seina herself. She's too ordinary to be anything special."
"I know right," Neir said. "Watch the fort for a while. I'm returning to Starlight Dream for some research. There's an old archive no one really uses anymore. And I'll talk with the other fairies to see if they've noticed any anomalies in their partners. It would be bad if someone more magically competent gained Seina's strength."
"So lame. You're leaving me all alone." For some reason, being separated from her fairy partner irked Takako's stomach.
"It won't be forever," Nier replied, rolling his eyes. "But my gut tells me this is important."
Takako waved a dismissive hand. "Go on. Good luck." With a nod, Neir created a tiny portal in the air and vanished through it.
Fantastic. Until her fairy friend returned, Takako couldn't leave this universe. Only fairies had the power to transport through the cracks between universes. She shrugged and tried to push aside her anxiety before opening the latest issue of Shonen Hop.
"Where's your fairy friend?" Lilha asked, entering the living room still wearing her work clothes.
"Magical girl business." The vampire queen waited for further explanation, but received none.
"Fine, this won't interfere with your powers?" Lilha asked through clenched teeth.
"No."
"Good, we're accelerating the plan. Shinobu found an excellent location for our ambush. I've also found some extra muscle." Lilha gestured to the muscular beast of a man behind her. "This name is Jertin. He's the leader of the band of vampires I found in Ginza."
"That magical girl has underestimated us." Jertin clinched his enormous fist. "We will show her what true power is!"
Lilha giggled. "Yes, we will finally return to our perfect world!"
Takako's mind returned to Seina's description of the world ruled by vampires. The haunted look on the girl's face returned unbidden.
Forget about it, Takako. You're a magical girl. You exist to bring horror and despair! Takako lost her appetite to read her manga, placing it aside.
"Now be a useful girl and find Shinobu," Lilha said. "We need him to stay with Jertin and his band for a few days. He needs to create a disguise to mask their presence. We can't afford for Seina to catch wind of them."
"Do it yourself. I don't do errands."
Lilha's face twisted in hate in frustration. The queen had hated her from the day they first met. "Useless girl! Play your part! I worked too hard for the plan to fail now. You do nothing but read manga and lie around!"
She's finally lashing out? That's new. "I'm the only reason this plan will work," Takako replied, reasonably. "Besides, I am working hard. I'm training with Seina, remember?"
"Yes, but we need to work together. What I'm asking isn't tough." While calmer, the vampire queen's hostility still hadn't vanished.
"You should obey the queen." Jentin's tone was acidic. "You're not the only one training hard, little girl."
"I'm going out." Takako rose from her seat. The apartment's atmosphere had become sour. Besides, with Neir gone, she had no reason to stay here. She'd never liked the vampires, anyway.
"What?!" Lilha said, outraged at being dismissed so easily. Takako disappeared out the door before she could utter another word.
What I'm I doing here? Takako stood in front of the Prime Minister's apartment building. Two guards watched the entrance, but they gave her warm smiles, happy to see her.
"May I help you, Maeko?" A guard asked. "Did you forget something?"
"Um, no. I was wondering if Seina was interested in an impromptu sleepover!" Takako replied, inwardly wincing at how lame she sounded.
"I'll go ask her." The guard smiled and nodded, not finding this strange in the slightest, vanishing inside.
A moment later, Seina appeared alongside him with Colten on her shoulder. "Hey! You said something about a sleepover."
"Yeah, things are lame back home. I was wondering if I could stay at your place," Takako replied.
Seina studied her for several moments before nodding. "Sure. You're always welcome!"
"Really?" Takako said, astonished. That was too easy.
"Sure. We're friends, aren't we? I'll ask Mr. Kiyojiro if he can find us some ice cream!"
What is with this girl? But she didn't protest as Seina took her by the arm, pulling her along inside. Takako wore a slight grin on her face.