"I'm leaving for school!" Seina said, throwing on her backpack. As usual, she'd overslept, and only scant minutes remained until school started.
"You forgot your homework, Seina!" Colten whispered, hovering down to deliver a handful of pages to her. He was always careful to keep quiet, so the others in the household didn't learn of his existence. Her mom would freak out if she discovered Seina harbored an alien visitor from another universe!
"Sorry," Seina said, stuffing them into her backpack. She looked at the clock on her dresser and winced. This delay had cost her precious seconds. Mr. Kiyojiro was going to kill her for being late again.
"Goodness gracious, Seina, what would you do without me?" Colten said, jumping into her open pack.
"Not much," Seina said, laughing. It still seemed like a dream when her fairy partner came into her life. A nightmarish monster had appeared to terrorize the town. Thanks to Colten's timely intervention, no one had gotten hurt. His fairy powers had given her the magical might to fight that creature. Who would have guessed a simple girl like Seina would become a hero?
"Sorry, mom. No time for breakfast!" Seina said as she sped past, grabbing a piece of waiting toast.
"Have a good time at school, dear." Her mom said, graciously accepting Seina's quick peek on the cheek.
"Have fun now!" Her father said, beaming as he sipped his coffee behind his paper.
"Be good, Seiko!" Seina said to the baby sitting in her high chair. Her sister garbled something back, waving her stubby arms as if to say goodbye.
"Ugh, I hate running. I'm not going to make it!" Seina said through the toast clenched in her teeth. No, Seina was a magical girl now. That meant nothing was impossible to her. She would make it to school with plenty of time to spare!
"Sorry!" Seina said, almost colliding with a middle-aged man in her haste. With effort, she pushed her breakfast down her throat.
After another near head-on collision, Seina reached the front gate, gasping for breath. "Thank goodness." Her heart was beating so fast that Seina feared it might beat out from her chest.
"Oh, you made it?" A sardonic voice said.
"Don't you start," Seina said past gasping breaths. "Morning, Takako."
"You know, Seina, with speed like that, you should join the track team," Aiko said, smiling.
"No, thank you." Seina rolled her eyes. She'd already gotten enough guff from their homeroom teacher, Mr. Kiyojiro, about joining a sports team.
"Anyway, we better get to class before Mr. Kiyojiro yells at us." She knew the punishment for their home teacher's displeasure. He'd make them stand outside holding water buckets for the entire class.
"Good morning." A voice said, joining them inside.
"Morning, Himari," Seina replied.
"Did you hear about the monster attack last Sunday?" Himari asked. "It attacked Ebisubashi-suji, apparently."
"Can't say I have," Seina gave a nervous laugh. How could she forget when the monster almost killed her with a tossed subway train? Only Colten's quick intervention saved her from getting smooshed. She'd been careless, and it almost cost her. The memory caused her mouth to rise in a slight smile, glad for Colten's timely rescue.
"Damn monster attacks," Takako said, scowling. "I used that subway to get to my favorite mange café!"
"I'm sure you can find another one," Aiko said, laughing.
"Not of the Book and Bed's quality," Takako said with a sniff, earning laughter from her friends. Everyone rushed to homeroom, not eager to earn Mr. Kiyojiro's displeasure.
"Morning, Seina!" A burly voice said, and Seina turned with a sigh as a familiar face approached. With his enormous height, he needed to duck to enter the classroom. His Mohawk bobbled as it slipped across the door frame.
"Hey, Masato," Seina said, sighing. Compared to other students his age, the burly youth stood out like a sore thumb.
"You act like you aren't happy to see me," Masato said. "Is that how you treat a childhood friend?"
Childhood friend? That was pushing it. They'd only grown up in the same neighborhood, it wasn't like they'd been neighbors or anything, they'd only run into each other every so often. The boy's crush on her would be flattering if he wasn't so pushy. But Seina opted to be nice. "No, I am. How was your weekend?"
"How was my weekend, you ask?" The boy pointed to his chest. "I beat up five high school students all by myself. See, got the black eye to prove it." Sure enough, a bruised and ugly black circle profiled his right eye.
"Beat up, more like. Got your ass kicked." Another voice said. Taking a drag from her cigarette. "You needed to get your butt saved by yours truly."
"Arisu, you really shouldn't be smoking in here. It's against the rules!" Seina said, alarmed.
"Whatever." The delinquent put her feet on her desk, taking another drag. Typical Arisu. It pleased her that their school's Guardian had come to Masato's rescue. While she found him foolish and annoying, Seina disliked seeing him get hurt.
"She's exaggerating, but she helped," Masato said, trying to regain some face. A glare from their school's Guardian made him sheepishly take a seat three times too small for him.
"I can't believe he thought that would impress you," Colten whispered from her bag.
"Boys can be stupid," Seina replied, rolling her eyes.
"Alright, class, settle down." Mr. Kiyojiro said from his podium. "And you better put out that cigarette, Miss Ikehara." The delinquent and teacher entered an intense staring match, neither budging a centimeter. But eventually, Arisu shrugged and relented, snuffing out her smoke against her desk. This earned a sigh from their teacher, but it still pleased him he'd gotten his way. Of all their teachers, the rough-edged teacher was the only one the Guardian respected.
"I've assigned everyone a cleaning duty for the week. And I expect it to be done." Mr. Kiyojiro gave his students a hard-eyed glare, expecting to be obeyed. From the gulps and sweat gathering at each student's brow, they understood their teacher didn't make threats lightly. As homeroom passed and lunch period started, Seina had time to check her assignment as class ended and lunchtime began.
"Taking care of the rabbit cages, huh?" Seina said, reading off the blackboard.
"Oh, come on!" Takako said, annoyed. "Toilet duty. What a bunk! I swear, Mr. Kiyojiro spoils you."
"Does he?" Seina asked. Adorable as they were, it wasn't like taking care of rabbits was an easy job.
"He does. Teacher pet indeed." Ume said, leaning back in her chair. "Hmph."
"Someone's in a bad mood. I was joking." Takako replied.
"Hey, Umi. Want to hang out after school? Aiko's found some old movies we could watch." Seina said. Her friend had a real appetite for film, always scrounging obscure shops on Kuromon Market for random DVDs. Because of this, Seina had developed a taste for foreign movies.
"I guess," Ume replied with little enthusiasm. "Disney again? Is that all you watch, Seina?"
"What's wrong with that?" Hey, she liked cute animals. Where was the crime there?
"How about you, Emiyo, Chō." Seina asked the studious class president. Her best 'friend Chō stood dutifully behind her. The pair were inseparable.
"Sure." The girl replied. "Just nothing scary, please."
"..." Chō nodded her head.
"Sounds like fun," Masato said, butting into their conversation.
"Um, it's more of a girl's night," Seina replied a bit too quickly. From her friend's hurried nods, they weren't keen on having the hulking boy join them, either.
"No need to be so shy." Seina winced as a massive palm slapped across her shoulder. "We don't hang out nearly enough."
"Masato," Takako said, her voice warning.
"Um, I should really start my duty," Seina said, standing up and leaving before a fight broke out. "See you guys later."
"He really can't take a hint, can he?" Seina breathed in the fresh scent of animals as they climbed up to the roof, cooing as she saw the animal cages. Little rabbits jumped about, enjoying the cool midday spring air.
"He's not a bad guy, but he always feels the need to push himself into situations where he isn't invited," Seina said, sighing.
"I could scare him away," Colten said, poking his head from her pack. "How much do you want to bet that hulking brute is a total coward?"
"Colten."
"It's just a suggestion." Her fairy partner said innocently. "And it'd be funny!"
Seina responded with a hard stare. This continued until her partner relented. "Okay, fine. You win."
"Could you grab the fresh hay?" Seina said, poking her head into the rabbit cage. Her nose twitched at the rank smell of the old hay and other unmentionables. "I'll scoop out the hay while you bring it over."
"Kay." They passed the time in companionable silence, Colten using his wings to make the job easier as she followed the checklist provided by Mr. Kiyojiro. While dirty work, Seina found she enjoyed it, making sure the bunnies lived happy, well-fed lives. Together, they finished the job in half the time.
"Okay, we just need to pour the food, and we're done," Seina said, pleased with herself. Lunch period wasn't even half over yet. "And then…"
Seina screamed as the building shook, dropping bunny food pellets all over herself. She winced, rubbing her sore knee. What the heck was that, an explosion? The building shook again, and Seina saw smoke in the distance.
"Now, really?" Seina said, annoyed. How the heck was she going to explain her sudden absence to Mr. Kiyojiro?
"We'll worry about that later," Colten said, taking to the air. After spotting something, he pointed to the spot left of the rising smoke. "There, some monster is rampaging through town."
"There's no helping it." She'd have to worry about the consequences later. People needed saving! She poked her head down the door leading to a downward staircase. Satisfied they were alone, she pulled out her brooch and prepared for battle.
---
"Yes, my prettiest, destroy them all!" Lord Lothaire cried from on top of his throne, delighting in the fear and havoc his creations were causing.
People screamed as cars were tossed aside like toys, nearly crushing families fleeing for their lives. Pincers clacked menacingly as the red bug-like monstrosities loomed over their victims, their stalk-like eyes pitiless.
"No, please. They're all I have." A father said, trying to use his body to protect his two boys from these monstrosities.
"How noble." Lord Lothaire said, clapping in delight at the futile gesture of this heroic father. "Crush his head. I want these poor orphaned boys to see their father's corpse before they join him!"
"Daddy!" The younger boy said, clutching at his father's pants legs.
"Don't worry about me! Run! Please!" The father said, pushing his two boys away, trying his hardest to keep them safe. Tears flowed down his cheeks as he faced the end, hoping his sacrifice wouldn't be vain. He closed his eyes as the pincer grasped around his neck, praying it'd be quick.
"No, I won't allow it!"
"Huh?" The father blinked as something jerked him down, the pincers snipping nothing by empty air.
"Don't worry, I got you!" Seina said, holding the older man in her arms.
"Daddy!" The two boys hugged their father tight as the magical girl reunited them with the loving father they'd assumed dead.
"You, Lotus Love! That's not fair!" Lord Lothaire said, throwing a fit like a toddler denied their favorite toy. "Accursed magical girl! You're ruining my fun!"
"Your assault on this world ends here, Lothaire!" Seina said, pointing her finger at the offending dark lord. "And Lotus Love isn't my name. Call me…" She paused, realizing she couldn't use her real name. "Just the Magical Girl!"
"Yeah, that's catchy," Colten said, rolling his eyes. "Lotus Love is fine. Just go with it already. I rather like it."
"No. I'm fine without some dumb moniker, thank you. A hero's still a hero!" One without a name, but still.
"Lotus Love, you've ruined my plans for the last time. Today, you die!" Lord Lothaire said, ignoring Seina's insistence he shouldn't use that unwelcome moniker. His voice rose to a shrill sheik. "Get her, my minions!"
Dozens of crab-like bug monsters surrounded her, leaving her no avenue of escape. They clipped their pincers menacingly, Seina gripping her staff tight as she prepared for battle.
"Yes, kill her! Kill her!" Lord Lothaire guffawed, slapping his throne's armrest in hysterics. "Make the streets run red with her blood!"
"Fast!" Pain jarred her head as a pincer suddenly smacked her across the head with a speed that belied the monster's massive frame. But Seina wised up, and used her staff to deflect the next incoming blow. A single smack of her weapon squashed the crab-like bug monster flat, but dozens more replaced it. They beat her senseless, unrelenting in their viciousness.
But Seina fought with her best, giving back every punishment she took. She howled as a pincer grabbed her by the torso and squeezed, hoping to slice her in half. But a staff to the head splattered it, ended its assault. Green ichor covered her boots, but she ignored it and fought on.
"How irritating." Lord Lothaire said as Seina reduced his forces to a pitiful number in minutes. "Not fair! Not fair! You can't do this!"
"We can!" Colten said, giving Seina a high five. "Ready to surrender yet?"
"Tsk. You talk big, brat." Lord Lothaire said, standing from his throne. "But are you ready to face the demon lord himself? A man akin to a god! The devil incarnate! For that's who you face, an evil of the purest kind!"
"How about you come down, and I show you!" This was it. With this final battle, she'd restore peace to the world forever!
"Impudent brat. Do you realize what power you face, Lotus Love?" Lord Lothaire said, leaping from his throne. "You shall die, pitiful magical girl. Alone, you're no match for me."
Sweat formed on her brow, knowing she was about to enter the fight of her life. But much to her astonishment, Lothaire broke into uproarious laughter, tears gathering at the edges of his eyelids.
"Uh," Seina said, baffled.
"Enough of that. Though I must admit, it was fun playing Lothaire as the fool he was." The ruler of the Lothaire Empire said, further confusing Seina. "But seriously. How long do you plan to continue this game, Seina?"
"I think he's gone loopy!" Colten said.
"You're the one who attacked Earth," Seina said, gripping her wand tight. "You better flee now or face my wrath!" She paused, confused. Lothaire had just used her name. How the heck did he know her secret identity? A chill traveled down her spine. Something was very wrong with this situation.
"Fight you?" Lord Lothaire stroked his chin. "How nostalgic that would be. But no, I'd rather torment you instead."
"What, are you going to call her mean names?" Colten said, his voice dripping with his typical sarcasm.
"No, I'm going to torment her with the truth." Seina gasped in horror as her partner howled in pain, a knife protruding from his stomach.
"Seina, I…" But her partner collapsed from the air, plummeting like a rock. She rushed to catch him, but he shattered into a cloud of white dust before they connected.
"Colten, no." Seina grasped at the white dust, tears stinging her eyes.
"Enough out him." Lord Lothaire said. "Now we can speak properly."
"You! You murderer!" Hate flared in Seina's chest, threatening to explode. A fist impacted Lothaire in the chest, his throne exploding from the force of the impact. But to her shock, the vile villain only laughed.
"Mad, are you?" Lothaire said, his bloody mouth extending into a pleased smile. "But I'm not the true target of your anger. The person you're furious with, Seina, is yourself."
"What are you talking about? Make sense."
"After you, you let him die. Despite all your strength, you couldn't save the person you loved the most."
"I…" Her voice cracked, bile forming in her stomach. "No, it was you. You murdered him."
Lothaire rose from his broken throne, dusting himself off. "Did I? Poor Colten. He died saving your life, and you've plain forgotten!"
What? What was he talking about? He was killed by… Seina clutched at her head, her skull flaring with pain. "No, you… killed… no, it was…" Memories returned, unwelcome memories of a hopeless battle and a sacrifice.
"No!" None of that was true. Colten was fine, a loyal friend as Seina went to school and hung out with friends. He couldn't be dead. None of her memories made any sense.
"What's going on?" The pain in her skull flared hotter, making her steps unsteady. "How are you doing this?"
"Me? I'm not doing anything?" Lothaire said, his tone innocent. "It seems you need a stronger wake-up call."
Then the stern, chiseled face of the monster lord morphed, his body shrinking. What greeted her was a face she didn't recognize, a girl her age with long, raven-colored hair and piercing red eyes. Her dress was an odd mismatch of clashing different-shaped petals with pinks and whites arranged haphazardly.
"Like the new look?" The girl said, playing with her hair. "A consequence of taking power that didn't belong to me. Unlike your partner, I drank deeper of a magical girl's blood. It changed me forever, but I'm not complaining. Power is power."
"What? Who are you?"
"Don't recognize me? Pity. But I remember you, Seina. I am your shadow, your dark reflection. The Butcher to your Hero."
"No, it can't be. Dreven?!"
"I'm glad you're remembering. The cracks in this fantasy are spreading."
"Fantasy?" The pain drove Seina to her knees.
"Yes, you're insane, Seina."
"No, I…" Seina staggered back, the memories cascading through her head in a complete jumble. This couldn't be a fantasy. This was reality. It had to be.
"Poor thing. After losing your partner, your mind couldn't handle the strain." Dreven's voice contained no sympathy, only cold, heartless amusement. "Magical girls depend completely on their partner, it seems. Gone, and you crack to pieces."
"That's why you created this fantasy, didn't you?" Dreven said, his tone merciless. "How sad. A world where your partner didn't die. A world of fun where the villains are harmless nincompoops. And a world where your parents actually love you."
"No! Leave me alone!" Unhappy memories flooded back, full of pain and misery. Tears blinded her vision as the memories became worse, showing her images no child should have to see, the faces of parents who betrayed their child without any shame.
"And that's better," Dreven said, smiling as the sky dripped like washed-away paint, its colors bleeding together. "The fantasy has finally left. Only the cold, hard reality remains."
"No! I just wanted to be happy!" The entire landscape faded further as the deluded paint pooled underneath their feet.
"Ah, but that's always been out of your reach, hasn't it, Seina?"
"Leave me alone! Why can't you leave me alone?"
"Never." A wicked smile grew on her eternal tormentor's face. "I'll always be here, Seina, watching from the shadows. Pity, I wished to kill you myself. But this works for me, too. Die, Seina. Die in your hopeless insanity!"
"No!" She broke down sobbing, utterly defeated. Laughter echoed around her, delighting in her misery and hopelessness. And she was utterly alone, her only companion the pain of her useless, sad existence. But a sudden cry caught her attention, her tormentor reeling over in pain.
"Gah! No, impossible!" Dreven said, coughing blood. "You're!"
"Dead? In your dreams, Dreven." A familiar voice said, pulling a blade from the monstrous magical girl's chest. After a cry of pain, her tormentor melted away to nothing.
"Colt?" Seina collapsed, utterly exhausted. But Paliah was there to catch her, holding her tight in his arms.
"Easy. It's okay. You're safe." Her partner said, looking down at her with worry.
"How?" Her words came out an almost inaudible rasp. But he understood it. Colten always did.
"You can't get rid of me that easily. Besides, didn't I say I'd always be there to rescue you?"
"Colten!" She hugged her partner tight, enjoying his warmth and strength. Paliah smiled, stroking her hair and whispering comforting words of encouragement. It restored life to Seina, allowing her to regain some of her composure.
"But how are you here?" Seina said, furrowing her brow. "Didn't you die?"
But this only earned a laugh from her partner. "Death can't break our bond. I'll always be with you in your heart."
"So that means you can come back!"
"No, I'm gone," Paliah said with a sad smile. "I'm only a memory now."
"No!" Seina's hope shattered, and she broke into an ugly sob.
"But you're strong, Seina. You can continue without me."
"No, I can't! You're the only reason I made it this far!"
"You're going to have to. People are counting on you. Your friends are still in danger. They need you."
"I…" Seina's voice cracked. While she understood his logic, she wanted to stay in his arms forever, forgetting the outside world. But no, that wasn't her. Seina wasn't like her parents who abandoned her for their own selfish ends, she was better than they were. "Okay."
"But I'll still fight with you!" Paliah said, gripping her hand tight. "Together, we can beat that monster!"
"We can!" A torch flared within Seina, ready for battle for her friend's sake and Colten's. Together, hand in hand, the pair gazed at the restored horizon. A warm red light shone down on them from a brilliant sunset.
"I love you Colten." Tears streamed down Seina's cheeks, but they were ones of happiness and love. This silly little fairy meant everything to her. Together, they'd faced the worst the cosmos had to offer and decked it in the face.
"I know. Thank you." The facade of confident serenity cracked, his voice cracking. He'd tried so hard to stay strong for her sake, but couldn't quite manage it. "No, I love you too, Seina. You made life worth living. Without you… Just, good luck, Seina. I'll be here for you, always, even if it isn't in person. Not even death can stop me from protecting you."
"Promise?"
"Promise." Colten said, squeezing her hand tighter before coughing. "One thing, I have a final request."
"Eh?"
"Tell my sister to get a life already," Colten replied, beaming a mischievous smile. "There's more to living than survival."
"I will. Let's do this, partner!" The sunset's light glowed brightly, engulfing the pair in hope.
---
"Pathetic. Is that all you've got?" Mei crowed with an evil grin to a broken and battered Takako. The girl's arms hung limp, her spine bent at an unnatural angle. Another kick broke her further, her body almost becoming bloody jelly.
A fist struck from behind, but the Devil Princess glided away with preternatural grace. The blow flew wide, Arisu's surprise efforts in vain. Despite her precognition ability, Mei was too quick. The Wicked Queen hissed as a retaliatory blow from the girl's sword clipped her.
"You're fading away, Wicked Queen. You've lost any ability to threaten me. It'd be amusing if it wasn't pathetic. How about I end it for your sake?" Mei stabbed forward, her blow so quick that Arisu couldn't possibly dodge away in time.
"What?" Mei gasped as a familiar wand slapped her sword aside.
"Seina? You're back with us?" Arisu said in a raspy, pained voice.
"That's right. And I'm putting an end to this nightmare." Seina said, putting herself between the monster and her friends.
"How? You were a broken shell." Mei said, baffled. "You were dead."
"Seina, your hair!" Takako said, pointing. She'd noticed the big change since Seina's revival.
"It's a sign. A sign that friends aren't lost so easily." Instead of her usual black hair, snow-colored hair ordained her head. It was pure white, without a trace of Seina's usual black. She untied her ponytails, allowing her hair to flow down her shoulders like a waterfall.
"So what?" Mei said, bored. "You're still the same useless…!" The Devil Princess screamed as a fist impacted her face, the girl whimpered as blood oozed out of her nose. "How? Where did this power come from?"
"It's thanks to my partner, Colten." Seina put a hand over her heart. "You might have the power to destroy, but our bond is impossible for you to break! Shall I show you what we can really do?"
With a flick of her hand, a key appeared in her hand. Its gleaming silver surface resembled a golden shield, a mighty tower impenetrable to any attack. She inserted it into a slot under her brooch, the device opening to reveal a heart-shaped gem of sapphire. It glowed with brilliant light, making the Devil Princess hiss away as it shone on her.
"Guardian Change! A light and hope that refuses to be extinguished." Light enveloped Seina, her white hair waving from an invisible wind. White metal snapped across her body, her petaled dress becoming plated armor, though it still possessed a pink hue to its glinting scales. Despite its increased bulk, her armor flowed like silk, her movements possessing the grace of a dancer.
"Impossible." Mei started, fear entering her voice.
"Shall we begin, Devil Princess?" Seina grabbed the ring of her staff and pulled. A blade slid free, reality hazing around it as it hummed with power. She pointed the blade's tip at the Devil Princess's heart, a knight ready to slay an evil dragon. "Let's show you what we can do."