Magical March 1: Sign Here

Magical March 1

Sign Here

Mark A Davis

312

Sunlight fell across a polished stone conference table.  A breeze blew through marble columns and tugged at the hair of those seated.  It carried the scent of roses and gardenias, planted just outside the room.

Corporate meetings in Nibiru were certainly set in a much nicer environment than a typical office meeting, but they were not more interesting.  Octava -- a young boy with cherub wings and long blonde hair -- and Lakshmi -- a young girl with similar wings, tanned skin and pink hair -- stared numbly into space as the head accountant spoke of operation costs and margins and a promising spring quarter.   Across the table, Sita -- an older girl with black hair -- scowled at them.

Finally the accountant sat.  A handout was passed around

"Magical March?" asked Icarus, staring at the paper handout dubiously.  The angelic adviser was a young man with dark skin, white hair, and jet black wings.  He typically wore black silk jumpsuit open to the naval, as if he were a mid-70's rock star.  "A different magical girl for every day of the month?  I've been a magical girl guide for years and I've never heard of such a thing."

At the head of the table sat Ysolde -- the immediate supervisor of Magical Guides division.  "This," she said, "comes from upper management.  Someone up there discovered this on our network  and got a bug up their butt about how we should be following this guideline and creating and empowering a new magical girl each day...."

"A new magical girl?  Every day?" Daesdemona asked.  "Thirty-one new magical girls in a month?  That's crazy!"  Daesdemona was a demonic-looking girl, with red skin, small yellow horns, a devil's tail and bat wings.  She was short, well endowed, and skimpily dressed -- like a cartoon demoness come to life.  "It takes weeks to properly prepare a magical girl...."

Sita was studying a handheld device.  "Miss Ysolde," she said, "I believe there's been some sort of mistake.  According to this, Magical March is just a challenge among human artists to draw various magical girls...."

"There is no mistake," Ysolde replied.  She paused, then added, "At least, not that anyone in upper management will admit to...."

Everyone began to speak at once.  Ysolde held up her hand.  "I know how it sounds," she said, "but management has thrown all their weight behind this.  They've assigned the task to our Alpha Initiative.  We're considered the best group to handle new magical girl recruits, so we get to spearhead this initiative, however wrong-headed it might be.  We'll just have to do our best."

She steepled her hands and added, "Of course, it's even worse than it might first appear -- it's already March 5th, so we've got four days to make up.  I'll be promoting new candidates to positions as guides, but everyone will have to double and triple up so that every magical girl is covered.  We'll have another meeting on the subject tomorrow.  For today I want you to concentrate on quickly producing those first five.  There are a dozen of you here; you can divide up the work however you wish."


As they filed out of the meeting, Lakshmi complained, "I thought I left the Angelic Council to get away from this kind of crap."

"It does sound more like something the Angelic Council would pull," Sita agreed.  "Also, angels should never say crap."

Octava produced a cigar, which lit itself.  He took a long puff, released a ring of smoke, and said, "It's not as if I don't already have my hands full with the largest magical girl team in existence!  Oh well, what's the first objective?"

Nibiru was a collective of former angels and demons, gods and demi-gods and other immortals.  Its primary objective was to aid magical girls.  It existed somewhere south of heaven and north of hell, or so they said.  In appearance it was a small paradise of beautiful islands floating in space, not unlike some of the realms of the gods, but if so, it was a paradise where no one had time to relax.

Lakshmi studied the handout.  "Favorite Character?  What does that mean?"

"Daesdamona and I will take that one," said Octava.

Daesdamona raised an eyebrow.  "Really?  Since this was meant to be an art challenge, that means draw your favorite character.  But what does it mean as far as creating a new magical girl?  Yet if I know you, and I do, you expect this to be easy."

"It is," said Octava.  "Find a geek who wants to become their favorite magical girl?  You can find a thousand people like that on the internet in an instant."

***

Edi Bedi sighed, tired and stiff from a morning of coding.  He took a break to loosen his tie and surf the web.  Soon he came across a Twitter image that he liked -- that of Sayaka Miki from Puella Magi Madoka Magica.  He favorite'd it, then decided to leave a reply.

This is a beautiful picture! he wrote.  Sayaka is my favorite magical girl.  He paused, considering, then added, If I were to ever become a magical girl, I would want to be Sayaka Miki.

With a soft plop, a white bunny appeared on his desktop.  Edi stared in shock and disbelief.  The bunny stood on two legs and produced a cigar, which lit itself.  It took a puff, blew out a ring of smoke, and said "Edi, my boy, today is your lucky day.  I can make your dreams come true!"  It produced a sheaf of papers and added, "Just sign this contract...."

Edi Bedi screamed and fled the room.

Moments later, a bat faded into view.  "Octava, Dear," it said, "you've never watched Puella Magi Madoka Magica, have you?"

FINI