Magical March 12: Girl's Academy

Magical March 12

Girl's Academy

Mark A Davis

323

Moonlight filtered through white drapes and fell softly on a blue carpet.  The bedroom was silent and dark, a young girl of thirteen sleeping peacefully beneath a comforter.  There came a brief flash of light, and suddenly two strangers stood in her room.

One was a young boy, perhaps 14 years old, with long blonde hair.  He dressed in loose robes of white and turquoise, like one might see on a Chinese sage.  The other was an older girl with dark skin and curly black hair, dressed for stealth in black leggings, black boots, and a skintight black shirt with long sleeves.

The boy produced a blue ball.  Upon it the name Gloria was written.  The girl took it and placed it on the sleeping girl's forehead.  The ball dissolved and sank beneath the girl's skin, vanishing.

Moments later, the two strangers also vanished only to appear in the street outside the house.  They began walking.

"So much for Princess Gloria of Europa," said Octava, the boy.  "If Eternia is to be trusted, then she will dream of a past life as the Princess of a kingdom on the Jovian moon."

"I don't trust that woman," Daesdamona said.  "Her goals are not necessarily our goals."

Octava was a former angel, while Daesdamona was a former demon.  The two worked for the Niburu Group -- a collection of exiled angels and demons, gods and demigods who wished to promote good in the mortal realms, specifically through the support of magical girls.  They walked through an affluent neighborhood in Denver, CO, chosen for its proximity to a certain private academy.

"We shouldn't have entered into an arrangement with her," Daesdamona said.  "Our plans may dovetail with hers right now, but I suspect she's more interested in a good story than in promoting good itself.  She likes magical girls, but we don't know her motives or necessarily approve of her methods."

"What's done is done," said Octava.  "I wouldn't worry about it.  In for a penny, in for a pound.  If we're going to do sailor uniforms...."

"I told you," said Daesdamona, "a sailor theme need not refer to an anime seifuku...."

"But everything lines up," Octava said.  "As part of our bargain we're awakening four magical girls anyway -- a princess and her three royal guards -- so why not kill four birds with one stone and make each of them match one of our themes?  The very next two themes are sailor and warrior, so those both fit if we go the sailor senshi route."

Daesdamona sighed.  "You reserved those themes with the others, right?  What about the fourth theme?"

Octava made a face.  "I went with bedroom...."

"Bedroom?" Daesdamona exclaimed.  "How does that fit?"

"Well, they're dreaming of their past lives, right?" said Octava.  "Anyway none of the other options really worked -- fairy, mermaid, unicorn, Disney, fairy tale, circus, animal...."

"What about angel?" asked Daesdamona.  "An angelic magical girl guardian to the princess...."

"Sita absolutely insisted on keeping that one for herself," said Octava.

"Anyway, I don't know why the blonde gets to be the princess," Daesdamona, muttered.  "What was her name again?"

"Tiffany Whitherspoon," Octava replied.

"Tiffany!  A blonde princess named Tiffany!" Daesdamona exclaimed in disgust.

"For your information," Octava replied, "Tiffany is short for Tiphanea, a name with a long history going back to ancient times.  Plus she happens to attend a private all-girls school with sailor-style uniforms...."

"That's another thing," said Daesdamona.  "Eternia Private Academy for Girls?  You can not convince me that name is a coincidence!"

Octava sighed.  He stopped before another house.  "I'm sure it isn't," he said.  "But what are you gonna do?  An all-powerful being wants this magical girl team to exist.  She'd do it with or without us.  It's better if we're there to guide things, isn't it?

"Anyway, we're at the next girl's house."  A holographic screen appeared before him.  "Let's see... Aiko Yamato, Japanese American girl."  He produced three colored balls -- one yellow, with the name Verity, a red ball with the name Valentina, and a green one with the name Creda.  He held them out to his companion.  "You choose."

"Does it matter?" asked Daesdamona.

"You're the one who's mad that I made the blonde girl the princess," said Octava.

Daesdamona rolled her eyes.  "Creda then," she said.

"Princess Creda of Callisto it is!" Octava replied.  The other two balls vanished.  "We still need to design the costumes and powers, but we've got a few days," he said.  "Give them time to realized their dreams coincide and are probably true dreams.  Except of course that they aren't."

The two appeared in the bedroom of the second girl.  Daesdamona leaned over the bed and placed the ball on the sleeping girl's forehead, where it melted and vanished.  Then the two appeared again on the street outside.

"You know," Daesdamona said, "I just had a thought.  We're apparently supposed to pick candidates from this all-girl academy, right?  But didn't she also suggest one of the candidates be a boy?  So how is that going to work?"

Octava frowned.  "I hadn't considered that," he said.  "Maybe they don't all have to attend the same school?  Or maybe Eternia will change her mind about one being a boy?"

***

Morris Wadsworth stared at the photo of an old but regal woman.

"My grandfather," he said, "was not the sort to sleep around."

"Nevertheless," replied their visitor, a serene businesswoman who introduced herself as Miss Elanor Eternia, president of a local private academy, "Miss Jasmine Wadsworth was the half-sister to your father, and therefore your great aunt.  She never married, had no children of her own, and was quite wealthy...."

Morris was a dark-skinned man in a business suit, who always had a serious expression.  His wife, seated next to him, had fair skin and brown hair.  He studied the contract for several minutes.  He glanced up.

"Four hundred and ninety million?" he asked.  "Is that correct?"

"That is a rough estimate," Miss Eternia replied.  "But yes, Miss Wadsworth was one of our school's most illustrious graduates.  She was a very shrewd businesswoman."

Morris read further.  "So," he said, "her entire fortune can be ours, on one condition...."

"Exactly," replied Miss Eternia.  "Your child must attend the Eternia Private Academy for Girls, from 7th grade until she -- or he -- graduates high school.  Only then will the inheritance be granted."

"You want my son," said Morris, "to attend a school for girls...."

"Yes, I realize you have a son rather than a daughter," Miss Eternia said, "but the wording of the will does not specify gender.  She smiled and gestured to the bagged girl's Eternia Private Academy uniform hanging from a hook -- a long-sleeved shirt with a sailor-style collar, an aquamarine skirt, socks, black Mary Janes, and a bow.  Appropriate underwear was included.  "I took the liberty of having a uniform made to fit Robert's measurements...."

Morris continued to stare at her.  "Dear," his wife finally said, laying a hand on his arm,  "it is half a billion dollars...."

Morris Wadsworth stood.  "Robert!" he yelled.  "Get in here!"

A few moments later a young boy entered the room.  He was about thirteen, with olive skin and tightly-curled hair that brushed his shoulders.

"Yeah, dad?" he asked.  He glanced at Miss Eternia, clearly confused.

"This," said Morris, gesturing to their guest, "is Miss Elanor Eternia, president of the Eternia Private Academy for Girls.  This," he added, handing the uniform to his son, "is your new uniform.  I want you to go upstairs and put it on, then come down and show us how it looks."

"But..." he son began.

"And no buts!" the father yelled.

"But, dad," the boy said, "a skirt?  Last week you said over my dead body...."

FINI