Magical March 13: War Ready

Magical March 13

War Ready

Mark A Davis

324

"They want what?" asked Icarus.  "Three magical girl themes in a row?  Princess, Sailor, Warrior, and also a fourth from the 22nd, Bedroom?  What are those two up to?"

Three former angels -- Icarus, Lakshmi, and Sita -- were gathered in a hotel room in Las Vegas.   Normally they would be in animal form, especially given that a magical girl was with them, but Nikki had first met two of them in human form already.  Icarus was dressed like an aging rock star -- silk shirt open to the waist, leather jacket and leather pants.  Lakshmi had a crop top and cutoff jean shorts, as well as long pink hair.  Sita looked most like an angel, or what people might expect an angel to look like.  She wore a loose, toga-like dress of white and leather sandals.  She had long, straight black hair and pale skin.  She was at the desk, sketching in her virtual notepad.

Their current protégé  was Guitar Goddess Nikki, formerly a street musician named Nikalaamii Dephe-Yaa from the inter-dimensional city of intersect.  Now she was a fourteen-year-old girl named Nikki Delphi, who was lean and wiry and had ratted-out black hair like Joan Jett.  She wielded a magical guitar.  She sat on the bed strumming it.

"You already claimed Sci Fi from the 24th," said Lakshmi, "and Sita claimed Angel from the16th.  Which was yesterday, actually."

"We each have a favorite project we're working on," Icarus replied.  "This is different.  They're up to something...."

"I agree with Icarus," Sita said.  "It's very unlike Octava to do any more work than he has to.  Claiming three magical girls in a row is completely unlike him.  One of us should go investigate.  I nominate me."

"You?" Icarus asked.  "I thought...."

"I've already completed a costume and power combination for my Angel project," said Sita.  "I've also sketched out an initial costume idea for a Fairy concept, which you and Lakshmi and work from.  It only seems fair that you two work on finishing up that concept and locating the target girl, while I go see what Octava and Daesdamona are planning...."

***

Sailor Europa leveled her staff.  "Foul beast which stalks the night!  Know now the glory and power of the Europan Princess!  Sailor Europa Stellar Blast!"

White energy shot forth, spearing the shadowy insect creature and shattering it.  As bits of shadow flew apart and dissipated, Daesdamona said, "Again with the blasts?"

"Don't knock it," Octava replied, puffing on a cigar.  "It works."

The two magical girl guides -- in their animal disguises, Octava as a white rabbit and Daesdamona as a black winged bat -- watched as their newest magical girls fought a swarm of shadowy insect enemies on the front steps of their school -- Eternia Private Academy for Girls.  It was nearly midnight on a Friday.  The moon hung in a cloudless sky.

Sailor Europa -- who was junior high school girl Tiffany Whitherspoon in her mundane life and Princess Gloria of the Kingdom of Europa in dreams of an ancient past life -- wore white with a blue skirt and sailor kerchief and bow.  Sailor Callisto was her friend Aiko Yamato, and also shared dreams of a past life where she was Princess Creda of Callisto, one of Gloria's three Royal Guards and Admiral of the Europa Space Fleet.  Her skirt and kerchief/bow were green.

With them was a transgender girl named Roberta Wadsworth, who had joined their school only a few days before.  She'd been caught in the middle of their fight with the shadow creatures sent by the evil Queen Sable of Titan.  Her leg was bleeding, and  the two magical girls were trying to protect her.

Both girls blasted insect after shadow insect, but more kept coming.  Then a larger shadow appeared.  This split open, revealing a very handsome man with red hair and black, shadowy armor.

"Ha ha ha!" he laughed.  "You pathetic heroines of Terra may have defeated my brother, Prince Ebony of Enceladus, but you will not defeat me!  I am Prince Onyx of Mimas, and I am the strongest of Queen Sable's guard!  Feel my power!"

Energy shot out from his hands, driving both magical girls to their knees.  Europa and Callisto cried out in pain.

"Aaah!  Princess, I'm sorry," Sailor Callisto cried out.  "I cannot fight this...."  The girl collapsed, unconscious.

"Creda, no!" Sailor Europa exclaimed.  Tears formed in her eyes.  "Prince Onyx, I will resist you with every last ounce of my strength...."  She struggled to move, to free herself, to point her staff in his direction, but shadows swirled around her like vines, wrapping about her limbs like ropes, binding her so that she could not move.

The girl Roberta -- who still very much resembled a boy, having only declared her new gender two days ago -- stared in horror.  She spotted Octava and yelled, "You!  Bunny!  You're their guide!  I know I'm one of them -- I've dreamed of it.   Tell me how to help!"

Octava sprinted forward.  He waved the cigar.  A red wand appeared in the air.  It hovered in front of Roberta, glowing.

She grasped the wand, and instinct took over.  She didn't need to be told anything -- somehow she just knew.  "Sailor Io, Princess Valentina, Transform!" she called out, and then she was spinning about in the air as a new outfit formed around her.  It was like the others -- boots, a white bodysuit with a sailor collar, and a red skirt and red kerchief with a red bow.  Her body also changed -- becoming more obviously feminine, with wider hips and a more noticeable bust.  The wand expanded into a much larger staff.

She landed, spun the staff in her hands, and   leveled it at Prince Onyx of Mimas.  "Love conquers all!  I, Valentina of Io, warrior, guardian of Princess Gloria and General of the armies of Europa, will show you true strength and power.  Sailor Io Final Attack:  One Thousand Guns of Europa!"

A  myriad of gun barrels formed in the air overhead.  A barrage of magical artillery fire ripped through Prince Onyx and his remaining shadow insect warriors.  They were shredded, until nothing but scraps of shadow remained.  These drifted on the wind and dissipated.

Sailor Callisto sat up.  Sailor Europa stood.  "Our greatest glory," Europa said, "lies not in never failing, but in rising again every time we fall."  She turned to face Sailor Io, then ran and embraced the girl in a fierce hug.  "Oh, Valentina, it's you!  We knew you'd join us soon!  Now all we're missing is the third Royal Guard, Princess Verity of Ganymede...."

***

Octava and Daesdamona, now in human form, sat at a table in the dark corner of a bar.  They'd used a bit of misdirection magic to get in -- both looked under-aged to be drinking, but there was no place else open this late.

"Well, that went well," said Octava.  "That's three magical girls down, one to go, and we have a week or so to work on that one...."

"We should pick a target," said Daesdamona, "and plant the dream ball in any case.  Holding onto it makes me nervous.  I wouldn't want something to happen."

"You think I'm going to accidentally bounce it into the forehead of some retired truck driver or something?" asked Octava.  "Have some faith in my ability to be at least competent...."

The air shimmered, and a young woman with black hair in a toga appeared at the table.  "Sita?" Octava exclaimed in surprise.  "What are you doing here?"

Sita inclined her head.  "I've come," she said, "to find out what you two are up to."

"Just our jobs," Octava said.

"Picking four themes at once?" Sita asked.  "There's more to it than that.  The three of us were naturally suspicious...."

A waitress approached the table.  She stared in surprise at Octava and Daesdamona.  "Hey," she said, "kids aren't allowed...."

Octava waved his hand.  "We all appear about thirty," he said.

The waitress blinked.  "Yes.  Of course you do.  What can I get for you?"

"An Irish Coffee for me," said Octava.  "A beer for Daesdamona...."

"Yes, thanks," Daesdamona replied.  "Whatever local micro brew you recommend."

"Sita?" asked Octava.

The woman in the toga frowned.  "I do not drink on the job," she said icily.

"Right.  She'll have a diet sprite then," said Octava.

As the waitress left, Octava said, "Sita, maybe you should worry about your own magical girl targets.  I believe Fairy is the next one?"

"Lakshmi and Icarus have it covered," Sita said.  "They suggested I come and spy on you two."  Sita glared at the two through narrowed eyes..  "I see you have a little sailor sentai team going...."

"Yes, exactly," Octava said.  "That is why we wanted to process several magical girls at once...."

"A team remarkably like that of Sailor Moon, in fact," Sita said.

"There are... several similarities, yes," said Octava.  "Most notably the seifuku -- but after all, one theme was sailor...."

"Indeed," said Sita.  "And your girls even speak of being warriors and princesses reincarnated from a kingdom from long ago...."

"I believe that's correct," Octava said guardedly.

The waitress returned with their drinks.  Sita sipped hers, then added, "They've had dreams of their past lives, in fact."

Octava frowned.  "I would have no way to verify if that's true...."

"They speak of it," said Sita.  "Past lives... in a Kingdom of Europa?  Located on the moon which orbits Jupiter?"

Octava shrugged.  "That is the backstory that we've provided..." he said.

"There's nothing unusual about that," Daesdamona added.  "If you want Sailor Moon-style sentai, then a good back story helps out immensely...."

"The thing is," said Sita, sipping her drink again.  "If you're going to believe in a lost kingdom on a faraway moon, then there really ought to be some ruins there to suggest that said kingdom once actually existed.  Am I right?"

Octava shrugged.  "Why?  Europa is a long ways away.  Nobody's ever going to know."

"Don't be naive, Octava," said Sita.  "Earth has sent several satellites to explore the Jovian moons already, and will send more.  Beyond that, your magical girl team may wish to visit the old kingdom at some point.  With magic, such things are possible.

"With that in mind," she added, "I checked it out."

It took a moment for the meaning of her words to strike Octava.  His eyes widened.  "You went to Europa?  The moon around Jupiter?  All the way out there?"

"Oh yes," said Sita, arching her eyebrows.  "Do you know what I found?"

"I... might know, yes," said Octava.  He suddenly downed a third of his drink.

"I found exactly what ought to be there, given your backstory," Sita said.  "That is, the ruins of an ancient kingdom.  Not, mind you, ruins that had been placed there recently.  These ruins have existed on Europa for several thousand years.  Interesting, no?"

"Yeah, okay," said Octava.  "Your point?"

"My point," said Sita, leaning across the table, "is that those ruins were not placed there by you or Daesdamona.  Nor do you have the ability to direct the dreams of a mortal girl.  And when I come to check our your team, I find them fighting warriors sent by a Queen Sable of Titan, mortal enemy to the Kingdom of Europa several thousand years ago.  Where did this enemy come from, I wonder?  Because we in the Nibiru group do not create enemies for our magical girls to fight...."

Octava looked at Daesdamona, who had largely remained silent.  "We... got help from a goddess?" Octava suggested.

"A goddess... from Nibiru?" asked Sita.

"Well... no...." Octava admitted.

Sita slammed her hand down on the table, causing Octava and Daesdamona to jump at the sharp sound.  "We do not work with outside forces!" she nearly yelled.  "They almost certainly do not have our goals in mind!"  She glared at Octava and Daesdamona, and added, "You realize, of course, that I will have to report this to Ysolde and the other directors of Alpha Initiative...."

"I really wish you wouldn't..." Octava said.

There was a flash of light.  Suddenly a very beautiful woman was seated with them.  She had long white hair and pale skin, and wore a red silk dress.  Her eyes were the most notable feature, however -- there were no pupils, and they glowed with an unearthly white light.

"Good grief," said Octava.  "What does one have to do to get a private table for two in this town?"

"Sita, Dear!" the woman exclaimed.  "I knew I would have to deal with you eventually!"  She tapped the table, and a white card appeared, upon which was written, in a flowing script, Eternia the Watcher.  "My card," she added.  The card remained for about three seconds, then vanished.

"Listen here, Miss Goddess," Sita began.

"Eternia, please," said Eternia.

"Who or whatever you are, you are not an agent of Nibiru," Sita said.  "You are not registered in their data bases, nor have you ever donated time or material goods to our cause...."

Eternia leaned forward.  "My, you sound very certain of these things," she said, "for someone who only recently left the Angelic Council and has been with the Nibiru group less than a year.  Would it surprise you to know, Dear Sita, that when Nibiru was founded, I was present?  Surely you don't think a credible alternative to Heaven's Angelic Council and Hell's Dark Magical Girl Division was established without the aid of some very powerful godlike beings such as myself?"

Sita leaned forward as well, locking eyes with the goddess.  "Are you telling me that you work with Nibiru?  By your actions I can tell that you are less concerned with doing good in the world, and more interested in seeing a good story unfold...."

Octava and Daesdamona exchanged glances.  Neither was about to interrupt.

Eternia laughed.  "Bravo, Miss Sita!  You are remarkably observant and not afraid to call a spade a spade.  What I told you is true -- I helped found Nibiru -- but what you expect is also true, I never joined the organization.  However, I have worked with Nibiru agents many times in the past.  You need not be too suspicious of me, for my ultimate goal is to see your magical girls triumph over great odds and powerful adversaries."

"Adversaries which you put there in the first place!" Sita exclaimed.

"While it's true I provided some direction for our friend Queen Sable of Titan," said Eternia, "I did not create her.  She would have become a problem for some hero or magical girl at some point in the future -- I merely bent reality so that she was guaranteed to encounter a specific group of magical girls who were prepared to oppose her.  If you think about it correctly, I am helping you achieve your goals...."

"I do not see it that way!" Sita snarled.

Eternia sighed.  "Listen, Sita.  You and your companions Lakshmi and Icarus are working on your next magical girl, with the theme of fairy, yes?  Let's suppose," said Eternia, "that there is a fantasy realm so close to earth that it is like a shadow of our world."  She smiled and spread her hands.  "Well, we don't have to imagine this, of course," she said.  "Alternate realms are everywhere one looks.  But this particular place is known as the Kingdom of Penumbra, aka the Dark Realm.

"Several centuries ago an evil lord conquered Penumbra.  Only a few souls managed to escape through a gateway that led to our world.  These were members of the faerie folk -- fairies, mermaids, unicorns and the like; magical creatures which are only legend here.  They were, of course, forced to blend in with humanity in order to survive.  Thus their descendants appear human, but still carry magical fairy blood.

"Now let's imagine that the Dark Adversary who rules this Kingdom of Penumbra has finally discovered the path by which these refugees fled to earth...."

"I will imagine no such things!" Sita exclaimed.  "I will enter into no agreement or arrangement with you!"

Eternia laughed.  "Oh, but Dear Sita, you don't have to imagine it.  It is real, and it is happening even as we speak, whether you like it or not.  The Dark Adversary will send his minions to conquer this world.  The only question is will your magical girls be able to stop them?  The gifts I offer can help in that regard."

She placed three balls on the table -- a pink one labeled fairy, a violet ball labeled mermaid, and a pure white ball labeled unicorn.

"Air, Sea, and Land," said Eternia.  "Fairies fly, Mermaids swim, and Unicorns gallop over land.  If you use these, then each magical girl will gain knowledge and special abilities based on their associations, which will absolutely aid them against enemies from the Kingdom of Penumbra.  If you fail to use them, your girls may well fight the minions of the Dark Kingdom still, but without these gifts I offer.  The choice is yours."

And then Eternia was gone.

For a long moment Sita sat in silence, staring at the three colored balls.  Finally she glared at Octava.  "This," she growled, "is your fault!"

"Me?" Octava replied.  "I didn't do anything!  I was completely silent!"

Sita glared for another moment.  She snatched up the balls and slid them into a shoulder bag.  Then she signaled the waitress.

"Bring me a vodka," she said.  "On the rocks.  In fact, bring me the entire bottle...."

FINI