Magical Girl Gunslinger - Chapter 34: First Patrol

My heart wanted to jump into my throat as we went down the elevator, the numbers slowly lowering towards my certain doom. Both Everglaive and Naiad seemed unfazed, the first a picture of noble serenity, the second wearing a bubbly smile. I tried to remind myself of what Selene and Gildscale had instructed me on when we briefly stopped by his room, folding my hands in front of me while keeping my shoulders from hunching too much.

It had been a quick stop, just to see what he thought of my costume, and he’d been quite impressed. It was then I found out that showing off my outfit to the two older girls was one thing, but having his appraising eye gliding over the various frills, lace, ribbons, and general fluffiness of my outfit was another. I hadn’t been able to keep myself from fidgeting, my gaze lowered as he took me in.

Thankfully, he seemed to approve of my outfit. Both my eyepatch and bunny-eared hoodie earned special praises for giving me something more distinguishing, especially when I explained my heterochromia. Apparently, a few Magical Girls had tried the eyepatch idea for their costumes before, but it wasn’t really that effective outside a pirate or scarred warrior theme. With my eye colors, though, he’d been eager to let me know it would make me popular, especially if I got into theatrics like removing my eyepatch before I fought.

I tried not to wilt too much at the idea, and thankfully he hadn’t said anything else on the matter. After sharing a few ideas mostly directed towards Selene, he gave me some pointers on what posture to adopt for my patrol.

Which had been both humiliating and relieving at the same time.

Apparently, I gave off a naturally shy impression, which would work well with my choice of outfit. Hearing that made my face turn red, but he’d assured me it was a good thing. It would work well with my aesthetics to give an image of a new, cute and unthreatening Magical Girl and would only be reinforced by my alias. His only advice for how to act while I was on patrol was to generally be myself.

He did suggest keeping my hands folded in front of me to keep from fidgeting with my skirt too much, though. That, and to relax my shoulders to keep myself from looking too nervous.

It had only been a few minutes of conversation, well, instruction more like, but it had already left my nerves slightly frayed. The looming sense that this patrol was a bad idea had grown to the point that nausea swirled inside my stomach. I found myself missing the comforting weight of my Umbra, but Everglaive had offered to store my personal effects and weapons in her storage device for the patrol. Considering I didn’t have one of my own and a backpack would look completely out of place with my outfit, I hadn’t had much choice but to accept.

Overall, I wanted nothing more than to call the whole thing off and disappear inside a mess of blankets beneath my bed.

Before I could make the conscious decision to voice my concerns, fate took the choice out of my hands as the elevator dinged and the door opened.

I already knew the hotel I was staying in was nice, but seeing the lobby stretched out in front of me only reinforced that idea. It was all plush furniture, tasteful art, and carefully manicured plants that gave a warm but sophisticated feel to the place. I tried to ignore the shiver of dismay in my guts, reminding myself that I didn’t have to pay for this. This was part of Fantasy Fatale finishing up their quest, one they’d been paid for. I didn’t owe them anything…

It still didn’t make the hollow feeling in my gut disappear.

Everglaive and Naiad both stepped from the elevator, and after a moment of hesitation, I followed with Selene, who had reactivated her invisibility for everyone but me in the hopes it would draw less direct attention my way.

There were only a dozen or so people in the lobby as we stepped out, and almost all their eyes turned to us instantly. I stumbled a bit, my hands squeezing tighter in front of me as the two older girls continued forward. Everglaive moved with a graceful but unyielding stride while Naiad seemed to flow across the room, her watery hair and loose costume swaying like wind playing over a calm lake.

I was sure I looked ridiculous by comparison. Thankfully both of the taller girls were going at a slower pace so I didn’t have to take quicker steps to match their own. Instead of looking at the people watching us, I tried to focus my gaze on Everglaive’s back as we went straight for the doors.

I still caught people pulling out their phones and directing them our way. Doing my best to ignore them, I followed after the two Magical Girls. Still, I couldn’t help but overhear some whispers.

“Woah, are those Magical Girls?

“Well they aren’t cosplayers, idiot.”

“Holy shit, that’s Everglaive and Naiad!”

“Woah… Wait, who’s that other girl, then?”

“Must be one of the new ones they’re showing around…”

“Cute!”

“Black and purple colors, huh? She’s one of those rare ones, then.”

“A Dark, yeah. Pretty sure they represent courage or something.”

“More like cuteness.”

I felt my face turning red, but the other two seemed completely unfazed. A plain looking girl in a yellow scarf and matching sundress blinked as we passed, looking up from her phone with wide, amazed eyes. Her phone quickly shot up to start taking pictures of us, and I tried my best to look unfazed even as my cheeks burned hotter.

“Absolutely adorable…” I heard her giggle as we walked past, and I wondered if it was too late to call off the patrol.

Thankfully, it didn’t take us long to step out of the hotel and into the midday light.

It took me a moment to blink away the glare, and when I did I immediately looked around. Navigating in Arcadia was made somewhat easy by the fact the city was mostly circular, buildings growing taller and denser the closer to the middle you were. That, and the fact that the Arcadia Spire was directly in the center of the city made orienting yourself simple, the skyscraper of smooth angles, glass, and helipads standing out with a distinctly futuristic architecture.

I wasn’t great at judging the distance, but by the buildings around me it looked like we were in one of the inner-middle districts. It was a fairly nice place in the city, busy but not claustrophobic like the central circle.

That being said, it was midday, which meant the streets did have a decent number of people on them.

And, of course, three Magical Girls stepping outside drew attention almost immediately.

To my surprise, most people just kept moving, giving the occasional glances or watching from the corner of their eyes. A few did pull out phones and point them our way, and I tried not to wring my hands together too tightly as my throat suddenly felt very dry.

“The first thing to learn about patrols,” Everglaive said, choosing a direction and beginning to walk. “Is the unwritten etiquette of approaching or bothering Magical Girls.”

I followed along, the three of us moving at a leisurely pace. Selene kept by my side, a gentle reminder that helped calm my nerves.

“It’s something people have more or less picked up over the years,” she continued, “When it’s okay to approach a Magical Girl or not. Most of it is subconscious, but some people have actually codified it online. The first indication is how fast the Magical girl is walking. If it’s a leisurely stroll like this…”

She paused as a woman in a sweater nervously approached. Everglaive gave her a smile, slightly tilting her head.

“Hello. Is there something I can help you with?”

“I-I, um,” the woman shifted nervously, clutching her purse tighter. “I don’t want to bother you, but… Can I get an autograph?”

“Of course. Do you have something you’d like signed?”

The woman paled looking at her purse in horror.

“Oh, um…”

“No trouble,” Everglaive assured her. “I have something right here.”

With a flourish of her hand and a flash of viridian light, a photo appeared in one hand and a sharpie in the other. Naiad made a similar motion, similar items also popping into her hands. The woman’s eyes bulged at that.

“Would you just like a signature, or would you like it made out to someone?”

“Oh! C-could you sign it to Melissa? That’s, um, my daughter. She’s a big fan of your team.”

“Of course,” Everglaive nodded, sharpie moving deftly over the photo. It only took her and Naiad a second and then they were handing the pictures over to the stunned woman. She looked between the two of them with a big, thankful smile.

“Thank you so much for this! It’s going to mean the world to her that, oh-”

She trailed off, seemingly only now noticing me standing behind the other two Magical Girls.

“I’m sorry, I’m not familiar with you, but I’m sure my daughter would still love a signature.”

Inwardly I started to panic a little. My mouth moved a few times, but no words seemed to come out as my heart started pounding in my ears. Naiad glanced at me, then gave a cheerful wave of her hand at the woman.

“Oh, she’s new. I’m afraid she hasn’t made her debut yet, so she’s not doing signatures right now. We’re taking her on a sort of training patrol, you see. Thank you for asking, though!”

“Oh, right,” the woman nodded a few times, giving me a big smile. “Well, good luck to you, then! I’m sure my daughter will be excited to hear I met a Magical Girl pre-debut. And thank you, all three of you, for everything you do.”

“It’s our pleasure,” Everglaive demurred with a slight bow of her head.

The woman gave a little wave and walked off with a bounce in her step, but while we were standing still, a small crowd had formed around us. Maybe spurred on by the woman’s actions, more people started to approach Everglaive and Naiad.

I swallowed down my anxiety, doing my best to keep myself looking calm even as I took a few steps to the side to be less obtrusive. As the two Magical Girls signed some more autographs, I heard more than a few people ask about me only to be given the same explanation from Naiad or Everglaive.

Some people still tried to approach, but thankfully Naiad intercepted most of them and explained them off.

To say the whole thing was uncomfortable was an understatement. It was worse than being a third wheel because I was still getting attention, and all I could do was nervously smile at the people taking pictures and wring my hands together. I felt so tense that I had to remind myself to breathe.

[Don’t worry,] Selene’s voice soothed. [You’re doing great.]

“I’m just standing awkwardly while they do all the work.”

[Ah, but you’re looking great doing it.]

“What do you mean? It has to be obvious how nervous I am.]

[It is,] Selene agreed, and I felt myself tense more. [But that’s the beauty in it. There aren’t many Magical Girls who can pull off or even try to pull off being the shy type.]

“I’m not trying to pull off anything!” I mentally hissed at her.

[Exactly. That makes what you’re doing genuine, and it shows. People like that.]

I tried not to squirm more hearing that I was being watched, being judged, that closely. The crowd finally began to dwindle, and I let out a long breath when we were left alone. A few people still had phones taking pictures from afar, but the street immediately around us was finally clear.

“Good job,” Naiad said, walking up to me with a gentle smile. “You did amazing!”

“That’s what Selene said, but I didn’t do anything,” I muttered, looking at the ground.

“That’s nonsense,” Naiad frowned. “You did two very impressive things. First, you were yourself.”

I gave her a confused look, and Everglaive stepped in.

“Many Magical Girls put on a mask of sorts, adopting a personality. Fierce and unafraid. Steadfast and loyal. Lighthearted and energetic. Kind and sisterly. Whatever the combination, they see being a Magical Girl as the chance to live a separate, new life that was denied them. While I don’t begrudge anyone seeking a fresh start, it sometimes comes across as disingenuous, especially early on while they discover their new persona.”

“And in time, those do become true personalities,” Naiad agreed. “But most Magical Girls choose to be more heroic or larger than life. Not many choose something honest and vulnerable. It’s funny, in a way, but being all dressed up in a costume and having the powers we do as Magical Girls actually makes it harder to not act like some heroic defender.”

I wasn’t really sure what to say to that. They were congratulating me like I had made a conscious decision, but I was literally unable to pretend to do anything other than just stand there. It would have been more impressive if I had been able to act confident and unafraid. At least then I would have been doing something brave.

But I had just been filled with too much anxiety to do anything else. I hadn’t even thought about the possibility of it. I’d just defaulted to being myself, and I was just… just…

Awkward. Nervous. Shy. Weird. Unimportant.

Pathetic.

I swallowed down the lump in my throat, the word echoing in my head.

“I… I was mostly just trying to remember to not stop breathing…”

“Like I said,” Naiad said, giving me a soft, pained smile. “You did two impressive things. The first was being who you are instead of trying to put on a mask. The second was going out of your comfort zone.”

That earned her another confused look, and Everglaive chuckled.

“Remember, there are some Guardians who forgo the public aspects of being a Magical Girl completely. You lose out on quests and points, but for some people, that’s worth it.”

It would totally be worth it…

Shifting from foot to foot, I gave them a helpless shrug.

“I, um… I mean I’m not good at this anyway, so…”

Naiad blinked a few times, head tilting.

“What do you mean? You’re kind of a natural, you know.”

I stared at her. That… wasn’t true at all? So why had she said that unless-

Oh. She’s being sarcastic. She’s making fun of me.

I bit down on my teeth, looking down and hunching into myself. Pushing down the pang of hurt that flashed through me, I clenched my hands tighter together. She wasn’t wrong really, and it really wasn’t that big of a deal to make a joke or two about me considering everything she’d done. It still hurt, a surprise papercut to the back of my heart I wasn’t prepared for.

“Oh, uh, no, I’m being serious,” Naiad suddenly insisted, sounding suddenly worried.

My throat felt dry, and I was about to say it was fine until Everglaive hummed in agreement.

“It’s true. You’ve had no PR training, and yet seemed to know exactly what to do. Anytime somebody pointed a camera your way for a picture, you made sure to look at them and smile, one that didn’t look too forced as well. It gave off the impression that although you were uncomfortable, you still cared. For introverted Magical Girls, this is exactly the type of perception that is recommended.”

“But, I…” stammering a bit, I looked between the two of them. “I wasn’t even thinking about it. I just didn’t want to be rude.”

Naiad giggled a little, and Everglaive’s lips quirked up at the corners, her eyes glittering.

“Which is already more awareness and empathy than most people can muster on a normal basis,” Naiad smirked. “Trust us. You did good. It probably doesn’t feel like it, but for your first time out in public being swarmed? You did great. Sure, we were here to help ward off the worst of it, but that’s just a good tactic for first timers.”

Everglaive nodded, eyes flicking to Naiad with amusement.

“Indeed. Although I seem to recall that even with good planning, things don’t always go nearly so well.”

Naiad froze, and a pink blush formed that was stark on her pale blue cheeks.

“Ever!” She sputtered, eyes wide.

“I’m just making an observation,” Everglaive gave a hapless shrug. “Things could have gone much worse. You could have frozen solid before turning and sprinting off into the distance.”

Naiad groaned, slapping her hands over her face and murmuring something about payback and never taunting the healer. With how high strung my emotions felt, it took me a moment to work out what was being said.

“Wait… you…?” I trailed off as Naiad let out a louder, more dramatic groan.

“And just like that, my reputation with the newbie is ruined,” she whined, causing Everglaive to chuckle.

“Let’s just say, our soft and friendly healer wasn’t always so good at dealing with people. She’s mostly grown out of it now, though”

“I’m still an introvert,” Naiad pouted. “I’ve just gotten better at wearing a mask while I’m out. It’s not like I hate doing this kind of stuff, but I’d much rather be alone listening to some piano and rain sounds while reading a good book.”

I’ve just gotten better at wearing a mask when I’m out.

Something in me clicked together at that, and worry and guilt instantly flooded my veins as I looked at the sulking healer. Here she was forcing myself to spend time out with me, and I had just assumed she was okay with that because she made it look so easy.

Stupid. I should know how easy it is to hide behind a mask.

Chewing on my lip, I took a few halting starts before I found the words.

“I, um. I-if it helps, you make it look easy,” my cheeks began heating up. “I mean, I know it’s not, but I, um, I would never have noticed. And, um… thank you. For helping me, I mean.”

I felt particularly dumb by the time I finished stuttering through my botched attempt at making her feel better, but Naiad didn’t seem to notice. Instead she had a hand over her chest and was giving me a warm, gentle smile.

“Thank you,” she responded quietly, the words filled with meaning. “That means a lot to me. As a healer, I interact with people a lot, but it took me a long time to get to where I am now. Also, you’re welcome. I’m just glad I get to spend my time helping a new Magical Girl, especially one as nice as you.”

My face felt like it was on fire, and I wasn’t sure how to properly react to that. Thankfully, Everglaive saved me from ruminating on my embarrassment by gently clapping her hands together.

“Well, now that we’ve had our first meet and greet, shall we continue? Crowds are starting to form again, so unless we’d like a repeat performance, we should get moving.”

I gave a jerky nod that Naiad mirrored with liquid grace. Everglaive started walking without preamble, and I followed.

Weirdly enough, Everglaive was moving at a quickened pace, a fast walk that Naiad easily matched without discernible effort. I had to take extra steps to keep up with the two taller girls, but I found myself matching their pace without too much issue.

“So, back to our lessons,” Everglaive continued as we wove our way down the street. “We were talking about the etiquette of approaching Magical Girls. As was just demonstrated, when we’re going at a leisurely pace, people are many times more likely to approach for pictures and autographs. However, if they see us moving at a good pace, the chances of being stopped dramatically go down.”

Naiad nodded, absently looking over at a young, wide-eyed girl staring at us as she was pulled along by her mom. Naiad smiled, giving a wink and wave that made the girl’s mouth drop open in a wide grin.

“Part of it is subconscious behavior. We look busy, we’re basically celebrities, and we sometimes have legitimately life saving duties we’re trying to get to. Combined together, and most know not to just stop a Magical Girl moving with purpose. The unofficial guide to interacting with Magical Girls that was put online has also helped. The more hardcore fans who would normally be likely to stop you will have read it and know not to interfere.”

“It still sometimes happens,” Everglaive shrugged. “If it does, a simple apology and explanation that you’re trying to get somewhere is usually enough. If not, you can pull an emergency escape.”

Naiad giggled, then held up a hand to her ear.

“Yup. Just press your hand to head like you’re listening to an earpiece and look serious, then suddenly take off running in a direction or jump to some rooftops. People will assume you got an important call or are heading to an Usurpation. Makes it easy to disengage if people are making you feel uncomfortable.”

Nodding a few times, I found myself feeling conflicted. On one hand, pretending to get an important call just to avoid a conversation felt a little… disingenuous.

On the other hand, it would let me avoid social interaction if it got to be too much.

Which meant I’d definitely be pulling that move with minimal amounts of shame.

“On that note, there’s the etiquette of running and roof hopping,” Everglaive said as we paused at a crosswalk. “Generally speaking, if you have high enough Agility, rooftops are fair game to traverse for Guardians. So long as you aren’t loitering or causing damage with your jumps.”

“How much agility do you need for that?” I asked, excitement coloring my voice as I imagined myself soaring through the air, the city skyline outlining the horizon around me.

“It depends. Some of the packed residential and commercial areas have rooftops pretty close to one another, while others can have vast height differences. Generally, the biggest obstacle is being able to jump across streets. Officially, a minimum of 100 Agility is recommended with 150 being preferred.”

I stumbled a little at that, eyes wide as Naiad giggled.

“Yeah. Lower than you would have thought, huh? It’s surprising how much distance you can get with a running long jump. Honestly, the biggest obstacle is when building heights are different. You don’t get nearly as much value on your vertical jump from Agility as you do horizontally.”

That… that meant I wasn’t that far away from meeting the basic requirements. I mean, if I focused on it, I could get there in only three levels.

But, it would mean horribly skewing my stat distribution. More so than I already had, anyway. As tempting as it was, it probably wasn’t worth it.

The weirdest part was that I didn’t feel particularly different, even with my Agility and Dexterity at seventy. There was no sense of speed or sudden strength. I just felt… normal.

Although, now that I thought about it, I’d been keeping up with Everglaive’s fast pace for a bit now, and I wasn’t feeling even the slightest bit winded. In fact, the pace didn’t feel that much different than a normal walk. It wasn’t like we were running or anything, but I’d never been athletic. Being manaborn seemed to come with a fifty-fifty chance of coming with a variety health issues, and I’d been one of the unlucky ones to have some manifest.

It was surprising I’d done so well at the mall, really.

Then again, adrenaline and being in a literal life-or-death situation probably had something to do with it.

“Other than roof jumping,” Everglaive continued, drawing me from my internal musing. “The other way to get around quickly is running on the streets. If you’re going that route, use the bike lanes, but be mindful of actual bikers and other Magical Girls. It’s always the responsibility of the Magical Girl with the higher agility to make sure accidents don’t happen.”

“Also make sure to follow traffic laws,” Naiad chirped as we crossed a street. “Obey red lights and things like that. The only exception is if you can safely jump over an intersection, but at that point you definitely have enough Agility to be on the rooftops, so… yeah.”

We continued in a comfortable silence for a while, drawing the eyes of people but never having anyone come out to stop us directly. I still tensed up whenever I saw a phone appear to take pictures, but I did my best to continue as if I didn’t notice.

Selene for her part followed along happily, hopping along with us and taking in the various sights with interest as we passed onto a street filled with cafes and other small restaurants.

Everglaive was also looking around, stopping in front of a quaint looking coffee shop and pointing to a symbol on the glass window. It looked vaguely like a pointy wizard’s hat on top of a girl’s smiling face done in a cutesy, chibi style.

“Ah, perfect. You see this symbol here? That’s the icon for a store offering discounts to Magical Girls who come in costume. A blue hat and circle around it means you get a flat five dollars off any purchase a day plus a ten percent discount after that. A green version of the symbol means you just get the percentage discount.”

“It’s honestly a good deal for them,” Naiad hurriedly added, glancing at me with a complicated expression. “Sure, they give us free stuff and discounts, but in return, they get great marketing. How many people do you think stop to take pictures or shop at a place where a Magical Girl is purchasing things from? I’ve literally walked into an empty coffee shop to enjoy some peace and quiet and had it fill up not ten minutes later. Just try not to take advantage of the five dollar discount at the same store every day. Other than that, stores really don’t mind giving out the discounts, and they love it when you stick around, even if it’s just for a few minutes.”

Everglaive dipped her head in agreement as we continued walking.

“Precisely. Any loss they incur from our purchases is more than made up for by our presence. On that note, don’t be afraid of being approached while at a restaurant or getting coffee somewhere in costume. It’s very frowned upon to approach a Magical Girl while they’re eating somewhere.”

“That doesn’t stop them from waiting until you’ve left the store though,” Naiad sighed. “So don’t be surprised if you get mobbed on your way out, especially when you get more popular.”

I nodded, my eyes now looking for the icon on the windows of the stores we’d passed. I’d seen the symbol before, but never really questioned what it meant. Chibi art and more anime-themed ads were pretty common in Arcadia, in part due to the large Japanese population but also just the increase in popularity the style had seen when Magical Girls had become an actual part of reality.

Now that I was looking for the symbols, they seemed to be everywhere. It seemed more rare for a store to not at least have one. The blue discounts were certainly more rare except at the cafes and pastry shops where they seemed to be a standard practice.

As far as the discounts went, I found myself coming to terms with the idea quickly after the explanation. I’d make sure to take Naiad’s advice and not visit the same shop too often, but being able to get five dollars off a purchase was…

Well, it was surprising the amount of value five dollars could get you if you knew what you were looking for.

“Other than common etiquette, traveling rules, and discounts,” Everglaive continued her lecture. “The only other thing to cover is dealing with inappropriate or rude members of the public. That and crime, I suppose.”

“Yeah,” Naiad screwed up her face in distaste. “You’ll have classes at the academy about public relations and how to finesse situations where people are being weird or annoying. Honestly, for now I’d just recommend using the emergency escape tactic if you find yourself in a bad situation.”

Everglaive nodded, giving a polite smile to a businessman who’d stopped in his tracks to stare as we passed.

“Agreed. Disengaging with a poor community interaction is rarely a poor move. As for crime… It’s honestly best left to the police to handle. Interfering with a situation opens you up to all kinds of liability, and without proper training, it’s all too easy to make a mistake, especially at the lower levels. It is important to remember we are not members of law enforcement, nor are we vigilantes or heroes running around in masks. Despite the surface-level similarities, we are Guardians, defenders against the ever encroaching nightmare.”

“Yeah,” Naiad nodded emphatically. “Right now, your focus should be fighting Anathema and buying increasingly lethal spells and weapons. At higher levels, you’ll have more wiggle room to pick up some nonlethal disabling spells, but there’s not much reason to pick anything like that up now unless you’re specifically going a controller mage route and focusing on locking down enemies.”

I frowned, only taking a second to work up the courage to ask my question.

“What should I do if I see something happening in front of me, then?”

Naiad winced, spreading her hands in a hapless shrug.

“I mean it depends on the situation, but you mostly just do whatever feels right. So long as you don’t go overboard and hurt anybody badly, you’ll most likely be fine. Oh! And even if you do get sued, you’re protected by the government. They’ll handle the case and everything for you, and even if you somehow lose, they’re the ones who will cover the costs. There’s little the law can do to really punish you except with serious criminal charges.”

“Magical Girls have a unique series of legal immunities,” Everglaive agreed. “So long as you remember that just because you can get away with most things doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences eventually. However, I’m sure your Familiar has clued you into that already.”

Everglaive looked at me with a sideways glance that I responded to with a small nod. I remembered all too well Selene’s talk about what Dark Magical Girls were sometimes called up to do, about what happened when Magical Girls went too far beyond the law.

Suppressing the shiver at the thought of fighting other Magical Girls, I turned to Naiad as she gave a sigh.

“I wouldn’t worry about it too much. You’ll have classes at the academy to teach you about the legal stuff like that. So long as you behave like even a halfway decent human being, there’s not much to worry about. That, and actually stumbling on street crime is pretty rare. It’s more common the police call for assistance and a Guardian is given the choice of responding, but that’s best left to the more experienced girls.”

“Agreed,” Everglaive gave me a speculative look. “And with your chosen specialty of weapons, it would almost certainly be best to keep away from normal crime.”

“That, and trying to use appropriate levels of force can get a little hard to judge, especially when you get to a higher level and aren’t used to pulling your punches,” Naiad added with a sigh.

That sounded… oddly specific. I was considering asking about it when Everglaive and Naiad both stopped, heads snapping to the side to look at the rooftops across the street. I followed their gaze to see a girl standing on a building wearing some kind of pink dress with gleaming plates of silver armor attached to it.

“Is that-” Naiad started, only to be cut off with a sharp gesture from Everglaive.

“Let me deal with this. Moon, please stay next to Naiad.”

Naiad stepped closer to me, positioning herself slightly between myself and the mysterious figure. Before I could ask what was happening, the figure blurred into motion, soaring across the street in a single bound and landing in front of us before I could finish letting out my breath. Despite the ridiculous speed in which she’d leaped, she slowed down naturally quickly and landed gently, her toes gracefully arched down and meeting the concrete with a distinct lack of force before she lowered her heels to the ground.

Up close, I could make out a few more details about her. She looked to be in her late teens with pastel pink hair flowing down to her shoulders. Her eyes were a matching color with pupils that looked as if they’d been shattered into pieces while remaining vaguely circular. Her dress reminded me of an ornate Victorian ball gown, but with segmented armor plates over her chest and along the sides of the skirt. The combination gave her an elegant, battle princess look.

She smiled, looking at Everglaive with her smooth, heart-shaped face.

“Ever, It’s good to see you again!” she cheered in a sing-song lilt. “You too, Naiad! It’s been too long.”

“Pristine Peace,” Everglaive dipped her head in greeting. “What a pleasant surprise. Are you out on a patrol?”

“Oh, you know. Just taking care of the dailies. Say, I was actually wondering if I could speak to you and Naiad about something in private real quick. It won’t take more than a moment.”

Everglaive gave an apologetic smile, stepping to the side slightly and gesturing to me.

“Apologies. I’m afraid we’re currently in the middle of a training patrol with one of our newest kohai. Moon Bunny, I’d like to introduce you to Pristine Peace. We went to the Academy together.”

“I-it’s a pleasure to meet you,” I quickly said, giving a greeting bow.

The Magical stared at me, her cheery smile twitching slightly as a short silence formed between us. Something about the way she stared at me with her unblinking, shattered pupils sent a chill over me. Her eyes finally shifted from me, darting to look around us, and I followed her quick glances.

Most of the people on the street were giving our group a wide berth, though a few were trying to take inconspicuous photos or videos. The Magical Girl in front of me took a deep breath, returning her unblinking gaze to me.

“Likewise,” she finally replied, her voice strained.

I tensed, recognizing the tone. It was the same one the other girls at school had used when I introduced myself before I knew about the rumors and lies Katie had spread about me, the same they had used when I asked a simple question but didn’t want to look like they were associated with me.

It was the exact tone most of the other students not in my class used when they talked to me.

It had taken me a few weeks to really figure it out, a slow dread seeping into me as I wondered what was happening. In retrospect, those had been the more manageable days.

Now their voices were just filled with scorn and disdain if they even acknowledged me at all.

The Magical Girl turned back to Everglaive, I felt my muscles relax noticeably without her focusing on me. Still, I took a shuffling step to put myself further behind Naiad.

“Well, I get that you’re a little busy,” she spoke in her lilted, cheery tone again. “But it’s kind of important. I’m sure Moon Bunny won’t mind me taking you away for a second, or rescheduling if-”

“Pristine,” Everglaive spoke gently. “I know what you want to talk about, and I assure you, it is alright.”

The other Magical Girl faltered, blinking a few times.

“It’s… okay? Um… Are you sure?”

Pristine Peace’s voice lost the over-the-top tone she had been using before, shifting to one of concern.

“It is,” Everglaive nodded sagely. “I can guarantee it.”

The Magical Girl bit her bottom lip, glancing back at me. Unlike before, there was no intensity in the look. If anything, she looked more worried than intimidating.

“I just… after… you know…”

“I know,” Everglaive nodded with a sad smile. “You were just worried. I appreciate it, I do, but in this circumstance, I can happily say your worry is completely unfounded.”

Pristine Peace stared into Everglaive’s eyes for a long handful of seconds, then finally sighed, letting out a hissing breath between her teeth that turned into a groan as she covered her face with her hands.

“Man, I really screwed this up, didn’t I?”

“Maybe a little,” Everglaive’s lips quirked in an amused smile. “But not too badly to make amends.”

“Right…”

The Magical Girl in front of me let her hands drop to her sides, taking in a deep breath before she turned to me.

“I’m sorry about that, let’s try this again,” she spoke, holding out her hand. “Hi! I’m Magical Girl Pristine Peace! It’s nice to meet you, kohai!”

Hesitating for only a moment, I took her hand and shook it. Her grip was soft as a feather, as if she was afraid I might break under the slightest pressure.

“Sorry about my first impression,” she winced after the handshake ended. “Sometimes I just act without thinking, especially if I think my friends are, uh…”

She trailed off awkwardly, then gave a hapless shrug as a blush formed on her face.

“A-anyway,” she trilled. “I should be getting back to my patrol so I stop making a fool of myself. Ever, Naiad, nice seeing you again. Moon Bunny, good to meet you. I might not be as strong as these two, but if you ever need advice, feel free to send me a message on MGO! Later!”

Without so much as waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel and leapt, soaring in a high arc to land on a roof across the street before hopping again and disappearing from view.

Naiad giggled, shaking her head. Everglaive gave her an amused glance before she began moving with the quick pace we were using before. The few bystanders who had been loitering quickly made way for us.

“Honestly, that went better than I thought it would,” Naiad chirped.

“Pristine is the good sort,” Everglaive shrugged. “Perhaps she doesn’t always think things through, but she means well.”

The elven Magical Girl looked back to me, a small frown forming on her face.

“As for you, how are you holding up? I do hope Pristine didn’t leave too bad of an impression with her blunder.”

“I-I’m fine,” I lied, the edges of my nerves still tingling with frayed anxiety. “Um, what exactly…”

“Was that about?” Everglaive finished, and I nodded even though I was going to ask what I did wrong.

I was pretty sure I already knew what had just happened, the situation feeling all too familiar. A small part of me hoped I was wrong, but I wasn’t going to hold my breath.

“Hmm. Pristine’s always been one to jump to her friends if she thinks they might be in danger or an uncomfortable situation. It’s gotten her into misunderstandings in the past, and I’m sure it will again.”

My brow furrowed in confusion, only for Selene to brush me with her tails mid hop.

[She saw two of her friends on patrol with an unknown Dark Magical Girl and assumed they might not be patrolling with you willingly. Either you were following them for some strange reason, or they were coerced into patrolling with you. So, she attempted to pull Everglaive and Naiad away into a private conversation to make sure they were okay.]

Naiad winced at Selene’s words, and I swallowed the lump in my throat, nodding.

Just as I thought, then.

In a way, it was a relief. If Pristine had been concerned about me for some other reason, I wouldn’t really know how to take it. Dealing with rumors and whispers I couldn’t control was familiar, though. It was an old sore already scabbed over. A few more pokes from a new direction wouldn’t change much.

Besides, Pristine hadn’t been outright hostile towards me, which was more than I could say about some of my classmates.

Intense? A little, but it came from worrying about her friends. I couldn’t really fault her for that.

She doesn’t even know me, though…

I ignored the acidic feeling burning in my stomach, trying to move my thoughts past Pristine’s reaction to me.

We kept moving, Everglaive glancing at me while Naiad openly kept an eye on me. Nobody spoke for a minute, and as time drew on, Naiad’s expression quickly grew more dismayed.

“Um. Are you okay? I know we talked about the stigma around Darks, but experiencing it is…”

“It’s fine,” I lied, my voice even. “She meant well.”

Everglaive’s eyebrow quirked up as she side-eyed me.

“That does not excuse her behavior. Had she taken a moment to consider the situation, it would have been clear both Naiad and myself were in no distress. Between our high levels, shared history, and the fact we’ve been going on training patrols with the newest Magical Girls, there shouldn’t have been any question about what was happening. Instead, she jumped to the worst case scenario that we were forcibly paired with a Dark Magical Girl to go on patrol together.”

“Which is ridiculous,” Naiad sighed. “It’s not like anybody could or even would force us to patrol with somebody if we didn’t want to. Even the Association isn’t stupid enough to try commanding around Magical Girls like that. Make requests? Sure. Force them to spend time working with someone they really don’t want to? That’s just a recipe for disaster, especially with some of the egos and power levels involved.”

Everglaive nodded, looking off into the distance as we went by an outdoor cafe, phones from the half dozen customers quickly rising. A fashionable blond girl a few years older than me grinned a wide, vulpine smile as she whispered excitedly to her friend beside her, a tall girl with long, curly black hair and glasses who gently smiled at her friend’s excitement. The blond gestured wildly toward us, bottle-glass green eyes wide with excitement, and her friend nodded a few times, quiet but watching us with interest.

I wonder if that’s how Lily and I look when we’re hanging out.

I ignored the longing pang that thought brought, returning my focus to Everglaive.

“Agreed,” Everglaive continued, sounding distracted. “I’m just glad Moon’s first experience was with somebody acting out of concern, not malice. I do hope that…”

Everglaive trailed off, putting her hand up to her ear. A small smile bloomed on her face a moment later.

“Excellent, thank you for informing me. Would you be so kind as to mark us as on our way and set up a cordon? Oh, and a police escort to our location. Yes, the cafe. Perfect. Oh? She’s doing wonderful, though you should really be asking her yourself. No, I don’t think that will be an issue. Of course. Thank you.”

She lowered her hand a moment later, turning to Naiad and I with a smile.

“Good news. Error detected a low level Usurpation and marked it off for us. It’s a bit far, so we have a police transport on their way.”

My blood froze, my heartbeat suddenly loud in my ears.

Schooling my expression into passiveness was a skill I had plenty of practice in, though, and so I gave a simple nod.

Everglaive searched my face, her serene features betraying nothing. Still, there was a certain intensity to it that made the already considerable anxiety in my veins spike.

Thankfully, I knew how to deal with unwanted attention, too.

“Is it normal to call for a transport?”

“At lower levels, if the Usurpation is far away,” Everglaive shrugged. “Or if you lack the Agility to just run there.”

Naiad hummed agreeably, the sound of sirens picking up in the distance.

“There’s a bunch of support options like that you can call for, especially here in Arcadia. We even have long-range support Guardians like Error who can cast magic into the lower level Usurpations. Shields, summoned constructs, buffs, the whole shebang. They can’t really be used in higher level Usurps, but they’re pretty effective in the weaker ones. You’ll learn more about calling for that stuff later, but never be afraid to ask.”

“Could Error Machina solve some Usurpations all on his own, then?” I asked.

“Definitely. His summoned creatures are pretty nasty. The only issue is it would stymy the growth of newer Girls like you, so things like that are saved for emergencies, like if we see a civilian that didn’t make it into a shelter in time. Even then, they usually only do the minimum to get them to safety before backing off and letting an appropriately leveled Guardian get the experience and points.”

“Indeed,” Everglaive nodded. “Truthfully, it makes the lower level Usurpations in the city quite safe for new Girls, so long as they aren’t afraid to ask for assistance.”

“Is there a reason why somebody wouldn’t?”

“Experience for kills gets shared among every Guardian who participates based on the level of contribution. Points also only go to the one who kills an Anathema unless you form a party with the other Girls first. If a high-level Guardian gives out support like that, chances are the System gives them most of the rewards.”

“Greed and glory kill far more Guardians than actual heroics,” Everglaive said quietly. “Never let yourself forget that we’re all facing the same enemy, and that you aren’t alone in this fight… No matter how much some of our comrades might try to convince you otherwise.”

The seriousness of her tone made my chest tighten, and I nodded.

The sirens were near now, and people around us were looking around excitedly, the few who had phones out turning to the source. In a surprisingly short time, a large, heavily armored police van came around a corner and slid to a stop in front of us. Everglaive opened the back and climbed into the van without preamble.

I followed inside with Selene hopping in behind me, the back of the van hollowed out except for cushioned benches along either wall. I climbed into a spot across from Everglaive and Naiad, finding a small seatbelt I fumbled to buckle as Naiad closed the door behind me. A middle-aged officer with a bald head turned back from the driver seat, glancing over us.

“That everyone?”

“It is, officer,” Everglaive gave a curt nod. “Do you know the location?”

“Yup. Alright, hold on tight ladies. This ain’t no sports car, but I’ll have you there in twenty or less or your money back.”

And then we were off, the sound of the sirens surprisingly muted on the inside. Everglaive leaned forward towards me, folding her hands on her lap.

“Moon Bunny. As one who has signed a mentorship contract, I find myself in an awkward position when it comes to advising you about your choice in weapons considering I have no real experience with your chosen specialty. Thankfully, there is a simple solution. I happen to be on good terms with an expert in that particular armament, and I would like to invite them to the Usurpation to introduce the two of you. I believe they could prove to be an excellent instructor, and I personally trust them to keep things secret.”

I chewed on my lip, turning to Selene for her opinion. Her form shimmered a bit as her invisibility dropped, her head turning to Everglaive.

[May I ask who this person is?] Selene inquired, making Everglaive who smiled.

“A good friend of mine, but more importantly, a Warden team leader.”

[Ah…] Selene turned to me. [I believe this would be a good idea. The Wardens are the elite, special forces of the Magical Soldiers. They’re given high quality Zenith equipment purchased from Magical Girls, and are quite powerful. To be honest, I cannot think of a better tutor for you.]

Internalizing that information for a moment, I nodded.

“Okay,” I told both Selene and Everglaive, pushing down my apprehension as a phone was summoned into Everglaive’s hand that she began texting on.

It was confusing and frustrating, to be honest. Every step of the way, it seemed like Selene or other Magical Girls were warning me to not trust anyone, but then I kept being put in situations where I had no choice but to rely on the word of others.

Which was usually a terrible idea, in my experience. The Geas contracts dispelled some of my worry, but even then, it felt like I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Even worse, everyone had been nice so far. Despite Selene’s and Error’s warning about the reputation of Dark Magical Girls, I hadn’t had any problems yet beside Pristine, but even that had been mild.

No, that’s a poor conclusion. I’ve only met six other Guardians so far, and one of them was willing to act on those rumors even though she knew Everglaive and Naiad. If anything, one in six taking negative action is worrying, especially when four of those were recommended by Error and are part of the same team, meaning it’s obvious they would have similar reactions.

Really, that meant one of my two random encounters with Guardians had been colored by the rumors of being a Dark. I’d gotten lucky with Error Machina, probably more than I even fully realized.

I needed to keep my guard up. I’d trust Everglaive’s judgment about this Warden, but only because Everglaive had risked her life for mine and it seemed counterproductive to turn on me at this point. I wanted to fully put my trust in her and Error, but… I just couldn’t. I knew how quickly somebody could change.

After all, even Katie started out trying to be my friend…

“We’re here, ladies!” the officer’s voice suddenly rang out, pulling me from my musings. “Good luck and good hunting!”

“Stay safe,” Everglaive responded, and the officer turned around in surprise before flashing a wolfish smile.

“Stay dangerous!” he replied, and Everglaive nodded, opening the back door and hopping out.

Naiad and I followed, and I found myself on a street with a barricade of police cars. A few officers manned the perimeter, sleek-looking automatic rifles in their hands. They gave us a nod as Everglaive strode forward like she owned the place, officers moving one of the barricades for her. I followed with Naiad, trying to keep my head down.

“Go get those bastards…” a young officer whispered, almost too quietly to be heard, venom dripping from her voice.

The sheer animosity made me stop for a moment, and I glanced up to see her watching us with a burning anger, eyes gleaming with a mixture of hate and loss.

It was a look I was all too familiar with.

Suddenly, the bladed edge of my anxiety seemed to blunt itself. It still scraped across my bones with each pulse of my heart, but it felt less important now.

She lost someone to the Anathema. The monsters. The monsters that threaten everyone.

The monsters that maimed and tried to kill me.

That tried to kill Brian.

That would have killed Lily.

My jaw set, steel forming in my veins, and the officer finally noticed I’d stopped and was looking at her. She blinked in surprise, cheeks flushing in embarrassment that I’d overheard her.

I simply gave her a slow, deep nod, then turned away and hurried to catch up with the other two.

The three of us walked for another two blocks, and I took in the surrounding city with interest. Most of the buildings here weren’t more than a couple of stories tall, meaning we’d moved even further from the city center, probably in the outer-middle districts proper. It seemed like this was mostly a residential area, a few apartments and nicer houses with actual lawns. Actual greenery and space separated the structures, giving the surroundings a more open, breathable atmosphere.

Finally we turned a corner and I saw the Usurpation.

It was an odd thing, almost like somebody had put down a giant glass bowl over the area. I could see into it, but the images were blurred and distorted, making it hard to make out details other than I was looking at a two story building that sprawled out quite a bit. Something about the architecture seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place it.

The other thing that grabbed my attention was the futuristic black sports car parked on the edge of the bubble. Light played oddly off the car, not quite gleaming off it like it should. It seemed bigger than other sports cars I’d seen, but still sleek and dangerous looking. Those extra portions of the car reminded me more of armor than anything else.

We made our way towards the vehicle, its windows tinted completely black. The driver’s side door opened as we came near, and a figure stepped out.

She wore a futuristic set of black armor that covered her from head to toe, all sleek curves and segmented plates that hugged her body tightly. It looked like something straight from a sci fi movie, some kind of close-fitting power armor that radiated danger. The helmet was designed more like a knight’s, a slim black visor where the eyes would be over the V-shaped faceplate. Dark red lines across the armor acted as accents, subtly emphasizing the woman’s tall and slim form.

The lithe figure sauntered the rest of the way to us with an uncaring confidence, and I saw Naiad’s normally cheerful expression flicker briefly into something like a scowl before resetting.

She stopped in front of us, Everglaive giving her a nod with a small smile.

“Sergeant,” Ever greeted her simply.

“Girl,” the figure growled back, the feminine voice slightly distorted with an electronic twinge.

The two stared at each other, neither moving for a moment, and I felt myself tensing up as the silence stretched.

Then, at some unspoken signal, the woman laughed and held out a hand that Everglaive clasped with a chuckle.

“Good to see you again, Glaivy,” she said, and Everglaive gave the slightest of exasperated sighs.

“You too, Sanguine.”

“And you!” the Warden said, stepping away from Everglaive to pick up Naiad in a big hug that made the smaller girl squeak. “I never got to properly thank you for helping out Pixie! She’s doing awfully good, by the way. No tingling or weakness in her feet at all. You really know how to reattach some limbs, girl! She’s been asking about you, too. Think she wants to give you a ‘thank you present,’ if you know what I mean.”

Naiad’s shocked expression was quickly replaced with a carmine blush so deep it looked like she was sunburned. Naiad sputtered, finally being released and dropping a few inches to the ground.

Then the Warden turned to me, putting her hands on her hips.

“And you…” she stopped, her head tilting. “A manaborn Guardian? I don’t believe I’ve met you, yet.”

“Guin,” Everglaive said, gesturing to me. “Allow me to introduce Magical Girl Moon Bunny and her Familiar Selene. She’s new, and our team is currently in the process of showing her the ropes.”

“Oh? Well, let me properly introduce myself then.”

She waved a hand over her helmet, and it flashed with red light before vanishing like I’d seen other items do when put into storage items. A young woman’s face looked back at me with pale skin and freckles painted across her nose and upper cheeks. Her hair was colored scarlet, done up in a bun with a few strands escaping to frame her face, and her eyes were a matching red with the vivid sheen of a manaborn.

She held out her hand to me, a wry grin on her face.

“Sergeant Tessa Kelley,” she introduced herself with a wink, her voice tinted with the faintest of Irish accents. “And my Warden codename’s Sanguine, or Guin for short. Good to meetcha, Moon Bunny.”