being a "magical girl", as they're called (though some people are, in fact, not girls), means you're tasked with the responsibility of protecting your town/city and everyone that lives in it from creatures of malicious intent from another dimension. there isn't a set amount- there are magical girls all over the world, helping to fight against the same cause.

you're given a crystal, a weapon, and an outfit (tailored to your selected color + theme) for you to fight with. when not transformed, your crystal becomes a normal object/accessory (of your choosing) to blend in. you can transform at any moment and even summon your weapons and use your magic when not transformed. you can technically fight without your magic outfit, but it looks cooler and provides more protection.

anyone of any age can become a magical girl, and if you hit a certain age you do not "forget" and lose all your powers. you only stop being a magical girl if you become corrupted, die, or never use your powers again. you'll still have them, though. so, you're never truly human again. most never get away with it, though. they get found out sooner or later.

did i mention you're technically immortal? oh yes. to help preserve your bodies + magical energy, you essentially transfer the essence of life itself inside your crystal- your soul. it makes your body able to suffer hit after hit after hit. got shot in the brain? able to reform yourself and continue fighting. you're not invincible, though. you'll still feel pain, you just cant die.

however, if your crystal is destroyed, or if it's away from your body for too long, you die. for example: say your crystal is in the middle of your chest. you could get stabbed in the head, neck, leg, arms, and you'd be fine. if you're stabbed in the middle of your chest and it hits your crystal, destroying it and shattering it? boom. gone. dead. bye-bye!

the larger the crystal, the more cautious you must be. the more exposed it is, the more alert you must be.

your crystal CAN get cracked and you could be fine- you'd just feel more sharper pains and, if there's a wound you didn't heal in time, it'll heal slower than normal. HOWEVER, if you lost a limb and it couldn't regenerate in time, and then suddenly lost a big chunk of your crystal, it'd be gone. as if you could never regenerate it in the first place.

(yes this is straight from madoka but they aren't shaped like EGGS they're. cool shapes that glow like. like the souls from undertale idk how to describe it. ALSO I DID SAY A LOT WAS GONNA BE INSPIRED BY MADOKA JUST WITH NEWER ASPECTS OR DIFFERENT THINGIES :(( im not that original my autism is acting up/joke)

as long as the crystal is mainly intact, you will be okay. if it is COMPLETELY shattered, leaving only a few shards and no real shape behind, that's when you're soul dies. when you die.

since you have no soul inside you anymore, you're technically made of magic. the more magic you use, the less stable you'll become if you don't rest. it's important to let your body regain its composure before you start fighting again. if you constantly throw yourself into battles, your magic becomes tainted. if your magic becomes tainted, you become tainted. no one wants to know what happens when you leave yourself to deal with your corrupted magic.

it's possible for your magic to be stolen- though most never live to tell the tale.

speaking of- being a magical girl gives you the power of. well. magic! this magic can take any form and manifest itself as any ability, giving you an infinite amount of options. you can't pick them all though. trust me, people have tried.

your magic doesn't have to match up with your theme, of course. you could be depicted as an angel, with a color palette of blue, gold, and white, with the purest wings and the holiest bow and the gentlest arrows. yet, you have the power of shadow manipulation. quite the contrast, i can guarantee.

your weapons are also enhanced with magic, allowing you to take the demons down and weaken them to banish them from this world. they don't permanently die die, however there's a good chance after you block their entrance they won't come back.

you can attack with your weapon, magical ability, or a "finishing move", which is basically a VERY powerful ability stemming from focusing magic. for example; you could wield the power of water manipulation, and for your finishing move, focus and summon a tidal wave to take down enemies. or, you could have magic centered around electricity, and your finishing move is a large lightning strike on your foes.

people knowing of you being a magical girl is not dangerous, it will not get them killed, nor will it put them at risk. still, you'd rather not want to let your family and/or friends know you can summon weapons out of thin air and are constantly facing death protecting them to spare them from worrying.

the way people become magical girls is..unknown. most say something visited them in their sleep- something that shrouded their vision in a blue light, and spoke to them- something about "freedom" and "the act of saving". the morning afterward they woke up and found a note on their window with a white cloudy crystal attached. they say the note read something along the lines of "please come to the forest. we've been waiting for you." none can recall what they saw or what happened in the forest. no matter who you ask.

big thanks to my friends @rosssm and @joculatrixgonewild for helping me out with this au <3

it could be a coincidence, it could be destiny. there could be a prophecy they help fulfill, or it could just be dumb luck. in the end, their fates are sealed either way. they die a hero, or become the villain. you can't change that. no matter how hard you try.

prices have to be paid, and when messing with fantasy and the supernatural, the more expensive things get.