#tarnishedninja

(Starter for @tarnishedninja)

Alice had a problem.  Her aunt and uncle were getting more and more worried about her. She’d been attending her new school for months and had yet to bring home a single friend.  She had seen the worried look on their faces, and was trying to think of a way to make friends, but couldn’t think of anything.

    One night, while out as Swim Swim, she passed by a house with the curtains open on the window. It was only a passing glance, but she could see the person inside sleeping. That sight filled her with disdain. Not for the person inside who was sleeping, but for the fact she couldn’t bring herself to do such a thing if she tried. Swim Swim didn’t need sleep; she wouldn’t care one if it wasn’t for the fact it was a weakness of hers. 

  Magical Girls normally didn’t need to sleep, but being so young meant Ayana still had the occasional nap. After a while she made a habit to transform in and out just to get rid of that feeling of sleepiness. She didn’t want to admit it, but her dreams scared her now. She didn’t like being scared of something so trivial. She didn’t like being scared at all.

  Ever since that fateful night, Ayana Sakanagi had been having nightmares. Bright, painful flashes, a dull pain in her chest, loud noises with explosive verberations, beeping from heartbeat monitors, being questioned by police… Those were the usual ones, ones that woke her up with a start, covered in sweat. Other times, she had more elaborate dreams, such as ones where she’d be in school or some other public place and attacked by an unknown assailant, unable to transform… It was almost too familiar. 

   While she was getting over that, Swim Swim felt a brief vibration from her magical phone. She checked it to find a text from the last person she’d ever expect. Ripple, the same magical girl who somehow found and exploited another of her weaknesses, and she clearly had a significant advantage over Swim Swim when it came to speed and reflexes. Not to mention, she almost certainly knew Swim Swim’s identity as a human too… 

   Swim Swim didn’t like Ripple. Ripple was a strong foe, one that Swim Swim still believed she should take down, but she felt that would be nearly impossible. At least, if she tried on her own, but there was no-one who’d work with her, not even others in the Land of Magic after hearing about what she’d done. Swim Swim had felt apprehension before, but this made her feel almost helpless. Just like she was in her dreams…

   …Swim Swim felt a surge of emotions, but her expression was as neutral as ever as she stared at the text. It was an invitation, with the destination being Takashimadai Dam. Swim Swim quickly checked the date and time to make sure she wasn’t mistaking it for an older message. No, this was just sent minutes ago. Swim Swim didn’t reply. Despite the horrid emotions she was feeling, she felt the best thing for a leader to do would be to face it with courage, not avoid it out of fear. That choice made her feel a bit better about herself. 

starter for: @tarnishedninja

starter for @tarnishedninja

In the dead of night, in a city with lights strewn across the horizon, stood two magical girls.

The first: a plant magical girl, with several large, odorless red Poinsettias growing from her scalp. With her choice of dress and her hands planted squarely on her hips, she looked almost like a superhero.

The second...

“Didn’t know there was a magical girl like you around here.” Marika landed on the rooftop she currently occupied, assuming an aggressive stance. “If I’d known that, I woulda stopped by sooner.”

She looked strong. Moreso than strong, she looked battle-scarred. She was adorned with medals in the shape of scars, and she didn’t seem all that disturbed by Marika’s appearance. At the thought of finally finding a worthy opponent after months of passivity, Marika grinned.

“Oi! Don’t turn your back on me!”

starter for @tarnishedninja