Omake:
So You Wanna Be A Hero
Minako can barely contain her excitement. Finally she is going to get to do the thing she became a magical girl to do. Hunt demons. Okay, so her wish had been to "protect people from demons," but how else where you supposed to protect people from demons, except by hunting them? It was implied! Even though Minako knew that part of the reason she had been chosen to hunt in the red girl's territory was that she didn't have a history the way other greens did, Minako was still proud of the trust Mami was showing in her, to pick her as the one to hunt in a territory that was a matter of delicate diplomacy.
Minako's companion did not seem to share her enthusiasm. Nagisa had been part of a pair before joining the Serenes. A pair that had abruptly become a solo act before Mami recruited her. Nagisa is not exactly happy to be out hunting again, despite the assurances Mami had given her that it was perfectly safe. Minako finds her to be a bit of a downer, if she and her partner had joined the Serenes earlier, Minako is sure they'd both have been fine. Magical girls without an organization backing them had it rough, but Minako was convinced that Mami was always making sure things were safe for the Serenes. Minako had learned not to make comments like that though. People can be sensitive.
Nagisa stops at the edge of a large patch of miasma. She takes a deep breath, "Okay, we'll transform here, and then go in." She looks at Minako skeptically, "and then we follow the plan, right?"
Minako nods, "Yeah, Yeah." The two begin to transform. Minako exploding into sparkles as a long wide blue dress appears, with a silver breastplate and short over skirt of metal plates. Most impressive though are the steel gauntlets that form on her arms, running down like liquid metal from her hands to her elbows before solidifying.
Minako can feel her gauntlets hum with power. She grins fiercely. Other barrier girls had shields, and often maces. Occasionally one would have a sword. Minako's weapons however, are her gauntlets. Frankly, she found the other barrier girls annoying. Always focused on shields and blocking. Sure, protection was the goal, but the best defense is a good offense, right? Minako knows she'll get a chance to prove that her way is just as good at protection as theirs. She makes two fists. Maybe even tonight.
Nagisa's transformation is less explosive and more gradual. Green and silver flow up from her feet, almost vine like in their movements, while her hair twists into a braid and small flowers bloom from it. Eventually she's wearing a green skirt and blouse slashed with silver, and green leggings with soft green shoes. A delicate bow appears in her hands. Minako isn't sure what Nagisa's wish was for. She doesn't talk with the other girls that much, preferring to spend time with cats... and dogs... and rabbits... and birds... pretty much any animal really. Minako admits that cats and rabbits, and even some dogs are pretty cute, but she wouldn't want to pretend to talk to them like friends the way Nagisa does.
Nagisa pauses before entering the miasma. "Remember, stay close," she reminds Minako.
Mianko rolls her eyes, knowing what Nagisa really means. "Don't worry Nagisa-chan, I'll protect you." ' Yeah, yeah...' Minako thinks. 'Stay close and block while you snipe. Standard barrier and long range team. I want to get in close and hit something!' Minako slams a gauntlet wrapped fist into her other hand in anticipation.
Nagisa is nervous. She feels that Minako really doesn't understand what it's like hunting real demons instead of training like Minako is used to. Knowing that she's hesitated too much already, Nagisa pushes into the miasma, with Minako close behind her. There are a lot of demons. A lot of demons. Swiftly Nagisa begins shooting demons with her bow. Fortunately, they seem sluggish in responding to the threat, and die easily to her bow. Much more easily then she remembers it being. Several demons die before one even gets off a shot at her. Nagisa dodges easily, only to realize she didn't need to, as Minako was there blocking the demon laser with a summoned energy shield.
Minako yawns. This is boring. Most of the time the demons don't get a shot off, and even if they do, Minako notices that Nagisa is dodging despite her blocking the attacks. If she isn't going to count on her for barrier duty, then why are we even working together, Minako wonders. Soon the group they are whittling away at is down to only two demons left. Abandoning Nagisa's side, Minako rushes the two remaining demons. Easily dodging the one laser that comes at her, Minako strikes the right demon with a roundhouse swing, causing it to crumble to dust. Even as the second to last demon dies, Minako is shifting to the last demon. Blocking a point blank beam with her left gauntlet, Minako lands an uppercut with her right to the demon's center mass, followed by a left to the face as it crumples around her right fist.
The demon fades away to dust, and Minako turns back to Nagisa. Uh oh, Nagisa is frozen, staring at her with horror. Nagisa recovers quickly though. "What are you doing?!" Nagisa shouts at Minako.
"Finishing off the left overs," Minako responds defensively. "There were only two left, you weren't in any danger."
"Weren't -" Nagisa sputters incomprehensibly for a moment before regaining her voice. "You think I was worried about myself? You're the one that put herself in danger for no reason. What were you doing charging in like that?"
"Winning," Minako answers exasperatedly. 'She thought I was in danger?' Minako thinks in confusion. 'Didn't she see how easy these demons were?'
Nagisa puffs up in frustration, "Just stick close to me and let me snipe them from range. It's safer that way."
"Why?" Minako demands, "I can handle them fine, these things are easy."
Nagisa hesitates, it's true the demons do see a lot less powerful then ones she remembers. The memory of her friend laughing off the danger of hunting just a few minutes before dying flashes through Nagisa's mind; leading Nagisa to throw down her trump card, "Who's the one with real hunting experience?"
Minako grimaces, "All right fine. whatever." Minako stalks off, de-transforming as the miasma dissipates.
The next night is much the same, snipe, snipe, snipe, block, snipe, snipe, snipe... Minako is becoming bored. Again. Minako sighs, Nagisa hadn't mentioned last night's incident when the hunting started, but she knows Nagisa is just waiting to unleash another scolding if she gets in close to the demons once again. Minako squirms as she watches Nagisa kill another two demons. 'It's not fair that she gets to kill all the demons just because she's got a long range attack,' MInako fumes.
'Wait...' Minako has an idea. 'She objects to close range fighting right? So all I have to do is figure out a way to attack from range.' Minako grins, she likes a challenge. Trying something new out while keeping an eye on the battle is a little tricky, but the battle is really more like a slaughter, and the demons always do this little twist before shooting. It's not that hard for Minako to summon a small spherical barrier in between her hands while still blocking the occasional demon laser that comes their way.
Finally Minako gets the sphere small enough, and stable enough to match what she wants to do with it. "Hey, watch this!" Minako shouts before tossing the sphere in the air, and cocking a fist. When the sphere returns level with her, Minako punches it, driving it across the space between them and the demons. Punching through two of them, the struck demons quickly crumble. Nagisa's arrow pierces the third and last demon before it can respond.
Nagisa whirls to face Minako, "What was that?"
"Hey, don't get mad. I didn't get in to close range," complains MInako.
Nagisa's face softens, "I guess so." Nagisa hesitates while Minako blows out a puff of air in frustration.
'What does this girl want from me?' Minako wonders.
"Sorry," say Nagisa after thinking for a bit. "It just surprised me, that's all." Noticing that Minako does not look convinced, Nagisa continues, "It was cool, really. You should do it again."
"Yeah?" Minako grins, "Let's have a competition, see who kills the most tomorrow night."
"Minako," Nagisa sighs, "it's not a game."
"I know," Minako responds as she and Nagisa de-transform with the fading of the miasma. "I'm just suggesting a little fun that's all. Sheesh."
Nagisa doesn't respond, but MInako thinks she sees a tiny smile on her face before she turns away. Minako decides that's the best she can expect for now. At least now she won't be so bored when hunting for the rest of the month. Minako hadn't thought demon hunting would be this easy.
Hunting went much faster for the rest of the month. Although Nagisa did scold Minako a few more times for not focusing enough on blocking. Still, Minako was feeling much better about herself at the end of the month. 'I can do this,' Minako thought to herself.
'I can do this,' Nagisa thought to herself. Happy that they had managed to get through the month without injury. She was really starting to enjoy Minako's enthusiasm and ready laughs. She wasn't as scared as she had been. Still, Nagisa wishes Minako wasn't so aggressive all the time. 'Barrier girls are supposed to be more mellow,' she thought.
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This one has been on the drawing board for some time.
