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The Angelic Saints are the only force protecting the hearts of innocents from the evil Abyssal Forest and its monstrous Beasts. Juggling their responsibilities as magical girls with high school and their other friendships, the Saints will never give up their struggle against the forces of Sin and darkness!
But Charlie isn't one of them. He has no magic, no powers and no hidden wells of inner strength he can use to always triumph over the villains. He is not beautiful or strong or brave, no matter how much he wishes he could be. Instead, he finds himself held hostage by nearly every other monster of the week.
Charlie would give almost anything to stand with the Saints. And yet, when he finally gets an offer to step onto that stage and claim everything he's ever wanted, Charlie finds that the price may be too high.
SV User's Choice for Best Original Work (2023) and Best Completed Fic (2024)
My attempt at writing a full-on Omake fanfic here, as you don't see them that much for non-Quests, let alone Original works. It's another Doctor Who crossover using my own Doctor incarnation and companion, as I previously wrote two DW crossovers as Omakes for Quests, them being fairly easy to write for me with how naturally DW lends itself to crossovers.
I did try to give the Angelic Saints some breathing room before I introduced The Doctor, unlike my last two omakes. Probably my biggest concern is whether I've written the Saints and Avaritia in-character enough, that and if I've made both the Daleks and the Abyss look appropriately powerful.
Already the Angelic Saints were dashing deep into the thorny labyrinth that was the Abyssal Forest, till at last they set eyes upon the twisted and gargantuan castle of Superbia at its core. Their mission couldn't be more urgent, for Michael's premonitions and Avaritia's boasting had alerted them to the anointing of the Beast of Wrath being imminent.
"Does seem counter-productive," Diligentia had to remark, "Outright telling us they've found the perfect Candidate with enough time to stop them."
"Heh, that's Avaritia for you," Temperentia said, "Ey lives for that kind of cackling, moustache-twirling showboating. Thought you would've picked up on that by now."
Castitas skipped the banter outright, engaging instead with her own form of showboating as her petite physique kicked the iron gates flying open. Fiery bow already at hand, she proclaimed "FINIS, MALEFACTOR!" (a term she totally didn't use Google Translate to look up)... only to then see that said malefactors were already finishing off each other.
"Sheesh, I thought you were just gonna be the screaming, brutish type," Avaritia said in-between having to dodge beam blasts that the very Candidate ey'd brought in was firing at em, "But no, you just had to pull this big brain subterfuge bullsh-" a near hit cut her off.
While her lupine leaps were swift enough to keep her from getting blasted, the entourage of Resinners she had with her weren't so lucky. One by one they were disintegrated by this Candidate's beams. Soon enough, Avarita was left to fend for herself.
"YOU-HAVE-OUTLIVED-YOUR-PURPOSE!" the Ira Candidate's inhuman voice blared at Avaritia. "NOW-THAT-WE-HAVE-INFILTRATED-YOUR-BASE, YOU-WILL-HAND-THE-REMAINING-SEEDS-OVER-TO-US-TO-POWER-OUR-WEAPONS-OR-BE-EXTERMINATED!"
The Angelic Saints only now getting a good look at the Ira Candidate, Castitas' first thought was that 'Candidate' was no longer the word. He(?) no longer looked human or even humanoid, but instead like... "A saltshaker, whisk, and plunger?" Diligentia said, scratching her head.
"More like a trashcan," Temperentia said, her stoic face allowing itself the slightest smirk, "Fitting for Avaritia to bring in."
"W-Whatever it is, it's too late. He's already lost his humanity and become the Beast of Wrath!" Castitas gasped. For a moment it looked like all the warmth and brightness had been sucked out of her face, but then she shook her head, clenched her fists, and said, "No, it's never too late! If us Saints can purify a Resinner, then there's nothing stopping us from purifying a Beast!" The thought of a certain childhood friend flashed in her mind with those words. "It'll just take, ah, a little more firepower, that's all!"
While the Saints took heed of what was going down, Avaritia had already sped eir way behind this 'Beast of Wrath', then pounced to wrench his metal plating off with eir claws. "More like 'AND-BE-EXTERMINATED', I can tell what you'd pull if we for whatever reason did give you the Seeds," ey said, only for this Ira to dodge eir attack as he levitated straight upwards. "And what's this 'we' and 'us', you never said you were plural? You're the only one here!"
"INCORRECT! THE-DALEK-RACE-IS-INNUMERABLE!" Ira bleated back down at em, then levitated further out of her reach, pointing what could only be called his 'eyestalk' upwards, and announced, "CO-ORDINATES-OF-CASTLE-IDENTIFIED! ACTIVATING-MASS-TELEPORT!"
The crimson skies above the Abyss were then filled by a swarm of shimmering lights, with metal monsters identical to the Beast of Wrath materialising. "Wait, uh, it can call on clones of itself?" Castitas had to wonder, "Not sure what that has to do with Wrath? Incitement thing, Zerg Rush deal?"
"Won't be doing that for long," Temperentia said, as she took the moment to shoot a sniper-like water jet right at Ira's eyestalk.
The sudden shot sent that stalk of his swiveling, forcing him to halt his summoning ability less than halfway through.
"TELEPORTATION-HALTED!" Ira announced, before he observed, "YOU-HAVE-REINFORCEMENTS. THAT-MEANS-NOTHING, A-DIMINISHED-ARMY-OF-DALEKS-IS-STILL-MORE-THAN-ENOUGH-TO-EXTERMINATE-YOU-ALL!"
"Guess again, Beast of Wrath!" Castitas called forth, their cover already having been blown anyway. The three Saints striking poses, Castitas lead with, "Cleansing with the flames of purity-"
"Can it, goody-goods," Avaritia cut the three off. "When our would-be infiltrator here said 'reinforcements', he didn't mean you."
The instant all the summoned 'Daleks' had materialised, they were ambushed from behind by a flock of flying Resinners, this flock taking the shape of balloons, plane engines, helicopter blades, even a flying car. Leading this flock was none other than the one Beast whose Castitas' heart sank at the sight of.
"Yeah, did you seriously think we'd have no defence against an airborne attack?" Avaritia laughed, not just at the first Dalek but also with one eye on the Saints. "Just because Old Man Superbia was so out of touch he fell for your 'creator' pulling a Nigerian Prince on him, 'Dalek', doesn't mean you can do a thing to rest of us!"
Not that the aerial ambush was going as smoothly as Avaritia made it sound. With the remaining 'Daleks' now having the chance to react, the sky became a lightshow as they fired beam blast after beam blast. Both Resinner and Dalek then crashed to the ground in fiery wrecks.
"C, please, hang in there," Castitas found herself muttering as she stared up at the Beast of Envy still fighting, even in spite of what that Beast had just put her through. "Alright Saints, let's show the Abyss that even a Beast can be purified! Focus on the summoner, all as one!"
"YOU-ARE-DELUDED!" Ira the Beast of Wrath, or a 'Dalek' as he called himself, bleated out, this time definitely addressing the saints, "THE-DALEK-RACE-ARE-THE-ONLY-PURE-RACE!"
He then shot not only a single blast, but rapid-fire blasts down at the Saints, but these were all met with another eagled-eyed water snipe by Temperentia, an entire statue picked up and thrown by Diligentia, and a firestorm of arrows from Castitas.
The inevitable outcome was an explosion that left this Dalek Ira spinning and shrieking, at which Castitas pulled out one last arrow and said, "Michael by my right hand, let's draw out the Heart Amber!" What followed was not an arrow of fire, but one of pure, shining love stringer than all her target's hate. This eternal love struck the Dalek Ira...
...And made it drop down full force onto the courtyard. Its metal shell was blown open, revealing what the girls could only call a 'cyclopean squid' inside. Or rather the corpse of one.
"What? No!" Castitas gasped and ran forth, as what she may have done dawned on her. "This, this is a Heart Amber, just extra-corrupted from the seed, right? C'mon now, purify! Purify!" But minutes later and no purification, just that corpse still lying there, denial was no longer possible.
"I never thought you had it in you, Castitas..." Avaritia said, a fanged grin of eirs slowly spreading. "You just killed a living being. Oh, not that I care, this 'Dalek' thing here was nothing but a loudmouth, sneaky as he thought he was. But you care, don't you Saint?"
"Regardless, that's your Beast of Wrath all gone," Diligentia said, trying to hide any devastation behind a rock-hard facade.
"Pfft, no it's not," Avaritia laughed back at her, eir arms folded, "Big-brain super-strategist trashcan here attacked the instant we reached the castle, before we could bestow Ira upon him. Thought he was so much the superior being that he and his pals could make us hand over all our Seeds at once."
"That does track," Temperentia said, also keeping her feelings about what just happened to herself, "This 'Dalek' said he wanted the Seeds to power his race's technology, not to plant it in himself. Would directly absorbing the Seed be an 'impurity' to him?"
"Hey, good to know your brain's still working, 'Temperentia'," Avaritia had to remark, "Though not working hard enough to know whose side you should still be on..."
Castitas, slumped over with tears streaming down her face, only then look up to see the airborne Invidia glare down at her. Like that glare said it all, the new Beast of Envy flew away without a word, leaving Castitas to her desolation...
The next morning, Inessa was... fine, just fine. She got dressed, ate breakfast, greeted her parents good morning before she left for school, all with the brightest smile on her face. Well, the brightest smile she could possibly manage, in her current state.
While on her usual route to school, she had the chance to bump into someone brand new to her. A woman not that much older than her if far meeker in looks, given her glasses and brownish-black hair kept together by braids. The two not diverging in their paths, Inessa tried to keep up her cheer by saying, "Hi there! I'm Inessa Brandt, nice to meetcha! Ah, you'd be a new transfer student, did I get that right?"
"Huh?" the woman said like she'd been ambushed. But given Inessa posed little threat, she then composed herself and said, "Actually no, I've graduated. My name's Lavinia Mortlake, I've been Assistant Librarian for about a week now. Wait, I do think I've seen you around school, you're the one dashing between classes, aren't you? Ah, no offence, I didn't mean to sound accusatory," she gulped, her glasses almost slipping.
"Hey, none taken. And yep, that'd be me," Inessa said with a smile, "And I've really been meaning to study more at the library, but y'know, life gets in the way," which was the technical truth for her. Then she paused as it occurred to her, "Huh, your accent- Ooh, you're British, aren't you? I mean, 'Lavinia Mortlake' sounds all British-y too."
"Ah yes, yes I am, and I guess it does," Lavinia nodded, "I'm across the pond due to- well, it's complicated. Shortest I can put it is I have this friend who's here on... business, and she invited me to come along. She was a bit concerned when I applied for library work, since I've had, er, previous bad experience in the job. But I said it was fine, it's what I'm used to."
"Wow! Friends are the greatest, aren't they?" Inessa grinned and twirled around, even as inside her heart felt numbed. But she continued not to show that as she said, "Oh hey, I can see some of mine now. Hey, Ida! Temperance!" She then spun back around and asked, "You wanna come meet them, Lavinia? Though I guess you've got library stuff to attend to, huh?"
"I'm afraid I do. Plus, I'm... really not the best in group conservations, that's more my friend's field of expertise. But thanks for the offer, Miss Brandt, it was nice to meet you too," Lavinia said, managed a smile herself, and waved goodbye.
Inessa waved goodbye even harder, before Ida and Temperance both approached their leader. Ida then asked her, "Everything alright after, well, how last night went down?"
For a few seconds Inessa was able to maintain her smile. But finally, she broke down and forced herself to say, "No, no I'm not. Look, I get it, that 'Dalek' was clearly not a good guy, whatever it was, talking about 'extermination' and the 'superior race'. But even if we're talking total evil, it- it doesn't matter. I killed someone! I'm an Angelic Saint and I killed a living, thinking being! With C gone too, I... I don't know if I can even call myself a magical girl anymore."
"Inessa, you didn't know," Ida told her, placing her hands on Inessa's shoulders, "You didn't mean to kill, you truly thought you were purifying them."
"And even if you do have murder's stain, along with Invidia's corruption, upon your soul," it was Michael who now spoke, popping up out of Inessa's schoolbag, "The Angelic Saints still need you. Could you truly just leave Diligentia and Temperentia to fight back the Abyss on their own? Not just anyone can become Castitas."
"Hmm, maybe we just need to take your mind off all that, give you something to focus on. Ah, know just the thing," Temperance said, as she then pointed over to a gaggle of staff members talking, a mysterious woman among them. "That right there's our new Guidance Counselor, yeah, we got one already, just last week. Says her name's 'Jane Smith' like that ain't suspicious, and she up and appeared out of nowhere. Reckon we oughta snoop around her office the moment she's out, make sure there's no Abyssal business going on."
"Huh, 'last week'? That was when Lavinia, uh the girl I was talking to, said she became Assistant Librarian," Inessa mumbled, but shook her head and said, "nah, I'm sounding all paranoid, probably just coincidence." She eyed this 'Jane Smith' closer, seeing she was clad in extravagant yet gothic finery, her flowing black hair and lipstick contrasting her ghostly skin which looked like the sun had never touched it, and her piercing scarlet eyes. Quite a lot from someone just called 'Jane Smith'.
"Wow, she kinda does look like an older Lupin- er, Avaritia, now I think about it. Less punkish and more ladylike though," Inessa said. "Stealth mission, eh? Sounds good, means we try and avoid combat, avoid... you know what. Should we sneak in this afternoon, that alright with you?"
Ida and Temperance both nodded. Before they all went into class however, Temperance turned to Inessa and suddenly said, "Hey, you know me. I was... one of them, so it shouldn't be a surprised that I have killed people." Despite already knowing that about 'Gula', Inessa still had to stumble back, but Temperance was quick to follow with, "Listen, you know what me killing people has done. It's just made more determined not to kill any more. Like the heroes in those anime you watch, that's how they soldier on, don't they?"
Inessa stood still as those words sunk in, but slowly smiled and said, "Yeah. Just like them. Temperance... thanks."
Much later that day, the untransformed Angelic Saints finally had the chance to sneak into the new Guidance Counselor's Office. Turned out Ms. Smith had been doing some serious redecorating after Mr. Noir's untimely exit. The giant box at one end of the room covered by a heavy sheet was the first thing to stand out, but that was far from it.
"The Possibilities of Chronophysics, The Peoples Beneath the Earth, Intergalactic Diplomacy, Guide to Pocket Dimensions, er, not the sort of books I'd expect a Guidance Counselor to have," Ida said on scanning the bookshelf.
"At least none of them sound too Abyssal-y," Temperance said, but shrugged and added, "Well, maybe 'Peoples Beneath the Earth' does a little. 'Pocket Dimensions', yeah definitely."
Inessa then pulled down the giant sheet in a single swipe, to see it hid... "Huh? Says this thing's a 'Police Box'," she said, with no idea what to think of this big blue rectangle. "Wait, could the Abyss be in league with the cops? Hmm, that does make sense actually."
The doors on the box however were shut tight, as were most of the office's drawers and cupboards. Then they all heard footsteps approaching, with Inessa then scrambling to cover up the blue box again, and all three girls then ducking behind the desk. As Inessa snuck a peek, her stomach dropped on seeing both Jane and Lavinia entering at once, like they really were working together.
"Well, no more sign of any Daleks since yesterday, Doctor," Lavinia said, confirming Inessa's paranoia about the two. "Not that we can just go and check, since it looks like we need a portal to even get into that Forest."
"Though from all the scrap metal we've found, I'd say someone's done a remarkable job fighting us for them," 'Jane Smith' said, or 'Doctor' as Lavinia called her. "Why, at this rate the universe will hardly have any need for a daft old bat like me. Still, Lavinia, do not get your guard down," her voice dropped, "I've been fighting these things through all my regenerations. Much as I'd love to go sauntering off again, I can't take that risk till I know for certain the Daleks have been vanquished here. Nothing from that Forest of Sin can fall into their plungers."
Inessa twitched. While it was a relief that Lavinia and 'Jane Smith' didn't sound like they served the Abyss, there was definitely something supernatural about them. "Angels, maybe?" she whispered down at Michael, only for her to shake her head.
"So sorry to involve you in yet another pocket dimension, Lavinia dear," Doctor Jane Smith said, "At least the place didn't seem Oterne-related, well not till that castle showed up anyway. Again, it's a lovely old castle, just a godforsaken shame about the occupants. And its new Dalek neighbours."
"Don't worry Doctor, if it really was Oterne," Lavinia said but had to pause, then just managed to say, "If it was, I'd know."
"True, but there's always the annoyance of getting stranded in one of them again, that's what bothersome about pocket dimensions. Anyway," The Doctor said, a wide grin suddenly covering her face, "This upstanding institution may forbid alcohol on its grounds, but my TARDIS my rules. Just popped over a few centuries to nab us the most exquisite collection of Draconian sake. Come, come!"
"Wait, 'popped over'? Doctor, didn't you say you were staying here till we'd dealt with the Daleks?" Lavinia had to ask.
"A few short trips won't hurt, timeship and whatnot. Besides, it's not like I ever drank and drove, Lavinia dear, just what do you take me for?" The Doctor said.
"They're... time travellers?" Inessa gasped, straining to keep quiet. Given her profession and interests, Sailor Pluto was who initially came to mind. No, not quite, this Jane Smith would come off way too cavalier for Setsuna's standards. Lavinia did have a little bit of Mercury in her, she figured. With both Doctor Smith and Lavinia heading into that cramped box, Inessa said on impulse, "Alright, let's corner them!"
Inessa, Ida, and Temperance sprang out and dashed towards the door in the box... only to come to a halt as they saw that it was far, far bigger in than out. "Get a hold of yourself, it's just another portal. You've seen way weirder than this," Temperance said in Inessa's ear as the girl remained gobsmacked, but any continued attempt at secrecy went nowhere.
"You know, you three have a lot to learn when it comes to stealth, Brandt, Montgomery, and Atwater," Doctor Jane Smith said without needing to turn around, making the girls, Ida even, sweatdrop. When she did, she knelt to meet the three at eye level and told them, "Really, if you were so anxious to meet me, all you had to do was book an appointment. Oh my, but that wouldn't be exciting now, would it?"
"This confirms it," Michael then spoke out of nowhere, as her crystal eyes scoured the TARDIS' dark, shrine-like interior, "We have a Time Lady before us. But how? Your people abhor interference."
"'My' people? Honestly, do you greet everyone like that?" The Doctor said as she took out some sort of metal wand and scanned Michael with it. "Hmm, an Angel I take it? Afraid you may have a bit of a branding problem; I've met quite a few sorts across the universe calling themselves 'angels'."
Inessa snatched Michael back up and went, "What did you just do to her?!"
"Oh, The Doctor scans everyone like that. Don't worry, it's harmless," Lavinia said, but then said less casually to Inessa, "Listen, I know you're worried about what's going on, but please, you have to stay out of this. What we're doing, it's not safe."
"I am afraid, Lavinia, that Miss Brandt and her friends have not stayed out of this at all. Really, they appear to have been on the scene longer than we have, if they're walking around with no less than an Archangel," The Doctor said.
"Huh, the librarian's calling you 'The Doctor' like Jane Smith's not your real name," Ida picked up on.
"Because it isn't," The Doctor said, then had to chuckle, "Honestly, was anyone ever fooled? My real name is strictly my own business, but for you three aspiring Nancy Drews, 'The Doctor' will suffice."
"Wait, so you're a magical girl? 'Cause you gotta be!" Inessa then said, her eyes widening, "I know you can't be an Angelic Saint, but with what Michael called you, you have to be something, if you really can travel in time."
"Travel in time and space, my dear. Not that the distinction need be made, if your Science classes have delved into relativity," The Doctor said, but then furrowed her brows. "Magical 'Girl' though, really? Do I look like anything less than a Woman to you? I can accept 'magical' if I must, for what does and doesn't count as magic is all a matter of perspective, is it not?"
"And those 'Daleks'? Sounds like you really know them," Ida said.
"...All too well," The Doctor muttered.
"What about this girl you're with, 'Lavinia' right?" Temperance asked as she eyed the Doctor's companion, "There's gotta be something special about her, if you've chosen her to bring along through time and space, so you say."
Lavinia shrank at this attention, but The Doctor then stood in to say, "No, there's absolutely nothing special about Miss Lavinia Mortlake at all. Nor does there need to be. It's not 'special' that matters to me, it's people. I invited Lavinia along with me just because she's her, simple as that." Lavinia herself didn't reply but couldn't help but blush.
"Just because she's her..." Inessa muttered. "Ah, sorry, it's just there's someone I know who I- I really should've said that to. I mean, I did say that to them, but I really should've said that to them more, y'know?"
"I can tell you there's a fair few people across the universe who really do need to hear those words more," The Doctor said, then grinned and clasped her hands, "Right, you've learned quite your fair share about me, only fair that in exchange I learn some things from you. Tell me, how much do you know about this 'Abyssal Forest'?"
"Shining Virtue what?" Koyomi Arisugawa was left muttering.
"Shining Virtue Angelic Heart! Kirakira Bitoku Tenshi no Kokoro!" Miyako Nozawa said, for some reason feeling the need to say its title in both English and Japanese, despite her 'unique' pronunciation of the former language. "You don't know it? C'mon, it's one of the classic 00s Magical Girl anime, and you're the real deal! How could you not have to heard of it?"
Miyako and Koyomi were an odd sight on first glance, given Koyomi was twice as old as the college age Miyako. And with Miyako being a bespectacled, befreckled dirty blonde in a dainty dress and Koyomi a messy auburn brunette in a tattered coat, you'd correctly assume they had no family relation. But how could Miyako not hang around Koyomi, an actual Magical Girl? Well, Woman. 'Hanazakari' to use the correct term.
"I'm a war veteran! You think I'd seek out fiction that reminded me of everything I went through?" Koyomi asked, slumping down on a chair in exasperation. An appropriately musty old chair for her musty old house too. "The one exception was that book about being a Hanazakari my first publisher made me write, which I'd do anything to forget."
"Oh yeah, that. Would still be cool if you'd at least show me that book," Miyako muttered, then said, "But don't worry, this was in that time just after the Frost Decade when anime was trying not to be too close to actual magical girl experiences."
"So it's sugarcoated then? Meddling from RUNE's propaganda arm no doubt," Koyomi said, crossing her arms.
Miyako groaned, I know she's a war veteran, but does she really have to always be like this? Not everything lighthearted is propaganda, y'know. Trying to keep positive, she then asked, "Well, didn't you watch older Magical Girl shows back when you were a kid, pre-Frost Fair? Maybe think of it like that."
"I did, yes," Koyomi had to admit, then reached back into the fog of memory, "Would've been the era of Minky Momo and Creamy Mami, think I got those titles right. I remember the Sally and Akko revivals a little better, even if my kid self didn't know they were revivals back then."
"Hah, see! You were into Magical Girl shows at one point weren't you, Arisugawa-sama?" Miyako smirked and pointed like she'd achieved some great victory. "Besides, you're an author. Shouldn't you be taking in all sorts of stories for inspiration, hmm?"
"...Miyako, one of my best-known novels is about an addicted WW2 pilot on the run, I doubt Angelic Shining Heart Virtue will be quite in my wheelhouse," Koyomi said, before she sighed, "Alright, one or two episodes. Let's get this over with."
Barely able to stop herself from squealing with delight, Miyako opened up Koyomi's laptop and asked, "Awesome. So, what's your password for streaming services? The show's on a few of them, well, last I checked it was."
"Do you just ask anyone that?" Koyomi frowned at her. "And I only to subscribe to two, one for classic movies and one for foreign. Afraid you may be fresh out of luck."
Those words made Miyako twitch, but she took a breath and said, "Okay, totally not a problem. Just have to, ahem, improvise is all." She then searched YouTube and found, "Alright, so they've taken down the original KiraKokoro. But we've got the English dub still up... which yeah I failed all my classes in. Again, it's cool, I remember more than enough about the show to fill you in on it anyway!" As for whether watching on YouTube was a grey area, well given Koyomi's bad blood with RUNE, Miyako doubted that'd concern her much.
"I'd like to think I have a decent grasp of the language," Koyomi said, "Wanted to know what translators were doing to my books."
Once Miyako hit play, Koyomi quickly tensed up at the intro. "...I take it our Japanese original didn't have a hip-hop opening number," she said.
"Er, you kinda know you sound like an old lady when you say that?" Miyako asked her. Once the intro ended, she then paused the episode and went, "Okay, so these are the Angelic Saints, Castitas Shirushi Aimi, Diligentia Oyama Katsumi, and Temperentia Shimizu Sei. Or Inessa, Ida, and Temperance as the English dub calls them."
"What, was America worried about getting Japanese cooties?" Koyomi said at the names.
"Well, y'know, that's just how English dubs were like back then," Miyako said while biting her lower lip. "Anyway, don't think the fandom cares for Castitas much, 'cause she's the leader so people think that makes her boring. Bleh. Definitely agree though that Temperentia's the best Saint."
"As an actual Magical Girl, believe me that I've had some rough experiences with so-called 'leaders'. This Castitas seems fine to me though," Koyomi said, but then had to remark, "'Temperentia' though? What, did this show have an episode warning against underage drinking?"
"...Can't we just watch the episode?" Miyako had to ask.
The episode moved forward to show the girls' regular school lives, at which Koyomi said, "Take it this is set pre-Masquerade Break then? Else there would've been a Frost Fair drill or PSA about how anyone could be one of them by now if this was a real school, or whoever the show uses instead of the Frost Fair."
"The bad guys are the Abyssal Forest, we're gonna get to them," Miyako told her, before she paused when Michael opposed her head out of Inessa's backpack, "Okay, that's the Archangel Michael, she gave the Saints their powers, kinda like the Dandelionhearts. And those are Lupin and Noir, they're the bad guys I was talking about. Avaritia Wolf and Superbia Dragon."
"Weren't you the one that said, 'Can't we just watch'?" Koyomi had to bring up, then got to musing. "All these Sin and Virtue names are getting too Christian for me. Were I in change, first thing I'd do is get everything back to Judaism instead. Name everyone after the Sephiroth and Qliphoth or something." Koyomi had a Jewish maternal grandmother, having been in Imperial Japan's Shanghai Ghetto. "Okay, if they had to Americanise anything, did they at least make one of the characters Jewish? Like her, she looks Jewish."
Miyako got confused for a second by the name 'Sephiroth', but then said. "Well, I guess you could always headcanon one of the characters as Jewish. Like I'm trans, so I used to headcanon heaps of characters as trans." Including a certain someone about to show up.
"I have no idea what a 'headcanon' is. Sound painful if anything," Koyomi said, but softened her tone with, "I think I get what you mean. Interpreting characters to be like you when the media won't give you them. You're already learning Death of the Author."
"Er, but aren't you alive?" Miyako asked, not understanding that term in return, leaving Koyomi to groan.
Avaritia then took a chalkboard and infused it with Sin, the newly created board monster and its chalk minions ganging up one of the girls' classmates. "Okay, so that's a Resinner, they're the monsters of each episode. And that's C, who the Angelic Saints always have to rescue," Miyako said.
"Huh, just like me with Asahi," Koyomi observed, spoiling the mood with, "which just left her traumatized and resentful. And this Avaritia just sends out a monster to attack? Doesn't this Forest try to create a new game console or restaurant or concert hall to suck up everyone's emotions first? That's how the Frost Fair did it."
"Wait, I thought you didn't want to be reminded of the Frost Fair?" Miyako asked with narrowed eyes. "And here they steal away people's virtues, not emotions. Though I guess they're kinda related." And er, funny you say that about your old friend Higashi-sama, what with C.
With the Saints fighting back, Koyomi saw their powers of fire, earth, and water and went, "So, no darkness then? Wait, don't tell me, that's what the villains get, isn't it?" Darkness of course happened to be Koyomi's own Hanazakari power.
'I'm sure they, er, meant no offence," Miyako feebly offered.
The Angelic Saints defeating the Resinner and returning to their ordinary lives for now, Koyomi said about the episode, "Well, I can only hope the Saints' own Masquerade doesn't break, that's when things went from bad to worse. And alright, you've at least convinced me to check out our Japanese original when I can," even if her tone suggested that'd be out of spite.
Miyako tried to smile, since that still went better than she expected. Though I bet Arisugawa-sama would've found an excuse to complain no matter what, she thought.
"Of course, if you really want the full experience, you have to get involved with the fandom. Here, I'll bring up Tumblr," she then said, only for Koyomi to immediately glare at her.
"Absolutely not. I make a point of never interacting with fanbases when I can," Koyomi said.
Given what a MG fangirl she was, Miyako really, really hoped that wasn't directed at her. "Well, don't you at least wanna see the OCs I made?" she asked.
"What, do they have 'omegaverse dynamics' too?" Koyomi said as she rolled her eyes. "I've read your 'real person fanfic' My Chemical Valentine, I am already well aware how you characterise."
"Oh, that's okay," Miyako said. Fine, be like that, she thought. It was then however a thought came her way, "Hey Arisugawa-sama, is there a Hanazakari who can teleport people into fiction?"
"What are you planning?" Koyomi instantly asked. "None I know of, but given what's within the scope of a Hanazakari's powers, going in and out of dreams for one infamous example, someone somewhere could be capable of that."
"I just thought, well, maybe you'd like to experience a world where Magical Girls have it better beyond just watching them. Well, relatively better. Since you've been through it all, you could even give the Saints some pointers," Miyako said.
"You're hoping Michael will make you a Magical Girl, aren't you?" Koyomi asked, Miyako blushing too much to given answer.
"Okay, first thing is I am not one for babysitting teenagers, even fictional ones. Second is," she then said, "you do realise escapist fictional worlds are only escapist because we don't actually live in them?"
"Yeah well, people would've thought the Frost Fair invasion fictional till it actually happened. So maybe we're already living in one and just don't realise it, hmm?"
"Oh, and I suppose the Angelic Saints are the ones watching shows about us, are they?" Koyomi said, while she couldn't help smiling a little.
My second omake submission, and another crossover. Inspired by all the talk of how people would react to Shining Virtue Angelic Heart being a show, with characters from my own MG story Fool Bloom giving their reactions to it.
I incorporated my musings about SVAH originally being a Japanese show into here. Aimi Shirushi ('love', 'beauty', 'mark'), Katsumi Oyama ('overcoming', 'big mountain') and Sei Shimizu (from Sessei 'temperance', 'pure water') were my attempts at Japanifying the Saints' names while trying to keep their meanings.
Also, Koyomi's comments on the show most certainly don't reflect mine on A Little Vice, given her usual jadedness, so I hope she didn't come off too harsh.
Omake done? Fuck I should've started with the simpler idea. I am an amateur. Been years since I wrote any narrative bigger than a joke. An I'm sleepy. Edit: What the fuck happened to my paragraphs
It was yet another night upon the Abyssal Castle, hers since she won the battle between Beasts and Saints for the destiny of humanity. Invidia Bat made her way through the halls, full from her breakfast and planning her supply run. She came into her room and checked her closet.
She considered the gothic clothes. They were a classic, even if years later, they still caused that pang of saudade. Her cat sweater seemed more appealing tonight, with that skirt she loved to spin in. Though she still misses her bat sweater, ruined by dirt, blood and rips during the ultimate showdown. She still hadn't found a good replacement for it.
Her choice made, she screamed into the night, ripping a tear in reality that she stepped through. Now in the city, she walked through the entrance to the store, going through her list of groceries, batteries, bug repellents, navigating the shelves. She paid for it, left, and walked though the streets.
She passed by the fast food restaurant she used to love, a place where she spent many afternoons with Inessa, years ago, until the Children of the Forest came. They drifted away from each other, and she didn't want to keep attracting resinners to the place. Gazing through the window, she stopped.
They were there. Ida, Temperance, Lupin. Inessa. Talking happily with each other, laughing at something Temperance said in that deadpan way of hers. Invidia found herself enraptured, the desire to come in and be with them again burning inside, clashing with the guilt and the fear. She forced herself to move, quickly making her way through the street and down the stairs, not paying attention to the sound of the door opening.
-Chiro, wait!
She turned at the call, seeing Inessa desperately running in spite of her limp, merely holding her cane. She lost her balance on the stairs, and fell. Invidia, quickly moved towards her path and caught her. Inessa hugged her. No, it was practically a grapple. She tried to set her down, but Inessa wouldn't release her hold. Footsteps sounded. She turned towards them, the others were walking down the stairs.
As she felt Inessa crying on her, and the stares of the others, Invidia Bat, viceroy of sin, winner of the clash between light and dark, lady of the Abyssal Forest, did the only thing she could.
She gently sat down, making sure Inessa was alright, and fainted.
As The Twins leave to go to a movie, Ida looks at Inessa and sighed romantically.
Temperance waited till The Twins were out of earshot then turned to Ida, "So when are you gonna tell her you like her?"
"W-What?! Like Inessa? What are you talking about Temperance?" Temperance's response to Ida's flustered flailing was to raise an eyebrow, and Ida deflated, "Am I that obvious?"
"There's a point where pining can be subtle. Do you think we'd be talking about this if your's was?" Temperance said flatly.
Ida eyed her, "You're pretty perceptive, so maybe?"
Temperance nodded the point, "Regardless, your Crush on Nessa is obvious."
Ida buried her face on her hands. "But what can I do about it? I don't even know if she likes girls, guys, or both like I do?"
Temperance's eyes widened and her expression briefly morphed into horror as she whispered "No....." And flashed back to a similar conversation with Inessa.
"And anyways, no matter how cute, cool, and lovely Ida is. She likes boys. I'm not about to impose my sexuality on my best friend just because I want a girlfriend like her." Inessa said firmly.
Temperance suddenly had a very stark headache. "Ida. Ida, please. Please tell me that's not true. You can't be the only one....
Ida looked at Temperance with sad honest eyes, "The only one what?"
Suddenly Temperance's head was on the table and she groaned. "No! We finally got Chiro to admit she was a girl and now this?!"
Ida was confused, "What does that have to do with anything?"
Well, I know someone Who could help out there. Granted, she can be pretty strict about it, but just having future!Chiro show up for a talk should be fine.
Author's Note: Well, time to make good on this.
To clear up some confusion, 'Kaguya Naotake' is the alias The Doctor uses in the updated version of my first omake, though you may recall her using 'Jane Smith' in the version I posted to this thread.
The Two Chiros
Not for the first time, I sat with a lump in my throat outside the Guidance Counselor's office. But for the first time, I was seeing someone completely different than Mr. Noir, someone who Inessa had even vouched to me for. I was flattered, too flattered really, that she'd go out of her way to recommend the new Counselor to the likes of me. But hers was a somewhat guarded recommendation, so I was still trembling more than I should have.
"Miss Dunne, the Doctor will see you now," came the soft yet scratchy voice of Miss Mortlake. My face scrunched up being called by that prefix, but I only got as far as opening my mouth to correct her before I stopped. I was no Miss, yet the thought of being addressed as Mr. instead gave no comfort either.
Best to chalk it up to a simple mistake, Mortlake and I had barely interacted after all.
Lavinia Mortlake, I think I full name was, had... some connection to Counselor Naotake? She'd showed up the same time the new Counselor had, with her having gotten a job on staff through them. I guess maybe she was the Avaritia to Naotake's Noir. In the general sense of course, unless there really was something supernatural going with them, which really wouldn't surprise me by now.
She had what could be called an 'overachiever' or 'smartest in class' look to her, with her glasses, dark braids, and freckles. Made me think back how much I'd been slacking in my own studies.
I stepped back into that Counselor's office once again, and my eye immediately caught on something Mr. Noir certainly didn't have. A large box draped in a woolen sheet dominated much of the room. I magnetically moved towards it, my hand outstretched, before I heard a loud cough and a velvety yet firm voice proclaim, "Chiro Dunne, I believe your business is with me."
"Ah yes, of course, so sorry!" I blurted out upon Counselor Naotake calling me out, my face already flushed. I then sat down before the Counselor; 'Dr. Kaguya Naotake' emblazoned atop her desk. Towering over me, she was as intimidating as Mr. Noir was, with her long midnight black hair marked by a single silver streak, deep and piercing eyes, and her dark, elaborate dress like that of a doll from hundreds of years ago.
I tried to keep Inessa's recommendation in mind as I gazed upon her, yet simultaneously, I had to commend her on dressing so strikingly. I knew I was far too self-conscious to wear an outfit like hers.
What she did next caught me more off guard, she actually smiled and chuckled at me. "Really, my dear Dunne, no need for apologies. Protective as I am of her, I can't blame you for taking such notice," Doctor Naotake said, her voice lighter and softer. For some reason, I took that the 'her' she mentioned wasn't Miss Mortlake.
"In fact, that's exactly what I've been meaning to talk about with you," she said next, her voice again growing firmer. "I hear you have a rather nasty habit of apologising when you have absolutely no need to. Awfully improper and impolite of you... though now I've said that I suppose your natural inclination is to apologise. That one's on me, I admit."
She was all too right, as I was about to say sorry before her words stopped me midway. I was even about to say sorry for saying sorry. I then changed it to, "Yeah, I suppose that's true," but then had to ask, "Wait, how did you know? I thought these sessions started with you asking me what the problem was? Er, or so I've experienced."
"Simple, my dear. Miss Brandt told me all about you," Doctor Naotake said, then eyed me closer, "and how you've found yourself swept up from one bad situation to another." I winced and nodded, but then she said, "Chiro, I absolutely do not blame you for that, doing so would help nothing. If I may play the 'relatable' card, I found myself in quite the bad crowd in my own schooldays. Why, some would insist I still run with a bad crowd even now."
I shuddered to ask just what about this 'bad crowd' Inessa had told her about. I knew she absolutely wasn't the sort of person would just tell on me, especially with something of Abyssal Forest magnitude. And yet, given what I'd done, didn't people have every reason to be warned about me?
Clearing my throat, I ventured "So, you're saying I can get out of this bad crowd? Cause if so, er, thanks for the encouragement, but I really believe I've gotten in too deep now..."
Before I could finish, Doctor Naotake then raised a hand, as a butterfly suddenly came flying in and landed on her fingers. "Can a butterfly break free of its cocoon, or a snake shed its skin?" she asked me. "Of course they can, as can you break free of the two prisons you find yourself in. I shouldn't need you tell you what the first is, but the second, Chiro dear, is the one you've built in your own mind. I'm not saying everything will be fine if you just escape your self-loathing, there's still an arduous road ahead, one I've walked myself. But they say 'all journeys begin with a single step' for good reason."
"No, I can't!" I gasped, nearly losing control of myself, before I blubbed, "I'm... I'm not that sort of person." I wasn't even a butterfly or snake, but a bat. I could picture Naotake saying that was but semantics, but I wasn't assigned that animal for no reason.
Dr Naotake then sighed; I couldn't blame her as her exhaustion with me emanating like miasma from her. "I am most likely going to regret this, dear Chiro. In my deal with time, this is a most grey area," she said. All I could think at the moment was what a 'contract with time' even was, I think I would've heard if there was a Saint or Beast with time powers. "But I can see drastic measures are called for. Bear with me a little while, I'm just off to fetch someone."
Drastic measures? No, please, not for someone like me, I'm not worth them. And definitely not if it involves messing with time or breaking a deal. Of course, I was too weak to voice any of this before the Doctor did what she did.
She then lifted up the cloth to reveal what I could only call a blue box underneath, stepping inside. Wait, it had 'Police' written on it, didn't England have those way back in the day? The weirdness of a British police box being here was then eclipsed as it vanished right before me, making a wheezing, groaning noise as it did. I know I really shouldn't have been surprised by a sight like that anymore, yet I still found myself almost falling back in my chair.
While Dr Naotake was out, Miss Mortlake came back in and asked "Guess she talked to you about apologising too much, right? She tells me that all the time too." I nodded, which made her come closer and add, "But if The Doctor says there's a way, then there really is a way. I used to be in, well, she called them a 'cult'. I thought I'd be trapped there forever, yet she really got me out. So I know, I just know she can do the same for you!" her voice raised.
I instinctively shook my head, about to say that she was worth it, I wasn't. And that whatever her situation was, mine was completely different. Except, was it? I knew nothing about the cult Miss Mortlake used to be in. It couldn't have but somewhere in the Abyssal Forest, but who was to say there weren't... other places?
That wheezing, groaning sound came back again, and Dr Naotake walked out along with something else, both having somehow fit in that one box. That someone else was... me? No, she looked like just me, but there was no way it could be! This person was a girl, and I'm not, I can't be...
"Quite the adventure, but we've finally made it," Dr Naotake said despite having been gone only seconds. "Chiro Dunne, since you're still shy with introductions," she added, patting the green girl on the back, "may I do the honours? Chiro, yourself from the future. Miss Chiro, yourself from the past." Hearing that nearly broke me.
"I, I know I'm going to stumble saying this, but I really am you! Er, I mean you're going to be me," the future 'me' pleaded with me. i trembled as I saw she was even holding Count Fruitula, if a little patched up.
I blushed again and felt the urge to leave the room, were Miss Mortlake not blocking my way. I just shook my head fast and faster instead, then said to the girl from the future, "N-no, I'm sorry, whoever you are you've gone too much out of your way for me. There is absolutely no way you can be me., you're too pretty, too feminine, too-"
"I remember," the girl suddenly said, "I remember saying those exact same words. Chiro, myself, please, don't hurt yourself by saying that. It'll only be start, but you have to be kind to yourself, tell yourself you can change for the better! It's, well, a lesson I still have to learn even now. I'd give anything to have learned it sooner..." she looked downcast, then muttered, "I still don't think I can truly love myself, but you have to try! At least accept yourself, accept you are-"
"A girl?" I asked, with me feeling ashamed over how quickly that word came to my head. Again, I was about to say no, and again I couldn't. I felt I had to say no, but did I really want to?
"If it helps, I used to look like a man myself. Granted, I have, how to put this, certain 'privileges', but the principle's the same, " Dr Naotake chimed in, "If a caterpillar cannot imagine itself a butterfly, how shall it ever grow?"
My 'future self' then looked at Dr Naotake and, with some hesitation, asked, "Doctor, may I? I know you don't like this sort of thing..."
"Well my dear, I did say your circumstances called for drastic measures," Dr Naotake said back to her, then narrowed her eyes, "but any damage to your own timestream is on you, am I clear?"
She winced and nodded, before 'myself' looked at me and said, "Gentle as a spring breeze, Angelic Saint Humanitas takes the stage!"
Were Miss Mortlake not there to catch me, I would've fainted seeing this girl who said she was me transforming into the very image a Saint right before me. I am no Saint, that should be proof she couldn't be me, yet she still said, "Chiro, I was you, so I know you cannot believe this, even I still find it hard to believe, but..." she said as I was engulfed in her green aura, "This is your future!"
Upon detransforming, she looked back at the blue box and said, "Suppose I really should go, timestream and everything. Not to mention how Michael would react to what I just did."
"Oh yes, that 'Who is like God'. We shall have words," Dr Naotake said, then smiled at 'me' and said, "It's all perfectly normal, my dear. My own interactions with my past selves have never gone smoothly either. But that's another story for another time."
Having no way to believe what I just saw, I tried asking something else instead, something more plausible... relatively. "Dr Naotake, er, if I may ask, how is it you can all fit inside that box?"
"The word you're looking for is TARDIS, Chiro dear. And it's simple, a little thing we call dimensional transcendence. Oh, and you can just call me 'Doctor', only reason I call myself Kaguya Naotake is your school made me give some name when I set up shop as Counselor here," The Doctor told me.
She then looked past me at Miss Mortlake and said, "Lavinia dear, time we were off. Now this whole business with the Daleks exploiting the Abyssal Forest has been sorted, our job here is done." Wait, Dalek? Did she mean the Beast of Wrath?
"Ah, can I just have a few more minutes? There are people here I wanna say goodbye too, that's all," Miss Mortlake asked, having to readjust her glasses. That she already had people to go out of her way to say goodbye to cast a dark mirror on my own social skills.
"Alright, just a few more minutes. I've always found farewells rather bothersome myself, but if they mean that much to you," The Doctor told her.
Before Miss Mortlake got back, I knew I should ask one last thing... I just didn't know what. The thought of my own future, my own identity, was still burning in my head. Yet I froze at the thought of asking about, well, who I really was, even if that was what these sessions for. So instead, I asked maybe not the best question, but definitely no small one either. "Doctor... are you an Angel? You don't act like a beast at all, but I'd know if you were a Saint."
"I'm The Doctor," was all she answered. In turn she asked, "The question you really should ask, Chiro, is who you are."
I keep thinking about the Op and Ed of Shining Virtue Angelic Heart.
And the fact that Chiro and Inessa are Sisters. So maybe the Op would be sung by Chiro's VA about Inessa and be a cheery and boppy bit about how much she envies Inessa and how much it hurts being on the sidelines. Hm . The visuals would be from her perspective So they'd start out Bright but gradually darken until all that's when the Op Ends..... Actually let's write this out. My hero, you're always here to save the day. I'm blinded by your radiance in almost every way.
Castitas stands in front of C with her bow drawn. She lets lose on a Re-Sinner and turns around to reach out a hand to C.
My Hero here to save the day How oh how can you show bright. You hurt my eyes with all your light.
Castitas is shown making a speech to Avaritia Wolf who laughs and leaps at her. Meanwhile a bat flits across the screen
Oh You Hero who shines so bright. I want it I want it I want it. I want your Shining Light!
The scene shows the bat landing on the window rafter looking in on C and Inessa talking. Inessa turns away for a moment and C looks directly at the bat.
If only you knew, what was true. After all I... can't be saved with Virtue.
A glowing green seed is shown as a manicured hand is shown wrapping around it
What a shame. You don't know my pain. I'll take the blame. All will be clear after the rain
We see Inessa in a torrent of rain desperately reaching out her hand. Lightning flashes and we see she's reaching out to Invidia Bat.
You'll see. You'll see. I'll take flight and be free.
We see Invidia flying into Avaritia who spins her upon her landing, and dips her. Ey pulls her upright and releases her. Invidia laughs as she twirls herself off the screen.
You Shining Light is Oh so bright.
Inessa is standing back to back with a black silhouette that has green apple earrings and a pulsing green seed in it's chest.
Oh we'll have to fight. I'll surpass your Light. This where it begins. Salvation wrought through Sin.
The silhouette bursts into Invidia Bat at the same time Inessa becomes Castitas. Invidia and Inessa leap in opposite directions and away from each other at the same time. Inessa lands with the Angelic saints and turns around to see Invidia being caught by Avaritia and set down so she can turn around and look at the gathering of saints.
Do you see? Oh look what I became! Once Vice soothed my pain. Can't you see? This is the True Me. I am the Beast of Envy.
There's a split screen between Castitas's sad face and Invidia's smile.
The screen fades to black.
Ooh! That worked out quite nicely for the Invidia Op! Hmm.... Title Title. I know! I'll call this "Envy's Candor."
I've got it! I've got the Invidia Arc ED! Let's hit it! Presenting: Chastity's Helpless Lament! Sung by Inessa's VA. You were always there for me. Surpassing friendship, we're family
Child Inessa and a silhouette of the same size stand back to back.
We see a nervous pre-teeen Inessa being pushed towards her parents by that same silhouette that's the same size as her. She nervously holds up a lily to her parents who accept it and smile at her. Inessa looks back to smile at the silhouette and gasps when she notices thorned vines around the silhouette's wrists.
With all that we've been through. All the times you knew what to do: I wish I could be as kind as you.
We see the Inessa asking the silhouette for advice. The camera pans over and Ida is asking the silhouette for advice. The camera pans over again and we see Temperance asking for advice the camera pans over once again and the silhouette is walking away from a sad Inessa with a slumped posture. The thorned vines have wrapped Around the Silhouette's arms and legs.
I see your pain (I want to be there for you too.) I see it's strain.(What are you going through?) What's hurting you?(What can I do?)
We see Inessa looking on helplessly through a clear wall with her hands pressed against it as the silhouette has it's entire body wrapped wrapped with thorned vines and is bleeding green on the other side. Inessa frantically beats against the wall to no avail. Suddenly a glowing green apple is flies at the wall from off screen and it shatters leaving only a door that's green on the left side and red on the right. The door opens and Inessa runs through.
How can I help you? Oh how can I get through? When you so ardently refuse the aid of my Shining Virtue.
Castitas sees the silhouette laying on the floor and reaches out a hand to help only for a well manicured hand with green nail polish to slap it away. In the silhouette's place is Invidia Bat.
Are you happier embracing Sin? Was that what you needed in the end? Can I finally see you actually smile again?
Invidia takes flight and gives Castitas a fangy smile as rain starts pouring around them.
You became more free when you embodied Envy? You take flight, do we have to fight? Is that true? Must this be the only way to get through?
Inessa forlornly raises her bow and Invidia does the same.
If it's true, I'll do what I have to. I'll get through. I dearly miss you.
Why was that more difficult than the OP? But that was fun! Note that this opening is played with a Lyre Harp, Piano, and Viola. This hints at how the Invidia Arc ends. The Humanitas ending is special.
Urk. I avoided this thread (and really, the site) for a while to try to force omakes out, but barely did anything. And did nothing for fanart. I saw some adorable critters on a game, that had variants based on the characters. Damnit.
I'm too sleepy to write more, and don't want to wait anymore, I missed too much stuff on this thread. At least the author only posted one chapter.
Inessa stared worriedly at Elisa until the end of class. The resinner fights had, over time, hit her family really badly. She looked slightly unkempt, and quite tired. Started isolating herself and looked nervous. As the bell rang, she stood and walked towards her, saying,
"Elisa, you can tal-"
"I don't need anything, thanks." She said as she walked past her. Similarly as she had done to the Saints for the last few days.
-
The Saints frantically ran their way down the corridor of the broken down building. Shambling things made out of plants rose at their advance, before being dispatched by Castitas arrows, with any survivors blocked or pushed by Diligentia and Temperantia. They ran into magical wooden gates, which proved resistant to them. The Saints set to tearing them down while holding off the advance of the creatures. Finally, they broke into the chamber, about the same time as the Beasts did. There stood the root cause of this.
A girl, about their age, was in the middle of a circle, assorted laboratory instruments spread around the room on many tables. The center held a tree, its roots, branches and vines extending to the walls. The girl herself, Elisa, was their classmate, and looked quite different than how they had known her. She looked tired, like she had barely slept or truly relaxed in the last few days, her clothes were wrinkly and dirty. Yet, she looked determined and energized.
"Please, Elisa! We can talk this out! We can solve this without anyone getting hurt!" Castitas pleaded.
"No. No more talking or holding back. Your stupid fights took everything from me, killed this town little by little. You Saints have failed time afte time to truly stop the Beasts, letting them destoy my home. My mother only ever wanted to use her research in marine biology to help people. She was gonna revolutionize medicine! And time and time again, you ruined our family's businesses and laboratories. Plush store? Burned down. Sea themed theatre? Decayed by a shadow monster. Hell, we even tried to sell seafood from carts, and you still destroyed. Every. Single. One. Of them!" She got more and more agitated. She barely reacted in time to grow a wall to block Temperantia's attack. She quickly shifted her attention to the tree, chanting to it.
It started expanding and twisting its form, as the greenery around converged, walls forming as needed to block the Saints and Beasts. They felt the power pulsing from it, sweating and feeling their hearts quicken. The mass started forming flippers, one end opening into a mouth while another thinned. It soon took a selachian shape. A recognizable, cute form.
A Blahaj, in fact.
They prepared themselves as the entity got its bearings. It looked around curiously, and moved and stretched its body. The saints charged their magic into their weapons and themselves, while the Beasts felt the power coursing in the roots within their bodies. They wordslessly agreed to a truce, and Elisa's so called guardian roared.
-
Castitas stood panting, looking at the wreckage of the coast, detransforming. Letting the monster drag the fight there had been a mistake, but they had won. She notices movement out of the corner of her eye, and finds Elisa, walking away from a hiding spot. They stare at each other, one shocked and the other mortified. Elisa then looks angry and pained, and runs away, ignoring Inessa's calls.
Next Time!
A dark scheme brews in the White House to perform their own summoning, while the Saints wonder how to make the trip. Michael must hide, as the IRS is on her tail.
Next episode: Showdown in Washington! Mount Rushmore attacks?
A car stopped in front of the school. Tempearance stepped out, saying bye to Michael's... employees? Temperance wasn't quite sure what Michael did, considering a plush couldn't exactly get a job. Either way, Kiryu and Selina were nice, and drove her to school when needed. She gets along well with Arsène, even if his last name brings back memories. Either way, she was glad for their help, like the occasional ride to places when she needs it.
Hiding in a group of students, Lupin watched this, feeling torn. Much as ey felt dejected at being left, ey felt happy Temperance seemed to be living well. Ey turned their gaze, instead paying attention to conversing classmates, eager for more gossip. [Which turned out to be those stupid rumours of the sharky being the daughter of some crime lord, much to eir annoyance. Ey immediately started telling them off.]
"Oh, look. Temperance is being brought to school by her goons again! Scary." Giggled one, watching with interest.
"Not funny. To think I could run into them." Shuddered another
Again with that?
"Knock it off with those rumours of Temperance being the daughter of a crime lord. No way that's true."
-
Temperance walked through the streets, with Michael peeking out of her backpack. Today, she was walking through stores, looking at both the products and the inhabitants of Earth. Occasionally conversing with Michael.
"Quite a fascinating world, isn't it? How are you adapting?" Asked the angel.
"Perfectly. I might not be considered "normal", but I figured out how to live here long ago." The student responded, pausing to look at some gunpla with interest.
"Right. Like that time you spent days looking for themomethers that are put in the mouth? Asking in pharmacy after pharmacy?"
"Look, why would it be on so many shows set in the current day, if it didn't exist?" She huffed, embarrassed.
The angel chuckled at her before returning inside the backpack and going quiet. Mentally taking note of what things Temperance showed interest in. Her birthday was coming soon, after all.
-
The plan was simple. Send Kuze to the store, have him buy the gunpla. He's reliable, nothing would go wrong.
Thus, a young man on his third year of high school, walked into the store, weaving between the customers. He walked aisle by aisle resolutely, as if he'd been handed a life or death mission. Finally, the box was in sight. However, as he walked towards it, he saw another teenager with the same goal. A goth with a shirt with three wolves and a moon on it, eir face, at first smiling, shifting into a glare.
"Hey. This is a gift for my former bestie. Paws off!"
"No way! The boss sent me on a mission to buy a gift for her charge, I won't surrender!"
The other customers started avoiding the two eccentrics.
"I, Lupin Noir, won't have my greed denied by you! As a proud Beas- I mean, bestie, I'll be taking the gunpla!" As ey said this, ey squared up for a fight. Taking an experienced if unrefined fighting stance.
"I won't fail the boss again! This mission is essential!" As he said this, the boy ripped off his coat and shirt, revealing his tattoos and a pipe he took into his hands. However, the tattos we fake, and likewise the pipe was styrofoam. A closer look would show his "cut-off finger", actually just curled and wrapped up.
They charged at each other. They couldn't lose now, they had to get this for those they were, or had been, close to. A little bit of affection they could express, in a meaningful gesture and effort. His pipe clashed against eir arms.
And thus their clash commenced, yet ended unexpectedly. They were both kicked out of the store and banned for a week, and so had to ask their friends for help. Chiro and Kiryu easily got the gunpla, and a box of another model, while apologizing for their friends' antics.
(Paragraph transferred to make post cleaner)
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What Have our Daughters Been up To?! by MercyGrace
I have fanfiction for everyone! I present to you: What have our Daughters been up to?!
Mrs. Brandt arrived at her daughters' room to inform them she has made cake.
"... what are you talking about Chiro, You're obviously cuter than me. You have Lupin and Temperance is courting you."
"She's courting you too! And you have Ida!" Chiro rebutted. "She's your partner just like Lupin is mine!"
"...Ida doesn't even know she's bi. I don't have her." Inessa grumbled.
"...she doesn't? Still? But she's obviously in love with you...." Chiro asked confused.
"I'm working on it, okay!" Inessa replied indignantly.
"Huh. So I guess you're the Lupin in this scenario."
Mrs Brandt wondered who this Lupin was and what they had to do with anything. Wait was her newest daughter dating someone?! Wait was Inessa not dating Ida?! But their so cute together! And Temperance was going after both of her girls openly?!
"...."
"See! Look at your face! You're obviously the cuter one!" Chiro chirped triumphantly.
"Don't get cocky just because you got me to blush Chiro!"
There was a distinct sound of a pillow hitting a face.
'What have our daughters been up to?" Mrs. Brandt thought as she went back downstairs to ponder over her daughters' apparently complicated love lives.
2 hours later
Mr. Brandt arrived at his daughters' room to wish them good night. As he was about to knock on the door he heard an interesting conversation. The door was left open a crack so he peered through.
"That's how you arrange dates with em?! Inessa's expression was one of shock.
Chiro shrugged. "It's the easiest way to reach em. Ey're always close. And you know our themes."
"....how is your relationship so cute?" Inessa sighed.
"....not always." Chiro said. "You know how stubborn ey are. Otherwise ey...." Chiro sniffled.
"Hey. Hey. It's okay." Inessa hugged Chiro. "We'll get through to em."
Chiro nodded Inessa's embrace. ".... incidentally, Lupin got you a gift."
Inessa released the hug but kept her hands on her sister's shoulders, "Did ey pay for it?"
"....." Chiro reached under Inessa's plush and pulled out a sloth plush with a Serious expression. "Doesn't this look like Ida?"
Inessa cuddled with the plushy, "This is so cute!!....I guess it doesn't matter."
Mr. Brandt wondered if it was okay that Inessa was so easy. Wait were his daughters associated with a criminal?!
Mr. Brandt went to the Master Bedroom to inform his wife about his discoveries. I'm the course of that conversation he discovered that apparently his daughters were also apparently the center in a web of relationships between their friends.
'What have our Daughters been up to...?' He thought bewildered. What indeed Mr. And Mrs. Brandt? It's a good thing they didn't talk explicitly about the magical girl part, isn't it? Then the girls would really have some explaining to do.
I imagine that the Brandt parents overhear the weirdest things that make no sense without context from their daughters. The girls are just barely keeping their status of magical girls a secret.
Here, have a short. Lupin heard a knock at eir door, sending a spike of fear. Ey carefully went to it, ready to transform and portal out. Or at least, so ey thought. As soon as ey opened the door, ey froze. It was her, that swordswoman
Acheron also stood still, looking at em. She seemed to be in a deep internal conflict, hesitating to speak. Lupin wondered if she was composing some words of judgement, if she was considering how to keep colateral damage down. Eir mind kept going back to that fight. When Superbia threatened the nighborhood, and Acheron pulled out her sword. The night uncle... Finally, Acheron spoke, embarrassed:
"I got... lost. And detected you in the area. Could... you help me?"
--
"...We're lost." Said Lupin.
"It would seem so. Oh, is that Ida, I think her name was?"
"Wha- Crap! Let's hide." Lupin pulled a confused Acheron with em behind an advertisement screen on a bus stop, watching nervously as Ida moved.
"Why? I thought you weren't so hostile to each other at this point?" Nevertheless, she played along.
"Look, things between are just, complicated. I don't want to meet them."
Finally, Ida seems to move away, and the two move again. At least, until they saw Chiro walk out of a shop and check the front of another. Panicking, they shoved themselves into a crowd of people in odd costumes. Fortunately, they were rather welcoming, though neither of the two aliens could quite follow the discussion of a story their impromptu friends were rather passionate about. Nevertheless, Acheron found herself quite engrossed in what she could catch of this tale of time travel, programming, video games and jokes borne from this planet's electronic network. Finally, Lupin catches her attention.
"She left. Can't you remember anything else about the place?"
At this, Acheron paused. As she reached for her blade's handle, Lupin was sure ey had screwed up. Eir mind conjured memories, of the blast, everything shaking, the glow. However, she merely held her sword, thinking, then rattled off more information, restarting the goose chase across the city. At least, until Lupin froze, sweating.
"Ugh, now the sharky and Inessa too? Oh no, I think they saw us! What now?" Eir eyes darted around, knowing the stoplights would change soon.
"...I may have a solution. With me."
"... Wait, you don't mean to hide inside trashcans? That's disgusting! We'll get- what." Ey stared at the now empty and pristine cans Acheron held.
"Lupin!" Two voices called, and the Beast jumped into the can, closing it as Acheron did the same. The Saints came by, looking around, then leaving in sadness and frustration. They then left the cans, freezing when they saw someone staring at then.
"Why, hello there, Galaxy Ranger." Said a beautiful redhead in a white dress, staring at them in amusement.
"Hello, Himeko. Lupin, this is Himeko, a friend from the Astral Express. Himeko, this is Lupin, an acquaintance from this planet. We're, uh, looking for a building."
"Uh, hello. Lupin Noir, spivak pronouns."
"A pleasure, Lupin. Acheron, I believe you mean you asked someone for directions, and ey got lost too?" At their silence, she chuckles. " As I thought. But that doesn't explain how you two ended up in trashcans. Did our raccoon's habits rub off on you?"
"Ah, well. There were some people I'd, uh, rather not talk to. You know, things are very complicated between us, so..."
"Well, I'd advise you not to do so for long. Avoidance and leaving things unspoken just leads to regret. Either way, why didn't Acheron use that presence erasing trick she has? Welt told me about it."
The wolf's head whirled to the Self-Annihilator. "You could do that?"
"...It seems to be suffering interference. Believe me, trashcans aren't my preference for relaxation."
"Well, either way, allow me to help you. Just give me the place." As she said that, she pulled out sheets of paper. "I'll make sure to write it down for you two."
The grateful but embarrassed pair gladly took her up on the offer, and headed to the subway.
"...So, uh, you have those friends from the space train." Said Lupin, trying to fill the silence.
"Hm? Ah, yes, the Astral Express Crew... They're looking for a thing on this planet, with the help of the Saints... Also, Stelle has someow gotten involved with the management of this nation's railways. I never asked the story, but she seems, as always, adept at such jobs."
--
Finally, they stood in front of the building. As Lupin made to wave and leave, Acheron reached into her left sleeve, much toe ir confusion.
"What are you-"
"Here, for your time."
Peaches. She, somehow, pulled peaches out of her sleeve. Lupin numbly accepted the gift, returning her wave as she entered the bulding. Lupin found a corner to collect eir thoughts, and then create a portal home. Once inside, ey considered bringing eir uncle his favorite fruit might be good for his recovery. On the other hand, he'd go ballistic if he knew it came from an enemy. Giggling, ey decided to just store them and lay down. That feeling when, in the middle of a story, you realize a character has a power that unravels it. I'll just leave it as, either the identity magic or tree stuff in general can interfere somehow, or acheron was trying to nudge Lupin into talking to the others.
At first, I thought of ahving Superbia dead, but I imagine Lupin's mental state, and fear of the swordswoman, would be too bad for the plot. And Acheron is rather restrained and merciful.
