Rising and Falling Stars

“Clean the arena please! We don’t want any unbalanced matches due to someone slipping on the blood!”

I wish I could see the announcer to ask why that was really necessary. Yes, there was blood and gore everywhere, but honestly, most girls here are used to fighting while covered in blood. If I’m one of the least violent ones here and I’m used to it, there shouldn’t be a problem. Hell, I’m pretty sure someone has made their own fighting style that takes advantage of the blood on the ground.

Well, that would completely defeat my point wouldn’t it?

Still, the tournament continues. The fights get harder, the audience gets more pleased and the only disappointed ones are the girls who lost. Only rookies got into the tournament anyway, so there’s always time for improvement on their part. They just get to know what they’re doing wrong first hand. Lessons by death; Eightballs’ favorite style.

We are right now at the semi-finals after that last match, and I’m honestly surprised I’ve gotten this far. Considering how ruthless of a reputation our offircio has compared to others, I’m left wondering where the novice murder monsters are. Well, Sami has been doing particularly well in that regard; she’s got this far too. I think there’s another Eversor and a Callidus along with us two, so it should be an interesting night for the both of us.

Despite this achievement, I don’t think I’m all that keen about winning the entire thing. I know I have a reputation for some things I’ve done, including the museum fight, but when a girl gets renown for dangerous acts and doesn’t like being talked to, the rep can turn sour.

The people who hosted this tournament wanted to bring out the monsters in us all, to pick and pry apart at the weak. I’m not here to win, I’m here to show that I’m sane.

The audience is a mess of people; some I recognize and some I don’t. Just because I know what they look like doesn’t mean I know their name. Except-

Oh god, brace for impact.

“Gina! I’m proud of you!” My world almost spins around as I’m put into a certain someone’s gracious chest with little means of escape. Well, I could harm her but it wouldn’t be the wisest decision.

“Hi, Izzy. I see you’ve found me.” It takes a while to part myself from her; needing to get out any loose strands of her long lavender hair out of the way along with freeing myself from her arms. “I didn’t think you would be one to be a spectator for violence.”

“I’m here for you guys! I didn’t think you’d go for something like this. You and Sami are always surprising me!” She states with a cheery grin, always with her eyes either closed or open a sliver.

“I think you’re just underestimating how much there’s left in us.”

“Well, you did get this far! I can already imagine you on a poster in the wall, with the text saying ‘beware the reclusive cute, monster of the ring, future savior of the eighth!”

And it’s these comments that just…

“YAY! New announcement everyones!” The squeaky announcer comes again which interrupts my attempt to talk back at Izzy. “First place winner gets a super-special extra prize! But~, we’re keeping it unknown until you win! So keep fightin’ hard girls, a secret awaits the best of the best!”

“Well things just got interesting.” I turn away from her and look to the arena. “Wonder if this is going to impede her performance.”

“I’m sure Sami won’t mind some extra sugar here!” That’s Izzy, constantly bringing up points about other people they don’t want told. One of the oldest – yet one of the less mature – Vindicares, she took an eye to me and Sami when we wanted to go on our own paths, semi-thwarting us. At least I can manage her presence more then her.

Sami herself is next in line, going up against another Eversor. Apparently her opponent also has a tendency to be flashy during combat and try to end it quickly, only with a bit more flair. Sami walks up to the arena to view her-

Oh hey, it IS Megan from earlier. Long orange hair, orange eyes too, set in her uniform which takes on the royal, European princess style that looks hugely overdone on the frills and red curly lines over its orange base. She has… some kind of container attached to her back that’s held on by a red strap over her uniform. Her weapon, probably, but what is it?

Both are set at opposite sides of the ring. Even if Sami has the same intentions as me, she looks different, somehow. Maybe she does want to win for some reason. Megan, on the other hand, isn’t looking at the prize. She has that look the superiors are looking for.

She’s looking for blood.

“Three, two, one, fight!”

It was like watching two animals try to intimidate each other out of the fight. Sami did her usual trick, but Megan quickly pulled out her weapon from its container and… whipped it around. It’s a whip… a metal whip. My mistake, a SPIKED, CHAIN-LINK WHIP that’s about…how long? Is it rotating too?

Whatever fear was in Sami has vanished; replaced with a fierce determination. If she wants to prove herself better than a bloodthirsty killer, this is her chance. Then again, neither of us knows Megan, so there’s no telling what she’s really after.

Maybe she’s also just putting up a show, wanting the higher-ups to look down upon her and smile.

They stand at a standstill, with both of their tools of destruction hovering and flailing around until Sami decides to take the first strike with two strings of ribbon, and then the fireworks start. With each blow Sami tries to make, Megan whips accordingly and shreds anything that gets too close while slowly advancing, closing the distance between the two. Electric sparks fly out from the impact as pieces of red cloth slowly fall down and disintegrate before they hit the ground.

Realization hits her that this isn’t going to work, and she presses four ribbons down to launch herself into the air, keeping herself up with the balance between the beams. She changes from sweeping strikes to direct attacks from above, charging each piece downward to impale Megan below. She tries to dodge, but more keep coming until one grazes her shoulder. Taking the chances she jumps high and whips upward, ripping off the next ribbon headed for her and wrapping the spiked chain tightly around Sami.

With her in command, Megan slams her down on the floor, dragging the ribbons with her which cut into her sides and almost making her drop the whip. Then, as if she’s done it a thousand times, Megan twists the handle on the whip, pulls it to one side and-

Stops. Sami starts screaming as she sees the chain of metal try to turn, meeting the resistance of her ribbons going in the opposite direction. I can see Izzy at my side muttering something under her breath, her completely open and focusing on the fight, almost giving a death glare. It’s the reason she doesn’t always have her eyes open; she can quickly turn from playful and childish to dead-serious and gritty in a flash, and when she gets serious… well, I’ve only seen it once so far, but it was pretty gruesome.

Megan whips the chain and causes Sami to loose her breath with what I assume were electric shocks. The ribbons also spas out, loosening their grip on the chain which gives Megan the sudden advantage. Attempting again, she grips tightly, pulls to one side…

I reflexively covered my eyes with my arm, but the blood only got so far as the first row of spectators.

After a terrible cry of metal against flesh and bone, I lowered my arm to see… I could barely tell it was Sami anymore save for her intact head. Everything from her chest to her thighs were shredded open like a bomb was planted in her stomach. Blood and bones were flung everywhere, her rib cage had two bones misplaced somewhere on the arena floor and her intestines began to drop down.

“Ladies!” Megan calls out, turning to the audience with her hands high like a magician performing on stage. “I give you, the Shredifier!” Her proclamation bounces off the walls as Sami falls into a lifeless heap on the floor. The crowd roars in excitement.

Two things are keeping me from going to Megan and putting her down: I’ve done the exact thing to other people before, and Sami will come back from this. Oh, and a third: I can get my revenge in the finals, if I win.

“…Oh, you’re not going up?” Izzy asks with a confused expression. I turn to her, smile and shake my head.

“Last time I ran to the defense of a friend, it didn’t end well. I know my own control.” I look back to the stage where Megan gets the cheers as she walks off the stage, already being cleaned for my next fight.

“Besides, I can just kick her ass later.”

“The Eversor fight is over!” The announcer kicks in “Time for the Callidus fight!”

The Callidus I get to fight was the winner of the last quarter-final match that was postponed due to an “emergency” on her opponents’ part. Normally the tournament keeps it so that a MG only fights one match per day of the tourney, but the exception was made for her. Still, doesn’t mean I can just think she’ll be weaker because she already fought today. It would be… unwise to think that of a Callidus.

Izzy gives me her best wishes as I head up to the arena to fight the other MG. Her dress starts as white then turns blue as it goes down in a regular dress that only goes to mini-skirt length. A rapier sword is her preferred weapon: they’re the ones with the circular handles that hold an extremely thin but sharp blade.

I swear if I ever get called a nerd for something, it will be my knowledge of weapons.

We both ready ourselves for the fight, and I can tell she’s eager. I feel like I’m the only fighter left who doesn’t want to bathe in the blood of my opponent. I’m just fighting to –not- die.

“Three, two, one, fight!”

FUCK SHE’S FAST.

She wants to slice and dice; quick strikes and avoiding power struggles until I’m worn down enough to not fight back efficiently. Knowing how… iffy my stamina can be, I’ll need to finish this quick, if I can manage to find a way to make her stop attacking. I can’t parry with the mace forever.

Her blade manages to get past my mace once and nick my arm, leaving a deep scratch on the right. The pain boils, and once I manage to stop her blade between the maces slits, I manage to fly a bolt right at her, knocking her back. When she gets back her footing, she takes a deep breath, raises her sword to the sky and stabs the ground.

Great, time for magic.

White grid marks cover the entire floor from the point of impact. She raises her sword as a column raises her into the air as my feet began to shift under moving ground. I bolt out of my last position as a wave of magic follows behind me, rippling across the floor and making the surface spike. It’s like a real life version of recording sound waves from music.

Shielding myself first, I jump and slam the hammer as hard as I can to… no avail. She controls the battle field now, including the tower she’s perched herself on and the wave coming behind me.

I have an idea but it’s probably stupid. Oh well.

The pillar doesn’t even budge as I kick off of it into the wave. Using the upward force from the wave as it crashes into the column I manage enough height to reach the top to find her waiting for me. She immediately tries to slash upward at me, but her blade screeches across the shield. It reaches it limit point and explodes, sending her off balance enough for me to get one good hit in her chest. The entire pillar collapses as we both fall to the floor, with the force of the hit sending her back. Cheers coming from the crowd are muffed through the combat, which get louder when I throw my hammer at her which connects nicely with her head and then vanishes.


She scrambles to her feet, her sword still clutched in her hand and glowing. Sure, at this level of fighting a few broken ribs and a cracked skull don’t mean much when you have magic. But when she looks at me again I can tell she just wants me dead right now. Using the elevation trick again, she pushes herself off of a wall and sprints at me. I raise my right arm to-

…block with the hammer which spawned in my left hand.

There’s a certain amount of gag reflex one has to sounds, and I’m sure the parting of skin as her blade drove itself through my entire arm, end to end, would make any normal being part.

We, at least, are magical girls. I still heard some screams in the audience, though.

Fucking. Shit. This pain…

It’s Been A While.

I think it’s the fastest punch I pulled off for myself; my left hand going straight for her jaw. Her hand left the handle, keeping the damn sword in-

Why Don’t We Make Them Remember?

She flies to the other end of the arena, collapsing near the edge as her fingers drag along the floor to stop herself. It’s a slow walk over to her, the mace in one hand and the sword still stuck and-

We’ve Always Had That Power.

The mace drops to the floor. I don’t need it for what I need to do. Left hand grips the handle stuck in the right as I feel that power spike coming again.

“So Let’s Bring The Pain.”

One swift motion. One burst of power. The sword flies free from my arm as the tissue and blood lost are vacuumed back in. I stand blazing grey-blue, seeing the fear in her eyes.

Eightball was right; they don’t know what they’re looking at.

I can feel it spiraling down my arms, gathering in my palms, swirling into a mesh of power. As it readies, the words fall out of my mouth so naturally.

“Kamehameha, bitch.”

One bolt was all it took to completely knock her unconscious. Two killed her outright. Three shattered the ground she was under. The last was contained within a punch that sent her through the arena, crashing on the concrete down below, splattering her everywhere.

The crowd was silent for a while, then erupted in cheers and I descended the arena stairs and headed my way out.

Nobody really needs to know what they looked at; all they need to know is that it works.


“Damn. The hell happened in there?”

Just outside the building I’m greeted by the previous victor in more casual clothes. Hands in her jean pockets, she looks very relaxed for someone who had to fight for her life a few minutes prior.

“I don’t think you –really- want to know.” Walking it off doesn’t help as Megan just tags along with me.

“Aw come on, what happened to sportsmanship?” She opens a can of soda and drinks a good amount before speaking again. “Ya know, you’re not really that popular. Sure you made a good opening impression with that whole museum thing, but if you can’t keep up the show nobody’s going to respect you. Me on the other hand…” Yawning behind me, I turn my head and stop to see her stretching. “Once I knew I was a fan-favorite, I kept it up. The audience will be with me when we fight.”

“You seem too calm about this.”

“Huh? Yea, I get that.” She strides ahead of me, turning around and bowing. “That’s Megan Ashwood for you. I fight for battle, not blood.”

“So we do have something in common.” I walk past her, heading to where Sami would be restored. “We don’t fight for spilling blood.”

“I like to be challenged.” She states walking back up to me. “Which brings me to you.”

We stop and look at each other at the same time. She’s a bit taller then me, but it’s not enough to make it evident in combat. Maybe around my age, give or take a year. Her facial scars, however slight, show she’s been in combat for a long time since she was put in, possibly fighting before she was even admitted.

“I have no idea what to expect from you at all.” She states blankly as I chuckle and grin.

“Good, I’d like to keep it that way. Makes better fights.”


She left me alone after that as I made my way to the building. I get a few cheers of congratulations, or of the “you totally kicked her ass!” kind. While nice, too much attention does get annoying. It stops once I get to the elevator and change floors, the other girls inside seemingly on their own business.

I hope I don’t get as bad as them; they seem way too focused on what their jobs are. We are magical girls, with girls being a part of it. It’s good to take a break and remind ourselves of who we are, or at least used to be.

When I got to Sami she was making sure everything was still working. Flexing and bending her arms, hands, legs and ribbons.

“So, how was death?”

“Didn’t like it.”

“Well duh. I was wondering what it felt like.” I have yet to actually die during a mission or otherwise, so I want to be ready whenever it might happen. Or just incase I loose tomorrow.

“It’s like fainting, but worse.” She starts. “Energy quickly leaves your body, pain deafens your thoughts and your muscles tense before dropping your body.”

“Great. Something to look forward to. Least it’s not as bad for being… well, us.” A chuckle from both of us was followed by silence until she spoke up again.

“I hope you think this will be all worth it in the end. Lots of girls don’t.”

“I know that.” I reply with a grin. “I’m sure both of us have a long way to go to be satisfied, though.”

She smiled lightly at that. The end is all that some see, not the distance. For now, at least the two of us can go far before we reach the end, because that’s all that matters.