This is pretty much my first time writing anything in pure text at great length, so I apologize if this has been a bit overhyped. The writing probably isn't actually that good, but that isn't stopping me from having fun writing it. :V
Blanche looked up in awe at the shining Worldwide Witch Federation's Colosseum. It glistened so brightly in the morning sun that she nearly had to cover her eyes. The complex was bustling with activity, no doubt with countless busy employees who did everything from maintaining the arena to managing its promotions abroad ? not to mention the hundred-odd magical girls that lived, trained, and fought here. It was a perfect spring day with barely any clouds in the sky, and the warmth of the sun contrasted by a fresh, cool breeze. Blanche took this as a blessing of her new arrival, and beamed as she approached the building, thinking her possibilities would be endless.
Climbing the stairs towards the entrance with a duffel bag slung over her shoulder, Blanche noticed a garishly dressed girl waiting near the door, wearing a black shirt and shorts, tall leather boots, and all sorts of chains and spike-studded accessories. Perched on her shoulder was a black fairy ram, who she seemed to be making idle conversation with. She turned her attention to Blanche as she approached, and gave a cheerful greeting as she waved her over. ?Hi! Are you Blanche?? Blanche smiled and set down her bag to return the girl's offered handshake.
?Yep! I'm moving in today. Who are you??
?I'm Alexis, I'm one of the performers here,? she said with a bright smile.
?And I'm Barnaby,? bleated the ram, sounding like a fifty-year-old chain smoker on helium. He offered his tiny hoof for a handshake as well, to which Blanche obliged.
?Nice to meet you!?
?Normally the Chairman would come to greet you herself, but she's overseas taking a look at the new arena that's being built,? Alexis explained. ?So I'll be the one to show you around and help you get settled in, okay??
?Sure!? Blanche picked up her bag and followed Alexis into the foyer. ?That new arena, that's the Thunderdome, right??
Alexis rolled her eyes with a smirk. ?That's not the real name, it won't actually be called that. It would give people the wrong idea, y'know??
?Two girls enter! One girl leaves!? cried Barnaby.
?Yeeeah, we don't want to turn it into a blood sport. It's all in good fun here.?
?Oh, I see. But...? Blanche leaned in. ?Even so, there are some really mean magical girls in the league, aren't there??
Alexis seemed amused. ?Yeah? Like who??
?Like...Black Magic Aleksandra,? replied Blanche, cringing her face. ?She's the worst.?
Alexis and Barnaby burst out laughing.
?W-what's so funny??
Barnaby turned to Blanche and sharpened his gaze. ?Maybe I should re-introduce myself,? he said, standing up on his partner's shoulder, beginning to emanate a dark, evil looking aura. ?They call me Barnaby? he said, as his voice shifted to a deeper, more demonic tone, ?but I am better known as the one and only Lord of the Blackest Magicks...Baphomet!?
Blanche recoiled in fear from the fairy's ominous presence, and turned to Alexis. ?But if you're with Baphomet, that means you're...you're...?
Alexis folded her arms and cackled. ?That's right! I am Black Magic Aleksandra!? she boomed, with an malicious sneer on her face.
?No way!? Blanche backed away nervously, scarcely believing she was unfortunate enough to run into one of the league's biggest villains on her first day. ?This is a trap, isn't it!? You're planning to steal my powers, aren't you!??
Alexis and Barnaby looked at each other and laughed again, returning to their casual posture and voice. ?Blanche, it's not for real. That's just our stage act.?
?...Stage act??
?You know, it's just the character I play.?
?...Character??
Alexis shook her head, smiling again. ?Geez, they really don't tell you anything at the Academy, do you??
?The WWF is fake!?? exclaimed Blanche in disbelief, following Alexis through the enormous main hall.
?Don't say fake!? Alexis wagged her finger at Blanche with a stern look on her face. ?We train really hard to put on these shows, and we get hurt all the time. But yeah, it's all scripted.?
?I don't believe it...it looks so real.?
?We are real magical girls using real magic. Some people figure it out anyway, but the Federation keeps up the act because it's part of the fun.?
?So how does it really work??
Alexis walked at a brisk pace down the hall as she offered a thorough explanation. ?Well, the writers will usually have stories in mind that they want to advance on each show, and they'll plan matches that factor into that story. So the first thing they'll do is figure out what matches to schedule to fill up the show's timeslot, and decide who's going to win them.? Alexis gestured pointedly with her hands as she talked, illustrating nothing in particular. ?After that, they'll get into the specifics of each match. Usually for the first few minutes we're free to improvise it, and we'll fly around and throw out attacks that aren't really going to do any damage, y'know, just stuff that looks pretty. We keep track of the time, and then at a certain point we get into the meat of it, where they've written out what they want us to do blow-by-blow. The more technical stuff. That's all choreographed, and we practice it in the days before the show, and we get it perfect so nothing goes wrong and nobody actually gets hurt. So we go through the motions and follow the plan, and eventually one of us falls into the water or fakes getting knocked out, and that's the match. All the talk before and after is just acting.?
?Huh,? Blanche said pensively. ?But, the advertisements always say the battles in the WWF are real. So they're just lying??
?Not quite,? said Barnaby. ?They don't say 'the battles are real', they say they 'have real battles'. Which is technically true. Just, not all of 'em are real. Heh.?
?That's the difference between normal matches and ranked matches,? Alexis continued. ?The ranked matches are our 'real' battles, where it's all improvised and we try to win, but we still have to do it within the outline that the writers give us. So it's not so much as a real battle, it's more like a game where the object is to break your opponent's barrier while following the safety rules.?
?What kind of rules??
?Well, if we fought for real the fights would be a lot uglier. The attacks we use are designed to control how much power we're putting out. Like, the best example would be our finishers. You've seen my Satanic Sacrifice, right??
?That's your strongest attack, isn't it??
?It's just supposed to look like it is. It's actually kind of weak, just really big. I use it to win the match by picking off my opponent when her barrier's about to break. We usually call moves like that a 'flash'.?
?If it was really her strongest attack, her opponent would get hurt really bad when her barrier broke, y'see?? Barnaby added.
?I see...I thought magical girls were just really tough. I guess it's actually kind of dangerous.?
Alexis nodded. ?That's why newbies aren't allowed to do ranked matches. They'll only let you fight in them once you've got enough experience, and you can prove you've got enough control to participate safely in a fully free-form match.?
After passing through security, Alexis lead Blanche towards the main stairway where the spectators would file into the arena and waved her up. ?Come on, I think they're in the middle of rehearsal right now.?
Blanche soon found herself in a vast sea of pristine vinyl seats. Though she had seen the WWF Colosseum countless times before on television, the arena was even more amazing in person. It could house over 100,000 spectators, and without fail, would be filled to capacity with cheering fans during every show. Her gaze wandered up and across the shiny metallic structure, until Alexis tugged her sleeve and pointed into the center of the arena.
The battlefield itself consisted of a series of platforms and other obstructions raised above a huge pool of water, which were modified between seasons to keep things interesting. In the current setup, the large circular central platform was about 50 meters across, and it was surrounded by four small 15 meter discs which were raised about a story above the main one. Jutting out of the central platform were four pillars about a meter thick and standing two stories tall, useful for using as cover (or simply posing dramatically on top of). These were all a glossy white in color, with blue geometric line patterns scribed onto them. In addition, a single long bridge reached out from one end of the central platform to a stage built into the wall of the arena, which people other than magical girls (announcers, for instance) could use to walk out onto the battlefield and address the crowd. Finally, the outer edge of the field would protect the audience with an enormous barrier known as the ?Net?, stretching from floor to ceiling, and the girls fighting inside would frequently find themselves slammed against it in the course of their battles.
Standing in the center of the field were two magical girls that Blanche immediately recognized, along with a stout casually-dressed middle-aged man wearing a ball cap. They seemed to be having a friendly discussion.
?Isn't that Tiger Lilly and Spring Storm!??
?Yup. They've got a grudge match scheduled next show, that's probably what they're going over.?
?They're talking like friends, though. Aren't they enemies??
?Like I said, that's just part of the act. Really, if you have a lot of matches with someone, you're probably going to wind up being friends with them because you work so closely together. Plus, it's easier to act with someone you know well.?
?Huh, so nobody actually hates each other? That seems kind of nice.? Blanche paused. ?So, does that mean you're not really enemies with Saint Maria??
?Nope! She's one of my best friends. We go out drinking on Wednesdays, when we're not busy.?
It's so much different than I imagined, Blanche thought. She was certain when she joined the WWF she'd be caught up in her own alliances and rivalries in no time, but it seemed that wasn't the case. It was a relief, to be honest.
Alexis explained as they watched the two magical girls getting in position. ?See, I'm what they call a 'heel', which the audience is supposed to see as the bad guy. Saint Maria is a 'face', which is who the audience wants to cheer for, and the writers usually have her win because it makes the crowd happy. It's all just part of the story.?
?Do the writers decide who the heels and faces are??
?Yeah, pretty much. They watch how the audience reacts to you when you're new and kind of go from there.?
Blanche twiddled her fingers. ?That sounds kind of rough, I don't think I'd want to be a heel. Don't you feel sad when the audience boos you and it's not even your fault??
Alexis laughed again. Her voice had a warm, genuine quality to it that was completely different from the character Blanche was used to seeing her as. ?Nah, nah. It's fun for me. When I play a villain I get to be totally over the top. The audience really gets into it.? Alexis leaned onto a seat, settling in to watch as the girls in the arena got ready to fight. ?You're right though, it's definitely not for everyone. I know some girls who would probably start crying if the crowd booed at them.?
Blanche considered her words carefully, before turning her attention to the man on the platform as he headed off towards the bridge. ?Who's that guy??
?That's Mike Bortoli. He's the Director. He's the one who goes between us and the writers.?
?Oh, so he's important, then??
?He's pretty much the top guy as far as we're concerned, after the Chairman, I mean.?
?Is he nice??
?He's...reasonable? He's a professional, so if you step out of line he won't be polite about it. He knows what he's doing though, so you should listen to him.?
Blanche nodded. Just then, the sound of machinery powering on filled the arena, as all the lights started coming on and the Net began to come online. Tiger Lilly and Spring Storm were perched on opposite discs, stretching and getting ready.
A man's voice boomed over the loudspeakers, which Blanche presumed to be the voice of Mr. Bortoli. ?Awright ladies, go ahead and do some warmup maneuvahs.?
Tiger Lilly was the first to attack. Pointing her palm at Spring Storm, a large orange globe formed in front of her hand, which she quickly sent flying at Storm by striking it with her other fist. Streaking across the battleground, the orb narrowly grazed Storm's dress as she twirled out of the way, her dress fluttering up like a ballroom dancer's. She took to the air and pointed her flower wand at Lilly, a cloud of cherry blossoms bursting forth. After drifting in the air for a moment, they twisted and launched themselves at her, flying through the air like pink daggers. Lilly jumped down to the center platform, advancing on the ground, as she often did. She deftly dodged and rolled her way through the incoming blossoms at high speed, making her way halfway across the platform in just under two seconds.
Lilly dashed up the side of one of the pillars, and leaped through the air, twisting and flipping to avoid another of Storm's blossom attacks; at the peak of her jump, she used one of her signature attacks, the Tiger Claw, suddenly disregarding gravity and rocketing towards Storm with blazing blades of energy extending from her fist. Storm gripped her wand with both hands, and steadying it in front of her, created a barrier of flowers. Lilly slammed into it fiercely with her punch, causing a huge explosion of petals as the shield was broken. Storm was thrown off balance, and Lilly capitalized with a straight right kick to Storm's abdomen. Storm was catapulted across the arena into the Net, slamming into it with a boom that echoed throughout the arena. Blanche winced as the Net rippled with the force of the collision.
?Lemme tell you a little secret,? said Alexis as she tapped Blanche's shoulder. ?Hitting the Net doesn't hurt at all. We just pretend it does.?
?Really!??
?Yeah. The Net absorbs the entire impact. It's just designed to make it look like it was hit really hard.?
Storm peeled herself from the Net, and swinging her arm outward, created a whorl of wind that grew in intensity until a veritable whirlwind was headed for her opponent. Lilly was caught and battered by the wind, leaving her off-balance, and Storm dove into her with a jump kick to send her careening into the floor.
?What about the floor, though??
?For that, you have to use your magic to absorb the impact. Lilly's really good at that because she specializes in hand-to-hand, so she lets herself get knocked around a lot.? Watching Lilly get up and scramble to get out of the way of the projectile blossoms headed towards her, Alexis continued. ?That's why it's important to practice with your opponent and know what they're capable of. You don't want to put them in a situation where they don't know how to fake a reaction to whatever you're attacking them with.?
Lilly backflipped onto one of the discs and struck a martial arts pose, emanating a burning aura. Punching the air repeatedly at high speed, she began launching a flurry of small energy bolts at Storm, who dodged and spun through the air to avoid the incoming fire. To retaliate, Storm swung her hand down like an axe, sending a wide blade of wind hurtling towards Lilly. Lilly sidestepped it at the last moment, and throwing her body into a backflip kick, mimicked Storm's attack, swinging an arc of orange flame at her with her foot. Storm was struck, and caught fire for a moment until she descended onto one of the pillars to shake it off. Within moments Lilly had landed on an opposite pillar to follow up her attack.
?Seriously!? This is just an act!?? Blanche said as she turned to Alexis, dropping her jaw incredulously.
?Yeah. That attack was weak, it would have barely hurt her at all. What makes the acting difficult is being able to dodge attacks like that, and being able to sell it when you don't.?
?You should already know the former from the academy, but you'll be learning the latter here,? Barnaby added.
Blanche had discovered a newfound respect for the magical girls that competed in the WWF. Fighting was one thing, but pretending to do so convincingly was another.
Mr. Bortoli spoke out over the loudspeaker again. ?Okay, perfect. Dat oughta be a good point to move onto da next segment. Now, da idea of dis match is dat Storm is gonna dodge Lilly's Roarin' Tiger Claw again, and start up 'er Blossom Hurricane, which in da past has won er' da match, but dis time Lilly's got a plan fer it.? The two girls nodded as they listened. ?So, if you ladies wanna say somethin' durin' the match, dis would be a good point.?
The girls started discussing something that wasn't audible to Blanche, and Alexis stood up. ?Alright, so while they're busy planning, you want to go check out your dorm??
?Sure,? said Blanche picking up her bag, though in truth she was more curious about what was going to happen in the ring.
Alexis and Blanche headed far back into the building, well beyond the spectator area, and into a gated area, passing a large gym and doctor's office, and eventually entered a large commons area with many tables, sofas, and chairs, seemingly made for socializing. A few girls were relaxing in this area, chatting, writing, or listening to music. If they were magical girls, Blanche didn't recognize them in plain clothes. The room was about four stories tall, with a large skylight above, and generously decorated with potted plants and flowers. Alexis pulled a piece of paper out of her shirt pocket, and unfolded it. ?Let's see...you're assigned to dorm...G. That's on the second tier.? Alexis gestured for Blanche to follow her up the stairs, after taking a moment to wave ?hi? to a girl she seemed to know. Nobody seemed to pay much attention to Blanche, which honestly made her a little disappointed. New arrivals weren't considered a big deal, she concluded.
?Which dorm are you in?? Blanche asked Alexis.
?Oh, I don't live in the dorms anymore. I have my own apartment in the city.?
?Princess needed her own place to get her swag on,? Barnaby commented.
?Quiet, fluffball.?
?You live by yourself? Isn't that a little lonely?? asked Blanche.
?Yeah, a little,? she answered, ?but I have people over all the time. You can come visit, if you want.?
?Sure, I'd like that.? After seeing the lukewarm response of the girls in the commons, she was hoping she wouldn't have a hard time making friends.
?Here we are.? Alexis opened the door to the dorm, and closed it behind her after she followed Blanche inside.
The dorm was dimly lit. It seemed to be two stories tall, with four bedrooms at the far end on each level, and a loft above the kitchen and dining area. The dorm seemed a little cramped for eight people, but it was nicely furnished and very clean. The entryway had a few small seats for removing one's shoes (a number of them were strewn across the floor nearby) and a series of coathooks. A kitchen full of shiny black appliances was to the left, and a polished ebony dining table with eight chairs was to the right. A phone and computer console was in the far right corner, and a bathroom door seemed to be at the end of the hall, past the rooms. Blanche thought it all looked very high-class, but figured she would soon come to lament the lack of windows.
?Yo! Anyone home?? called out Alexis.
?Up here,? responded someone sounding like their mouth was full.
A hummingbird with midnight blue plumage flew down from the loft to have a look. ?Oh! She's here!? it said, with a voice that seemed to have a bit of a whistle to it, and flew back up.
Alexis and Blanche headed up the tight spiral staircase into the loft. Blanche was a bit thrown back by how casual the scene in front of her was.
There were three girls in the room, and three fairy animals as well. Two of the girls were sitting on a couch in front of a large widescreen television playing a video game. The first was slouched into her seat wearing nothing but her underwear and a long sleeve shirt, looking on at the television with glassy eyes and an open mouth, while a lop-eared puppy with wings slept on her head. The other was in her pajamas, sitting upside down with her legs dangling over the back of the couch, also fixated on the game she was playing. The hummingbird she had seen a moment ago was perched on her foot. The third was wearing a red hoodie with the hood up, sitting on a recliner and slurping down a microwaved bowl of spicy ramen, and a small fairy wolf with bright red fur was laying by her feet. Only the third girl reacted when Alexis and Blanche entered, quickly setting her bowl aside on a small side table, and standing up.
?You must be the new kid!? she bounded over to offer a handshake, which Blanche graciously accepted.
Alexis turned her attention to the two on the couch, looking a bit dismayed. ?Hey! It's past ten o' clock already! Up and at 'em!?
The girl in the pajamas mumbled something unintelligible. The other did not respond at all.
The person in the hoodie introduced herself. ?Hi, you can call me Jackie. I'm Red Hot Heart.?
?Nice to meet you! I'm Blanche, my magical girl form is called Rainbow Royale.?
?Sounds good, sounds good. That over there,? Jackie said, gesturing towards the girl with the blank stare, ?is Beautiful Dreamer Camille, and that's Crystal, she's Crystal Miracle.? She turned to them to get their attention. ?Guys, the new girl is here, say hi.?
Crystal responded with a single syllable which may or may not have been a simple ?hey?. Camille simply continued looking on vacantly at the television as her thumbs twitched.
Jackie shrugged and turned back to Blanche. ?Don't mind them, they're not morning people. If it wasn't for me, they'd be getting up at the crack of noon.? Jackie started pointing at the fairy animals. ?The little guys are Nemo,? pointing towards the sleeping puppy, ?Gail,? towards the hummingbird, ?and this is my partner, Clifford,? Jackie said as the wolf got up and approached.
?A pleasure,? he said, in a voice Blanche thought sounded rather mature and cool.
?Welcome!? Gail chimed in.
Blanche nodded happily. ?Nice to meet you all.?
Jackie bumped fists with Alexis. ?Hey Alex, you keepin' it real??
?You know it. You guys have a room made up for her??
?Yeah, it's the last room we have left. Down there, first door on the right.?
Clifford chuckled.
?W...what, is there something wrong with the room?? asked Blanche nervously.
?Are you a light sleeper?? Jackie asked.
?...Not really??
?Then you should be fine.?
Blanche hesitated, looking over the railing down towards the room. ?No, really...what's wrong with it??
Jackie nudged her towards the stairs, smiling. ?Nothing, trust me, it'll be fine. The delivery girl dropped something off in there earlier, go check it out.?
?B-but...?
?Go on!?
Blanche headed down the stairs towards her new room, visibly worried, while Jackie turned to talk to Alexis. Gail flew down to follow Blanche, with the beats of her deep blue wings leaving a trail of sparkles behind her.
?Blanche! Did you bring your fairy partner??
?No, actually...I shared mine with my older sister. He's traveling with her right now.?
?Oh, too bad,? Gail said. ?So your sister is a magical girl too? What does she do??
Blanche's expression turned complicated as she thought about how to answer that. ?I...don't really know. She just travels, I guess,? Blanche paused for a moment. ?I think she just wanted to go off and think about things.?
Gail quickly realized what she was getting at. ?Ohhhhh. She fought in the war, didn't she.?
Blanche nodded.
?She's a big hero, then,? Gail said more cheerfully.
Blanche nodded sharply. ?She really is.?
Blanche opened the door to her room. It was somewhat modest in size, but sufficiently equipped, with a desk with a rolling office chair, a nightstand with a lamp, a large dresser, and a walk-in closet. Most notable was a very comfortable-looking queen-size bed, done up with fluffy blankets and lots of frills. On the desk was a small fruit basket with a sealed letter in it, and a brand new computer pad. Everything in the room was immaculate.
Blanche set her bag down, and started looking around the room. Getting on her knees, Blanche checked under her bed, and finding nothing, stood back up. ?Is there really nothing wrong with this room??
Gail hesitated and looked away, as if the subject was a bit awkward, before responding with a simple ?you'll see.?
Blanche frowned, but decided to drop the subject as she opened up the letter. She read it aloud, as Gail seemed to be trying to get a look at it.
?Dear Blanche, welcome to the Worldwide Witch Federation! I've been watching your performance in the Academy for a while and I'm excited about having you here. You have a lot of talent and I think your prospects are very promising. As long as you work hard, I think you'll go far. Sorry I couldn't be there to greet you in person, but I'm looking forward to having a long chat and getting to know you when I get back. Until I get back, I've put Alexis in charge of your training. She's one of our best and you can trust her to show you the ropes. Your first match will be very soon, so good luck! Sincerely, Chairman of the WWF, Rosa Beauchamp.? Blanche looked up. ?How nice!? She then quickly looked back down. ?Wait, how soon??
Alexis popped her head in. ?Hey, if you're ready, they should be finished up in the arena by now. Lemme give you a tour of the inside so you can get a feel for the place.?
?Alright.? Blanche left her bag on her bed and let Gail fly out of the room before closing the door behind her.
At the entryway, Jackie was putting on a pair of running shoes, as Clifford sat ready to follow her. ?I gotta get back to training, but let's hang out tonight, okay? I'll introduce you to everyone.?
?Thank you very much,? Blanche said gratefully as she nodded.
Jackie followed the two girls back out into the commons, and parted ways shortly after.
After another long walk, Blanche and Alexis were headed backstage into the arena. The area was filled, though well organized, with all sorts of sound and lighting equipment. A few maintenance workers were going about their business here and there, paying little attention to the girls. Soon, the two of them were looking down the ramp onto the side stage that bridged onto the central platform. It was dressed up with metallic curtains, and silver girders rigged with colored lights arched over it. It was here that many magical girls would make their big entrance and appear before the crowds, often using their own magic for smokescreens or pyrotechnics.
?Oh, since we're here, I'm curious. Not everyone goes out over the bridge, right? How do they appear in the arena??
Barnaby pointed up. ?There're hidden walkways up in the rafters. Some of the girls can teleport or turn invisible, so they can just jump down into place from there,? he explained. ?There's also some hiding spots under the discs, so some of the sneakier girls just conceal themselves in there and move while the lights go dark.?
?Wow...?
?Making an entrance is a big part of the show, so we don't half-ass it,? he said confidently.
Alexis turned back for a moment. ?Lemme grab a headset so I can talk to the guys in the control room.? A moment later, she returned wearing a set of wireless headphones with a mic. ?Okay, let's go!? she said as she lead Blanche out to the central platform. ?Jim, you there?? A few moments later, she repeated, ?Jim??
Blanche faintly heard a young man respond over the headset. ?Yeah, I'm here. Sorry, I was talking to someone.?
?I've got a newbie with me today, I'm gonna walk her through some basic exercises. Can you get everything running for me??
?I certainly can. But just so you know, Bonnie's supposed to show up for practice in about a half hour.?
?That'll have to do, we're running on a tight schedule. Thanks.?
?Who's that?? Blanche inquired.
?Jim runs the control room during the daytime shift while we practice.? Alexis leaned close to Blanche and covered her mic. ?He's also hot. Seriously, he's delicious.?
Blanche giggled as they headed over the bridge. A few moments later, she heard the sound of the Net powering up again as it encapsulated the arena.
Jim spoke up again. ?Alllllright, look's like all systems are green.?
?Thank you very much, Jim,? said Alexis, smiling.
?And you are very welcome.?
As they stepped onto the central platform, Alexis got into what Blanche immediately recognized as a transformation pose. ?Okay, Blanche! Let's get started.?
?Right!?
Alexis rose into the air, pushing her hands out to her sides and then forward. ?Black magic enchantment!? Her clothes started to become ghostly and translucent, and a shining spiderweb quickly erupted from her feet and flew up, entwining her body up to her chest. Crow feathers began to swirl around her, gathering onto her body, until they formed into ragged black cloth, including a pointy black hat with a huge rim. A series of flashes created metallic accessories on her outfit, and finally, she snatched a broom from a gout of purple flame.
Blanche raised her arms up, and then slowly brought them down in an arc, creating a rainbow. ?Prismatic presence, power up!? Her skin began to shine with a brilliant opalescence. A bright ball of light formed above her, and split into seven orbs, each a different color of the rainbow. One by one, the orbs spun around her and dissolved into a curtain of light that cascaded over her body, until the swirling colors solidified into a pearly white dress. Then, a clear crystalline tiara appeared on her head, and a two sets of lustrous wings sprouted forth: a tiny one out of her tiara, and a larger one out of her back.
Alexis flicked the brim of her hat up, revealing her sharp, villainous gaze. Her outfit seemed like an edgy take of a traditional witch's costume, festooned with spikes and chains. Leaning back to sit on her broom, hovering above the ground, she folded her arms and boldly announced herself. ?Darkness falls, and the forces of evil arise! With eldritch power at my fingertips, I am
Black Magic Aleksandra! Kyeeeeehahahahaha!!?
Blanche finished her transformation, stretched her wings, and took a breath as she closed her eyes and turned her head upward. A heavenly light seemed to fall upon her. ?When the seven lights gather, truth and beauty are revealed.? She struck a pose, spinning into a ready position. ?Prismatic Princess,
Rainbow Royale!?
Alexis ? or rather, Aleksandra ? clapped at her introduction. ?Not bad, not bad. I like the alliteration.? Blanche - or rather, Royale ? smiled and folded her hands nervously. In truth, it felt a little strange to be talking so cordially with the magical girl she had watched on television and so openly hated for years before. Aleksandra dropped to stand on the ground. ?Alright, let's start with the basics. We're gonna practice having you get hit into the Net.?
?That's the basics!??
?Yup, the basics of the basics. You need to know how to get hit to put on a show. The Net absorbs the impact, so it doesn't hurt, remember? It's easy.?
?But you still have to hit me into it, right??
?That's right,? she said with a broad smile. She was enjoying this. Maybe she really was evil, Royale briefly thought.
?Okay, put your guard up. Here I come!?
Royale squeeled in terror as Aleksandra rushed in. Royale crossed her arms to guard her face, but the punch was directed at her abdomen. However, it struck with only the smallest impact, simply knocking the wind out of Royale, and causing her to let out a small ?Oof!? Aleksandra stepped back, and she and Barnaby shared a chuckle as Royale steadied herself. ?That's not funny!? she complained. ?I thought you were really gonna hit me.?
?That's all.?
?Huh??
Aleksandra waved her hand dismissively. ?That's as hard as I'm gonna hit you. The rest is all you.?
?...Huh? So...?
Barnaby cut in to explain. ?When she hits you, you gotta launch yourself back into the Net. You're not actually gonna get hit that hard, you're just gonna make it look like you did. That's what we call a 'sell'.?
?Oh...so it really doesn't do any damage at all, does it??
Aleksandra nodded. ?Now you're getting it. Even though it looks like it hurts, letting yourself get hit into the Net is actually a good way to rest for a few seconds if you're getting tired.? Aleksandra then turned and gestured towards the side of the central platform. ?If you want to get your opponent to do that, the signal is usually to stand in the air between two discs, and prepare some slow attack. If your opponent gets your signal, they'll come over to interrupt it and smack you into the Net.?
Barnaby continued. ?That's why you don't follow up the attack after throwing someone into the Net. Unless the script calls for it, I mean. It's so the two of you can take a quick breather.?
?Ohhhhh.? Royale thought this was all very clever. ?Still, isn't it hard to fake the hit??
?It sure is, and that's why we're gonna practice.? Aleksandra got back into position. ?Ready??
Royale prepared herself. ?R-ready!?
Twenty minutes later, Royale had allowed herself to be punched into the Net dozens of times, and her stomach was not appreciating the punishment.
?Was that better?? she asked, coming down again, rubbing her tenderized abdomen.
?You're still too stiff. You gotta relax your limbs and fly like a rag doll.? She paused and added, ?It seems like you're afraid to get hit, and you're tensing up too much.?
?Why wouldn't I be afraid to get hit?? Royale pouted.
?'Cause I'm not gonna hurt you. Much.? Aleksandra giggled. ?Seriously though, you just gotta train your mind. That's what you should be thinking, 'It's not going to hurt'. Just imagine me whacking you with a giant pillow or something.?
Royale relaxed her breath. ?Okay. Let's do it again.?
?That's the spirit.? Aleksandra gave her a faux clobbering once more, and Royale flew backwards awkwardly until she collided with the Net. ?That was a little better!? Aleksandra called out towards her.
When Royale next came down, a third girl in normal clothes had entered the ring and was standing next to Aleksandra. She was rather short and had a fluffy head of hair styled into a bob.
?Hiya, newbie!? she called out.
?H-hi...? she waved, trying to hide her exhaustion.
?Blanche, this is Bonnie. Bonnie, Blanche.?
The name was familiar to Royale. ?Love Bomber Bonnie, right??
?That's right! I use my real name, because it's already cute.? Bonnie's voice had a lilting quality to it, and she seemed very much like her stage personality.
?You've got the arena booked, right?? Aleksandra said, before turning to Royale. ?So I guess you get a break.? Royale immediately felt relieved.
?Actually, I can spare a few minutes. You're practicing knockbacks, right? How about she works with me for a bit??
Aleksandra gave a broad smile. ?Oh, would you? That would be perfect.?
Royale suddenly became very nervous as she realized she was probably about to be blown up, and waved her palms. ?Oh, no, I wouldn't want you to miss out on any training because of me.?
?Don't worry about it! I'll be happy to help. Sending people flying is my specialty!? Bonnie took a few steps back, raised her pointed finger into the air, and thrust it straight down. ?Big Bang Kaboom!? A sudden, huge explosion of smoke and confetti erupted from where she was standing, and when it settled, Love Bomber Bonnie was in her place. She was wearing a simple yellow dress with red cartoon explosions on it, thick gloves and boots, and a densely packed rucksack with various explosives peeking out of the pockets. She threw her arms up, jumping into the air like a cheerleader. ?Bursting with love, it's Love Bomber Bonnie!?
Bonnie reached into her pack and pulled out a lit bomb the size of her head. ?Alright, here we go!?
Royale panicked. ?No, no no no no no WAIT!?
Bonnie threw the bomb into her stomach, and it exploded with a satisfying boom, leaving behind a cloud of smoke and sparkles. Royale was sent flying across the arena, slamming into the Net at incredible speed and causing it to ripple throughout. Flattened against it, it was at this point that Royale heard the sound of girls laughing uproariously, and noticed that a small group had gathered in the stands to watch her train. Bonnie and Aleksandra were laughing as well. Royale groaned in misery, and peeled herself from the Net.
Surprisingly, though, she wasn't hurt at all; in fact, now that she thought about it, she felt even less impact than when Aleksandra had hit her. She dusted herself off and flew back down.
?Good job, Blanche. That was right on target.? Aleksandra kept giggling.
?Why didn't it hurt?? Royale was genuinely curious.
?Magic, duh,? said Bonnie.
Aleksandra wiped her eyes and offered a real explanation. ?Bonnie's abilities are perfect for selling attacks. Her bombs make a lot of smoke to hide movements, and they can just magically push you back instead of blowing up forcefully. That's why her matches are so good.?
?Aw, shucks.? Bonnie put her hands behind her back and rocked back and forth on her heels a bit, smiling.
Royale let out a defeated chuckle. ?Can I take a break now??
Aleksandra nodded. ?Sure, we'll let Bonnie get to work.?
?Nice meeting you!? Bonnie waved as the two of them transformed back and walked down the bridge.
?Not thinking of quitting already, are you?? teased Alexis, as Blanche plopped down to sit on a crate backstage.
Blanche smiled nervously and raised her palms. ?No! No, no. I just need a few minutes. That was a big shock.?
?Really? You went through plenty of combat drills at the academy, didn't you??
?I don't know why, but this just feels completely different.? Blanche pondered on it for a moment. ?At the academy, I was pretty confident in myself because everyone told me I was so talented. I wasn't afraid of my classmates. But here, I'm just a small fry.?
?Don't worry about it, it's like that for everyone. It's not like the kind of skills you need to develop are anything you could've learned anywhere else, so we all just pick it up at our own pace.? Alexis frowned. ?Well, that's what I should say, but...?
?Oh, that reminds me...the letter the Chairman left me said my first match was going to be 'very soon'. Um...when is it, exactly??
Alexis grimaced and hesitated. She looked away and tapped her foot for a moment, before turning back to her. ?Uh. Not to make you panic, but it's this Friday.?
Blanche wanted to scream and pull out her hair in terror. ?This Friday!? That's in four days!! I just got here!?
?Yeeeah, trust me, I know. This is crazy.? Alexis shook her head in disapproval. ?Usually the newbie training period is, like, three weeks minimum.?
?Why are they doing this??
?I asked Mike about it and he said it was because you got a lot of attention in the Academy coverage, and it was made public that you were going to debut in the WWF. Apparently it drummed up a lot of hype and they want you to fight before it dies down.?
?That's not fair! I'm not ready!?
?Yeah, I know, I know. Look, don't even worry about it, okay? If you botch the show, it's not your fault, it's their fault for rushing you like this.?
Blanche sighed and sank her shoulders so deeply that it seemed like she would crumple in on herself. ?I really wanted to do a good job, though. Now I'm just going to look bad and waste everyone's time.? She dropped her head, depressed, as Alexis scrambled to figure out what to say. ?I feel really bad for my opponent, too. I'm just going to make them look stupid.? She sat solemnly for a moment. ?Maybe I really should back out.?
?Hey, hey. Calm down. It's too soon to give up.? Alexis stood in front of her and put her hands on her shoulders. ?I've put aside my whole week to train you. It'll be a hell of a crash course, but we can make this work.?
?How?? she answered curtly, with frustration in her voice.
?Look, you're not gonna put on a pro performance, but I can teach you enough to wing it and get through a short match. Then you'll have another whole week to train and it'll be easier next time. And after that, it should be smooth sailing and you can start learning more advanced stuff.?
Blanche looked unconvinced, her eyes pointed downward.
?You can do it, okay? You're talented, you know that. But you gotta be determined, and you gotta work hard. If you give it your all, you can do it.? Alexis lowered herself to look Blanche in the eyes. ?Everyone wants to see you succeed, okay? Nobody's trying to screw you over. We're all here to help. I'm here for you. Okay??
Blanche hesitated for a few seconds, and finally smiled a little and said, ?Okay,? her voice cracking a bit.
?You know what they say, right??
?What??
Alexis smiled a toothy grin. ?Fake it 'til you make it.?
Blanche giggled, her negativity subsiding a bit.
?Say it with me. Fake it 'til you make it.?
?Fake it 'til you make it.? Blanche smiled.
?Atta girl. Come on.? Alexis helped her up. ?We'll go back to your room so you can rest for a bit and grab some lunch. After that, meet me in the gym at about one o' clock and be ready to bust some ass. Sound like a plan??
?Alright.?
?Alright then.? The two of them made their way back towards the dorms.
Barnaby hovered close to Alexis and whispered ?nice save?.
?Thanks, hoss,? she whispered back.
Blanche said goodbye to Alexis and went inside her dorm.
It was still dark inside, and seemed to be empty, until Blanche noticed Camille, still undressed but now apparently conscious, poking through the refrigerator.
Camille turned and noticed Blanche, staring at her for a moment like a deer in the headlights. Finally, she slowly asked, ?Who are you??
?Um...I'm Blanche. We met this morning??
She paused for a long while, as if trying to recall the morning's sequence of events, and replied ?I don't remember.?
?Jackie introduced me. I don't think you were really awake, though.?
She paused again. ?I don't think I was,? she eventually confirmed.
?I just arrived this morning, I'm moving into your dorm today.?
?Oh...? A faint spark of comprehension seemed to flash in the sluggish girl's mind. ?...Right.? She paused for another moment. ?Welcome...what was your name again??
?Blanche.?
?Welcome, Blanche.? Camille smiled a little. Blanche decided she was a nice person, if a little difficult to communicate with.
Blanche entered further into the dorm and leaned on the counter. ?Is Crystal still here??
?No...she went to go train.? After a moment, she added, ?It's just me.? After another, ?And Nemo.? After that, she turned her attention back to the fridge.
?Are you making lunch? What do we do for food here??
?We keep our own groceries in here,? Camille explained. ?You order them at that computer over there...and they get delivered the next day.? Blanche assumed she meant the console next to the phone in the corner. ?It's convenient.?
?So I won't be able to get anything until tomorrow...?
?There's a cafeteria...but it's a long walk.? She paused for a moment, and then reached deep into the fridge, moving some things aside. ?I'll share some of mine with you,? she offered, dragging out a bowl of tupperware that seemed to have some kind of soup in it, ?but I'm a vegetarian...is that okay??
?Yes! Thank you. I'd really appreciate it.?
Camille nodded, and got a saucepan from the cupboard, wincing at each and every noisy clank breaking the silence while she rooted around through the pots and pans. She seemed like a person that put a lot of value in her quiet time. She opened up the tupperware bowl, dumped some of its contents into the pan, and set the range to medium. ?It'll be a few minutes.?
Blanche pulled up a stool and sat at the counter, taking care not to make any sudden movements that would upset her languorous new friend. Camille closed her eyes and stood in place for a moment, and Blanche half expected her to fall asleep on her feet. She decided to keep the lethargic conversation going. ?Where's Nemo??
Camille opened her eyes again, and after a moment, looked around and simply mirrored the question. ?Where's Nemo?? She looked up towards the loft. ?Nemooo...?
After a moment, the white-furred puppy came stumbling down the steps in a manner Blanche thought was somewhat adorable. He then yawned in a manner Blanche thought was extremely adorable. ?What is it, Camille?? he finally said, about as lucid as his partner.
?Come meet Blanche. She's our new roommate.?
The tiny dog turned his head upward, and took notice of the new arrival. ?Oh!? He then perked up a bit, and flapped his wings, lifting himself into the air and flying over to the counter. ?Hello, miss. I'm Nemo, Camille's fairy partner.? Nemo had the voice of an earnest young boy.
?Nice to meet you. I'm Blanche.?
Nemo outstretched his paw, offering a shake, very much like the dog trick, and Blanche smiled and gave him a shake, although she really just wanted to pet his head. ?What kind of magical girl do you turn into?? he asked.
Blanche crossed her legs and sat her hands in her lap, as if she was sitting down to participate in an interview. ?I turn into a magical girl called Rainbow Royale. I can change my powers by turning my dress different colors.?
?That sounds cool! What do the colors do??
?When I first transform, I start with my white form, which is the default. If I change into my red form, for instance, I gain super speed, but it only works if I'm running on the ground. So I use that if I think I'm better off fighting on foot.?
?You can't change colors quickly??
?No, I can't. It takes a lot of magic to activate the powers they have.?
?I see...?
Camille fumbled around in the fridge a bit more. ?Oh...I'm out of pears.?
?Pears?? Blanche suddenly remembered. ?Ah! Wait here.? Blanche went into her room, and returned with the gift basket of fruit she had received and completely forgotten about until now. ?Here, there's some pears in here.?
?But...? Camille hesitated. ?This was a gift for you.?
Blanche thought is was a bit odd to get sentimental over fruit, but made an excuse anyway. ?It all looks ripe, so I could use some help eating it before it goes bad. Here, take it.?
?Alright. Thank you.? Camille smiled, and accepted gratefully. Unexpectedly, she then got out a small plate, cut the pear into thin slices, and put it back on the counter. ?While we wait.?
?Oh, thanks. I didn't need something right away, though.?
?Hmm.? Camille looked at Blanche pensively. ?You should eat something sweet, though. You look tired.?
Blanche paused for a moment, looking back at Camille, appreciated the irony of who was saying this to her, and started giggling uncontrollably. Camille watched this, puzzled, and Blanche wondered if the fact that she found this so hilarious was a sign that she really was tired. After all, she had woken up before 5 AM today to arrive at the Colosseum on time, and she had spent a half hour getting punched in the stomach by one of the baddest girls in the WWF. ?Sorry...sorry...? Blanche collected herself. ?Thanks for being considerate. I'm okay.?
Camille shared a confused glance with Nemo, and then went back to check on the soup.
Later, after enjoying a quiet meal with the two of them ? and a bowl of the most delicious minestrone she had ever tasted ? Blanche retired to her room to relax, threw herself on her bed, and closed her eyes.
