Metamorphosis: Part 2

It'll be okay. Marina told herself on the train ride home. This is supposed to make you feel better, not more stressed. She seemed nice, so surely it'll go well if I just be myself.

Unfortunately for her, however, this method didn't exactly help her back in high school, when being herself only caused her more grief.

It'll be different this time. She kept trying to convince herself in desperation. She refused to let her past trauma hold her back.

[A little while later]

"I'm home." Marina announced as she let herself into the house where her mother awaited her.

"Hello, honey." Mrs. Aimoto greeted her daughter warmly. "How was work today?"

"Same as always." Marina answered instinctively. That was technically true; the only exciting thing in her day happened after she clocked off. She would have privied her mother on what that was, but she held herself back when she imagined what her most likely response would be.

A date? With someone you hardly know? Marina imagined her mother's hypothetical words. Marina, you know what happened the last time you trusted somebody too quickly. You can't afford to risk having your heart broken like that again.

Marina furrowed her brow as this scenario played out in her head. She figured it would just result in an argument she would rather avoid if necessary, and there was no reason she had to know right now.

"Well, I had a tiring day, so I'm gonna watch anime in my room until dinner." Marina declared as she headed upstairs.

The girl flopped onto the top of her bed as she threw her handbag to the floor. However, after giving it some thought she reached for it again to get out her smartphone. She knew exactly one person she could talk to about her problems.

Ring, ring...

"Hey, Marina! What's up?" A voice picked up.

"Hi, sis." Marina perked up as she heard the voice of her big sister. "Sorry, is this a good time to chat? If you're busy right now, that's okay..."

"No no, it can wait." Marina's sister, whose real name was Kat, said with enthusiasm. "I'm just glad you finally called, I've been waiting for what felt like forever."

"Uhh, I'm sorry. I've just been real busy." Marina lied. "Anyway, there was something specific I called you for."

"Oh?" Kat listened.

"The thing is..." Marina paused. "I've been asked out on a date."

Kat, after taking a moment, burst out in excitement. "Really? Yippee! Oh Marina, I knew you could do it if you just put yourself out there, I'm so proud..."

"But, the thing is." Marina interjected over her sister's ramble. "I'm nervous."

"Oh, well that's perfectly normal." Kat responded.

"Not for me." Marina frowned. "I mean, this will be the first date I've had... Ever. Most people would have gone on plenty of dates in high school, but I went through all those years without a single person asking me out. In fact, now I realise this is the first time I've even been asked out on a date, and it made me feel really flustered, I can only imagine how I'll feel on a whole date..."

"Hey, Marina." Kat intercepted her sister's panicked dialogue. "You're overthinking it. It's gonna be fine. Just think of this as an exciting new experience for you."

Marina sighed. "A little late for my first experience, don't you think? I was made to believe that my high school years were the time to develop those kinds of relationships, but we all know what happened to me back then. Maybe if things had been different..."

"No, don't go back to that place Marina." Kat stopped her. "You worked so hard to get yourself through those years, and now it's time to reap the rewards. I know it's easy to regret it, but you can still work to make sure you won't regret anything else."

Marina didn't respond immediately, so Kat continued. "Anyway, if you stay true to yourself, your date should be able to see you for the great person you are. And if not, that's their loss."

"I mean, let's hope for the best here." Marina said sheepishly.

"Exactly." Kat smiled; or at least, Marina could sense her smiling. "But also, what else have you been up to? You know I've been wanting to hear from you for a while, so if you've still got the time..."

"Okay, I get it." Marina laid back as she knew she'd be on the phone for a while yet.

[The next Saturday]

"Marina!" Eimi called out as she ran up to her date at the Legendary Horse statue, after getting lost and falling 20 minutes behind schedule trying to find the meeting spot.

"Oh, Eimi." Marina got up to meet Eimi halfway. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

"I'm really sorry!" Eimi bowed theatrically. "I was worried you'd get tired of waiting and leave..."

"Haha, well, you don't have to worry about that." Marina chuckled. "So, what do you want to do first?"

"I dunno." Eimi shrugged. "I thought I'd let you lead, since I assume you're the expert when it comes to dating."

Marina tilted her head in confusion. "What made you assume that?"

Eimi paused, then shrugged again. "Haven't you been on plenty of dates before? I figured guys, gals and non binary pals would be lining up to ask you out..."

Marina sighed as she looked down at her feet. "I'm afraid it's not that simple." She said in a regretful tone. "Actually, this is my first time going on a date."

Eimi tilted her head. "Eh?"

"I'm sorry." Marina apologised instinctively. "I'm no more used to dating than you... Not that I don't think you've gone out with anyone, of course."

"Actually, I haven't either!" Eimi said almost proudly. "That means we're each other's first! Ooh, isn't that exciting? That makes this date... Extra special."

She said that last part in a flirtatious tone that made Marina blush extra hard. "Um, okay. Well, you seem very enthusiastic, so why don't you take the lead? I'm pretty easy."

Eimi suddenly grabbed Marina's wrist to whisk her away. "Then let me show you all my favourite anime shops! What kind of things are you into? Wait, don't tell me, I want you to show me when we get there!"

And so Eimi excitedly took Marina through the anime district, starting with her favourite store that sold an overwhelming amount of merch for her to throw her wallet at.

"Cool, huh?" Eimi smiled with a glint of childlike wonder in her eyes.

"Yeah, I guess so." Marina smiled back faintly. "I haven't really been to these kinds of places much, since I spend so much time shopping for clothes..."

She was cut off by Eimi's audible gasp. "Oh, oh, Marina, look! It's so kawaii!~"

The over-excited otaku was pointing at a section of the store floor dedicated to merch for a classic anime franchise she loved dearly, 'Pony Tale: Legend of Umadachi'. She zeroed in on a big plushie of one of the characters that she picked up to give a big hug.

"Oh, you're a fan of that one too?" Marina couldn't help but let out a giggle, both from Eimi's infectious enthusiasm as well as her own excitement, even if it was comparatively more subdued.

"Well, duh!" Eimi replied. "It's only the most influential anime of our generation; everypony's grown up with it! I always loved how close the horse girlies were, their friendship is so beautiful and awesome and gives them the power to overpower any hate that comes their way, seriously they were my heroes growing up because it taught me just how amazing friendship is, don't you agree?"

"Uhh... Yeah, I guess so." Marina smiled bashfully.

It was true - Pony Tail had been there for her to help her escape the cruelty of the real world, by showing her a glimpse of a place where love trumped hate. It also helped her find an online community where she could feel free to safely express herself... At least, for the most part.

"Hey, so, who's your favourite horse girl?" Eimi leaned in. "Also, what's your favourite season? Or arc, or just a favourite episode you love going back to? What was a moment from a character that made you fall in love with them? Who did you ship? Oh, did you read any good fan fiction, or make some yourself? What did you think of the..."

As Eimi bombarded poor Marina with her survey, she was inching ever closer to her, making the girl desperate for some personal space. Finally, she could take no more.

"S-stop!" Marina raised her voice. "You're doing it again! Asking too many questions all at once, I mean."

Eimi suddenly backed off as she realised she had overwhelmed her date.

Marina took a deep sigh. "Sorry... I didn't mean to snap at you."

"No, I'm the one who should apologise." Eimi served herself a slice of humble pie. "I guess I'm not so good at reading the room, huh? I just really wanna talk to someone about the things I'm into, so I got excited..."

Marina approached Eimi to rub her arm. "That's fine." She assured her. "Maybe we don't need to rush. Now, why don't we take it from the top?"

"Uh..." Eimi, in a 180 from moments ago, suddenly went all quiet. "It's fine. We can talk about it later... I mean, if you want to."

Marina grew slightly concerned at Eimi's shift in demeanour. However, she didn't know what to say in the moment, as the blondie quietly browsed the aisles to herself.

And so the two of them continued on their date for the next couple of shops. Marina noticed Eimi had perked up, but also she picked up on the fact that she was not exactly the most responsible adult.

Multiple times within a short span, Eimi got seperated from Marina because she found something that sparked her interest, prompting Marina to try calling her asking where she wandered off to. Despite being a year younger, she felt at times like a babysitter for a hyperactive child.

Howwever, whenever she did relocate her date, she found it hard to stay mad at her when she profusely apologised on the verge of breaking down.

Not that it stopped her from inevitably getting lost again.

This went on for the next couple of stops before so much time had passed they realised their stomachs were rumbling aggressively; not to mention their feet were tired.

"Um, Eimi?" Marina called out. "Do you think we could find somewhere to sit down?"

Eimi nodded. "Come on, I'll show you the best food in town."

This place Eimi hyped up was her favourite burger joint. That wasn't the kind of place Marina would normally go to herself, but she had an open mind, while Eimi had an open mouth as she munched on her teriyaki burger.

"Man, these burgers are the best!" Eimi chimed, before finishing her mouthful. "Don't you think?"

"Mm." Marina nodded as she ate much more quietly in comparison. In the moment, that was all she could think to say as she wrestled internally with a great predicament; eating with someone.

This is awkward... She thought to herself in anguish. She couldn't think of anything else to say to break the ice, or at least nothing she was willing to act on. She could bring up Pony Tale again, but deep down she was wondering if that would open up another can of worms with the way Eimi gushed about it before.

But if I don't even talk with her about the things we have in common because I'm worried about her talking too much, isn't that a problem? Marina internalized as she quietly sipped her strawberry shake, which only briefly helped calm her mind.

But just as she felt the awkward silence at the table was too much for her to bear any longer, it was Eimi who cut through it with an abrupt question.

"You don't think I'm annoying, do you?"

"Eh?" Marina broke her lips away from her shake. She wasn't sure what to say, but she was sure she couldn't say yes. "Why do you say that?" She enquired.

"I was just thinking back on today so far, and I know I've kind of been a real pain." Eimi looked down as she subconsciously played with some fries. "I tried my best, sometimes I just can't help getting my head stuck in the clouds..."

"I-it's okay, really!" Marina tried to help. "I don't expect you to be perfect, just the fact that you're trying is more than some other people can give."

"Well, some people don't care how hard you try." Eimi sighed, before she realised she was going in too deep. She figured she didn't want to dampen the mood any more. "Uh, never mind."

Marina looked on with concern as Eimi went back to eating without giving any resolution, just like she did back at the store. It seemed like Eimi was troubled about something that she let slip briefly only to sweep it under the rug, but was it really something to be worried about? In any case, Marina didn't know what more she could say to help Eimi feel better, which made her feel deflated as she could only move on from it as well.

However, it turned out there wouldn't be much time to dwell on it anyway, when Marina and Eimi's attention was drawn to a crowd of patrons around them scurrying towards the front of the restaurant to gaze outside the windows.

"What's going on?" Marina got up from her seat as she tried her hardest to look over the swarm of people to get a glimpse of what it was. Is there some sort of crime going on? Why's everyone so shocked?

"What, what is it?" Eimi shot up next.

Marina was getting increasingly restless. Not wanting to be left merely speculating, she pushed past the crowd and made her way outside to get a clear view of the scene, but what she saw was unlike anything she would have imagined on her own.

Is that... A giant moth?! Marina gasped in a state of bewilderment. Unless her food was secretly laced with something, that seemed to be exactly that; looming over the street was a moth-like creature, the only difference being its impossibly large size - big enough to cast a shadow over the buildings it hovered past.

And honestly? It was hard for Marina not to be creeped the hell out by it.

There's no way that's a real moth... She denied, wondering if it was some sort of mechanical entity, kind of like a drone. Maybe it was just some kind of weird publicity stunt to get trending? People were indeed recording the spectacle, probably to convince others and themselves they weren't crazy.

"What's it doing?" A voice called out nearby.

"Look out!" Another one beckoned as the moth started to flap its wings at an increased intensity as if it were preparing for something. Then, Marina noticed dark, gooey blobs raining down, almost like spores.

"Don't let it touch you!" Someone else ordered to those in the vicinity, but for most of them, it was too late. The rain of blobs covered a wide area that contacted directly with all those unlucky to be near.

At first, it didn't seem like the blobs had any effect. However, it didn't take long for something to feel very different in the air... Almost as if all the energy in the nearby vicinity had been sucked dry, as everything started to look a lot greyer, both literally and metaphorically. Those who were hit began to lose all energy as they slumped over right where they stood, as though they had emotionally completely checked out.

"What is going on?!" Marina asked in a state of panic, before noticing the moth was flapping its wings again, seemingly preparing for another shower of gooey dark spores. And what's more, she saw a young woman who looked no older than her leading her young sister away, but she tripped and let go. As the moth closed in, she became overwhelmed as she started to tear up.

As Marina watched the scene unfold, she felt a visceral reaction. She's so scared... She observed. Just like I felt... Like I still feel sometimes...

She couldn't take it anymore. She had to do something - anything.

Without giving it a second thought, Marina rushed forward. She got in front of the two girls, nodding at them as if to say she would take care of the situation. Not that she thought that, but what mattered was they were safe. Next, she turned her attention to the moth hovering above her.

"Hey!" She called out to the sky. "Who are you? Whoever's behind this, show yourself!"

It's probably a long shot. Marina thought. But I don't know what else to do...

But thankfully, she got a result. From inside the moth came a voice that almost sounded like it was being projected.

"You!" A deep female voice echoed. "What reason do you have to intervene? What could you possibly do against me!"

Marina hesitated. She didn't know. And much like that girl before, she felt scared. "I..." She flinched.

"You can't do anything to protect people, let alone yourself, from despair." The voice taunted callously.

"Guh--!" Marina's eyes peeled open as these words triggered something deep within. All at once, her memory of the person who saved her from despair came flooding back, and hit her with a realization. "You're wrong."

"What?"

Marina felt the adrenaline surge through her body. Without thinking, she spoke with a level of intense determination unlike anything she had just a moment ago. "People can be saved from despair!" She cried. "I can't let you suck the hope out of people... I won't!"

"Why, you..." The voice grunted. "Maybe you don't believe me yet, but I'll show you... Starting with this!"

Suddenly, the moth started to flap its wings again, only much more rapidly, until it thrust them forward as out shot from them a continuous stream of the same kind of dark aura the spores were made from, only now concentrated into one giant wave aimed directly at Marina.

This aura... Somehow it feels familiar to me. Marina realized. But why? Unless...

Suddenly the realization hit Marina as if she had already been struck from the blast. She had seen this kind of negative aura before; back when it consumed her... nearly destroyed her.

She was terrified. Panic filled every fiber of her being, telling her to turn around and run as fast as she could. Away from here, until she was safe.

However...

That won't fix this. She decided. I refuse to give in to the fear. Never again.

And so, it was that resolution that helped Marina awaken her dormant power.

Just as the aura was about to make direct contact with Marina, a brilliant white glow surrounded her and negated the effects of the blast. Then, the white aura changed to a hue of pastel pink as it took the form of a frilly pink and white dress accessorized with white dress gloves, a pink ribbon hairband and long boots decorated in hearts; but more than just a new outfit, the aura also expanded behind her back before growing into a pair of giant butterfly wings that opened up to reveal themselves.

But that wasn't all; out of her hands shot streaming ribbons that took the shape of what appeared to be two elegant looking pistols with a heart motif. As if instinctively, Marina gripped the both of them as they formed in her hands and twirled them around her body as ribbons poured out the gun barrels, covering her in a ribbon spiral before she stopped to strike a pose.

What is this...? Marina thought to herself deep down. This sensation I'm feeling... It feels so surreal. Yet at the same time, it feels right.

"Y-you're..." The voice from the moth stammered as it observed Marina completely no-sell its attack with her new form. "You're one of them? Is that why you were so sure you could stop me?!"

Marina flapped her butterfly wings with a look of determination on her face, raising herself up to the same level as the moth.

"I'm sure about one thing; I can't run away." She claimed. "I don't want to have to fight, so I'll give you a chance to surrender."

"You think I'd let you win that easily?!" The voice sounded offended; appalled, even. "I'll show you!"

The moth thrust forth its wings once more to fire another blast of its aura. Marina only had a split second to react; she knew that getting out of the way would open up the risk of other people getting caught in the crossfire, so within the time she had to counteract, she began to spin around as she charged up aura of her own in her two pistols.

"Looooove... Liiiiight..." She called out as she finished charging before thrusting her pistols forward and firing. "BEEEEEAM!!!"

As Marina announced the name of her brand new finishing move, aura shot out of both her pistols before they fused together to form one giant beam of sparkly pink and white aura aimed directly towards the moth's attack. The two then collided in the middle with a mighty crash, becoming engaged in an intense struggle to push through the other to reach their target.

"Ngh..." Marina grunted as she felt the moth's beam pushing against her with overwhelming force. She couldn't hang on much longer, but she had to win.

"I can't lose here... I REFUSE!"

With one last push that required all the strength she had in her body, she gave the beam a boost of strength to propel it forward. Miraculously, thanks to her unyielding determination, that was enough to overpower the moth's attack as it crashed into it.

"How can this be?! I'll have my revenge on you yet! YOU'LL SEEEEE...!"

The voice cried out as the moth disintegrated like a burning paper. As it did, the voice echoed into the skies before it and the moth were no more.

As the moth disappeared, so too did all the negative aura in the area as those affected began to pick themselves back up, confused but ultimately okay.

As for Marina, however, she felt drained. All at once, the physical and mental energy that had peaked just moments ago burnt out to the point that her head felt so light, she was worried her brain had disintegrated in the brief moment she was still conscious.

"Marina!" Eimi, having watched all that had happened, rushed outside to check on the girl after the spectacle she just witnessed. But just as she arrived, the last of Marina's energy depleted as she flopped onto the floor.

"Uh, Marina...?" Worried, Eimi grabbed Marina's body and starting shaking her back and forth as if to force her awake, but it was no use. The girl's eyes remained shut as her mouth hung open lifelessly.

"Shit..." Eimi started to panic internally. Even she didn't expect this date to end up like this. Okay, don't panic. There's one way to check if she's still there...

Eimi laid Marina down and slowly pressed her head sideways against her chest. Thankfully, she felt a pulse, but in this moment her own chest was pumping increasingly rapidly from the intimacy.

Eimi was thinking about what to do next, when her mind took this situation to its logical conclusion. Wait... Am I really gonna have to do that? She thought about it long and hard; at least, by her standards. If she was gonna plant her first kiss on this girl, she had hoped it would be mutually agreed upon by both of them. But this was a special occasion, and mouth-to-mouth isn't necessarily the same as a romantic display of affection, so they could still have that first kiss later down the line after their relationship had enough time to develop, right?

But, what if it puts her off? Eimi was overcome with a realization as she imagined a scenario where Marina awoke to an act of unconsent, leading to her shoving her off and running away in disgust, never to be seen again. And so with one questionable action, like making the wrong decision in a visual novel, she would have ended up sabotaging what could potentially be her only chance at true love.

I can't do it. Eimi started to back off solemnly. She wasn't about to try anything that had even the slightest chance to drive her away.

So, she decided to do the only other thing she could think of to help. With all her might, she grabbed Marina by the love handles and lifted her up to carry like a bride. Thankfully she wasn't that heavy for Eimi, but she was significantly taller than her. Nevertheless, Eimi set off to take her somewhere nearby where they could recuperate.

Eimi's search took the two to a neighborhood in the outskirts of the city with not much going on; there was nothing in the way of cafés or restaurants, and the only stores around were beaten down vintage houses from a bygone era.

However, there was one landmark of significance, at least compared to the rest of the area; the grounds of a local Shinto shrine. It wasn't the biggest or fanciest shrine around, and no one seemed to be visiting at the time implying it didn't bring in too much tourism, but it gave off a quaint charm and made for the perfect place to rest.

And so Eimi made her way over to the steps of the shrine where she put Marina down, as she got to thinking of a way to revive her.

"Hmm, is there some kind of charm I can get to wake her up?" Eimi thought out loud. "Or there should be one of those things with the water, I could pour a cup on her, but is that disrespectful? Not to mention she'll get all drenched and..."

But as Eimi was brainstorming, beside her Marina's eyes fluttered open as she gained back the motor function to sit back up. "Uhh..."

"Oh! You're awake." Eimi exclaimed. "Awesome."

Marina looked around, seemingly dazed. "Um, why are we at a shrine?" She asked as slowly, the memories of what happened to her before returned to her. "Wait, what was I doing before? Uhh, I'm confused!"

"It's okay, just relax." Eimi tried to calm the girl. "Here, hopefully this'll clear things up... Maybe."

Eimi pulled out her smartphone and showed Marina the video she had conventionally recorded of the whole incident; while Marina was out confronting the moth, Eimi was one of the people filming proof of the creature and witnessed Marina's transformation.

"In hindsight maybe I should've done more, but I didn't know what to do in the moment..." Eimi reflected. "But still, you were amazing, girl! You absolutely slayed, in more ways than one!"

However, Marina wasn't quite as instantly accepting of the situation as Eimi. As she watched the footage in front of her, she sat with a look of bewilderment on her face before turning her head slowly to Eimi.

"How did I do that?" She asked with a burrowed frow. "I mean, you saw it too, right? How did I just transform, and then defeat the moth? Why is the existence of a giant talking moth suddenly not the strangest thing I've seen today?!"

It sounded like Marina's very perception of reality had been shattered, but Eimi clearly had a very different perception.

"It's pretty obvious, right?" Eimi beamed. "You're a magical girl!"

Marina stared at Eimi, blinking periodically. "Eh?"

"Come on, isn't this your dream coming true?" Eimi, still sitting, pivoted her body to completely face Marina as she gave off an air of childish excitement. "I mean, think about it; people like us have dreamed for as long as we can remember of a world where magical girls are real, just like Pony Tale! Right?"

Marina took a deep sigh. "Actually... Yeah." She leaned back as she stared wistfully into the orange sky, recalling her life up to now.

"As pathetic as it sounds, anime like that was pretty much my lifeline during high school. Because I struggled so much with life in the real world, I wanted nothing more than to escape to a fictional place where everything just seemed so much more ideal; like, a place where I could be everything I felt like I never would be out there..."

Marina's heart felt heavy as she said this out loud. "So, I guess you could say I always wished I could be one of the magical girls I looked up to. Because they were so much stronger than I thought I'd ever be..."

"Well, what if I told you that you had strength beyond your wildest imagination?" A new voice revealed itself from behind Marina and Eimi, causing them to turn their heads around to see a charcoal-haired woman in shrine maiden attire.

"What?" Marina tilted her head, confused by her words. "I'm sorry, do you know anything about this?"

The shrine maiden smiled. "Fufufu..." She placed a finger up to her mouth in a playful manner. "Let me tell you all about what it means to be a Choujo."

"Uh..." Marina tilted her head in the other direction. "Choujo...?"