Apprehension

The Magician Arc

Deep in the marble-white halls of the Magical Realm, through a series of corridors and stairs, past a magnificent fountain, was the large office appointed to a very special employee of the Magical Realm. She wasn’t a member of the Investigation Bureau, but she held some sway over them. In her official capacity, she was in charge of data on Operators throughout the mundane world below. A position that, while lower on the totem pole than some others, allowed her considerable access to the luxuries of the mundane. She’d had her people bring her a fine chair, a beautiful table, a fridge, a handheld games console, and even snacks.

Magical Girl SilkSwan, known and feared as Lady N of the Operations Department, leaned back in her leather and red velvet chair and peered at the giant magic ball window before her. Currently, it shows Constellation, in conversation with Starplus. SilkSwan leaned forward and picked a stick of bocky candy from the box held between her feet, staring intently like she was watching some late night anime. She hadn’t expected much when dispatching Constellation’s team out there, but Bishop held an unimaginable level of sway over the Bureau for a mere Inspector, and Constellation owed her more than a few favors. Many people owed SilkSwan favors. In the position that she was, whenever an Operator needed a change of scenery, or to hide a messy incident from formal reprimand, they’d knock on her door. SilkSwan was bribable. She was very bribable.

Constellation’s team was lackluster. Oh, sure, they’re powerful- pretty strong Magical Girls, even with their experience, but SilkSwan had her doubts they could find their asses in a hall of mirrors- that is to say, they were complete idiots. But bumbling idiots often have their uses. They can be used as a blunt instrument to shake the ground and cause all the rats to squirm their way out of their holes.

For SilkSwan, the vendetta against Bishop was personal. Deeply, intimately, personal. Personal on a level that led to her gnashing her teeth and glaring at the walls at night. Personal in a way that she would have a picture of Bishop on a dartboard mounted in her office if printers existed in the Magical Realm. It wasn’t like she hadn’t considered going down to the mundane and borrowing one in a library, either.

But she had to be patient. She grabbed two sticks of bocky between her fingers, and munched down, glaring at the screen.

Sooner or later, SilkSwan knew that Bishop would screw up. She’d leave something hanging open, she’d make a mistake. And when she did, when that glorious moment opened itself, Silkswan would stand triumphant and receive the righteous revenge that she deserved.

This was how SilkSwan saw the world. She was the sort of person to fantasize about everyone standing up and clapping after she showed them what for, and the sort of person who dreamed about getting revenge for the pettiest offences.

…And like most of those sorts of people, when actually challenged, she would hide her head to avoid blushing and not look anyone in the eyes. And like most of those sorts of people, when she got power, she couldn’t help but use it to further her petty vengeance fantasies into real life.

She sat bolt upright, disturbed from her revenge fantasies, eyes widening. She adjusted the overly large glasses on her face, and rewound the clip again. The missing member of the group had returned. Sleepy Angel. And she brought news.

Bishop’s faction had attacked her and attempted to make it look like an accident. They were discussing it animatedly. The biker looked about ready to tear someone’s throat out with her teeth. Constellation looked deeply troubled.

And finally, the words that SilkSwan was longing to hear.

“Purification… is a lie.”

This is the kind of person SilkSwan is. The type of person who hears one weakness her enemy may have, and seizes it like a bear with a salmon.

♦ Magical Girl Tama ♦

I woke up in a strange room that I do not know. It was the second time I had woken up here. The first time, Kurin-Senpai had hushed me back to sleep. It was not my house, which was relaxing, though not as relaxing as if I knew where I was. I sat up slowly, careful not to wake Kurin, and peered around the room, noticing everything. There were posters of teams competing in sports, there were trophies in a cabinet on the wall. This was the room of someone who enjoys sports and being active.

This, coupled with the face of the girl sleeping not far away, curled on the floor, led me to a simple conclusion. This was the home of Rook.

Feeling more relaxed now that I know where I am, I gently curl back into Kurin-Senpai. I look up at her for a moment. I want to call her onee-san again, like when she helped me in the river, but I do not know how to ask so I do not do it.

There is a yawn. I look and see Rook moving up towards me, she ruffles my hair.
“Good to see you awake. And good morning.” She says, with a small smile.
“Call me Kumi Kiko. It’s better to avoid our… other names, you know? Only don’t ask me how it’s spelled.” I nod in response.
“My name is Tamaki Anastasia. I do not know the kanji.” I say, and Kumi Kiko gives me a nod.
“Well, Tamaki-”
“Anya is okay.”
“...Hah. You really are pretty open, aren’t ya? Okay, Anya.” Kumi Kiko grins.
“Let’s get some breakfast going. And avoid waking up Kuri, let her rest for now.” Kumi Kiko instructs. I nod, and slip out of the bed, looking down at myself. I am wearing a shirt I do not know. I look up at Kumi Kiko curiously.

“Okay.” I nod politely and follow her to the kitchen area. She rubs the back of her head awkwardly.
“What do you want to eat?” She asks.
“...Pancakes.” I request. She gives a strange look on her face that I do not know yet.
“I know I live alone, but I’m only in High School, so I don’t know how to cook much… I can do cereal?” She offers, I tilt my head at this.
“Pancakes.”
“I mean, um, I’d need to look up a recipe-” Her face has turned oddly pink around the cheeks, despite it not being very warm in here. But we do not need a recipe.
“Mix one cup of all-purpose flour with two tablespoons of sugar…”

♖ Queen-Side Rook ♖

I’ll be the first to admit it. I’m bad with kids. They’re usually illogical, argumentative, and confusing to me.

It was one thing spending time with Anya when she was in her Magical Girl form and looked about my age, but it’s an entirely different beast dealing with the full-on randosel-and-recorder version in my house. It feels more like I need to be a serious and sensible adult. She has those same big eyes, though.

“Now, combine the egg and milk into a bowl with the butter.” She instructs, as I take the melted butter out of the microwave.
“Yes, chef!” I say, impressed at how well she’s managing this. We had some false starts at first, she tried and failed to reach the counter until I got the stool from the bathroom, and my apron drapes very large on her form, but on the whole we were looking like a real cooking lesson.

“Once that is ready, we will mix it into the dry ingredients.” She continues instruction. I just sorta wish it was the other way around. I’m pretty sure that if it was Kurin cooking, even I, with my microwave-meal and conbini-bento life, could have outshone her.

“How’d you learn to cook, anyway?” I ask, as the batter mixture is poured into a pan. Anya stares at it and blinks slowly.
“Papa showed me.” She explains, measuring out one circular shape into the pan and beginning to fry it.
“...Do you cook often?”
“If breakfast is ready when Mom gets out of bed then she does not yell that she has to do it. I know how to cook pancakes.”
“O-oh.” I pause, staring at the pan, not sure how to respond. Many Magical Girls end up with powers because of a difficult home life, but to hear it spelled out so plainly and innocently, like there’s nothing strange about it.

I notice that Anya is counting under her breath, slowly and methodically, staring intently at the pancakes, as still as possible. Once she reaches ninety, she begins moving again.

“Flipping.” She takes a pair of spatulas, one in each hand, and very slowly and methodically picks up the pancake and flips it over, starting her count again. I feel the need to praise her, so I reach over and pat her head.
“Good girl.” I say, smiling. She looks up at me slowly, and blinks with the speed of a mountain eroding.
“...Kumi Kiko. It is not ready to eat yet.”

♥ Magical Girl Rinrin ♥

Awakening to the smell of pancakes, I couldn’t help but walk into the kitchen drooling.
"I'm impressed how mature you are, Anya."
"I can cook pancakes because they make sense to me."
"Oh yeah?"
"You watch them while counting in your head, and then you turn them over and count again."
"What happens if you don't know how long to count for?"
"...Then I get banned from cooking class."
"You tell me this now!?"
Upon seeing the pair talking at the cooker, I also couldn’t help but snap a couple of photos with my phone. At the sound of the shutter, a startled Kiko looks around.

“You’re up!? I didn’t hear you!” She says. I nod and smirk.
“Smells good… got enough to share?” I ask, jokingly.
“No. I only made enough for the three of us.” Anya replies, tilting her head at me.
“If you invited a guest, you will have to share yours.” She states, very slowly placing a pancake onto one of the three plates beside her.
“I was just making a little joke.” I say, laughing at the response. Before long, we all have pancakes with a few topping options and sit down at Kiko’s low table to eat.

Inevitably, conversation goes from how everyone slept to… the problem at hand.

“That new girl. Is she friend or foe?” Rook asks, staring at the food on her fork.
“Foe.” I shake my head vehemently.
“...Kurin-Senpai says foe.” Anya adds, backing her up. Rook chews on her bite for a moment longer.
“...Maybe you’re right. It’s just… that’s not how Rogue Magical Girls act.”
“You’re quite right there!” Says a cheerful Princess-like voice. Startled, I look over to see that my compact has been opened by Nyamu, who sits innocently next to it. In the mirror reflection, is a somewhat hungry-looking Bishop. Her white hair parted in the center. Rook briefly looks happy, then scowls at her.
“Oh. I see you’ve finally contacted us.” She says, glaring.
“Did you miss me that much? I’m sorry I was dealing with work.”
“Hmmm… And the reason you’re calling now is?” Rook asks. Bishop sheepishly raises her arms into view, revealing what appears to be a set of silver wrist cuffs with enchanted symbols carved in. I nearly choke on my pancake, and even Anya briefly stops eating.

“I’m a little bit detained, you see.” Bishop says, cheerfully.
“What happened!?” We yell in unison.
“Well, it seems that the new team in your area, yes it’s a team, were sent to investigate us. There’s a belief that we may have used Necromancy in our goal of saving the people in town.”
“Necromancy?” I ask, turning to face the others.
“Yes. It’s a banned Magical ability, you see. The ability to raise the dead as some form of Zombie. It causes so much misery that using it for any reason is contradictory to the purpose of the Realm Above.” Bishop explains without me needing to ask, probably reading the expression on my face.
“But… if it brings the dead back… isn’t it a good thing? Why is it banned?” I ask, slowly, looking away and at my plate.
“It may bring the dead back for a while, but they only live a half-life. Even if you restore their free will, their bodies will not replenish or recover. They will be trapped in a body that rots and rots away until, eventually, their mind becomes so rotten all they can feel is insatiable hunger.” Bishop replies. Kiko slams her fists into the table in anger.
“What cause do they have to believe we’d use that crap!?” She glares in anger.
“Who would even use it in our group?” I say, shocked at such an allegation.

“Well… you, Rinrin.” Bishop replies, earnestly. My blood runs cold.
“...You don’t have a Resonance on file. And it’s quite odd for one to have not manifested, despite your time as a Magical Girl. The Bureau believes that I may have used my connections to remove your Resonance from the logs. I told them I was offended that they think I would do such a sloppy job, but that is no legal defense, apparently.” Bishop sighs.
“Can’t Queen do something!?” Kiko yells out.
“Queen got me this phonecall, and you will do the rest.” Bishop replies.

“Somehow, you must prove to the Operator team on site, that’s the Magical Girls Constellation, Sleepy Angel, and Starplus, that you are innocent. I would personally suggest that the best way to do so would be to prove that a third party is involved somewhere.” Bishop looks between us all.
“I’m counting on you all to prove our innocence.” She says, sweetly.
“How do we do that?!” I yell out this time. Without Bishop here, we’re a girl down.
“Find, and apprehend, whoever it is that is trying to frame us.”

“Frame us?” I say, my mouth goes dry. Bishop nods, sadly.
“It’s the only option that makes sense to me. Someone seeks to benefit from getting us all in trouble. And I would personally believe that person is related to the Maniacal in some way.” Bishop looks at Kiko, who nods her head.
“...Makes sense. Someone doesn’t want the secret of Purification spreading. And will do anything to stop it.” Kiko looks down at the ground.

“Oh, and one more thing…” Bishop says, looking away from us to check something out on her end, wincing a little as the chains clatter.
“It seems that Constellation’s team have been given the go ahead to use lethal force in our apprehension.”