Magical Girl Trixie

“Good evening, everyone,” Night Seam said, sitting on a marble statue in the center of the park. Of course, Iron Maiden and I were the ones who asked her to come in the first place, but if she had brought someone with her without introducing them first, that meant that she was looking for trouble.

Cupid Symphony had announced a few minutes earlier that Night Seam was accompanied by two other magical girls, but Cupid, Iron Maiden, Dreamdrop and I had all agreed to feign ignorance while keeping our guards up in every direction. So far, it seemed like Night Seam didn't suspect a thing, which meant that so long as we didn't pry too far, we would be able to get more out of her than she would out of us.

“So?” she asked. “What is it you wanted to talk about?”

“We have some news for you,” Iron Maiden began, “but in exchange, we'd also like your cooperation.”

“Does it have something to do with Paradox?” Dreamdrop and I both flinched upon hearing her name.

“More or less. You see, Paradox didn't just die from some kind of accident. She was killed by another magical girl.”

“Do you know which one killed her?”

“It was Storm Rose,” I said, butting my way into the conversation. “She killed Paradox when no one expected it so that there would already be one magical girl cut from the game. She's a coward! She couldn't even strike until her back was turned!”

“I wouldn't judge Storm Rose,” Night Seam said calmly, giving us the creeping suspicion that Storm Rose might have been one of the girls that Night Seam had brought with her. “If we really are fighting to the death, Paradox was the one with hands down the greatest magic of us all, and if Storm Rose had the chance to kill her when her back was turned, I can't blame her.”

“It didn't have to be a fight to the death!” I shouted emotionally. “We could have found some other way!”

“This is exactly what Discord wanted, Trixie. We're just following his plan. The only way we can make this game end is by making the necessary cuts, however many that may be.”

“That's not true! If we all decide together who has the best magic, we could vote on it!”

“The only way that would work is if the one voted out was unwilling to lose her powers, and that would be if we could all agree on who to remove time and time again until we removed the game changer.”

“It's worth a try if it means we all get to stay alive!”

“You don't get it, Great and Powerful Trixie. You haven't lived in Platinum City as long as I have. You haven't learned to call it your home. Platinum City isn't just a place where we play around. You have no problems losing your powers since you just barely got them, but I've had mine for three years! I'm not going to lose everything I have!”

“Girls, diamond formation!” Cupid Symphony shouted, pulling all of our backs together so that we could face all directions. “I thought it was funny how you mentioned the game changer before we brought it up. Care to tell us how you knew?”

“I asked Discord this morning after the meeting. Again, I know him better than any of you, and I know when he has something up his sleeve. The real question is, why have the four of you been so on guard ever since I got here? Do you not trust me?”

“We might have,” Cupid said with a smirk, “if you hadn't brought your friends with you.”

For the first time so far, Night Seam raised an eyebrow in what seemed like genuine surprise. “Very well. Girls, they're not going to do anything. You can come out now.”

As the four of us prepared for a surprise attack from Marrow or Storm Rose, the bushes behind her began to rustle until out popped Palette, holding her paintbrush and Mind Games, holding a rapier, which was probably one of the items Discord added after my injury. The four of us reflexively let our guard down a little bit, knowing that we could at least trust them as much as we could trust Night Seam.

“I'm impressed you knew they were there, Cupid,” the girl in all black said with a laugh. “How did you know?”

“Never underestimate what magical girls can do,” she replied with a wink as the four of us broke formation. “The real question is, why did you hide them from us?”

“Because I needed my own protection. You came here asking for my help, but I have my own favor to ask of you.” Then, pointing directly at me, she said, “I believe that Discord made the game changer either Marrow or the Great and Powerful Trixie in order to make the game last as long as possible. He knew that everyone would go to immense lengths to keep her safe and that nobody would dare challenge the veteran magical girl with fourteen people in her kill count already. If we kill her, there is a fifty-fifty shot of the game ending altogether. Then, no more girls will have to die.”

“That's crazy!” Iron Maiden shouted. “You've got another thing coming if you think you can lay a finger on the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

“Please, Iron Maiden. You’re thinking with your heart rather than your head. Stop and consider things rationally for a second.”

“How is telling us to murder a helpless magical girl rational to you?” Cupid Symphony added, using her magic to summon a rapier that matched the one Mind Games had. The girls around Night Seam took a step forward with glaring eyes, but Night Seam held up her hand, stopping them in their tracks.

“This is a competition, Cupid,” Mind Games said angrily. “If you don't want to win, that's fine, but I'm sure as hell not going to lose when all we have to do is remove one damn magical girl!”

“But you still don't know that it's her!” Dreamdrop cried out. “What will you do if you kill the Great and Powerful Trixie but the game keeps going?!”

“Then we'll go after Marrow,” Night Seam added, as if to put a period on the entire conversation. “None of you know Discord as well as I do. None of you knows what lengths he's willing to go to in order to continue this game as long as he can! Will you put your emotions aside for one second and just listen to me?!”

“We're done listening,” Iron Maiden said, removing her shoulder pads and crunching the metal into a sword.

Dreamdrop then began shaking in place as she switched looks between Night Seam's group as well as our own. “Girls, stop!” she exclaimed in a little more than a whisper. “We're not like them! We don't have to fight!”

“Then why don't you just sit back and watch another one of your best friends die?!” Iron Maiden screamed, catching all of us off guard, especially Dreamdrop, who began crying into her hands.

“Iron Maiden…” I said with concern, but with a desire for blood in her eyes, she would not look down from the three girls looking to kill me. I wanted to side with Dreamdrop on this, to find some way to make it out of this park without a girl having to lose her life, but I couldn't find a single solution.

If this were any other day, I would have probably killed myself on the spot, just so that they would have their answer, even if it did break Discord's rule about self-sacrifice. At that moment, though, the only thing I could think about was my mom, who would sooner or later find out that I wasn't in the hospital anymore. I just wanted to see her one more time to tell her that I loved her and that I was sorry for making her worry, and unfortunately, the only way I could see that happening was to end that fight, even if it meant that we didn't all make it out alive.

“This is your last chance to back down,” Night Seam said, taking her feet in front of the statue. “If you continue to stand in our way, I can't promise your safety, so I'll count down from five. After that, whoever is left protecting the new girl will die. Five…” With no other options left, I summoned my weapon along with Cupid and Iron Maiden. “Four… Three… Two…”

The seven of us squatted slightly, lowering our center of gravity so that we could break out into a run as soon as her countdown was over. Looking over at Dreamdrop, though, who was willing to protect me even with no weapon of her own, I began to pivot on my heel towards her. My plan would be different than theirs.

“One!”

“DREAMDROP! GET DOWN!”

As soon as Night Seam reached the end of her countdown, she put a finger down to the grass, covering the entire park, as well as the trees around it, a thick black. Without wasting a second, I jumped towards Dreamdrop, pulling her down so that she wouldn't be able to get mixed up in the fight. Looking up, however, I saw the other three girls disappear into the darkness while Iron Maiden and Cupid began searching for them.

Then, looking back down at Dreamdrop, I shouted, “You need to get out of here now! Change back into your normal form and run! You have nothing to fight them with! You're just going to get yourself killed!”

“BUT I NEED TO PROTECT YOU! I CAN'T SEE ANOTHER FRIEND DIE!”

With tears threatening to slip from my eyes, I bit my lip and said something I hoped I wouldn't regret later. “You're going to get me killed, Dreamdrop! You're the weakness in our group! They're going to use you as bait and kill both of us!” Dreamdrop was now shaking, her lips trembling as she began to cry helplessly. “Now go! Quick!”

Without another second's hesitation, she bolted herself up and began sprinting away, wiping tears away as she did so. Just as soon as she was about to transform back into her normal form, however, she bumped into an object covered in shadows and fell backwards. Then, looking up, she saw a colorful dress with a rainbow of splotches, and wearing that dress was a very angry magical girl with the perfect opportunity to kill.

“Don't trust Trixie.” She said, catching Dreamdrop off guard as she walked past her. “We're not deceiving anyone. The game won't end if you die, so there's no point in hurting you.”

“Dreamdrop!” I shouted, seeing the situation. “Get out of there! Run!”

“This game is over!” Palette shouted, dipping her brush into her dress and beginning to paint the air around her. With one of the magical girls spotted, both Iron Maiden and Cupid Symphony began charging towards her, but it was already too late. With one final stroke of her brush, two automatic pistols fell into her hands, one pointed at each of the charging magical girls, who both froze in place.

Thinking as fast as I could, I used my magic to levitate anything that I could around Iron Maiden and Cupid Symphony, and as luck would have it, the sudden barrage of bullets hit my magic like a wall floating in midair. I quickly sighed in relief, but that relief was short-lived.

“Your mom is worried sick about you right now,” said a voice in my head. “She's waiting for you at the hospital, but you aren't there. Why aren't you there?”

Mom’s waiting for me? No! This isn't me talking! That isn't my voice!

“She's having a panic attack, wondering where her daughter is. Why did you think this was a good idea?”

This wasn't a good idea! My mom is waiting for me in the hospital! I have to go back! No! Wait! I can't tell whose voice is mine anymore! Focus. I am the Great and Powerful Trixie. I am a magical girl who is currently playing a game in which I--

“Trixie! Behind you!”

That time, it definitely wasn't my voice. In fact, it wasn't even coming from inside my own head! Suddenly, I realized that the voice came from Iron Maiden and turned around just as Mind Games was in mid swing with her rapier, aiming for my neck. Using my magic reflexively, I caught her weapon in midair and pulled it into the ground, pulling Mind Games along with it as she refused to let go. With one hand controlling my magic, I used my other hand to swing my spear at my opponent, but with only half my attention focused on my magic, Mind Games was easily able to break away and block my attack.

“Why are you fighting, Trixie?” the voice in my head continued. “You don't want anyone to get hurt, right? If you die, the game will be over, and everyone will be happy.”

Everyone would be happy with me dead… What if that's true? No. I'm not going to let her into my head.

With our weapons clashed together in the shape of an X, I began to giggle, knowing exactly what I would do to get control over my thoughts again. She made one fatal flaw, and I was going to capitalize on it.

“Use your magic on Palette, Trixie!” the voice continued. “She's going to hurt your friends! Mind Games is no problem! Just leave her alone and go after Palette!”

The more the voice talked, the more I knew what to do, almost like she was giving me the exact instructions I needed in order to beat her. Dropping all of my thoughts about Palette or the girls behind me, I focused all my strength on hitting Mind Games with as much force as my enhanced muscles would give me.

“You can't fight her, Trixie. She's too experienced! You just barely started! A weak little girl like you doesn't have a chance!”

This was working! Mind Games was obviously beginning to panic. The way she tried to get me to stop fighting her just proved to me that she felt like she was losing, which told me that in order to catch her off guard, I just needed to play along.

Stepping back, I threw my spear onto the ground, keeping just enough distance between us to where she would need to close the distance if she wanted to stab me. As she smiled, the voice said, “Good, Trixie. Now just stay there. All your friends are going to be safe.”

Just as soon as Mind Games took one step forward, however, I used my magic to lift her by the neck, choking her as she tugged at my magic to let her go. “You almost got me there, Mind Games,” I said, gripping her neck tighter. “It's no wonder Night Seam asked you to join her little group.”

Mind Games's eyes began to water as she flailed her body in the air, trying to force my magic off of her neck, but the more she struggled, the tighter my grip grew.

“I bet you're wondering how I was able to get out of your trap. At first, everything you were saying sounded just like the things I say to myself every day. In fact, if you hadn't slipped up, I probably would be dead right now. You just got one thing wrong.”

Mind Games's skin was beginning to grow blue in her asphyxiation as she frantically tried tapping out in surrender, but this time, for the first time in my life, I would be the one who called the shots.

“Trixie isn't here. You're talking to the Great and Powerful Trixie, and she does not give up when her friends’ lives are on the line!”

“BEHIND YOU!!!”

Suddenly, looking over my shoulder, I began to make out a black figure standing over me with a black object in her hand, moments away from colliding with my head. Quickly dropping Mind Games from my magic, I toppled to the ground, barely dodging the camouflaged Night Seam, who had somehow managed to pick up my spear when I wasn't looking. Without giving a second thought to Mind Games, I quickly used my magic to halt the weapon in place, making it to where Night Seam couldn't use it.

“Mind Games!” she shouted. “Now's your chance!”

I couldn't move. If I took my focus off of my spear, Night Seam would be able to break away and finish me off, but if I stayed where I was, I was completely defenseless against Mind Games. With no options left, I turned around to check on Mind Games, and just as I feared, she was standing above me with her rapier raised over my head. This time, though, when she looked into my eyes, she had a fiery bloodlust which couldn't be satisfied until I was dead.

I couldn't look. Holding the spear in place as long as I could, I closed my eyes and waited for death…

Cling!

...but death never comes when you expect it.

“You're not going to hurt the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Cupid Symphony said, standing over me and shielding me with her own rapier. “Again, I'm sorry for not being there for you this morning, but I'm here for you now!”

With all the energy she had, she pushed Mind Games off of me as the two began a sword fight of their own, sparks flying every time the two metals made contact. Cupid seemed like a natural the way she moved, somehow managing the perfect reflexes to block every attack and swing when her opponent's guard was down. The longer the two clashed, however, the more and more I began to notice Cupid slowing down, becoming more vulnerable to attacks. Mind Games must have been using her magic again, but Cupid wasn't able to defend herself like I did.

“Cupid!” I shouted. “It's a trap! Don't let her get inside your head!”

I wanted to intervene, but Night Seam was still doing everything she could to pull my weapon away from me. If I even thought of lifting a finger to help her, we would both be dead, but at the same time, Cupid Symphony was beginning to tense up and lose focus!

Then, with a powerful blow, Mind Games knocked Cupid's rapier from her hands, and with Cupid's eyes wide with fear, the magical girl in the black and white dress struck her blade through Cupid's heart.

All that any of us could do was watch as blood began to spray all over the black surroundings, covering the trees and grass in a sea of red. Blood began building up in Cupid Symphony's mouth, making her fall down as she coughed up a mix of bile and blood onto the ground beside her. Grabbing onto her wound, she began heaving in air as violently as she could, but just as if the wind were knocked out of her, no matter how much she tried breathing in, her lungs remained empty until finally, she fell to the floor, motionless, never to wake up again.

“Cupid…” I whispered sadly. “Please… Not you too…”

Then, out of nowhere, Night Seam fell to the floor, releasing her grip from my weapon. Looking up, I saw Dreamdrop standing over us with angry tears streaming down her face, and without another moment of hesitation, I pulled the spear from the ground and used my magic to lift Mind Games into the air by her neck.

“You're not getting away this time!” I shouted, squeezing her neck so hard that it threatened to snap in my grip. Dreamdrop's magic would only work for five minutes, but I only needed two. I wasn't going to let her go until I saw the same kind of agony and pain from her eyes that I saw from Cupid. I wasn't going to drop her until she felt the most painful, terrifying death she could possibly imagine.

With her eyes threatening to pop out of her sockets, she looked down on me with pleading eyes and mouthed, “Please!” but that wasn't going to work on me. With both Night Seam and Mind Games out of the way, the only one I needed to worry about was--

“Mind Games! Cover your eyes!”

However, turning back only for an instant, I saw Palette leap into the air and throw down what looked like a grenade, and the moment it touched the ground, the object exploded into a cloud of green smoke. With gas suddenly entering my lungs, I quickly dropped Mind Games from my grip, held my hands to my neck and began choking violently, struggling to exhale the gas without breathing more in. Then, quickly realizing what I had just done, I used my magic to clear away the gas, just to find Palette with Night Seam under one arm while the other was used to support the coughing Mind Games.

“Sorry, girls,” she said, tugging on her teleport gem as soon as Mind Games had a firm grip around her shoulders. “We're gonna have to finish this another time. See you tomorrow, probably!” And just like that, the three of them were gone, leaving the green gas cloud and black shadows to gradually disappear.

We lost. We lost the battle. We lost Cupid. We lost the only chance we had at stopping this stupid fight once and for all!

As I pouted on the floor, though, Dreamdrop and Iron Maiden quickly sprinted over to the girl lying dead on the ground with a hole in her heart. The girl had ruby red hair, a slim body, long legs, and even through the horrified expression that remained after her death, she projected an intangible beauty.

“Damn it!” Iron Maiden cried, punching the ground as hard as she could. “You idiot! You didn't need magic to make boys fall in love with you! You were beautiful already! Why did you pick such a stupid power when you didn't even need it?!”

Iron Maiden wanted to punch the corpse once for good measure, but instead, she just fell on top of her, weeping loudly as Dreamdrop gently rubbed her back.

When was this going to stop? Who else needed to die? I just wanted to go home, but until this game was over, that just wasn't a possibility anymore...