The woman panted as she tried to focus herself and remain conscious. Despite her struggles the plants around her held her like stubborn tape, the enormous blades of grass clamping on her with a vice grip. To make matters worse, the now massive foliage also seemed to drain the magic from her. Although she had spent much time learning her way through her powers, there was much she still didn’t know. In particular, she had little knowledge of what would happen should her magic be fully drained, but as it left her she began feeling all the weaker. The physical strain was immense, her stamina vanishing as quickly as her magic, prying her to the ground.

“We have to save that woman!” Annie declared. “Blue, you handle Gunther, Cyan, Magenta, and I will handle the other three and try to free their hostage!”

“Gladly,” Melody grinned as she eyed a spot behind the hostage. Gunther’s eyes enlarged as he realized what she was eyeing. It was a simple fountain system, designed for kids to play around as the small jets of water shot from the ground. She used her magic to grab at the water and summon it from the ground.

“Lee!” Gunther called out as he primed a fireball.

“Right!” the tiger man snarled as he ran at Melody, readying his claws before leaping at her for a pounce. His claws landed against something hot and hard. He cringed in pain as he recalled this horrible sensation.

“You’ve hurt her enough!” Annie yelled as a flaming sword appeared in her grasp, the long blade catching both of Lee’s claws.

“I’ve got her!” Lou, the fox chortled as he dashed at Melody. His eyes sharpened as Ichika spawned a flurry of ice, directing its vortex at him. He felt his fur stiffen along his body, but he maintained his momentum as he barreled down upon Melody. “Got you!” he laughed as he jumped onto her, his hind claws digging into her tail, her face twisting in pain.

“Blue!” Annie tried to throw Lee off in an attempt to protect her beloved, only to find him gripping her sword firm.

“You mighta caught me off guard with that last time, but you aren’t goin anywhere this time!” Lee grinned. “Go for it, boss!”

“Appreciated,” Gunther chuckled as he lobbed the fireball at Melody as she reeled in pain from the fox.

‘Melody!’ Vivi’s voice echoed in her head. ‘Stop you levitation spell!’ her voice pleaded. Melody gritted her teeth opening one eye wide as the fireball hurtled towards her. She obeyed the command, her ring of water that had been suspending her raining upon the ground, herself and the fox quickly dropping in succession. The fire ball blazed past them crashing into the wall of the mall, leaving a pocket of molten glass behind.

“What!?” Gunther snarled as flowers quickly seized the fox, pulling him off of Melody and throwing him to the wall. No sooner had he rocked up from the force did a sudden splash of water soak him, followed by a frigid gale, trapping him in a stiff layer of ice.

“Thanks, Magenta,” Melody sighed in relief, Vivi smiling back.

“What just happened?” Ichika questioned eyeing Vivi. “What did Magenta do?”

“You didn’t hear her?” Melody blinked.

“I, uh, think it was something like telepathy,” Vivi gave an embarrassed chuckle.

“That’s so cool!” Ichika cheered as Melody giggled.

“Uh, girls!” Annie pleaded them finally managing to throw off the tiger.

“Right!” Melody responded. “Cyan, you go help Red. Magenta...”

“I’ll go after that goblin guy! I think he’s the one trapping that lady!” Vivi nodded before the three split up.

“Oh no you...” Gunther attempted to throw another fireball, this time aiming at Vivi only to be met with a splash of water. He glared at Melody as a new ring of water surrounded her lifting her back into the air.

“I’m your opponent! Or do you just want to surrender?” Melody taunted him.

“Dammit! Walter!” Gunther grunted as the goblin turned to spot Vivi running toward him,

“Aw, fu-”

* * *

“Gweh,” Carmen coughed as she attempted to collect herself. She mustered her strength, pushing herself back up and staring up towards her opponent. The ogre grinned as he considered all the ways he could crush her, his malice tinging his eyes with bloodlust. “Why you…”

“Give up girly. You’ve lost,” he chuckled, his laugh being interrupted by the sound of an explosion. “Huh, guess I should go help the boss out with whatever that is. Sorry pipsqueak, I got other asses to kick.”

“D-don’t you dare!” she glared as she stumbled to her feet. “I won’t... I won’t let you hurt them,” she proclaimed, making her best pose, trying to tame the instinctive wincing from the pain.

“Oh?” he chuckled. “Your friends, huh?” he made a devilish grin. “Maybe I should bring you with to see them suffer yourself.” He laughed as he picked her up, his large grip curling around her legs.”

“Let me go!” Carmen shouted as she squirmed and the ogre began walking towards the courtyard.

“What do you think you can do? You’re just weak and...” he began with a chuckle. In that moment, her anger flashed. A grit of her teeth, a sparking spike of anger erupted from her fist and his chuckle sundered with agony. “AAAAAHHHH!!!” he began to scream as he let go of Carmen, her body dropping to the ground as his hands hurried to his eye.

She huffed in confusion. “What happened?” In her anger she simply threw a punch at him, and then he began to scream. In search of answers, she looked towards her gauntlet. Her eyes widened as a glittering golden whip of ribbon tumbled upon the ground. As she lifted her arm, with a single thought, the ribbon retracted into her gauntlet, a solid arrow shaped piece of white metal latching the new holster on her wrist shut. The holster was an elegant extension of her gauntlet, looking like heavy armor upon her arm, with an elaborate design of yellow metal with white trim, much like the arm cannons from her favorite mech anime. She grinned.

Instantly she understood, as if magically knowing what the weapon was. It was some combination of a whip and a grappling hook, all in the elegant package of a ribbon. She stood, renewed strength pulsing through her as she gave a confident grin.

“What did you do!?” he roared as he looked down at her with his one eye.

“Thanks pal,” she said sarcastically. “I just got a new power thanks to you.”

“What!?” he twitched in anger. “You cocky little brat! You got lucky, but you won’t get lucky twice!” he bellowed as he reached for her, his pained eye keeping shut.

“I won’t need luck this time!” she declared as she threw her right arm. The ribbon launched out at the ogre’s arm, wrapping around it before the hook landed and tightened into place, digging into his arm, the ogre cursing in pain. She knew instantly that there was no way to out muscle him. But there was a way she could outmaneuver him.

As the ogre grumbled in pain, she focused on her legs, charging her might, imagining her legs tightening like a spring. She imagined great pressure forming there, small sparks surging off her. She jumped into the air, much to the ogre’s shock, leaping over him, and landing behind him. Before he could react, she charged between his legs, pulling against the ribbon.

The ogre cringed in pain as his arm was pulled to his back, unable to resist. With him struggling in place, she next took to running circles around the ogre, each lap wrapping the ribbon around his legs until he was fully bound. “Damn you!” he snarled.

Carmen chuckled as she snapped the ribbon, both of the severed ends generating a new hook, the binding ribbon’s hook clawing into the body of the ogre. He swayed in pain as he tried to keep balance, trying desperately to grab at the ribbons with his free hand. “Lights out!” Carmen declared as she shot a ball of lightning at his face. He winced from shock, but seemed otherwise fine. That was until he lost balance, toppling backwards, falling unconscious as his head met the pavement.

“Whoo!!!” Carmen cheered. “I did it!” she congratulated herself. “Now to get back to the… what is that!?” she asked herself as she observed a strange purple light from the courtyard. “That’s where… Everyone!” she shouted as she began running towards the scene.

* * *

“Dammit!” Walter the goblin grumbled as Vivi ran at him. “I’m so not cut out for fighting,” he grimaced stumbling back a little. Vivi slowed to a halt and gave her best strong glare, instead producing an angry pout. Walter quietly laughed to himself. “What am I worried about? This kid isn’t anything to be worried about. If anything I’m lucky I wound up with the pushover,” he pepped himself up. “Alright, just focus and...”

“He’s not listening to me,” Vivi sighed, her attempts of telling him to stop falling upon deaf ears. “Fine then, guess I’ll just have to stop him!” she said, pumping her arms to her chest with a slight bounce. She glanced to her left, spying a potted plant.

“Alright, now I just gotta… ow! Ow! OW!” the goblin began to shriek as he looked up, small bites of pain invading his attention. “You little, what are you...” he twitched as he promptly received the answer to his question. It was unmistakable to see where the painful shots were coming from. A brief glance at his body confirming it. An overgrown prickly pear danced in its bowl, shifting its joints around, the new segments point at him like guns with needles replacing the bullets.

“Shit, you’re a botanopath too!?”

“Bot-anne-o-path?” Vivi enunciated confusedly. What was that word? Was that a word? She somehow doubted it.

“Someone who controls plants,” he bit in pain. “Like a telepath for… OW!” Vivi had the cactus fire more needles. She wasn’t really asking for an answer but given his response she was rather certain he made up the term to feel important.

“Walter!” Gunther snarled. “Stop your useless banter and STOP HER!”

“Right bo-… OW!” he was pelted with more discomforting needles, tears rolling down his face.

“I’ll stop if you surrender,” Vivi said with a shrug. “I could probably find a way to botanopath you into defeat instead though,” she gave a witty smile.

“You think you’re some clever sneak or something, don’t ya,” Walter grumbled as he shambled up. “I’m not gonna lose in a battle of botany to some stinking kid!” his eye twitched. Vivi was rather unimpressed. He had the air of some hopeless nerd. She shivered a tad as she recalled how she would act in boy mode. It was kind of discomforting, but where for her it was a discomforting circumstance, this Walter person seemed to almost buy that he was some tough guy with an ego problem.

“Stop it with that pitiful look!” he snarled… although it may have been closer to a yapping dog. Vivi sighed as she had the cactus fire more needles.

However, the needles never landed. Instead, the needles were caught by massive blades of grass that wrapped around the goblin, growing wide and thick, to create a sturdy shield. Vivi quickly tried tumbling through ideas of how to work around this grassy shield. She could try ramming it with the cactus, or having the cactus grow into the air and spray him from above. She looked around, eyeing a few trees she could also use. Growing out some of the branches could be…

A sudden force pulled at her feet, causing her to fall down onto her butt. She winced from the sudden impact as she sought out the reason, finding two long blades of grass grabbing hold of her ankles. Now that was just playing dirty. As she tried to think of a solution, she was met with another yank, and then another. On and on, disrupting her train of thought as she was yanked around.

“Hehe,” the goblin chuckled as he revealed himself, a strange yellow goop dripping off of him. “Now that I used some sap to pull out those obnoxious needles, now I can really deal with you!” he said as two more much more literal blades of grass grew beside him, their edges seemingly ready to cut into her.

She was out of time, and she had no options that were available. Even should her connection to the cactus still be there, which it wasn’t thanks to the distraction of being yanked around, the grassy shield still very much protected him from the cactus. As the goblin began to motion the grass forward, a thought crossed through her mind. Her inner self was able to call a weapon like Annie had the last time they had fought Gunther. It was almost instinctive at the time, and she could surely do it time, after all, inner or not, she was the one who called for it. Her mind briefly flashed to Carmen and how she seemed to find some of her skills on impulse.

She let her instincts lead as she pushed her right hand forward, imagining the wand appearing. A pulse of pink magic sprang from her hand, the wand appearing, and just as instantly, the blades of grass collided with it. Vivi pushed her other hand forward, pushing the wand to throw the blades to the side.

“What!?” Walter questioned in shock as Vivi took aim at the grass that was binding her down, a blast of pink magic severing them. She rose to face the goblin who looked upon her in terror. “Whoa, whoa! That’s not fair! This isn’t fair!”

“You’ve done enough now! Lights out!” Vivi declared as she shot a pink bullet at the goblin, knocking him unconscious. Although she was uncertain if it was her magic or his nerves that caused him to give out first. Either way the goblin collapsed onto the floor.

Vivi looked to the woman as she struggled to escape the bondage of the blades of grass. “Don’t worry! I’ll help you!” she said as she ran to her side, her wand in hand. She used the wand to channel energy into the grass, causing a chunk of it to break off, releasing the woman’s mouth.

“Could you get my hand?” the woman asked.

“Right!” Vivi turned her attention to a lower part of the plant cage, firing at it and freeing the woman’s hand. The woman took a deep breath and used her magic to send purple lightning surging through the plants causing them to break and collapse.

“Thank you,” she gasped before falling down a bit, Vivi grabbing hold of her.

“It’s okay, we’ll protect you,” she said with a smile. “Now, just relax. I’m going to try using my magic to help heal you a bit.” Vivi reached out to her and tried to use her magic to help relax the woman’s body and alleviate the pain. As she did, a strange sensation filled her. It was more intense than she remembered, but she recognized it from when she connected with others. The last number of times it was her inner self using the power, and the sensations seemed dulled. At first, she thought it was due to her inexperience, but then the feelings began to flood in.

This time it was different. With Melody and Ichika it was like peering into a space that brought them comfort, a space that reflected their hope. It was more vivid for herself, forming a full environment she could see and interact with, but this wasn’t like any of that. While the initial sensations were the same, once she started feeling the woman’s emotions, it twisted into a wholly different experience. She felt a sudden need to gag, a pain twisting in her. She felt flashes of anger and sadness waft through her. And that was only the beginning.

She felt intense feelings of wrath and fear as the glimpses began to appear, glimpses into the woman’s life, into Cleo’s life. She saw Cleo get into several fights, most often with men, and even when it was a woman, Vivi got the feeling that her anger was targeted at a man anyway. They were vague and incomprehensible at first, but she began to piece it together.

Cleo’s disgust and anger, it seemed to come from no one specific incident, but many. Some stemmed from the pain of watching her friends get abused by their family, friends, and lovers. Some of it seemed to come from how men around her would objectify her and then claim ownership over her hard work while insulting her. There was pain as she held women she loved, as they cried into her from rejection. And there was a great deal of animosity towards authorities who were apathetic towards the pain at best or reveled in the agony they were supposed to resolve. It was a debilitating sensation, deep and infuriating. She could feel herself twitch with that anger and resentment. Having the feelings laid bare and filling her, it all made sense, she wanted to cry from how upsetting it all was. And then one last sensation crashed through her.

Cleo stood up, breathing a satisfied and rejuvenated breath. She looked forward to seeing Gunther hurtling back towards her thanks to a blast of water from the distant mermaid. Her eyes settled on the weakened man. “How many people have you hurt?” Cleo asked. Gunther looked to her with antipathy, matched by her own glare of disdain. Vivi snapped back to reality, looking up to Cleo with panic. “HOW MANY!?”

“Screw you, bitch!” Gunther snarled. Cleo’s grasp twisted with anger, as lightning arced around it.

“W-wait,” Vivi stammered as she rose to her feet. “Please wait! Please, you can’t! Don’t kill him!” Vivi’s words seemed to ring out, catching the attention of the others.

“Boss!” Lee called out as he abandoned his fight, clenching the frosted patch on his upper arm. “You’re not...” Cleo barely gave him an eye of attention before she struck him with a bolt that saw him collapse in tingling pain.

“Cleo, please!” Vivi pleaded. “I know you’re not a bad person. I felt it, so please, listen to me. Please, before you do something you can’t take back.”

“Heh,” Cleo looked to Vivi with a soft sympathetic look. “Vivi was it? It was nice feeling that warmth. Thank you for worrying about me, but” she looked to Gunther, “if it’s to protect girls like you from being hurt, then I’ll damn myself.”

“Wait!” Annie shouted as she and the others hurried over to them. Cleo took a breath as she concentrated the magic in her hands, then waving them in front of her. Suddenly a barrier of electricity appeared before Annie and the others, cutting them off Cleo and Vivi. “Dammit!” Annie cursed as the barrier then stretched to separate Vivi from her as well.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not the good person you seem to think I am,” Cleo said somberly. “I’m the man hunting witch, and I’ll make sure every rotten piece of shit like this one pays for what they’ve done.”

“Fuck you too bitch!” Gunther said, spitting at her feet and then conjuring a fireball in his hand. “You’ll be the one dying he-...” Cleo snapped her fingers, bolts of electricity zapping Gunther, his words frying to a crisped scream.

“Stop it! Please! Don’t be like them!” Vivi cried, Cleo looking somberly at the writhing Gunther as she rose her hand. She dropped her hand and a bolt of lightning dropped from the sky.

The flash gave way, yellow sparks of electricity arcing across the ground. “Crap, I didn’t expect to come back to this,” the girl’s voice huffed.

“Who are…?” Cleo asked with wide eyes.

“Yellow!” Vivi called gleefully as Carmen stood triumphantly over Gunther.

“How did you…?” Cleo firmed her stance.

“Oh, how did I jump this barrier,” Carmen grinned as she snapped her wrist, the ribbon of her grappling ribbon returned to its holster. Turns out I can leap over buildings thanks to this thing,” she chuckled. “Although, I think I would’ve been able to pass through anyway, since I use electricity too.”

Cleo sighed. “I see. Now stand aside, that man has to pay.”

“Nu-uh,” Carmen shook her head. “I know full well what kind of asshole this guy is, but I also know that hurting people like this doesn’t help anyone. People like him need to face justice.”

“Justice? From who!? Maybe a kid like you won’t understand, but guys like him always get away! And with everything as it is now, there’s even less of a chance anyone who can punish him would,” Cleo stared her down, her fists trembling with anger.

“I don’t have the answer to that. Maybe you’re right, maybe the authorities won’t step in. But that’s why my friends and I will. We’ll stop him and others like him. We’ll protect everyone,” Cleo declared.

Cleo sighed again. “I wish I could be as naive as you, but I can’t. Now move, or I’ll make you move.”

“Give me your best shot,” Carmen responded with taking a battle stance.

“Fine!” Cleo said as she conjured a spell, a sphere of purple energy appearing in her hand that shot arcs of lightning towards Carmen.

Carmen anchored herself, leaning into the attack, her armor and magic resisting the surging magic. She cringed at the numbing edge of pain that nibbled at her face, attempting to focus her magic into her other hand, forming her own yellow sphere of energy. “Lightning Burst!” she declared as she shot the electric ball at Cleo, the sphere charging past the torrent of lightning.

The attack collided with Cleo who coughed from the pain, stumbling back. She swiftly recovered, taking hold of her magic sphere and gripping it, sweeping it in front of her. The sphere projected a whip of lightning crashing into Carmen and flinging her aside. Cleo quickly returned her gaze to the grumbling Gunther who still struggled to lift himself from the ground. “It’s time to say goodbye Gunther,” she said wielding the magic sphere and lowering it to point it at him.

Cleo flinched as a yellow ribbon wrapped around her arm, a sudden force pulling her towards Carmen. Carmen swung her arm, throwing Cleo against the wall, the air pushing out of her from the impact. “You have to stop this! If you kill him, you’re no better than he is!”

“Then so be it! I’d rather be a monster and protect people then stand by and watch others suffer!” Cleo cried as she unleashed another volley of lightning.

“Why won’t you just shut up and listen!?” Cleo cringed, spinning around out of the spray of electrons. Carmen then rushed at Cleo, striking her as she called out “Sparking Strike!” hurtling her fit at Cleo, causing her to fall to the ground.

“Dammit,” Cleo coughed. “You’re a lot stronger than I expected,” she huffed.

“Right,” Carmen smirked. “Now give up.”

“I… I...” Cleo stammered.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew through the courtyard. It started as a forceful gust, then grew in intensity, the patio furniture of the surrounding restaurants swept up into the winds. Carmen had to block the wind with her hand in an effort to see. The wind howled as it pelted everyone in the area.

“Stop hurting Momma!” a high-pitched voice trilled, Carmen barely managing to stand her ground from a sudden force of wind.

“What the hell!?” Carmen gasped.

“Y-you’re...” Vivi stammered as she looked up.

“That girl from earlier!?” Annie questioned in shock as the young preteen girl descended from the sky, her lavender hair elegantly flowing through the wind. Melody and Ichika looked on in shock as they all collectively boggled at the sight.

The girl’s long ears twitched in anger, as bold glowing green transparent butterfly like wings shimmered behind her. “She’s like a fairy,” Ichika said in awe.

“Not just that either,” Melody blinked. “She’s… like us.”

Melody’s eyes beheld the young girl’s outfit It was like a frilly Princess dress from a fairy tale. She had a fanciful sleeveless pale green bodice, a poofy white fabric lining the top as a billowing deep green sash wrapped around her, coming to a bow which bounced behind her back. Her pale green dress’s skirt billowed in the wind, her white legging clad legs wrapped by its multiple layers as they fluttered in the wind, which briefly got caught on short green heels. She clutched some handful of ribbons that dangled from her skirt with her white gloved hands as a pure white tiara shimmered in her hair.

“Another magical girl?” Vivi asked in awe.

“Get away from Momma!” she demanded as she flew at Carmen who flinched as she found herself throwing up her arms for protection from the girls wild flailing.

“Whoa, whoa! Stop that,” Carmen pleaded.

“Wisp!” Cleo called to her, snapping the young girls attention to her.

“Momma!” the girl flung herself into her arms. “I was so scared!”

“It’s alright now honey.”

Annie sighed as the tension began to pass before she noticed something. The electric barrier having fallen after Carmen landed some solid blows against Cleo, but in the pandemonium there was another distinctive missing element. “Dammit! Gunther escaped again!” she pointed out.

“It’s probably for the best right now,” Melody sighed. “He probably would’ve just kept exacerbating things. It looks like he left his henchmen again though.”

“Some boss, huh?” Annie scoffed.

“I’m gonna go make sure they can’t escape,” Ichika said. “Blue, will you help me?” Melody nodded at her request.

Annie sighed as she approached Cleo, Vivi following her. “So, Cleo was it?” she asked as the startled fairy girl spun to protect her mother with a fierce pout.

“It’s alright, Wisp. They’re not our enemies,” Cleo said as she rose to her feet as the girl clung to her.

“Listen. I don’t know what you’ve been through, but I think I get the kind of pain you feel,” Annie frowned. “I can’t agree with your methods, but I...”

“You don’t have to say anything,” Cleo said with a sad face. “I know what I’ve been doing is selfish and most people would see me as some evil doer. But this power is mine,” she looked towards the girl in her arms. “And I’m going to do what I can to make sure this world is safe for this one.”

“Annie,” Vivi looked to her. “What do we do?”

“I...” Annie looked at Cleo with hesitation.

“We let her go,” Carmen interrupted.

“Are you sure Carmen?” Vivi looked uncertainly.

“Well, would it really be right to separate these two?” Carmen watched the young girl hug Cleo with her all her tiny might. “If we did that, this kid would be left on her own, right? I don’t think it’d be right to leave a kid alone like that.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Vivi nodded.

“I’m not exactly happy about all of this, but given how everything is now, I think Carmen has the right idea. But…,” Annie looked to Cleo.

“What?” Cleo looked at her suspiciously.

“I know this might be intruding, but I want you to talk with us. It doesn’t have to be now, but we need to talk,” Cleo glared at her. “You aren’t alone out there. We’re all trying to adapt to how things are now, and giving up on others will only make things worse, at least, that’s what I think. So, if I can help, I’d like to.”

“Me two,” Vivi added. “I know you’ve been through a lot, and I’d like to help to.”

“Make that three. Heck, prolly five,” Carmen chuckled as she “darted a look over her shoulder to glance at her comrades..

“You all...” Cleo looked at them with surprise.

“Everyone’s had it rough since that Magic Mist stuff,” Carmen said. “And we want to help.”

“Momma,” Wisp looked up to Cleo with tearful eyes.

“Okay. You win,” Cleo relented. “I surrender.”