Ikki

I trekked my way carefully towards the nearest place I could find that wasn't on fire, avoiding the debris and shattered glass scattered along the sidewalk.

The building that I had just come from had been reduced to a smoldering wreck. Little Red Riding Hood had done... something.

I remembered being enclosed in a dark space briefly, with the smell of gingerbread and peppermint. And the sound of a massive muffled explosion, only to find myself sprawled out on the city streets.

I looked up to see the hooded figure soaring above, her cape fluttering in the wind as she tended to the civilians on top of an enormous mound of magical marshmallows and colorful clouds of what looked like cotton candy. I wasn't quite sure how I managed to escape from that explosion, either, but the two Magitech Soldiers were nowhere to be seen.

I looked down at the unconscious form of the pink-haired magical girl in my arms, and a heavy sigh escaped my lips.

Celestial Sonata... she'd really pushed herself to the absolute limit to save these people, huh?

She felt so light, almost weightless in my arms. She was just barely breathing. The rise and fall of her chest were shallow, her breaths were coming out in short, ragged gasps. Her body trembled with every step, her long, silky pink hair falling down over her face.

She was still glowing with a faint, golden aura.

...She looked like an angel.

Little Red Riding Hood hopped down and floated gently through the air, landing in front of us. She looked around the ruined city block. Her eyes were hard. Her expression was unreadable. She didn't say anything, just took in the sight before her.

The civilians around her were still confused. Most of them looked no worse for wear, but they were clearly rattled.

Some of them looked terrified, others were just in shock.

"Thank you," I said softly as the hooded woman turned her gaze to me.

Her expression was gentle, and even though we were total strangers, I could tell she was trying to reassure me.

"You're a damned lucky kid. Or unlucky, depending on how you look at it."

I sighed. "Yeah... what a night to decide to take an evening walk, huh?"

The woman shook her head. "I'm just glad you didn't get hurt, kid. Good catch, by the way."

I didn't exactly want to tell her I'd just snuck through the building poking my head into offices and conference rooms to see if I could find anything juicy. It really should've been none of my business, but I'd let Rai-chan's hacking abilities get to my head.

The red cloaked woman smiled and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"You did good," she said, and I knew that was the best she could offer me right now. From her point of view, I was just some kid from the neighborhood that'd been unlucky enough to get wrapped up in this.

She turned back to the pink-haired girl, still unconscious in my arms. She looked so peaceful. I could only wonder how much pain she must have felt. What she must have gone through to exhaust herself like that. My mind wandered to what she must be like as a person.

She'd let just a bit of her public persona slip during the Chaos Event the other day, before she'd picked up the drone I'd been piloting and promptly decided I'd be helpful. But, she'd also seemed to act a lot differently from the way she usually did on her live streams. More subdued. More reserved.

Less like the excitable and dramatic personality I saw in the interviews.

What kind of a girl was she when she was alone? What kind of a girl did she want to be, really?

I didn't even know what she'd been up to before this. Why she had been in the building to begin with.

A pair of hands wrapped in red silk reached for the girl in my arms, and I felt a jolt of electricity run up my spine.

"Wait!"

I didn't know why I had reacted like that.

It wasn't as if I didn't want to hand her over to Little Red Riding Hood, the woman seemed far more competent than I was. But for some reason, the idea of just letting go of the unconscious magical girl felt... wrong. Like I'd be abandoning her.

"I..." I stammered. "You'll make sure she's safe, right?"

I felt my face grow hot. My cheeks flushed.

What was wrong with me?

I'd been acting like an idiot for the last couple of days. An irrational idiot. First the drone and trespassing into an office building. And now this.

Little Red Riding Hood looked down at me curiously, studying my expression for a moment. She was still smiling, her eyes twinkling.

Then her hands clasped mine. I could feel her warmth. Her kindness.

Her strength.

"Don't worry," she whispered. "I'll make sure that she gets to a safe place to rest. She was my protege once, after all. I'll take her home and take good care of her. You don't have anything to worry about, kid."

"Thanks..." I murmured, still unsure.

I carefully handed over the pink haired girl's unconscious body. The hooded woman cradled the Magical Girl gently in her arms, as if Celestial Sonata were her own child. The red cloak wrapped around the both of them like a warm blanket, and Little Red Riding Hood's gaze was soft as she raised one hand.

"Domain Projection: Lebkuchenhäuschen!"

In an instant, the air rippled with magic and a massive gingerbread house the size of a log cabin materialized on the side of the road next to us.

"Whoa..." I murmured. "I didn't know you could make things like that..."

The woman laughed softly. "It's a bit of a pride and joy of mine, actually," she said. "It's how I saved you from the blast earlier, too."

I nodded slowly, and watched as she made her way into the house with the pink-haired magical girl still in her arms. She walked inside and placed Celestial Sonata gently onto the softest, fluffiest bed I had ever seen.

The bed was large and plush, and it was covered in fluffy white sheets and blankets. It was so comfortable-looking, so inviting, and it seemed like it would swallow anyone who laid in it up in a cocoon of softness. It was the perfect bed for the exhausted magical girl. The sheets looked clean, warm, and cozy, and the mattress was thick and springy. The pillows were large, fluffy, and filled with the finest down. There was a fluffy white canopy over the bed, and a large, ornate, wooden headboard behind the mattress.

It looked so inviting that I was almost jealous.

But in the back of the room, I saw the two magitech soldiers hogtied with licorice rope, a large candied apple in their mouths. They were suspended in the air, trapped inside what looked like two large cages made of peppermint candy within a bubble of glowing red energy.

It was a little unsettling, actually, to see the way she'd just left them like that. Their faces were pale and their expressions were terrified.

The red cloaked woman walked back to the doorway and gave me a reassuring smile.

I stared at them in disbelief. She hadn't even bothered to remove their suits or anything.

"Is... is that really safe?" I asked, my voice wavering.

"Safe?" she replied. "They're under the effects of my domain. They're not going anywhere, and I have no reason to think that they can escape from the cages much less my domain."

I frowned. didn't know the first thing about how domains worked or what their limitations were, but she seemed to be completely confident in the fact that they were trapped.

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"Alright then..." I replied, looking away. I felt uneasy. Something was nagging at me but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Hey," the woman said, her tone growing more serious. She was staring into my eyes, a worried expression crossing her face.

"Kid, you should really go home now. Get some rest."

I looked up at her and nodded numbly.

"Yeah, that sounds good," I replied.

The two of us stepped out of the gingerbread house, and she closed the door behind us.

The smell of fresh baked bread filled the air as I looked down the street at the rows of commercial offices and shops lining both sides of the road. There were cars parked on either side of the road, and a few people were now standing around staring at the ruined building. Greenhaven's offices were a bit out of the way in this particular business park. The damage to the neighborhood wasn't too bad, all things considered.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. It had been a long night. An exhausting night.

I glanced at Little Red Riding Hood's magitech Harley. The explosion had sent it crashing into a building, but it looked virtually unblemished by the impact.

"That thing really is gorgeous..." I murmured, walking around the motorcycle.

I let out a soft laugh.

The woman smiled back at me, leaning on the gingerbread house and folding her arms.

"You a fan of bikes?"

"I'm a huge fan. I love just getting out on the open road and driving for hours on end."

The woman's smile widened. I saw her raise her hand, her fingertips moving slightly. A red light pulsed around her fingers as she manipulated some sort of magical energy, and then, the bike rose up from the ground and hovered a few feet away from me, turning to face the direction of the highway. It seemed to move on its own, almost as if it was alive.

The engine revved loudly and then went silent again, the bike staying in place.

"Take a look then!" Red Riding Hood chirped.

I walked around the side, examining the bike from all angles. I could see the faint red light emanating from its underside and the rear wheel, lifting it up into the air.

The woman was still leaning on the house, watching me.

I could practically feel myself drooling.

"Wow, the chassis looks amazing. What's it made of?" I breathed out, before crouching to study the bike's wheels and suspension system. "This... the nanocomposites whoever made this used wouldn't work for a regular ol' model from Earth but..."

I stood up, running my fingers along the bike's handlebars.

"The stabilizer on the front fender makes sense with the mana crystal embedded in the engine, and it looks like the thrusters on the rear have been heavily modded, too. What's it running? 60,000 Feynmans? How fast can it go?"

I glanced back at Little Red Riding Hood. She was looking at me with a curious expression.

I blushed. "Ah... sorry. I get really into this stuff sometimes. It's just... such an awesome design."

"No need to apologize, kid," the woman said with a warm laugh. "It's nice to meet another enthusiast."

She gestured to the bike with her head.

"It can do about Mach 5 without too much strain on the engine."

"M-Mach 5?!" I stammered, almost unable to comprehend such speed.

I glanced at the runes lining the bike's exterior and let out a low whistle.

"Wow... I don't know how I'd control this thing if I could fly like that," I murmured. "Magical girls have the benefit of their innate magic to help stabilize them, and their natural resistance to g-forces, not to mention their speed, but..."

The woman just smiled at me, a knowing glimmer in her eyes.

"Hmm, for a kid from Earth, it's pretty interesting how you figured out this thing has a mana crystal embedded in its engine. And you nailed the baseline mana capacity," the woman mused.

"Ah!" I blushed again, scratching my cheek. "My dad is a mechanic who works a lot with inter-dimensional trade. I just never seen anything that can move like this can. The power on display here is ridiculous! Is the crystal Arcane Grade?"

"A bit of a magic nerd, too?" she said with a grin. "It's a mythical-grade crystal, of course. It was given to me as a gift from one of my allies, someone I worked closely with for years. It's one of a kind."

I was so amazed that I couldn't even speak.

This bike was truly a masterpiece.

"So, an engine this small wouldn't be able to move like that alone. I take it it's more of a conduit to let you channel your magic into flight? You use the thrusters to help accelerate and steer. It's brilliant!"

She nodded, smiling proudly. "Yep."

She turned her head back towards the building where the researchers were huddled in a crowd on top of the mound of candy. I saw the flashes of blue and red as police and ambulances began arriving.

"Alright, kid," she said. "Looks like you should get home and I've got to check on these folks. You've had a long night."

"Yeah, yeah," I sighed, reluctantly pulling my eyes from the bike. "Umm... thanks for everything. I hope Celestial Sonata turns out okay."

She nodded. "You and me both, kid. Now, go on. I'll make sure she gets some proper rest. You should do the same. I can tell you've been pushing yourself too hard."

She tapped her head knowingly.

"Your aura is all kinds of screwed up."

"My aura?"

She paused, before leaning in closer with a scrutinizing frown.

"Your aura isn't what I'd expect of a normal human from Earth," she explained. "There's something off about it. I can't quite put my finger on it..."

And then, her molten lava eyes began to glow with a faint, eerie red shimmer.

"Kid... what exactly are you? I didn't notice at first, but..."

I took a step back and looked at her, feeling uneasy. Did she know about Rai-chan?

"What's wrong, kid? Why do you look like a rabbit about to be snatched up by a hawk?"

"Ummm, n-nothing's wrong, ma'am."

I felt my heartbeat quicken. My hands began to tremble.

What was I going to do?

"Uh..."

"Interesting," she murmured, looking me up and down. She studied my expression and posture, her gaze piercing. I felt like she was trying to look inside me.

"Hmmm... interesting. Very interesting."

"What's interesting?" I asked nervously.

She just smiled and backed away, her hands held up in a placating gesture.

"Oh, don't mind me. Just rambling to myself. Anyway, you should really go home. I can see how exhausted you are, kid. You need to get some sleep."

Her eyes twinkled mischievously.

I didn't really know what to say to that. She looked me over once more before nodding to herself.

"You have a good heart. That's clear enough. And whatever else you might be, that's something you should always treasure. Take care, and try not to get caught up in any more explosions for the next couple of days, okay?"

"Um, alright. Thanks again?" I replied.

"Of course, kid," the woman replied, her gaze lingering on me. She smiled and patted the motorcycle gently, as if she was petting a favorite animal.

"Now get home safe," she added. "I'm going to be taking care of this. Celestial Sonata needs to rest."

She turned toward the approaching sirens and began to walk away, her cape billowing behind her. I stood there, watching as she made her way towards the ruined office building, leaving me behind.

Red Riding Hood looked over her shoulder at me one last time.

"And kid? Don't do any more stupid crap, alright? Seriously..."

I watched as she walked off into the night.

"Uh, right... okay. Sure," I replied, still not entirely understanding her.

The bike turned and followed her. She made her way to the front of the office building and began directing emergency services to the injured. A crowd of onlookers began forming on the street outside the building.

I slowly walked to the side, putting my hands in my hoodie's pockets, and making my way back home. My heart was racing as I thought of all the events that had occurred in the last few hours, but the cold air helped clear my mind as I made my way home. I wasn't really sure what I was feeling at the moment.

But, at least things were finally starting to calm down. I took a deep breath, letting the cold air fill my lungs. It felt good to finally be able to relax. It was quiet and peaceful. It was just what I needed.

"Ugh..." I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck as I turned down an alleyway.

This had all been way too much. Way, way too much. Magical girls were insane. That's the only way to put it.

Rai-chan suddenly appeared, floating beside me.

"You did a very stupid thing there. I mean, I'm proud of what you did, but that was way too reckless."

I smiled, reaching out to try and boop her on the nose. My finger went right through, and Rai-chan's eyes narrowed.

"I could feel your fear," Rai-chan continued, looking up at me. "And I was very impressed by how you handled yourself, despite it."

"Well, it was kind of the least I could do, wasn't it?"

"No. It was very, very, stupid. You're only a normal human without me. You're very, very weak. But I'll give you your chops. You're brave, but as smart as you supposedly are, you're a real knucklehead."

"Hey, now wait a minute..."

"You could've been hurt, and for no gain of your own," the AI retorted. "It's very illogical. It would be very difficult to justify, from a purely pragmatic point of view. You had no idea whether Little Red Riding Hood would save you from the blast, after all. You just ran in without thinking. It was reckless. It was stupid. That could've been the end of us right then and there."

"Yeah... you're right. Say, do you think Red Riding Hood knew about you?"

"That's possible, I suppose," Rai-chan replied. "She didn't say anything about me, though, and I don't know how much she could sense. But she was right about one thing."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"You need rest," the AI said. "Your vitals are a mess."

"Ughhhh... fine, mom," I replied sarcastically, trudging through the streets.

"Hey, don't call me your mom! I'm not that old!"

"Well, you certainly act your age."

"Humph!"

She glared at me and disappeared. I chuckled, feeling a bit more cheerful than I'd felt in the last couple of hours. I walked a little further, my feet dragging on the concrete. My mind wandered, and I started to think about what Little Red Riding Hood had said to me.

I didn't know what she saw when she was looking at me. What she'd felt. What she'd seen in my soul.

I really didn't want to create more trouble for myself.

That's why I was just going to keep to my lane and let the Magical Girls do the crazy heroics.

I'd help where I could, but that would be it. Nothing crazy. No explosions. No more near death experiences.

Yeah. I could live with that.

I had other problems to worry about. Real-life problems. Normal human being problems. Problems like trying to find a job, or how I was going to pay for food. I wasn't some big damn hero or savior. I was just an ordinary human. An ordinary human that was going to go home and sleep for about ten hours and then binge some Terran TV.

I let out a long sigh and smiled.

No explosions. No near-death experiences. Sure, I'd throw my hat in if another Chaos Event happened, but it was the duty of every citizen to help if possible. That didn't mean I'd go out of my way to get into trouble.

That was the plan.

I looked up at the stars and the glowing moon above. The city was quiet, and the air was crisp and cold. The only sound was the sound of my footsteps echoing against the pavement and distant sirens.

I didn't think I helped that much, all things considered. In fact, it felt like I had been more of a nuisance than a help to Sonata.

But I'd walked out of there with several pieces of a puzzle that needed to be put together.

Why had this powerful conglomerate been draining the hopes and dreams out of us in Greenhaven? What had they been using the mana they collected for?

The whole thing was bizarre, and it was clear to me that whatever the Evergreen Foundation had been up to, it had to have been something big. Something that necessitated a small army and complicated security systems in the middle of an enclave of corporate buildings. Something they were willing to kill over. It was a puzzle that had to be solved.

And the fact that I was still alive, and that the pink-haired Magical Girl was safe, well... that meant that we had walked out with a win.

A win that I had barely helped contribute to, but a win all the same. It wasn't a total victory, by any means, but at least I could go home with the satisfaction that I hadn't died a complete failure. At least for tonight.

I sighed again.

A job.

I needed to find a damned job. And keep my grades up.

That's what mattered now.

For tonight, it was enough to know I was still alive. It was enough that Sonata was safe.

And that would have to do for now.

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