"Hey, I'm a huge fan!" Alicia leaped up and leaned in on Ronja. The punk girl was taken aback by the petite girl's pushy attitude. "I listen to your music all the time!"

  Upon those words, Ronja's eyes narrowed in displeasure. She clicked her tongue. "Lemme guess, ya want an autograph."

  Raven stared at their interaction with an eyebrow raised. She didn't know about her music, but she had studied up on all the magical girls in the top thirty. Ronja Ikonen, seventeen years old, better known as Riot Rhapsody. Number twenty-two on the Starlight City Billboard Rankings. Her civilian and magical girl identities were inseparable; Riot Rhapsody was also an incredibly successful rock and metal musician. She was signed with Full Spectrum Entertainment, the largest music record label in the world, headquartered right here in Starlight City.

  "Would that be alright?" Alicia seemed to ignore Ronja's look of disdain and leaped at the opportunity. Raven sniffed in amusement. So she could be a normal girl, too. "Please sign here."

  Ronja stared at the teal hoodie Alicia offered with a frown. But being a public figure, she couldn't outright insult a fan. She would get an earful from her PR manager. "Ya got a pen?"

  "Yes, right away." She dug inside her big pockets and produced a thick marker. Why did she have that with her? "Please do your Razor Theory signature. I loved that one."

  "Alright... huh?" Ronja took off the cap and prepared to write, but stopped herself. "Razor Theory?"

  "Yes!" Alicia's usually aloof attitude had been replaced with that of a starstruck fangirl. "To be honest, I preferred your music back then more than what you put out nowadays. I hope I'm not offending you."

  Ronja stared at her, dumbstruck. Raven could see the conflict in her eyes before she closed them. She had made a decision. "No offense taken. I think the same."

  "Huh? I-I mean, your current music is more... mature? More polished, I guess? But back with Razor Theory, you made me feel more than now," Alicia tried to put her feelings into words.

  "No, ya can say it how it is. I'm a corporate sellout nowadays, makin' sanitized slop for the masses," Ronja practically spat out the words with a self-deprecating grin that showed off her sharp canines.

  "I didn't want to put it that way, but if you say it yourself, I'll have to agree," said Alicia with an embarrassed smile.

  "Haven't met a fan of Razor Theory ever since I signed with FS. Nobody seemed to care 'bout the changes in my music and just followed me anyway."

  "Well, I care. I still like your music now, but only because it's you. You make even that corporate-sanitized slop sound great."

  Ronja broke out in laughter. "Ya don't mince words, do ya?"

  "Hey, those were your own words, don't blame me." Alicia put up her hands and shrugged.

  Raven watched the two girls with a warm smile. Deep in her heart, she knew that Riot Rhapsody could very well stand against them one day. But right now, Alicia and Ronja seemed to be hitting it off. She stepped back to give them some space, but Ronja noticed her movement and turned to her. "Who's this?"

  "Oh, we forgot to introduce ourselves. I'm Alicia, she's Raven." Alicia grabbed Raven by the arm and pulled her close. "We're lovers."

  "In your dreams." Raven knocked her over the head. "We're just friends." She didn't want to reveal her age since it would complicate things.

  "Ya looked like more'n just friends when ya were down on the ground," Ronja teased with a grin.

  "Listen to this! She won't accept the advances of a cute girl like me," Alicia cried crocodile tears and moved over to grab Ronja's arm instead.

  "Her loss," she played along and hugged Alicia.

  "Yeah, yeah..." Raven rolled her eyes.

  "What are you doing here? I assume you would always be busy with work." Alicia changed the topic when she noticed Raven's lack of reaction.

  "It's a rare day off, so I came to blow off some steam," said Ronja with a shrug.

  "With no security? Don't stars usually have those big men in black following them around?"

  "Hah, yer precious. Ya forget who ya talkin' to?"

  "Oh, right." Alicia seemed to have genuinely forgotten that Ronja was a magical girl. In case of an attack, whether mundane or magical, she would be the one saving the big men in black instead. "So you're free right now? Would you come to karaoke with us?"

  Ronja stared at her as if she had just said something absurd. But then she rolled the thought in her mind and shrugged. "Fuck it, why not?"

  "I know a place that still has Razor Theory songs. I want to sing with you!"

  "Heh, sounds good."

  Alicia gestured toward the arcade's exit and pulled Ronja along by her arm. She glanced over her shoulder at Raven and stuck out her tongue.

  "You little..." she grumbled. But she was genuinely glad that Alicia seemed to have made a friend. She sighed and followed them quietly.

  "They crash and rise,

  We burn and die!

  In the end, their greed will be our fuel!

  Set your hearts and souls on fire,

  And let death be our great unifier!

  Bloody fist to the sky, smash their rule!

  We'll bring the whole system down down down!"

  Ronja and Alicia roared into their mics at the top of their lungs. Raven sat on the couch with a drink in hand, watching the private concert by one of Starlight City's most famous artists. This was not on her bingo list after what she did just yesterday. Luckily, her thoughts were drowned out by the chorus.

  She was more into electronic music, but even she could appreciate Ronja's vocal skills. Before becoming Riot Rhapsody, she had already made a name for herself as an independent artist. Even a cheap karaoke booth's acoustics and its barely serviceable microphones could not diminish her talents. In fact, it actually enhanced the raw emotions showing in her punk roots before she became mainstream.

  Ironic, a corporate musician singing about bringing down the system she served. But she could sense the dissatisfaction in Ronja's heart when she talked about how she was making sanitized slop now. These were her true feelings, something she could no longer express in front of a large audience. Even doing this could get her a stern talking to from her manager if it were found out.

  "Come on, Raven, your turn." Ronja walked off the small elevated platform and placed the mic on the table in front of her. They had already sung over a dozen songs while she had only sat by and listened.

  "Oh, I've never heard you sing before," said Alicia with a curious smile. She sat down on the couch beside her and picked up the tablet to choose the next song. "Give me a name."

  "No, I sound like a dying cat. I don't want to bring down the mood after your amazing performance," Raven argued half-jokingly.

  "That'd be interesting to hear, too," claimed Ronja with her lips curled up ironically.

  "Ohh? You're on then!" Raven acted like she was piqued and took up the mic. "Give me 'To Your Heart' by Asamori Maya."

  "Huh, never heard that one." Alicia exchanged a glance with Ronja and input the requested song. Raven stood up on the stage and struck an exaggerated pose, with one hand covering half her face and the other hugging her own waist. The music started with a bang.

  "What's this?" Ronja stared at Alicia, who only shrugged.

  Then, the lyrics kicked in, and Raven put her entire body and soul into the performance. It was the theme song of a magical girl show she used to watch as a child, years before the first real magical girl appeared in this world. It spoke of the strength of a righteous heart, selfless sacrifice, and fighting to light a blaze to banish the dark.

  Not only was Raven's choreography captivating, but she also had an almost professional level of vocal control. Alicia and Ronja were spellbound despite their initial apprehensions about it being the opening theme of a kids' show. They caught themselves staring with their mouths ajar.

  Raven finished the song with another pose and held it until the last note faded. Ronja stood up and started clapping. But Alicia remained frozen with tears running down her cheeks. She stared ahead blankly, her eyes fixated on a point in space.

  "What's wrong?" Raven quickly walked over and crouched before her. She had never seen her cry before.

  "Oh... I was just moved by the song," Alicia quickly wiped her tears and responded. But Raven had heard enough lies to see through this one. She wouldn't pursue the matter in front of Ronja, though.

  "And here I thought you found my singing that awful," she quickly bridged the awkward moment with a joke.

  "What does that make me for clapping?" Ronja asked with a wry smile.

  "A tone-deaf dummy?" said Alicia with an innocent look.

  Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

  "Why, ya-" began Ronja, but a rhythmic beeping noise interrupted their banter. She rolled her eyes before sighing. "Duty calls."

  Raven and Alicia were made keenly aware that she was a corporate magical girl, a potential enemy in their quest going forward. "Wasn't it your day off?"

  "Only from the music business. There's never a day off for a magical girl."

  "A shame." Alicia looked genuinely sad to part with her.

  "Good luck out there." Raven could keep down her intrusive thoughts. Ronja still stood on the side of justice, saving people from magical threats.

  "Eh, should be routine, but thanks," she responded. Then she smiled warmly, "I had fun with ya'll, I gotta admit. Haven't in a while."

  Raven and Alicia exchanged a quick glance. The latter whipped out her phone and went for it. "Let's exchange numbers. We can hang out again."

  Ronja blinked in surprise at her forward attitude. It was bad practice for a public figure like her to give her number to random people. But she felt a genuine connection to these two girls she had met only today. Against her better judgment, she took out her own phone. "I don't normally do this, but I like ya'll. I'd like to hang out again."

  Raven watched the two girls exchange numbers. This was the pull between magical girls at work again. Even while untransformed, they were drawn to each other and quickly grew to trust one another. That was how Kanon and four other magical girls ended up as friends, even before knowing their magical identities. She had to push down the rising cognitive dissonance at the thought that they could someday try to kill each other if their paths crossed in the wrong way.

  "Alright, now go and get 'em! Don't waste any more time here!" Alicia stashed her phone and rushed Ronja toward the door.

  "I get it. See you next time, Alicia, Raven," with these words and a flippant salute, she was out the door. A moment later, they felt a burst of magic wash over them from outside. She had transformed in the hallway while running off.

  Alicia sat down on the couch and laughed. But halfway through, her expression crumpled, and she leaned forward with her head down. "We can be friends with her, right?"

  "Yes, we can," Raven responded calmly.

  "But what if-"

  "We'll think about it when it happens."

  "But..."

  The phone next to the door rang, interrupting her. Raven quickly picked it up. It was the clerk on the other end, telling them that their time was almost up. "Thank you, we'll leave on time."

  She hung up and looked at Alicia with a sigh. Out of this chance encounter, she had made her first magical girl friend of a similar age. But she could never let her know. Worse, she might someday have to pull the trigger on her if she stood in their way. "Haha, look at me, so pathetic. Just because I met a star I was a fan of. Just because she turned out to be a nice person."

  Raven sat next to Alicia and put an arm around her. "There's nothing pathetic about wanting to be friends with someone. Maybe we can find another way."

  She couldn't say it outright. If Riot Rhapsody blocked their path during a mission, they wouldn't have the leeway to talk it out with her. Every second wasted could mean more enemy reinforcements bearing down on them. And subduing a magical girl without lethal force was practically impossible.

  "Let's sing one more song!" Alicia suddenly jumped to her feet and picked up the tablet. "A duet."

  Raven looked at her with a wry smile. She was forcing herself to be cheerful. It was likely harder at her age. Especially when she felt alienated from her peers at school. She didn't know Alicia's circumstances at home, and she wouldn't ask. Considering she lived at the Saint Adela's Institute dormitories, they were likely complicated.

  "Alright, but I only know older songs. Haven't been keeping up with music in the last... few years."

  "You make it sound like you're so much older than me."

  "Because I am."

  "I still know songs from five or so years ago, though!"

  "... yeah, those work."

  Raven picked up a mic and joined Alicia on the stage. The last song of the day.

  After karaoke came coffee to go, and they were off to the bowling center. As they settled into their space and decided who would go first, Alicia's phone buzzed. It was a message from Ronja. She had taken out the magical threat, but was held up by law enforcement to provide a report. Attached was a selfie showing her with a proud grin and a peace sign over her cheek. She was still wearing her magical girl outfit.

  It didn't look much different from her usual clothes. Her top was black with some graffiti-like neon accents. Instead of frills, which almost all magical girls seemed to have in their magically generated clothes, her long sleeves sported ripped ends. Maybe she had done that herself. Her skirt couldn't be seen in the selfie, but she was of a high enough rank to get her own billboard features from time to time. It was pleated and had trailing belts. One could mistake it for a stage outfit.

  "She's a good kid," said Raven with a warm smile.

  "You're talking like an old lady again." Alicia poked her cheek. "Come on, let's play."

  "I won't hold back on you," she declared, picking the heaviest bowling ball from the rack. Even untransformed magical girls had peak human physical capabilities. And Raven stood out among them for having superhuman strength and speed that could match even weaker transformed magical girls. She had to hold herself back from accidentally breaking things all the time.

  But strength meant nothing without skill. She let go of the ball too late. It flew in a small arc and slammed onto the lane with a resounding thud that startled everybody around them. With no momentum, the ball rolled slowly toward the left gutter and dropped into it barely halfway toward the pins. Raven shielded her eyes in embarrassment and returned to her seat.

  "It's all about the technique," said Alicia with a grin, choosing a more reasonable weight. She held the ball with both hands, aimed, and performed the proper movements. However, she imparted the wrong spin, causing it to roll into the right gutter at roughly the same distance as Raven's.

  "All about the technique, huh?" commented Raven, emboldened by her young friend's failure despite her own.

  "Hey, you girls seem to be struggling," a blond boy in a leather jacket called out to them as he walked around their bench to join them. A slightly taller boy with dark hair and a more bulky build, wearing the same, followed him. "Want us to teach you?"

  "Huh, they remind me of Neri and Igor," muttered Alicia. Raven couldn't suppress her laughter at the comparison and snorted audibly. It caused her to chuckle, too.

  "What, an insider joke? Let me in on it." Unperturbed by their attitude, the boy pressed on.

  "Oh, sure. Please show us how it's done." Raven picked up her bowling ball from the rack and handed it to him. He was half a head taller than her and had much broader shoulders. Thus, he accepted the ball with one hand, only to realize his folly when its weight slipped out of his grasp. "Woah." To his utter confusion, Raven caught it quickly before it hit the ground. She lifted it casually and handed it over to him again. "Don't drop it this time, big boy."

  He stared at her as she sat back down, holding the heavy ball with both his hands. His companion exchanged a confused glance with him, not understanding what had just happened. Now, his image was on the line. He couldn't put the ball back and pick a lighter one. As he visibly racked his brain for an explanation for how she did it, he walked down the lane and took his position.

  The result was a flop, as expected. The heavy ball almost dragged him along, causing him to lose control and barely catch himself from tripping. At least it didn't drop into the gutter and managed to knock over a single pin. Surely not the showing he desired. But Raven had to give him credit for not becoming frustrated and maintaining a sunny attitude even now.

  "Wow, I guess my nerves were worse than I thought. I don't do this often," he said with an embarrassed smile, scratching the back of his head. A plausible excuse.

  "Bowling? Didn't you want to teach us?" Alicia wondered with an eyebrow raised.

  "I meant trying to pick up girls," he admitted honestly.

  "Oh, so that's what you were really trying to do?" Raven said, putting on an exaggerated look of surprise.

  "To be fair, I saw you hitting gutter balls, so I thought I could at least help you out. But when I saw you from up close, you were so lovely that it turned into ulterior motives," the boy said with a defeated look at his less talkative friend. He really was honest.

  "Well, you're welcome to try again with a ball in your weight class," suggested Raven. Alicia glared at her questioningly, silently asking what she was doing. She clearly didn't want some boys interfering with their time together.

  "Huh, you're actually nice, you know that?" The blond boy broke out into a radiant smile. He picked a lighter ball and walked down the lane with winged steps. This time, he could display his real skills and finished with a spare. Raven clapped her hands, and he performed an exaggerated bow.

  "You're not actually thinking of..." Alicia pulled on her sleeve and whispered with an incredulous look.

  "No harm in hanging out, no?" Raven responded with a shrug.

  "Giving someone hope when there is none might be worse than blowing them off, you know?" grumbled Alicia quietly.

  "What was that?" Raven couldn't hear what she said and turned to her. Before she could react, Alicia grabbed her face and pulled her in. Soft lips touched hers. A wave of warmth rolled across her face and scalp; a sensation she hadn't felt in years.

  Then, a tongue tried to part her lips, and she pulled away. Alicia let go in shock at the clear rejection. She met Raven's gaze and quickly turned away at the sight.

  "Oh, you two were like that." The blond boy's awkward comment was but background noise in their ears. "Sorry to bother you."

  As the two boys slinked away, Raven silently glared at Alicia. She had gone too far this time.

  Raven drove Alicia's autonomous car as she sat in the rear, staring at her feet with a dejected expression. Even though the onboard intelligence could have chauffeured them anywhere, it was an excuse to get some distance between them.

  The afternoon out together had started so well, but ended in this heavy atmosphere. As the adult, she had to put her foot down once and for all. Alicia was still developing and confused about her place in the world, so she clung to the only person she felt she could relate to. Even if that person was almost ten years older than her.

  And headed for a cliff at the end of her path.

  She was aware that Alicia was already a murderer, too. She had downed the escape hovercar during the Raytronics Corporation headquarters assault, killing the driver. And she had heard that some previous jobs had also involved directly shooting at people. But unlike Raven, she had a life to return to after this. For her, there was nothing beyond revenge.

  By the time they reached the Saint Adela's Institute dormitories, it was already dark out. The building stood on a hill overlooking the city and the distant skyline. It was the perfect vantage point to see the Aurora Stellaris' activity. It was still crackling with energy. The corporate magical girls would be busy tonight.

  "We're here," Raven said with a look in the rearview mirror. Alicia flinched at her voice. She didn't move and averted her gaze. Being rejected had shaken her to the core.

  With a sigh, Raven got out of the car. She took her time to round the vehicle and stood outside the door. Alicia slowly opened it with her head lowered in shame. She sighed at her sorry state. This wasn't what she wanted, but she had to set boundaries.

  "I'll lend you Jeeves," Alicia suddenly spoke up.

  "Hm?" Raven didn't understand.

  "How else are you getting back... home?"

  "I can't take your car. Mind's Eye tracks it." Alicia looked up in surprise and met Raven's gaze for the first time since the Everleaf Center. She saw only disappointment and quickly looked away. "I'll drive back downtown and wait somewhere while Nightingale sends me my bike."

  Thinking about it, she could have parked it in the dorms' garage. Now she had to stay with the onboard intelligence for a while longer. At least it never spoke a word unless prompted.

  "Go now, you don't want to be late for your curfew." There was still more than an hour left, so it was only an excuse. Alicia knew it, but she didn't dare to rebut her.

  The dorm building was a ways off from the street, at the end of a footpath through a well-maintained garden. The lights in almost all the rooms were on. Perhaps some of the inhabitants were even watching them.

  Alicia started to walk toward the wrought iron gate, afraid to look back. The security camera recognized her biometrics and automatically opened the gate for her. She walked down the footpath absentmindedly until she heard a car door. The gate closed behind her, and she peered over her shoulder. It felt like she was separated from Raven by a widening cliff.

  Why had she done that? She knew that Raven was only being friendly with the boys at the bowling center. A magical girl could never get with a man. But a mixture of jealousy and realization that she was being treated in a similar way made her feel like she had to force something. And now, she had destroyed their relationship.

  Her feet unconsciously carried her to the main door. She looked back one last time and found that Raven was still waiting outside the gate. A responsible adult who would observe until the child entered her home. Alicia opened the door and ran inside. She tripped over her own feet as she flew up the stairs and into her room.

  Mentally exhausted, she fell onto her bed and started crying. It was only the first day after their successful mission together. How could she have fumbled it so badly? Why had she been in such a hurry? Alone in her room, her self-loathing spiraled out of control.

  Her phone buzzed. She scrambled to pick it up and found one message. Was it Raven? Did she want to make up with her? But when she opened it, it was from Ronja. She wanted to hang out again with her and Raven on her next day off in two weeks.

  Alicia stared at the message blankly. Yes, that was the solution. They could meet again in private this way. It was the perfect excuse to invite Raven out without being alone with her. Her despairing amber eyes filled with light again. This time, she wouldn't make any mistakes. This time for sure.