The Innocent Malice

The Seven Sisters

It was a quiet night in Asunaro City. Mainly, at least. In a dark alley, however, something else, pretty loud, was happening. Another witch battle between three Puella Magi: Kazumi, Umika, and Kaoru.

The witch was a pale, mask-like face with a large, creepy grin full of square teeth. Her right eye was clouded with a white pupil, while the other was white and droopy. Four tentacles with black, blob-like ends extended from the central body. The familiars, or minions, of the witch were small, crude human figures made of thin paper.

"Over here, witch," Umika said, adjusting the glasses she had only in her magical outfit while twirling her spear. The witch flew backwards to dodge Umika's attack, a shriek escaping from her frowning face.

Kaoru's spiky cleats began shredding and crushing the familiars of the witch, bits of paper flying across the scene. She ran towards the witch and began stomping on it as well, and turned to Kazumi.

"It's all yours, Kazumi!"

Kazumi grabbed her spear and looked at the weakened witch. "Okay, ready and..." Kazumi stopped abruptly. She began to think about the last time first time she fought with Kaoru and Umika...she had nearly killed Umika!

"Kazumi..." A confused Kaoru asked, but received no answer. Distracted, she took no notice of the advancing witch. "Wha!" she yelled as the tentacles of the witch slapped her. Kaoru flew upwards when the witch's mouth opened wide, revealing many razor-sharp fangs.

Umika stared into the witch's mouth, and Kaoru flew downwards after her friend. "Umika!" Kaoru yelled as she pulled Umika into a tight embrace, but Kaoru started to become entranced as well. The witch rose upward and her drooling mouth extended, and swallowed them both.

Chomp.

Kazumi nervously looked at the witch. "Umika! Kaoru!" she yelled, and tears welled up in her eyes. Gnashing her teeth and gliding down to the witch, she stomped and stabbed the witch with her shoes and staff.

"Give them back!" she screamed. "Give me back my friends!" The tentacle slithered away from Kazumi and in a very humorous movement, slipped away into the air and disappeared. The barrier, the private dimension where a witch lured in victims and spread its curses, faded away from view and the setting returned to the quiet Asunaro City.

"No way...Umika, Kaoru...What am I going to do by myself?" Kazumi eyed her hand, which had a black mark adorned with spikes. "Wha..." As a tear streamed down her pale face, Kazumi was interrupted by another voice.

"You're not alone."

Kazumi turned to see four Puella Magi on a rooftop. In the front was a tall girl with a brown beret and burgundy jacket, her short, silvery hair shining the moonlight. Her eyes were a dark pink. Beside her was a girl with very thick and long hair, the color of pink cotton candy. Her eyes were also that color, and seemed luminescent. Her pink suit and frilly skirt outfit also had long dark purple sleeves and a ribbon tied at the top of her hair, her heart-shaped Soul Gem at the edge of the hairband before it separated into two. The one farthest to the left, looking at the skyscrapers, had a blue and white paratrooper suit, her leather helmet and aviator goggles shining. Her long pale green-blonde hair was tied into twintails. The final one, furthest to the right, had curly brown-pink hair shaped like a cloud, wearing a pink fuzzy outfit with feathery sleeves and boots. Her circular frilly dress had two brown ribbons at the sides. Kazumi was amazed.

Who are they? Kazumi thought.

Kazumi found herself in a large house with many glass tiles and windows. "The Pleiades Saints...?" she asked the girls she had recently met.