Modern Magical Girls: Max Party Limit

(Warning, strong language in spots.)

“Hello Sister! My name is Magical Girl Marionette-Marie! Yes, I am a natural pinkette with blue eyes. My blue dress, white lace gloves, big red hair bow, are all my original costume, the sandals were a later addition! My shinny smooth skin is also part of my magical girl form!

“As we’re all magical girls here, (and spirit guides, I haven’t forgotten about you, Jimmy!) and since that means we’re all family, I know I can count on you! Given the support role nature of my magic, I want to form or join a magical girl squad!

“What’s my magic? I’m happy you asked! Using my puppet strings, I can transform others into living wooden puppets! Those changed are tougher, faster, and can coordinate with each other much easier! Plus you might gain other enhanced abilities based on your magic! Don’t worry! I know from first hand accounts that it’s perfectly pleasant and safe! As a puppet you’ll be able to focus completely at the task at hand of protecting the innocent and fighting evil with no distractions!

“As we’re all family, you know that while you’re a puppet I won’t have you do anything bad. And I know I can trust my sister to see passed misunderstood ideas about my magic and accept me for who I am!”

+++

“Sorry, but it sounds way too much like you want a squad where you’re the center of attention.” SLAM!

“When I contracted with Eli, he promised me as a magical girl I’d never have to be controlled by anyone else ever again.” SLAM!

The blond magic girl smiled awkwardly breaking into a cold sweat, “Uh, yeah, like, sorry, that whole ‘no distractions’ thing? I totally don’t think I need that!”

“Kiki! You forgot your date again!” Shouted a white puffball spirit guide.

“Oh crude! Sorry Derek!”

“It’s Eric, Kiki.”

–
“My dollies think you’re creepy,” the exceptionally young appearing magical girl said in a slightly withdrawn voice. Her very big red eyes that matched hair showing a meek discomfort at Marie’s presence.

The animated plush doll she was hugging glared up at Marie, the teddy bear bigger than the girl crossing his arms and stared daggers with his button eyes.

“We have practically the same magic!”

“I help my toys become people, you make people into toys,” the girl said awkwardly rather than with distain. Marie knew manipulation magic, and she realized, these dolls were acting on their own, not their magical girl controlling their actions.

Marie also spotted a ‘happy birthday card’ with the number in single digits.

The scowling rag doll standing next to the girl slammed the door in Marie’s face.

Lightning Ligia said happily, “Marie, I’d be happy to have you… ” Then she frowned sadly. “But we already have a full squad.”

“Can’t you ask permission for an expansion?”

Lightning Ligia looked down sadly. “And there was a vote, the others are uncomfortable at being controlled or think your magic doesn’t compliment ours all that well. Marie I’m sorry.”

+++

Marie hug from the ceiling by spiderwebs connected to her hands, feet, and waist. She let her thought drift on her emotions’ ocean.

“Done feeling sorry for yourself yet?” Jimmy asked crossing his two forelegs. This wasn’t the first time Marie had asked the golden spider for what she called ‘pretending.’

“Just a little bit longer…” Marie sighed.

Jimmy asked, “Have you considered bringing one of your… permanent puppets to work? So you’re not going into a battle ‘naked?'”

Marie frowned (of course being an MG it was still cute). “They willingly chose to stay living puppets, they never took a vow to fight a war.”

“You could just ask them first you know.”

“That doesn’t feel right either. A soldier doesn’t ask their friends to sign up because they’re low on squadmates… or I don’t think they should.”

“It’s not illegal for magical girls to do recruitment drives.”

“Double no! If I asked any of them… I’d be taking advantage of our friendship! ‘Would you risk your life for a friend’ who WOULDN’T say yes?”

“I didn’t mean Bell. And well, we both agree you need a squad Marie, this ‘working with what’s there’ is going to get you killed.”

“I know that already.”

“You know, if you’re worried about not having a puppet on hand, there’s always me,” the little spider said.

“Jimmy we’ve been over this, I need another magical girl to Puppeteer me in my marionette form.”

“Oh no, I mean you could make a puppet out of me!”

“What?!”

“Why not? I’m alive and I have a soul. I fit the criteria for your magic.”

“… But your purpose to keep your head down and be keep on an eye on me.”

“I’m more than a camera drone.”

“I know. But WE’D be wired together… it might ruin your telepathy, or overwhelm me, you remember what happened when I tried to connect with twenty people at once.” Marie fell silent for a minute. “Was that witch right? Without others, my magic is useless… am I a parasite?”

“NO! Since when you EVER had doubt like that?!” Jimmy exclaimed, now genuinely worried, this wan’t just one of Marie’s little episodes (he’d learned this was just her way of dealing with stress)!

“Annabelle The Puppeteer Witch… she mocked how I always need someone to control or someone to control me.”

“Everyone needs someone Marie, you’re just more obvious than most. I wish you’d just ask Wendy already!”

“Wendy was uncomfortable with my magic, I don’t want to suddenly force her to be on the receiving end just because she puppeteered me, I don’t want to risk our friendship.”

There was a knock on the door.

“Crude!” With a touch from Marie the spiderwebs dissolved off her, and Marie landed perfectly on her sandals. She quickly checked herself in the mirror, and opened it, hoping it would be one of her sisters wanting to join.

The magical girl was a little bit shorter than Marie, with pale blue hair. Her magical girl dress was puffy and covered in swirls of different colors with many pockets in the front. She had green eyes. Her skin was a little on the pale side… And… she was rounder than your stereotypical idea of a magical girl.

“Hello, My name is Magical Girl Da Vinci Leona… you’re Marionette Marie? I’d like to become one of your puppets.”

Hopes are sometimes answered.

“… Please come in!” Marie took both her hands and led Leona inside. No, Marie did not lock the door. “Let me get a good look at you.”

“I, uh-“

Marie resisted the urge to stares at certain parts of her for too long (with so many animal based magical girls, Marie had expected her to have a lion’s tail she used a brush).

“Okay! Yes I’m Marie! It’s a pleasure to meet you Leona! I’m soooooooo happy to finally meet someone who’s willing to accept my magic! Thank you so much!”

“Uh… you don’t force others to wear marionette costumes do you?”

“NO! I swear I don’t! And before you asked, NONE of my puppets have naught bits!”

“O-okay!”

Marie smiled broadly. “Just relax! I promise! It’s nothing to be scared of! Oh! This is Jimmy! My spirit guide!”

“Pleasure to meet you, Leona.” Jimmy bowed. “So where’s yours?”

“Oh, Francesco didn’t want to come along.”

Jimmy sighed. “Of course.”

Then Marie looked a gift horse in the mouth. “So Leona, why do you want to join the team?”

“Is that important?”

“Not really, once we’re connected. But I want to know so I can help find teammates!” Marie took Leona by the shoulder, still smiling warmly.

“… If I’m a puppet… then I won’t have think about how I’m not pretty.”

Marie stared in shock, not letting go only because her brain had partially shut down. “What?”

“Puppets just do what they’re told, they don’t have to think about how plain they are.”

Marie gripped a little tighter, realized what she was doing, and let go.

“You think you’re ugly?” Marie whispered.

“Not ugly… not anything.”

“You ARE something!” Jimmy said.

“Francisco says the same thing.”

“Listen to him!”

“Leona,” Marie said sternly. “You’re pretty! All humans are pretty! I’ve never met an ugly person in my life! And that includes you!”

Leona blinked a few times and reared back ever so slightly. “… Most girls when I talked about this, they say it’s alright to be plain.”

Marie thought it rude to sit down in front of a guest, but felt a bit dizzy. “Leona… I… I’m very happy for your offer… but… You shouldn’t just block out your problems. You’ll be pretty as one of my puppets, and you’re pretty now. If we’re going to be teammates… I want it to be for the right reasons.”

Jimmy hide how impressed he was at Marie’s maturity.

“So… you won’t help?”

“… I won’t help with what’s not the problem. Leona, did your parents tell you you’re plain?”

“No, but they’re my parents, it’s what they’re supposed to do.”

“Well I’m not… Your magic, let me guess, it’s based on art right?”

“I can create any shape out of my paints, though I need time to make finer details. It can be as hard, soft, tough, or elastic as I want it to be. But I can’t make things like bomb since those need chemical reactions. But I could make say a tennis racket, a door hinge, or a key as long as I know what it looks like. I can also create decoys. Oh, and any food I’d make would just taste like paint, sorry.”

“… Thanks for explaining Leona, but what I meant was, you’re an artist, shouldn’t you know everything is beautiful.”

“Not everything,” Leona said simply.

Marie sighed. “Leona, if you want to be my squadmate… I’d be happy to accept. But… can you think it over for a day?”

“Why not now?”

“I want you to talk with Francisco. Please. I have no reason to lie to you. I have every reason to say you’re plain and only I can help you by making you one of my puppets. Think about that please when I say you ARE pretty.”

“… All right, see you in the morning then, after breakfast?”

“… If that’s what you want.”

Leona left.

“That… was a lot more than I thought you’d do Marie.”

“If I’m going to have squadmates, I want to be so for the right reasons… I don’t want to be used just as an escape.”

“And if she still comes back?”

“Maybe I can show my new puppet that she was already pretty.”

“Maybe she needs a boyfriend?”

“Very funny.”

That old question always remained. Why girls? Even the spirit guides weren’t completely sure. The most popular theory was that women were the life givers, and those who were recent additions to the world had a more unfiltered connection to the source of all things that could be tempered into something new.

“I think I’m going to sleep at home tonight.”

“GOING WITH YOU!” Jimmy swore.

“I wasn’t going to stop you.”

“Not letting you out of my sight until this whole thing is resolved.”

Through the portal network, Marie arrived at the house that had belonged to her family for generations, it didn’t have a big ground floor, but it did have three floors.

“Hi grandpa.” Marie said as she stepped in into the kitchen, Jimmy on her shoulder.

“Hey Jeb!”

“Nice to see you Marie, and you too Jimmy!” The round old man smiled. “Spending the night?”

“I need it right now…” Marie explained about Leona.

“Ah! Well, people don’t change overnight. But I’m sure you can help her love herself.”

“That should have been Francisco’s job,” Jimmy said to himself.

Marie’s grandfather had been the one person of her choosing she was granted to share her life as a magical girl with.

Marie knew her grandfather wouldn’t last forever, she would last until a fiend or witch got lucky. (Naturally, veteran magical girls were a precious resource not to be squandered: this wasn’t apathy towards the new girls, it was just human nature). She’d offered to him a way to cheat the grim reaper, she’d once saved a dying man by turning him into one of her puppets until they could get him to a hospital after all.

She knew God-Daughter Death Heather and Lifelight Leia chaffed at her using her magic to cheat old age, but Marie would face them down if she had to.

But Jeb had answered, “I’m sorry Marie, I’ll always love you. But I can’t accept your offer. I have the most wonderful woman to ever live waiting for me. I’ll stay with you as long as I can. But I want to rest soon.” And Marie had never forced the discussion again. She cried into her pillow that entire night.

Marie shook her head of the memory, back in the present.

“Regardless of whose job it is, if you can help, help,” Jeb said simply to the little spider.

“Yeah, I’m just gonna check in on Francisco to make sure he’s been doing HIS job.”

Marie changed the subject. “So how are the others?”

“Well, the last show went well. Magic or not, people in town are still drawn to a good performance. Though I feel a bit embarrassed about them helping.”

‘Don’t be embarrassed sir, We Puppets are merely paying our keep.’

“Cicely!” Marie with a swirl hugged the puppet. The Puppet was the build and form of a young girl, wearing a green dress. “Wonderful to see you!”

While it was impossible as far as Marie knew for anyone else to command her puppets (making them immune to every form of mind control and body control Marie had encountered so far), her grandfather could still, ahem, ‘string them along’ as it were, so he didn’t need to carry them like logs when Marie wasn’t home. Marie connected to Cicely, and felt her thoughts and feelings wash over her. And the puppet hugged her back.

‘Wonderful to see you too Puppeteer… ‘ Said the doll in her mind, Jimmy and her grandfather hearing it as well.

Cicely’s girl scout troop had been ambushed, and mauled, by a bear themed fiend. The fiend had then found itself facing an small army of girl scout puppets… It was also the battle Marie had discovered the number of puppets she could empower at once had limits, and what happened when she tried to coordinate too many a once. She was relieved when Spirit Dawn Light arrived.

While the other girls were happy to put the experience behind them once restored and healed at the hospital, Cicely had come back to Marie, wanting to ‘try it out more’ after some awkward conversations. Now Cicely was legally helping Jeb as ‘assisted living.’

They were still legally people after all. They might have been able to avoid taxes by claiming as puppets they were past such concerns, but Jimmy had warned Marie that was a fast-track to ‘getting burned at the stake’ as the phrase went.

Contrary to what some said, not everyone Marie changed came back wanting more of puppethood. Marie’s ‘permanent puppets’ would listen to her grandfather, even if he wasn’t ‘the true Puppeteer’, and they were limited to ‘normal movements’ without Marie’s direct magic. But being puppets of course, they craved direction.

“Cicely did a charity performance for her troop the other day.”

“Everyone loved it! They wondered if This Puppet was a human in a costume, or a robot! Only my parents knew!” Their daughter being a sapient near indestructible immortal puppet was more appealing after she’d been almost eaten by a demon.

It amazed Marie how her grandfather could tell how the puppets were doing even without her magic. There were exception, Cicely’s parents could if they were physically touching her as could her troop mates.

Well, Jeb was a puppet master, though few people cared for such things anymore… he was overjoyed Marie had taken up the tradition in some way like her father never had).

It was a relief to Marie that no matter how long she was away, the puppets always treated her like it was just yesterday. One gift of being a puppet was infinite patience and lack of boredom.

They had agreed to perform in Jeb’s shows, even if Jeb wasn’t their true Puppeteer, they respected him for his talent and craft, and for helping raise Marie into the girl she was.

“Cicely, where are the others?”

‘Most of your Puppets are in the card room Puppeteer!’ Though Jeb had outlived most of his cardmates, he still called it such. ‘But Boris is in the garden.’

With Jimmy following like a shadow, Marie left the kitchen where the portal was set up in, and went out the back door. Magical Girls visiting the elderly was hardly unheard of, so Marie wasn’t worried about being spotted.

She did find the puppet of a boy in jeans and a red shirt, bare foot, muddy, smiling, and doing what could pass for maybe gardening.

‘Puppeteer! Wonderful for you to be here, This Puppet is so happy! Check out This Puppet’s awesome garden!’

“Yes… very awesome Boris…”

After being saved from a fire, Boris had also wanted to ‘check out’ Marie’s magic, but had been more secretive of it than Cicely… Not that Marie knew that of course, but his parents did begin to notice as his aging began to slow down from the hours of puppethood. His parents weren’t happy when he found out. But they were more tolerant as his grades sky rocketed from his puppet like focus and he was actually able to skip a grade more than once… Though Jimmy had insisted it be kept quiet, worried about Marie being stormed by parents wanting the same thing. Thankfully, law regarding willing magical transformation were already on the books.

After graduating, Boris had changed and had never looked back. Now the puppet did his job online.

Cicely would have thought the gardening was passionate, but childishly done, but a good puppet wasn’t contrary to her puppeteer.

“Come my puppets, I wish us all to converse.”

‘Yes Puppeteer,’ her puppets said as they followed her.

Descending from strings, no human could see, Bell landed before Marie. ‘Welcome home Puppeteer, This Puppet has performed grandly before many humans. My Puppeteer has given life to This Puppet’s passions.’

Marie smiled, and didn’t hesitate to hug her.

Bell had been a girl dreaming of being a ballerina, like the dress the puppet now wore, but had been crippled in an accident that left what was left of her body useless. Her family couldn’t afford having her spine replaced by the latest technology. She could have been healed by becoming a magical girl, but Bell had shrunk away from an eternal life of fighting monsters (rarer than you think when MGs were considered “the few and the brave”). There was Miracle Mary’s ultimate healing magic, but her waiting list was long whether she liked it or not. Marie had provided her a second option.

“I always know you do Bell, you’ve always been my most wonderful puppet.”

‘It honors this Puppet to hear the Puppeteer speak so. This Puppet also has a new performance she wishes to show.’

“It’ll be my honor! But first, I wish to see the others.”

The puppets, Esta and Gus, were in the card room, posed to be playing the game. Gus had been hired muscle, one of countless thugs who had taken the easy way out with all the better roads closed to him. Marie had used her magic on many, many ‘dumb muscle’ who had spent their lives being told what to do. Only Gus had sought to make that a part of his very being (after his prison term was up of course)!

And Esta… she’d been a vain human. And a professional escort. Unlike most, she’d come seeking Marie. When they connected, Marie saw her life of being used as a marriage pawn by her family, being used as a pawn by so-called friends… For many activities that were several kinds of illegal. Naturally Marie had gone to the police. Esta was legally ‘relocated’ and ‘protected’.

Esta had ironically said, “I’ve been strung along my whole life, I might as well be with someone whose HONEST about it!”

‘Welcome Puppeteer!’

They said through Marie’s connection to them.

“So who was winning?”

‘This Puppet of course,’ Esta revealed.

“Of course,” Marie remarked.

‘This Puppet is getting better, This Puppet will win soon enough,’ Gus said.

The puppets gathered around Marie and the table. Jimmy forming a spiderweb above them.

Marie spent hours, just chatting about nothing with the puppets, the weather, the latest movies, and the conflicting latest season of Candy Friends. She was able to let her guard down, able to forget everything else. It was what she needed.

Her grandfather made good lasagna.

Bed time came at last, and Marie shifted into her mundane appearance, her costume becoming simple flat tops, and long sleeved dress that hid most of her legs.

Marie remembered stories of one MG’s classmates seeing her go into a bathroom stall, transform, come out, and her classmates genuinely wondering where their friend had gone. Even tech savvy witches (and those who hired them) had tried to use the almighty computer to get around the perception filter, and this had only cause the innocent machines to crash. The spirit guides explained it wasn’t just a trick of the mind, their transformation altered their existence so none could connect the two.

Jimmy formed a spider’s web above her head, and rested in the middle. did Jimmy really sleep, or did he just enjoy imitating the experience? A bit of both? Marie drifted to sleep, her dreams were of taking part in a stage play of the civil war, but everyone throwing cookies as the audience played trumpets.

She woke up to Jimmy shouting at her in the middle of the night.
“MARIE! PRISON BREAK! WITCH CONTRABAND! YOU! THERE! NOW! HOLD THE FORT TILL MORE GIRLS GET THERE!”

Marie sprang into action without a second thought. It didn’t matter what city or what country, or what hour, her duty as a magical girl came first.

“Magical Girl, Marionette Marie, transformation!”

Marie’s clothes turned into a mass of pink glittered. The world around her turned into a star scape, she was surrounded by swirling wishing stars. Puppet strings pulled up on the different pieces of her costume, the costume parts being ghostly until they were in place and became opaque. Marionette Marie struck a pose with her fingers outstretched, two puppeteer crossers her hands that she placed on her place.

Marionette Marie didn’t even think about taking any of her permanent puppets with her, and Jimmy didn’t suggest it. Marionette Marie didn’t have time to say goodbye to her grandfather, they both knew how this worked.

Marionette Marie entered the portal network in the kitchen, trusting Jimmy to take her to the right place for her. Past the infinite swirling colors, she appeared in an office surrounded by bullet proof glass.

In the room was one prison officer. He didn’t look happy as the portal closed behind Marionette Marie.

“What?! Where are the rest of the Pollyannas!?!”

“On their way sir! I’ve been sent ahead to keep things from getting worse!”

“Things are already worse Pollyanna!”

Jimmy crawled out under the door.

‘Whao boy, Marie… definitely witch contraband… these bars aren’t broken, they’re melted! Bullet proof glass, melted… guards. They’re like a mongol horde!’

“And I’ll stop them from getting MORE ‘worse’!” Marie swore.

“You Pollyannas are supposed to STOP the Hazels from giving these animals hocus-pocus!”

“Every witch is unique. And that isn’t going to help here,” Marie said. “Have any of the inmates escaped the prison yet?”

“No. They haven’t turned the front gate into molten metal yet, and right now, most are just rampaging.”

Marie looked at the security screens, and saw them being destroyed one by one, a prison with a black ball making obscure gestures at the camera before the camera blacked out.

“I need full understanding of this place’s layout, and I need to understand the prisoners.”

“Not sure we have time for a lesson Pollyanna! With those things the prisoners are acting like they’re now king of the prisoners and are just ‘getting what’s due’ before they leave!”

“… Officer. I must humbly ask for your assistance!” Marionette Marie bowed. “My magic can turn anyone alive into a living near indestructible puppet! With us connected, I’ll be able to understand. And empowered by my magic, you’ll be able to stop this rampage.”

“Wait wait wait! You wanna do a ‘reverse Pinocchio?!’ Sure you’re not a Hazel?!”

Marionette Marie ignored that. “I swear, it’s completely reversible, and you’ll be in much less danger than you are now… Or I can march into battle unprepared.”

“They should have filled you in first Pollyanna!”

“I was implied there was literally no time.”

Jimmy’s voice shouted in Marionette Marie’s head. ‘They were right! One of the big boys with one of the witch toys is headed straight here!’

Marionette Marie replayed what Jimmy told her.

“Dammit!” The officer swore.

“If you want to stay here, I’ll do my duty!”

“This hocus-pocus junk is YOUR JOB Pollyanna!”

“And these prisoners are yours! I swear by all good magic my magic will do no harm!”

“All this hocus-pocus looks the same to me Pollyanna!”

“… I swear on the spirits of my lost parents, my magic will harm you not.”

“… Fine, Pollyanna. Put strings on me, just undo it when these animals are back in their cages!”

“I swear. What’s your name?”

“Fox.”

“Thank you, Fox.”

Sadly, Marionette Marie needed another magical girl to use her own puppet self, or she’d have offered that to him instead.

Marionette Marie struck her strings, and connected to Fox, and his spirit connect to hers. And Fox became one of Marionette Marie’s Puppets, a sexless mass of segmented wood in the shape of an adult man.

‘Puppeteer! This Puppet is prepared to fulfill its duty!’

“We shall together.”

Jimmy spoke, ‘Marie! There just went the last barricade! They’re taking a casual stroll down the hall towards us!’

Marionette Marie was worried the prisoners might have guns (those could be distracting), but as thankful as things might be, these guards had been armed only with pepper spray to be looted from (and some wards in case of demons). Every witch was unique, like magical girls, many were very similar, but there was always one new witch no one had heard of yet.

Her Puppet opened the door, and they stepped out, Jimmy hanging on the ceiling above her.

The horde of men in orange jumpsuit stopped. More out of surprise than anything. A man whose face was a art gallery of tattoos was holding a black ball you think was made of glass.

“Ah frick! A POLLYANNA?!”

“You sure? She might be a Hazel. See what she did to the pig?”

“I am Magical Girl, Marionette Marie, surrender the witch contraband and return to your cells, and you will not be harmed!”

“No, you and the pig are sludge!” Said the man holding the glass ball, black flames out of it. The Puppet defended its Puppeteer, the fires destroyed the puppet’s uniform, but the Puppet itself was only covered in soot unharmed.

“HELL!”

The Puppet opened its mouth, and pepper spray shoot out from its mouth like dragon breath. The leader held up the black ball, which created a transparent violet shield in front of him as the first line of his friends cried out, falling to their knees.

Tattoo-Face held out the black ball again, more black flames, headed straight for Marie, again her Puppet defended her.

“THERE! The pig is busy! The rest of you grab the Pollyanna!”

The prisoners stepped over their suffering friends, and charged straight for her.

“Oh no you don’t.”

Marionette Marie shot out her puppet strings, and snagged the prison at the front of the horde.

“Puppeteer, command This Puppet.”

Immediately the new prisoner puppet began pounding on his ‘friends.’

Marionette Marie shuddered slightly. This man hated everyone in this prison almost as much as they hated him for reasons that had nothing to do with these men.

‘That’s two,’ Marionette Marie thought. ‘Maybe I got picked for being good at ‘crowd control? Or was I just the only MG available?’

Tattoo-Face held his prize tighter, Marie almost wondered how he got it. Even with magic, most witches still needed to provide for themselves for mundane things… even having sold their soul to a demon, the lesser witches still needed money. Meanwhile, as compensation for fighting a war without end, with no hope of retirement, destine to die violently, the spirit guides and the world at large provided magical girls with a mountain of creature comforts.

Naturally the horde stopped cold.

“What are you cowards waiting for? She’s only got ten fingers!”

“But boss!”

“Look, as soon as we kill her, you’ll be back to normal, that’s how this magic stuff works!”

A lie, but a commonly believed lie. When a witch had turned people into animals (before she’d feed their souls to her contractor), they’d had to bring a magical girl who specialized in transmutation magic (usually one recruited at an exceptionally early age), to make them human again.

The horde charged again. The fear of their leader, and the promise she could do nothing that couldn’t be undone with the snap of her neck, and riding high on having fought back against the system that had failed them, in that moment nothing could stop them.

Marionette Marie shot out another puppet string, they tried to dodge, no chance of that.

‘That’s makes three,’ Marionette Marie thought. A man whose parents had pressured him into becoming a doctor, it being too much, turned to drugs, robbery for the money to pay the dealer.

Both new puppets were fighting off the horde.

‘ABOVE YOU!’ Jimmy shouted in her mind.

Another prisoner. Wearing claws like a ninja with a witch’s emblem upon them. He fell, those enchanted claws now pointed at her. Another string, four puppets. A man with a family history that left him unstable, but stable enough that he was still legally sane, and hadn’t seen a therapist in his life.

The new puppet slashed with the claws now integrated into its body. Prisoners cried out from injuries that felt like someone had poured acid in their wounds.

Four puppets that couldn’t be harmed by fists or shivs. That should be enough to hold back the horde. Four is safe. No need for more. Just need to hold out until the rest get here. Shouldn’t be long now.

“She isn’t one of the Big Girls! She’s gonna run out of rabbits in her hat sooner than later!”

‘My puppets can’t be beaten by a swarm of hardened criminals and a few witch trinkets!’ Marionette Marie thought to herself.

She tried to strike at Tattoo-Face, but maybe she could do it if she could just focus, the witch’s barrier blocked her puppet string.

Her strings’ contact with the witch’s barrier made Marie feel like someone had just jabbed a needle into her brain!

Her puppets lost focus for a moment, and the horde pulled in closer, one man getting through. This man was huge. She used another puppet string.

As a child bullied about his low grades, so sought something he was good at, and learned what it could get him. She had him stay close to her to deal with anymore who got through.

‘Five puppets.’ She breathed in and out. She could do this.

‘Marie, you’re at your practical limit, don’t try to go on the offensive, just stay on the defensive! You don’t need to win! Just hold on!’

Marionette Marie felt her cheeks flush. She’d tested how far her magic could go after she’d felt her limits during the fight with the bear fiend and controlling an entire troop of girl scout puppets at once.

She knew how many puppets she could command effectively at once, and she knew how many she could command totally was. These weren’t witches. These weren’t fiends. She could handle it.

“Tell me bud, how is it even with the hocus-pocus, ya still haven’t shivved this Pollyanna yet? Those doors aren’t opening even with the hocus-pocus, we need in there now!”

A new arrival, a medium sized man with a slight pudge, his bald head polished to perfection. In his hand was another glass ball. Oh no!

‘Why!’ Marie thought, not crying least shark smell blood. ‘Why! We’re sisters! We’re family! Why didn’t you trust me!? Please! Why! I needed to practice! Commanding my permanent puppets isn’t the same as in a battle!’

Jimmy said in her mind, ‘No! Marie! Don’t fixate on those thoughts! Please! Even magical girls can be scared of things they don’t understand! Wendy is your friend now! She was ALREADY YOUR FRIEND, or wouldn’t have worried about your magic going to your head! They do care about you! Focus!’

Ghostly violet cobras shot out of the second black crystal ball, all of them still connected to the black crystal itself. The spectral cobras descended on her loyal puppets, wrapped around her puppets, pushing down on them. her clawed puppet slashed at one, cutting it to pieces, only for a new cobra to rush in to take it place. Her body guard puppet grabbed another and crushed it like it somehow had physical mass.

But more came.

‘TEN!’ Five puppet strings at once. Five lives at once. She’s taken on the girl scouts puppets all at once, but these spirits, these souls, were oh so difference. So much hate/fear/lust/disgust/anger at the world!

‘Marie! Remember! Harmony! Calm the storm! Calm the storm!’

The five new puppets wailed madly at the snakes, then using themselves as a interlocking barricade against them, letting the claw puppet spot any trying to get around.

“She’s out of fingers boys! She’s got nothin’ left!” Shouted Tattoo-Face proudly.

All the prisoners smiled at her. She switched her two early puppets to block the fire, burning off their prison uniforms, but that hardly mattered. And had her Fox Puppet unleash the pepper spray from his mouth again. And again the horde was put down, and again the ones holding the witch objects were protected.

“Okay baby let’s see what you’ve REALLY GOT!” Said Tattoo-Face, and the black orb, let out a roar. And the stream of fire got bigger, burning prisoners who been in the new line of fire, all of them screaming. And the fire, like it was a creature all its own, began to wiggle around Marie’s puppets.

“YOU BASTARD! YOU GOT VINNY!” One prisoner shouted.

“BLAME THE POLLYANNA!”

Some bigger zealot thugs tied cloth around their heards, and charged like bulls, using tables like riot shields.

The bodies of unconscious, stabbed, or disabled prisoners were piling up, some of the more vile prisoners (who wouldn’t live to see another day if their fellow imitates had anything to do about it) began using these men’s unconscious forms as shields.

Marionette Marie stompped one foot. Puppet strings shoot from her toes, catching the prisoners being used as shields, who immediately began attacking their exploiters.

‘FIFTEEN!!!’ So many cries for revenge before being quieted down by her harmony. Marie’s head felt it was going to split in two like wood upon the chopping block.

‘MARIE! STOP!’

“SHIT! SHE ISN’T STOPPING! SHE’S GONNA MAKES PUPPETS OUT OF ALL OF US!”

“SCREW THIS NOISE!”

“GET BACK HERE YOU COWARDS!”

“SAYS THE BASTARD WITH THE HOCUS-POCUS!”

Some… some were retreating now… Good. Don’t let them see weakness. So many minds. Not to mention, one of her puppets was using weapons made with magic that was contrary to her…. it make her feel a bit sick on top of everything. ‘Keep the harmony! Keep the harmony! Keep the harmony!’

Her puppets danced, but not as well. Meaning the men who remained were not falling as fast. And a wall of black fire prevented more from retreating.

‘Fifteen minds, fifteen members of an orchestra, compose and conduct! Compose and conduct! Dance as your Puppeteer weaves!’

‘This Puppet shall dance, Puppeteer!’ Her fifteen puppets called back to her.

‘You don’t black out until you try for twenty-one! You have an margin of five puppets! You can endure!’ Marie told herself.

“DON’T FEAR THE POLLYANNA! FEAR ME!” Who said it? The balding man? Tattoo-Face? A man with another witch weapon? Maybe she was seeing double? Marie couldn’t tell. But she didn’t care.

‘My puppets, we fight until my sisters come.’

‘Yes Our Puppeteer!’

On a cresting fulcrum of madness, they came. And Marionette Marie fought through the pain cutting through her skull, and so did her faithful Puppets.

‘Know, that in this I understand you my Puppets, and I’ll love you. In this moment. None of you are alone!’

“DRAGON FIRE CONSUMPTION!”

The flame changed again, becoming some THING towering and horrible, burning the walls and ceiling, and eating away at the hand of Tattoo-Face.

Marie’s Puppets charged, pushing back against the flames, for her, they wouldn’t falter.

‘MARIE!’ Jimmy shouted. ‘You’re not alone either!’

‘Thank you Jimmy…’

“NOT WHAT I MEANT!” Jimmy shouted this time verbally.

“BASTET’S ROAR!”

A giant ghostly pink feline slammed into the black fire dragon.

“MASS TASE-SHOCKER!” Lightning arched across the ground, hitting every one of the prisoners and leaping from one to another.

“SONG-FORCE-WHOOOPER!” Shouted a valley girl voice, followed a beautiful sound wave that knocked still standing prisoners clean off their and blowing away the ghostly serpents.

“GALLERY SIR LANCELOT CHARGE!”

And a knight, looking he’d leapt right out of a painting, with an epically long lance leapt over head… and the lance struck the black orb in the criminal’s hand, shattering it.

The black fire dragon died snarling as its vessel was destroyed.

“MARIONETTE MARIE! It’s okay! We’re here!”

“… Leona…”

The ghostly giant pink cat stormed after the fleeing criminals like mice (now with no black wall of flame to block their retreat).

“No eating!” Shouted a cat girl with dark skin and dark pink hair. She weore a suit of armor, that was like a metal skirt, gauntlets and boots, and a metal swim suit top, all bright red with gold trim. She was wielding a sword taller and thicker than Marie like it was made of packaging foam. Neko Niki, whose sword never harmed the innocent.

Marie walked as her sword pass harmlessly through some prisoners like it wasn’t real, only to be all too real for others.

Next was Cop Kelly, lightning arching from her baton, moving efficiently and concisely, throwing cuffs that always found their mark.

Cop Kelly said, not sound pleased with herself at all, “Told them we needed tighter security against Witch contraband.”

Third was the blond magical girl Marie had talked to yesterday, her hair big and fuzzy, her bangs like lightning bolts. Her costume a mix of bright neon green, neon yellow, and neon magenta, showing off her legs, arms and shoulder, the trunk of her costume showing strips. In hand a gem studded microphone.

And finally, Da Vinci Leona, who stopped to help Marionette Marie.

“Marie! I’m, I’m sorry we couldn’t get here sooner… not the best teammate.”

“What are you talking about?” Marie asked, her head swimming a little. “You’re right on time?”

Marie leaned on Leona, she was so soft. Maybe she needed a little nap right now… She was sure her sisters wouldn’t mind…

–

“You want to see if my magic can help your puppets move without your magic?” The little toy-centric magical girl asked, looking up from her tea set, which Marie was also sitting at, the toys in the room all having a firm gaze on her. And a kitty spirit guide with a collar tag that read, “James” who seemed VERY curious at where this would go.

“Yes,” Marie nodded. “I know that we have magical girls who have transmutation magic that can make them human again if something happens to me and I have non-permanent puppets changed at the time… But I also want to know, that there will be someone there to guide them like puppets want to be, but I also know that they might not find a puppeteer right away, and I want them to be able to find one… They’re my I want them to be happy.”

“… Okay, I guess I can try it!”

“Thank you… I’m sorry, I’m used to talking through strings, what is your name again?”

“It’s Magical Girl Toychest Misu! It’s a pleasure to meet you Marie!”

“And it’s a pleasure, to meet you too…”

++++++

Walking out of Toychest Misu’s room, Marie heard,
“Marionette Marie!”

“Yes Da Vinci Leona?”

The artist magical girl panted. Just far had she been running? A little mouth spirit guide clung to Leona’s shoulder.

“I… I thought about it! Like you said! And… I still want to become your puppet!”

Marie nodded, “If that is what you wish…”

“BUT!”

“But what?”

“But WHY I want to is different! You’re right! You’re not my parents! You had no reason to say I was pretty! But you did anyway! So does Francisco! And so does my art teacher! You said you’ve never seen an ugly human! My art teacher said the same thing! They said, ‘there is nothing so ugly in this world, that the proper application of light cannot make it beautiful!’ … I… Thank you. And I’m not doing it because I owe you a debt or something! You… you see beauty! You’re right! I’m an artist! I want to see beautiful in all things too! I want to learn that from you.”

Marie blushed and took a step back. “I… that is… thank you.”

“And if you can help me be a better magical girl as part of your team… I’ll accept that too, and I’ll help you a better one too.”

“Alright,” Marie hugged her, Leona hugged her back. “And… thank you, again, thank you.”

“About time,” Jimmy smiled.

Francisco nodded.

++++++++

“Let us dance my puppet!”

“Yes Puppeteer, my friend,” The artistic puppet spoke, danced, opening compartments in her arms, creating any solid wonders of beauty as she danced. The two practicing, together. And being ready, when they found more friends, together they would be stronger. They were sisters after all.

~Fin

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