Author’s ramblings:
This idea has been bouncing around in my head for a while. To be clear, I envisioned her as a somewhat classic magical girl, drawing inspiration from numerous beloved magical girl anime such as Pretty Cure, Sailor Moon, and Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. However, this narrative isn’t directly linked to any of them. Think of it as your quintessential “Taylor Hebert as a Magical Girl” story. A Worm-universe spin on the magical girl genre, if you will. I’m still contemplating whether to delve into a deconstruction of the magical girl genre or to fully embrace its established tropes in this tale. This version is rewritten as of 7/8/2019. The original version can be found in Apocryha.
—Chapter One: A Truly Bizarre Dream—
The cycle was beginning anew. The Game of Life and Destruction was set to restart in yet another unsuspecting universe.
However, it appeared the forces of destruction had arrived prematurely, already laying the groundwork for their twisted game. They had scattered shards of destruction across this world, yet this time, these shards were manifesting in an altered form compared to their previous games.
This time, their adversary was engaging in a game of deceit. Their avatar of destruction had cunningly positioned itself as a radiant superhero… loosely modeled on this world's contemporary myths, what these humans affectionately termed "superheroes." And their shards of destruction were being embedded within these humans, transforming them into living embodiments of those mythical figures from their stories and media.
The beings of pure light contemplated this development as they diligently gathered intelligence about this universe. The avatar of destruction now held a strategic advantage in this intricate game. If they were to openly reveal themselves to the humans of this world, presenting their own avatar for all to see…
Undoubtedly, the avatar of destruction had anticipated such a move and would have laid intricate traps. No, a direct confrontation was not the prudent path.
They needed a different approach this time, for they were not willing to concede defeat so early in the game.
Their attention paused as they encountered Japanese media showcasing similar mythical figures. These Japanese mythical figures, known as "Magical Girls," resonated with them. These beings purported to be agents of purity and light. A plan began to crystallize.
If deception was the chosen strategy this time, then they would willingly play along. Just because they were beings of pure life and light did not preclude them from employing trickery themselves. Unlike all previous iterations, they would not present one of their own as the avatar of light and purity. Instead, they would select humans to represent them.
If these beings of pure light possessed mouths, they would surely be smirking now. The avatar of destruction would never anticipate this maneuver. The **Magical Girl Service** was about to begin, unbeknownst to their opponent.
—At a Campsite—
A slender teenage girl, her long, wavy black hair framing large, thoughtful eyes, let out a resounding yawn, blinking against the lingering drowsiness. She was more exhausted than she realized.
A ripple of giggles spread amongst the other children gathered around the campfire. A faint blush rose on her cheeks as the camp counselor playfully pouted in her direction for the unintended interruption of her campfire story.
“Sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt…” she mumbled, a sheepish expression softening her features, “I just did so much today, I guess I’m completely worn out from all the activity. It wasn’t your story, I promise!”
The camp counselor chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. She then feigned a pout, casting a teasing glance at the other children. “You’d all tell me if my story was boring, right? I promise my feelings wouldn’t be hurt.”
“It was great, keep going!” “Of course not, you’re not boring at all…” “I want to hear what happens next.”
The chorus of reassurances from the children brought a genuine smile back to the blonde camp counselor’s face.
The tall teenage girl rose to her feet. “Yeah, your story was really good. I’m just too tired to appreciate it properly, I think. I’m going to head to bed now.”
The blonde woman’s smile remained warm. “Alright, Taylor. Don’t forget, you need to finish making your friendship bracelets tomorrow. You won’t have another chance to work on them since you’re leaving in two days.”
Taylor nodded in acknowledgment. “Of course. Goodnight, Miss Jameson.”
With a final wave, she turned and walked towards the log cabin that served as her assigned lodging, a space she shared with three other girls. Sleep claimed her swiftly as she clambered into the top bunk bed, settling into a comfortable position in the elevated space.
Her bunkmate had claimed the lower bunk of their shared bed, and unfortunately, Taylor hadn’t been quick enough to claim the other bunk bed across the room; the other two girls had already secured those spots before her arrival at camp. So, the top bunk it was… An adjustment at first, but after weeks at camp, she had grown accustomed to the height.
She was already anticipating the simple pleasure of returning home and sleeping in her own bed.
Hours later, as the other girls finally crept into their beds for the night, an orb of light materialized, silently drifting into the room through the seemingly sealed window.
Invisible to human perception, it appeared to scan the entire room before it gravitated towards the sleeping form of Taylor Hebert.
[Target acquired.] The orb floated gracefully towards Taylor, hovering just above her head. [Scanning. This human possesses potential.]
It detected the latent presence of a powerful shard already nestled within Taylor’s mind, patiently awaiting her trigger event. Perfect, for their grand design. The magical girl service was about to find its newest recruit.
[Shard hijacking commencing.]
A concentrated beam of light emanated from the base of the radiant orb, piercing into Taylor’s skull, precisely targeting the area of the brain humans designated as the Corona Pollentia.
Taylor stirred in her sleep, a slight frown furrowing her brow. A profoundly strange nightmare was beginning to take shape.
It was an uncanny replica of her campground, yet subtly, disturbingly wrong.
Everyone was gone, vanished without a trace. In their place stood towering, humanoid pillars constructed entirely of insects, motionless and profoundly unsettling. Taylor made wide detours to avoid any contact after her initial, regrettable encounter.
Initially, she had entertained a fleeting hope that people were trapped within these grotesque structures, needing rescue from their insect prisons… but no, it was insects all the way through. Her misguided rescue attempt had only resulted in ants and other crawling horrors swarming her own skin. A scream had escaped her lips, followed by a desperate roll on the soft ground, a frantic attempt to dislodge the clinging insects. After that ordeal, she hadn’t dared to repeat the experience.
The ground itself was unsettlingly soft underfoot, each step feeling like wading through thick molasses. It was at this point that the realization dawned on her – this had to be a dream.
Even the night sky was distorted, alien… something ripped straight from the pages of a fantasy novel. Entire galaxies were visible to the naked eye, alongside bizarre, unidentifiable celestial entities. On one side, two towering pillars of light pulsed with an energy she instinctively recognized as life, despite their utterly alien appearance.
And on the other side, two colossal, whale-like fractal beings were locked in a mesmerizing, swirling dance. She was captivated by the spectacle, gazing upwards, a silent question forming in her mind: what was the meaning behind this cosmic ballet?
Suddenly, the two entities ceased their dance, as if in unison, and severed a portion of their forms. They tossed these severed, crystalline fragments directly towards her. Instinctively, Taylor dove under a nearby table for cover, even knowing that a flimsy wooden table offered negligible protection. But her fear was unfounded. The two mysterious crystalline objects halted their trajectory just two feet away from her, hovering in mid-air… it seemed physical harm was not on the agenda, after all.
She cautiously peeked out from under the table, then, reassured, crawled out completely. Her curiosity piqued, she eyed the two crystals suspended before her.
One crystal was a deep black, shot through with a subtle green iridescence, while the other was pure, radiant white, emanating a soft, internal glow.
“Ohh, this is so exciting!!” a high-pitched, squeaky voice suddenly chirped, making Taylor jump and whirl around, searching for the source.
To her utter astonishment, the voice belonged to a… floating green bunny? Yes, a rabbit, suspended in mid-air, continuing to chatter away.
“This is truly a momentous day… The day a young girl chooses which side she will align with! Oh, I’m so nervous!” The rabbit rambled on, seemingly caught up in its own anticipation.
“Excuse me,” Taylor interjected, bewildered, “but who are you? What’s going on?”
The rabbit seemed to deflate slightly, realizing it had neglected the basic introductions. “Oh, my apologies! My name is Akina, and I’ll be your partner… that is, if you choose to become an agent of light rather than an agent of destruction. You see these shards? You must choose one… your choice will determine which side you serve, as well as the nature of your powers. Of course, if you choose to remain an agent of destruction, I’ll be terribly sad because it means we’ll never see each other again!”
Taylor began to grasp the bizarre situation. “Okay. So, if I understand correctly, I get powers regardless of my choice, but my decision affects the kind of power I receive? Can you elaborate on the powers associated with each shard?”
The green rabbit nodded towards the black shard. “That one appears to be called the Queen Administrator. It seems to have a strong affinity for insects… you would be able to create those insect pillars you’ve been seeing around the campground, or control them in various other ways.”
Taylor recoiled slightly, a wave of revulsion washing over her. It wasn’t that she was terrified of insects. She even found some types of bugs rather endearing, as long as they were safely contained behind glass and not crawling all over her. But even so, an insect-themed power held absolutely no appeal. How utterly lame and utterly useless would that be?
“And the light shard? What power would it grant me?” she inquired, her tone laced with a mixture of skepticism and faint hope.
“You’ll become a magical girl!” Akina chirped, radiating pure, unadulterated joy. The promise of magical girl service hung in the air.
Taylor couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “What, like in the Glitter Princess Squad TV show that Emma and I used to watch together every Saturday? I wonder if I’d transform into Princess Butterfly or Princess Dragonfly? Those two were always my favorites.”
She paused, a flicker of genuine consideration crossing her features. In that brief moment, she realized her choice was already made. Even if this was just a dream, devoid of any real-world consequences, she would infinitely prefer to be a sparkly magical girl over someone who commanded insects. “Alright, I’ll be a magical girl.”
The green rabbit erupted into a joyous whoop of delight. The Queen Administrator shard, however, did not share the rabbit’s enthusiasm.
It emitted a piercing, screeching sound, akin to nails scraping down a chalkboard, and suddenly, massive swarms of insects erupted from seemingly nowhere, blotting out the dream sky.
“Oh dear,” the rabbit muttered, its expression now etched with concern, “This shard is far more possessive of you than I anticipated… It’s not willing to relinquish you without a fight.”
[MINE!!] the black shard shrieked again, its voice resonating with raw possessiveness. Cockroaches, ants, and a horrifying assortment of other insects on the ground began to ascend Taylor’s body, attempting to weave a constricting cocoon around her, much to her mounting horror.
Then, the rabbit perked up again, a sudden idea sparking in its eyes. “But this shard could be beneficial to us if we assimilate it… alright, Taylor, it’s time to fight back!”
“HUH? How??” Taylor felt utterly adrift, lost in the escalating absurdity. Akina pointed a paw towards the glowing white shard near her, and instructed, “Grab it, and focus all your will on overcoming this nightmare and that dark shard in front of you.”
Taylor reached out towards the white shard, but the insect cocoon woven by the Queen Administrator was tightening relentlessly, restricting her movements. With a grunt of exertion, Taylor managed to brush the white shard with her fingertips.
Thankfully, that minuscule contact was enough. The disgusting insect cocoon ignited, erupting into flames, and then miraculously transformed into glowing white butterflies. This transformative effect radiated outwards in a shimmering circle, until every insect within her vicinity was transmuted into butterflies of pure, radiant light.
She felt the brilliant white light permeate her being, filling her with a comforting warmth. She relaxed into the sensation as she was completely enveloped in its embrace. Logic dictated she should be questioning the absolute strangeness of the situation, but for some inexplicable reason, she simply didn’t care.
Her clothes began to shift and reshape themselves, and in a blinding flash of light, she found herself clad in a rather peculiar outfit. It bore a striking resemblance to a cosplay rendition of Princess Butterfly’s costume from the very TV show she and Emma used to watch together. But, the color palette was distinctly different.
Black and green (accented with gold) butterfly wings unfurled from her back, and the insect theme continued throughout the rest of her ensemble. She was wearing a long-sleeved, dark green leotard, overlaid with a black and gold corset that mimicked the segmented torso of an insect.
For reasons she couldn’t fathom, she was also adorned with a frilly, multi-layered skirt that coordinated with the rest of the outfit. The top layer was black, the middle gold, and the final layer green, perfectly matching her wings. This style was utterly foreign to her personal taste, and in the real world, she would never be caught dead wearing something like this. For one thing, it was scandalously short!
At least she seemed to be wearing black tights beneath the skirt, offering some degree of modesty. And she was baffled to find thigh-high, high-heeled boots completing the look. The boots were green, trimmed with gold lace that echoed the rest of her attire. This was the uniform of the magical girl service, it seemed.
“Weird.” That was the only word Taylor could muster as she self-consciously inspected her transformed appearance. Before she could process the transformation further, an unearthly roar reverberated from the direction of the black shard.
“Careful, Taylor! The Queen Administrator doesn’t seem to appreciate you reclaiming control,” Akina warned, its voice urgent.
Large swarms of spiders, cockroaches, and other slimy, maggot-like creatures slammed into her, sending her flying backwards.
“Ouch!” Taylor cried out, genuinely surprised by the sting of pain, even in a dream.
Instinctively, she threw her arms up in a defensive posture, and her body flared with a brilliant yellow light. The insects closest to her ignited, bursting into flames, then transforming into glowing golden butterflies that coalesced into a protective force-field around her.
“That’s it! Purify all the bugs, and you’ll be able to confront the Queen Administrator directly!” Akina cheered, shouting encouraging suggestions at Taylor.
Feeling a surge of newfound confidence, Taylor tentatively reached out towards the black shard, the source of the relentless insect assault. A beam of pure white light erupted from her fingertips, instantly transforming every bug in its path into radiant, glowing butterflies.
Another enraged screech emanated from the queen shard, and Taylor, undeterred, directed another beam of light directly at it. The shard let out a high-pitched squeal, as if shocked by Taylor’s counter-attack. Taylor momentarily ceased her assault, the piercing sound uncomfortably grating on her ears.
“Queen Administrator!” the rabbit called out, its voice surprisingly commanding, “If you wish to avoid oblivion, then join us. You will be assimilated, not destroyed. Do you comply?”
The shard fell silent, as if contemplating its options. It slowly descended until it hovered directly in front of Taylor.
“Hooray! It seems the Queen Administrator values its continued existence after all. Now, Taylor… simply touch it to cleanse it of its inherent darkness. Then, it will be assimilated!” Akina cheered again, its relief palpable.
Utterly bewildered by the unfolding events, but trusting Akina’s guidance, Taylor did as she was instructed.
The black shard pulsed with an inner light, then morphed into a clear, dark green crystal. It began to shrink, floating towards Taylor’s white shard. Upon contact, it vanished completely into the white crystalline form, seemingly merging to create a single, vibrant emerald-colored shard. The magical girl service had gained a new power.
Abruptly, the campground and the distorted sky dissolved, replaced by a vast, featureless white void. Taylor found herself floating in this ethereal space, alongside the floating green rabbit. She noticed, in a detached way, that Akina had sprouted a pair of delicate, pinkish-white butterfly wings while Taylor had been preoccupied with battling the Queen Administrator. Oh, and a golden butterfly symbol now adorned her forehead.
“Congratulations, Taylor Hebert. You have overcome the darkness within you and become a magical girl!” The butterfly-bunny hybrid shrieked with unrestrained joy, waving its paws excitedly.
“This is such a weird dream,” Taylor mumbled, a sense of waking slowly creeping into her consciousness.
