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The girl sitting in front of us couldn’t have been more than thirteen with how tiny she was. I could almost see the bruises through the thin fabric of her green dress, a perfect match for the color of Laila’s face, which she was trying and failing to keep composed.
“You...” Naomi, obviously at a loss for words, began picking at the flowers that lined the edges of her skirt. Is counseling a fellow Holy Warrior the one situation that you can’t handle? “Do your parents know you’re out this late?”
“Do yours?” The question hit so on the mark that I couldn’t help but laugh. Laila obviously felt the same way, trying to stifle a snicker under her breath.
“That’s not the point.” Naomi adjusted her position in her chair, trying to look as Professional and Leaderly as she could manage, which was kind of hard when you were a young-looking sixteen and wearing what for all the world to see looked like a hot pink Genshin Impact cosplay. “How old are you?”
“I’m fifteen.”
“Bullshit.” I said, grabbing a fry out of the center dish if no one else was going to. “You’re lying.”
I could feel Naomi’s eyes on the back of my head, but I took a bite out of my fry and kept going. Not enough salt. “It’s not like we’re mad, I started when I was twelve and no way would I admit that to a stranger, Naomi started when she was ten-”
“Eleven.”
“Being two days away from turning an age doesn’t make you that age.” I poked Naomi with the remnants of my fry, which made her shiver in disgust. “Anyway, it’s not like we’re gonna tell your mom or something.”
Laila muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like maybe we should, but I nudged her under the table and she shut up real quick.
“Yeah, anyways, we’re not gonna give you a big dumb ‘you should be in school, young lady, not fighting monsters for the fate of the Tri-State Area’ speech. We get it.”
Naomi looked like she was going to say something to me, but then she stopped. “Are you alright? Is your Guardian a bit absent-minded?”
At first, what she was saying made no sense, but then I realized it. The girl was covered in wounds- some of them were obviously from the horrible situation we’d just pulled her out of, but quite a few of them were obviously from way earlier than that. One of her fingers was bent at a weird angle, and she had wrapped blood-brown bandages around her upper right arm. “Yeah. If he or she or they or it is being a dumbass and not healing you after fights-”
“Healing you?” She seemed legitimately surprised. “He can do something like that?”
The three of us shared one meaningful look. What the fuck. What the everloving fuck. Laila was the first to speak up, which was a bit of a shock. “Yes. All of the Guardians we’ve met can heal their respective Holy Warriors, though honestly we haven’t met a lot a lot of Guardians, just ours, and the one that was with that Canadian group, and that one with the exchange student last semester, they were an asshole, but still…”
She trailed off. All of us looked at each other. From the looks in everyone’s eyes, I could tell that Naomi and Laila had the same deep pit in their stomachs that I did. The girl, meanwhile, looked like she was trying to shrink into the plastic booth.
“Hey.”
The girl jumped. It made something in my stomach twist.
“We’re not gonna hurt you.” I turned to Naomi. “Can’t you call up Chunchun? She looks like she could really need some healing.”
Naomi looked at me like I was an idiot. “Didn’t you get my text? She’s presenting at the Bi-Annual Guardian Conference in the Magic Dimension.”
“Fuck.” I leaned my head back on the diner booth. “Guess we’ve gotta deal with this on our own.”
The girl was just sitting there. I noticed, just then. that she hadn’t touched any of the food. “Hey, what’s your name?”
“Emily.”
“Emily.” I shoved the basket of fries towards her. “Eat.”
“But…”
“Eat, or I’m kicking your ass.”
My teammates glared at me, but Emily took a few bird-like nibbles out of a single fry. Good enough. “Do you have anywhere to spend the night?” Naomi said in that Social-Worker-In-Training voice that made my teeth itch.
Emily was silent for a bit. “I don’t want to be a burden-“
“I have a walk-in closet. Both my parents work long hours. I can grab some blankets, you’ll be cozy as a cat.”
“No, you don’t have to-
“Is it that you don’t want to? Or you can’t?” Something about her pissed me off, even as she had the kind of sweet baby face and high voice that made you want to scoop her up and give her everything she asked for. If she actually asked for anything, she’d be pretty dangerous. “You’re beat to shit and your Guardian isn’t doing jack. We’re not leaving you alone.”
I got the feeling that neither Naomi or Laila particularly liked my use of the term we, but they didn’t say anything about it. Emily looked up at me with those big wet fawn eyes, green-and-pink braids framing her face, and muttered something under her breath.
“Can’t hear you.”
“I’m at my dad’s, this week. He probably won’t notice I’m gone, so long as I’m back before he gets home.” She gets those words out fast, like she’s afraid she might get hit before she can say everything she wants.
I looked around the table. “All in favor of Emily staying over at my place?”
“Sam, you don’t have to, I’m perfectly capable of-“
“No way, Jose.” Naomi shares a bedroom with her younger sister, and Laila’s family is stuck living in a downtown apartment only slightly bigger than a shoebox. “It’s either my place or hers.”
Standing in the nearly empty parking lot, I turned to Emily. “Can you fly?”
She nodded, one of her braids slipping out of its floral decoration. Two flower-themed magical girls in one town. What are the odds? “You sure?”
Emily looked at me like I was stupid. Point taken.
By this point, flying was as easy for me as riding a bike. It worked on the same principle of moving your magical energy into your hands to summon a weapon or blast someone in the face with sparkly lasers, only instead you moved it to your feet. I kicked off the ground, and the wind rushed past my face as I flew upward. I never got tired of the feeling, my stomach dropping like on a roller coaster as my whole body went weightless.
Like an afterthought, I glanced over my shoulder. Emily was a few feet lower than me in the air, the tips of her toes brushing against the diner’s red roof. “You need some help?” I shouted.
She started to shake her head, but I flew over to her side. “Can you get any higher than this?”
Her silence was all the answer I needed. I offered my hand. “Hey. I won’t let go if you won’t.”
Slender, dark fingers wrapped around mine, and for a second, something in my throat hitched. “Thanks, Prince Charming.”
When I was younger, those kinds of comments would have had me stuttering and blushing, probably causing those girls (and quite a few guys) to mentally retract their impressions. However, over the years of performing daring rescues, I’d gotten pretty used to that name, and so I only had to quickly glance at the streetlights below to get my composure back. “You all right.”
Emily just nodded, staring at the little toy cars and constellations of light below her like a kid on Christmas morning. The first thing I thought was Fuck, that’s adorable. The second thing I thought was Oh, God, she’s really never flown this high.
I gave her hand a little squeeze. Honestly, I don’t know whether it was more for her sake or mine.
By the time we got back to my house, the moon was high in the sky and the neighborhood was utterly quiet. I glanced at the driveway. Both cars gone. Great. Just in case, I poked my head in the entrance hallway. “Anyone home?”
No answer. I turned to face Emily, who looked like she wanted to collapse into a pile of jelly right there on the lawn. I detransformed, easy as taking off your bra after getting home, and swept out my arm towards the entryway. “After you, my lady.”
Why did I say that why did I say that why did I say that-
Emily let out a little surprised squeak, before wordlessly gesturing to herself.
“Who else is out here?”
As if she was worried that I was going to slam the door in her face, she tentatively walked up the front steps.
“So, this is my room.” I was suddenly aware of how the last time I’d cleaned it probably ranged between “last month” and “never”. Swallowing my shame, I walked in and removed a pile of clothes from the desk chair I never used. “Come in, it’s not like I’m going to eat you.”
Emily, now freshly bandaged up,looked like she didn’t quite believe me, but she entered nonetheless. “You’re smaller than me, but who cares, it’s sleep clothes-“ I threw an old basketball shirt and a pair of shorts at her- “Get dressed.” I moved to leave the room.
“You’re leaving?”
“Just for a bit.” Don’t wanna make you uncomfortable. “You’re changing.”
Emily looked up at me from where she was perched on the chair. Her day clothes- preppy in that Shein-by-way-of-Goodwill way- contrasted horribly with the clothes I’d just given her. “We’re both girls.”
Something about that comment made my stomach twist. “Look at me.” I gestured to myself, in all my butch glory. “Look at where you are.” I vaguely gestured at my collection of posters, Sarah Connor, Furiosa, and women’s sports, at the shitty yuri comics piled up next to my bed. “I’m gay.”
“I…” Emily ducked her head, before regaining her composure. “I am, too. I don’t need you to leave the room. You can just turn around.”
That was all the warning I got before she started to wiggle out of her shirt, and right then and there I had to use every muscle in my body to not stare at what the hell was under those clothes, but Jesus Christ Sam you are not an animal she’s probably a fucking middle schooler stop being a creeper-
“I’m done.”
I turned around, and fuck she looked so cute with those clothes hanging off of her, so I quickly glanced away, before I said something I regretted. “You tired? Because I am.”
Emily just nodded, before moving to climb into my bed. “Don’t you want to sleep in the closet?!” Every single part of my body was panicking like mad, but I desperately tried to stay calm.
“I…uh…” She ducked her head, hiding behind her curtain of braids. “It’s softer. Nicer.”
Deep breaths. Deep breaths. I tore off my shirt, throwing it to the side. Emily gulped. “Fine. Why not.” Why not let the super vulnerable, super skittish girl sleep in your bed? Sam, you’re a Grade-A asshole.
However, the little smile that inched its way across Emily’s face made me reconsider telling her to get the hell out. “You want to be closer to the door, or the window?”
“Ummm… I don’t really have a preference…”
God, please let this girl fall asleep quick. Please let her be a heavy sleeper. “Fine. I’m taking the window side.” I crawled into bed, throwing the covers aside with a grand flourish as I pressed myself against the wall, trying to give Emily as much space as possible.
After a few baited breaths, Emily climbed into bed with me, slotting her little legs next to mine like two puzzle pieces of the same set. Turns out, I shouldn’t have worried about there being enough space- she’s tiny enough as is. With a flourish, she lays her rows of braids out behind her, like Rapunzel letting down her hair, and her shoulders relax, just a bit.
“Night.” I say, trying not to think of everything I’d learned tonight. Guardians are basically just mini-people, so it makes sense that some of them would be asshats. But why? Does Emily’s Guardian just not give a shit? Not take her pain seriously? Want to hurt her on purpose? It made me sick to my stomach to think about.
“Is it true?”
“What?” I turned around to face Emily. She was looking straight at me, brown eyes big and wide like a baby animal’s.
“About Guardians. And them healing you after fights.”
“Yeah. That asshole you’re partnered with is the first I’ve heard of any Guardian not healing up their charge.”
Emily got very quiet, and just before I thought she might be trying to fall asleep, she piped up again. “I didn’t know there were any others like me.”
“Your Guardian never mention it?” I tried to remember if Chunchun ever explicitly mentioned it to us.
“He said I was the only one. The only person who could hold back the darkness. He never mentioned any others.”
“Fuck him.” I said it without thinking.
She laughed. It was the cutest thing in the whole goddamn world.
God, I am going to kill her Guardian with my bare hands if it’s the last thing I do.
The grey sunlight stabbed into my brain, pulling me out of a hazy dream involving squeaky-voiced Guardians and bruised skin. I turned over to the side, expecting to see Emily’s sleeping face, but instead I just saw an empty space. Something jumped in my throat. “Emily?”
The connecting door to the bathroom opened a crack. An eye peered out. “...Yes?”
Oh, she’s alive, I thought, before immediately feeling like an idiot. “You alright?”
Emily looked a bit uncertain. “I’m alright.”
“You in any pain? I can go get you some Tylenol from downstairs if you need it-”
“I’m fine.” Emily said, sounding completely unconvincing.
“You sure?”
She nodded wordlessly, before closing the door. A few seconds passed, before I heard the sound of the creaky old pipes trying to squeeze some water into the sink. “Fuck.”
“Yeah, I know. They’re assholes, aren’t they.”
Emily squeaked in surprise, and I couldn’t help but laugh. “This is an old house! Sound carries!”
I heard the sound of the tap turning off with that horrible metal screech, and Emily opened the door. She was wearing the exact same thing she’d taken off yesterday, and she’d tied up her hair, giving me a clearer view of her face. Fuck. I’m staring. Yet, somehow, I couldn’t stop. “Let me text Naomi and Laila. They’ll probably be here in around 15 or so minutes.”
Emily nodded, and moved to sit down next to me on the bed. I suddenly became acutely aware of how light she was, and had to repress the urge to grab one of her hands. She then said something I couldn’t quite catch.
“What’s that?” I asked, while firing off a text in the group chat. me and the girl r awake. meeting place my house
“Just…” She looked somewhat ashamed. “Are you sure your plan is going to work?”
“Yeah. Guardians are squishy little things. You can’t really cause any serious harm, but you sure as hell can make them feel real fucking sore afterwards.”
A slight smile formed across Emily’s face. It quickly disappeared, but I wanted to hold onto it as much as possible. “Four of us, and one of him. We’re gonna give him a serious talking-to, and if the talking doesn’t work-”
The sound of the doorbell ringing echoed through the house, and Emily and I walked downstairs to see my teammates standing on the front stoop, already transformed. I lead them upstairs into my room, keeping a close eye on Emily. Her hands had started shaking, and without even thinking, I reached out and grabbed one to keep them steady. She jumped.
“Shit, sorry-” I moved to let go.
“No. It’s fine.” She shook her head, and my heart started beating into my throat. I could feel her slender fingers wrap around mine, like they were made to fit perfectly in there. Gripping my hand tightly as she did so, Emily held up her other hand. For the first time, I noticed her Sigil- a slender golden ring with the tiniest emerald I’d ever seen resting in the center. I suddenly thought back to all of our respective Sigils- my belt, with its golden, sword-shaped buckle, Naomi’s sparkling pendant, and Laila’s amethyst brooch, all much more glorious and attention-grabbing than what looked like the cheap piece of jewelry that Emily was using to summon her Guardian.
With a flash of light, Emily was transformed and a fox-like Guardian was hovering mid-air in front of her. Just like all other Guardians, he looked like a stuffed animal come to life, with his fluffy gold-white fox tail, chubby body, and stumpy limbs, but there was something about his eyes that gave me the heebie jeebies.
“What do you-” He turned and took stock of his surroundings. As soon as he realized that Emily wasn’t alone in this room, his tone suddenly changed. “Emily, are you alright?”
“...What do you mean?” Her voice was small, smaller than it was even in that restaurant last night. I wanted so badly to punch her Guardian right in his stupid little face, but a sharp glare from Naomi held me back.
“What do you mean?!” He switched tones again, from worried to genuinely confused. “You’re in the same room as a bunch of monsters! Creatures of the Darkness! Haven’t you listened to what I’ve told you! You should never let your guard down, not even for a moment-”
“...I…uh…don’t think they’re monsters.” Emily’s voice was stronger, but still much too quiet for my liking. “I slept next to Sam the whole night, and she didn’t do anything to me.”
Naomi and Laila both immediately turned to look at me. Somehow, I felt like there was just a bit of killing intent behind their gaze. “She was the one who didn’t want to sleep on the floor!” I threw my hands up, trying to defend myself. It didn’t look like they believed me.
Emily, too, looked more than a bit embarrassed, her braids hanging in front of her face and hiding her eyes from view. She nudged against my side. “See. They’re not monsters. But you…”
“But I what?!” He looked indignant, which was an expression I’d never particularly seen on a Guardian’s fuzzy little face before. It was almost funny.
“Why did you never tell me that you could heal me?!”
For a second there, Emily’s Guardian almost looked shocked, but he seemed to regain his composure. “That’s because that’s simply not within my abilities-“
“Bullshit.” I couldn’t help myself from blurting out. “It’s bad enough that you lied to Emily’s face, but that you’re lying to our faces?!”
Naomi’s eyes narrowed. “We’ve been doing this for quite some time, and getting some healing from our Guardian after battle is typical. Are you simply incompetent, or are you trying to get her hurt?”
Emily’s Guardian couldn’t help but look a bit flustered, but he quickly regained his composure. “I had only the best of intentions-“
“And what were those intentions?” I transformed and pulled my sword in one single fluid motion, pressing the tip up against his stubby neck. I could feel him shiver slightly.
“I could have you all reported for this!” He sputtered out. “You’re threatening a Guardian-“
“Reported to who?” Emily said, her voice stronger. “You said that it was only us fighting against the Creatures of Darkness!”
“Well. I.” He obviously didn’t expect anyone to notice his contradictions, least of all Emily. “I was simply trying to keep you safe! These people are not trustworthy-“
“Then why did you say that you were going to report these girls to ‘them’?” She was really drilling in now, and it made my chest warm. “Nothing you say makes any sense anymore. I just want to know why? Why not heal me? Why tell me that I was all alone in this fight?!” Emily was on the verge of crying, and I grabbed her hand again. She squeezed it, a kind of silent thank you. “Tell me what’s going on, right now.”
“Just my luck.” The Guardian muttered. “Just my luck that the one time I am not monitoring your fights, you run into these meddling girls.”
I bristled at the word. “If you don’t want to lose your little fox head-“ I pressed my sword harder against his throat- “tell us everything.” Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Naomi and Laila had drawn their weapons, and I saw Emily holding a chakram with her other hand behind her back. Good for her. The Guardian shivered, and I pressed my sword in harder, the edge poking rubbery skin.
“It would have been so convenient.” The Guardian sighed, as though he was explaining something extremely simple to a group of children. God, I can’t wait to throttle this asshole. “Healing after fights uses up such a great deal of the magical energy that’s been allotted for me, as a Guardian. I simply thought it would be better suited towards…other purposes.”
“Other purposes?!” I growled, remembering Emily’s bruised and scarred skin. “What better fucking purpose did your shitty little brain did you think would be better than doing your fucking job?!”
I was about to unleash an attack, but Emily got there first.
“Gentle Emerald Circle!” A flash of green light shot out from the blade of her chakram and knocked her Guardian straight across the room, tying him to the wall with flowering vines. “What were you doing with the extra energy!”
“Personal use! A bit of extra commerce, on the side! You would do the exact same thing if you were in my position!”
All four of us stared at him, disapprovingly. Naomi held up her cellphone, set to record. “I think I’ve gotten everything I need out of you.” She turned to Emily. “What’s his name?”
“Konkon.”
“Well, Konkon, I think the Guardian-Holy Warrior Regulatory Bureau will be very interested to hear what you have to say for yourself.”
Emily hugged me, completely out of the blue. Her skin was soft, her body was warm, and I could feel her heartbeat, high on adrenaline, through her chest. I sheathed my sword and put a hand on her head, running my fingers through the rows of her braids. You’re OK, now. That fucker is going to get what’s coming to him, I’ll make damn sure of that.
She mumbled something into my chest. “What?”
“Wouldyouliketogooutonadate?”
I laughed a bit. “Aren’t you, like, thirteen? A bit out of my age range-“
“I’m sixteen.”
“Seriously?” Fuck yes. Fuck yes, I’m not a total creeper, score one for subconscious decision-making. “You got any proof?
“Back at my parent’s. My ID…”
I was only half-listening at this point. “And after that, there’s a little ice-cream place I like, if you’re up.”
She looked up at me and smiled. It was weary, tired, but still precious. “You take all the girls there?”
“Nope. Just you.”
“I bet you say that to all the girls.” She laughed, and that was the moment that I realized that everything was going to be OK.