Mahou Tanuki Lucy!

The teenage girl tossed and turned on her bed, clutching her pillow with surprising strength, gritting her teeth, her face pearled with sweat as she fought within her dreams plagued with darkness.

-She has abandoned you, Lucy… left you for that foreign girl…-

-No… no… Wendy’s my friend…-

-Does she hang out with you like she used to?-

-She has been busy… she has things to do…-

-Yes.... hang out with her new friends… the blonde and the redhead… she has left you alone!-

-No… I’m her friend too-

-You’re alone now… she doesn’t have time for you… she has even ditch you away!-

-No…-

-She has forsaken you! She’s not your friend anymore!-

-NO!-

Darkness fell upon her, consuming all light until she knew no more.

-Watch out!-

The three seshi jumped back just before a huge burning boulder bombed them from above, barely avoiding being blasted to pieces they regrouped away from the burning hole it left.

-Since when those things can do that?!- Ary shouted -They almost killed us!-

-It wasn’t them! Look!- Ringo pointed to a figure behind the Ember golems.

-Who’s that?- Ary replied.

From amidst the tall monsters came a much shorter, svelte figure clad in what seemed to be a full body armor complete with a helmet that hid the face of its wearer, each piece and plate of the black, opaque armor was outlined with the known red hot glow that marked every Ember.

-They found a commander- Wendy announced -Oh no…-

The armored figure suddenly stomped on the street, it cracked open and a huge burning boulder rose in the air! Raising it at the level of his rosen hands the commander tossed it against the three women who scattered in a hurry again.

-We have to take him down! Ary, Ringo!- Wendy shouted to her friends.

-Aye!-

-Okay!-

Both began an attack of shooting stars, moonbeams and fireballs to the group, the golems felt it and staggered backwards as the fell and crumbled but the armored commander stood undeterred and began his own attack of smaller, more manageable but still deadly burning boulders to the three of them, their attacks ineffective against him!

-It’s no use!- Ringo said in mid air as she avoided being hit -His armor is too strong!-

-What do we do now?!- Ary dodged another boulder -We can’t do this all night!-

-Augh!- Was the only reply.

-Wendy!- Both screamed seeing her friend receive a direct hit, being blasted several yards away, they ran to her while the armored foe seemed to pause after being successful.

-OMG! Are you okay?- Ary asked helping her friend get up.

-Yeah… that was close…-

-Close? You’re almost tempura!- Ringo exclaimed seeing the singed skirt of her sempai.

-We have… ow… to take him together…- Wendy got up, shakily -He’s not alone-

They saw a figure appear behind the commander, a tall, willowy shadow that solidified into a dark skinned, gorgeous woman dressed in a flowing dark dress that seemed to flow endlessly around her, her equally flowing hair the colour of eggplant, her eyes shone red hot.

-Brassa!- They shouted at the lady.

-Hohoh!- She laughed pompously -You can’t beat my new commander! Lucenta will finish you once and for all!-

-Fat chance, smoky!- Ringo showed her tongue at the fiend.

-Kill her!- Was the outraged reply as the lady vanished in smoke, her minion making another huge burning boulder!

-Girls! Howling!- Wendy snapped.

They held hands, took a deep breath and let it go with all their might.

-AAAAAROOOOOOOO!-

A huge wall of sound blasted its way towards the enemy that could not move fast enough receiving the full blast that knocked him off his feet making the boulder crash upon him and explode.

-Yeah!- The seshi shouted in triumph going on to finish their work.

But when they got besides the fallen foe they froze, his helmet had shattered revealing his face. It was a girl!

-It’s a girl!-

-That damn dark queen-

-By the Moon…- Wendy mussed -It’s Lucy!-

-Blackie! Momo!- Lucy came running -Please! I wanna help them!-

-No way! Wendy would snuff me like a candle if I let you get hurt!- The little blue ball cringed at the thought.

-Gomen, Blackie- Momo intervened -They’re four commanders against our gals, they need to get even!-

At the distance the echoes of the fight reached them, blasts, roars and yells aplenty told them that the battle was at its peak, shaking the very street they were on and Lucy grew frantic.

-Please! You know I can do it!- She took a necklace from within her shirt -You already saw it!-

Both spirits look at each other and sighed, burning brightly for a moment.

-Okay Lucy, you know what to do- Blackie said, rolling his eyes.

-But you must promise us to ran away if you can’t handle it!- Momo added.

-Earth Power Charge Up!- Lucy shouted enthusiastically.

The ground shook and the teen got lifted up in the air, her bushy brown hair billowing under the gust of wind as she watched fascinated how her clothes disappeared and new ones formed around her body as it matured a couple of years, soon her blooming bosom and hips were wrapped with the silver uniform the senshi wore, next a forest green skirt, sailor collar and boots formed while a green bow was tied by her amethyst prisma in the middle of her chest, silver gloves and a golden belt were next and at last two cute brown ears poked through her curls while a very fluffy, brown and white tail emerged from her behind and she turned on the spot to watch it wag.

-Cool!- She exclaimed descending back to earth -Gotta go!-

-Lucy! Promise us!-

-I promise!- She said already running away.

-That girl will be our doom-

-Ikketsu!-  (agreed)

The team was sustaining heavy fire from the Embers, burning boulders and flames had them toasted, sweaty and battered, barely holding the horde at bay.

-Again, why are we doing this?- Ary panted, cleaning soot off her face.

-Saving the world?- Ringo nursed a bloody lip, smiling weakly.

-We can’t let them win, they could take the whole town and next who knows?- Wendy was holding an arm around her bruised ribs -We need to gather them up…-

-Be my guest, Wendy-

-Everybody, duck!- Someone shouted at them.

Turning around they saw another senshi! Dressed in green she approached at full speed, her bushy hair floating behind.

-Lucy?!- They exclaimed.

-Bombs away!- She yelled leaping several yards in the air -Earthquake!-

She landed in the middle of the Ember group creating an explosion so great that all fell to the ground before rolling into the crater her attack created, triumphant, Lucy jumped out and ran away from them.

-All yours!-

-Let’s do it girls!- Wendy shouted -Moonbeam!-

-Solar Flare!-

-Supernova!-

Their combined energy shot along the street with incredible force hitting the Embers before they could recover from Lucy’s attack, they burned out like matches and their commands’ armors cracked off their human hosts releasing them from the queen’s power; when the light faded, all was over.

-At last!- Ary let herself fell to the ground, exhausted, her fellow senshi did the same.

-How long can we keep this up, Wendy? It’s getting worse every time!- Ringo complained -Their numbers keep growing!-

-We’ll come up with something- Wendy palmed her shoulder -You’ll see, right, Lucy?-

-Yes!- The younger teen came and hung from Wendy’s neck -Together we can do it!-

-Ow, ow, ow- Wendy groaned -Ribs, Lucy, be careful…-

-Sorry!-

Wendy sat down and gave a stern look to the new senshi, then to the glowing orbs that appeared beside her.

-Care to explain?-

-Er… ahem…- Blackie coughed -Happens that Lucy wasn’t such a random pick from the queen, she has been marked too-

-Hai! She has the Earth crystal!- Momo hovered around Lucy’s prismatic amethyst -She’s meant to be one of us!-

-And the queen nearly got her by her side, gratefully it didn’t lasted long-

-Thanks to your friendship, yes!-

-I knew it!- Lucy clung again to Wendy -I knew we’re meant to be together!-

-Owie…-

-Just what we needed, another Ringo…- Ary rolled her eyes-

-Hey!- Ringo elbowed her friend -And why she’s a tanuki, Momo?-

-That, I don’t know Ringo, gomen!-

-Can we just go now?- The blonde beauty sighed -Tomorrow I’ll be sore to the bones-

Then all of them took the way back home.