Stelle walked the remaining blocks toward the grocery store, the last of her orange soda still fizzing in her hand. The streets grew a little busier the closer she got to the residential edge of the city center. More bikes, even fewer cars, and a near constant parade of people sticking mostly to the sidewalks. She felt strangely normal among them, which was either comforting or concerning depending on how hard she thought about her situation. She also couldn't find a trash can anywhere.
The grocery store itself was tucked under an apartment complex. A sliding glass door hummed open as she approached, releasing a wave of cold air that instantly prickled her skin.
Mem floated through carefree. "I missed climate control."
Stelle grabbed a basket. It felt noticeably light in her hand, almost toy-like, but she shrugged it off and stepped inside.
The produce section came first. She grabbed a bag of onions, a bundle of lettuce, and a few potatoes. Straightforward enough. Then she reached the canned goods aisle, which looked like someone had tried to stock the entire Western hemisphere in one place.
She grabbed canned tomatoes, tomato paste, corn, black beans, a couple cans of chicken noodle soup, and a surprisingly premium can marked "beef stew." The basket grew heavier only in theory.
Mem floated behind her. "If you get canned tomatoes, you need pasta."
"I was already going to get pasta."
"So wise."
They reached the pasta aisle. Stelle loaded the basket with several boxes of penne. Mem pointed at the garlic bread mix. Stelle added that too. At this point the basket looked like it had swallowed an entire shelf.
Next aisle. Tortillas. Shredded cheese. Salsa. A bag of chips. A second bag of different chips because Mem made a very dramatic pleading gesture midair. A bottle of oil. Flour. Sugar. Some cheese slices because Mem insisted.
Stelle kept stacking items in the basket, somehow fitting everything in without it collapsing like a Jenga tower. She grabbed a few boxed soups, some seasoning packets, and a loaf of bread for good measure.
Finally, she reached the checkout line.
The cashier, a college aged guy in a navy apron, saw the basket and let out a breath that suggested emotional preparation. "Alright. Let's do this."
He lifted the basket with both hands. It jerked upward like he had underestimated its weight by several kilograms.
"Wow, this is packed," he muttered, beginning to scan.
Stelle watched the pile of items grow across the counter. Mem floated behind the cashier making impressed noises every time he scanned something with unusual speed.
Halfway through, Mem whispered, "Ask him where the frozen foods are."
Stelle ignored her and continued watching the growing pile of groceries.
Once everything was totaled, the cashier started bagging. He loaded the first two bags quickly, then began stuffing the third one with increasing determination.
Mem whispered, "He is speedrunning it."
"He is putting a lot in each bag."
A loud rip split the air and half the contents spilled back onto the counter. The cashier stared down at the torn plastic with quiet defeat.
He reached for a fresh bag and kept going, a little more careful this time. By the end, he had built five very full bags of groceries and had a look of mild awe and mild fear.
He handed them to her all at once. "Here you go."
Stelle took all five bags in one hand without thinking. The cashier blinked rapidly.
"Um. How were you holding all of that with just one hand...?"
Stelle paused. She looked down at her fingers wrapped around the handles. She had genuinely not felt any weight at all.
"I guess I am a little strong," she said.
The cashier nodded slowly. "Right. Makes sense."
Stelle nodded back, grabbed her receipt with her free hand, and walked toward the exit with Mem trailing behind her.
Stelle had only made it about two blocks from the grocery store when something felt off.
She passed the manga shop she'd noticed earlier… and only then did it hit her.
The street was empty.
Not just "less busy," but vacant, like someone had politely asked the entire district to step out for a moment. No pedestrians, no bikes, no chatter. Even the ever-present hum of traffic felt muted.
She stopped walking, five bulging bags of groceries held effortlessly in one hand. Mem drifted up over her shoulder.
"That's strange," Stelle murmured.
Mem nodded. "Very. Very strange."
Stelle looked around.
Three figures stood ahead of her on the sidewalk. All of them wore long black hoods and robes that hid their entire bodies. They weren't moving. They weren't talking. They just… stood there.
Before Stelle could even decide whether this was a crime, a cult, or some very committed cosplayers, the door of the manga store swung open. A petite girl with bright red glasses stepped out.
She took one look at the hooded figures.
Then immediately bolted sideways into the nearest alleyway like she had trained her whole life for this moment.
"…Okay," Stelle whispered. "That didn't look promising."
One of the hooded figures suddenly threw off its cloak with a dramatic flourish.
Underneath was a woman in a futuristic black bodysuit lined with glowing orange strips. A sleek, tinted visor covered her eyes like a high-tech helmet. But that wasn't the strange part.
The strange part was the enormous fluffy orange fox tail swaying behind her, its tip flickering with open flame, and the tall fox ears perched on top of her head.
Stelle blinked several times. "What."
Mem grabbed her shoulders, vibrating with excitement. "Stelle. Stelle. Stelle. Do you know what this means?"
"No?"
"Yes you do!"
Before Stelle could answer, the second hooded figure lifted something to its face.
A TV camera.
A real, boxy, professional-looking TV camera.
"…Are they filming a movie?" Stelle whispered.
"NO," Mem hissed, shaking her. "NO THEY ARE NOT."
Every digital billboard and display screen in a two-block radius suddenly flared to life, all showing the same image: the fox girl adjusting her visor and staring straight into the camera.
Her voice boomed from every screen at once.
"Magical Girl Aurora! We meet again! I, Fireflame Falcrest, have devised a creature of unparalleled might! You won't escape my wrath this time!"
She spun toward the third hooded figure and ripped its cloak away.
A monster stood beneath.
Humanoid, but warped. It unfolded out to a height of nearly eight feet tall, its limbs were stretched and sinewy, covered in charcoal-colored plating that resembled cracked volcanic rock. Its chest glowed with pulsing magma veins, each heartbeat sending a faint hiss of steam into the air. Its face was smooth and mask-like, except for a jagged vertical slit down the center that opened when it exhaled, revealing molten light within.
It let out a low rumbling growl that vibrated through the pavement.
"Behold!" Fireflame declared. "The Magmabeast Mark II!"
"Mark… two?" Stelle muttered. "There was a first one?"
Mem whispered, "OH MY GOD THIS IS SO COOL."
Stelle, still frozen, felt Fireflame's gaze land squarely on her.
The fox woman strutted confidently toward someone, tail swaying with a flame-trailing flourish. The camera followed as if rehearsed.
The nearby screen showed… Stelle herself, staring blankly into the distance.
She slowly turned from the screen to look back at Fireflame, who was now right next to Stelle.
The fox girl reached into her suit and pulled out a gun.
A real one.
She aimed it directly at Stelle.
Stelle flinched so hard the grocery bags bounced.
Fireflame shouted into the camera, "You! Civilian! You are now a hostage!"
"W-what?!"
"If Magical Girl Aurora does not appear, I will SHOOT THE HOSTAGE!"
Stelle stared at her.
Mem whispered eagerly, "Is this what I think it is? Stelle. Please say this is what I think it is. Please. Please."
Stelle didn't answer.
She was too busy placing all five grocery bags gently on the ground while trying not to spill them all.
Fireflame kept the gun trained on her, grinning triumphantly, tail blazing brighter behind her.
Then—
A voice rang out from behind Stelle, clear and strong.
"No need for that, Fireflame! I am here!"
Stelle turned.
Standing in the middle of the road, sunlight catching the gem-studded bow at her back, was a girl in a flowing pink outfit with crystalline frills, identical to the Magical Girl Aurora merchandise from the discount store. Complete with a strange sort of fat cat creature, that looked identical to the plush toy.
She struck a pose, with her left hand on her waist, and her right hand pointed directly at Fireflame.
"IT HAPPENING." Mem gasped, "IT'S A REAL LIFE MAGICAL GIRL!"
A.N give them. You know what I am talking about.