Tag: rose

It was late at night when the trap was set. The firehouse was in the middle of being rebuilt and there were six firefighters in the building. The doors were then shut and locked from the outside, then someone snuck in through the window, then burst into the area the firefighters were in and brandished a gun. The firefighters backed up. “Up against the wall,” demanded the person. “Those girls WILL die for this along with you.” He then pulled out a burner phone and dialed a number. He then put the phone on speaker.

“Commissioner Anderson here,” replied the person on the other end.

“Working late at night, Commissioner?” asked the person.

“Who is this?” asked Commissioner Anderson.

“The one responsible for the firehouse fire, who else?” asked the person. “And I WILL be killing firefighters tonight! Interfere and your daughter dies!”

“You do realize that six citizens saved those men and women, yes?” recalled Commissioner Anderson.

“They won’t be here in time to save the firefighters again,” replied the arsonist.

“Won’t we?” came Ruby’s voice on the line.

“What?!” spluttered the arsonist.

“I’m Ruby Kobayashi, one of the three girls that helped put out that fire while our teachers saved the firefighters.”

“…Ah, hiding in the commissioner’s office, are we?” chuckled the arsonist.

“All of us are. I hope you don’t mind.”

“That actually works out best. Because, if I catch you out of the commissioner’s office, I’m going to set your home at 703 Turning Point Lane alight. Understand?”

“…Of course you’d learn my address,” muttered Ruby. “What’s this I hear about you leaving a glove behind at the crime scene and a city councilor going to bat for you?”

“That glove was a bit of clumsiness on my part, I’ll freely admit,” remarked the arsonist. “But a city councilor going to bat for me? That’s actually unexpected. Then again, they must have known about the layoffs.”

“Layoffs?”

“Yes. There weren’t enough fires to fight, so the city was going to lay off the firefighters. I was doing the city a favor by getting rid of them. My benefactor would agree.”

“This benefactor being Lord Typhoon or his minions?” asked Ruby.

“Let’s not call them minions,” replied the arsonist. “They’re far too well-learned in human nature for that. Threaten our survival and we’ll cull those that are unnecessary.”

“That’s not human nature and you know it!” hissed Ruby. “Your parents would be spinning in their graves!”

“I can assure you, they are quite still. Who do you think taught me that lesson?”

“Then they failed as parents…just as you failed at being observant to activities outside the walls of whatever building you’re in.”

“What’s that supposed to-?” The arsonist suddenly became aware of red and blue lights flashing all around the building! “…YOU CHATTERBOX!” shouted the arsonist. “YOU KEPT ME TALKING WHILE THE POLICE GOT HERE!”

“I didn’t come up with that plan all on my own, I can assure you,” chuckled Ruby. “Me, my friends, our teachers, the mayor, the police commissioner, we all came up with this.”

“One fatal flaw in this plan of yours, Ruby Kobayashi! I have six hostages! If I see even one person approaching, I’m setting the station alight! I’m willing to burn with the firefighters here!” The arsonist then heard someone punching their hand. He looked at the firefighters…to see them gearing up for a fight!

“Are you sure your hostages are firefighters?” asked the shortest of the firefighters…in Ruby’s voice! One of the tall firefighters then flicked their wrist and the gear flew off to reveal Ruby, Bethany, Yazmyn, Wilma, Grace, and Belinda, all armed and the three Cosmic Roses in their outfits! The gear then all compressed and rewove their threads into Belinda’s scarf! The arsonist screamed as he realized he was surrounded. He tried to get away, but Belinda cracked her scarf like a whip and tripped him up. Ruby and Grace then stabbed the ground near the arsonist’s head with their respective sword and spear, spooking him. Yazmyn aimed one of her guns at the arsonist’s groin as Wilma shined her lantern at the arsonist’s head.

“Now,” said Bethany, “let’s do as Scooby Doo and his gang do and unmask this criminal!” She pulled the mask off to reveal a man in a combover and moustache.

“…Mr. Swanson!” gasped Ruby. “…My dad voted for you!”

“That just casts a bad light on your wife, you know?” said Yazmyn.

“Leave her out of this!” snarled Mr. Swanson.

“Boys, it’s okay!” called Bethany as she called out of the firehouse. The police entered and gasped in surprise at Mr. Swanson being the arsonist.

“…But…but why-?!” spluttered an officer.

“I’m not talking!” snarled Mr. Swanson.

“…James Swanson, you’re under arrest for arson and attempted murder,” said Officer Tanya as she pulled the cuffs out. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, the court will provide one for you. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?” Mr. Swanson looked around, then nodded. “With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?” Mr. Swanson shook his head. “…Very well. Boys, take him.”

“My lawyer will eat you roses alive!” warned Mr. Swanson as he was led away.

“…Come on,” Tanya directed to the girls and the Cosmic Roses. “We need to talk to Councilor Swanson.”

“Will she sing?” asked Ruby.

“Not to the police,” replied Bethany. She tapped the side of her nose, indicating that she had an idea.

---

The group arrived at a manor and knocked on the door. A butler arrived. “May I help you?” asked the butler.

“We need to speak to Councilwoman Swanson,” explained Ruby. “It concerns her husband’s…pyrotechnics.” The butler’s eyes widened.

“…One moment,” he said. “Please wait here.” He let the group into the foyer and rushed off.

“The butler knows?” whispered Wilma.

“Well, it’s better than the butler actually doing it,” replied Yazmyn.

“No, he’s confused about that comment,” replied Belinda. The butler arrived with Councilwoman Swanson.

“Anders, leave us,” directed Councilwoman Swanson. The butler bowed and left. “Are you the ones claiming that my husband was the arsonist?”

“We caught him in the act,” replied Ruby. “We posed as firefighters trying to rebuild the firehouse.”

“…You told him a councilor went to bat for him!” hissed Councilwoman Swanson.

“You aided and abetted in arson and attempted murder!” snarled Ruby.

“It was a sacrifice I had to make!” insisted Councilwoman Swanson. “Lord Typhoon’s people gave me no choice!”

“He’ll turn this planet into a storm-laden one anyways!” retorted Wilma.

“Councilor, listen to her!” insisted Bethany. “You’re intelligent, please use that intelligence! Our teachers fought him longer than anyone on this planet!”

“I did use my intelligence, and you idiotic girls know it!” snapped Councilwoman Swanson.

“Intelligence is meant to benefit everyone, not just the few!”

“Girly, human nature is about getting on top by any means necessary! If that requires sacrificing those around you, well that’s just too bad!”

“Madam, I’ve heard enough!” interjected the butler. He had the phone out. …It didn’t take a genius to piece together what the butler did.

“…You ungrateful-!”

“Not only the mayor, but the police commissioner,” explained the butler. “It’s not worth my paycheck to allow you to sweep this under the rug.” By then, police lights flashed.

“…Your chariot, your highness,” said Yazmyn.

“I’ll be walking out of this! I swear!” promised Swanson as the police arrested her like they did her husband.

---

“Well, that was a shakeup,” muttered Ruby the next day as she and her friends trained.

“You know Abby’s gonna be blaming us for this,” remarked Yazmyn.

“Yeah, well, she and the other Swansons are wrong,” said Bethany.

“Quite right,” agreed Wilma. “From what I’ve seen of human nature from observing you three alone, it’s that humans, deep down, DO care for one another, it’s just that they occasionally lose sight of it when they’re not thinking clearly.” The Roses’ Comms Compacts then buzzed.

“Another crime?” asked Ruby as Belinda checked.

“…IT’S TYPHOON’S MINIONS! THEY’RE COMING!” warned Belinda.

“Wrong, you scarf-slinging simpleton!” cackled Connor as he, Wreker, and Spangly arrived. “We’re here! Bringing chaos to all, I am Connor!”

“Smashing through all obstacles, I am Wreker!”

“Seeing all, I am Spangly!”

“We are…THE TYPHOON TITANS!” the three of them shouted.

“…Sure is Team Rocket up in here,” muttered Ruby.

“You three failed!” hissed Grace.

“Yes, Lord Typhoon made his displeasure known already,” remarked Connor.

“You’ll fail again,” declared Ruby. “We’re much better trained and well-armed now.”

“Let us see!” chuckled Spangly.

“Now, refresh our memories, what are your gimmicks?” asked Ruby.

“Gimmicks?” asked Wreker.

“Yeah, like Connor over there, what is he in your group?”

“We’re here to serve Lord Typhoon’s plans,” replied Connor. “But, if I had to choose from your exotic anime-.”

“By ‘exotic’, you mean primitive,” hissed Ruby.

“I’d say I’m the pretty one,” finished Connor.

“Six out of ten,” retorted Ruby.

“Sassy, aren’t you?”

“So,” continued Yazmyn, “that makes Spangly here the weird one with the freaky powers, if I recall the attack on my farm right.”

“I can spawn eyes from my shoulders that shoot lasers!” confirmed Spangly.

“Yep, still recalling that nightmare,” muttered Yazmyn.

“Then Wreker’s the big, tough, stupid one,” finished Bethany.

“You take that back or I’ll cave your skull in!” snarled Wreker.

“Okay, okay, you’re not that tough!” replied Bethany.

“I could not be more clearly talking about your ‘stupid’ comment, you intellectual dwarf!” growled Wreker as he punched his hand.

“Grace, with me against Connor!” declared Ruby. “Bethany, you and Belinda take on Wreker! Yaz-!”

“Me and Wilma against Spangly!” confirmed Yazmyn as everyone summoned their weapons.

“Roses, let’s show our thorns!” called Ruby as everyone charged at their opponents.

Within his base, Lord Typhoon had gathered Connor, Wreker, and Spangly. “I petitioned Emperor Entropy to grant you three a special status within my personal organization,” he growled, “an organization that his Imperial Majesty has deemed worthy of being part of his eternal empire. I gave you special privileges, special powers, I asked for only one thing in return; the removal of the last three Cosmic Roses so that Emperor Entropy can continue his plans unmolested. …WHY ARE THEY STILL ALIVE?! WHY ARE THEY LETTING THEIR STUDENTS PERFORM HEROICS?! WHY HAS THE ENTROOPER COMMANDER BEEN TAKEN INTO HUMAN CUSTODY?!”

“My Lord, it’s all part of the plan,” soothed Connor. “The fire served its part and now the girls know there’s a human that would rather kill member of their emergency services than die in a flood.”

“…An interesting tale,” muttered Lord Typhoon. He then used his wicked magic to summon three balls of water and slammed them over the heads of his minions. They fell to their knees as they tried to get air into their lungs. “Now, here are some meaningful words.” Lord Typhoon dismissed the water balls and let his minions cough the water out of their lungs and replace it with air. “I am your sponsor. Your benefactor. The one who said that you have a place in Emperor Entropy’s glorious future. Follow my commands without fail and you please not only myself, but Emperor Entropy. Disappoint me…and you shall suffer! A difficult choice?”

---

As Lord Typhoon made his displeasure known to his minions, Ruby, Bethany, and Yazmyn worked on training with their weapons. Now that they understood the strengths and weaknesses bit, training was going a lot smoother. Ruby and Bethany’s respective parents as well as Yazmyn’s grandparents were watching one of their training sessions. “…How long do you think it will be before our girls get their uniforms?” Hannah Jacobson asked no one in particular.

“Any day now,” replied Hannah Kobayashi. “Ruby’s been really excited to be a magical girl ever since she found out they were real.”

“Bethany’s a motivated young lady,” said Bob, “but I’ve never seen joy behind her motivation until recently.”

“And Yazmyn, while already being a help on the farm,” chuckled Bill, “has REALLY been going at it! I think it was a blessing in disguise that Wilma, Belinda, and Grace landed here.”

“Call me an over-protective father,” remarked Daichi, “but I really wish Ruby didn’t join up in a war. I know we left the decision up to her, but-!”

“Now Daichi,” interjected Hannah Kobayashi, “Ruby’s capable. She’s level-headed enough to at least minimize risks. Bethany’s a very smart lady, and Yazmyn’s adaptable. We need to have a little more faith in them.”

“I’m more concerned about who was trying to kill those firefighters,” remarked Heather.

“That IS a worry,” muttered Bob. Just then, a policewoman approached the group. Bob saw the officer first. “Hey, hold up!” he called to the Cosmic Roses and the girls. By now, everyone saw the officer.

“I need to speak to the property owner,” directed the policewoman as she pulled out a piece of paper.

“That would be me and my wife here,” replied Bill. “May we help you, Officer?”

“I am Officer Tanya Hansen,” introduced the policewoman as she handed the paper to Bill. “I’m here with other members of the police to conduct a search of this property for any evidence that the arsonist is here.” Bill and Heather both examined the paper.

“…That’s a legit warrant,” said Heather. “My daddy drilled that into my skull since I was a baby.”

“Knock yourself out, Officer,” Bill said as he handed the warrant back to Tanya. Tanya headed back and gave her people the OK to search. While they were certain of their innocence, everyone was still nervous. Tanya’s second-in-command then spoke with all the officers once they finished. He then spoke to Tanya directly. Tanya approached Bill.

“We have completed our search and have found no evidence of any crime,” she said. “Thank you for your cooperation.”

“Our pleasure,” replied Bill.

“Officer, just a sec,” called Yazmyn.

“Yes?” asked Tanya.

“What prompted the search here?” asked Yazmyn.

“A glove was found at the scene of the crime,” explained Tanya. “Forensics turned up manure that seemed to be consistent with that used by farmers, especially ones that keep their own livestock.”

“…Yeah, that would do it,” remarked Yazmyn.

---

“Why would the arsonist want to go anywhere near animal poop?!” shuddered Ruby as she, Bethany, and Yazmyn discussed the case.

“Even if we ignore how gross that is,” agreed Bethany, “you wouldn’t even NEED a dog to follow the trail.”

“I checked the cameras on our property,” said Yazmyn, “no one’s come during the night.”

“Something’s not adding up here,” muttered Ruby. “…Why leave a glove behind? Won’t there be some DNA test?”

“…Let me see,” mused Bethany as she pulled out her phone.

“What are you doing?” asked Yazmyn.

“When you’re the granddaughter of a cop,” replied Bethany, “you tend to forge connections. Let’s see…forensics…aha! Here we are!” She dialed the number and waited for the call. “…Hello, it’s Bethany Williams, John. …Yeah, it’s been a while. Hey, that glove that was at the scene of the fire, did you get any DNA match? …Haven’t gotten the results yet? Okay, so we’re…huh? …Why would someone ask you to drop the case? Those firefighters were targeted for the worst kind of murder. …I see. …Hasn’t given in, huh? Didn’t think so. …All right. Mind keeping me posted? Still interested in Granddaddy’s work, rest his soul. …All right. …Bye bye.” Bethany hung up.

“So they’re still working on the DNA test thing?” asked Yazmyn.

“Yep,” replied Bethany. “Although a member of the city council wants this buried.”

“What? Who?!” asked Ruby.

“I dunno, but there must be some damning evidence they don’t want to come to light,” remarked Bethany.

“…Lord Typhoon said he was gonna strike if we don’t surrender, yeah?” recalled Yazmyn.

“…You’re right. We’re past that deadline,” said Ruby. “…Unless this was a scare tactic? I don’t know as I understand.”

“Well, what are we gonna do? Play Batman?” asked Yazmyn. “I already lost my parents to cancer and I don’t wanna see my grandparents gunned down and I doubt you or Bethany do!” Ruby stroked her chin.

“…Oh no!” groaned Bethany. “You can’t be serious!”

“We’re doing the investigative part of Batman, not the trauma,” replied Ruby. “We can find the culprit ourselves!”

“There are anti-vigilante laws here!” protested Bethany. “The police would arrest us if we took the law into our own hands and we are NOT that buddy-buddy with the Mayor!”

“Come on, Bethany!” complained Yazmyn. “This guy is working on Lord Typhoon’s orders! We NEED to get involved!”

“Yaz’s right,” agreed Ruby. “This is bigger than the police can handle. We have to see this through.

“…When this blows up in our face and our parents are fined for this,” grumbled Bethany, “I’m gonna spend the rest of our friendships laughing at you two.”

---

The girls and the Cosmic Roses headed to the mayor’s office. “Do you have an appointment?” asked the receptionist.

“Strangely, yes,” replied Ruby. “Ruby Kobayashi?”

“Yeah, and I’m Marilyn Monroe,” muttered the receptionist as she looked through the appointments calendar. Her eyes shot open when she saw an entry. “Son of a gun, you weren’t kidding!” She stood up and headed to the office door. She poked her head in and informed the mayor about his visitors. A few seconds later, she turned back to the visitors. “Come right in,” she said as she opened the office door for them. The mayor was sitting at his desk. He had the same skin tone as Bethany.

“A pleasure to meet you girls,” he said as he shook hands with everyone.

“The pleasure’s all ours, your Honor,” replied Wilma.

“You there,” the Mayor pointed at Bethany, “you’re Andrew’s granddaughter, yes?”

“That’s me, your Honor,” replied Bethany.

“A good man,” the mayor recalled. “I’m sorry he had to leave this mortal coil like that.”

“He died surrounded by his friends and family and he’s remembered fondly,” said Bethany.

“That’s the best anyone can ask for. …But you six aren’t here for pleasant chats. Miss Kobayashi, I heard that you have a proposal for me.”

“It’s a long shot, I’ll admit,” said Ruby, “but my friends, our teachers, and I believe we have a plan to catch the arsonist.”

“It DOES involve bait,” said Belinda.

“None of you or any innocent people, I hope?” asked the mayor.

“Thankfully, no,” replied Yazmyn.

“My grandfather’s former students,” explained Bethany, “are conducting DNA tests on a piece of evidence left behind and a city councilor’s wanting this case to be buried for some reason.”

“Suggesting damning evidence on either themselves or their family,” remarked the Mayor.

“We think the arsonist is a stooge for our teacher’s enemies,” explained Ruby. “We set a trap with bait appropriate with those parameters, then figure out why their…OUR enemies want to panic us.”

“After which, we’ll be able to take our enemies on and hopefully defeat them,” supplied Wilma.

“…Girls,” said the mayor, “if this works out…I may just be persuaded to have you deputized in our fair city’s emergency services.”

“We’re just looking out for everyone, your Honor,” assured Ruby.

“H-How-?!” spluttered Ruby.

“Those feelings we told you to focus on,” explained Wilma, “gave the magic of your Transformation Seeds a focus.”

“The magic then read your minds as to what weapons you preferred,” continued Grace. “Ruby, you imagine yourself as someone with a sword, the symbol of a leader.”

“Yazmyn, you and your grandfather use firearms as a precaution to defend your farm, yes?” asked Wilma. Yazmyn nodded in confirmation as she looked over her guns.

“And Bethany,” finished Belinda, “you tend to use physics and are a great admirer of that Captain America person in your comics.”

“Now, we’ll need to somehow teach you all how to-.” Wilma’s remark on their further education was interrupted as the gold compacts on each Cosmic Rose’s waist flashed.

“What’s that?” asked Yazmyn.

“Our Comms Compacts,” replied Grace. “They’ve detected trouble.” The Cosmic Roses opened their compacts. “…The local fire station’s caught fire!”

“And all their fire suppression systems are offline!” yelped Grace.

“There isn’t enough time for another fire crew to get them out!” said Bethany. “The nearest one’s on the other side of town! It’ll take an hour for them to get here!”

“…We have to save them!” declared Ruby. “Wilma, I can control fire, yes?”

“Not at a masterful degree!” replied Wilma. “None of you are at the beginning rank of Lady yet!”

“We can’t just let them die!” protested Yazmyn.

“Yaz is right,” agreed Ruby. “We need to save those people!”

“…We’ll guide you as best we can,” sighed Belinda.

“But-!” argued Wilma.

“Belinda’s right!” interjected Grace. “This is their only chance to demonstrate their skill in magic! Girls, which way is the fire station?!”

---

The girls and the Cosmic Roses arrived on the scene before anyone else did. “Right then, Ruby,” said Grace, “That warmth you felt when you first bonded with your Transformation Seed, you’ll need to tap into it and try and mentally reach out with the fire. It won’t put it out, but it CAN bring it under control.”

“Got it!” replied Ruby. She concentrated on that feeling as she gripped her sword, the feeling of a fire in a chimney on a winter’s day. She could imagine the warmth…then she thought about the fire raging and imagined it lessening to a fireplace fire. The fire DID shrink some.

“Right, Bethany,” directed Belinda, “while Ruby’s shrinking the fire, I need you to make your shield spin over the station like a flying saucer and make it spread water. Like Ruby, you need to think about that feeling you felt when you bonded with your Transformation Seed.

“Right,” said Bethany. She flung the shield and thought to that feeling of swimming in water and not needing air, then stretched her arm out to try and mentally hold the shield in place above the fire station. The shield stopped, then Bethany thought about a rotary sprinkler watering the lawn. The shield spun, but then sprayed water everywhere. The fire shrunk some more, but there was still the inside to contend with.

“Hey, the generator’s over there!” called Yazmyn as she pointed out the generator for the fire station. “…Dang! Someone’s cut the power!”

“Yazmyn, this is your chance,” directed Wilma. “As you tap into the feeling you felt when you bonded with your Seed, I want you to restore power to the generator.”

“…I think I can do it through one of my guns,” decided Yazmyn. She thought back to the slight tingle she felt when she bonded with her Seed, then channeled that feeling into the gun in her right hand. She aimed at the power cable at the generator’s base and imagined the shot going straight into the generator and restoring power to the firehouse’s fire suppression systems. She pulled the trigger and fired a continuous stream of electricity. The sprinklers and fire retardant foam sprayers then detected the smoke and fire and unleashed their contents, finally dousing the fire. The firefighters trapped inside thought the smoke they had inhaled made them delirious.

“That’s it, girls!” called Wilma. “We’ll take it from here!”

“Here!” called Belinda as her scarf split into three. The Cosmic Roses wrapped their scarves around their noses and mouths, then Grace used her spear to break the door down. Wilma then lit her lantern and the three of them rushed inside. It took a few minutes, but the Cosmic Roses got the firefighters outside. By then, the police and paramedics arrived. The Cosmic Roses backed off and let the paramedics tend to the firefighters. They and the girls stood by in case they needed to give information. The police took statements and looked in the directions of the Cosmic Roses and the girls. One of the police officers arrived.

“Are you the ones that put out that fire?” he asked.

“These three are,” replied Wilma as she indicated the girls. “We just got the people out of there.”

“…You saved everyone, believe it or not,” remarked the officer. “They’re claiming that the smoke made it look like you girls performed magic.”

“…Erm…well…” replied Ruby.

“You can demonstrate, if you wish,” said Grace.

“Grace-!”

“Our powers were still in effect when we made our identities public,” assured Belinda.

“…Well, all right,” sighed Ruby. She then held out her hand…and a tiny fireball appeared. “I was trying to calm the flames down.”

“I was using my shield as a sprinkler,” explained Bethany.

“And I gave the generator enough power to activate the fire suppression stuff inside,” finished Yazmyn. “Officer, did the firefighters mention that they suspect an arsonist?”

“…N-No, they said it was an electrical fault,” replied the officer.

“The main power cable to the generator was cut,” explained Yazmyn. “We think someone wanted those firefighters dead. And I didn’t see any animal corpse near where the cut was.”

“…I see,” remarked the officer. “Well, thank you for informing me of this wrinkle. I’ll need to check with the detectives.”

“But-!”

“We understand,” interrupted Bethany. Yazmyn gave her a look of disbelief. Bethany pulled her aside. “I’d rather not do their job for them and, I hate to say it, we’re too young to be fully believed by anyone outside of our parents and current teachers. Trust me. My grandfather, rest his soul, was a police officer. Let them do that work, we just need to give our statements.” Just as Yazmyn was about to protest, a police officer went flying over their heads! They then heard gunfire…and laser fire!

“Entroopers!” gasped Wilma. And she was right. The firearms that the police were using were ineffective against the Entroopers. The Entrooper commander stepped forward.

“All right, who’s the wise guy?!” it demanded. “It was supposed to be Lord Typhoon saving the firefighters, not anyone else!”

“…Wilma, do you and your friends think-?” asked Ruby.

“You’re strong enough to take down the Entroopers, yes,” replied Wilma. “Just stick close to us.”

“Right,” declared Ruby. “Girls, we’re going in!”

“All right!” Yazmyn summoned her weapons as did her friends and the Cosmic Roses. Bethany drummed on her shield, Yazmyn twirled her guns, Belinda pulled her scarf taut, Grace twirled her spear, Wilma swung her lantern, and Ruby swung her sword. The Entroopers saw who was coming.

“Oh look!” taunted one. “Little girls on their way to a tea party!”

“Which one of you idiots cut the power to the fire station’s generator?” demanded Ruby.

“Hey now! That wasn’t a dumb thing to do!” replied another. “Besides, it wasn’t one of us, I can tell you!”

“Nor was it our master or his commanders,” said the Entrooper Commander. “It was one of you humans!”

“Which human?” asked Bethany.

“Your mom!” laughed the Entrooper Commander.

“Classy,” muttered Ruby. “You’ve got one more chance! Which human endangered those firefighters?!”

“A human called Nunya Bus Iness!” retorted the Entrooper Commander.

“…Looks like we’re beating the answers out of you!” declared Ruby. “Grace, with me! Belinda, Bethany, take the left! Yaz, Wilma, the right! Grace-!”

“The center!” confirmed Grace. The six then charged! Wilma used her lantern to blind the Entroopers as Yazmyn lined up the perfect shots, knocking them down and frying them! Bethany frisbee’d her shield like a certain superhero and doused the Entroopers while Belinda used her shadow travel to slam their heads against the ground. Ruby and Grace were a whirlwind of spear and sword swings, knocking their opponents down. The Entrooper Commander backed up in fear as its soldiers fell all around it! The girls met up in the middle and surrounded the Entrooper Commander.

“Now, are you gonna talk?” asked Ruby.

“Or are we pounding the answers out of you?” continued Yazmyn.

“Oh, and in case you were wondering,” Belinda revealed that she swiped the Commander’s gun and stock of pills. “No suicide for you.”

“…I refuse to say!” declared the Entrooper Commander! “I WILL see you humans tear each other apart! That’s all you’re good at!”

“You really don’t know humans that well, do you?” scoffed Wilma.

“I know those monsters better than you realize!” retorted the Commander.

“…Officers, the Entrooper is yours to interrogate,” Grace called to the police that were unharmed. A pair of officers snapped the cuffs on the Commander’s wrists and led it to the squad car.

Training for the girls…was not going so well. They kept getting spotted by their mentors and there were only two days left before the deadline. Belinda was looking over something on a computer. Wilma then wandered into the room. “Morning,” yawned Wilma. “…Don’t tell me you’ve been at that computer all night.”

“All right,” declared Belinda, “let’s go over this again.”

“Again?”

“Again.”

“How long have you reviewed our lesson plan?” asked Wilma.

“About…three Earth hours, it looks like,” replied Belinda.

“And how many times in those three hours?” quizzed Wilma.

“…Five hundred twenty-four times now,” revealed Belinda.

“So you woke up three hours ago and continually reviewed the lesson plan,” sighed Wilma. “You know what that means?”

“…Time for another cup of that Earth beverage? …Coffee, I think they called it. It’s quite good with-.”

“No! It means you should put that lesson plan away and catch up on those three hours of sleep you lost!”

“…So, Ruby freezes in high intensity situations, Bethany’s bluntness can be construed as rudeness, and Yazmyn is so impulsive,” muttered Belinda.

“We also know that these girls have known each other since they were little,” remarked Wilma.

“…Do we think that’s relevant for their training?”

“…We don’t know.”

“…No.” Belinda steepled her fingers.

“Except that a team is best when everyone is at least familiar with one another.”

“But what would help them shore up their weaknesses?!” asked Belinda, her frustration mounting.

“We don’t know,” replied Wilma simply.

“…No, no we don’t. …It’s there! The solution’s right there, staring me in the face, but I just can’t make it out!”

“Belinda, your mind’s exhausted!” protested Wilma. “Grace is still asleep! We’re like the humans in that regard in that we all need rest!”

“…How are the girls?” asked Belinda.

“Still frustrated that they haven’t won against us yet.”

“And that’s another mystery! Why haven’t their weapons-?!”

“Belinda!” Belinda stopped at Wilma’s interruption. “…Rest!”

“…Rest. Yes, I suppose that’s right. See you when I wake up.”

“I’ll look over the lesson plan then, shall I?” asked Wilma.

“…I suppose so,” conceded Belinda as she headed to bed. “Night.”

---

The mood at Ruby’s house wasn’t much better. Bethany was wracking her brains, trying to figure out why they keep failing to take their mentors down. “Morning,” called Ruby. “Mom’s made breakfast.”

“Hm? Oh, yeah, thanks.” Bethany stood up.

“…How long have you been up?” asked Ruby.

“About an hour. I couldn’t really get a restful night’s sleep.”

“Thinking?”

“Yeah. Specifically about how we’ve been failing so bad! We ARE working on our weaknesses! Why haven’t we improved?!”

“…I don’t know, Bethany,” admitted Ruby lamely. “I know, I know, you weren’t looking for an answer, but I genuinely don’t know. It’s…it’s disheartening.”

---

“…Useless!” grumbled Wilma. “And all when they’re clearly working on their weaknesses! …Weaknesses. …Hang on, how did their predecessors…? …We’re idiots! Time for a new plan!”

---

The training session arrived and Ruby, Bethany, and Yazmyn were dreading it. “You girls ready to eat dirt?” Yazmyn said sardonically.

“Don’t,” sighed Ruby. “I’m depressed enough as it is.”

“…Girls, why is Wilma smiling?” asked Bethany. Wilma, Grace, and Belinda were in their Cosmic Rose outfits when they arrived.

“…Looks like Grace and Belinda are just as confused,” remarked Ruby. She said it just as everyone was gathered.

“All shall become clear,” said Wilma.

“I certainly hope so,” remarked Belinda. “I’d rather define my terms.”

“Girls, we’ve been focusing too much on your weaknesses,” said Wilma. “This time, I want you three to play to your strengths.”

“Our strengths?” asked Yazmyn. “But we’re not that strong.”

“Not physical strengths, my dear Yazmyn,” corrected Wilma. “You three spend some time discussing your strengths and see how to use them against us. We’ll give you half an hour.” By then, Belinda was face-palming.

“If that didn’t sound like Rhonda,” she sighed, kicking herself for not thinking about it in the first place.

“We’ll see you later, girls,” said Grace as she and her friends headed off.

“…Our strengths?” asked Ruby. “…But you girls are more physically active than me. I mean, Yaz, you’re fast, Beth, you’re the brains of the group.”

“…Ruby, you’re forgetting how you can bring us together on a common goal,” said Bethany.

“Beth’s right,” agreed Yazmyn. “I know we’re friends, but you ARE the leader of our group. You’ve gotten me to slow down at times when it was serious. And Beth, you’ve picked out weaknesses before. Remember that prank we pulled on Rei the Rat?”

“Man, I remember!” cackled Ruby. “Hoo boy, she lost all her cred back then!” Her smile then faded to a look of concentration. “…If we can apply that to the exercise…”

“Your planning, my brains, and Yaz’s speed used correctly DID accomplish a well-executed prank back then,” reminded Bethany. “What say we try that?”

“…Yaz, keep hidden and scout out the terrain,” directed Ruby. “Report on any weaknesses.”

“Got it!” replied Yazmyn. She took off and kept low. The Cosmic Roses were patrolling the area and making bad guy talk.

“Yeah, those wimps won’t know what hit them!” cackled Grace in an attempt to be evil. “We’ll blind the whole planet!”

“Light or dark, it makes no difference!” agreed Wilma.

“Yeah, well I still say dark is better for blinding,” scoffed Belinda.

“No, LIGHT is!” snapped Wilma.

“Cut it out, you two!” snapped Grace. “It doesn’t matter! Belinda, go patrol the north! Make sure that brainy girl can’t get past us! Wilma, patrol the east! Look out for little miss impulsive! I’ll take care of the west and put the small fry in her place!” Yazmyn heard enough and dashed back to her friends.

“They’re planning on rendering everyone blind,” she reported. “Belinda’s patrolling the north, looking out for you, Bethany. Ruby, Grace is looking in the west for you. Wilma’s patrolling the east for me. Apparently, in Grace’s eyes, brainy means physically weak, being small DOESN’T have any advantages, and my speed leads to rash decisions. There’s plenty of cover, though.”

“…All right then,” remarked Ruby, “we’ll go for stealth. We’ll enter from the south, then split up with Bethany taking care of Belinda, Yazmyn taking care of Wilma, and I’ll show Grace to call me a small fry. Don’t celebrate until we’ve returned to the south with our captives. Ready?”

“Sounds good to me!” replied Yazmyn.

“Let’s do it and finally pass this exercise!” declared Bethany.

---

Over with Wilma, she patrolled like a thug, not really keeping up her defenses. Yazmyn kept low to the ground, using her speed when necessary. She waited until Wilma yawned, then she deliberately made some noise. Wilma rolled her eyes and went to Yazmyn’s position…only she wasn’t there. “Huh?” muttered Wilma. “What-?” Someone then grabbed her and yanked her low to the ground. She looked up and saw that Yazmyn was keeping her hand over the Cosmic Rose’s mouth.

“Little miss impulsive, huh?” taunted Yaz. Wilma stared for a bit…then held up a yellow flag, indicating that Yazmyn took her down according to the exercise. “…You serious?” Wilma nodded. “…Well, can’t celebrate until my friends are done and we made it so everyone that can will still see. You’re coming back to the south with me.”

---

Belinda was acting like a nervous thug. “…She’s just brains,” she muttered to herself. “No brawn whatsoever! No way can she take me-!” She then felt a hand over her mouth while she was restrained. She struggled a bit, then went limp. Bethany waited a few seconds before Belinda pulled out a blue flag.

“…We ain’t done yet,” said Bethany. “Back south you go before you make everyone blind.”

---

“Come on, pipsqueak!” taunted Grace as she waited. “Come out of the shadows! …Unless everything else is too tall for you!” All of a sudden, she tripped over something. As she sprawled, someone pulled her hands back and pushed her face into the ground!

“You talk too much about one thing,” said Ruby, revealing that SHE was the one that took Grace down. Grace said nothing, then waved a red flag. “Come on, to the south with you. The Blind won’t wish their affliction on anyone else.”

---

Ruby, Bethany, and Yazmyn dragged their respective Cosmic Roses to the south and met up. They saw that all three of their targets were holding a flag. “…You girls too?!”

“Them too!” confirmed Wilma.

“Strengths as well as weaknesses!” said Belinda. “I can’t believe I forgot that!”

“It’s been millennia since we were being trained,” reminded Grace.

“You girls saved your planet’s general ability to see,” praised Wilma, “and took us down quickly and quietly.”

“Now, see if you can hold onto that knowledge of strengths and weaknesses while reaching out for the elements within those Transformation Seeds we gave you,” directed Grace.

“I hate to have to add a wrinkle,” interjected Belinda, “but think about the feeling your Seed gave you when you first touched it.”

“…A bit heavy, but all right,” muttered Bethany. The girls shut their eyes and concentrated. Nothing happened for a bit.

“…Remember,” began Wilma uncertainly, “think about-.” Then…it happened! Fire erupted from Ruby’s hand, stretched out, then died to reveal a fire-themed sword! Water swirled around Bethany’s left forearm, then fell to the ground to reveal a water-themed shield! Last of all, lightning surrounded Yazmyn’s hands, then died to reveal a lightning-themed gun in each hand. The girls goggled in surprise as the Cosmic Roses beamed with pride! “Now there’s a happy miracle if I ever saw one!” praised Wilma.

Belinda’s scarf appeared in an abandoned warehouse, then curled around to make a dome, then returned to Belinda’s hand once everyone arrived. “…What was that?!” gulped Yazmyn’s grandmother, Hannah as Ruby and her friends freed their families.

“Umbra-teleportation,” explained Belinda. “My family has had powers over darkness since we crawled onto the lands of our home-world of Angela.”

“Now, let’s heal you all up as we explain what’s going on here,” said Wilma. She used her lantern to bathe everyone in a warm light. Their wounds were slowly mending.

“…This feels nice!” said Yazmyn. She was then bopped on the head by Bethany.

“We wouldn’t have NEEDED to all be healed if you were just patient!” snarled Bethany.

“Bethany, be fair,” said her mom, Heather. “Her parents WERE as tied up as us.”

“I have to side with your daughter on this one, Mrs. Williams,” said Daichi, Ruby’s dad. “That bomb would have killed us all if those monsters pressed the detonator a little too early and they were also stronger than all of us combined.”

“Her heart WAS in the right place,” said Grace, “…it’s just that her head needs to be there as well.”

“You, button it!” snapped Yazmyn. “…Actually, no. Spill! What WERE those monsters?!”

“Footsoldiers of an interstellar empire,” replied Belinda. “The Entroopers, genetically engineered to obey Emperor Entropy without question.”

“As for who we are,” said Wilma. She and her friends then performed their introductions like they were in a Magical Girl anime! Wilma started the routine with a pose. “I, Wilma Lux, the White Empress, am the Rose of Light!” Grace then posed.

“I, Grace Grayson, the Gray Empress, am the Rose of Balance!” Belinda then finished with her pose.

“I, Belinda Umbra, the Black Empress, am the Rose of Darkness!” The three then posed together.

“Blooming wherever evil lurks so we may defeat it; we are the Cosmic Roses!” they all said together.

“…Nice routine, Your Majesties,” remarked Yazmyn.

“It’s flamboyant, I admit,” said Belinda, “but it’s necessary.”

“The Cosmic Roses,” explained Wilma, “are girls chosen by the elements of magic to defend their worlds from evil. For a while, we all defeated wicked creatures easily.”

“But we were too complacent in our victories,” continued Grace. “On our home planet of Angela, a man enslaved the creators of our universe, Old Lady Life, Madame Scythe, and Mister Resurrector. The man is called Emperor Entropy and he desires to keep all life in a state of permanent decay.”

“…How does that…?” muttered Bethany.

“Did we mention he’s insane?” asked Belinda. “Entropy is a big part of change, as you correctly guessed, Young Lady. We tried to stop him, but his Entroopers and minions were too powerful for us. We had no choice but to find new Cosmic Roses.”

“We’ve traveled to six other planets so far,” explained Wilma, “but we landed here to get away from the Entroopers. …Sadly, we were duped by Emperor Entropy’s general and his minions along with their Entroopers.”

“Why land here?” asked Hannah.

“Because Earth is supposed to be an obscure enough planet that no one would notice,” replied Grace. “But now we brought the fight to your world and we have to end this. Alone.”

“Hang on, it’s OUR planet!” protested Yazmyn. “You don’t know how it works!”

“…Yaz, you barely know how this particular STATE works,” remarked Ruby.

“Besides, we AREN’T Cosmic Roses,” reminded Bethany.

“I didn’t say Yaz’s point was wrong, just mis-worded,” said Ruby. “Wilma, Grace, Belinda, you need help in navigating our home. If your enemies want to conquer Earth, you HAVE to keep the fighting contained here. …On top of that, you saved our lives. We owe you. Maybe we can’t fight like you girls can, but we CAN help out somehow.”

“…One minute,” requested Wilma. She, Grace, and Belinda went to a different part of the warehouse to discuss their options.

“…Ruby, I hate to sound like I’m questioning you, but I have to ask,” said Bethany, “are you sure we can support them? What if those Entroopers attack again soon?”

“…We do what we can,” replied Ruby.

“Ruby,” said Daichi, “I know you and your friends are capable of many things, but you three are just 14! You shouldn’t have the burden of war on your shoulders!”

“Oto-san, war’s just been dumped into our laps,” countered Ruby. “Not through the fault of anyone here, not even the Roses over there. The only ones to blame are the Entroopers and their masters.”

“Everyone, we can’t make the decision for your daughters,” called Belinda once her conversation with Grace and Wilma was over. “That is their choice. …Even if they decide not to be on the front lines, I would know their names so I may defend them properly and at least teach them enough combat to help them and you out of sticky wickets should we not be there in time.”

“She speaks for all three of us,” said Wilma. The girls’ families discussed amongst themselves, then Daichi revealed their decision.

“Very well, Your Majesties,” he said. “We’ll accept that should our daughters accept.”

“…I’m Ruby Kobayashi,” introduced Ruby. “These are my parents, Daichi and Hannah, and my brother, Mako.”

“Hello there,” greeted Mako.

“I’m Bethany Williams,” said Bethany. “These are my folks, Robert and Heather.”

“Just call me Bob,” offered Bob.

“I’m Yazmyn Jacobson,” finished Yazmyn. “These are my dad’s parents, my legal guardians, Hannah and William Jacobson.”

“Or Bill, if you prefer,” said Bill.

“Two Hannahs,” remarked Wilma.

“You can use our surnames if we’re both in the same room,” said Hannah Kobayashi.

“Or Old Lady Hannah, if you want!” cackled Hannah Jacobson.

“Ruby, Bethany, Yazmyn, even if you are not chosen by the elements,” said Wilma, “we will still teach you how to defend yourselves against Entroopers. We will take care of their masters when the time comes for it.”

“But if you’re truly willing,” offered Grace, “then simply place your hands on these.” She pulled out three gems; red, blue, and yellow. “These are Transformation Seeds, created by the very elements themselves. The red gem holds the element of fire, the blue one contains water, and the yellow one wields lightning. If you feel something, like static electricity, or a fire in a fireplace, or water in a bathtub, then that element believes you are a worthy partner. It’s whether or not you get your uniform that determines if you’re a Cosmic Rose.”

“So even if we DO get powers,” summed up Ruby, “these things still want to test to see if we ARE worthy to wear uniforms like yours?”

“Exactly,” confirmed Belinda.

“…Well, I suppose we pick our favorite colors out of these first,” mused Bethany.

“Oh, that’s easy,” said Yazmyn. “Yellow’s always been mine!” She touched the yellow gem and… “HOLY-!” She pulled her hand back. “It zapped me! I mean, it didn’t hurt, but-!”

“Seriously?” asked Bethany. She touched the yellow Transformation Seed. “…I’m not getting any zap. Maybe it’s yours, Yaz?”

“Let me see,” interjected Ruby as she touched the gem. “…Nope. Yaz, you sure you felt a zap?”

“Yeah!” Yaz touched it again. “…Now it’s a constant buzz of electricity.” She fully grasped it in her hand. “…I think this is mine.”

“Well, that’s just these two left,” said Bethany as she touched the red gem. “…I’m not feeling anything. Maybe…” She then touched the blue gem. “Whoa! …It…it’s like I just took a dive into the ocean…and I don’t NEED to come up for air!”

“…Then…does that mean…?” quizzed Ruby. She reached out for the red gem. “…It’s warm!” she said when she touched it. “It’s like I’m near a fire in a fireplace!”

“Then you’re on your way to becoming Cosmic Roses!” praised Belinda.

“All right! When do we start punching bad guys?!” asked Yazmyn excitedly.

“How about tomorrow?” suggested Ruby.

“Why not now?” quizzed Mako.

“Wilma, Grace, Belinda, how long has it been since you three had a change of clothes?” Ruby asked the three original Cosmic Roses. Belinda was about to say something, then she thought about it. She then sniffed her armpit…and gagged.

“I’ve ignored too many baths!” she gasped.

“Bunk with us,” offered Bill.

“Grandpa?” asked Yazmyn.

“We’ve got nothing but room at the farm,” replied Hannah Jacobson.

“Yeah, but-!”

“A farm?!” asked Grace, looking happy. “Yes! Back to my roots!”

“Huh?” quizzed Yazmyn.

“…Aren’t you royalty?” asked Bethany.

“What?” Wilma was confused a bit, then realized where they were coming from. “Oh! No, no, no! We’re not royalty! ‘Empress’ is just the maximum rank a Cosmic Rose reaches! I, myself, was a woodworker back home!”

“I was born a farmgirl,” said Grace, “but I had a hobby in architecture.”

“And I’m a computer programmer,” finished Belinda. “Magic doesn’t really choose those that were born into power.”

“…So…magic is sentient?” asked Bethany.

“Erm…semi-sentient,” replied Wilma, a bit lamely. “Look, how about we explain more tomorrow after we’re all rested from that horrible attack this morning?”

“Sounds like a plan,” agreed Ruby. She turned to her friends. “Sorry, girls, but we’ll have to postpone today’s arcade stuff and tomorrow’s museum visit.”