Siobhan had never expected to ever bee a Magical Girl.

  In fact, she had never expected to end up at Kaleidoscope at all. She and Kleo had always dreamed of attending when they were kids. Of being knights just like Storm Vixen and Tesseract, two of the greatest magical girls of all time.

  But Siobhan had been disappoihat fateful day, when she and hundreds of children had been brought before the Guardians for the Knight Sele Process.

  She and Kleo had been inseparable, and had held hands as they had steeled themselves to face their destinies.

  It was a mystery how the Guardians really chose their didates. Even if a few would stray from their paths, they overwhelmingly selected for children that were kind, resilient, capable of aowledging and learning from their mistakes, and ultimately heroi nature. They seemed be able to pierce through a person's iure and nurture to see erson really was and would bee.

  It was those qualities that they sought. And ideals she tried to live up to herself.

  Kleo had always bee and outspoken, if a bit shy and insecure, and Siobhan had wanted nothing more than to raise up her best friend. Evehey were little, though, they did their best to embrace the values of cooperation, friendship, and loyalty. They were captivated by the story of Arcadia Vox, the all-loving hero had risen up to defeat Mortifera Nox herself. It was a story that resonated with the two of them, and had inspired them to pursue dreams of knighthood.

  Their parents used to joke that they were practically sisters, and they might as well have been. Both sets of parents had lived door to each other, and they both had older siblings who supported them.

  Kleo's brother Ioannis had pyed Magical Wondernd with them, and their older sisters had taught them how to py make-believe with stuffed animals and dolls.

  Siobhan's face fell as she remembered the day everything ged.

  She would never fet the day their families took them to the local headquarters, and she stood on that crowded wn, clutg Kleo's hand tightly as a dozen Knights had paraded by, swinging their ons high and giving it their all to impress her and the other kids.

  And she still remembered how Kleo had beamed, her eyes shining as she had turo Siobhan, saying, "I want to be a knight like her when I grow up. I'll train every day a even stronger, and then I'll proted save everyone who needs it."

  It had only made Siobhan more nervous as they approached the front of the line, shivering as she stood before the Guardians.

  As they'd parted, Kleo had looked back at her, a defiant look in her eyes with a fident smile. "I'll bee a Knight today. Ohat others look up to and admire. Don't give up, okay? We're in this together."

  She had turned away, clutg her neckce tightly as she returned Kleo's smile. "You'll be amazing, Kleo. You already are. Whatever they decide, remember that I'm here with you. I'll always be here for you."

  They were explicitly told to be careful to not show it if they were chosen, of course, but they were both trying so hard not to cry at their big moment of destiny.

  Time seemed to stretdlessly as Siobhan waited in the back of the room, watg them e and go in the blinding white lights.

  Then, Kleo had e out, her eyes brimming with tears as she rushed forward to hug her.

  "Shhh," Shiobhan patted her back. "Hey, you okay, Kleo?"

  "I-I did it," she whispered quietly. "I got a tract. you believe it?"

  Siobhan stiffened. "That's wonderful, Kleo. I knew you could do it! When do you start training?"

  "Tomorrow." Kleo choked back a sob, her voice tight. "I... I didn't know. Grandpa was a knight. He was super-secretive, but it all adds up now. He told me on the way out that he was a bigshot knight once upon a time, and it was only fitting that his granddaughter would tinue his legacy. He said he'd done his best to keep me from being recruited. But I just... I want to be strong, Siobhan. I want to be just like... like Storm Vixen or... or Tesseract. ramps. He just smiled and said he'd help."

  Siobhan sighed, seeing her number ing up as the line behind them shifted. "I know, Kleo. I'll support you. Hopefully side by side. I don't know what I want to do. But we'll always stick together, right? Being a knight isn't everything. We'll still py Magical Wondernd and dress up, just like we did when we were little."

  She chuckled, sniffling as she straightened. "Sounds like a pn."

  In the end, Siobhan had not been chosen.

  She'd walked out of the ceremonial chamber, lined with cloaked figures in masks and capes, a defted feeling iomach. Her father had just shaken his head, patting her back solingly.

  "No luck, huh? Well, try agai year, kid. Not everything be easy."

  Siobhan would never fet that one day. Never fet Kleo's eyes as she walked out, tears streaking down her face as Siobhan gave her a reassuring smile. She'd whispered her reje to Kleo, who gasped and stayed silent with downcast eyes.

  "It'll be alright, Kleo. We'll make the most of this."

  Kleo had smiled, her lip quivering, before looking down as they followed their families out.

  Something had ged then, though.

  Kleo wasn't the same after that day.

  She was just quieter, more focused, and more withdrawn. But at the same time, she grew more fident and assertive. She became faster and stronger, and soon, began to eveake Siobhan academically. Kleo could run a mile in a minute, and had graduated to learning spells and casting magic before Siobhan had even sidered the path of a Pioneer.

  The Kleo that had once g anxiously on Siobhan's hand, dreaming of being a magical girl, was slowly fading away, repced by a fident, reserved, almost cocky and talented young woman.

  For months, Siobhan had wondered what it would be like to be a magical knight herself, with a mysterious power to protect the weak and fight evil. Their dynamic had been strange, but it had survived. Siobhan found herself looking up to Kleo, their roles somehow reversed over the st few years. She was w hard to catch up with her, but with her best friend as a rising star, it was no easy feat.

  Soon, Siobhan began to feel Kleo walk away from her, distance creeping into their versations. And their time spent together became less and less. It wasn't a deliberate move on Kleo's part; it was just a natural progression. Kleo romising cadet in search of a team to sidekick with and all, and Siobhan couldn't bme her for fog on that.

  But Siobhan had kept her promise. She would support Kleo wherever she went.

  Siobhan stayed up through te nights to study for Kaleidoscope's exams araests, studying by dlelight in her bedroom. She'd dragged herself out of bed when she could barely stand, not wanting to miss a sed of her future.

  Eventually, the day had e. The day when they would be tested to get into the prestigious Kaleidoscope Academy. Even if Siobhan couldn't be by her side as a fellow Magical Girl, she could still support her best friend. Kleo's powers revolved around pnt and energy manipution, while Siobhan was more focused on knowledge and information gathering uhe Analyst track, with a specialization in botany and biology."

  It seemed like such a long shot, but she could finally stand alongside Kleo as a fellow peer and student.

  And here she was, in a cruel twist of irony.

  Siobhan had genuinely admired her back then. Kleo had grown from a shy, reserved girl into a bright and outgoing rising star. But deep down inside, Kleo had ruly overe her aies and insecurities.

  Despite surviving the Cataclysm by the skin of her teeth, Siobhan had old Kleo about her status as an emergency tract holder. Kleo had reacted poorly to the news, venting to Siobhan while iransformed green-haired magical girl persona. She'd always felt like an imposter at heart, and the news only fueled her disfort and frustration.

  She had moaned about how unfair it was, how emergency tracts couldn't possibly be as great as real magical girls, and how they were better off left for dead.

  Unbeknownst to Kleo, her words had stung Siobhan to the core, even after all they'd been through. She had always doubted her p the world, and Kleo's criticism didn't make her any more or less worthy of her feelings. Siobhan had arrived te for the e, and had been iy when the portals began to open. It was the best she could do to get a pair of young brothers to a side alley ahem sneak away while dozens of monsters desded from the skies and ripped through the streets.

  She'd survived through pure wit, luck, and iy before she was discovered by a roaming Guardian. The Guardian had been impressed with her abilities and wits, and had offered her a tra the midst of chaos. It had been the most harrowing and terrifying two nights of her life, where she'd gradually learo trol her powers and fend for herself and her charges as monsters stalked the city.

  And so Siobhan had kept quiet as her old friend ranted aretending to be sympathetic. She'd ighe pit of guilt gnawing at her stomach, reminding herself that Kleo hadn't meant it. She was just stressed and flicted with her own position.

  She'd held her tongue, up until arriving at her first formal exercise uhe Magical Knight program.

  It was fate, Siobhan supposed.

  But perhaps it wasn't destio be destiny after all.

  In the real world, she'd just been a good-iioned if not slightly awkward girl with a handful of skills that allowed her to scrape by. She had no reason to boast, no great talent that she could put on dispy, and few could really appreciate her skills when it came down to it. She and Kleo shared a green thumb and an i in animals, but that was it.

  They were friends, as they had always been, but they had been following different paths for a while.

  Paths that had verged as Siobhan followed the purple tethers searg for her assigned partners, leading straight to Vespera and Neo Dymium.

  They had immediately stared at her with suspi, their versation dropping to a hushed whisper as she approached. The standard admissions students and emergency tract holders had separate orientations, making them easy to identify. She could see it in their eyes — a disdainful, suspicious stare, with a dismissive swagger that left a bad taste in her mouth.

  But the fact it was ing from her oldest and dearest friend, of all people, hurt far worse.

  Siobhan had earned her pce. There had been no back door or outside influeo help her through, and she'd fought for it through the mundane, excruciating route with no special talents or pedigree to help her.

  And so, she'd bee on her owhe gates opened and they were introduced to the vast forest beyond, with Vespera and Neuing over a clue and a path to the other side of the field

  She had done her best to focus oask at hand, keeping an eye on their surroundings as Vespera and Neo locked in some teandoff. And though she was torn, flicted, and a little bitter, she made her best effort to stay on course.

  After all, she'd always done her best to support her friends, and their differences had opped them from staying ected before.

  But her voice had only bee with s and dismissal.

  It was ironi a way. Vespera had always believed in love and redemptioy and grace, and the strength of kindness.

  She had been a powerful voice for hope and ge ba their childhood home, always making her views and beliefs heard and giving hope to those who felt lost or hopeless.

  In the end, though, she'd bee cold, callous, and slightly cruel as she dismissed Siobhan's efforts to engage and cooperate, rolling her eyes and striding ahead, choosing her arrogant partner irl she could not have known was Siobhan. They'd both lost their tempers at the same time, and cursed each other out to the point Siobhan couldn't even remember what they'd even been saying.

  And so, Neo Dymium and Vespera left her behind.

  It was disappointing abreaking, and Siobhan could have sworn she saw a shadow ret and guilt flicker in her eyes. But in the heat of the moment, she had been too bitter and frustrated to care.

  So, she'd let it go.

  And suddenly, she was alone.

  A lone willow in the forest.

  She had been foolish to ever think she could show up and inspire Kleo, let her know who she was, aore their friendship. But when push had e to shove, her friend had pushed her away and turned her ba the one person who had cared for her through thid thin.

  Siobhan held back her tears as she walked through a clearing, only to hear a boy clearing his throat from her side. She bliurning in surprise as she caught sight of a stern-looking boy of average height with a well-built frame, a long bck trenchcoat, rge sungsses, and long, spiky bck hair.

  "You too, huh?" he muttered, shaking his head.

  Siobhan raised an eyebrow, tilting her head. "Huh?"

  He sighed, rolling his eyes. "You're an emergency tract holder, right?"

  She blinked in surprise, before nodding stiffly.

  "Yeah, I remember you at orientation. I was asking if you got told to shove it by your randomized groupies," he muttered, folding his arms as he stared into the forest.

  She frowned, her cheeks burning with humiliation. "Yeah. They did. I feel like I was meant to be an afterthought, right? They just zoomed off and ditched me."

  He had a bit of an nasally voice. The type you'd hear from someone who was just... tired of witnessing dumb things. Whatever they were.

  The boy gave a short, bitter ugh, running his fihrough his hair. "Well, I expected some bumpy roads but I didn't expect a freaking tribalistic witch hunt. Not sure what the hell they're on, but not a good look."

  Siobhan studied him curiously, frowning. "You've been through it too, then?"

  He snorted, rolling his eyes. "Yup. Guilty as charged. I got ditched as well. No skin off my back, though. Not much I do to stop these morons, so..."

  She smiled awkwardly, shifting unfortably. "Ah, yeah, I get that. Well, my name's Forest Willow. Want to work together, by any ce? If you'd be open to a partner, I mean. I'm not going to judge."

  He stopped, narrowing his eyes as he studied her ily befhing out loud. "I go by Null for now. Null Pero. Not that it's important. Hmm, yeah. Why not, Forest Willow? We might as well team up, eh?"

  She breathed a sigh of relief, smiling brightly. She hated being alone in a big scary forest, and it was f to know she had someone else to watch her baow.

  "So, what you do?"

  Null gave a small shrug, his expression mildly amused. "Oh, plenty of things, though I know how to incapacitate pretty muything in this forest that would pose a threat. I 't transform beyond the Cadet Mode or what they call 'Inito Shift' though. I haven't quite figured out my guiding core principles or whatever else it takes to fully unlock my soul."

  Siobhan's eyes widened, blinking in surprise. "Whoa. I see. What's your natural affinity toward then?"

  He smirked, letting out a dry ugh. "vergence. A bit of area denial and a lot of chaos. With me, the floor is basically va — well, more like violent mosses. I extend my aura through the ground I'm standing on and shift the... energies of any specific territory that es within ra carried me pretty hard through the Cataclysm, but without my full bat form, I'm basically just a human with a cool set of skills."

  Siobhan nodded slowly, studying him with a curious frown. "Well, that sounds useful! At least for this exercise, and I could use the help."

  She was tempted t up her old friend, but she held her tongue.

  "Well, let's get on ahead," she said quietly, drawing in a deep breath. "No use in looking back, right?"

  Null nodded sagely, following in her footsteps. "Yeah, I'm with you there. Onward and upward. Yadda yadda."

  Siobhan grinned, ughing as she pushed through the dense foliage.

  "Know what, Null? I like your style."