THE MOMENT
Something happened when the two of them locked eyes for the first time. A faint trace of animosity was simultaneously quashed down by each of them. 14-year-old Aurora Luna found herself somewhere that didn't officially exist, and was meeting someone who obviously wasn't expecting her. The young woman, probably around 19 or 20, had short crimped rainbow hair and crystalline pink eyes. She wore a mostly red uniform with a white shirt and introduced herself as Bijou. They shook hands, and both remained quiet for a moment as stillness passed between them.
The two of them stood in an empty white room with a single exit leading to a wider magical world. Aurora had glimpsed it briefly before the white space formed around her, and Bijou entered through the door indirectly, intentionally blocking her exit.
"Luna?" Bijou asked as she appraised Aurora. The teen had short, puffy, dusty blond hair with a streak of green in her bangs, and coffee-brown eyes. And, she was dressed for comfort, wearing a denim jacket with an airbrushed galaxy, corduroy pants, and white crocs. She hadn't anticipated any adventures that day. "As in.. Aurelio Luna..?" Aurelio Luna was a recognized name across the multiverse in every capacity, though mostly in infamy.
"Yeah, he's my dad. What, was he banned from this Earth or something?" Aurora asked. It was a valid question.
"No," Bijou shook her head. "Just... it sounded... familiar," she said. "How's your mom?"
"Good..," Aurora nodded. It shouldn't have felt as odd a question as it did, but Bijou seemed to be hopping between topics. "Do you know her?"
"No, no, no," Bijou shook her head, and she giggled. "But, I've heard of your dad and wanted to make sure she's hanging in there, I guess. So.. what brings you to this Earth?"
"I don't know?" Aurora shrugged. "It was kind of accidental. I just felt like I wanted to Traverse somewhere and wound up here. I got to see a little bit of magic before the room appeared...," she gestured at the white walls around them. "If I'm not supposed to be here, I'll leave," she added. "I'm not invested or anything."
"Actually... we have a spot for you..," Bijou said. "Well, for a 'Luna'. Want to become a magical girl?"
"How do you have a spot for me?" Aurora asked.
"I don't know," Bijou shrugged and gave Aurora a smile. "This Earth is an academy for Magical Girls. It's operated by Sharp Development so...,"
"Oh, that makes sense," Aurora nodded. Sharp Development was a vast multiversal corporation that ran a lot of things and had a lot of secrets. One of the first big changes people get accustomed to when discovering the multiverse is learning to accept, 'because Sharp Development' as a valid answer for almost any situation.
"How's it work?"
"In this world, there are 6 main types of magical girl: "Independent", "Idol", "Corporate", "Police and Doctor", "Military", and "Mercenary," Bijou said. "Sharp Development owns the Earth and set it all up, but the 6 types are aligned with the Celestial Courts, and two non-affiliated groups. The 'Independent' group are aligned with the Void Court, and they tend to be the monster-themed magical girls. They're trained solely in mastering their own power without relying on others," Bijou said. As she gave her explanation, she gestured at the white walls to show off relevant images. At the moment, it was showing a feral werewolf magical girl in black and gold. Then, the image changed to show off a different magical girl in a sparkling platinum and gold outfit on stage, holding her wand like a microphone.
"The 'Idol' group are sponsored by the Chrome Court. Along with learning about their powers, they're trained to be public-facing and community-focused heroes," she said. Aurora was listening, but it didn't feel like she was taking in any new information. As soon as Bijou mentioned each of the groups was linked to a Court, she mapped out the connections without any trouble; each of the Celestial Courts was pretty distinct in its goals.
"Naturally, the 'Corporate' group is part of Sharp Development." A different magical girl appeared on the wall. This one wore all white with subtle touches of red, except her magical outfit was a simple blazer and slacks with magical detailing on the cuffs and collar. "I'm currently the head trainer for the Corporate group, and I teach the girls how to plan proper procedures and stick to them. I impart professionalism, and Sharp Development has contracts to place them as heroes on other Earths," she said.
"Are you a magical girl?" Aurora asked.
"I prefer Magical Woman," Bijou nodded with a smile. Then, she continued. The magical girl changed again, and this time she wore a purple outfit that was more utility than magical. There were pockets and pouches on her baggy purple pants, and her frilly top was dark purple with the phrase "Magical Girl" printed in bold block, golden letters. "The 'Police and Doctor' group is obviously emergency services, and they're supported by the Regal Court. They get the most intensive training, not just learning about their powers but how to directly help people with them." The image changed again, this time to show two magical girls. One was a cyborg in a blue military uniform, and the other a normal human girl in a green outfit that felt more thrown together than a uniform. It was a green mask covering her face, and a green poncho with a Hawaiian theme instead of the camo one might've expected.
"The last two are some group called Alpha Squad upgrading the Military girls with magitech, and of course, Ozone is the multiverse's mercenary supplier. I don't know much about Alpha Squad, and you're probably familiar with Ozone...," Bijou said. "But, they're essentially the same thing; both groups are contracting out the girls like Sharp Development."
"Wow..," Aurora couldn't help but giggle. "Six flavors of magical girls, and only two of them are trained to actually help people," she shook her head. "I think I'm not interested...," she said. "At least, not through this Earth."
"I'm going to have to demand non-disclosure...," Bijou said. "The broader multiverse isn't supposed to know about this location..., I'm sure you understand...," she said.
"Sharp secret," Aurora nodded. The white room dissolved around them, giving her permission to leave. She opened a black portal immediately and stepped through it with a final wave toward Bijou. "No problem. See ya never."