[Tokusatsu Themes, Corruption]

A sole light slowly shone down on a lonely figure. A lonely red-haired figure dressed in a masculine outfit consisting of a white jacket with red trimmings, a set of black pants, and a fur-trimmed cape that was wrapped around her shoulders as it was kept pinned in place by a star-shaped badge. Despite this regal outfit, despite standing on a stage, she couldn't help but feel as if something was missing. Something...

"Aaah... What am I doing, standing around here for?" The girl muttered as she slowly ran a hand through her short and handsomely styled hair. She wasn't going to get anywhere by brooding like this. Even if she was the only actress available for the theatre, she still had to practice. The Mimoto Festival was coming up, and if she couldn't put on a play with her fellow actresses, then she could at least try her best to perform for that ceremony. Even if she'd just be dancing around in ceremonial garb.

With a determined look in her eyes, the redheaded girl turned back towards the stage, looking at the curtains that hadn't yet been drawn. As long as these curtains were there, she wasn't going to get any spectators. Which was good, she still needed to p-

Her eyes widened as the curtains suddenly started to rise and get pulled away, another light shining down on the stage to illuminate somebody clad in deep golden armor. This deep golden figure was stylized with Egyptian themes, complete with her helmet having two jackal ears poking out of the top. And with that pharaoh-styled staff in her hand, she commanded a certain level of authority just by standing there...

"I don't recall seeing you on the list of actors." The redheaded girl said, carefully bowing before the dazzling individual whose golden armor reflected the light that poured down onto her. "But I don't imagine you're here to participate. Nor do I imagine you're here to bring good news." She didn't like the sight of the armored individual. Just the sight of her was causing her to shiver. It was causing her very will to stand on this stage to shrivel up...

"Akemi Hokori." The armored individual spoke, their voice distinctly feminine yet distorted by the helmet adorning their body. Even if you could tell her gender, you wouldn't be able to tell who she was. "You wish to stand upon this stage and act your life away. So why do you hesitate? Why do you try to shy away when you have nobody to lean upon?"

Akemi shook her head with a soft chuckle. "Because I know that I shouldn't be selfish. My friends may have moved on, but the stage is still my home. I'll go wherever it takes me. And join with those that climb onto it, until the moment they can't take it any longer." She explained, pointedly walking towards the side of the stage where the props were kept. "And what about you, Golden One? For what purpose do you climb onto my stage?"

Before she managed to get over to the prop swords that she had loved to swing around to protect others, the golden individual intercepted her. Appearing in front of her, with Darkness dripping down her form she grasped onto her shoulder. "I see ambition that's been forced to submit within you. And I wish to set that ambition free. Because you needn't stand alone on this stage. No longer."

"Let go of me..!" Akemi shouted as she tried to punch the helmeted girl, only for those eyes to shine a bright emerald green. And in a second, it felt like her will to resist had been completely drained. Her will to do anything but follow her ambitions had been left as little more than fickle embers, all while that fire inside started to rage. "W-What are you..." She muttered, all as a scarab appeared on her cheek. She couldn't control her own feelings. Not as it felt like her own ambition was about to burn her from the inside out...

The golden individual opened her palm, revealing an intricate ring with 'KANZEI' carved into it. And as the Stage Girl lost her will to do anything but act, she slipped that ring onto her ring finger, watching as it slowly started to twitch and tremble with energy...

Akemi let out a mild moan as golden energies poured from the ring into her veins, causing her to cry out and scream as the overwhelming willpower poured right into her. It was like she was being forced into a role. It was like she was being forced to act. But that was what she wanted, wasn't it? To always act on the stage, to always..!

As her mind almost fractured from the power of what was running through her, the golden glow went all the way up to her face... Only for that very face to fall off, as if a mask had just been discarded from her face. And in its place, a deep ruby glow emerged. The glow of a gem that would always shine on stage, as the rest of her body slowly but surely fell into pieces.

Standing where the stage girl had been standing was a humanoid Ruby, who looked just like her once all the shine had been taken away. But at the same time, if you looked at her from a different angle, she looked like a noble. If you looked at her from another angle yet again, she looked like a wicked mother. All these different roles reflected on her form, all while she slowly stretched her hand out as the spotlight poured down on her.

"Let the curtains be drawn upon this eternal stage, as the Dazzling Star will play the role given to her. Let the actors play their parts, and let this play last until the moment I draw my last breath!" The newly born Jõtaijin declared while the ring that had served to transform her was now resting where her heart had been. A ring that poured its power through her, and allowed her to pour her power through the entire theatre...

The golden individual smirked underneath her helmet, and quietly slinked into the dark as she waited. She had to watch what her ambitions would lead her to do...

And then see if that other lead actor would find her way onto this stage...

---

It was another bright day in Mimoto. And a young crowd of friends were making their way down the street, as they had been prepping themselves for quite the fun little day together. But even as they drew closer to their destination, conversation rushing through the air couldn't be further from what was actually about to go down.

"So, let me get this straight, Namishi." Yumeko Watanabe, ever the kind-hearted girl, smiled softly as she looked upon their new muddy-haired companion. "You've been Mikai's best friend for years, but you started backing off when she started to recover because you wanted to make sure that she could get back on her feet?"

"That's right, Yumeko." The muddy-haired girl, Kimiko Namishi, smiled from ear to ear just as Mikai would. "I thought my best friend and Senpai needed the space! I mean, I could've tried to help her, but what would she have gotten out of that? Look at her now, she's the happiest she's ever been. Isn't that right, Mikai?"

"Mmhm, mmhm!" Mikai Fushimi, the girl of the hour, giggled and grinned as she wrapped her arm around her best friend's shoulder. "I mean, I don't really remember too much from before I opened my eyes again, but if you say you were there for me, then you've gotta be telling the truth! Mom was there for me the entire time, but I only remember that she cried a lot whenever I just ignored her."

Tsubasa Sato, the lone boy amongst this crowd of friends, quietly pushed his glasses up as he listened to all of that. "Mikai, you're not really supposed to admit that you made your Mom cry." He muttered nervously. Though it wasn't exactly easy to hear him, all thanks to the much louder blonde right beside him.

"Well if you had done your damn job as a friend and helped her, maybe I wouldn't have been having such a headache when she started acting up!" Agatha Anemone, the huffing and puffingly stout girl amongst the little group was huffing and puffing more than usual, crossed arms and all. "But you were trying, and I can't fault you for that. Alyssa never listened to me either, so it must've been just as difficult to get through to Mikai!"

Kimiko chuckled a little. It seemed like the blonde had been through a lot. And so had Mikai, something that just served to make the muddy-haired girl smile a little. "You've made a lot of good friends, Mikai-senpai. They're all so unique in their own way."

"Mmhm, mmhm." Mikai nodded, looking at Yumeko, Tsubasa, Agatha... And Saeko, a girl who was the same age as herself, and part of the Student Council that Yuuki-senpai and Saki-senpai were part of. Though she seemed like she had been through a lot, since she seemed more distant than usual. "Saeko-senpai? You've been really quiet. Are you okay?"

All the eyes in the group turned towards the purple-haired and bespectacled girl, who let out a soft yelp as she noticed that all of the attention had been pointed towards her. "I-I'm fine. I'm just recovering from what happened last week. Before I knew it, there were all these Pawns rushing through the city, and I had to make sure that Minami didn't get grabbed by any of them, and then Saki-senpai ended up... W-well.." She muttered, blushing a bit. "She managed to get them off me before they did anything too terrible, and then she locked me away inside my own home. Just so they wouldn't get in. That experience was way beyond what I could've imagined... Even my sessions with Charlotta-sensei don't get to the root of the issue..."

With the mood brought down a little, even to the point where Agatha couldn't help but squeeze into her arm a little as she tried to restrain herself from shouting... Mikai would be the one to lift their spirits. Through hugging the bespectacled girl and smiling up at her. "It's okay, Saeko-senpai. Saki-senpai was there for you, and I know she'll be there for you again. Yuuki-senpai helped me out when I got trapped in a flood of Pawns, so I know what it's like to be saved!" She chimed, not really letting the girl know that she had obviously needed her Senpai's help due to needing to save her strength. Even though most of the city knew that she was Jõtaider Mimoto at this point, due to the press release that Atlas Corp sent out.

Saeko softly smiled, though she didn't return the hug. "You... You may be right, Mikai. I'm sorry for bringing down the mood." She said, a few tears dripping down her cheeks. Even if she didn't intend to cry. "Really sorry, everyone."

"That's my Mikai-senpai." Kimiko chuckled, gently patting the sandy-haired girl on the back. "She knows just how to cheer a friend up. Isn't that right, Yumeko?"

Yumeko nodded, sighing a little as she looked upon them. It really was a sight that could bring a smile onto anybody's face. Even her own. Even though she had seen it so many times before.

"Saki-senpai being that strong... Well, it shouldn't be so surprising. What with Yuuki-senpai's Monster Ability being as strong as it was. Even after she's been turned back from being a Jõtaijin, she's still as chilling as ever."

"Chilling's the least of it. She's still as strict too, loud too! Just because I ran in the halls when I was off checking out that damn Outreach Unit they had made, she froze me in place and gave me a lecture all about passion!" Agatha returned to her grumpier self, huffing. "I can't even think about that word anymore without thinking of her!"

Laughter echoed amongst the little group of friends, with even Saeko joining in after she had wiped away her tears, much to Agatha's dismay as she ended up blushing and huffing more than ever before. Then again, she knew that they were just ribbing at her. They were all friends. Even if one of them had only just joined them.

"Hey, Yumeko?" Once all the giggling and laughing had died down, Mikai decided to turn her eyes towards her black-haired friend who was always there to help her with guidance and such. "What play were we going to watch again? You got those tickets from Yua, right?"

Yumeko nodded as she pulled out a small roll of non-specific tickets. "Yua told me that her sister Akemi is trying to put on a play all on her own. Most of her friends had moved on and stopped acting due to all the Pawn attacks, which meant that she's the only one standing on that stage. And since Akemi had given Yua special tickets permitting her to come by and watch whenever she wanted, she asked if we could go check up on her and see what she's currently trying to act out." She explained, before glancing to the side a little. "Of course, moments after she gave me the roll of tickets, Heathers-sensei came by and dragged her off for trying to skimp on her Pawn Syndrome therapy, so..."

"Huh. I didn't know Alicia-sensei was helping out Charlotta-sensei like that." Mikai said, giggling a little. She could already imagine what it would be like to have that green-haired girl dragged off by that strong lady. Watching her trembling latex-clad body get dragged along the ground. Alicia believed in a lot of tough love, Mikai was certain of that, so maybe having her be the one to drag Yua along might actually be a good thing. That could keep her from trying to find somebody to serve.

Tsubasa quietly blushed as he pushed his glasses up to hide away his eyes, as his imagination was also running wild. All while Agatha grimaced and did her very best to not imagine what Alicia would do to the people she put in detention. She had been introduced to it first hand, and any more memories of how she was forced to squeeze into those wrestling leotards and fight her one on one... No, bad, awful thoughts.

Saeko kept quiet, mostly because she wasn't quite as familiar with Yua as the others, while Kimiko just quietly giggled a little more as she skipped ahead of the pack for a moment. "Oh, the theatre's up ahead! Took us long enough, huh?"

The other students nodded as they caught right up to her, except for Mikai. Her wrist was vibrating, prompting her to lift it to look at the strange bracelet that Byakko had given her the day after the Jõtaijin Outreach Unit had been formed. A communication device that would be very difficult to lose. Something that was perfect for a girl like her.

A screen popped up in front of her while she continued walking, inching closer towards the Mimoto City Theatre. "Heads up, Mikai. We're detecting a burst of Jõtai energy in your nearby vicinity. Where exactly are you, anyway?" The sound of Byakko's voice echoed over the comms that were being beamed straight into the girl's ears. This was due to the construction of the bracelet being similar in nature to Hiro's PAWN System, which was already fueled by an artificial Jõtai. This one just barely had enough power to allow for this kind of pseudo-telekinesis over a long distance.

"Near the Theatre in the west of the city, why?" Mikai transferred her thoughts back through the bracelet, looking up at the rather impressive building. It looked like it had stood the test of time, since it wasn't hard to tell that paint had been applied to the outside over and over and over. But that only made its survival that much more impressive.

Byakko could be heard cursing over the comms as she scrambled and rapidly tapped away at a mechanical keypad. "Hiro'll be heading your way soon, but that energy's spiking. Get ready to transform, before-"

The comms shut off, just as Mikai watched Kimiko open the doors leading into the Theatre... And a bright red light started to consume them all...

---

Agatha blinked a couple of times. Where exactly was she? The last thing she remembered, that muddy-haired friend of Mikai's was gonna go ahead and try to find a seat for everyone. Then everything turned bright red, and then she woke up. She hadn't gotten swept into some dumb scheme again, had she?

One glance at herself confirmed her disgust with the situation as she noticed that she was wearing clothes that couldn't even really be called rags. They were just barely stitched together to the point where they were going to fall apart at a moment's notice. And considering her figure, they'd probably tear if she moved the wrong way.

"Great, fantastic." She groaned as she got up from the dry and incredibly stiff bed that she was laying on, immediately walking over to the window that revealed she was basically sleeping inside an attic. And the window was so damned small that barely any light managed to shine inside. "Where in the world am I? And where in the hell did everyone go!?" She shouted, slamming her foot against the floor.

"CINDERELLA! CEASE YOUR TANTRUM THIS INSTANT AND GET DOWN HERE!" A loud and familiar voice cried out, causing the plump girl to tremble. Why did that voice sound just like her mom... And why on earth was she being called Cinderella?! She was Agatha, damnit! Whoever had put her in this rotten role was going to understand that you didn't mess with her!

As she went downstairs, she saw a beautiful medieval-styled home for nobility. A home that made her heart tremble as it was even more beautiful than her manor. But what then immediately let that heart sink back down was the sight of two familiar individuals, and then... A Pawn...

"Cinderella." The Pawn dressed in an elegant purple dress, whose voice sounded like a mixture of Agatha's own Mother as well as an elderly woman, sneered towards Agatha as she pointed towards the stairs leading to the basement. "Clean up your mess. And let me not see you up here until it's all done."

"That's right, Cinderella! Stop being such a waste!" One of the other girls standing in this beautiful home was Yumeko, who had her hair done up in a bun as she was dressed as a beautiful young noblewoman. And her eyes were nice and ruby-hued, despite how dim the color was. It was like she had been forced into a role."

"Stop being such a waste!" The other 'girl' echoed what her sister said, though it was hard to really call her a girl. It was very clearly Tsubasa wearing a dress, his chest puffed out ever slightly as he looked almost identical to Yumeko. The main difference was that his bun was so painfully small compared to hers that it was hard to truly think of him as a girl. But he certainly seemed to believe that he was in his role.

Agatha grit her teeth a bit as she tried to muster up the strength to fight back against this elderly Pawn and the two idiots that had managed to get herself controlled. But then her body took on that same ruby glow, and it was like she couldn't muster up anything except a weak nod as her body moved all on her own.

Both Yumeko and Tsubasa laughed as they watched Agatha descend into the basement. Neither of them were able to truly see anything as wrong. No, it felt right to mock her. She was their awful stepsister, after all. Cinderella was nothing more than a waste, that they had been forced to inherit because of who their Mother married. Not that it mattered. As long as they had a chance to marry the Prince. Which they would, because they were the most beautiful in the entire town...

Agatha shook her head as she closed the door to the basement, looking upon all the laundry and all the dishes that she had to do. Manually. It was enough to make her get a headache just from looking at it. And yet that ruby glow returned, and she found herself unable to control her body.

She definitely tried. She tried to stop herself from doing the laundry. She tried to stop herself from washing every dish. But she just couldn't. It was like she was forced to follow a script that had been thrust upon her. It was like she couldn't do a thing to stop it, just because her actions had already been written.

And this would continue all the way until the night stars hung above, when she started to collapse against the tiny window that looked up upon that starry sky. That sky full of wishes. And after what had felt like hours, it finally seemed like her body was back under her own control. She hated having to do all of that...

"Is this what it feels like when my maids do all of that hard work..?" Agatha muttered as she slowly let sweat drip down her face. She was so utterly exhausted that she wished she could just pass out and wake up the next day. But she knew that wasn't possible. She knew that she had to endure whatever came next. But at least she still had that beautiful night sky. It let her have some peace and quiet. Something that would allow her to just relax and not worry about a thing.

As she looked up upon the stars, she slowly put her hands together. And she remembered her Mother's words. If she ever felt doubt in her heart. If she ever wanted help... She could wish upon the stars. And she would hear her wish, and do what she could. Even when she was far away...

Agatha had always dismissed it. Because that damn Mother of hers was always away. Always overseas. No better than the other Mother who had abandoned her in that damned Manor. So she never thought to truly pray. And yet, when she was pushed to the brink like this, when she had no other option in her mind...

She prayed. And the ruby glow started to gather between her hands. As she opened them, that ruby glow swallowed her whole, and she found herself standing outside as the stars started to shine down on her even more. How..?

Another flash of ruby light spread out, and when she opened her eyes once more, a single girl stood in front of her. One made out of ruby. She could immediately tell that something was wrong with her, and yet she couldn't make her words leave her lips. Even though she knew that something dangerous was standing in front of her...

"Do not worry. Do not fear." The ruby girl said, gently bowing before her. "I've seen your struggle. I've seen your heart ache. And I've heard your wish. Say it once more, and I will make it come true. I will make it all come true, because you deserve much more than how you're treated."

Agatha stared at the ruby girl. She... She hadn't really read Cinderella, so all these roles weren't that familiar to her. But she could just tell that it wasn't right to be offered a wish like this. She knew she should turn it down. And yet, she started to part her lips.

"I wish-"

---

Mikai blinked a couple of times. Okay, things had gone several levels of wrong. She should've probably called Byakko before she even got close to the theatre. But here she was. Stranded in what looked like a town from the old times, and she was completely and utterly lost. In fact, it seemed like everyone was busy ignoring her completely. It was like she didn't even exist.

"Chimera? What do you think?" She asked, all while her mental companion appeared at her side, trying to scour the landscape for anything that seemed out of the ordinary.

The much larger lion-like woman tilted her neck a bit, humming and hawwing as she tried to put all this information together into some sort of understandable mush. Before throwing up her hands. "I think we're stuck in some weird world and we have to beat whatever Jõtaijin's causing it, because none of this makes sense." She explained, huffing a little. "When did humans even make houses like these? They look so inefficient! Don't they know about bricks?!"

Mikai chuckled a little as Chimera vanished back into the recesses of her mind. Well, she didn't expect much from her since they were both really lost, but it was nice to hear her input on things. Still, she had to figure out what they had to do.

As the hours passed by, it was clear that no matter how far she ran in one direction, she just ended up in the same part of the town after a while. Same if she ran in any other direction. Even digging down using her Ursa-flavored form didn't help much because she just ended up falling out of the sky. Something that ended up giving her a real pain in the butt, while slowly letting her put bits and pieces together.

She could tell that this entire world was basically just one big stage. Which meant that nothing existed outside of its boundaries. No matter how far up she went, no matter how far away she went, she wouldn't leave the stage. Not until something had happened.

Even knocking around the bit actors, who were definitely Pawns that needed to be saved, didn't do much. In fact, they didn't even seem to register any damage done by her. So whoever was running the show needed to get taken out. Just as usual, really, but it didn't hurt to try and figure things out.

Once Night had come to the town, it finally seemed like she could go somewhere. And that somewhere was a rather large looking noble-like building, which was honestly even more impressive looking than Agatha's manor. Maybe there were more maids inside. Maybe she could try out as a maid until she figured out a way out of this weird stage world..?

At least, that's what distracted her for a few moments before she noticed a bright ruby glow behind the building. The same sort of ruby glow that had managed to pull her into this world, which caused her to immediately grow suspicious. "You think that's the boss, Chimera?"

"Better be, I'm getting really tired of this village!" The voice inside her head shouted, goading her host on as they came to a consensus. All while Mikai's flaming will started to form across her body, while she ran right behind that building.

And she was rewarded for her curiosity by the sight of Agatha in a really crummy dress, and a very clearly bad Jõtaijin. What else could you call somebody made out of Ruby, who was currently busy trying to peddle away something to one of her friends?

"I wish-"

"Agatha! Don't do whatever she's telling you to do!"

Agatha's eyes widened as she heard Mikai call out to her, causing her to brightly smile for but a single second as she looked towards her. "Mikai! You're not affected by this place!?" She cried out, before pausing and blushing as her usual grumpiness came to the front. "Why you, why not me?!"

"I dunno! But it doesn't matter why! Because I'll put a stop to it before it keeps going!" Mikai cried out, slamming her hand against her chest. "Just get to safety, before something bad happens!"

Agatha grit her teeth a little, though she nodded. She couldn't really fight back against that ruby glow's influence, so why would this be different? At least she was here to help. "You better not lose! I don't want to be the one to knock your ass back into gear!"

As Agatha seemed to disappear as she ran further and further away, the ruby Jõtaijin shook her head and drew a simple looking blade from her palm. "You're interrupting the script. This Play needs to follow the script to the letter, otherwise it cannot continue." She said, all while her face remained completely emotionless. Not a single smile, not a single eye to make an expression with...

"It's not a good play if it's forcing my friends to be sad!" Mikai shouted back as she grabbed ahold of her chest, those flames gathering at her palm as she made a slashing motion with her arm, causing the light to spread across her form and give way to her beautifully white Light Unicorn form. "That's why I'm going to put an end to this play before it goes any further! With my Light!" She declared, taking the form of Mimoto as she always did when faced with threats to the city and her friends!

"This play will continue. As long as I stand upon this stage as its Dazzling Star, this play will continue!" The ruby Jõtaijin declared her name as she dashed towards the white-armored heroine, blade in hand and ready to strike.

Only for that blade to shatter in response to slamming against Mimoto's Unicorn Blade. It was too thick. It was too strong. Her Willpower was at its peak. And she wasn't about to let somebody hurt her friends, just because she wanted to keep standing on the same stage again and again!

Mimoto brought her blade back after that parry, letting her hand slide across the tube going through the middle of the blade. "Unicorn Beginning!" She didn't want to drag this out any longer than it had to. Best to just purify the girl's Jõtai Factor before it was too late. So she poured all of her willpower into the blade, letting it get surrounded by light as it started to shift form ever slightly. From a complicated yet willful blade into a straight and narrow lance like the Knights of the era would wield, one that she pointed straight towards the Dazzling Star!

Dazzling Star couldn't make an expression, though she could certainly put up a fight. "You will not be the one to take away my role! It's mine! Mine forever and ever! I stand upon this stage until the very end!" She shouted, drawing the same sort of blade as before straight from her body as she threw them in rapid succession, letting her determination to stand on the stage and her ambition to be the only star that dazzles the audience ring out and true.

Mimoto made quick work of this assault by quickly spinning her lance and whirling up a powerful light-fueled wind, knocking the blades off course as they all landed behind her, forming a three-pronged shape. The station for the star to stand upon. And Mimoto was right in front of it. Even her power made it seem like she was the real star of the show.

"UNICORN ENDING!" She shouted, as she reared her arm back and tossed the blade-turned-lance like a javelin. Straight towards the heart of the issue, the ring that was clearly the core of her entire transformation. If she could just strike true and launch it out of her, then the-

A wall of Darkness appeared in front of the Dazzling Star, tilted at just the right angle to the point where it smashed through and ultimately only grazed its target. All while the heroine was forced to just stare at how her finisher had been rendered completely null and void. Who had done it? As far as she could tell, there was only one confirmed Jõtai signal, even if it was a powerful one!

"Where are you looking, Mimoto?"

Mimoto trembled as she felt a shiver run up her spine. All as she noticed the edge of a staff wrapped around her neck. When did that get there? More importantly, who exactly was she now facing? "Who are you? Why are you aiding her? Why are you tormenting my friends?!" Her questions were getting frantic, as her heart and her will were wildly burning...

Only for a ruby glow to start covering her, causing the light to vanish as she was returned to normal. Right before the one wielding the staff that was currently wrapped around her neck spun her around and launched her towards the Dazzling Star, who couldn't help but descend and look down upon her with an expressionless feeling of glee.

Mikai coughed and gasped as she was being swallowed further and further by that ruby color. She didn't understand what it was. Just that she didn't like the feeling of it. And when she looked back at the one that had grabbed her, her eyes widened. It was that golden Jõtaider that had saved Spider! "You're with Golden Freedom, aren't you!?"

"You don't need to know. And you won't get the chance to know. Because your role in this has changed. You will no longer play a part as a main actor. Now you will be nothing but an extra." The enemy Jõtaider said, all while pointing that staff down at her with malicious intent. "All for stepping out of line and acting outside of your role."

Mikai didn't get it. Nor did she get a chance to understand. Dazzling Star's power was overwhelming her, as it became harder and harder for her to keep her eyes open, all while the world seemed to grow bigger and bigger. The last thing she saw before she passed out was what seemed to be a large boot towering over her, and nothing else...

---

While Mikai was busy being forced into the role of an Extra, Agatha was gasping and panting. She had run so far, and yet it felt like she hadn't gotten anywhere.

"Where am I..?" She muttered, gasping and panting more and more as sweat softly poured down her face. She couldn't stand this feeling. Being lost inside a play she couldn't control. It was making her really frustrated. Like she was just running on a treadmill that never allowed her to get off. She wanted it to stop. She wanted to have control back in her hands.

And yet she didn't have that. Especially not as she saw that ruby glow once more, and a masked actor, dressed in a similar fashion to the ruby girl that had tried to offer her a wish, reached towards her with her gloved hand. All with a soft and supportive look on her face. A strangely familiar look. Not to mention that near monochrome hair...

Before she knew what had happened, she was standing in front of a set of stairs leading up to the castle that had been in the background during this entire ordeal. And her dress was not only proper and bright and shiny like a proper bride's should be, but there was another well-suited girl standing at the top of the steps.

Agatha blushed a little as she looked closer. "Saeko..?" She muttered. That girl with the spectacles had managed to clean up nicely, as she looked almost like a proper prince when she was standing at the top of those steps. Even as her hair was stuffed into the back of her collar to make her look more masculine, it wasn't hard to identify her as that worried cutie. But this air about her was so different. Probably due to her current part in all of this.

"Where are you going?"

That was the last thing that Agatha managed to hear, before the clock struck twelve...

---

Mikai blinked a couple of times as she woke up. Then she blinked a few more as all she seemed to see was complete darkness. And not the kind of darkness that was nice and comforting and born from her mental conversations with Chimera. No, this was just plain ol' no-light darkness.

The last thing she remembered was facing down the Jõtaijin of the day, and now she found herself in darkness. Not only that, but it felt like her balance had been thrown off completely. The best thing she could do was probably just... Well, call on Chimera. That was probably going to solve things.

"Chimera, you here?" Mikai asked, blinking a little as she let a different kind of Darkness surround her, casting everything in the inner warmth from her heart. If she was lucky, then-

Mikai froze as a massive foot appeared in front of her. A very cute foot that belonged to an even cuter woman that was currently towering over her. Very literally in this case, Chimera was so absurdly tall that it was actually impossible to see her face. Why was she so tall!?

"...Mikai, why are you a mouse?"

Mikai blinked as she heard that, then she looked at herself, only illuminated thanks to the nature of her mental space. Indeed, it seemed like she had been transformed into a slightly cartoonish mouse. Which only served to add to the confusion of what was happening. How had she been transformed into a mouse? And why a mouse of all things? She hadn't seen this play, much less any kind of adaptation!

It also didn't help that Chimera had decided to lie down and lean her face as close to the tiny mouse, which only made her eyes look so much bigger and brought out the feral nature of them. It was like a big cat was gleaming down at her, waiting for her chance to strike. She didn't like it!

"How should I know?! What do we do, how do I-"

A ruby glow suddenly surrounded Mikai, snapping off her connection to her inner predator as she was returned to the world of the stage, with her idly watching Agatha from atop of one of the shelves. Only once the glow disappeared did she snap back to normal, gasping and panting as being controlled like that wasn't good for her...

"Okay... That's not good at all..." MIkai muttered, looking at her little furry arm before realizing that she didn't have anything wrapped around it. Being forced into this role had stripped her of every possible offensive option. She wasn't even sure if she was able to really transform at this point. She was a rat, after all!

And Agatha wasn't doing very well either, at least from what she could see from her vantage point. Her stout friend was just washing away at the same laundry again and again. She wasn't even checking if it had gotten all the way clean when she rinsed it the last time. She just kept on scrubbing and dunking it in the water. Over and over and over again...

"What I wouldn't give to just have a good life..." Agatha muttered as she slowly pulled another piece of overly wet clothing out of the water, as she started to scrub it all over again. "A life with a Mother that cares. A life with a Mother that's not absent. A life where I don't have to worry and do all of this with so much help that it suffocates me..."

Mikai blinked. Hold on. If she was going to keep cleaning, and all she had to do was watch to fill her role, then... Maybe if she just got a bit closer. But there didn't seem to be any safe spots to land because it was all a bunch of hard and flat surfaces. So if she leapt, she'd break something.

Thinking as quickly as she possibly could, and throwing caution to the wind, Mikai ran off the edge of the shelf she found herself on and leapt down towards the water that was stuffed full of clothes. Sure, it'd hurt a ton, but it'd be better than breaking something!

Agatha blinked as she saw something splash onto the surface of the water. And for a moment, a ruby glow vanished from her eyes. What was that..? Well, whatever it was, it didn't belong in the water.

The blonde scooped whatever had landed in the water out of it, and only slightly raised her eye when she noticed it was a mouse. "Huh. Guess even mice need to clean themselves." She muttered, carefully helping the mouse onto a nearby desk as she continued to scrub away at the dress she had been forced to clean.

Mikai trembled a bit. Landing like that had definitely been a bad idea, because every single part of her body was shaking after the backlash of landing on the surface of the water. But at least she wasn't dead! Or worse!

Still, she had to try and help her friend. So she sat there. Staring right at her as she continued washing away at the laundry. Hoping that she'd say something. Hoping that she'd overhear something that could help. Even if she was a lil' mouse, she'd try and help!

Agatha looked towards the strangely sandy-furred mouse. "You're being awfully behaved for a mouse. What, do you want to learn how to wash clothes?" She asked, and the mouse just stared. Which caused the stout girl to just chuckle in return. "Oh, what am I doing? I'm so late with my chores that I'm starting to talk to a mouse. I must be going mad. No wonder Stepmother's trying her best to get rid of me..." She muttered, biting her lip...

Mikai just kept on staring. Which seemed to help Agatha loosen her lips, as she finally just let go of the clothes she had been washing, nearly collapsing in the process. "What am I even doing with my life..? All I've done since my Mother and my Mother have left me is just... I've been so aggressive towards the people that are supposed to be my friends. Lashing out because I don't know what I'm doing..."

This was the first time that Mikai was really getting to hear about her friend's problems. And it suddenly started to put her anger into a whole new kind of perspective. "Mother... She's overseas doing lord knows what. I don't know, and she never wants to say. All that I remember is that she told me that those Maids she hired will take care of me. And Mother... Well, she never bothered to try and raise me. The moment she had the opportunity, she went right back to the criminal life she loved. Because the only reason she had stuck around was because of Mother..."

A few tears slowly started to run down Agatha's cheeks as she looked at the mouse that just silently supported her by sitting there. "You probably don't know what I'm saying, do you, mouse?" She asked, chuckling softly despite her emotions running over. "Here I am. Drowning in my own sadness, even though I'm forced to play this stupid role. I can't stop. I can't stop seeing her in that Pawn. I can't stop seeing Mother disapproving of me, just because of who I am. No matter which Mother it is..."

The only thing that Mikai could do in response to hearing all of this was squeak. Well, to hear that Agatha had two Moms was one thing. She'd have to remind her to differentiate between them later, because she was already being taken for a spin. But at the same time, they left her all alone, huh..? Sure, her dad had done what Agatha's Mom had done in a less egregious way, but... They were a lot more like each other than she had originally expected. Maybe that was why Agatha lashed out so much.

As Agatha lowered her head and just violently sobbed as the bottle on her emotions had been opened, Mikai carefully put her little mouse paw on her friend's head, patting her and trying to show her a bit of support. Even though it wouldn't help. What she needed to do after this was definitely try and ask her if she could help, but... That could only happen if she managed to deal with the Jõtaijin.

"Psssst. Mikaaaai-senpaaaaai..."

A whisper echoed out through the basement, one that Agatha didn't hear due to her current emotional state. But Mikai certainly did, causing her to look towards the window. And standing there, blocking the light as it poured in, was a muddy-haired girl that she was best friends with. Kimiko! She hadn't been affected by the play? How?

It didn't matter how, at least Mikai didn't think it did. As long as somebody could understand her, then that would be enough. Getting over to that window was hard too, but Mikai was nothing if not extremely determined when it mattered most!

A little bit of scampering later, and a lot of rapidly running up the same wall until gravity decided to ignore her attempts and promptly let her run up a wall like it was nothing, and the poor lil' mouse managed to get out of the window. All so she could look at her Best Friend, who seemed happy to see her.

"Well, you've run into a bit of a problem, haven't you?" Kimiko chuckled as she kneeled down to look at Mikai, all while the mask she wore currently obscured her expression. "You should've put on a mask, Mikai-senpai. It could help you against this. Because then you wouldn't have a role. You'd be seen as just an extra."

Mikai blinked a couple of times as she heard that. Weird, but she was an extra now. How did that make any sense? Either way, she squeaked and she squirmed, but none of her words were properly translating into human speak. She was still practically useless...

Kimiko just chuckled as Mikai squeaked away, pulling off her mask ever so slightly before winking. "Just watch for a moment. Okay, Mikai-senpai?" She said, keeping things in the dark as night suddenly started to fall. Even though it had only been a few minutes since the sun hung up in the air. Then again, this entire world was basically one giant play. Of course time could change so rapidly.

Mikai just had to accept that things were weird, as she started watching. And just like what had happened before, she saw Agatha and that Jõtaijin in the distance, with Agatha this close to making a wish. She wanted to go stop her, but what could she do? She was still just a mouse!

"I wish to have..." Agatha thought about her Mother. The one that had left. And then the one that had abandoned her because she didn't care to raise her. She wanted a happy life. She wanted them to stop leaving her. She wanted them back where they were supposed to be.

But the ruby glow started to overtake her before she had the chance. The ruby glow that had forced her to go along with the script, causing her to giggle softly like a princess-to-be. "I want to be pretty, so I can meet the Prince. But only until midnight. I mustn't let stepmother know."

The ruby-colored Dazzling Star nodded and brought forth a wand from her palm, carefully twirling it above the girl's head. Slowly turning her patchwork dress into a proper dress, one that glittered with the same ruby glow as the Dazzling Star. A dress that made her lose her luster while she wore it...

Agatha's face slowly turned pitch black as she fell in line with the script, and pulled up on her skirt. Off to meet her prince, just as she had done before...

Mikai stared in disbelief, but now she understood. If they could stop that wish, or even hijack it so it didn't take effect, then they would be able to take over. Or at least, that's what she could guess! She didn't know, how was she supposed to know.

Kimiko just chuckled as she carefully helped her mouse-sized senpai down onto the ground. "What will you do now, Senpai? What will you do, knowing that you're a little mouse that can't do anything?"

Mikai looked up at Kimiko, and a fire slowly burned in her eyes. She knew what she had to do. But she had to find somebody that could help. Somebody that understood.

For that, she ran off. Leaving her muddy-haired friend behind. If she was able to keep her identity intact thanks to a mask, she just had to look for somebody else with a mask. Anybody..!

Mikai dashed along the roads in the town as she tried her very best to track down anybody that didn't seem changed. But all she could see were Pawns that had become part of the routine. She even saw what looked to be Yumeko and Tsubasa in a set of matching sisterly dresses, she just couldn't focus on them because there were more important things on the menu.

Eventually, she reached a fountain. Where somebody familiar was sitting. Or at least, she looked familiar. It was a woman dressed in a white dress with an elegant black jacket. Combine that with a fur-trimmed red cape that was pinned to her uniform with a Pawn-shaped pin, and there were very few people that matched that kind of description. Especially once she saw that familiar skunk stripe.

The masked woman looked down upon the mouse... And only managed to raise her eyebrow but for a moment, before the clock struck twelve once more, and everything was once again swallowed by the ruby lights that would reset the day all over again.

This time, things would be different..!

---

The scene that served as the crux of this loop played out once again. Agatha, weary over being used by her fake family, stood in front of the Dazzling Star. Her eyes barely ruby, as her face had practically been completely swallowed by the Pawn dome around her head. She was filling her role. Just like everyone else.

"I've come to grant you a wish. Because your family wants nothing but misery for you. This wish will give you everything you want. You just have to say what you wish for." The Dazzling Star said, reaching out her hand as its ruby shine started to fill the Pawn's drome. Driving her to follow the same lines as usual...

Agatha reached for that hand, smiling underneath the dome. "I wish-"

She didn't get to touch that hand. Not before two blades carved straight through the wrist, and the living gemstone fell to the ground. All while neither of the two actors flinched, at least not while the act was happening.

"Who dares to interrupt this role of mine?" The Dazzling Star said, casting her proverbial eyes around to try and see the one that had interrupted it all. The one that had gone off script... The one that had taken that hand that just hit the ground!

Standing a bit further away, illuminated by the light shining down above, was a single black-haired woman with white streaks running through that black. A masked woman with two blades who slowly removed that very same mask, revealing a familiar face that had been fighting against Jõtaijin like her for quite some time now..!

"My name is Hiro Fukano! Jõtaider PAWN! This eternal play is a farce, and I've come to put an end to it!" She shouted, abandoning her role as an extra while unbuttoning her top once to reveal a familiar cartoony rat poking its way out of her bosom. Mikai had found her once again, using her knowledge that hadn't been tampered with this time around!

The Dazzling Star was furious, and so was her benefactor, as Agatha was yanked out of the way by a staff that very suddenly appeared around her neck, giving way to the golden-armored Jõtaider that had set all of it into motion.

"I didn't expect somebody to break into this eternal play. Nor did I expect her to find a way to communicate with you despite that tiny form. How?"

Hiro smiled a little. "That girl has rubbed off on me more than she could ever imagine." She said, carefully plucking the little mouse version of Mikai out of her bosom. "Even if she's like this, I can tell what she's thinking. I can tell what she wants to say. And I can tell that I'm wrong even then. But you know what?" She said with confidence, all while cupping the ruby hand with her other palm. "It doesn't matter. Because she's my partner. And she puts her trust in me, just like I put my trust in her! So this time, I'll play your role, Jõtaijin!"

The hand sunk into hers, causing a traditional dress to appear upon her form, complete with a robe and a very cutesy wand. And with a smile on her face, she turned her eyes down towards the mouse on her other palm. "Little Mikai, what is your wish? Tell me, and I'll make it true."

Mikai squeaked and squeaked, looking confident as she squeaked. Because what Hiro said was true. Even if they couldn't understand each other, they were filled with trust!

"Turn everything back to normal? Of course, that's not hard to do!" Hiro said, spinning the wand for a second. "Bibbidi,Bobbidi, Boo!" She recanted the magic words, as a bright white light started to emerge from the two.

"No! My stage!" Dazzling Star cried out as she tried to cast her own spell, but it was too late. She was swallowed by the white light as well...

Once the light vanished, so did everyone else. Or rather, they had appeared in the audience. Whether it was Kimiko, Tsubasa, Yumeko, Agatha or Saeko, all of them were softly and resoundingly sleeping on their respective seats. It even seemed like their Pawnification had been reverted... As if that was only caused by their role in the play.

Mikai and Hiro were now standing side by side against the enemy Jõtaider and the Jõtaijin that had caused it all, both of the heroes grinning as they had managed to outsmart them at the last minute.

"My eternal stage... My stardom..!" Dazzling Star cried out, tears pouring down her face as her features returned to normal. Her original face had returned, because she couldn't fill any role without a stage. And without a stage, she couldn't fight..!

"Give it up! You can't possibly take both of us!" Mikai cried out, sticking her hand out into the air as the flames of her will flowed across her form. "Henshin!" She shouted, letting her armor completely cover her just like before. Not the armor of the Unicorn, this was the classic Flame Lion armor that had made Mimoto famous!

Hiro nodded, as she brought her hand to her wrist. She had to thank Suzaku for the quick work with that costume. She didn't want to end up on stage and look her part. Those swords were perfect replicas of that old saber she had used once too. But now, it was time to-

"Who says I need to take both of you?"

Hiro's eyes widened as she found herself suddenly tossed towards the Dazzling Star, courtesy of the golden Jõtaider's staff gripping around her throat. She didn't even have the chance to do much of anything beyond that, as the desperate ruby-colored girl laughed and picked her up by her collar.

"If I must share the stage with somebody, then let it be the one who's inherited my role!" The Dazzling Star cried out, as her ruby glow suddenly started right back up, resonating with the hand that had fused with Hiro to allow her to stop the stage from continuing.

Mimoto tried to run towards her friend to stop it, but all she got for her trouble was a staff straight to the face, as the golden-clad Jõtaider stood in her way. "You leave yourself too open, Mimoto. That will prove to become your downfall." She said, all while serving as the Jõtajin's guardian for the time being.

Once the glow had died down, Hiro gasped and panted as her entire form had taken on the same ruby sheen as the Dazzling Star. She couldn't do much except follow the script. A script that hadn't yet been written. But once it was written, she would join the Dazzling Star on the stage. As the next Dazzling Lead. Yes, that was her role. A role that required her to be as pretty..!

Mimoto rubbed her side a bit, specifically where she had been struck by that staff. The pain was way worse than when she fought her Mom or Spider. This Jõtaider was on a whole different level. It was like her willpower was being sucked out with every blow. Which meant that she couldn't fight her. Not like this.

"Mikai. Come in Mikai." The sound of Huanglong, Hiro's on-board AI, echoed through her head. Using the same communications module that let her connect to Byakko. "I can hold back her mind from being completely corroded for a minute or two. But this Jõtaijin is persistent. Her ambition fuels her Jötai factor. You need to be quick, strike her down."

Mimoto really didn't need to hear that right now, but she nodded and steeled herself. If she needed to get around the enemy and strike at the problem to save her friend, then she needed Frost Wolf. But Frost Wolf didn't do enough damage on its own without setup, which would cause a problem. The explosive power of Flame Lion or the stage-smashing power of Earth Ursa would be needed. But they couldn't get around this golden enemy...

"Since when did you think you had the time to think?" The golden enemy said as she spun her staff once, only for it to shift in shape as the sound of a hammer rang out, and it suddenly took the form of a rather intimidating shotgun. A shotgun that fired pellets full of her own willpower, each difficult to dodge.

Mimoto tried for sure, but she couldn't really do it. Several of those pellets hit her leg, causing the armor to shatter and cause her to very quickly trip and land on her chest, gritting her teeth as the pain poured through her. What could she do? ...No, she knew what she had to do.

It didn't matter what she did. What mattered was that she did it. Because it meant that she was reaching out. And that's all it took to help somebody..!

"Where's that new form of yours, Mimoto. The one you used to almost destroy her in an instant. Where is it?" The golden Jõtaider said as she pumped her weapon once again, stepping closer to the grounded girl as she trained that muzzle on the girl that had gotten in her way. "Show it to me. Or else."

"CHOU HENSHIN!"

Mimoto didn't answer with a proper answer. No, she transformed into her icy form and suddenly dashed forward, despite her leg being in a proper mess. It didn't matter if she was damaged. It didn't matter if she couldn't do as much damage with this form. She was going to do that damage. No matter what!

"Persistent..!" The golden Jõtaider cried out as she fired another slug in the direction of her ally and the enemy, hoping to hit the latter and lower her abilities again.

But Mimoto was too fast. There was no way to catch her when she was this fast. But at the same time, it would take too long for her to build up the momentum she needed to deliver the fatal blow.

"Join me on the stage, Dazzling Lead! Join me, and our stage shall last for all eternity!" Dazzling Star cried out, as her Jõtai Factor was spreading further and further into Hiro. All while Dazzling Star's face vanished further and further. She was leaning heavily into her role as a corrupting influence..!

Hiro trembled the more she listened. Yes, she was going to be on the stage. Just like the Dazzling Star. The stage called to her. She was the stage, and it would be with her..!

In the midst of the Jõtaijin's eager gloating, the air around her suddenly froze for a split second. And in that second, she saw the predatory eyes of Mimoto's helmet glaring into her own, as she concentrated all that freezing energy she had built up into her hands, just like when she tried to make her flames erupt in Flame Lion. "No... No! Don't take my role away from m-"

"ALPHA ERUPTION!"

Time froze. Or at least, that's what it felt like. In reality, everything but time froze. The entire stage and everyone on it were completely and utterly chilled below zero. The only one that was able to move was Mimoto, and even she wasn't exactly able to move. Putting that much freezing energy into her body and spreading it out like the explosive payloads she pulled off as Flame Lion wasn't healthy, but it was exactly what she needed.

Because if she couldn't do a lot of damage in one short moment, then she just needed to do the right damage. Damage that wouldn't be hard to deal, because the target was right there in front of her-

"I won't let you..!"

A shot rang out, as the willpower-laden bullets barely missed Mimoto thanks to using Hiro's frozen body as a shield. Sure, she was going to complain about a lack of motivation, but at least Mimoto still had the chance to attack. Still, that golden Jõtaider was a lot more persistent than she'd like to admit. Better finish the job.

Mimoto's claw popped forward as she jammed it straight through the frozen Dazzling Star, just as another shot slammed Hiro into her... But that was all she needed. That one aggressive claw-tipped punch was all it took to shatter the Jõtai inside the Jõtaijin's heart...

And with that, the curtains finally fell on this play. Dazzling Star was returned back to her original form of Akemi Hokori, whose body was still partly glowing with that ruby shade, to show that she was still following her ambition to stand on the stage... And Hiro's own transformation came to an end, leaving her with just her hand turned to ruby instead of anything more severe.

The golden Jõtaider grit her teeth underneath her helmet, the hammer of her heart ringing out as her shotgun turned back into a staff. She had failed. Even if she eliminated them both here, she wouldn't get her satisfaction. She had to return another day. Only then would she get what she wanted...

As she sank into the darkness, she glared towards Mimoto as her emerald eye shined brightly. "Mimoto. Know this. You will fall. For going against your role, you will feel the wrath of Jõtaider Kanzei. That is my duty. That was my duty that you stole..!"

And then she vanished. Just as quickly as she had appeared. Leaving Mikai to transform back and shiver from head to toe, coughing and sneezing a little as she held up her wrist... "H-Hey, Byakko..? C-Can you call Miss Genbu and get her to pick us all up? I might've gone a little overboard..."

"The hell do you mean overboard!? And where the hell did your signatures go?!" Byakko's voice echoed over the comms, though Mikai didn't answer. Because she passed out with a worried yet relieved smile on her face, exhausted after everything she had to do.

She had learned a couple of things from this. Light Unicorn was powerful, but easy to disrupt if she wasn't in control of herself. And  she could always improve her own attacks more. As long as she just tried to experiment.

For now though, she needed to rest. And after everything else... She needed a long talk with Agatha, about her parents and what she could do to help...

---

"I didn't expect you to be the type to write home, Colonel Fushimi."

Colonel Michael Fushimi looked over his shoulder, looking upon the woman decked out in black and red latex as well as an intricate eyepatch. "Well, I didn't expect you to treat your soldiers with a lot more care than your title would imply, Commissar Eclipse." He said, smiling a little at the sight of her. "Remarkably well cared for, even. Despite the signs that you've imprinted yourself upon them and transformed them into drones, you've been reducing the amount of influence bit by bit, allowing them to take control and choose for themselves."

A blush poured onto Commissar Eclipse's cheeks as she stepped closer. "You've learned that in a matter of weeks? I thought I had done a lot to keep that secret. I made sure that they wouldn't spill their secrets, no matter who they came across." She seemed outright flustered, despite being a commander of mercenary-esque troops.

"Reaching out goes a long way, you know." Michael replied, before turning towards her properly. "That's why you came in here, isn't it? You wanted to reach out a bit yourself. If you'd like, I could help you reach out to any family you may have. I mean, if you have any, I can't claim a soldier of your pedigree has a family to return to."

"...I don't. Or at least, not any longer." Commissar Eclipse said, before clearing her throat a little. "Perhaps it's time to try and fix that, Colonel?" She said as she held out her hand. "Paper and pen, if you'd please."

He handed her a spare and lifted his rump off his seat, so she could occupy it instead, before watching as she wrote a rather formal letter that one would rather call a report considering the timestamps... Only for her to stop as she prepared to sign it. "What's the matter?"

She just shook her head. No, he was allowed to know. She signed it with her name, and quietly handed the letter to him. "Make sure this arrives, Colonel Fushimi. I'm counting on you."

With a salute, Commissar Eclipse left the tent belonging to the Colonel, and returned to take care of her troops. All while the Colonel had a chance to look at her signature...

'Minerva Anemone'