After Martin’s heart-to-heart with the girls, they were very quickly shoo’d away and warned to not speak to either Dawn or Julia. Not having much else to do, and still a little jet lagged, the girls went their separate ways and fell asleep, preparing for the week’s midweek challenge.

~~~

European Quarter, Brussels

     Early that morning, a group of PAs had gathered all of the contestants up to travel with Drake, Martin, and Andrea to the headquarters of the European Magic Union.

     Unlike most days, where he wore essentially slightly higher class business casual, Martin was all business today, wearing a professional looking suit, and carrying with him a large binder. He still looked incredibly tired, but there was a drive behind his eyes that had been missing the last couple of days.

     Drake and Andrea were likewise dressed rather formerly. The earlier in a suit similar to Martin’s, the latter in a long flowing black dress.

     Separated from the group, and similarly coming along on their journey were Dawn and Julia. Dawn was wearing a stunning red dress, holding herself up high as she walked towards an unknown fate. Julia on the other hand, was wearing a much more modest blue sundress. She was holding desperately on to Dawn’s hand, while her other hand was up in her red hair, nervously twirling it around.

     The building for the European Magic Union’s Main Office was one that clearly could only be accomplished thanks to a bit of magic. It was a tower that resembled a demented version of Eiffel Tower in many ways, except that it was completely upside down.

     The building started off from an incredibly fine tip that gradually expanded as it climbed upwards into the sky. Various blue metal beams then branched off from this tip, originally starting out structured, but that sense of structure being thrown to the wayside half way up the building, as the beams seemed to jut out randomly. Individual, shipping crate sized rooms would be sprinkled along these beams. Some seemed to be interconnected, while others looked as though a strong wind could blow them off from the main structure. This led to the top of the structure resembling a blue tree almost, with the same chaotic distribution recreated in metal form.

     As the group approached the same structure, two large burly men wearing black suits, sunglasses and ear pieces approached, instructing them to follow them. They led the group the rest of the way to the base of the tower.

     Once there, the two security guards slide their hands down the base of the tower, the metal suddenly glowing white hot, as from the metal, a plain white wooden door slid out, opening upon a court room.

     “Courtroom D-13” The security guard on the left explained.

     Drake turned to Andrea, “Now… Are you absolutely sure you can handle running the midweek competition on your own?”

     Andrea looked annoyed, raising an eyebrow “Really?”

     Drake cracked the smallest smile, “Just checking. Just checking,” Despite his normal aversion to human contact, Drake extended his hand out in a handshake. Andrea returned in kind with a hug, which Drake returned as well. “Knock ‘em dead, Andrea. I know you’ll do great.”

     “Thanks. You too,” Andrea responded in kind, breaking their hug, “And try not to go to jail. What’ll I binge the next few weeks if ANGA gets cancelled?”

     Drake laughs, as he, Martin, Dawn and Julia were escorted into the court room.

     The security guard closed the door, which quickly slid back into the tower, a new set of double doors soon sliding out. “Recreation Center,” The security guard on the right announced.

    Andrea smiled as she led the contestants in.

~~~

EMU’s Recreation Center

     The recreation center of the European Magic Union was really just a single large room, much larger than what could have fit in any one of the structures seen hanging up in the tower. It had a large circular patch of grass in the center of the room large enough to allow for a full football pitch, and an outer circle of hard, red clay perfect for running laps.

     Andrea smiled as she turned to the four contestants, “Well girls,” Andrea smiles, “Normally this would be the time Drake would probably give me an introduction, but you all already know me pretty well, so I think we can skip straight to the challenge.” Andrea smiled as she walked over to a large drum, inside of which, were four large, metal saws.

     She passed one to each of the girls, before explaining, “Today’s challenge is going to be a rather simple one. I want you to use these enchanted blades to make yourself into the most interesting statue possible.”

     The contestants looked at each other. Kacie asking, “That’s it?”

     Andrea grinned mischievously, “Yep! Let your creativity fly! I’ll be judging them though, so try your best to make them extra interesting!” Olive raised her hand. “Yes Olive?”

     Olive seemed nervous as she asked, “Do we have to use these blades, dear?”

     Andrea smiled warmly at her, “A great question. The point of the challenge is to encourage creativity through limitation, so yes. The only transformations you are allowed to do to yourself must be done with the saw’s magic.”

     The girls nodded their heads before getting to work.

     Kacie immediately placed the saw blade against her neck, slicing through it with ease as she got about her plan. Natalie and Paxton were not that far behind her, each sawing off one of their own legs.

     Only Olive remained, still completely the same as she had started the challenge. She nervously walked up to Andrea whispering, “Do you mind if we talk for a moment?”

     Andrea nodded, the two of them walking away from the other contestants, “What’s up?”

     “Well…” Olive bit her lip, “You might find a little peculiar… but… Well… I’m not the biggest fan of this,” She wiggled the saw blade, the bending making a humorous noise.

     “Oh?!” Andrea said in shock.

     “Yeah…” Olive sighed, “I don’t know what it is really. I’m fine with in pieces, don’t get me wrong, but there’s just something about the idea of using blades,” Olive shudders. “It just makes me really nervous.”

     “Well, I’m really sorry Olive, but I’ve already laid out the rules of the challenge,” Andrea sighed, “If you don’t want to lose, you’ll have to cut yourself up.”

     Olive stewed on this for a moment, before asking, “Well dear… Would it be alright if I sat this one out then?”

     Andrea raised her eyebrows slightly, “So… you’d willingly take the punishment in order to not do the challenge.”

     Olive looked down embarrassed, “Y-yes… That’s right. I’m sorry.”

     Andrea smiled, giving Olive a hug, “No need to apologize, Olive. What you’ve done is very brave. Would you be okay if I told the other girls?”

     Olive blushed. “I suppose it’d be okay.”

     Andrea stopped the girls midway through their transformations, “Girls. I have some important info to share.

     Olive will not be participating in this challenge. She does not feel comfortable cutting herself up with a blade, and I would really like to take this opportunity to remind all of you that just because a magician asks you to do something, does not mean that you are required to do so. Most magician’s contracts nowadays include ‘right to refuse’ policies, and so if you ever truly feel uncomfortable in a situation, make sure to talk to your magician about your concerns.”

     The other girls clapped, Olive blushing deeply as Andrea came back to her, giving her a hug, “Why don’t you go sit on the benches. And again, thank you so much for coming to me with your concerns.”

     The timer was up, and the girls had been suitably transformed for the purposes of judging.

     Paxton had gone rather simple, adjusting her limbs in order to give her body a four-legged stance, and moving her neck to her back so that she could look forwards. “Awwww,” Andrea coo’d, petting Paxton’s head, “You look almost like a dog this way!”

     Next up was Natalie, who had clearly taken inspiration from both her love of big box magic and previous season’s of ANGA. She had place her torso on the floor and had managed to attach her head to it. Her arms and legs bent at right angles to act as the frames to a open aired, makeshift head box. Andrea nodded her head, “Good attempt… Although I would have appreciated something a little more original.”

     Last in the order was Kacie, who had gone a little overboard with the saw, with almost no part where it originally had started. She had a leg connected to where her neck should have been, with a hand replacing her foot. Meanwhile, her own head was attached in between her hips (which had been inverted) and her chest. Her toes had sort of been haphazardly placed wherever on her body, with no rhyme or reason. “Ooh!” Andrea said, “I love the chaotic energy!”

     Andrea motioned for Olive to come over, the older woman taking her spot in the line-up. Andrea smiled warmly at the girls, “You’ve each done an excellent job today. And I knew you all were going to, since you’ve been doing so well this entire season.

     So…” Andrea’s mischievous grin came back, “I decided that I wasn’t going to judge you… Instead, we’re going to move on to the second part of to this competition!”

~~~

EMU’s Recreation Center (The Second Task)

     The girls gasped, as Andrea explained, “So now, the rules are once again simple. Keeping the forms you’re currently in, run a lap around the track. First person to do so will be tonight’s winner!”

     “What!” Kacie said, doing her best to wiggle slightly, “But that’s unfair! I wasn’t expecting to have to move around like this!”

     Andrea grinned, “Well, that’s the big lesson I wanted to teach you girls today. You see, as an assistant, you need to always be thinking ahead, and remembering that your actions, onstage and offstage, have consequences. What may seem like a good idea now could seriously hurt you down the line.”

     With some effort, the contestants were lined up on the starting line of the race track, and with the sound of her whistle, the contestants were off.

     Well, really only Paxton and Olive were off. Natalie had essentially given up, acknowledging that her form offered her no mobility what-so-ever, and choosing to just watch the race as it went along. Kacie was still trying desperately to co-ordinate her body to move, but was barely managing to wiggle forwards.

     For a majority of the race, Paxton and Olive were neck-and-neck. Paxton being unfamiliar with her new form was going slightly slower than a full out sprint, while Olive seemed to be trying her hardest.

     Eventually after one short lap, Olive crossed the finish line barely a hair quicker than Paxton. As she huffed, clearly exhausted from the race, Andrea came over, grinning, “Well girls, it looks like Olive has won the competition that actually mattered.”

     The other girls seemed annoyed at this announcement. “Unfortunately,” Andrea continued to grin, “Due to refusing to transform herself in the first round, Olive will also be joining all of you in your punishment transformation!”

     It was the other girls’ turn to grin, as Olive looked confused, “What? B-But you said-“

     Andrea gave Olive a hug, “I said that what you did was very brave and the right call. I never said that your choosing to refuse wouldn’t result in consequences of their own. It’s why reading agreements and knowing exactly what you’re getting into is a really important part of being an assistant.”

     Andrea let go of her hug, and addressed the rest of the girls, “And not to worry… Because I’ll be joining in the fun too! After all, I would never ask you girls to suffer a transformation I’m not also willing to do.”

     Finally, Andrea turned towards the camera, addressing it as best she could in an announcer like manner, “Well, I guess that challenge probably wasn’t what you were expecting. In any case, It’s now time to cast your vote on how to change everyone. Thanks for watching!”

Sorry, Voting is Closed

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

& Question Corner &

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To all the assistants: “I'm so sorry I missed most of the party! I was really looking forward to getting to know all of you better. I probably just went to the restroom, then forgot what I was doing.” -Phian (@@vanishedmagician)

 Olive: Olive smiled warmly, “Oh dear, it’s perfectly fine, How about tomorrow us girls get together tomorrow and talk. There’s probably not much we’re going to be able to do anyhow!” Olive laughs.

 Paxton: “Don’t worry Phian, there’s still plenty of time in the week to get to talk! I know Olive’s interested in scheduling something, so hopefully we’ll get to talk more than.”

 Natalie: “Phian, Thank you so much for giving me your Autograph yesterday! Seriously, it was so cool to meet you! You’re practically a legend among the magic circles I follow! I’m sorry we couldn’t chat more at the party too, but it’s probably for the best, because I’d probably just be drilling you with questions the entire night,” Natalie blushes,

 Kacie: “Awww. Phian, I’m interested in getting to know more about you too! Don’t worry about missing out on Andrea’s party, we definitely will get together before we leave! Even if we have to schedule it ourselves.”

To Paxton: “Looking back at the footage, it feels like I might not have been as helpful as I could have. If nothing struck you in the market, maybe try looking up non-humans common in other regions? There's a whole magical world out there! Have you ever met a nukekubi? Or maybe a manananggal.” -Phian (@@vanishedmagician)

 Paxton: Paxton blushes, “Oh! It’s okay! I just assumed you were really busy and may have been a little scatterbrained.

 I don’t really have much experience with non-humans from others regions honestly. I don’t really have much experience with non-humans in general, honestly” Paxton blushes further, “Just one of the joys of being from middle-of-nowhere America. I once thought my gym teacher was a Sasquatch, but it turned out that he was just really hairy,” Paxton giggles nervously.

 “It’s been really cool meeting all of these non-humans though… And I’ll definitely have to look some more up!"

To Martin: “It's great to see you're finally getting those talks you need. I'd still like to pull you away when you've got a minute. And it looks like you might have had a lot of free time today, too! That's a shame. Do you like spa trips? Or maybe there's something else you like to do for leisure.” -Phian (@@vanishedmagician)

 Martin: Martin smiles at the camera, “It’s great to finally talk about these things, Phian. It really feels like a massive weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

 And as for leisure activities, I would never say no to a spa day. However, my go to leisure activity is going out and watching a movie.”

To Olive: “Stories, eh? Sorry, I'm the worst person for that. Umm... I guess there's this routine I've been doing lately where I- no, I can't say that in public. Oh! I sort of remember camping! There's this lovely spot in a forest a lot like this one, right by a stream. I think there was a game I was trying to play there, but not everyone was interested? Hmmm. Yeah, that's about all that comes to mind.” -Phian (@@vanishedmagician)

 Olive: “Oh! It’s okay, dear. No need to worry about disappointing me, I’ve got plenty enough stories for the both of us,” Olive winks at Phian, “And besides, I mostly just wanted to use it as an excuse to get some tea with you. I’ve got some lovely tea leaves that Henry got me for my birthday, and I’ve been dying to find a good excuse to use them,” Olive smiles brightly.

To Everyone:

"Well, this is certainly an unexpected twist, yet that doesn't mean that I will judge, I know how hard it is to become an Assistant, seriously. And I only know of two Assistants who where four girls before they got their chance.

Still it's a no shocker that Drake is running in his flight or fight response and going nuts. He is right about the whole shebang of broken Contract. Still I support the girls Dawn and Julia, I mean they went through lengths to pull their act off, that shows determination. And I'm really surprised and happy that you, Martin, also put your foot down for both girls, they are your assistant after all.” -Andrea (@@Jeaune)

 Paxton: “I’m really rooting for Dawn and Julia too. I know they might have lied, but I still think they deserve a chance to compete.”

 Olive: Olive smiled, “That’s a very mature response dear. Hopefully everything will work out for the best.”

 Natalie: “I still can’t believe that Dahlia’s been two people this whole time! Like, how did she manage to keep it a secret for so long?”

 Kacie: “I’m actually a little nervous for Drake. Seriously, so much stress must not be good for him. Hopefully Dawn and Julia will be allowed to stay around, but I’m really nervous for them.”

 Martin: Martin flashes a smile at the camera, “Don’t worry Andrea. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure they get a proper chance to compete.”

To Olive: “I was gonna give a pep talk to Martin but was busy. Thanks by the way.” -Rei(@@quad2)

 Olive: “Oh, it was my pleasure dear,” Olive waved her hand, “Any mother worth her salt knows when someone needs a good, old-fashioned talking to.”

To the other girls: “What a challenge you've got, I do hope you all find inspiration, and do such a good job, that if it was an elimination vote, the results would be dead even all around.” -Genie Schutter (@@James-MacCloude)

 Kacie: “He he. Well, worst comes to worst I could always just go with a dullahan style trick… Although I think that might be a bit to obvious a choice.”

 Natalie: “Ha ha. I wonder what the producers would do in that situation? Would they just let us all keep competing? Better not to tempt it, it feels like they’ve had a hard enough job this season already.”

 Paxton:

 Olive: “Why thank you dear. I’m still looking for my inspiration unfortunately, but hopefully I’ll be able to find a good choice!”

To Martin: “Its good to see you stepping into your role properly again. When we meet at the afterparty, I'll tell you stories of what I had to go through. They'll make your hair stand on end and turn white . “ -Jacob Schutter (@@James-MacCloude)

 Martin: “Thanks, Jake,” Martin smiles nervously, “I don’t know if I can be everything the girls need me to be… but I’ll do my best!”

 “And I’m sure you’re stories will blow the pants off of mine,” Martin gave one of his award winning smiles.

To Paxton: “Sorry Phian wasn't much help. But you're smart and talented, I think you can find what you need soon. Hugs to you Girl, I'm routing for you.” -James Schutter (@@James-MacCloude)

 Paxton: Paxton blushes, “I’m sure Phian probably had their reasons. They might have just had a lot on their mind… or maybe Drake told them to not help out?…

 In any case, Thanks! Hopefully I’ll be able to figure something out.”

To Drake: “What a development, I'm glad I don't run television shows, I'd go nuts, and that is not a safe thing. Still I hope everything will work out and Dahlia can compete after all.” -Jacob Schutter (@@James-MacCloude)

 Drake: Drake sighed, “Well… Unfortunately it’s out of my hands at this point. The various regulating agencies are fast tracking a decision, so we should hopefully know by the end of the day tomorrow.

 And Jake, you truly don’t know the half of it,” Drake sighs again, “This season has been an absolute disaster, in more ways than one. Frankly, the fact we’re still chugging along is a miracle, even for reality TV standards.”

To the contestants: “Oh my, the plot thickens. Can we go one week without any issues? Not that I’m mad, but these kind of moments are exactly why my buddy Colin doesn’t like reality shows. But I love this show and I don’t want to see it go off the air; I even got tickets to the Washington DC show in a few weeks and I don’t want them to go to waste!” -Shannon (@@FlagsOtherSide)

 Kacie: “The issues definitely are adding up. But oddly enough, I trust Martin to be able to handle it. I know that he’s still rather self conscious about it, but his actions yesterday and today clearly show he’s willing to put in the effort at least.”

 Natalie: Natalie shakes her head, “It certainly seems like a lot more stuff has happened this season than in the last two. Hopefully things are going to settle down from here, but I really don’t know any more.”

 Olive: “Your buddy Colin sounds like a pretty smart fellow. Truthfully, I’m not much a fan of most reality shows either. I think that the sort of stuff really rots your brain. However, I do think that ANGA is at least a little bit better than those sorts of shows. The production team here really seems to care about all of us, and I can’t speak for the other girls, but it really feels like we’re one big family.” Olive smiles.

 Paxton: “Oh! You’re going to be at the DC show? That sounds so exciting! Hopefully I’ll be able to spot you in the crowd! Well… Assuming that I make it that far, that is,” Paxton blushes.

~~~

Andrea sits in her own room, the camera floating around keeping her in focus. Her causual look could make her almost to be mistaken as one of the Participants. Her flowerprint skirt and white tshirt make the scene feel like it. She lifts her head up, her auburn curls fall back and she take a deep breath, her glasses blink for a moment in the light. She then begins to address the camera.

"Dear Audience... Well how should I put it, this was even for me an unexpected turn of events. Yet we have now the unique and first time in ANGA History that a merged person joined the ranks of Contestants. It is now a rather messed up situation, though I have to agree with Martin on that matter. They, Dawn and Julia, who become Dahlia, went through rather extreme lengths to..." She begins to giggle and smile about the joke she was about to crack. "Well, to fool us in believing their are one amazing girl, a two for one deal I would say. To be quite honest, if they end up being thrown out of ANGA and I get the feeling they might get, I will take them in." She pauses and gives her words a bit of time to sink in and getting prepared to think about her next words. "I mean they, to me at least, show determination and an iron will to do their best and when I know one thing about being a merged person, they have to trust each other quite a lot."

She then gets up and hugs the camera, giving the people watching a good impression of what she is giving the girls.

"Still remember, Stay Magical!"

The video fades to black.