Disclaimer: I don't own anything that doesn't belong to me.

…

Men, women, and children of all ages watched in rapt amazement from their seats in the amphitheater as, in the night skies above, Titans clashed.

A Phoenix dueled with an armored centaur. A Garuda was engaged in a shootout with a Cyclops. A golden Angel and a mermaid battled a mummy. A diminutive fairy fought a much larger vampire. A Minotaur brawled with a samurai. A knight struggled against a wyvern. A Yuki-Onna warred against a monstrous toad.

And zipping back and forth across the battlefield, standing with perfect balance on the back of a hover biker resembling a broom, was a gorgeous young woman dressed like a witch. She wore a very form-hugging white leotard which drew lots of attentions to her curves and assets while exposing her long, shapely limbs, her hands covered in white gloves extending up to her elbows and her feet in boots that went up to her knees, the rest of her legs wrapped in fishnet stockings. A long white cape with an interior resembling the night sky flew back from her shoulders, billowing in the air behind her, and a white witch's hat sat atop her short, spiky red hair, a fierce grin on her lovely, almost vulpine face, equally red eyes gleaming.

"Come on, everyone!" She called to the audience below, brandishing her wand with a flourish. "We can't do this alone! Remember, courage is magic, so don't be afraid! Say the magic words with me!"

She flew towards the Phoenix and centaur, swishing her wand through the air. "Magi!"

"MAGI!" The crowd shouted back at her.

"Magi!"

"MAGI!"

"Magi!"

"MAGI!"

"Magika!"

"MAGIKA!"

She pointed her wand at the centaur, and both she and the Phoenix unleashed a tremendous fire blast which engulfed the armored horse man, destroying him utterly.

As the Phoenix shrieked in acknowledgment, the sorceress flew to aid the Garuda, expertly weaving through the air to dodge the Cyclops's bullets. "Goo!"

"GOO!"

"Magiiro!"

"MAGIIRO!"

"MagiBolt!"

"MAGIBOLT!"

She raised her wand into the air, as the Thunderbird shrieked, and twin lightning bolts shot down from the heavens and smote the Cyclops.

As the audience cheered, she flashed them a grin as she moved on to help the angel and the mermaid. "Let's keep it up, okay? Faster, and louder! I barely hear you!"

And so she went. With a casting of "Magi Magi Gogika!" She and the mermaid conjured a pressurized stream of water which sliced the mummy in half. "Maagi Jii Magiiro" turned the fairy into a large ball which flattened the vampire. "Golu Maagi" gave the Minotaur a suit of stony armor, powering him up and allowing him to pulverize the samurai. "Maagi Golu Jii Magika" ignited the knight's sword, allowing him to demolish the wyvern in a flurry of blazing slashes. And finally, "Jiruma Majuna" bombarded the toad with icy wind, freezing him solid and allowing the witch to shatter him with a flick of her wand.

As the last of the wicked monsters fell, the benevolent magical beasts danced in the skies in triumph while the witch bowed dramatically to the applauding crowd below…

And suddenly, the stars went out.

The earth shook, the wind howled, and bolts of dark energy lanced down from the heavens, striking each of the magical beasts and obliterating them in a horrendous (but very impressive, visually) explosion.

The witch gasped in horror, looking around in disbelief. "No… It can't be! It's…"

A pair of massive, glowing red eyes suddenly opened in the starless skies above, and it suddenly became clear that the stars hadn't vanished, something had blotted them out.

"THE DARK LORD!"

The colossal shadow, its form partially solidifying to resemble a hideous cross between Satan and Cthulhu, laughed malevolently, his booming voice seeming to fill every corner of creation. "You have done well to defeat my servants, Heavenly Sage Ariel… But I shall not be vanquished so easily! Tonight, the light shall be extinguished forever!"

"The light shall never die, so long as even one heart possesses the courage to stand against the darkness!" Ariel declared dramatically. "And there are many such hearts gathered here, all willing to defy you!"

"Is that so?" The Dark Lord crooned. "They don't look so willing to me. They look as if they're about to die of fright!"

Alarmed, Ariel glanced down to see that, indeed, a lot of the audience looked terrified. Several small children were crying. "Don't worry, everyone," she called out in a kind, reassuring voice. "I know he seems big, and dark, and scary… But as long as even a spark of courage burns within you, there is nothing to fear! I have defeated him before, and I shall defeat him again!"

"Oh, really?"

Another bolt of darkness lanced down from the Dark Lord, striking Ariel and knocking her off her broom. The audience gasped in horror…

And sighed in relief when she managed to grab one of the broom's thrusters with one hand, arresting her descent. "You'll have to do better than that, Dark Lord!"

"Very well." The Dark Lord's eyes glowed brighter, and a pair of massive crimson beams shot from his eyes down towards Ariel and the audience.

The crowd screamed and recoiled in terror…

"JINGA MAJUNA!"

Only for a magical barrier to spring to life around the amphitheater. The beams slammed into it, causing the shimmering energy curtain to quake and its light to ebb, but managed to hold strong.

For now, anyway.

"Everyone!" Ariel cried through gritted teeth, sweat rolling down her brow as she struggled to maintain her shield spell as well as keep her grip on her broom. "I know this looks bad, but I can still beat him, I promise! I just need…"

The Dark Lord poured more energy into his beams, causing the barrier to flicker. Ariel cried out in pain, her grip started slipping, and the audience screamed.

"It's okay!" She said frantically, though it was quite clear that it wasn't. "I just need a little help. Please, I beg you, lend me your power one more time! I know you're afraid, but if you could just find within you the strength to persevere, to stand against the darkness… Repeat after me! Maagi Magi Magiiro!"

Nobody said anything.

"Come on! I know you heard that!" Ariel cried. "Maagi Magi Magiiro!"

Nobody said anything.

Cracks started forming in the barrier. Ariel's body started trembling, and her fingers began slipping. "Please… I only need one person! Just one! Say it! MAAGI MAGI MAGIIRO!"

Nobody said anything.

For the first time, Ariel looked afraid. "No… I don't understand… It's just three words… I only need one person to say them. Only one. Why can't they…"

The Dark Lord laughed. "You have put too much faith in these humans, Ariel! They are weak and pitiful cowards, incapable of protecting themselves, which is why they always cower behind those stronger than them! But when their protectors need help, do they return the favor? No! All they can do is run, and weep, and pray for a swift end!"

"No! I refuse to believe that!" Ariel cried, gasping with pain as more cracks formed in the barrier. "Even the weakest of them has the potential for greatness! So long as even a shred of courage manifests from their hearts, they are capable of performing the greatest magic of all!"

"Then is too bad these fools are too cowardly to muster even that much!" The Dark Lord boomed. "They shall die in agony… But not before seeing you fall first!"

He blasted with the barrier with even greater power. Ariel screamed, long and loud, dark energy crackling around her body. She was now only holding onto the broom by her fingertips, and in a few moments more wouldn't even be able to manage that much-

"Maagi Magi Magiiro!"

The Dark Lord paused in his assault, startled. Ariel glanced down, eyes wide.

Down in the audience, a little girl with long brown hair, red eyes, and a scared but determined look on her face, had stood up. "Maagi Magi Magiiro!"

Another girl stood up, blonde and green haired, dressed like a young aristocrat. "Maagi Magi Magiiro!"

One by one, more of the audience stood up, chanting, "Maagi Magi Magiiro! Maagi Magi Magiiro! MAAGI MAGI MAGIIRO!"

"No… How is this possible?!" The Dark Lord demanded, furious as more and more people rose by the minute. "They were terrified! They're STILL terrified! How can they defy me?!"

Ariel grinned, any hint of worry on her face long gone. "Courage isn't the absence of fear, Dark Lord, but the willingness to press on in spite of it! And that… Is a magic greater than you can possibly imagine!"

"Impossible!" The Dark Lord roared. "The darkness is absolute!"

"Even the darkest night must give way to the dawn," Ariel argued. "And even before then, there are always stars!" Looking down, she shouted, "Everyone, one more time!"

"MAAGI MAGI MAGIIRO!" They shouted back.

Laughing, Ariel, in an impressive feat of acrobatics, swung herself beneath her broom and flipped into the air, a large magic circle appearing beneath her. As she fell through it, a miraculous transformation occurred.

Her boots were replaced by paws, fur covering her still-shapely legs, small wings growing from her hips and ankles. Her leotard was replaced by an equally form-fitting breastplate covered in jewels resembling constellations, with the Big Dipper most prominent. More fur covered her arms, which ended in dainty but still powerful-looking claws, with small wings growing from her wrists, elbows, and shoulders. Her cape transformed into three tails splayed out behind her, and her wand had become a khakkhara. Her face had gone from somewhat vulpine to totally vulpine as her head became that of a white, short nosed fox's, with red markings highlighting her still very attractive features. Similar markings accented her curves all over her body, which had grown more pronounced by her transformation. Her hair had grown longer and spikier, and both it and her fur glittered with stardust. Her mouth was filled with small but sharp silver fangs, her eyes looked like they contained stars, and a small gem with a miniature galaxy on it rested on her brow. Only her hat remained unchanged, and she tilted it down at a rakish angle.

As the crowd cheered and the Dark Lord howled in fury, Ariel, in a much more mature and womanly voice, cried, "Thanks to all of you, I have been able to return to my true form, as the Heavenly Saint Stargel! With the stars guiding me, I shall vanquish the darkness once more!"

"NO! I SHALL NOT BE BESTED AGAIN!" The Dark Lord bellowed, eyes flashing. Beams of energy and bolts of darkness lanced towards the foxy mage…

Who swiped her staff through the air, instantly changing it all into harmless, rainbow-hued butterflies which flapped and swirled around her in dizzying, spectacular colors and patterns, much to the wonder of the audience. The Dark Lord shouted in impotent rage.

"Against the light of the stars, your darkness holds no power!" Stargel proclaimed. She brandished her staff, pointing it at the vast shadow. "Now, everyone, together! Let us banish this darkness for good!"

She swiped her staff through the air. "Maagi!"

"MAAGI!" The audience echoed, the two little girls shouting louder than anyone else. Without even looking, they grabbed each other's hands.

Smiling to herself as her body began to glow brilliantly, Stargel cried, "Magi!"

"MAGI!" The audience shouted.

The two little girls started glowing. Nobody noticed.

Nobody but Stargel, that is.

Excited by this, she twirled her staff as her familiars materialized around her. "MAGEND!"

"MAGEND!" The audience cried as one.

As she and her astral allies glowed even more brilliantly, Stargel pointed her staff at the Dark Lord. Colorful energy beams blasted out from all of them, forming a magnificent rainbow of light which pierced the darkness.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The Dark Lord shrieked as the power of light washed over him, blasting his darkness away. "Not again! NOT AGAIN!"

"Yes, again!" Stargel proclaimed as the luminosity of the rainbow somehow got even greater. "And every time!"

"You think you have won?!" The Dark Lord bellowed, struggling to hold as much of himself as he could together against the flood of light. "This defeat is only fleeting! So long as there is even a hint of darkness in the human heart, I shall always return!"

"And so long as there is even a scrap of courage, so shall I!" Stargel warned him. "Now… EAT THIS, SUCKA!"

The output of the rainbow increased tenfold. The Dark Lord raged and screamed and cursed…

And was obliterated in a spectacular blast of light, bringing back the moon and the stars, and filling the sky with a shimmering Aurora.

The audience cheered and applauded… But Stargel only had eyes for the two little girls, who were still holding hands, a look of joy and wonder on their faces and a spark of something more in their eyes.

The vulpine sorceress smiled inwardly, knowing she'd found two new initiates. "And remember, all of you," she declared to the crowd, while staring directly at the two little girls to make it clear she was really addressing them. "A courageous heart is your magic!"

As the applause increased, she and her illusory familiars bowed, bringing another successful performance to an end.

…

After the show, Ariel was practically dancing around her dressing room in excitement. This was more than her usual post-performance high, however; she was so excited that sparks of magic were flying off of her body, randomly transforming some of her props and clothes into other objects and bringing others to life. "Two! TWO who have the Gift!" She chattered enthusiastically. "Usually I'm lucky to find even one with even a hint of magic, but to not only find two, but ones with such incredible power and potential? And who've already formed a Bond at such a young age?"

She squealed in delight and hugged herself, pushing up her sizable breasts. "Not to mention they're so adorable! I can already tell they're going to be real beauties once they grow up, and the best of friends, and probably even more!" Her eyes started dazzling like they did in her Heavenly Saint form. "Maybe they'll even be able to ascend to Magitopia someday… I could definitely use more Saints close to my own age to hang out with!"

Swiping her next-generation MagiPhone from its rune-encrusted charger, she rapidly started composing a text. "Wait'll Uncle Tsubasa hears about this! He'll be able to get them a scholarship to Boarzits for sure!"

"You're assuming that they'll want to go to magic school all the way in England," her reflection spoke up from the mirror.

While most people would be rather startled if their reflection started talking to them, Ariel was not. Hers did that sometimes. It wasn't the strangest thing that had happened to her. "Of course they'll accept! You saw how their faces lit up during the show!" She remarked, not taking her eyes off the phone.

Her reflection grunted. "I didn't, actually, seeing as there weren't really any reflective surfaces for me to see out of during the show. We've talked about this."

Waving dismissively at her reflection, Ariel shot off the text and told her, "Trust me, they're going to jump at the chance to learn how to do real magic. That's why I've invited them backstage so I can tell them about this exciting opportunity. And give them my autograph, of course."

Her reflection rolled her eyes. "Of course."

There was a knock on the door. Ariel squealed, put down her phone, and restored her dressing room to its original state with a wave of her hand. "That must be them! Wish me luck!"

Putting on her brightest smile, she opened the door with a snap of her fingers…

But instead of the girls, was confronted with one of the Zobil stagehands. "Sorry to bother you, ma'am," the hideous undead abomination growled. "But you got a surprise visitor. And no, it's not a member of your family."

Ariel pouted at that. "What about the girls I invited backstage?"

"Still on their way. But, um, this visitor insisted she needed to see you first. Said it was urgent," the stagehand said, moving out of the way and allowing a strange creature to flutter into the room.

Any disappointment Ariel might have had that this stranger wasn't the guests she was waiting for immediately vanished the instant she laid eyes on it. It was a mechanical butterfly, large enough to comfortably wrap its flexible segmented legs around her wrist. Its body was a shining white and covered in shimmering hexagons and glowing lines. It had absolutely magnificent wings made up of millions of tiny hexagonal scales which constantly shifted color gradients with every motion and scattered what looked like but absolutely was not fairy dust (Ariel knew from experience) with every flap. Its antenna were big, fluffy, and made up of thousands of tiny surprisingly soft-looking metallic bristles, and most of its head was taken up by a pair of enormous sapphire eyes made up of countless tiny hexagonal facets. A glowing hexagonal gem was set in its forehead right beneath the antenna.

Ariel clasped her hands together in wonder. "Oh my gosh, you're so pretty! I don't think I've EVER met a creature like you before! What kedomono realm are you from?"

The butterfly tilted its head, seeming somewhat confused. "I… Do not know what that is. I originate from a planet in a galaxy far, far away from here."

Ariel blinked in surprise. "Oh, an alien! Sorry, I don't usually deal with off-worlders. My family dabbles in the more mystical circles and leaves that sort of thing to others, aside from the occasional crossover."

The butterfly's antenna twitched. "Your family… That would be the famous Ozu family, also known as the Magirangers?"

"That's right!" Ariel said proudly, preening somewhat. "My parents are Sungel and Urara Ozu, next in line for the Heavenly Throne of Magitopia! I've learned magic from the Heavenly Saints and human mages alike to get in touch with both sides of my heritage, and since the war with Infershia is over and there aren't really many dark forces for me to fight, I've been traveling around the world putting on magic shows to inspire others and rekindle interest in the magical arts. If I'm lucky, I can identify people in my audiences who have the potential to be great magicians, and pass it up the line to my family so they can help them hone their skills and spread the joy and wonder of magic all over the world!"

"A worthy goal," the butterfly lauded her. "I was very impressed by your show. My people don't use much magic, so it was certainly a novel experience."

"Thanks! Would you like an autograph?" Ariel asked.

"I would, as a matter fact," the butterfly confessed. "However," she said as Ariel conjured a headshot and started scribbling a message on it. "That is not I why originally came here."

"You're here to tell me that the world is in grave danger and that only I am capable of stopping it?" Ariel asked eagerly.

The butterfly blinked. "I… How did you…"

Ariel chuckled. "My parents, uncles, aunt, and grandparents are magical heroes who saved the world on multiple occasions. I've been waiting for this opportunity all my life." She smirked. "And besides, I've read and watched every piece of magical girl media there is and can tell at a glance that you're obviously the cute mascot/mentor animal sent to guide me to my destiny."

"Mascot?!" The butterfly spluttered, outraged. "I am no mascot! I am Lepidoptera, one of the Divine Instincts who protects the Hive and serves the Queen!"

"Which queen?" Ariel asked.

"Which – Queen Apista of the Hive!" Lepidoptera shrieked in disbelief.

Ariel blinked. "Should… I know who that is?"

The butterfly stared at her incredulously. "The Hive? An alien race of insectoids who arrived on your planet a few years ago, seeking refuge, and have been sharing our technology with your people to improve your world ever since?"

Ariel shrugged apologetically. "I told you, my family tends to focus more on the magical side of things."

Lepidoptera smacked her face with a forelimb. "Why. Why did my guidance system lead me to…"

She shook her head. "Never mind. All that matters is that your world is in grave danger. The greatest enemy of my mistress is en route to destroy her and your planet. I and my kin were dispatched to seek heroes worthy of helping her save our peoples. Are you willing to join us in protecting the Earth?"

"Of course," Ariel said seriously. "I may not know much about this Queen Piastol-"

"Queen Apista!"

"But like I said, my family are heroes, and I've been waiting for a chance to prove myself ever since I was a little Saint," Ariel gushed, eyes wide. She frowned slightly. "Granted, I'd always assumed I would do it as a Magiranger, but beggars can't be choosers. I'd be honored to share the spotlight and lead my team to victory-"

"Actually, Coccinella's partner is the leader," Lepidoptera interjected.

"I'd be honored to cede the starring role and share the spotlight," Ariel amended herself instantly. "The welfare of the world and its people is far greater than my pride."

She paused. "So, do you still want my autograph or-"

"Yes, I very much would," Lepidoptera said quickly.

"Just checking," the sorceress said, handing the signed headshot to the butterfly, who clutched it eagerly.

"We should depart right away," Lepidoptera told her gravely, though her solemnity was ruined by how ecstatic she seemed to be by her new prize.

"Certainly-" Ariel started, only for the stagehand to knock on her door again and peek in.

"Ma'am? Those girls you wanted to see are here," the Zobil told her.

"Right after this meeting," Ariel told the butterfly.

"But-" Lepidoptera protested.

"You want a hero capable of saving the world," Ariel reminded her. "And what sort of hero would I be if I ran out on my fans, especially ones whom I'm about to initiate into a world of wonder and fantasy?" She smiled radiantly. "I will be able to fight all the harder for their future, once I've set them on the right path to reaching it."

Lepidoptera stared at Ariel in awe as she went out to meet the young girls, who cheered and started gushing ecstatically about how amazing the show had been and how pretty she was and how inspired they were and how much they wanted to learn magic while Ariel laughed and affectionately tousled their hair, eyes wide. "… My guidance system was correct," she murmured. "You are worthy."

(Incidentally, the girls did agree to go away to magic school, where they became best friends, eventually lovers, grew into two of the most powerful witches the world had ever seen, and even saved the planet before finally achieving Heavenly Sainthood and ascending to Magitopia, where they would be warmly welcomed by Ariel and the rest of her family, but that's a story for another day.)