A/N: I will address a few issues with the last chapter. Descriptions will be present so as to give a level of understanding about the enemies encountered. No other chapter will have as many as this one. That is all. Enjoy.
-Emergence of a Threat-
The hall was almost pitch-black, just like the rest of the mansion where Pop hadn't entered. The only things piercing it were the glows of small ghosts resembling mice and bats that flitted through the darkness.
Pop gave quick glances in both directions. Her thoughts drifted back to her friends, whom Pop was certain were suffering somewhere. She already knew where Doremi was being held but had no idea where the others were. The Holo-grid had shown that the rooms where the others vanished weren't holding any Witches. And another glance confirmed that there were no familiars-
"Pop-chan! There you are!" came the concerned voice of Shadow Ruka.
"YAAHHHH!" Pop jumped. She quickly spun around and saw that it was indeed Shadow Ruka. "Don't scare me like that!"
"Sorry, Pop-chan," Shadow Ruka sweat-dropped, "But…"
Shadow Ruka wasted no time in explaining why she was there. Once all was said and done, she and Pop left the mansion via Shadow Ruka's magic.
Pop gave a disgruntled groan as she once again entered the mansion.
Well, that's fifteen minutes gone, Pop mentally deadpanned, At least I got a re-fill on magic spheres, that anti-Shadow device installed, the ability to use the sword-form, and a means of having information on the Witches, familiars, and arti-ghosts! Pop smiled. It quickly returned to a deadpan serious look. But seriously, Majo Toron!? You can invent powerful porons for Onee-chan and the others, reverse-engineer Majo Isabelle's technology, but you can't even make a Japanese-to-German translator?!
Pop groaned in frustration after her mental rant. Not only did she have to leave and come back, but she had to once again deal with the chandelier coming down and try to impale her. Why couldn't Shadow Ruka have put her back in the hallway? Why didn't Majo Toron bring up the installation? What else are those two hiding?
The rose-haired Ojamajo stopped before the door and decided to give the database a test run. She started with the arti-ghosts.
Orange Bells: A relatively weak fiend. Their only real attack is a punch that they have to wind up for a while. They are the most common and will attack in groups if given the chance.
How mechanical, Pop mentally deadpanned. She then tapped another entry.
Pink gowns: A more powerful fiend. Their only attack is a punch. Unlike the Orange Bells, they do not have to wind up their fists before attacking. They are also more resilient.
No, really? Pop sighed and clicked the next entry.
Trashcan: A passive fiend. Not much is known other than that it is likely the only one in the mansion and that it gives off an offensibly repulsive stench. It is also the most resilient, far out-classing the Pink Gown.
It also seems to like hounding me, Pop thought, shuddering when it occurred to her. Which reminds me: I have to kill that thing! Pop reclaimed what little calm she could possibly have and decided to analyze other entries. Time to give these a shot.
Pop pressed the button and went to the entries for the Witches and their familiars. To her shock, the entries took the form of red cards with the same strange runes where their names would otherwise be. Thankfully, the translator gave their names clearly.
ADELBERT: The rose-garden Witch's minion. His duty is to act as a lookout. Upon seeing a human, he will sound a warning bell and headbutt him mercilessly. They have 2.5 (20/8) vision. The smaller type can change into vines to hinder intruders.
Pop checked the other entries but couldn't find one saying anything about a "Rose-Garden Witch". The red Ojamajo decided that since she hasn't fought it yet, it will not appear. At least she will have an idea of what to expect when she enters its barrier.
Pop clicked another entry.
H.N. ELLY [KIRSTEN]: The box Witch with a covetous nature. She is a staunchly reclusive Witch. Anything she covets she locks away in glass. The thoughts of her prisoners are laid bare, but one can strike her without thought without problems.
So this Witch has the power to read minds and make them public? Pop felt a flashback to when she fought the Witch. She remembered how some of her past experiences were on those monitors and how nightmarish the ordeal was. She was certain she would die, had it not been for the sword she formed with her magic and the Dark medallion's power.
Daniyyel & Jennifer: The box Witch's minions with the duty of transportation. Anything they touch becomes easy to carry.
Yikes, Pop thought dryly, I guess that explains how they dragged me in so easily.
ALBERTINE: The scribbling Witch, with an ignorant nature. She loves to play hide and seek. However, since none of her minions are very intelligent, none of them seek her out.
Especially when someone's in her barrier and blowing them up…
ANJA: The scribbling Witch's minion, whose duty is to be naïve. She is a lost familiar who was separated from the Witch playing alone, absorbed in her daydreams. She possesses the ability to transform humans into balls; a human who has been transformed into a ball cannot revert to human form until he bounces against the ground once for each lie that he has ever uttered.
Pop's heart skipped a beat at the familiar's description. Suddenly, the rose-haired Ojamajo knew another reason why Majo Toron got them out of there when it showed up. In the end, she decided not to dwell on it and simply re-entered the hallways…
The red Ojamajo stared down to her left and, thanks to her flashlight, saw that the only thing there was a door. Pop went over to it and, guessing that it was locked, tried it. Her suspicions were confirmed.
With a sigh, Pop traveled back the way she came and quickly came to a fork. Just before she could figure out where to go, she felt a presence behind her. Pop jumped and spun around, flashlight at the ready.
It was shaped like a large drop and was hanging upside-down. Pop's flashlight had stunned the arti-ghost, giving her the chance to suck it in. It gasped but offered no resistance whatsoever.
That's it? Pop mentally asked, It suddenly appears where it can get an easy cheap shot and it does absolutely nothing? Perplexed, the rose-haired Ojamajo tapped the All-in-One and went over to the descriptions.
White Taunter: A fiend that specializes in catching its prey off guard but doing nothing to hurt them. It is extremely weak, succumbing to the Vac-Drive almost instantly.
Why did they even make that thing anyway?
Pop sighed and continued trekking through the corridor. The first door she came across was locked tight. The same was true for the next two. With another sigh, the red Ojamajo took the other direction and headed down the hall. On her right was a normal locked door. Her left had a door too, but it had runes on it. Pop scanned them.
Mami mogu mogu gonbo.
I don't like the sound of that, thought Pop, Whatever Witch this is, it strikes me as the type who eats a lot.
Pop ignored the door for the time being and continued on, rapidly coming across another fork. This time, she chose her left and trekked further along. She eventually came to an end that was surrounded by four doors. The rose-haired Ojamajo recognized this area as the one where the arti-ghosts were chased to. She quickly turned to the door on her immediate right. It too had runes on it, confirming her fears. She quickly scanned them.
Tempestoso Affettuoso
This doesn't make any sense! What kind of Witch uses these words anyway?!
Pop turned to the door in front of her next. It had a web-like barrier and thorns covering it. And just like the last door, it too had runes on it. Pop wasted no time in scanning them.
Kein Durchgang. Zutritt verboten.
No trespassing. Forbidden entry.
Die blühenden Rosen sollen der
Königin sofort geschenkt sein.
The blooming roses shall be
presented to the queen immediately.
I guess this one values her barrier. But what's the deal with the roses?
Pop turned to the two doors on her left. They were clear of runes, prompting Pop to try the out. The one closest to the web-shield was the only one that was unlocked. With a great deal of hesitance, Pop opened it and went inside…
The room wasn't actually a room; rather, it was a washroom, complete with a sink and a bathtub. To Pop, it wasn't interesting. She decided she was going to leave only to find that the door had locked itself. Immediately, Pop braced herself.
You really walked into this one, didn't you Pop? The rose-haired Ojamajo mentally berated herself.
Pop wasted no time in searching for a key. To her frustration, there was none, prompting her to berate herself even more. Suddenly, Pop was grabbed from behind; whatever it was, it quickly tightened its grip, crushing her. Pop struggled to escape its grasp until it hit her: Why not shine the flashlight into it?
Pop wasted no time in trying it out. The beam hit, stunning the arti-ghost and allowing the red Ojamajo to break free. Pop spun and saw that it was clutching its head and whimpering. She took the opportunity to shine her flashlight on it again and immediately began sucking it up.
With a loud screech, it took off, pulling and tugging at the suction that was homing in and trying to drag it in. Pop replied with a tug and a yank; that seemed to do the trick much more easily than simply waiting for its resistance to go down. The serpentine arti-ghost quickly vanished into the Vac-Drive. Moments later, the lights came on.
Sheez! Pop mentally fumed, First they punch me and then they try strangling me?
Pop clicked on the All-in-One and peered at the grabber's entry.
Simple Grip: This snake-like fiend specializes in grabbing its prey and crushing it using its powerful arms. They seem to shut down when their prey struggles free. They prefer traveling in groups, though singles are not uncommon.
Pop shut off the entry and decided to check the washroom for anything useful. The counter with the mirror had nothing and the cabinet above the bathtub held nothing.
It was then that Pop noticed her reflection: Her normally wing-like pink hair had drooped a bit and taken a haggard appearance while her uniform had small tears in it.
This place is really getting to me, thought Pop, I have to get everyone out before I go insane. A metallic clang behind her drew the rose-haired Ojamajo's attention. Pop took three guess and thought" another key"; she turned around and picked it up. What do you know? Another key!
Pop exited the washroom and saw the shimmer again. She quickly ran after it, seeing it vanish into the room opposite to the door with the runes. The red Ojamajo took another guess and figured that this was where the key went. She was about to try it out when she felt another presence behind her. She spun around and immediately leapt away.
The ensuing explosion wasn't large enough to send her flying, but it did rattle her. Pop saw her assailant: It looked just like the Taunter from earlier, only it was purple and had dropped a bomb. She shined her flashlight and sucked it in. It gasped and went down just as easily as its harmless counterpart. She then checked the All-in-One for its entry.
Purple Bomber: A more dangerous fiend than the White Taunter. It attacks by dropping bombs on top of its prey, taunting them afterward if they survived. They are just as weak as their counterparts.
They're just rehashing a harmless arti-ghost into something actually threatening. Can't these Shadows be more original than this?!
Pop groaned at her thought. She went back to business and inserted the key. It fit easily enough; one resounding click later, and the door opened…
The red Ojamajo could only stare in disbelief. The room was quite easily the largest one she had come across, but that wasn't its true feature; it was the massive swimming pool dominating the floor. At least, it looked like a swimming pool as evidenced by the raised tiles that were arranged in a rectangular shape, the presence of handrails where the steps in the shallow end would be, and a diving board.
Pop took a closer look and realized that it wasn't water but a large ceramic covering. Nevertheless, Pop decided against walking on it for fear of falling into the drink below. She saw another door at the far end, so she went over and tried it.
It was locked.
Figures, Pop thought, This mansion is running out of surprises.
With a sigh, Pop returned to the other door. It too was locked, prompting the rose-haired Ojamajo to go on alert. Her vision panned around the room, watching and waiting for the arti-ghosts to show up.
As if giving up on toying with her, one of them appeared. It was large, not quite as large as the trashcan but still large regardless. It was blue and, like all arti-ghosts, flew over to her with a huge fang-filled grin.
Pop dashed away from it, taking turns between running and reading the new entry.
Blue Shaker: These powerful fiends' can strike with their similarly strong fist but their preferred method of attack is slamming them into the ground and sending shockwaves outward. They take a while to wind up this attack. They are quite resilient, but not to the degree as the trashcan.
Okay. So I just shine a light on it while it's trying to strike then? thought Pop. She then turned back towards the approaching monstrosity. Worth a shot!
Pop waited for the arti-ghost to get in close. Just as the description said, it began to wind up for its main attack. It did so by raising its clenched fists into the air. Pop seized the opportunity to shine her flashlight at it, stunning it long enough to begin sucking it. In a panicked whimper, the Blue Shaker began fleeing the Vac-Drives' suction, dragging Pop with it. It even dragged her over the ceramic plate protecting the pool; to her relief, it supported her weight.
Pop tugged back at it, weakening it further and further. After a few moments of tugging, just like that, it fell, vanishing into the Vac-Drive.
"Glad that's over," Pop said to herself. Her comfort was interrupted by two more Shakers appearing. "Oh, come on!"
The two new arti-ghosts had appeared on opposite sides of her. They were trying to flank the red Ojamajo. She fled their presence only for them to chase her closer to one-another. Pop leapt out of the way just as one of them slammed down its fists. The noise echoed throughout the room. Even though Pop had leapt out of the way, she was still hit by the shockwaves. She forced herself to recover and get back up just as the two of them tried to slam her with their combined power.
Pop was once again caught by the shockwaves and knocked down. She stumbled back to her feet just in time to try and evade another strike. This time, the red Ojamajo was on top of the ceramic plate. The force of the impact shattered it, sending her down into the water below while the fragments sank to the bottom like the rocks they were.
The water was cold, leaving Pop frantically trying to get back to the surface and get some air. No sooner than she did she was slammed back down by the Shakers. It was getting harder to think; Pop was barely keeping the water out of her mouth at this point and she knew it wasn't going to stay that way. In a moment of insanity, Pop shined her flashlight straight up at the arti-ghosts. They weren't close enough to stun but they were still forced to vanish.
Pop got a hold of the sharp edges of what was left of the ceramic plate, gasping for breath and trying to cough up the water that had managed to get inside. Thankfully, it wasn't enough to be outright dangerous, but it could have still easily caused severe damage.
The rose-haired Ojamajo didn't have long to recover before the Shakers returned. Immediately, Pop got out her poron.
"Pippito…Purito…" Pop chanted, retreating and trying to put some distance between herself and the Shakers. "Puritan…Peperuto!" Pop was now cornered and had act. Now! "Destroy the arti-ghosts!"
Pop's spell rocketed towards the Shakers, enveloping them in the bright red glow of her magic. At once, they stopped moving and went into full panic mode when they realized what the spell was doing to them. In moments, they were no more.
Pop collapsed in the corner she had been driven in and began trying to catch her breath.
I…I… Pop shook her head. I'm not dead. But I…! I was so close to dying… Pop sneezed. At least it's just a cold that I got from this…
Pop was about to take a rest when another arti-ghost appeared. It looked just like the Blue Shakers from before aside from the white color, larger size, and the strange watery core inside it.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Pop shouted. She forced herself back onto her feet and began trying to put more distance between her and it. But this one was faster than the others and easily kept up with the increasingly frantic red Ojamajo. At this rate, I'll-!
Pop didn't get a chance to finish her thought; she was blown to the ground by a ball of water that the arti-ghost apparently threw. Pop rolled over and shined her flashlight into it. To her horror, the light refracted in its watery core and had no effect on the monstrosity. The red Ojamajo rolled out of the way of its attack, which was clearly its version of the Shaker's preferred method. And despite rolling out of its way, Pop found herself being blown clear across the room, both from the larger and stronger shockwaves and the massive torrents of water that appeared with it.
Pop whipped out her poron. "Pipitto Purito-AH!" Pop began chanting, but the arti-ghost caught sight of her and struck from range with a tendril of water, knocking her poron into the pool and cutting her arm open. "N-no way…!"
Pop could only look at the arti-ghost in sheer terror as it approached. It clearly knew Pop was helpless against it and so took its time. When the monstrosity reached her, it gave a grin. Not the grin that the Shakers had but a fang-filled, sadistic smile filled to the brim with murderous intent. It raised its fists and put them together, intending to finish the rose-haired Ojamajo with its signature attack. Pop shut her eyes…
…and then she heard it gasp in terror. Pop opened her eyes and saw that the monstrosity was now frantically looking around. It moments, the entire room changed, turning into a night-filled sky. Pop noticed the familiar causing it; it resembled a cat, but its head looked like a multi-pointed star. The arti-ghost trembled and started launching balls and jets of water at the familiar. It effortlessly dodged the barrage and cornered it. At once, Pop saw what it was doing: The familiar was draining the arti-ghost, causing it to shrivel up. With one last painful moan, the once-powerful monstrosity faded into nothing, its watery core falling to the floor and dispersing.
Pop was horrified. This was how the familiars fed off the arti-ghosts…by feeding off the despair and suffering that made up the majority of their forms and directly absorbing them, leaving only the dark magic left to disperse as if it had never been. Could this have happened to her friends? Could this be happening to the other Ojamajos even as she frantically thought about this?
Pop shook her head and snapped out of her fear-induced stupor long enough to see that the familiar had vanished. In its place was a not-so-familiar tiny, spherical, metal cage with a crest and needle. At once, the red Ojamajo knew what was next. At the last minute, she noticed a blue coin rolling towards her from where the arti-ghost fell. She took a wild guess and picked it up. A beeping sound alerted her to something about the Vac-Drive; she turned her head and noticed that it now had a second meter…for water.
The red Ojamajo decided against thinking about what she had just found. She had a Witch to defeat…
The room had taken a more drastic turn. It no longer looked like an indoor swimming pool; rather, it looked like an endless night sky, but with the moon and all the stars missing.
Pop couldn't see a thing. She assumed she was close to the Witch and that it knew she was there. But now she needed to know its weakness. That is, if it even had one.
Shaking her head, Pop crouched and pulled out the All-in-One to look up the Witch's entry. She found it with little trouble.
SULEIKA: The dark Witch, with a delusional nature. Her power grows as the darkness deepens. In total darkness she can scarcely be matched. She's almost unrivaled in absolute black; however, with lights as numerous as they are nowadays, she is not a Witch to be feared.
ULLA: That dark Witch's minion whose duty is to dream. She can shapeshift into anything to express her Witch's desires in pitch-black darkness. She boasts incredible power in the dark, but something as small as a lamppost or moonbeam can halve her strength.
Perfect! thought Pop, I have a flashlight! And if that's all it takes to weaken her, then I shouldn't have too much trouble! Pop bit her lip. Then again, the last time I got these thoughts…
Pop shook her head at the thought. She couldn't lose hope now. The only way out of the Witch's barrier was to kill her off. To that end, Pop got up and began shining her flashlight in as many directions as possible. She caught sight of more familiars, but no Witch. Suddenly, Pop was struck hard by what felt like a massive fist, sending the red Ojamajo flying into something.
Pop recovered from the strike but collapsed onto the floor. Her leg was clearly broken, and if she didn't end this soon, it wouldn't be the only thing to break. Once again, she shined her flashlight in multiply directions. This time, she saw it: It resembled the heads of the familiars, but lacked a body. Instead, it had several arms protruding from it, all prepared to strike. The red Ojamajo got ready and activated the Vac-Drive's Water mode and combined it with the sword form. At once, a long, thin blade made of water emerged from the hose.
This is it! Pop thought, It's all riding on this strike!
Pop summoned and mounted her broom and then flew straight at the Witch. The Witch replied by launching several spikes and throwing just as many fists. Pop sliced through some of them while getting cut by others. Fighting the pain, the rose-haired Ojamajo gave one final scream before charging the Witch. Moments later, Pop's Water sword turned into a Water tendril and sliced the Witch in multiple directions at once. She then gave one final slash, cleaving the eldritch abomination in two.
It was over.
The Witch Suleika was defeated. Moments later, she had faded into nothing and her barrier dissolved, returning to being the indoor swimming pool.
Pop caught the Grief Seed as it drifted down. She then descended herself, returning to the floor proper. She then collapsed, screaming in pain from her broken leg. Somehow, she recovered enough to get to a kneeling position. Just in time to hear the All-in-One beeping. Pop pulled it out.
"Pop-chan! Are you alright?" Majo Toron shouted over the transceiver.
"I'm fine, Majo Toron," Pop replied, though winced in pain from her injuries.
"You don't sound like it, Pop-chan."
"Shall I go and take it from there?" Shadow Ruka asked.
"I can still do thi-AGH!" Pop nearly rose up, only to be stopped by her broken leg.
"I'm sorry, Pop-chan, but you're clearly too injured to continue." Shadow Ruka face-palmed. "If by some miracle you're healed, then I'll let you continue on your own. Otherwise…"
"Yes…" Pop replied bitterly, "But I could…could…co…uld…"
The rose-haired Ojamajo tried to continue her sentence, but her consciousness slipped from her. In moments, she was out cold.
"Wake up, Pop-chan!" Came a voice.
Pop didn't know who it belonged to at first. Just five more minutes, please? Pop groaned as her now-slightly stiff body refused to move. That's all I need.
"If you don't wake up, then I'll just have to drag you back myself and take over saving your friends."
Pop's eyes shot open at those words.
"Eh?!" Pop stuttered. She was in the presence of Shadow Ruka. "How long was I-?!"
"Not long considering how easily I made it in here," Shadow Ruka deadpanned.
Now that Pop had adjusted, she could see the room more clearly now. The room was a wreck. Shattered tiles were scattered all over the place. The handrails were bent and the diving board was apparently at the bottom of the deep end of the pool. Thankfully, the lights were on.
"That last arti-ghost," Pop said, recalling the events, "It was so powerful. Nothing I tried worked." She then took out the blue coin. It was as she thought: It was the Water medallion. "At least I have this coin now!"
Shadow Ruka glanced at the medallion. "Well then I'm off."
"Okay!" Pop's eyes went wide. "Wait! Didn't you say you would take it from here?"
"I did." Shadow Ruka sighed. "But I also said that if you were healed, I would allow you to continue. Guess what happened before I got here."
Pop hadn't noticed it until then; she was standing on her own two feet without any sort of pain. She then looked over her body. None of the cuts and bruises she suffered was present.
"Well, I guess I really can continue, Shadow-" Pop turned and saw that Shadow Ruka had vanished. "Huh, wha-?! EH?! Shadow Ruka?!" Pop shook her head. This wasn't the time to be worrying about such things. "If there is any more arti-ghosts like that one, I'll need to be prepared."
Pop clicked one of the newer entries to the All-in-One.
Sea Quake: This fiend has been gifted with the power of Water. It moves and attacks like Blue Shakers; It is more powerful than they are and it can control water. Its elemental nature protects it from light sources except the Light medallion's power. The only way to make it vulnerable is to use the Ice medallion's power on it, and freeze its core. Once that has been done, it can be stunned and sucked up normally. It is just as resilient as the trashcan.
I need to find out which elements are good and weak against, thought Pop, Then I'll be able to deal with them better. For now, I have the Water medallion, so I guess Fire arti-ghosts can be defeated.
Pop remembered her poron and how it was flung into the water. Throwing caution to the wind, the rose-haired Ojamajo dove into the pool. To her dismay, it was on the deep end, forcing her to take a very deep breath and dive as far as she could. She managed to retrieve it, if only through sheer determination.
And that only took about forty-five minutes of my time, Pop mentally fumed, At least I have my magic ba- "OUCH~!"
Pop's thought was interrupted by yet another key bouncing off her head. She picked it up and noticed that the shimmer was near the door at the far end. It quickly vanished from sight.
Pop again threw caution to the wind and inserted the key. A resounding click told her everything she needed to know…
The room behind the indoor swimming pool was very clearly a storeroom. Crates were stacked on top of each other and barrels arranged in rows. Strangely, the lights were already on.
I'm not complaining, thought Pop, Though I think I may have an idea as to why… The rose-haired Ojamajo's thoughts drifted back to the cat-like familiar. She never saw which door it came out of, so it could very well have been in here. How it got in this room was anyone's guess…
The opposite wall was utterly featureless, not even having any of the familiar patterns that the rest of the mansion had. Pop saw a button on the wall along with a note.
Do not push!
P.S. Saying 'Do not push' so as to goad you into pushing it. Seriously, Light Beings are so stupid like that.
Pop face-palmed. She didn't recognize the handwriting outright, but she could still tell it was that of the Shadow Ojamajos. She decided to push the button anyway. Moments later, the wall sank into the floor, revealing a space that, combined with this room, more than doubled its size. The red Ojamajo then noticed a metal grating that appeared to have joints along with a switch on the far wall.
Pop went up to the switch and pulled it down. Immediately, the grating on the floor opened up.
"I told you she would show up!" came a loud voice. It sounded like Doremi, but the tone was nothing like her sibling's.
"You said she would show up right then and there," another voice deadpanned. It sounded like Hazuki, but once again its tone was different, "About three hours ago!"
"At least she fucking came!" another yelled. It sounded like Aiko.
"Let's just get her already!" a fourth voice sounding like Onpu suggested.
"O-okay," a voice sounding like Momoko timidly agreed.
Pop braced herself as seven figures emerged from the now open grating. They looked like her friends but with darker colors. The red Ojamajo knew exactly who they were: The Shadow Ojamajos. All semblance of surprise had evaporated a long time ago.
"I bet you weren't expecting us, Light Pop!" Shadow Pop boasted.
"It's certainly a shame you had to come this far for nothing," Shadow Onpu began.
"Now we're gonna do to you what we did to out Light Halves!" Shadow Hazuki said menacingly.
Shadow Doremi produced a small device and handed it to Shadow Pop. "Wanna do the honors? She is your Light Half after all."
"The role I'm born to do!" Shadow Pop smirked.
None of the Shadow Ojamajos saw Pop flipping a switch on the Vac-Drive.
"I'm not going down without a fight," Pop said bitterly.
"You against all seven of us?" Shadow Onpu scoffed, "Bring it on!"
Shadow Onpu fired a beam of Shadow magic at Pop. Pop, expecting to be blown back, shut her eyes. The beam hit, but Pop hardly felt a thing. She opened her eyes to a peculiar sight: The Shadow Ojamajos were standing there, clearly in shock.
"Eh?" Shadow Onpu gasped, "B-but you were-"
"Let me give it a shot!" Shadow Aiko shouted. She fired a beam of her own. And just like Shadow Onpu's beam, it too had little to not effect. "Impossible!"
"I guess this device Majo Toron gave me works after all," Pop said.
"It won't work on this!" Shadow Doremi shouted, "Everyone! Together!"
All seven Shadow Ojamajos got their porons together, with Shadow Hana placing both gloves instead.
"Shadow Stage!" all seven shouted.
Immediately, the combined power of the Shadow Ojamajos rocketed towards Pop in a single blast of Shadow magic. When the smoke cleared, Pop was still standing, completely unscathed. She was surprised, though.
"I knew Majo Toron could reverse engineer Majo Isabelle's anti-Shadow tech, but this is ridiculous!"
"You're using WHAT?!" Shadow Aiko shouted, "After everything that bitch did, and you're using her goddamn gizmos!?"
"Didn't our teaming up and defeating Light Isabelle together mean anything to you?" Shadow Momoko begged, "We saved all worlds from her rule!"
"I could ask you the same thing," Pop spat, "Why are you seven doing this?! Where are my friends?! WHERE IS ONEE-CHAN!?" Pop glared at the Shadow Ojamajos. "Well? ANSWER ME!"
Shadow Doremi bit her lip. Pop was practically invulnerable to their most powerful attacks and all they had was an army that was almost useless against her.
Pop could tell from the shifting expressions on their faces; the Shadow Ojamajos were debating about what to do via their telepathy. She couldn't stand waiting around for them to decide. She smiled.
"I wonder what the Vac-Drive could do in this mode," Pop said menacingly.
The rose-haired Ojamajo turned the hose towards Shadow Pop and activated its suction. To the Shadow Ojamajos' shock and horror, Shadow Pop lost her balance and was now being pulled towards Pop.
"AAAH! HELP!" Shadow Pop yelled.
Immediately Shadow Hana rushed to the aid of her partner-in-crime and grabbed on tight. Shadow Aiko assisted with her muscle. After several minutes of struggling, during which Shadow Doremi, Shadow Hazuki, Shadow Onpu, and Shadow Momoko aided, Shadow Pop was pulled free.
"Everyone! Run!" Shadow Doremi shouted.
"But we can-" Shadow Aiko blurted.
"Don't think. RUN!"
"Get back here!" Pop yelled angrily as she began to trying to suck them in.
To the rose-haired Ojamajo's frustration, the suction didn't zero in on any of them. It only affected those who were caught in it instead.
Shadow Onpu put herself in between Pop and Shadow Momoko before blasting the ground with her magic. It was quick, but all seven Shadow Ojamajos escaped, leaving Pop fuming in rage.
"When I get my hands on them, I'll-!" Pop's eyes went wide at what she was doing. She was invulnerable to them and impatient and that caused them to flee before she could get the answers she wanted. "What…What am I doing?"
Pop collapsed in shock at what she had done just then. They were defenseless against her now. She could do whatever she pleased with them once she found them. She could hurt them however way she wanted. But that just wasn't her. She had acted just like a ruthless thug.
A/N: I'm going to skip out on proofreading this time as well.
The descriptions included are a shout out to "Sweetie's Mansion". If you haven't read that fic, then go do it. It can be found on FimFiction.