Cherry Magica: Chapter 2

**Sprouting** (Japanese: **出芽** *Shutsuga*) is the 2nd chapter of Arc 1 of *Magicae Amicitiae et Harmoniae*.

## Summary

*Cherry and Valerie have encountered a strange creature. She goes by Kyubey - an Incubator from Yumesora. Before the girls can make their wishes, though, they have to look for another Chosen One first.*

## Diary Entry

#### Michelle Brooks

*I'm Michelle Brooks. I'm 12 years old, and I admit I'm kind of shy and not good at interacting with people. Today I went down to the pond like I do almost every day in order to observe Water Pokémon like Tympole and Basculin in peace and quiet, when suddenly this pink-haired girl and this furry white thing teleported to me. They REALLY spooked me by getting all fast-mouthed and yelling that I'm one of the Chosen Ones who is supposed to save the Multiverse from evil. Please... don't startle me like that? I don't want the Multiverse to suffer in darkness, but at the same time... I don't know if I'm up for the job... especially since I'm not a warrior of the fighting kind.*

## Transcript

Kyubey: **I see that you've discovered your status as Chosen Ones.**

(Cherry and Valerie look confused.)

Cherry: **Huh? What do you mean?!**

Valerie: **Yeah, what are you talking about?!**

Kyubey: **You have been specifically chosen by the Magic of Friendship and the Shinju-sama, and the Taisha sent me to look for you! You may encounter a creature known as a Vertex soon. It's an evil creature sent to exterminate living things.**

Cherry: **EXTERMINATE LIVING THINGS?! That's terrible! We have do something when that happens!**

Valerie: **What can we do? It hasn't happened yet, though.**

#####

(Meanwhile, in Unova, a young blue-haired girl is sitting at the edge of a pond, watching Water-type Pokémon like Basculin and Tympole swim around. She takes a handful of water, uses a spell that makes it safe to drink, and drinks some.)

Michelle: **Nothing like another day of peace and quiet.**

(A Tympole uses Mud Slap in her face. She becomes very startled.)

Michelle: **AHHH! What was that for?!**

(Michelle catches her breath and calms down. Just as she is intrigued with a Goldeen swimming by, a pink-haired girl, a brown-haired girl, and a furry white creature suddenly teleport to her.)

Cherry (motormouthed): **Kyubeysensedyourachosenoneandyouneedtocontractandfightrightnow!**

Kyubey (motormouthed): **Ifyoumakeacontractyoucansavethemultiversefromevil!Youvebeenselected.**

Michelle (startled): **Ah! Wh-WHAT? What are you even talking about?**

(Michelle covers her ears and shuts her eyes, stressed out. Cherry and Kyubegl however, don't seem to pick up on it.)

Kyubey: **What's wrong?!**

Valerie: **Can't you two see?! You're stressing her out!**

(A frightened Michelle, having enough, then runs away crying. Cherry immediately regrets what she has done, and so does Kyubey.)

Cherry: **Wait, come back! What's your name?!**

(Cherry and Kyubey run after Michelle. Valerie just facepalms.)

Valerie: *I kinda want to cheer her up, but she's obviously not in the mood to...*

(Suddenly, the wild Pokémon in and around the pond stop moving and are still. The reeds and grass also stop moving, and everything seems eerily still. The three girls and Kyubey, however, are unaffected.)

Cherry:' **Huh?! What's going on?!**

Valerie: **This is kinda weird, almost like...**

Michelle (terrified, screaming and covering her eyes): **...time has stopped?** **I'm scared... what's happening?**

Cherry: **I don't even know! Vali-chan, do you know?**

(Before Valerie can reply, Michelle suddenly kneels, letting out a small shriek.)

Valerie: *Now what?*

(Michelle just muttered with a ghostly pale look on her face.)

Michelle: **Girls...**

Cherry and Valerie: **Huh?**

(Michelle's body was trembling slightly. On unsteady feet, she stood up. A strange light imbued her eyes and hex-like words leaked from her mouth.)

Michelle: ***It's our time.***

(The view the girls could see was rapidly changing. The land and Pokémon were covered by gigantic tree roots and ivy extending all the way to the edge of the sea.)

Cherry: \*gasp\* **What.. just happened?!**

(The strange light had disappeared from Michelle's eyes.)

Michelle: \*looks at her hands\* **Was I possessed?**

(Kyubey slaps her.)

Kyubey: **NOPE.**

#####

(Please Stand By)

#####

Valerie: **...Uh... I think there's something ahead!**

(The girls find themselves in a multicolored, almost quilt-like location. In the distance is a vaguely humanoid, angelic creature with an eerie face.)

Michelle: **EEEK!**

Cherry: **What's that thing?!**

Shinju-sama (voice, speaking to Michelle): **The creature before you is known as a Vertex. Specifically, the Virgo Vertex. Its sole purpose is to consume and destroy living beings, and eventually, destroy me.**

Michelle: **It's called a Vertex- Wait, who said that? Am I just hearing things?**

Cherry: **What is WRONG with you? You got involuntarily hexed or whatever, and now you're hearing voices?!**

Kyubey: **It's true. That creature *is* a Vertex.**

Cherry: *Kinda like the ones I saw years ago...*

(The Vertex flies closer towards the girls and Kyubey).

Kyubey: **If you contract with me, you can fight it! What are your wishes?**

Cherry: **I want a big basket of fresh cherries! They're not in season right now anyways... and we'll eat them later after this creature is dealt with...**

(A big basket of ripe cherries appears out of thin air.)

Valerie: **I would like a beautiful singing voice.**

(Valerie's neck glows for a second.)

Michelle: **And I.... ummm... I want a magic cup, please... that no matter how much I drink it or dump it out, is always filled with clean drinking water.**

(A cup filled with water then appears out of thin air. The girls' Power Necklaces then each let out a small ball of light, and a phone appears out of thin air for each of them.)

Kyubey: **Your wishes have been granted. Those are your Harmony Gems, plus a magical device called a "phone." Now, hurry! Open the app, find the button that has your Harmony Mark on it, and press it once!**

(The girls nod and open the app. They press a button on the screen with their Harmony Marks once. and a flash of light comes from the phone and engulfs them.)

Cherry, Valerie, and Michelle: **HUH?!**

(After the transformation sequence, they find their appearances look different. Cherry has a pink, sleeveless dress and her hair is up in buns, and she looks stunned as she pulls a feather from a pair of angel wings on her back. Valerie looks in shock at her white, ankle-length skirt and her blonde braids that go down to her knees, while Michelle quietly admires her now-curly sea blue hair and her elf-like shoes.)

Cherry: **WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?!**

Valerie: **We... transformed!**

Michelle (instinctively speaking): **We are the legendary Magis chosen to save the Multiverse from evil.**

Cherry and Valerie: **Magis...?**

Kyubey: **Now hurry! Get your weapons!**

(A pink rodent-like creature then comes down from a portal, while a white cat-like one comes out of Valerie's phone after her transformed Harmony Gem and her Power Necklace glow, and a blue sealion-like one comes out of Michelle's phone and her PN and HG do the same.)

All three girls: **WHA....?**

Pink rodent-like creature: **No time to explain! Here are your weapons!**

Michelle: **Weapons?**

(The pink rodent-like creature glows and creates a crossbow out of thin air for Cherry. The white cat-like creature takes Valerie's lyre that her mother gave her when she was 10, and magically turns it into a fancy-looking harp. However, the sealion-like creature doesn't create any for Michelle.)

Michelle: **Hey, where is mine?**

Kyubey: **It seems like you don't have any... sorry.**

(Cherry, Valerie, and Michelle unsteadily try to fly, but have a difficult time getting the hang of it and crash. The Virgo Vertex approaches them. Cherry shoots arrows from her crossbow at it, which tears holes in it, only for it to regenerate itself instantly.)

Cherry: **WHAT?!**

Valerie: **Let me try.**

(Valerie plays the strings on her harp, sending magic sound waves towards the Virgo Vertex. It gets partly torn, but like before, regenerates itself instantly.)

Valerie: **Now me too?**

Kyubey: **In order to defeat it, you need to expose its core and then destroy the core. I'll teach you how.**

Cherry: **Okay. Tell us what to do.**

Kyubey: **You need to activate your Elemaximum first! See that pattern on your outfits that looks like your Harmony Marks? It's lit up because you've used enough magic. Say "Elemaximum!"**

Michelle: **Um, I don't seem to have one.**

Kyubey: **Correct. You don't.** (to Cherry and Valerie): **Say it!**

Cherry and Valerie: **ELEMAXIMUM!**

(In an instant, Cherry and Valerie's outfits change to robes, and they have gold rings floating behind them. Michelle watches in awe.)

Cherry: **WOW! THIS IS AMAZING!**

Michelle: **My ears... not too loud, please!**

Valerie: **Now what?**

Kyubey: **You have 5 minutes before you run out of power and change back to normal. Take your phones out their cases, go to the Magical Warrior app and tap the "sealing" option. Then point your phone at the Vertex and recite these words: "Magic of Friendship, Light of Hope, protect our happiness and grant us everlasting joy!"**

(Cherry and Valerie take out their phones and follow Kyubey's instructions. The former takes a deep breath, and nods.)

Cherry and Valerie: ***Magic of Friendship, Light of Hope, protect our happiness and bring us everlasting joy!***

(At that moment, the front of the outer Vertex disappears, revealing the "soul" inside.)

Cherry: *Wow, this is so blooming-tastic!*

Kyubey: **Use your attacks! Now!**

(Cherry takes out her crossbow. It glows pink, and the tip of the arrow becomes a flower. She points it at the Vertex. Valerie, on the other hand, gets out her lyre and plucks a few of the strings.)

Cherry: ***FLOWER PETAL SHOOT!***

Valerie: ***HARMONY CHOIR!***

(Cherry shoots the flower-shaped arrow at the Vertex, which grows larger and larger. Valerie holds her lyre above her head, starts singing, and plays the strings of her lyre, causing a giant music staff-like net to appear once the strings glow. The arrow hits the core and the music staff-like net constricts it. Valerie stops singing and once she stops playing her lyre, both attacks cause the core to explode.)

Michelle: **AHHHH!** \*covers her eyes\*

Kyubey: **WHOA!** \*covers her eyes with her long ears\*

(The light eventually fades. Cherry and Valerie now have three minutes left before detransforming.)

Cherry: **We did it! We did it! We won our first battle!**

Valerie: **All right!**

(Cherry and Valerie high-five.)

Valerie: **You did great too, Michelle, even though you... can't fight.** \*holds out her hand to Michelle\*

Michelle: **Umm...** \*flustered from being complimented\* **Thank you.**

###

Cherry: **Hey! Time's back to normal!**

Kyubey: *They didn't lose any bodily functions this time...*

Valerie: **Wait, what's that Fennekin doing here? And Cherry-san, why are you holding that book?**

Cherry: **It's a diary we can record our experiences in! I'll call it, the Magi Di- WHOA! A CHERUBI!**

(Valerie picks up the Fennekin and offers her a snack. Cherry excitedly picks up the Cherubi.)

Valerie: **You're so cute.** \*sings operatically\* **When I.... get my Stage fiiiivvveee, I'm going to looooook... even cuterrrr!**

Fennekin: **Your singing skills are impressive!**

Valerie: **I shall call you Wakana.**

Cherry: **YOU'RE SO CUTE I COULD EAT YOU UP!!!** \*nuzzles the Cherubi against her cheek excitedly\* **Just so adorable! Valie-chan, we actually met Pokémon! I'm going to call you Hanae!**

(Michelle suddenly comes up, carrying a clay bowl filled with water that has a Tympole in it.)

Cherry: **Oh, what Pokémon is that?!**

Michelle: **It's, well... it's called a Tympole. I-I found her in the pond a few minutes ago.**

Hanae: **What's her name?**

Michelle: **...Pollie.**

Wakana: **That's a good name.**

Cherry: **It sounds lovely! Michella-chan, would you like to join our team?!**

Valerie: **You'll make a great Puella Magi! And we can earn our stages and do great together.**

Michelle: **M-Michella-chan?! Miss Lovedream, Miss Harper, I'd-**

(Hanae slaps Michelle with Vine Whip, startling her.)

Hanae: **TOO FORMAL!**

Cherry: **Don't call me that! Just call me Cherry!**

Pollie: **Give it a try!**

Michelle: **Okay...** \*nods nervously\* **I will do my best.**

***To be continued...***

## Major Events

* Kyubey is officially introduced.
* Cherry, Valerie, and Michelle Brooks are transported to the Jukai for the first time.
* Cherry, Valerie and Michelle become magical girls.

## Characters

### Puella Magi

* Cherry Lovedream
* Valerie Harper
* Michelle Brooks (debut)

## Attacks Used

* Flower Petal Shoot (at the same time as Harmony Choir)
* Harmony Choir (at the same time as Flower Petal Shoot)

## Trivia

* This is the first time where...
	+ A "Please Stand By" moment is seen
	+ The Sealing Ritual is used
* It appears in this chapter that Kyubey does not yet realize that Magis can use attacks that require more than one Magi to use it. Three chapters later, she would learn about this skill.