The Galaxy Cauldron is proud to announce its ninth writing contest. The theme for this writing contest is "(Creation of a) Magical Girl's Team." You are free to interpret the theme as you like. The rules are as follows:

Rules
1. Entries must be 1000 words or less.
2. Entries must be rated PG13 or lower.
3. Entries must be related to the theme.
4. Your entry must be a new entry created specifically for this challenge.
5. You may only submit one entry.
6. You may not show your entry to anyone else or post it elsewhere on the Galaxy Cauldron until after the contest is over and the winner is announced.
7. Sailor Moon themed entries are encouraged, but not required.

Note: Voting ends by January 10th. All questions may be directed to Sailor Venus.

XD This is awesome. I can imagine that many individuals here will be happy about this one.

Believe it or not, Pinja-love, I actually do not like the magical girl theme at all. XD Sailor Moon was the only special exception. Hee. But it will be nice to see how others run with this theme.

Will you be entering? Or attempt to?

Oh gosh, under 1000 words - do you know I usually "enter" these contests and then go waaaaaay over and cannot cut it down and therefore cannot participate? I wish you the best if you do though!

Well, I suppose I could do another Special Event Writing Contest with no word limit. I didn't get quite the showing I expected to with the last one, though.

quite an intersting theme

Oooo I like the theme Ill have to think something up xD

XD aaaand submitted!

Hmm I made a magical girl team back in my high school days. I'm attempted to write an entry, but I wouldnt know what to write.

I am so making a MLP/sailor moon fic!

I am writing a submission now!

Only a few more days!

Bump!

Only a few more days until submissions are closed.

Bump!

Entry #1
Gems

The world’s balance was in the hands of the girls of the gem. Their
time had come to save the world or destroy it? It was their decision.
Many
years had passed since these three girls had been granted powers by a mysterious
meteor shower. Each one, Selene, Veronica, and Maria, had been hit by a single
meteor piece and given special powers. Through researching the local lore the
girls discovered that their powers were given to them because the world was in a
time of need. Each had a mark of the gem on their bodies. The leader, Selene was
marked with a crescent moon on her left shoulder, Veronica was marked with a
snowflake on her wrist, and Maria was marked with a star on the back of her
neck.
These three girls were drawn together after they had been marked.
Eventually they realized that they had powers. Selene was granted the gift of
the five elements. She controlled Earth, fire, air, water, and spirit. Veronica
was given the power to control the weather. Maria’s gift was to heal those who
were wounded. With their powers they could do much anything. They spent their
time fighting crime and trying to destroy the dark forces trying to bring about
the apocalypse.
Today would be the day when the three finally met their
unseen adversaries. Would they be able to save the world or would they lead it
to their destruction. None of the girls could have foreseen what lies ahead for
them this day.
“Girls, we need to move and move fast.” Selene said, “It’s
almost time for the eclipse and I can see the portal forming.” “Okay. We’re
beside you one hundred percent.” Both Veronica and Maria said in unison. The
dark was encroaching on them and soon the enemy would be in this world. As the
Gems, as they called themselves, ran towards the convergence point of the two
worlds they were unsure of what they would find.
Selene ran with the speed
of the wind and the others weren’t far behind as they reached the convergence
point just as three shadowed figures came out of the portal. The eclipse was
making it hard to see and the three figures in the portal didn’t speak a word
until Selene spoke up, “Who are you and why are you trying to destroy our
world?” The three shadowed figures laughed, but their laughs were familiar to
the gems. It was a sound they were used to hearing and the sound frightened them
more than anything. As the dark continued to encroach on the earth Selene used
fire to illuminate her darkest fear.
The three shadowy figures were shown for
a brief moment before Selene froze with fear. They were themselves. “Is this
what the old man meant when he said they had the power to either destroy or save
the world?” Maria yelled to the others. “How can this be?” Veronica whispered as
she came to stand next to Selene. “I don’t know.” Selene said, still in a state
of shock. Maria joined them and stood there eyes wide, mouth gaped open. “What
are we going to do? Can we really fight ourselves?” Veronica asked.
Before
Selene could answer a wave of fire came right at the girls with an intensity
that Selene had never imagined before. And as the dark finished to descend it
seemed that the gems were finished and that they would never save the world.
Could they fight back and win? Or will they lose the one thing they'd been
fighting to save this whole time?

Entry #2

It was never expected as how my whole life would change on what apparently had begun as a very normal day; so normal I could almost have qualified it of plain boring. My life had nothing very exciting as I always wished to be like Sailor V and in my mind I was so far from this ideal I had imagined from my favorite heroine.

That morning I had woken up late as usual and I were to leave for school when I saw a bunch of kids torture a kitty; oh poor kitty. I chased the children away as I didn’t know this was my first step into becoming the one I was always meant to be. From that moment my destiny was changed as that someone or should I say something, maybe someone after all, who had been looking for me for so long had finally found me.

My journey wasn’t all as easy as I thought it would be. I was so excited the first time I transformed; this was like a dream come true as I realized I was just like the person I had always wished to be like. I would make a difference in this world and I would save people from evil… ‘‘In the name of the Moon I will punish you!’’ was the phrase I would instantly adopt. How fun would it be to show the enemy who their rival was and how fun would it be to be for the normal teenager I am to beat evil creatures! All scenarios in my head made me feel strong and special as I proudly laughed inside.

But sometimes you truly think you want another life and when you’re finally in it you realize you don’t want it anymore. I never really wanted to fight; I just wanted to have an exciting life!

Then, from the moment I started feeling lonely being the only girl living in my magical bubble with my kitty, friends started showing up. I am not the only one who has seen her existence change from everything. Through the years I have met other girls like me who would fight by my side when evil would come and each would have a role and a reason to be part of the team. I must confess that I would never have gone this far without them; each one of them has made a difference in my personal life just like in my warrior life and we were always there for each other. I am a crybaby but yet I am strong inside they say and unlike most I am pure and people believe in me. But I believe together we are indestructible; I am one with them and we are one with the universe.

Maybe you think your life is nothing very special or completely plain boring but remember, that is what I thought of my own life before. I have never been the center of attention before and who would have thought a clumsy teenager such as me with bad grades would become someone people believe in one day? Inside you is hidden someone really special too; only left for you to discover it!

Entry #3
“Please! Don’t make me do this!” she implored, her voice hoarse with pain and
fear as her eyes pleaded with the woman at the end of her staff, golden sickle
pressing gently against the soft skin of her opponent’s black neck. Her arms
shook with the effort of keeping herself together, every fiber of her being
crying out against her moral center, muscles and emotions begging against
unrelenting responsibility to back away, to let the dark woman dressed in smoke
and stone up off of the floor, to embrace her; but the cool glint of
starlight-steel shining by the woman’s outstretched hand warned her against such
an action. If she relented, she would die. She and the people she had sworn to
protect. There was only one option for a happy ending – only one that would let
the beautiful woman live: Umbra had to surrender her weapons and
submit.

“What would you have me do?” her voice, deep and gusty as the
midnight wind, asked calmly, malice laced in her tone, “Surrender to you? To
dear Iridescence, and suffer the wrath of the Balance Keeper? To live the rest
of my life in a cell of restraint, suffering to be little more than my divine
purpose?!” The anger that had appeared so suddenly days ago returned in her
eyes, “Never! I was here before you, Iridescence! Before anyone!” she squirmed
beneath the weapon, acting as a rabid cornered animal desperate for escape and
revenge. Iridescence’s heart cried out in pity and disdain to see the woman act
this way, so weak in comparison to her former self. Umbra continued, her eyes
darker than night, “I am tired of this! Of You and Yours and the others that
have polluted my universe! The dark is where all was created and the dark will
be how all things end! The time is now for me to reclaim my rightful place and
return everything to its prior perfection!” She lunged towards her fallen steel
and Iridescence moved to block her, keeping her at bay.

“Umbra, no! Why
are you acting like this?!” she cried, her corona weakening around them as
Umbra’s darkness increased. “You helped us, don’t you remember?” she pled,
trying to invoke the memories of before, of her own awakening and their meeting,
of Umbra’s happiness and their joy. Of how they lived and laughed and spent
millennia together, never able to separate from the other even at their worst.
She couldn’t leave Umbra; for all of her faults, she was perfect for her. And
she thought Umbra had felt the same way – no matter what happened, no matter how
far away she went and for how long, Umbra always returned with anger forgotten,
ready to resume their life together. Even when the others awakened – the
Elements – Umbra, while upset, had always come back. When Carbon had suggested
creating something together, creating living creatures, Umbra had agreed and
worked with them. Together they created planets, together they created life;
from bacteria and viruses to flora and fauna, Umbra had been with them, adding
her experience and ideas to create worlds filled with diversity. What had
happened to her? Why had she turned on them suddenly and tried to destroy the
life they created together?

Umbra’s eyes narrowed, her gaze on the
golden-wrought blade before her, “A mistake that I intend to remedy.” Steadily
her shadows increased until the woman was lost amongst them.


Iridescence, afraid, pressed forward with her scythe, intent to keep
connected to Umbra by touch if not by sight, but in pressing forward she felt no
resistance. “Umbra?” she called, her fear constricting her veins, her hands
shaking uncontrollably as she pressed forward further, searching the murky area
before her for the dark woman with the sultry voice. She found nothing.
“Umbra?!” she yelled again, her corona bursting outwards, fighting the darkness
until it won out, light shining on the reflective floor in front of her, and the
black sigil burnt into the material. Umbra was gone.

“No!” Iridescence
screamed, “You can’t!” her breath caught in her chest as the gravity of the
situation fully fell. She collapsed to her knees, throwing her weapon aside as
her glowing hands searched the floor, dispelling the last bit of darkness. Yet
the sigil remained, and Umbra was gone. “Umbra!! Come back!” she cried, tears
forming in her eyes. “Umbra!” Her heart breaking, she fell to her elbows, golden
hair cascading around her as she sobbed, “Please!” Pressing her forehead to the
ground as three tears fell onto the black sigil, she begged, “Don’t leave me
alone.”


Three tear drops with a shining star within moved through
the sigil, transferring suddenly into another plane, onto a world the great ones
had created together, a world wherein one had escaped. They fell as if raindrops
from nonexistent clouds, drifting steadily down towards the planet’s surface
below. The wind blew and teased, pushing the drops of light to and fro,
separating them from one another, but still they fell, gaining speed until, at
last, each landed...

Tear One:]
“Oh gross!” the girl cried,
rubbing the back of her hand on her friend’s arm, her freckled face filled with
revulsion, “Tiana! You sneezed on me!”

“Sorry!” the girl beside her
laughed.

“Uuug,” the first girl groaned, nose still crinkled in disgust
as she rubbed her hand on her own skirt, “It was still warm!” she turned on her
shorter friend and put both hands on her hips, stopping in place as she
declared, “Sorry’s just not going to cut it - you owe me a root beer
float!”

Rolling her eyes, Tiana agreed, “Sure thing, Marilyn. I’ll get
right on that.” She moved around the girl and kept walking past the rows of
suburban homes.

Marilyn stomped her foot and followed, her backpack
bouncing as she caught up, “I mean it this time!” she stated, walking backwards
to continue facing her friend, green eyes blazing bright, “No substitutions,
trades, or outsourcing!”

“Okay, okay…”

Entry #4
As trumpeted fanfares echoed on crystalline walls, Juno fought the urge to
fidget with the knowledge that every eye in the throne room watched her and her
sisters.

The throne room had been decorated with banners depicting the
colors of the newly appointed Guardian Senshi, but Juno didn’t pay attention to
them. Her eyes were drawn towards those who stood in front of her.

The
Queen and the King were striking in their formal clothing, and they were flanked
by the original Guardian Senshi, two on each side. They were never far from
their Queen.

All of them exuded a sense of power and wisdom that left
Juno feeling smaller and younger in comparison. But despite the battles they had
all faced, the Queen’s smile was still just as warm, and the King’s eyes
twinkled as he stood proudly by his love. Sailor Venus continuously poked at
Sailor Mars in an attempt to get a rise out of her, while Sailor Jupiter rested
her hand comfortably on Sailor Mercury’s shoulder. Battle-worn, perhaps, but
never broken.

Juno fidgeted again, feeling the weight of expectations
that she didn’t know if she would ever live up to.

A pair of amused ruby
eyes caught her own, and Juno found herself staring at her princess. Usa looked
almost out of place in her flowing white dress with jewels in her hair and a
serene expression instead of a cheeky grin and dirt on her knees. She looked
beautiful and far older than Juno remembered from just yesterday.

But
amusement sparkled in Usa’s ruby eyes and Juno could see her trying not to laugh
at Juno’s uncomfortable predicament. Juno would need to remember to get revenge
on the princess after this ceremony was over.

It made her feel a little
more at ease, however, to see that even despite all of this refinery and
formality, things wouldn’t ever change between them.

Although things had
changed, and would change, but Juno knew that their friendship was strong. And
Mercury had once told her that friendship was all that they would ever truly
need in order to get through the hardships they would face now that they were to
be the official senshi of Crystal Tokyo.

The fanfares died out, and a
strange silence fell over the throne room. No one moved until the Queen’s smile
widened, and she invited her own Senshi to begin the ceremony.

The four
original Guardian senshi stepped down to stand in front of the new Guardian
senshi. Mars and Vesta, Mercury and Pallas, Venus and Ceres, Jupiter and Juno.


Each of the original senshi held a crystalline key within their hands.
The keys opened most of the doors in the palace, but it was more symbolic than
anything else.

They handed the keys over to their successor, and said in
one voice, “Do you vow to defend the Queen and King, Crystal Tokyo and the world
against anyone who would do them harm? Do you vow to always protect your
princess no matter what?”

As one, the new Guardians replied, “We do.
Even to our deaths, we will protect.”

It was then that the Queen spoke
to her daughter, a key in her hands as well that she gave to Usa. “Princess
Serenity, do you vow to uphold yourself as the senshi of love and justice? To
lead your own Guardian senshi, and to protect this planet with all of your
heart?”

Usa did not hesitate. “I do. Even to my death, I will
protect.”

And then everyone was clapping, and Venus and Jupiter were
cheering out loud. Usa turned around to face her senshi, a bright smile on her
face and she jumped down to them, throwing her arms around Juno. Vesta, Pallas
and Ceres came closer, everyone hugging each other. They were all talking at
once, but not one of them could hear each other over the clapping and the
cheering.

But it didn’t matter, everyone was smiling and laughing, and
Juno felt such a connection to these girls that her heart beat quickened.


Juno drew upon the strength of her best friends and she stood a little
taller, and held them all closer, focusing on nothing but the happiness of this
moment. She knew that they had challenges awaiting them when this moment ended,
but it was okay.

She was ready to protect them all, no matter what.

There are some great entries, so be sure to cast your vote for your favorite!

Voted

Bump! Support your favorite entry by voting. The author will definitely appreciate it.

voted

My vote is cast. Some interesting takes on the prompt this time around. ^^

Hmm.... I which one'll win...

There are only a few days left!

Good luck to everyone.

Sorry about being terribly late! The winner of the 9th writing contest is Verdandi. Congratulations!
Entry #1 - Sailor Selene
Entry #2 - JoJiaMystie
Entry #3 - Sailor Uranus
Entry #4 - Verdandi (Winner!)

Congrats Verdandi!!! ANd thank you to the person who voted for me ^-^ I didn't expect having a vote Yay!