Magical Hero Squad

Ashley Sparks was standing outside his sister’s room when he heard the window open, he figured she was sneaking back into the house, he had a suspicion she had been doing that for a while. The two shared a wall and he heard her window open and close all the time. Ash wanted to catch his sister in the act of sneaking in, he didn’t have a plan on tattling on her but it was always useful to know a few of her secrets. He quickly opened his sister’s door and he stood there astonished at what he saw, it was ‘Phoenix, Lady of the Flame’, she is one of the heroes of the Magical Hero Squad. “Phoenix?” He whispered softly, eyes wide.

Phoenix stood there surprised she had been noticed. She was wearing her signature battle outfit, a body suit that was red and black that made it look like her legs were on fire, she even had a red and black cape behind her, flowing fiery red hair that seemed to slightly glow in the dark bedroom. “Ashley!” She exclaimed.

“You know who I am?” Ash said softly, he had been a fan of the Magical Hero Squad for years and had been collecting posters, action figures and trading cards.

“I’m out of time! You need to go-” She was interrupted as her outfit began to glow. Ash watched as fire seemed to erupt from her clothes and reformed them, she was completely glowing in a beautiful red and yellow hue, it was so bright he had to avert his eyes slightly. After the light died down and Ash’s eyes adjusted to the moonlit room of his sister’s bedroom he saw his very frustrated and annoyed looking sister.

Ash stared at her and he started to get excited. “You’re Phoenix! Cole, you're Phoenix!” he said twice, his voice getting higher with anticipation the second time.

“Calm down Ashley, uh Ash.” She said correcting her name choice to not antagonise him, he hated people calling him Ashley. She may not have needed to as she could only describe his attitude as giddy.

“I can’t believe it. You’re like the coolest person in the Magical Hero Squad.” Ash praised his sister, trying to keep his voice down while also being really excited.

Cole was flattered by her little brother’s compliment, she knew he was a fan, in fact she was the one who kept bringing him merchandise from the squad. “Thanks Ash, but you need to keep it a secret, you can’t tell anyone.”

“I can keep your secret!” He immediately promised to his sister. “How are you Phoenix though?”

“It’s a long story.” She hesitated. “I met one of the other heroes and we became friends, like with me as Cole and her as someone else.” She said trying to not reveal her friend’s identity. She noticed he was hanging on to every word. “You’re really interested aren’t you?”

Ash was still in shock of it all, he wanted to know everything. “It all makes sense now.” He said, his voice now calmer. “Every time you had to leave and all those excuses you made.” He smiled after remembering something. “You even had me cover for you a couple times, was I helping out Phoenix then?”

Cole stood surprised that his brother remembered all these things. “Yeah, that’s right.” She agreed with him. “I have been Phoenix, Lady of the Flame for about two years now.”. Ash was smiling and clearly full of hundreds of questions. “Okay Ashley, it’s late, just ask me your top questions.”

Ash brushed right passed being called his full name. “How do you transform into Phoenix?” He asked.

Cole smiled and showed him her earrings, he knew she had earrings in the shape of flames. “I just activate my magic and transform into the hero you just saw. One more question, then I need to sleep.”

“Do you think I could do magic?” He asked quickly.

“I’m not sure.” Cole said. “All the others are girls, I don’t think boys can do magic.” She said, pondering the question.

The answer didn’t deter Ash at all. “Do you think we could try? I want to be a hero too!”

“Let me ask the others about it.” She said, not with much intention to do so. “Now, out of my room. I’m tired from tonight.”

Ash swiftly left his sister’s room before she changed her mind about asking, he had a million things running through his mind.

A week had passed since Ash had discovered Cole was a magical hero and every day he had some type of question to ask her, whether it was about what missions she went on with the team or some random question about her powers. Today he was sitting in her room asking more questions.

“Well what did they say, I know you met them this week!” Ash demanded his sister let him know.

His sister looked at him. “Well I asked one of them and she agreed that magic is for girls.” She told him. Ash looked disappointed and sad, she hated when he looked like that. “They did also say I need to pick someone to be my protégé.”

Ash looked at her inquisitively. “What is a protégé?” He asked.

“It’s like a sidekick!” She told him, trying to cheer him up.

“A sidekick!” He shouted excitedly. “Do you mean me?”

“I’m not sure yet, we would need to keep it a secret.” She told him. “I suppose if you really want to try I could take you to the headquarters.”

Ash’s face lit up with anticipation. “You mean I would get to go to the real life headquarters of the Magical Hero Squad?”

Ash’s excitement was contagious and it started to get Cole excited. “Yeah, you can at least try to get magic,” She told him. “If it’s only for girls what's the harm in trying, right!”

Ash was pretty much jumping up and down at the news. “Do you think I’ll get fire powers too?”

“What makes you think that?” She asked him, “Everyone is different.”

“Well you have fire powers and your name is ‘Cole Sparks’, I’m ‘Ash Sparks’ so I should get them too!” He explained his reasoning.

“Aren’t you Ashley Sparks though?” Cole said, teasing her brother.

“Well Ashley is a girl's name” He told her. He had given up on being called Ashley when he discovered there were two girls in his class also named Ashley, so he now goes by Ash.

“Well you’re still a Sparks so maybe you’re right.” Cole said standing up. “Let’s go, I’ll take you there with my powers.”

“Right now?” Ash said, getting excited. He got up and started getting ready to go.

“Want to watch this time?” Cole said as she stood up.

Ash looked at her with more enthusiasm, she was about to transform into Phoenix.

“By the power of the goddesses” She flicked her flame earrings with her hand, which caused them to glow and spark. “I ask for your light and fire” Her outfit once again exploded in red and yellow fire and started to reform around her. “Your truth and justice” Her cape took shape looking as if the fire was creating it rather than burning it away. “Phoenix, Lady of the Flame”. At the end she struck a pose which seemed to flick all the fire away from her and changed the color of her hair.

Ash was smiling and had wide eyes, even though he knew this was his sister he was almost nervous. “Hi, Phoenix.” He said nervously.

Cole smiled at her brother. “Ashley, it's still me.”

Ash swallowed, his mouth a little dry from it hanging open. “Yeah… I know. It’s still a little surprising to see Phoenix in person” The two stepped into their backyard. “So, how do we get to the headquarters?” Ash asked.

Phoenix smirked at her brother. “We could fly. If you're up for it.” She told him

Ash started smiling and getting excited. “Yes! Let’s fly!” He shouted. “Are you going to use your special Phoenix Flight Flames?”

“You really do know a lot!” Phoenix told him. “Well get ready!”. She then scooped up Ash in her arms, he felt light since the magic increased her strength. Cole lifted her foot one at a time and stomped them into the ground causing wings made of fire to erupt from her heels. “Phoenix Flight Flame!” She shouted, causing Ash to squeal in delight in her arms. She launched herself off the ground at tremendous speed, Ash held onto his sister with a tight grip. “Don’t worry I won’t drop you.” Phoenix announced.

“I know.” Ash said through the wind.

The city rushed past beneath them, the two moving so quickly through the air that Ash didn’t have time to view the beautiful scenery. Cole went straight for a large tower and landed on some type of balcony.

“We will head in this way so no one sees us.” Cole told Ash as she unlocked the balcony door with a special hand gesture. “Follow me and stay quiet”

Ash couldn’t believe he was now rushing behind his sister as the two of them made their way through the Magical Hero Squad’s headquarters. Every so often Ash would get distracted by something on the wall or some console with a room name. The headquarters looked almost like a mix between a high tech software company and an old library, artwork and magic seemed to fill the halls.

Cole brought Ash to a large door which opened as the two got near it. Inside was a large circular room with a large gemstone floating in the centre, rings of floating glowing letters and symbols spun around the gemstone and as Phoenix got closer it seemed to shift in color to match her.

“You won’t find this in any Magical Hero Squad guidebook.” She told her brother.

Ash looked at the room in amazement, he didn’t know what to expect but the mix of the high tech monitors and magical artefacts was not it. Looking at the gemstone itself it was oddly beautiful, he saw hues of pinks, purples and red swirling through it. He couldn’t read any of the languages or recognize any of the symbols spinning around it. “This is amazing!” He said.

“This gemstone should grant my protégé magic if we touch it together” She told her brother “however the other heroes told me it won’t work for boys, so don’t get your hopes too high.”

“I know, but I want to do magic like you!” Ash said, beaming his smile at his sister, he was clearly excited. “What do the words floating around say?”

“Well it’s a little girly.” She warned him. “Maidens who are pure, kind and courageous who seek love and kindness for all, those who will stand up for truth and justice, touch this stone to unlock your potential” Ash hung onto her every word. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes! I want to be a hero like you!” Ash said. “So it’s like a hero’s promise?”

“Yeah something like that.” Cole said, she raised her hand and touched the stone, the gem itself towered over both of them and filled the room floor to ceiling. A red and yellow glow started in the gemstone around her. “Are you ready to try?”

“Yes!” He said confidently. “I bet I’ll get a cool costume like yours, with black ash and fists of fire” Ash told her, he clearly had a very cool costume in mind.

Ash stepped up to the gemstone and reached out his hand. Placing his palm on the stone he felt a gentle warmth. Slowly it felt like the room was disappearing around him and he was alone, he could still feel the gem’s warm glow in his hand.

“Welcome Maiden!” An angelic voice spoke from all around him. Ash looked around and started to see stars appear and a small intelligent looking cat in front of him.

“Hi!” Ash said, overly excited and nervous. “Phoenix is my sister!” He blurted out.

“Yes.” The voice said, coming from the cat, but telepathically. “I know. She seems to be taking a chance on you.” The cat told him in a tone that made him sound interested.

“I want to do magic like my sister!” He told the cat.

“That’s not how it works kid.” The cat stood up and walked toward him. The cat had silver fur with tufts of gold, there was a glowing star on its forehead. “I will pick which powers you get. Now state your name!” The cat demanded.

“Ash Sparks!” Ash said quickly.

“No, that isn’t correct.” The cat lifted a paw and a ghostly figure of Phoenix appeared who still had her palm on the stone. “Phoenix knows you by another name.”

“My full name is Ashley Sparks.” Ash tried to confirm.

“Yes, that’s correct.” The cat started to pace back and forth. “Are you willing to be kind, graceful and courageous?” The cat asked. “Seek love and kindness for all, those who will stand up for truth, beauty and justice?”

Ash was getting anxious now, this is what he wanted. “Yes I am.” He said softly.

“Well then Ashley Sparks, I grant you the power of the goddess and I will return you to your sister to let your powers manifest.” The cat told him and sat in front of him. “My name is Stella and I am sure we will meet again.”

The room started to come back into sight for Ash and his sister came back into view. Ash felt an electric shock from the stone and he recoiled his hand.

“How did it go?” His sister asked him.

“Stella said I could have the power of the goddess?” Ash said, confused.

Ash looked at himself as he started to become circled by glowing pink hearts, he started to get excited as the magic appeared around him. In a matter of moments he was surrounded and his clothes started to glow in hues of pink and purple. He felt his body move on its own as he gave a twirl, he reached out his hand and grabbed a wand out of thin air. The hearts seemed to pop like bubbles and there Ash stood holding a pink wand with a heart and ribbons on top. His hair had lightened from the red curls he once sported to long pink hair bound in two pigtails. Two pink heart shaped earrings hung from both of his ears. His clothes were now a pink and white fluffy dress, the chest made to look like a heart. He had large poofy sleeves which matched the skirt. The skirt was pink and white with many layers of poofy tulle underneath. He had long white socks with pink shoes on.

Ash’s face turned a deep red. “Your outfit is so cool, why am I wearing a poofy dress! How do I change it!”

Phoenix giggled at her brother’s wardrobe malfunction. “That’s not really how it works! Your outfit is part of your powers and it hides your identity.”

Ash looked at the large gem in the middle of the room again, he could now read some of the word spinning around it. ‘Welcome, Sparkle, Princess of Poof’. He felt even more humiliated. “That can’t be my name! I don’t even get to pick?” He asked.

“The name comes with the magic as well, it’s fitting though given your poofy dress and sleeves.” Phoenix stated as if it was a well known fact.

“But you look so cool and fierce and I look.” He paused for a moment. “Like a girl.”

“It’s a good disguise then, afterall boys shouldn’t have magic, no one will suspect you’re a boy like that.” She grinned at him. “In fact you might be the girliest one in the Magic Hero Squad now!”

Phoenix was right and Ash knew it, most of the others had very sleek and practical outfits for battling evil and he was extra poofy and girly. “So I can’t change it at all, I know some of the outfits have changed in the past!” Ash retorted to his sister.

“That’s true, well you have magic now so just try it out!” Phoenix told him. “It should be like a feeling.”

“I don’t feel anything other than embarrassed!” Ash said.

“That’s strange.” Phoenix sounded worried. “Maybe it’s different for boys.” She walked around her brother. “Maybe try waving the wand!”

Ash inspected the wand in his hand, he had almost forgotten about it since it felt so light and balanced in his grip. The heart at the top had a heart shaped ruby gem in the centre, pink ribbons were attached to it and it had a long pink handle. He clutched it and swung it hard through the air causing the ribbons to flap. “Nothing happened.” He said annoyed.

“Maybe try with a little more grace, it’s a wand not a club.” Phoenix offered.

The word grace rang in Ash’s mind, it was the same word that Stella had said before giving him magic. “Right.” He readied the wand and tried to think of a music conductor and gave it a wave through the air. Pink and purple glitter started to trail the wand with a stream of light following it through the air. “It’s working, I’m doing magic!” Ash shouted as he was distracted by the lights and glitter.

Phoenix laughed at her brother as he waved his wand through the air giggling like a child. “Having fun, Sparkle?”

Ash snapped back and lowered his wand, the last of the glitter creating a small pile at his feet. “I did magic.” He whispered.

“It was very cute!” Phoenix praised him. “How did it feel?”

“I just moved the wand and it did it.” He said moving the wand again allowed the glitter to kick up again.

“That’s it though, just glitter and light?” Phoenix asked, confused.

“I’m just waving the wand, but that’s all that happens.” Ash said frustrated.

“You have little wings on your back, maybe you can fly?” Phoenix suggested and poked the little fairy wings on his back.

“Oh! I didn’t even notice them.” He tried to look over his shoulder. He gave a look of intense concentration and the wings started to flap and created sparkling glitter that fell to the floor behind him. “Why is it always glittery?” He scoffed. Flapping harder through much effort his feet lifted a few inches off the ground. “I’m flying!” He shouted

“More of a little flutter than flight.” His sister laughed at him.

He tumbled onto the ground and landed in a pile of his own glitter. “You made me lose focus.” He complained. “Now how do I change out of this dress?” He whined while trying to brush glitter away from the layers of his dress. Everytime he took a step now glitter seemed to trail behind him.

“There are three ways to change back, one is to feel it out.” She smiled at him knowing he was having issues with that. “The second is to run out of magic, essentially use it all up and you will change back to normal.” Ash looked at her sceptically. “The third is to go to sleep!”

“Sleep! I can’t go to bed. How much magic do I have to use?” Ash asked.

“Well considering you can only create glitter at the moment it may take all day.” She warned him.

While Ash tried more fluttering and sparkler magic Phoenix took the time to get him system access so he could return on his own.

“Phoenix, why can’t I do anything else?” Ash said, stamping his foot in a now sizable pile of glitter. “How is this going to help anyone?”

“Not everyone is on the battlefield.” She picked up a fistfull of glitter. “Maybe this heals people or something?”

“Can’t I just take the dress off?” He said pulling at the poofy nightmare.

“It was put on with magic Sparkle, I don’t think you can just pull it off like a shirt.” She scoffed knowing the only way to take off the battle outfits was with magic. “Besides, what are you going to do about your hair and wings?”

“This is so unfair.” He complained more as he got back to making sparkly figure eights in the air with his wand, he still hadn’t figured out how to do anything else.

“Maybe this is why boys don’t usually get magic.” She pondered watching him.

Ash spent the rest of the day making piles of glitter until Phoenix finally gave up. “I was wrong, it’s almost night time and we should just head home, you need to learn to control your magic more on your own.”

“I can’t go home looking like this!” He gestured to his outfit. “I look like a girl.”

“Well I don’t think your sparkler magic is going to empty your tank, so just sleep it off.” Phoenix told him.

Not knowing what else to do Ash finally stopped and gave his sizable mountain of glitter a firm kick sending sparkles in the air. “Fine, let’s go.” He grumbled.

Phoenix flew them back home and they snuck back in through her window.

“What if someone sees me like this?” Ash asked as his sister effortlessly changed back into Cole.

“No one would know it was you anyway.” Cole scoffed at him, clearly annoyed with her brother’s whining.

“This isn’t what I thought having magic would be like.” Ash looked miserable and was starting at the ground, still holding his wand after all this time.

Cole looked at her brother. “I’m sure there is a way to fix everything, let’s talk to the other girls and see what they say.”

Ash perked up a little at the idea of meeting the rest of the Magical Hero Squad. “Yeah, okay.” He then walked out of the room and into the washroom. Looking at himself in the mirror even he could barely recognize himself. He knew his hair was pink and in pigtails but it was also longer and shimmering. He noticed two dangling earrings on his ears that had heart shaped gemstones on them, they reminded him of his sisters, his eye color had also changed from blue to pink.

He tried to take off the dress but there didn’t seem to be any way to, it was a leotard under all the tulle but seemed to cling to him. He pulled at it for a few minutes before giving up and deciding he will just need to sleep in it. He made his way back to his room, this morning he had been an average boy and now he had been transformed into the girliest magical girl in the Magical Hero Squad. Looking around his room he longingly looked at his pajamas and finally took a deep breath and lay in his bed. He was actually pretty tired from all the excitement and practice today, even if it was just creating glitter, he was out almost instantly.

Ash rolled over in his bed and a sunray landed on his face as he came to his senses, his eyes snapped open. He looked himself up and down and the dress was gone, he was wearing his favourite Magical Hero Squad T-Shirt and some cargo shorts. He breathed a sigh of relief but realized that his bed was covered in glitter from sleeping in the dress, it had gotten everywhere. He got up and made his way to the bathroom, finally being able to relieve himself. Ash still had no idea how to activate the power again and the wand and wings were also gone so he couldn’t conjur any more glitter either, he figured that must be the end of his extremely short career as a hero.

He stepped onto a stool to brush his teeth and looked at himself in the mirror, his red hair had returned, although also covered in glitter, what had remained were the dangling heart shaped earrings and his eyes remained pink in color. “Cole!” Ash shouted down the hall. “A little help!”

Ash heard his sister step through the hall and opened the bathroom door. “You changed back, I told you you just needed to sleep it off!” She said proudly.

“But what about my eyes and these things on my ears!” Ash said flustered.

“Those are your gemstones, you need them to transform back into Sparkle.” She explained to him.

Ash blushed at the mention of his hero name. “But can’t I take them off, they don’t have any clip to them.” he told her frantically. “Plus my eyes are pink! People will notice.”

“Calm down Ash.” She told him and touched his shoulder, which covered her palm in glitter. “Maybe you should have a shower first.”

Ash agreed with his sister and cleaned off the glitter in the shower, although even after multiple washes it still seemed to crop up. He dressed himself in a clean hooded sweater and shorts for school and met his sister downstairs.

“People are going to ask about the earrings.” He complained.

“So, lot’s of boys your age have earrings.” She reassured him.

“Not like these!” He said, flicking the hearts making them swing back and forth.

“Careful with that, you may transform into Sparkle!” Cole mocked him. His face flashed a fearful look. “I’m kidding Ash, it will be fine.”

“This is so ridiculous.” He muttered as he packed his bag for school, hopefully his classmates wouldn’t notice his new accessories. He pulled up his hood to hide his ears from prying eyes.