Suddenly

Minako found herself running her thumb over the key chain absentmindedly as she took her usual route home. It felt smooth and even warm in her hand, which just further intrigued her. Her heart picked up speed the more she gazed at it and she wasn't sure if that frightened her or excited her.

"Hey, little girl."

Looking up, Minako noticed a tall, skinny, older man standing in the way. He wore a dirty, button-down shirt of a navy color, some khaki pants, brown loafers, and a... ripped lab coat? He also looked deathly pale, like he hadn't eaten or slept in days. Though she would have usually offered someone like him some help, she felt part of her tense up. She instinctively clutched the key chain to her chest before responding to the strange man.

"Y-Yes, sir?" He called her little girl, like she was some sort of child. She was nineteen now and there was no way that she was one, but she had already offended one person today. She didn't want to risk doing the same to someone else.

The strange man stepped closer and she noticed that his name tag had been ripped off of the coat, leaving him anonymous for the moment. But she also noticed scratches around his neck and the nails on his fingers were crusted with old dirt. "Are you okay," she asked, her eyes moving back to his to see if she could read anything.

His eyes were cold and dead. They didn't truly see her like most people saw the world. They just looked... vacant. It unsettled her and all she wanted to do was run home, but he was in the way. The path between streets leading to her apartment was cramped since she was in such a large city and it wouldn't take much for him to reach out and grab her if she tried to dart around him.

"Give that to me." His hand outstretched with his index finger pointed directly at the key chain that she just received. She couldn't understand why he wanted such a trinket, but she felt like she shouldn't give it to him.

"I-I can't, sir. It... belongs to my sister." She lied. She didn't know why she lied, but she felt the need to. Something felt like it was telling her to keep it away from him at all costs.

The man chuckled at her lie as he stalked slowly towards her. "You lie, girl." His hand outstretched towards her, now that he had gotten close enough for her to hand it to him. When she didn't give it to him like he had requested, he emphasized his hand was still waiting for the key chain. And when that didn't work, he openly yelled at her.

"GIVE IT TO ME!" The sudden outburst was enough to spook Minako and she turned around, ready to run from him. But he had gotten too close to her already and was able to grab a fistful of hair and yank her back to him.

A yelp of pain escaped Minako as she struggled to get away from him. But he was surprisingly strong for his build, or the pain was enough to catch her off guard, and pulled her to him. Her back hit his with a loud thud and she moved to hit him in the throat, but was frozen when one of his hands grabbed her throat and **** her against the bricked wall next to them.

The wall cracked against the **** and she felt her vision grow hazy while a slight ringing in her ears sounded. How could someone have that much strength? That wasn't physically possible.

"Pl-Please..." Minako attempted to beg someone to help, but his hand felt like it was crushing her windpipe. She didn't want to die like this. Not for some strange, key chain.

Suddenly, a low whisper spoke rapidly to her. It didn't come from the man nor anyone else that may have been around. But it told her to call out to Nimreia, the Goddess of Fire and Minako would be saved.

Unsure of what else to do, she listened to the voice and felt strange words escape her lips.

"I hearby call on the power of Nimreia, the Goddess of Fire. Let her eternal flame burn away my enemies and purge my sins!"

A bright, red light suddenly **** the strange man in the opposite wall and bathed Minako in a soothing warmth. She felt different streams of heat envelope her body, burning away her clothes and replacing them with new ones. A white bodysuit hugged her figure while a crimson, miniskirt wrapped itself around her hips. Knee high, white boots with red colored laces donned her legs and feet. And a thick, cropped vest of the same red color as her skirt fastened itself around the top of her torso.

Her red hair changed to the color of black and her eyes burned with the same yellows, oranges, and reds the sun possessed. Finally, the key chain grew in length and became a belt around her skirt.

Once her transformation was finished, Minako looked around herself and found that she had indeed changed into something different. She felt hot, but not uncomfortably so. And she felt strong. Very strong.

Her eyes met with the strange man who's eyes had widened with fear.

"I am Nimreia's Magical Girl: Ember! Let all chaos in the world be destroyed by my flame!"

The words spilled from Minako's mouth and she couldn't believe what she was saying. She didn't know what was going on and consequently, she began to freak out. Her hands roamed her costume in disbelief and she examined her different colored hair now. She looked completely different, but definitely not in a bad way.

"M-Master... will not... like this." The strange man spoke, ridding the magical girl of her shocked thoughts. He looked badly damaged by the impact. But he was still raring to go.

Oh man... What do I do?

"He's a zombie-like henchmen of the Evil One. Burn him with your Eternal Flame, Ember, and you can beat him easily!" The voice that instructed her earlier made itself known inside of her head this time. Seeing as it hadn't steered her wrong so far, Minako trusted its advice.

Okay... But how?

"Just hold up your hands vertically, jump upwards while keeping your hands pointed at the baddie, and yell 'Eternal Flame'!"

That sounded... complicated for a first time attack. But she was all for it to get this creep off of her back.