From behind her, there is a flash of light that is equal parts white and black.

Huh? There shouldn't be anything flashing over there, and how in the galaxy did that flash look like it was partly black—

She turns to look. 

Two young women stand there holding hands, one dressed all in white and the other dressed all in black.

"...hi?" Merrin doesn't think she's ever been this confused in her life. 

"How did you get in here?" 

"We are not, strictly speaking, here," says the woman in white. "This is a projection."

     "We have come with an offer," says the woman in black. "To grant you a portion of our power, and make you a magical girl."

She blinks and runs that sentence back in her mind to make sure it said what she thought it said.

"Me? I don't mean any disrespect, but...are you sure you have the right person? I'm really not anyone special." 

"Not yet, perhaps. But almost everyone has within them some potential."

     "This is how you will light that spark."

"If you say so, your majesties." Merrin isn't stupid, and she hasn't been living under a rock for the last fifteen years either. She knows who the magical girls work for. 

She gives them an expectant look. "So, how do I 'light the spark'? Is there some ritual, or a procedure to follow?"

"It is a choice you must make."

     "Between the two of us, you can follow only one."

Ah, so that would be why they're both here. Well, the choice seems pretty obvious to Merrin, but perhaps there's a trick of some kind. Maybe the one dressed in white is really the Imperatrix, and the Polemarch is the one in black. Can they even do that?

"Alright. Uh, do you have a standard recruiting pitch or something?" 

"Come with me," says the girl in white, "and I will give you the power to share your vision with the world."

     "Come with me," says the girl in black, "and I will give you the power to build your own world."

...oh. Oh.

For a brief, terrifying moment, Merrin is tempted. The things she could do, the wrongs she could set right...

Reality crashes back in. She is Merrin Arkada, until a minute ago she was a perfectly ordinary citizen of the Compact, and despite what the rulers seem to think, there's nothing special about her. Nothing that gives her the right to claim the kind of absolute power the Imperatrix is offering, however much good she thinks she could do with it. Merrin is naïve, with just enough self-awareness to know this about herself.

She's not arrogant enough to think she could build a perfect world all by herself—but maybe she can help build one. 

She's made her choice. It feels like it was made a long time ago, perhaps even before she was born. She looks from one to the other, and then, very deliberately, takes a step towards the girl in white. 

Who smiles, and reaches out to take her hand.

The world dissolves in a brilliant glow.

It's the first day at the Academy, and her first day meeting her new peers. The Assembly Hall is hosting perhaps a hundred girls like herself within its soft cream walls. The group mills about while waiting for the Welcome Speech to begin.

Merrin is a tiny bit nervous, but she expects everyone else is too. Is anyone looking more than a little bit nervous? Maybe she can make a friend and help someone out at the same time. 

There's a tall girl with long dark hair over there, standing aloof from the crowd, hands fidgeting restlessly. She looks like she doesn't quite know what to do with herself.

Mom Friend mode: activated!

Merrin goes over to the girl. "Hi. It's all a little intimidating, isn't it?" 

"Uh. A bit?"

Nod, grin. "But I just keep reminding myself that we're here because we're the ones who made it, you know? We were chosen, out of everyone in the galaxy. So even if it feels like I don't properly belong here just yet, I do. We all do." 

"...Right." She takes a deep breath. "Right," she says again, more firmly. "I'm supposed to be here." She nods to herself. "My name's Kait," she says, extending a hand, "what's yours?"

"Merrin! I mean, I'm Merrin, that's my name." She shakes her head, laughing at herself, and reaches out to take Kait's hand. "Nice to meet you, Kait. Now at least I'll know one person in this massive school." 

Smile. "Yeah."

Another girl wanders over.

"Am I too late for the friendship party?"

"Definitely not. Hi! I'm Merrin; this is Kait."