"Get lots of rest, mom. Try not to burn the soup. There are more tissues in the hall closet. If you get too cold, I set an extra blanket on the trunk at the foot of your bed. And if you get too hot, the remote for the ceiling fan is on your nightstand. You can watch your favorite movies in the living room, if you want. I left them out on the coffee table for you to choose."

"You're a lifesaver. I'd be dead without you. You're just like your father." Her mom was anime crying and had her arms wrapped around her daughter's waist while lying in bed.

"It's nothing. Just get well soon. I might go home with Rei and do homework together." She announced.

"Sounds like a plan. Be safe." Her mother sighed. Her daughter looked at the clock and screamed.

"Mom! I'm so late for school! Bye!" She broke away from her mother's grip and rushed out of her mother's bedroom. Her mother fell flat on her face on the floor with the lower half of the body stuck in her bed.

And there was the front door slam shut. Nozomi pulled the rest of her body out of bed and grunted when she hit the floor and then sneezed. She sat up and grabbed a tissue from the box on her nightstand and blew her nose. On her way to the living room, she threw out the used tissue and plopped down on the couch, not bothering to change out of her pink pajamas.

Nozomi was already bored with her daughter gone. She called in sick today at the school because of her fever. But the only thing really bugging her was her stuffy nose. Nozomi turned on the TV and began aimlessly flipping through the channels for anything interesting. And then she stopped on a channel.

It was a sitcom. Nozomi likes to watch it because it was funny, but it was also pretty cheesy too. But Nozomi realized that someone was guest starring on it in this episode. Nozomi smiled and thought back with her memories she shared with Kasugano Urara.

They have lost touch since Nozomi moved away so many years ago. Nozomi lost touch with everyone, except for Rin. Nozomi was lucky because her mom and Rin's mom were best friends. Nozomi and Rin stayed close, and they both have daughters the same age who are also best friends. When Nozomi moved back, she couldn't get in touch with any of her old teammates.

"I think her husband was on the same plane as Makoto…" Nozomi muttered to herself as she pondered. These memories made Nozomi extremely sad, almost to the point of tears. She missed Urara. She missed Komachi. She missed Karen. She missed Milk. She missed Natts. She missed Syrup. She even missed Nightmare and Eternal. She missed Makoto. She missed Coco. But they're all gone. It's too late. Nozomi wished that she told Coco her true feelings...it's hopeless now.

"My name is Yumehara Akari. I'm fourteen years old. I live with my mom in an apartment. My dad died in a plane crash a few years ago. But I feel like my family is big. My best friend, Rei, and her family have been around since I've been born. We do everything together. So, it's not so bad. Sure, I miss my dad a lot. But I've learned from my mom to not let anything hold me back and to keep moving forward to the future."

Akari's the spitting image of her mother, except that her hair color is a lighter pink and she has green eyes she inherited from her father. Her hairstyle is exactly like Nozomi's when she was fourteen, complete with yellow bows. Akari is currently wearing the L'école des Cinq Lumières school uniform.

"Akari! Hurry up!" Akayama Rei called, waving at the entrance of the school bus. Rei had her mother's eyes, but her father's strawberry blonde hair. She kept it cut short because she plays sports and dislikes dealing with the long hair.

"Coming!" Akari sprinted to the bus before it departed. Akari dropped down in a seat with Rei and sighed. "Thanks for holding the bus for me. I wouldn't have made it."

"Jeez, Akari. I can't save you for forever, you know." Rei grumbled.

"Do you want to come over after softball practice today?" Akari asked.

"When don't I come over?" Rei joked. The girls chuckled.

"Ask your mom if she wants to come too. My mom's sick and I think it'll cheer her up. But this morning she didn't want your mom to come over because she'll scold my mom." Akari explained. Rei laughed a little.

"That does sound like them. But it's not my mom's fault. Supposedly she's been scolding your mom since they were our age." Rei responded.

"I wonder what they were like when they were our age…" Akari said, thoughtfully, looking out the window.

"I'm Mimino Kurumi, the new transfer student. Pleased to meet you." The purple haired girl bowed and smiled. She spotted Akari and gasped. Akari took no notice, for she was resting her head on the desk and talking with Rei.

"Nozomi!?" Kurumi cried. Akari lifted her head and then cocked it to one side.

"Nozo..mi?" Akari asked. That was her mom's name, but how would Kurumi know her? Rei noticed Kurumi's bag twitch.

"I thought you moved away!" Kurumi rushed right up beside Akari.

"I've lived here my whole life. You must be mixing me up with someone else." Akari said apologetically. "But it's nice to meet you, Kurumi. I'm Akari. And this is Rei." Akari introduced.

"N-nice to meet you." Kurumi pondered. She realized Akari's eyes were green, not pink like Nozomi.

"Do you want me to show you around afterschool?" Akari offered.

"I already know my way around." Kurumi answered.

"Oh, really?" Rei questioned, suspicious. Before Kurumi could reply, class started.

During lunch, Akari and Rei were eating at the school's restaurant. Akari spotted Kurumi, and then waved.

"Hey! Kurumi!" Akari waved her over. "Come eat lunch with us!"

"Thanks." Kurumi took a seat beside Akari. Kurumi suddenly remembered where she was sitting. It was the exact same table she and the Pretty Cure 5 ate lunch together. Kurumi smiled but wondered where they are.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you, Kurumi." Rei suddenly announced. "I saw your bag moving."

Kurumi quickly placed a hand over her bag. "My bag? You must be seeing things. Bags don't simply move."

"Unless something in there is moving." Rei protested.

"You're being nosy, Rei." Akari stated.

"I'm not being nosy. I'm curious. You know I hate unnatural things." Rei countered. As Akari and Rei bickered a little, Kurumi spotted Syrup in his human form working at the school's restaurant again. She waved him over and pointed at Akari.

But as Syrup drew closer, Kurumi gasped. "You look so much older!"

"How come you look the same?" Syrup groaned.

"Do you two know each other?" Akari asked.

"He's my cousin. He helps out here at the school restaurant. Amai Shiro." Kurumi answered.

"I've never seen him before." Rei said, skeptical.

"Shiro, this is Akari and Rei." Kurumi jerked her head at Akari. Syrup looked at Akari.

"Hey, wait a minute! What are you doing here, Nozomi? I thought you moved!" Syrup exclaimed.

"Who's Nozomi?" Rei questioned.

"Uh, Nozomi is…is an old friend. You just look a lot like her." Kurumi assured with a smile. Syrup looked puzzled. "I have to ask you something, though. Do you know Natsuki Rin? Kasugano Urara? Akimoto Komachi? Or Minazuki Karen? They attend this school."

"Kasugano Urara is that actress, right, Akari?" Rei asked.

"Yeah. My mom and I watch her movies together." Akari agreed.

"But you haven't heard of anyone else?" Syrup questioned. Akari and Rei looked at each other, debating.

"No, sorry." They replied.

"But Rin is the soccer star! And Komachi works at the library! And Karen is the student council president!" Kurumi suddenly exclaimed.

"My sister, Akane, is the soccer star. Haruka practically lives in the library. The student council president is Kairi." Rei explained.

"Hey, guys." Akari spoke up. "My food ran away. Can I have some of yours?"

Kurumi, Rei, and Syrup gave her a look. Akari smiled sheepishly.

"You ate all of yours, Akari." Rei stated.

"Honestly, you're just as bad as Nozomi. Always eating food and never leaving any for the kings." Kurumi sighed. Kurumi remembered the kings, and then looked down, ashamed of herself.

"What kings?" Rei questioned.

"What she meant by kings was…" Syrup tried to come up with something. "What did you mean by kings, Kurumi?" Kurumi gave the man a look.

"It's a metaphor I use to refer to important people. Like parents and teachers and actual kings." Kurumi quickly lied. "So, Akari, I'll take you up on that offer on showing me around afterschool!"

"Okay! Sounds like a plan!" Akari agreed cheerfully.

"Wait, a minute! You just said you already knew your way around!" Rei cried.

"I lied because I didn't want to make a bad first impression." Kurumi lied again. She must get to know Akari. She's too much like Nozomi.

"Phew…"

"Did your bag just sigh?" Rei demanded, her eyes wide and staring at Kurumi's bag.

"Why don't you just mind your own business? I assure you that my bag is perfectly normal. Stop being so rude and nosy." Kurumi snapped, irritated.

"At least Masuko Mika isn't around." Syrup reminded.

"Otaka-san!" Akari waved over the old woman who still worked at the school. Her hair is only faded, but never truly lost its color, but her facial features show that she has definitely aged.

"What can I do for you, Akari?" She asked kindly.

"I'd like some pancakes please!" Akari requested.

"Coming right up. I'll be right back." And she hasn't lost any speed either. She walked back inside the restaurant.

"Akari…" Rei sighed. So, Otaka returned with a plate full of steaming hot pancakes covered in syrup. Syrup watched with a little drool.

"I didn't forget about you, Shiro. I know how much you used to love these." Otaka placed another identical plate of pancakes on the table.

"Thanks!" Syrup sat down and began eating them. "It's been far too long! They taste so good!"

"What am I going to do with you?" Kurumi grumbled at Syrup. Otaka-san chuckled.

"Some things never change, eh? I'm glad to have you back, Shiro. Now that you're older, you're mush stronger and can carry the heavy stuff I can't lift." Otaka patted Syrup's back.

"He may be older, but he's still as weak as he was when he still worked here." Kurumi muttered. Syrup gave her a look.

"Can I get anyone else anything?" Otaka offered.

"No, thanks."

"So, this is the auditorium."

"The library."

"The pool."

"The gymnasium."

"The soccer fields."

Kurumi watched the soccer game in amazement. "Rin!" She called. She did not respond.

"That's Akane, Rei's younger sister. She looks just like her mom, though." Akari explained.

"And plays like her too." Kurumi muttered. "Is her mom Natsuki Rin?"

"No, Akayama Rin." Akari answered.

"Is she married?" Kurumi asked.

"Yeah."

"Then is her maiden name Natsuki?"

"I don't know." Akari shrugged. Kurumi sighed and watched Akane intently. She did look younger than Rin. Maybe Urara's age.

Akari noticed something. It was a brown squirrel, but it was chasing a cute little pink floating creature. Akari was curious because she had no idea what the creature was. But it was so freaking adorable.

She rushed to follow the squirrel and the pink creature. The pink creature floated up near a tree and the squirrel climbed it. It climbed to the edge of the branch and reached out to grab it, but its arms were too small so it couldn't reach.

Akari reached out and grabbed the pink creature, startling the squirrel.

"N-Nozomi!?" Natts cried. Akari smiled and was about to give the creature to Natts, but there was a snap! And the branch the two were on broke. Akari grabbed Natts and turned on her back. She landed on her back and yelped when colliding against the ground.

"Are you okay?" Akari stupidly asked Natts as she sat up.

"Fine~natsu. Thanks for saving me~natsu." Natts replied.

"Eh!? You responded!?" Akari cried.

"If you'd ever be so kind to hand over than Dreamie, little girl." A voice spoke. It was a big, burly woman with short purple hair and green eyes.

"A Nightmare!" Natts exclaimed, terrified.

"Oh, I don't work for that stupid organization anymore. I work for Chaos." Hadenya laughed a little and then turned her attention back to Akari. "Please give me that Dreamie and that fairy, Cure Dream. Otherwise, there will be trouble again." She pointed to Natts.

"Don't do it~natsu! Don't give her that Dreamie~natsu!" Natts ordered.

"Who are you!?" Akari asked both Natts and Hadenya.

"Give them to me, now!" Hadenya transformed into her red, yellow, and blue bird-like monster form. Akari gasped, and quickly ran away, clutching the Dreamie and holding Natts close to her.

"Transform, Nozomi~natsu! You have to protect the Dreamies~natsu!" Natts commanded.

"I AM NOT NOZOMI!" Akari screamed. She tripped on a tree root. She turned around, and Hadenya was right there. She shot sharp feathers at the pair. Akari shielded Natts and the Dreamie and hugged them close.

Suddenly, Akari was lifted from the ground and moved out of the way. Akari opened her eyes to meet the familiar pink gaze. Milky Rose placed Akari and Natts behind a bush.

"Thanks for protecting my friend, Akari. But you should keep your nose out of our business next time." Milky Rose scolded.

"I had to help him!" Akari protested. Milky Rose ignored her.

"I'm your opponent." Milky Rose announced to Hadenya.

"You again?" Hadenya asked.

"I could say the same to you. Third time's the charm in defeating you, right?" And then the two engaged in intense hand-to-hand combat.

"What is going on!?" Akari demanded.

"You're really not Nozomi~natsu?" Natts asked.

"No! I'm Akari! I don't know who Nozomi is!" Akari snapped. Wait, have they been referring to her mother? But what does she have to do with anything? Akari was determined to get to the bottom of it. Milky Rose was punched back near Akari.

"I've waited years to taste this sweet revenge." Hadenya cackled. Milky Rose was brutally beaten, but still stood up. "Oh? You still stand? Maybe we should make this interesting." Hadenya threw a white mask with a long nose on the bush. The bush transformed into a Kowaina.

"What is that!?" Akari screamed.

"Damn. Arachnea must've switched ours…" Hadenya murmured.

"Kowaina!" The Kowaina punched Milky Rose high into the sky. But a large orange bird interfered. Syrup in his big bird form caught Milky Rose on his back.

"Let's get out of here~ropu!" Syrup said.

"No! Akari and Natts are down there and Akari has a Dreamie. You rescue them and get them out of here while I handle Hadenya and the Kowaina!" Milky Rose commanded sharply. Syrup spotted Akari and landed beside her.

"And what is that!?" Akari demanded. She was ready to pull her hair out of irritation.

"Don't ask, just get in." Milky Rose ordered. Akari had no choice. Syrup turned his wing into a staircase for Akari to climb on. Akari climbed into the basket on his back and set Natts down. She gave Natts the Dreamie as Syrup took off. Akari watched Milky Rose get beaten to a pulp and then made her decision.

The Kowaina threw razor leaves at Milky Rose. Milky Rose crossed her arms over her face to protect herself, but Akari took the blow. She had jumped off Syrup and in front of Milky Rose.

"Akari!" Milky Rose, Natts, and Syrup called.

"Owww…." Akari whined as she slowly rose. She gripped her stomach, where it hurt the most.

"I told you to go with Syrup!" Milky Rose snapped.

"But you were getting killed! I had to do something!" Akari protested. Suddenly, a small, glowing pink butterfly flew over to Akari. Akari held out her hand, and it suddenly transformed. It transformed into a pink compact mirror with a pink crystal beside it in Akari's palm.

"Is this like the story…?" Akari whispered to herself.

"Akari, you're a Pretty Cure! Transform saying, 'Pretty Cure Metamorphose!'" Milky Rose barked.

"You are so bossy!" Akari complained. But she didn't hesitate. "Pretty Cure Metamorphose!" Akari placed the pink crystal into the bottom half of the compact mirror. Suddenly, Akari was consumed in a pink light, her body floating. Her hair was let down. She spun around, her boots appearing. When she stopped, she stretched her arms out Her gloves and top appeared in a flash. And then she hugged herself, her outfit appearing in a burst of sparkles. She closed her eyes, and then her hair changed.

She landed perfectly on her feet. "The sparkle of hope, Cure Star!" Cure Star's outfit was a white corset top with pink laces and a pink butterfly bow on her chest with a pink crystal in the middle. It was sleeveless, with pink frills around the armholes. She wore a pink skirt and white arm protectors with pink trimming. On the back of each hand on the arm protectors was a pink butterfly. Her boots were knee length with pink laces and trimming. Strapped to her waist in a white pouch was the compact mirror. Her hair remained the same style, except it reached to her mid back, her twin tails were curled, and she wore a golden flower accessory instead of yellow scrunchies. Her eyes had turned pink. Under her skirt was pink shorts.

"Eh? I've become a Pretty Cure!?" Cure Star examined herself.

"Cure Star instead of Dream?" Hadenya rubbed her chin in thought.

"Cure Dream and the Pretty Cure 5 is just a bedtime story I was told when I was little. I'm Cure Star, and I will send you back to wherever you came from!" Cure Star commanded in a strong voice. She charged at Hadenya and immediately began throwing punches. Hadenya blocked them all and quickly turned Cure Star's offense into defense.

The pen connected with the Milky Palette and all of the buttons were activated, prompting the tip of the pen to glow brightly. Milky Rose gripped it.

"The power of evil shall be engulfed in glittering roses! Milky Rose Blizzard!" Milky Rose pointed the palette at Hadenya, and a giant blue rose appeared. She waved her hand, and the blue rose exploded into millions of petals that all flew at Hadenya.

Hadenya quickly dodged, but Cure Star was there to catch her. She gave a powerful kick, and Hadenya was sent into a tree. The Blizzard was already over, and Milky Rose rushed to the tree before Hadenya could recover. Milky Rose jabbed her elbow into Hadenya's chest, pressing her into the tree and causing it to snap. Hadenya fell back on the stump. Milky Rose proceeded to kick Hadenya while she was down, but Hadenya rolled away.

"I'll be back. You'll see!" Hadenya threatened before vanishing.

"Where's that Kowaina?" Milky Rose asked, turning around.

"Kowaina!" The Kowaina was chasing Natts and the smaller Syrup with Natts carrying the Dreamie.

"Hey!" Cure Star called at the Kowaina. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" The Kowaina began chasing Cure Star. Cure Star screamed as she ran away. Milky Rose face palmed and dashed to go save Cure Star. Milky Rose jumped and kicked the Kowaina in the side, sending it away.

"Fight the Kowaina like you fought Hadenya." Milky Rose instructed to Cure Star. "Can you do any purification attacks?"

"What's that?" Cure Star cocked her head to one side. Milky Rose sighed. The Kowaina has recovered and advanced on Cure Star and Milky Rose. Cure Star had more energy and dodged faster, but Milky Rose wasn't so lucky.

"Hey! Don't do that to my friend!" Cure Star snapped as she lashed out on the Kowaina. She and the Kowaina fought in hand-to-hand combat, but Cure Star found it easier than fighting with Hadenya.

Cure Star crossed her arms over her chest in an X formation, the butterflies on her arm protectors glowing. "Pretty Cure," Cure Star spun around, her entire hands glowing pink. "Star Shoot!" She faced the Kowaina and conjured a large pink beam and blasted it at the Kowaina. The mask was destroyed. In a holy light, the forest returned to normal.

"Thanks for saving me." Cure Star returned to Akari, and bowed.

"Thanks for saving me too." Milky Rose returned to Kurumi.

"Eh!? You're Kurumi?" Akari cried. Kurumi sighed and collapsed to her knees. In a puff of smoke, she was Milk.

"Actually, I'm Milk~miru." Milk stated.

"Did that just happen?! Oh, whatever! You are so adorable!" Akari dropped to her knees, hugged Milk and rubbed her face against her.

"Stop it~miru! Let go of me~miru!" Milk commanded.

"No way! You're just so darn adorable!" Akari squealed. Without any warning, a hand grabbed Milk and pulled her away from Akari. Akari looked up to see an adult man, probably her mom's age or a little older.

"Thank you, Natts-sama~miru." Milk thanked. "Eh!? You look older too~miru!"

"You must have not aged because of the blue rose." Natts concluded. "Time went by faster than we thought. It was a simple mistake because our sense of time in the Palmier Kingdom is different than Earth's."

"So, how much time has passed~ropu?" Syrup asked.

"I don't know. Our human forms have aged, so it has to be at least a couple of years." Natts replied. "Nozomi and the others don't go to the school anymore. They might be in college by now. Then again, we could've aged even differently than they have. Maybe a hundred years passed for them, but we've only aged a few years in our human appearance and it felt like a year in the Palmier Kingdom."

"That's too confusing~ropu. We have to find Nozomi and the others~ropu."

"Natts-sama, please don't run out of my bag~miru. I was worried sick~miru." Milk said.

"I had to get the Dreamies." Natts stated. "Akari, open your Cure Pact." Akari cocked her head to one side. "The compact mirror." Akari pulled it out of her pocket and opened it. Natts released the Dreamie from his palm and it floated over to Akari's Cure Pact. Once it was hovering over where the crystal is supposed to be inserted, there was a pink flash and the Dreamie disappeared.

"Can you guys tell me what's going on?" Akari asked, gazing into the mirror, looking for the Dreamie.

"Let's go to Natts House." Natts suggested.

"It's abandoned~miru." Milk pointed out.

"Then we'll clean it up. We have to set up base again." Natts said.

"You're going to help me clean~miru." Milk glared at Akari. Akari panicked.

"We'll tell you everything." Natts added.

"Do you remember where it's at~ropu?" Syrup asked.

"Yes." Natts then turned around and began walking away. Syrup and Milk, in a puff of smoke, transformed into their human forms and followed Natts. Akari jumped to her feet and followed Syrup and Natts and Milk.