(Prologue)
Nick and Akemi can be seen rushing down a darkened city street. There is chaos and turmoil all around them. Though, that matters not to them; all the two are focused on is the matter at hand. We can hear Nick narrating as they run along.
This is a dark time. Nothing like the world I grew up in.
Nick and Akemi skid to an abrupt stop upon seeing someone blocking their way. The person's eyes are glowing bright red, and his teeth seem to have mutated into very sharp fangs.
"There's another one," Akemi notes. "This is so sad... why does it have to be like this, Nick?"
"I have no idea, Akemi, but that's why we're out here," Nick responds. "We're the only ones left, so it's our duty to stop those that have fallen to this deadly curse."
A curse has befallen our once proud way of living. Those who fall under its influence attack everyone they can get their hands on, even their closest friends, with absolutely no regard for the consequences.
Just then, the person lunges for Akemi, with every intention of turning the crystal witch apprentice into his next meal.
Akemi screams loudly, but Nick is over there in a flash, driving Hanyou Hikari into the man's chest. This doesn't kill him, though, only momentarily stunning him.
"You're nuts if you think you're taking my girlfriend!!" Nick exclaims, already enraged. "Akemi's all I have left, and I'll be DAMNED if I lose her to someone like you!!"
Even my friends have fallen under its influence. The only release is death. It broke my heart to have to do it, but I had no other choice.
Nick brings Hanyou Hikari back, causing the possessed man to stumble back a couple feet.
"Why don't you try me?" Nick challenges, readying Hanyou Hikari.
The possessed man roars and charges for Nick, who deftly avoids every strike.
You can't blame the unfortunate who fell to the curse... they have no control over their actions. They become mere puppets to some cruel dark power...
"All right, that's it!! I'm tired of playing around!!" Nick exclaims, swiftly avoiding another strike and bringing Hanyou Hikari down in a flash of light. The man falls to the ground, having lost all feeling.
Nick walks back to Akemi, who looks like she's ready to burst into tears.
"It's not fair, Nick... IT JUST ISN'T FAIR!!"
Nick walks up and dries Akemi's tears, pulling her into a loving embrace.
"I know, Akemi... it breaks my heart that we have to do this, but there's truly no other way..."
The two lovers just stood there, holding each other close for a while.
Even through all of this... I still hope that we can dispel this curse so we can live in a more peaceful world... every day, I think of a better world... what life once was...
"Will this ever stop, Nick? Will this curse EVER be broken?"
"Hopefully... no. I KNOW it will. We'll see to that ourselves. We won't let our friends' sacrifices be in vain."
Nick leans forward and kisses Akemi passionately. Soon enough, the crystal witch apprentice returns the kiss in kind.
Yes... all of our Ojamajo friends have fallen as well... Akemi and I are the only ones who survived. Momoko ran into someone who had already fallen to the curse... and that's what began this cycle of death and destruction. Akemi and I are on a journey to break this curse before it envelops our entire world...
When they pull apart, they head down the street, the journey thus beginning anew.
We've heard some rumors as we continued on our journey. Akemi and I would soon learn... that these rumors... would be the only hope for the world... Let me take you into the past, dear reader... so that you may better understand what has come before...
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(Sometimes, we are faced with the toughest questions we've ever had to ask ourselves.)
S.P.D. Gold Ranger and YukiShinoya444 present:
Doerai: The Face of Betrayal
Story Created: July 29th, 2008
Summary: AU. This is a story of betrayal upon the very foundation of life. Nick and his friends face the questions of a dark curse and an adventure that many could not comprehend in a dark new world...
Author's Notes: The way this story is going to work is as follows: I'll be writing the odd-numbered chapters, and Yuki-chan will be writing the even-numbered chapters. In case you're wondering, I do have permission to use Yuki-chan's characters in my stories, and she has permission to use mine in her stories. The only stipulation is that we don't make them look bad.
Disclaimer: I've said it before and I'll say it again. Neither Yuki-chan nor I own ANYTHING of Ojamajo Doremi, though we really wish we did. The series and all of its affiliations belong to Toei Animation and whoever licenses it for their particular country.
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Phase 1: The Price of Betrayal (written by S.P.D. Gold Ranger)
"Just one cup of flour, Doremi-chan!" Momoko exclaimed as the pink witch apprentice began pouring flour into a bowl.
"Don't undermine me, okay, Momo-chan?" Doremi answered. "I'm not as good a cook as you are!"
"It just takes time, Doremi-chan," Nick responded, cracking a couple eggs into the bowl. Over time, the newly-dubbed Sweet Charm MAHO-dou had prospered and turned into a dual shop, one half for jewelry and charms and another for the sweets and baked goods they were so famous for.
"Remember, practice makes perfect," Nick stated.
This only earned a groan from Doremi. "Quit trying to sound like my mother, Kellysi-chan!!"
This earned a laugh from both Nick and Momoko, which was only interrupted by a high-pitched shout from Majorika.
"What's little miss blob so happy about?" Doremi wondered. "She's usually only that happy when she makes a really big sale..."
"We did, Doremi!!" Majorika exclaimed, hopping onto the scene. "I've been trying to get that stupid jewel sold for years now, and someone just came and paid handsomely for it!!"
Momoko grinned. That was Majorika, all business as usual.
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Meanwhile, just outside the Sweet Charm MAHO-dou, the woman who had purchased the aforementioned jewel stood at attention as someone came nearby.
Giving an evil smirk, the woman held the blood-red jewel towards the man, the jewel glowing with an eerie light.
"Do not fight it," the woman stated in an equally eerie voice.
After a few seconds, the man stood completely still, his eyes glowing an evil shade of red that matched the jewel's color.
"You know what you must do."
The man nodded, now armed with unusually long and sharp claws. He slowly ambled towards the Sweet Charm MAHO-dou.
"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this."
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"So, just like this?" Doremi wondered, carefully repeating the actions that Momoko had just performed.
"I think you've got it, Doremi-chan," Momoko responded, helping out the pink witch apprentice.
Just then, a crash was heard outside.
"Those stupid antique flowerpots just won't stay up, will they?" Majorika groaned. "Momo-chan, could you go check for any damages?"
"Will do, Majorika," Momoko responded, heading out the back door towards where Majorika usually kept her antiques.
For some reason, Nick began to have an uneasy feeling.
What's this feeling? Why do I feel like something bad's about to happen? Nick wondered.
Meanwhile, Momoko had just finished restacking all of the flowerpots that had taken a tumble. Miraculously, none of then had shattered or even dented in the slightest.
"One day, her luck's gonna run out," Momoko noted.
She turned around to head back inside...
...and something slashed her across the arm, sending her crashing back into the flowerpots she'd just stacked.
Momoko looked upwards, clutching her wounded shoulder and wondering who had just attacked her. It seemed to be just an ordinary man, the only difference being the sharp claws and the glowing red eyes...
Glowing red eyes?
"No... don't tell me the rumors are true..." Momoko stated softly before tumbling into a somersault, just barely avoiding an overhead swipe from the man's claws.
Holding her wounded arm up as best she could, Momoko began to gather energy that rested in the palms of her hands.
"The gracefulness of a girl who can dream, take this!! Ojamajo Aura Star!!"
A stream of golden energy bursts thundered forward and knocked the man back, giving Momoko some breathing room. However, it wasn't too long before the man came back with another slash, this one across Momoko's back. The sheer force of this second attack sent Momoko flying into the wall just outside the shop, though this was oblivious to anyone inside, as Majorika had created soundproof walls to deter any sound-based magic spells.
"What a freaking time for Majorika to make soundproof walls," Momoko noted, struggling to get up. Apparently, this man knew exactly where Momoko's weak spots were.
"Damn it... if only they could hear me..." Momoko stated before a third slash attack ripped into her other shoulder, only this one was followed up with a powerful uppercut that sent Momoko crashing back into the stone wall.
Momoko slowly looked upwards, her consciousness fading away with every passing second. She could barely see someone else appear next to the man who had just attacked her.
"Kill her."
Momoko was about to reach for her communicator so she could hopefully alert the others to her situation, but she felt something sharp plunge into her stomach and rip out her back.
With the last feeling she had, she managed to hit the emergency alert button on her communicator. That was the last she knew.
"Well done, my warrior," the mysterious woman from before stated before disappearing with her quarry.
Back inside the bakery, Doremi nearly tripped over the bag of flour she was holding upon hearing the blare of her communicator.
Nick instantly perked up at this particular sound: the emergency signal. The green witch apprentice shot out of his seat. "That's not good. Majorika told us only to use the emergency signal if something serious happened..."
He suddenly began fearing the worst about his girlfriend. Not wasting any time, he ran outside towards the antiques section, only to stop dead in his tracks at the sight of a pool of something red came into vision. Then he looked upwards towards the source of the mysterious red substance.
Nick would have screamed, but he couldn't make a sound. He could only stare at the battered and bruised body of his girlfriend.
Doremi rushed out, wondering why Nick was taking so long, only to nearly start hyperventilating at the sight of the yellow witch apprentice.
Nick quickly ran over and tried checking Momoko's pulse.
Nothing.
"Is... is she...?" Doremi asked, her voice barely below a whisper.
Nick shook his head, signifying that it was too late.
"Call the others," Nick stated. "Get Yuki-chan and her friends over here, too. We've got a madman loose..."
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Next time:
Phase 2: Tragedy Knows No Boundaries
All of the Ojamajos gather in order to pay their last respects to Momoko, and hopefully find a way to stop this madness before it gets worse...