Onward! Precure!

A/N: I've always wanted to make this story, putting me and my friends into the universe of Heartcatch Precure, and I finally found the time to do this!

Italics: thoughts

CAP LOCK: TECHNIQUES/ SHOUTING

Chapter 1: the Starting Point of a Long Run (part 1)

My name is Cherie Kibouka, it directly translates to "beloved flower of hope" in French and Japanese. I'm a secondary 1 student, a seventh grader. My hobbies are... well, a lot (not that I really excel at any of those): drawing, fashion designing, flower-viewing and/or planting, piano-playing, writing stories, singing, reading fairytales...

Speaking of fairytales, have you ever heard of the legend of the Precure? Well, more of an urban legend. Anyway, I found myself intrigued to find out more about this urban legend of four girls fighting off monsters.

For a few months, I've been collecting information about these girls from the words of the citizens of my hometown – Kibougahana. For now, I know that they are a group of four magical girls that had appeared three years ago in a period of about 10 months, then they were seldom seen or heard any time or places else, though an owner of a fashion store once told me she had seen them in France when she was travelling.

From what I've heard, there had been an introverted but strong pink leader – Cure Blossom.

A hyped, energetic, positive and a bit silly blue Cure – Cure Marine.

A golden yellow Cure who had been strong on both offence and defence – Cure Sunshine.

And lastly, I can tell she is my favourite Cure just by hearing the description, a silver and purple Cure, she had been deep and smart and calm and strong and elegant. She was everything I've ever dreamt to be in life.

Yet, not all people believe in these legends...

"Cherie, I thought we are over with this legend," the girl sitting next to me said.

She is Carmen Akahoshi, my friend from primary school. She isn't the exact definition of "a great friend", but she's nice nonetheless, not that I had many people to compare her with.

"But it's not just a story, many people, old or young, had seen them some time three years ago. They have to be real!" I retorted.

I sure remember that three years ago, when we were in primary 4, a few of our classmates had said that they had seen these Precures. But we had stopped talking about it after a week or so. Now, after three years, of course people who had seen them would doubt their existence, not to mention those who hadn't seen them.

"They don't have any evidence! As far as I'm concerned, they were all probably lying so you wouldn't be disappointed," she sighed, "Don't be so childish, Cherie. This is the real world, magic doesn't exist."

I sighed as I pushed up my spectacles, she would never understand.

"Cherie, don't you remember how the boys laughed at you the first time you brought this topic up? I'm just saying this for your sake," she looked at her watch, "I'm gonna leave now, I've got basketball practice. See you at the second half of lunch, help me buy a sandwich."

"Ok. See you."

I queued up for the canteen to buy my and her lunch, someone behind me suddenly tapped my shoulder, "Hi, Cherie."

This is Cecilia Nijino, she is the only friend I have other than Carmen. I don't know why, but somehow I was already isolated on the first day of junior high. And she was isolated after she had a "small" incident with her primary school friend. The two of us eventually started a friendship... for one and a half week.

"Hi," I replied, "care to join me for lunch?"

"Eh? You're still on the research about Precure?" she asked after I told her my latest discoveries.

"You don't believe they exist either?"

"Frankly, no. But I can't deny the possibility, especially when you believe in them so much"

"Well, that's the least I can do before I can find out more," I smiled.

"At any rate, the class association have decided that we'll make a wishing tree for the class notice board design. Everyone has to write at least one wish on a heart shaped paper and we'll staple them onto the board in the shape of a tree. What are you going to write?"

"I don't know... what about you?"

"Well, we did decided that the wish has to be related to our future, so maybe I'll write something about acing my Visual Arts and Japanese Language, or something about wanting to become a teacher or an artist."

"What should I write...?"

"Well, I can almost see the future of you finding a job related to music, considering how much you love to sing."

"Maybe I can be an English story writer or an English teacher."

"Or you can come and create an arts company with me."

"Or I can study botany, is that even available in universities?"

We paused and then laughed.

"You know what? I can think about that later..."

"I'm home," I said to absolutely no one, father and mother are both working late, always.

I dumped my school bag on my bedroom table and looked at the small pinboard in my room. I filled it with all sorts of information about the Precure.

Why doesn't anyone believe? Even those who had seen them with their own eyes are starting to doubt, is it ok for me to continue like this?

Ugh! I can't take this anymore. I need a little... soothing exercise. I inhaled sharply and shouted into my pillow, "I want to write better stories! I want to draw prettier pictures! I want to sing with a more beautiful voice!" I lowered my voice, "I want people to listen to me and believe me..."

Normally, just thinking of tomorrow cheers me up, but somehow it doesn't this time.

Chasing after stories are so futile, why am I so hung up on this legend about Precures anyway? Why won't I just give up?

Suddenly, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. My mood instantly brightened when I saw the name of the caller – Susan.

Susan Amaigawa, my BFF in elementary school. She doesn't live near to me, at least a thirty minutes walk from my home to hers. And she didn't pass the entrance exam to my school, so all we could do was to call each other at least twice a week and go out together once in a while.

"Moshimoshi, Cherie?" her voice in the phone said, "Ah, it's been four days since we've talked, I have so much to tell you. You know? The day before yesterday, during maths lesson..."

I enjoyed talking to her so much, "Really? The teacher said that? Hilarious! Say, yesterday, about the Precure again..."

Sometimes I feel like she's the only person who understands me, not that I'm saying Carmen and Cecilia aren't good friends, it's just that...

"Susan... you do believe in the Precures, right?"

"Yup! If you believe they exist so badly, there's no reason for me to doubt that."

I was so happy to hear that, "How wonderful would it be if everyone believed."

"Cherie, I'm sure it'll turn around one day." Then I heard a child's voice in the background. "Oops," Susan said, "I forgot I have to take my little brother to his badminton class and now he's whining about it."

I smiled, "Well then, see you on Saturday for our usual hangout."

"Ah! I forgot! This Saturday I have to go to my friend's home to discuss the upcoming project. Sorry..."

"It's ok, school stuff always comes first."

"Welp, see you next Saturday then."

"Sure. Bye."

I hung up and put my phone back into my pocket, then I sat up and lowered my head, "I want to... I want to stay with Susan, I want more new friendships..."

Suddenly, I feel something... someone out of my bedroom window. I looked out to the right, there was nothing there; I turned my head to the left, and I crashed into something.

I fell back onto my bed as I rubbed my aching nose and adjust the position of my glasses. As soon as my eyes regained their focus, I noticed a little light pink plush toy on my windowsill.

I took it into my hands and inspected it, "Hmm... what a cute doll."

It moved, slumping its shoulders in relieve, until it saw the smirk on my face, "You aren't a plush toy, are you?"

It was apparently pretending to be a plush toy since now its now its shoulder tensed up again knowing that I found out.

"There's no use in pretending. If you are really a toy, when I bumped into you, you would've fallen onto the ground, so you are definitely not a toy," I stopped and smiled, "Don't worry, I won't harm you, you can speak."

It was starting to tremble, but now it was relaxed. It flew in front of my face and said, "I'm sorry for just now but um... never mind. My name is Iris and I'm a..."

"Fairy?" I interrupted.

At this, Iris was visibly starting to get suspicious, "Who are you? Why do you know so much? And why aren't you surprised at a talking toy?"

"I'm Cherie Kibouka. I was just guessing you are a fairy because... well, instincts. And partly because I have been doing some research on..." I sighed, "Precures."

"Cherie, is it? You looked a little... depressed," she changed the topic.

I sighed, not sure whether I'm dreaming or not, but it's nice having someone to talk to, "That's because I couldn't decide on what I can wish for the future, and because my past best friend and I are getting a little more distant with every day that passes, and also because no one believes in me when I tell them that Precures did exist three years ago."

"Your Shine... it's dimming..."

"My what now?"

"Oh never mind that. Let's see if this could help you feel better. First, why do you have to decide on what to wish for the future? Just wish for whatever you want, no matter how extravagant or how many, it's just what you look forward to, it's just your aspiration and hope. Second, if they are really your best friend, don't let them go, you have to make them stay. Third, if this makes you feel any better, I believe you, I'm a Precure fairy after all."

I closed my eyes and think for a bit. I didn't even notice a voice from my window saying, "Psst, Iris, come back." And another voice added, "What are you doing with that human? You know we aren't supposed to talk. Plus, we can't afford to waste time now."

Iris called, "Cherie, I need to go now, it was nice meeting you."

I was so focused on my thoughts that I only nodded to that. After a few moments of thinking what she had just said, I reopened my eyes just to see her fly out of the window.

"Wait!" I yelled.

I swiped my pouch off my table and grabbed my phone to put it in, then rushed out, hastily locked the door and ran down three floors of stairs.

I searched all over the sky while squinting, finally spotting three tiny figures just next to a fifteen-storeys building, I chased after them.

Have I mentioned that I suck at PE? I don't think I've ever got any higher than 65 out of 100 at school. Anyway, my point is after sprinting after them for two minutes, all I could do is say with a hoarse voice, "Iris, wait up!"

Then, something happened, a green spark blasted the three fairies out of the sky. I dashed as fast as my legs would take me towards the three falling silhouettes and suddenly I felt that I was familiar with this path. It's the path up the Kibougahana Hill!

End of Chapter 1