EPISODE 1: STEPPING UP TO DEFEND THE EARTH! CURE ROCK TRANSFORMS!
"Get up. Get up! Colleen, get up!" a male voice shouted.
"Unh…. ugh…" a teenaged girl replied, coming into consciousness. "W… where am I…?"
"Don't you remember? You're in Ninjago!"
"N-Ninja- EEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHH!? WHAT? IminNinjago? T-t-this can't be true!"
"Colleen, CALM DOWN!" the older black-haired boy yelled. "It's down to just me and you out of the whole city, and I need your help!"
"Huh…?" Colleen was staggering up to her senses as suddenly, she was jerked.
"We need to get to the Bounty. Let's GO!" the boy shouted, pulling up his bandana.
Colleen was almost lifted off her feet as she managed to keep up with the black-donned person. As she ran, she began to put the pieces together. I'm in Ninjago, he's wearing black, he looks familiar. WAIT! It can't be-
"COLE THE EARTH NINJA?" she suddenly screamed, trying to catch her breath.
Cole almost smirked. "Well, that took you long enough. Look, even though you might not know what's going on, just listen to me oka- "
Suddenly, a huge abyss opened beneath them. They screamed as they plummeted to nothingness, and everything faded to black.
This time, Colleen didn't need to be told to wake up. She recognized the haunted temple immediately. And right in front of her, Cole was fighting a familiar ghostly figure.
Sensei Yang.
Wait! This can't be! She thought in a frenzy. He was supposed to be departed in the special! Hadn't he settled his beef with Cole?
"W-what the heck is going on?!" she stupidly asked.
Ignoring her question, Cole readjusted his grip on his scythe and blocked a menacing whiplash of the Yin blade from the former sensei. The power of the block was so great that it disarmed him and sent him flying to the end of the wall.
"It's all over, Yang!" Cole shouted. "Why are you here, and how? I thought this was settled months ago!"
"Cole! Yang!" Colleen pleaded.
"Oh, Cole," a voice flowed. "If only you figured it out before."
The ghost began to turn blacker and blacker, until its now-red-yellow eyes gleamed like lasers. The background of the temple turned to dark swirling matter, the sky turned white, and Colleen could see black stars.
"What?" the earth ninja uttered.
Wait… that… that's not Yang! That's not how he sounds like!
Then Colleen gasped.
Hell no… it can't be!
"Well then, I should have realized it was you earlier. Overlord."
"I agree. You quite should have," he scoffed, spreading his dark, smoky limbs. "But it's no use."
Immediately, black and purple chains surrounded Cole and squeezed him tightly. He struggled to be free from his grasp.
"N-no! Not again! Not after what happened to Zane!" Cole screamed.
The Overlord cackled. "Yet this time it's just me and you, doomed ninja."
"NO!" Colleen shouted. I want to do something! I… CAN do something! Suddenly, Colleen felt a rush of power in her, as her dress changed and her hair lengthened. She was about to take a step forward…
…and was met with resistance. NO! she struggled. I NEED to go! Why can't I?! What's holding me back?
Cole looked to his side and glimpsed Colleen. "Colleen, push! Push past that barrier! You can do it! You're the last hope!"
"WHAT!?" the Overlord shrieked, noticing Colleen. "Why are you here!?"
Colleen pushed, and realized that it wasn't Cole or the Overlord that only let her stand where she was. But what was it?
"Cole, I can't!" Colleen screamed back. "I can't break through!"
"YES, YOU CAN!" he yelled, struggling now under the chains.
The chains had become harder, yet her invisible barrier had only become stronger. Cole's legs had now begun to turn a void-like black, the same color of the Overlord. As Colleen witnessed this, she pushed and hit the barrier all she could. Yet it wouldn't fall. The more she it, the harder the barrier became, and the more Cole was becoming corrupted.
"Well, well… the only resistance I see here is the blackened soul pushing against my chains. You, however- you don't have power! Your wishes are futile, and this shall be your moment of truth!"
Colleen looked down quickly and finally realized her attire. Wow… I'm a ninja. finally. It's what I've always … maybe he's right. I'm powerless. I can't really change. No one would bother seeing the true me anyway. Maybe I should accept Cole's fate. Accept MY fate. This is stupid. Stupid… It really is…
Tears had begun to stream down her face as she silently wept at how weak she really was. What use was power if she couldn't use…!
"Don't listen to him!" Cole managed to yell. The darkness was up to his chest now.
"I… I'm sorry, Cole," Colleen shouted back, unable to meet his gaze. "Even now, I'm of no help! Even when I can, I can't. I couldn't save you. And it's all my fault!"
"It's not!"
Colleen managed to eye Cole at those words.
"I know you can! You have the power, you just need to find out how to unlock it! Don't… bother… about… me!" Gasping now, the void-like blackness had reached his throat. "There's a reason I chose you among everyone else. You need to open and show who you really are. You have… urgh… the potential… to… blossom!"
It was up to his chin now.
"COLE!"
"I… believe in you...! No… matter… what… stand… strong… like… the… EARTH!"
As the void reached his mouth, he screamed his last words.
"CURE ROCK!"
Colleen finally broke through… but it was too late.
"COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLE!"
That very moment, a long black-haired, olive-skinned girl quickly sat up in her bed with a gasp. A woman was over her bed. "Colleen!" she said. "Get up! It's your first day, remember? You're gonna make me late."
Colleen rubbed her eyes. "Um… okay, mom," she murmured. "Sorry."
"Were you having a nightmare? I heard you shouting someone's name. Do you by any chance have a boyfriend?"
"I-it's none of your business! You know I'm not that kind of person," Colleen drawled back.
"Hurry up. We need to leave for school by 6. It's already 5:30. Get ready, quick."
"Okaay," Colleen muttered. Looking into her kept closet, she dragged out her school uniform- first tugging on her new solid cream leotard dress, then proceeding to wear her long, black thin socks that came up to her knees. Colleen hurried down the small, wooden stairs to the breakfast nook whilst brushing her black hair.
"Grab the bag- it has an avocado egg. We're late."
"Again?" Colleen groaned.
"Remember- the avocado has the healthiest fats and the egg will power you through the day. It's-"
"-the dancer's meal. Yeah mom, I know."
Once they had hopped into their black sedan, Colleen said, "Mom, I'm gonna listen to the program music on my headphones."
"You'd better; I don't want to hear anything else."
Colleen turned on her phone, smiled to herself, and turned the volume low while she put on her favorite rock music. She had no idea what would come for her next.
"Oh, those days…" she murmured.
Two years had now passed, and a few hours later, on the exact same date, Colleen began to prepare for her solo. Things were different now; she now donned the magenta vest of an honor student and wore the president's badge. (Boys had a navy-blue vest) It was decently hard to get into the top 20 rankings overall- this was what qualified students for joining the honor society at Mike Jack's School of Performing Arts. Rather than elect a president, it was always the one student ranked at the very top that became the student body president at the school- the very best. It was no surprise, however, that Colleen had been chosen this year. After all, she was the headmistress's daughter.
As Colleen began fixing her deep velvet black leotard, decorated with faux diamonds and silver lace, a hairdresser had begun to make a Dutch bun on her hair. Colleen took a deep breath and began going over her routine once more. It wasn't just one dance style- her solo, the tradition of every first day of school, had mixed in ballet, tap, hip hop, and jazz, among other styles. She closed her eyes as a makeup artist dusted powdered concealer on her face. She was calm and serene.
At the very least, it couldn't have been the same for the audience awaiting the recital. Buzzing with excitement, the first-years were seated in the first two rows with fresh, cream uniforms. In the four rows behind them, the second and third years were dispersed, donning their French grey and navy-blue uniforms, respectively. Not seated, the honor society was backstage, ready to perform the opening act- black uniforms and magenta/blue vests cast aside, they had donned off-white leotards/dresses, with French buns or well-combed hair.
Suddenly, the lights dimmed, and the three-hundred or so people in the audience (mostly students) grew quiet. At the max darkness, a shining spotlight suddenly flashed on a woman with a microphone at center stage. This was, of course, the headmistress.
"Everyone, welcome! I am Headmistress Hasu Ishi, and I sincerely hope your first day is off to a great start at MJs! Who's ready?"
Everyone cheered- notably the first-years, who were the loudest. A particularly excited first year pumped her fists in the air.
"Hey, Jaylynn!" a couple girls shouted behind the first year. "Put your hands down, we can't see!"
Jaylynn peeked back at them and brought her hands down. "I-I'm sorry," Jaylynn apologized, a sheepish grin on her face.
"To start off the school year on the right step, we begin a small recital. The stars performing the first act will be your lights in the darkness, and the sun will send energy to all in the second. Please welcome the honors society!"
The well-dressed dancers gracefully entered the stage and entered their poses.
"Wow…" Jaylynn murmured. "I know I somehow passed a hard audition, but can I really be like this?"
Then, Headmistress Ishi dropped her baton as the music began to flow out and the dancers followed, akin to a calm breeze blowing on silk. Beginning with a ballet routine, the girls pirouetted and jumped, landing into the arms of the gentlemen.
"Amazing…" Jaylynn whispered to herself, magnetized to the performance in awe. "They really are our stars."
After a thorough applause, the audience quieted again at the raise of Headmistress Ishi's raise of the baton. "And here, you witness the brightest star in the sky- so bright, she's the light that allows you all to dance. Please welcome, Colleen Ishi!"
Unlike the others, Colleen walked with light feet onto the stage, eyes daintily closed. I am a rock no more… Colleen lifted her hands to the sky, as if reaching for something.
Today, I am a bird. Today, I must fly.
With the raise of hands, Colleen began her five-minute recital, packed with multiple styles and steps. And with the raise of hands, Jaylynn felt her heart beginning to ascend, as she fell in love with the scene before her. If the honor society had magnetized her, this performance had to have glued her thrice over. The placement of her limbs is just so… perfect! Jaylynn realized. I'm totally in love.
The only sound that came was the musicians playing and Coleen's feet (and sometimes hands) touching the smooth floor. Even Jaylynn Rakurai, possibly the most boisterous dancer of them all, couldn't find words to say. Colleen was the dancer, in that moment, that turned the music and earth in sync. From the beautiful ballet at the beginning to the glamourous hip-hop at the end, it was a sight to see among all dancers.
When the music ended, and Colleen set her final pose- hands on head, head tilted down, right leg poised up, hips out to the left side, the applause came louder than ever. Roses fell onto that stage, as the girl in the black leotard bowed, and threw her hands up in the air.
That was the first time in a while that Colleen Ishi had truly felt happy.
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIII-
"Aw, c'mon, alarm clock! You don't have to remind me!" Jaylynn sung, pulling on her thick, shin-length white socks and leotard dress. "It's the the the the THE! FIRSTDAY! Yeah!"
"Jaylynn, shut up!" a girl grumbled. "It's still six-thirty in the morning! Classes don't start until nine!"
Jaylynn quickly covered her mouth. "Hehe," she murmured softly. "Sorry, Bree."
"It's okay. You're up to see Colleen practice, aren't you?"
The brownhead grinned. "Yup! Even if it's in secrecy, I wanna just see her practice. She's SO cool!"
"Well, I'm not coming- I need my Zs," Bree managed. "Have fun..."
"Thank you, Bree! You too! Have fun… uh… sleeping!"
Jaylynn was just about ready to bolt out the door when her eye flashed on something.
Her blue Ninjago jacket.
Well, no one could really tell it was Ninjago-related. It had Jay Walker's lightning symbol on it as well as a ninja hood attachment in case it got cold. Yet Jaylynn considered if she would take it or not.
Finally, she walked out the door. And it wasn't even a minute later that she rushed back and knocked on the door. "Urgh… Jaylynn! What now!?"
"Sorry! I missed my jacket!"
"Ugh..." A few footsteps later, Bree pulled the door open. "Just take your jacket and leave. As a matter of fact, take your key, too."
"Oh... hehe, thank you!"
"And remember," Bree smirked. "Classes start at nine."
"You betcha!" Jaylynn replied. "Well, I'll seeya later!" Jaylynn shut the door and skipped away.
"Honestly..." Bree began. "That girl is weird."
"Urgh... just... a... little... further..."
As Colleen had her own suite since she was president, she had a private practice room as well. It was located to the right side of the suite, and to the right of the room, there was a large glass pane which nearly spanned the whole wall, that overlooked a large garden. Colleen enjoyed practicing here, as the natural view was particularly calming.
Of course, Jaylynn had taken this opportunity to climb the stone wall behind the garden and climb a tree in the garden. All Jaylynn needed to conquer was just one more branch before she'd get the perfect view.
Just as Jaylynn had situated herself on that branch, she saw the door open. Colleen had promptly dropped her bag, shut the door, and had begun setting up the sound boxes. She wore a plain white leotard, and her hair was simply tied into a tight ponytail. Jaylynn saw her plugging in her mobile to the main speaker. And then, she pressed play.
Five seconds of silence for Colleen to situate herself in the starting position, and then she begun. Today, she was dancing The Nutcracker Ballet for her warm-up- an hour-long version. For a full 25 minutes, Colleen danced. She took a deep breath, and thus she began her flow. Again, every placement was perfect, and the steps all lined up in sync. Her expressions begun serene, but changed with the flow of each step.
5 minutes before the first act was about to end, Jaylynn felt an uncomfortable vibration in her jacket pocket. Pulling it out, she noticed it was Bree.
"Jaylynn, where the heck are you!?"
"Oh, uh... I'm watching Colleen?"
"But- but she only comes to the school auditorium to practice on Wednesdays! Today is Tuesday, she's only in her suite! So what the hell are you doing at the school if she's not there!?"
"Uhhhh..." Jaylynn turned her volume down, as Bree was literally squawking at her.
"Oh god, you don't mean to tell me that you're eavesdropping on her at her suite, are you!? Don't you know? It's an invasion of privacy!"
"But, but..." Jaylynn began. "I couldn't help it! I wanted to see what makes her so perfect as a dancer!"
"If I were you, I'd get out and run away before she notices you. Got it? Augh, I don't know what else to say. Good luck, Jaylynn." She promptly ended the call.
Maybe Bree's right, Jaylynn realized. I AM invading her privacy. Who knows, if she catches me, she'll hate me for eternity! And then... and then...
Crack.
"Ooooohhh no..." Jaylynn muttered.
And just as the first act ended and Colleen transitioned into her final pose, the branch crashed, and she could hear a wail.
"Gah!" She yelped, jumping out of position. Hurriedly, she stopped the music and ran through the many doors in her suite until she reached outside. She sharply U-turned left and looked to the right of that way. And there she saw the branch that had fallen, and there she saw the culprit, rubbing her bottom with her hand.
"Owweee... my tushee... that hurt..." She murmured. "G-guess I'd better leave..."
"And just what the hell do you think you're doing!?" Colleen shouted.
The girl froze and slowly turned back, a petrified look on her face.
"I'm glad you admire me and all, but what do you think you're doing, trespassing private property? You have disgraced and dishonored yourself as a dancer."
The twin-tailed girl looked back and sheepishly smiled, still rubbing her butt. "Uhm... please... forgive me...?"
Colleen sighed. "Really. THAT's the best apology you have? A true dancer would have curtsied to their upperclassman and apologized, like "I'm deeply sorry ma'am." Or something like that line! And maybe she'd maintain a better posture than you're holding right now..."
With each insult, Jaylynn grew redder and redder in the face. She's insulting me! I don't know whether I should feel happy or sad...
Finally, Colleen finished her rant.
"Now, such an infraction would get you expelled from Mike Jack's..."
At these words, Jaylynn flinched up, almost as if a military sergeant had ordered his soldiers to be at attention. Tears were at the brink of lining her eyelids. I've worked so hard to get here... to this amazing school... Jaylynn thought. And yet, my own role model is ending it now? Please don't... please give me one more chance!
Seeing that some sense had finally lined the underclassmen's face, Colleen softened a little.
"...but I'll let you off easy, since it's your first day. Even if it's out of admiration, something like this better not happen again. Or else, I won't cover for you."
At that point, Jaylynn sighed with relief, and finally let the tears flow from her eyes. "Thank you... thank you very much! I don't know how to repay you..."
"However!"
Again, Jaylynn wiped her tears and stood straight. "Y-yes!"
"I won't let you off without some sort of punishment. You need to learn to build your own confidence. Dancers don't always have teammates to build off. A dancer's soul must be unique to the dancer alone.
"So tomorrow, from six to eight in the morning, you'll be coming to tend to my garden. I'm sure the gardener needs a break."
"B-but-"
"I know what you're going to say. That's during my open practice session. You've already seen me enough in closed quarters, so there's no need to see me again tomorrow. I'm practicing the exact same thing. Got it?"
"O-okay..." The girl replied sheepishly. "Thank you for your forgiveness, Miss Colleen! Uh... I'll take your leave!" Immediately, she turned around. She was about to exit the gate before Colleen called her back again.
"And what's your name?"
The younger girl turned around. "Jaylynn. Jaylynn Rakurai. U-um... it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Colleen!"
"Thank you for that. And just call me Colleen. All the "Miss" stuff isn't needed from anyone."
"Oh... well... thank you! ...Colleen!" Jaylynn rushed out of the garden with mixed feelings. Sure, she'd been yelled and disgraced at by her senpai. But even more, she'd gotten the rare chance of meeting her in person at last.
As Colleen went back to her room, she noticed her mentor file still lying on the table. She hadn't looked at it since she got it. She flapped open the file, and was immediately attracted to the profile picture, which seemed uncannily familiar.
She grimaced. "No way… could that girl be…?"
"Are you really THAT stupid, Jaylynn? You're lucky she didn't expel you!"
Bree was scolding her friend for her foolish actions.
"What happened?" Ally, a long brown-haired girl queried.
"Jaylynn snuck into the President's quarters while she was dancing."
Jaylynn blushed profusely. "I… uh… couldn't… ehrm…"
"Ooohhh, Jayjay is a perrrvert!" Cayla teased. "Looking at girls in private. Are you g-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, WHOA, Cayla!" Bree scolded. "Too harsh, too quickly."
"Yeah, Cayla!" Jaylynn began. "I… uh… just saw her dancing. It's not like I… uh…"
"Whatever, forget it!" Bree muttered. "Just eat… we got class at 9! I think we're getting assigned mentors today."
"And how does that work?" Cayla demanded.
"Remember how we all auditioned?" Ally exclaimed. "Apparently they're power-protecting the mentor and first-year matchups."
"I-in other words…" Jaylynn stammered.
"The worst kid here gets stuck with the President. I do hope it isn't YOU, Jaylynn. She probably hates you already."
"Oh, yeah… that would be kind of bad."
Suddenly, the large grandfather clock at the center of campus whistled.
"Oh no, we have five minutes till class! We need to LEAVE!"
"See you guys there!"
"Yeah, you too!"
"See you guys… huh, wait, what!? Where'd you guys go!?"
Suddenly, Jaylynn was the sole girl in the cafeteria.
"Well, uh… guess I'd better go to class then."
"You're late!" the ballet dance instructor shouted.
"S-sorry, ma'am…" Jaylynn murmured, blushing profusely. She half-expected the class to burst out laughing, but they were silent.
"You're off the hook. The next penalty will result in you completing 'The Death Routine!' Mark those words."
"Y-yes ma'am…"
"And quit the stuttering! A dancer must be confident, even at their largest dumps."
"Yessss-s-s-s ma'am!"
"She ain't gonna do well, huh?" Bree whispered to Ally and Cayla, as Jaylynn entered the line.
"Third years, please enter!"
From the other side of the room, at another door, the 50 third-years entered to match their 50 accepted first-years.
"Mentors have been decided by power-protection. The rank 50 among the third years will mentor the rank 1 among you, the rank 49 will mentor rank 2, so on. So now, I'd like the third-years to find their respective first-years. You may go. You will be teaching the first part of The Nutcracker Ballet. You have three weeks. I'd like everyone to start as soon as your third-year finds you."
Jaylynn waited nervously, and even started to quiver. Shoot… If I get Prez, not only will I be the last rank, but she probably hates me! Please not her, please not her, please not…
"Yo," a familiar sounding voice said. "We meet again."
"Oh no…" Jaylynn muttered under her breath.
"No, no! Your form is all off. Raise your left leg higher, and bend your back a little more. You're too stiff!"
"Unnhhh…"
"Is this all you can give me? I look for perfection in every pose."
"T-this is perfect for me… ah… huh…"
"This is FAR from it, Jaylynn."
"Sorry, Presi-"
"Remember what I said earlier? It's just Colleen."
"Yes Coll- aaaaahhh!" Jaylynn spun off-balance and tripped on the hardwood. "Ow, that hurt…" she moaned. "I think I twisted my ankle."
"You didn't," Colleen said bluntly.
"Eh? How do you know? You're no doctor!"
"I've sprained my ankles more times than you can count. I know what it looks like- you didn't actually twist it."
Jaylynn looked up to see that Bree was sniggering at her while drinking water. "Ttch!" Jaylynn scowled, making Bree slightly flinch.
"If you're going to give up that easily, I might as well expel you again for real. Just get up."
"Y-yes, Colleen…"
And thus, Jaylynn was forced to rise and practice the same routine 50 times over, just so it stuck. By the end of the practice session, she'd only learned three minutes of the piece, where others had learned up to seven.
"Those were three solid minutes. Solid minutes, mind you. You could learn the whole dance today, but that takes away the refinement aspect… and I'd award you zero technical points. By tomorrow, I want to see this section fluidly. No memory gaps. Got it?"
"Oh… uh… okay!"
"All right- then you're done for today. It's almost time for lunch."
"Thank you, Colleen!" With that, Jaylynn ran off.
Bree caught up to her. "Hehe… three minutes, huh? I learned twice that amount today. You'll never finish."
"Sh-shut up…" Jaylynn muttered, her face coloring. "Y-you didn't get a bad person either, so…"
"Well, I AM ranked 25, so of course I'd get the mediocre person. Her name's Olivia, I think. Yeah, she's okay…"
"Bree, don't tease her! Remember, the whole point of power protection is so that we all lift each other up, not bring ourselves down," Ally reprimanded.
"It's okay- Jaylynn knew I was joking! Right Jay- huh? Where did she go?"
"You insulted her too hard," Cayla added. "She's probably off somewhere crying now. Teasing someone has limits you know, Bree."
"Was I really THAT insensitive? Oh shoot… I need to apologize, huh…"
And Bree ran off in the opposite direction- to the place she knew Jaylynn would go.
The back of Mike Jack's was a beautiful sight. Upon entering it, you'd see a beautiful terrace, where balls were often held and, if weather permitted, where students would eat their dinner in the summer. Past the terrace was an expanse of flowers and grass that stretched out for nearly half an acre. This area was often used for outdoor dance performances.
It was in this area that Jaylynn lay, her cream dress outstretched across the pink peonies, eyes gazing towards the cerulean sky, that were laden with tears.
Just why… why was I accepted into this school? I'm not graceful… not poised… I'm not even able to balance in a pirouette! So… why?
It was during these thoughts that the once cerulean sky began to change to a foggy, ominous purple, and all traces of white disappeared. The wind begun to blow violently.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here…"
What? Who is that?
Jaylynn sat up and saw them. One was a taller figure with short, jet black hair with a streak of seaweed green hair. The other was much shorter, and had golden hair, covered by a black hooded cape.
But what surprised Jaylynn and almost made her smile was their outfits. The taller girl reminded her of a certain main antagonist in Season 5 of Ninjago. And of course, the tinier girl reminded her all too well of a certain Green Ninja.
"Kaze, what do you sense?"
"I sense a soul. She's there, Miss." Kaze pointed right at Jaylynn, still lying amongst the peonies.
"Ohhh…?" Llena bounded over to where Jaylynn sat. "Hello, my friend! I'm Llena. Is something wrong?"
"No… it's nothing, really. Nothing you can understand," Jaylynn declined.
"Just tell us. We're people you can trust," Kaze said with a smile. She reached her hand out, and Jaylynn hesitatingly took it as Kaze pulled her up.
"Uh… and why can I trust you two?"
"We've seen many other people like you. We just wanna help them smile! Right, Kaze?"
"Yes. I'm Kazegaru Aira. She's Llena Garmadon."
Jaylynn's eyes widened.
"That last name… what in…?"
"Now, we have a present to give to you. It will help you out in a jiffy! Here it is…"
Kaze pulled out a chain with a pendant bearing the Anacondrai logo. "You like Ninjago, right? Well, so do we." She couldn't help but show a small grin.
"This is the seal of the Anacondrai. The strongest snake clan in all Ninjago. Wear it, and you'll feel its strength."
"Really?" Jaylynn reached for the pendant. Just before touching it though, she snapped back. "Wait… how am I supposed to believe that?! It's just a superstition, isn't it?"
"Well… you never know until you try, don't you?"
Kaze forced the pendant on Jaylynn. Immediately, her brain began to swirl once again, and she fell to the floor.
Llena broke out in a fit of evil laughter. "HA! I knew we'd get her. What easy things to seduce, Earth humans are. Do your thing, Kaze!"
"As instructed, Miss."
Kaze took a deep breath, narrowed her eyebrows and finally… smiled.
"Your dream is a paradox! Transform, Nevever!"
Jaylynn screamed, and then fully slumped. Back into the peonies, back to where she belonged. A blue, soul-like object came flowing out of her body- and it kept flowing until Jaylynn's body was drained of color, almost corpse-like.
"Reborn: Anacondrai!"
The soul immediately began to form- the gas grouped together, and then it made the discernible shape of a long, serpent-like snake. The clan of snake looked almost unmistakable: It was an Anacondrai.
"HISSSSSS!"
The Anacondrai slithered towards the gymnasium, a whip in its hand. It whipped the ground, and the pink peonies ended their lives shrodden.
"Jaylynn?! Jaylynn!" Bree was yelling as she rounded the corner. "She must be- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"HISSSSS!" The Anacondrai tried to whip its friend. Bree barely dodged it, and ran back with her life. "HELP! SNAKE! ROGUE MUTANT SNAKEEEEEE!"
Yet, Bree suddenly was unable to return to the safety of the building- for there stood a grinning Kaze. "You can't, huh? This is a wind barrier. There is no escape!" Kaze jumped out of harm's way.
Bree was inched back to the wind wall, Jaylynn quickly gaining on her. At one point, she even felt its meaty breath, ready to kill at the next bite.
"SOMEONE HEEEEEEELPPP MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
"Precure, Quaking Thunder!"
A scythe slammed full-force into the ground, as the snake jumped back and squealed.
Tall, black boots. Black dress. Big bow in the back. Long black, braided hair. Black bandana. No way! It can't be…!
"GAH! Curse you, Pretty Cure! Ruining my plans AGAIN!?" Llena cried.
"Yes, that's right. And your actions… are wrong!" The Anacondrai had swung its whip out, and the Pretty Cure had held up her scythe, which the whip now held on to.
The legendary kunoichi, Pretty Cure!?
"Haaa….. ah!" With a grunt, the kunoichi had gracefully broken the whip string from the base. Bending back, she high-kicked the Anacondrai in the face, almost like a dancer.
"W-wow…" Bree began.
"Go!" The kunoichi warned as she turned her head. "Your friend is out there- go get her! I'll cover the rest!"
"O-okay!" Bree said, running past the scene.
"KAZE! Don't let her get to the girl!"
"Yes, miss!" Kaze began to rise into the air, and a black dress, followed by a dark green cape, formed on her as she summoned a staff. At the swing of her staff, a strong gust of wind knocked the poor Bree down to the ground, where she managed to stay in place.
Another crack!
The kunoichi had once again sent a crack in the earth with her scythe- but this time, it was headed towards the evil duo.
"Owwweeee!" Llena cried as she fell onto the ground.
Bree was somehow able to get up and find Jaylynn, still cold. "Jaylynn! Jaylynn! Jaylynn!" she began to cry.
"I'll finish this," the kunoichi said.
"Aaaahhh!" The Anacondrai once more lunged at the kunoichi.
"Jaylynn! Snap out of it!"
Bree's eyes widened. That... that horrible serpent is... oh, no! She gripped Jaylynn's corpse even more tightly and tried holding back tears. The Anacondrai had now created nunchucks and had lunged at the kunoichi. The kunoichi blocked the nunchucks time and time again.
The Anacondrai, at one point, emitted a huge wail and charged at the kunoichi as fast as it could.
And that's when she heard Jaylynn.
I suck at dancing! I don't even know how I was accepted here- my skills are so under-par, I'm teased by everyone, I'm poor, I can't achieve anything. I have nothing the other girls have. So what if I get expelled? Anyway, I can never- never ever- be like her! Like... Colleen!
A hint of surprise crossed the warrior's face. "Nonsense!" she yelled, blocking it with the strongest strike of all. Disarming her and the Anacondrai, she began to punch it. "If you have someone to look up to, they should be your light! The light that you follow till the beautiful end! You CAN be like her- that's why she's your inspiration, right? And just because you're the worst of the pack..." She lunged, grabbed both hands around the Anacondrai's neck, twisted mid-jump, and pinned it to the ground.
"You'll never move up if you don't keep trying!"
"She did it!" Bree yelped from afar. The Anacondrai whimpered. R... really? Can I actually change?
"If you believe, you will succeed!"
The Anacondrai lowered its hands, seeming almost defeated.
The kunoichi jumped back. "Elemental Weapon, Earth Scythe!" Her scythe appeared in her hand.
"Alright, let's get this done. Power of Earth, to me!" She swirled her scythe around herself elaborately once, before she slammed the hilt to the ground.
This slamming started a crack- a crack that ran in a circle around the confused Anacondrai. It wailed.
"Precure!" She made three cuts in mid-air with her scythe, resembling an inverted triangle. A similar three cracks were made in the circle.
"Earth Breaking!"
She made a fourth and final cut towards the bottom tip of her triangle, and with a final crack, the Anacondrai was slashed back to the ground, senseless, as the area around the triangle rose up around it, and then caved in.
It screamed. The necklace that Kaze had forced on Jaylynn shattered. The kunoichi turned around and swiped her scythe down.
"Ninja-GO!"
The rocks exploded, and as they exploded, they faded into dust. All that remained now was Jaylynn's soul. It zapped over to where Bree was.
"Wow…" Bree breathed.
It almost looked at Bree before it entered Jaylynn's body. With a shudder, Jaylynn's eyes fluttered open, and she pulled herself up to a sitting position.
"B… Bree?" she hoarsely asked. "Is that you?"
"Jaylynn!" Bree yelled over tears. I'm so sorry- so sorry I insulted you. I won't do it again!" She grabbed Jaylynn into a tight hug. "Ugh… too… tight!" Jaylynn managed.
"UGH! This is stupid. Next time, victory will be ours, Pretty Cure! Let's leave, Kaze."
"Yes, miss." With a sudden gust, the two were gone.
"Oh Jayjay! I'm so-" Bree began.
"The two of you!"
Both jumped and then looked at the voice behind them- who was none other than the kunoichi.
"Listen up. You were lucky I came back in time. Just imagine what would have happened if I hadn't! No matter what or who you are, friends are the most important thing. You cannot simply let them go. If they're feeling down, it's your job to make them feel happy again. Got that?"
"Y-yes!" Jaylynn managed.
"Um… thank you very much!" Bree said, bowing. "Wha- um- er- what's your name?"
"I am the mistress of Earth and Stability, Cure Rock. I only come because it is my duty. Sounds cliché, but that's the deal. Like I said, make sure you watch over your friend… or you never know when it's too late."
"Yes, we will, Cure Rock!" Jaylynn managed with a smile.
Cure Rock returned the favor. "I'm glad to see that you are safe. I hope we meet again."
And with these words, she jumped past the terrace, past the school, out of sight.
"Wait, I need to ask you something!"
It was too late for Bree- Cure Rock had disappeared.
Jaylynn and Bree stood up. "It's okay, Bree. Let's go back to the lunchroom now, okay? Everyone's waiting for us."
"Jaylynn…" Tears were about to form in Bree's eyes again. "I'm so sorry. I feel so bad for insulting you like that. I should have-"
Almost immediately, they were interrupted by the ending bell.
"Well, there goes that idea. Let's just head to rhythm education, okay? No matter what, I'll do my best!" Jaylynn said, smiling ear-to-ear.
Bree looked at her in surprise, but smiled back. "Yeah, let's!"
And the two hurried back into the school, anxious to get to class again.
~End of Episode 1~
EPISODE 2: WITH A ZAP OF COURAGE AND ZEST! CURE VOLT IS BORN!
"Colleen, I-"
"Really!? Is this all you can give me?"
"Look, I don't mean to be this way! I really, really practiced!"
"What if you go in stage and forget everything? What will everyone say again? A dance should be imbued into your very muscles."
"Colleen, NO!"
"Jaylynn, what the hell are you doing? You'll get yourself killed! Let me finish this, please!"
"ABSOULTELY NOT! I'll do anything to protect you! You're my idol, Colleen!"
May today bring peace to Earth and you. Keep calm and Ninja-GO!