Episode One: The Lady and Knight's Great Escape!

In the end, she was all alone.

The sky, once clear and blue, was now a dull shade of gray. The sun no longer shimmered or provided the warmth she had always counted on it to give. Everything around her, from the path beneath her feet to the ornate buildings surrounding her, to the flora and fauna in the area, had been sapped of its color. No wind blew as she staggered through the dead landscape she had once called home, and no sound met her ears, outside of the ones she produced herself - hurried and terribly unsteady footfalls, breathing that teetered on the edge of hyperventilation, and the occasional desperate plea for someone, anyone to help her.

But nobody came.

There were no people around her, just things that used to be people. Every few paces, there one was, collapsed on the ground in a heap, staring out into space with glassy eyes and blank faces, not unlike abandoned dolls. Their unmoving forms were as drained of color as everything else around her, and their skin felt cold and hard to the touch. One would be forgiven for assuming they were dead, but she knew the truth. Every single person she ran across as she continued her futile hunt for any survivor besides herself, was very much alive, if you could call the state that they had been frozen into living.

Things looked grim. Still, she kept calling out, in blind hope that someone, anyone would answer her pleas.

No response.

And after she had wandered until her feet ached too much to continue onward and yelled until her voice had all but given out, the reality finally sank in, and her legs gave out from under her, leaving her to collapse on the ground in a sprawled heap. There she remained, a trembling form in a frozen land, hot tears rolling down her face as the cold, cruel truth of the matter took hold.

They were gone. All of them were lost to her. They would all remain that way eternally. And it was all her fault.

"I couldn't save any of them… not a single one!"

Princess Nerissa of Illuster jolted awake in a cold sweat, shuddering at the last echoes of what was by now an all-too-familiar nightmare.

"That again…"

It took Nerissa a moment to reorient herself. She drew deep breaths and counted backwards from ten as she reviewed the facts of her reality in her mind. She always had to after this nightmare, given how vivid it was.

She was not wandering around, frightened and isolated, she was safe and secure within her bedchamber. Said bedchamber was warm and opulent, a far cry from the cold and lifeless settings of her dream. And as for Nerissa herself… it would be a lie to say she had nothing to worry about, but those worries were nowhere near as grim as losing everyone in her kingdom.

A bit of sunlight was creeping in from between the pale violet velvet curtains of the bedchamber window. She drifted off beside said window, while seated in one of her favorite chairs. Just needed to rest her eyes after a sleep plagued by pre-birthday jitters, followed by a morning of preparations for the evening gala that would be her fourteenth birthday. And then, that dream once more. Why now? And why did it weigh on her so?

Nerissa let out a soft noise of consternation before rising to her feet and pulling aside the curtains, letting sunlight into the room and giving her a view of the castle grounds and beyond that, the kingdom of Illuster itself.

Illuster was quite the beautiful kingdom, and Nerissa could not be prouder to call it home and herself a member of its royal family. The residence of said royal family, the Celestial Citadel, sat on a high hill directly in the center of the kingdom - an ornate and pristine concentric set of buildings fortress in white and gold, with the rest of the kingdom radiating out from the Citadel's center like ripples in a pond.

From her vantage point high in one of the Citadel's towers, Nerissa could see several people - the vast majority of them brown-skinned, like herself - milling about around the castle grounds. Most were human, but not all - there were a tiny handful of humanoids with animal features among their number. Many were busy preparing for her birthday, and Nerissa knew many of the civilians who inhabited Illuster's outer rims were as well.

That was one of those things about being royalty - what would be a mere birthday for any other girl out there became a national occasion. And when one was royalty, one could not take national occasions lightly.

In a physical sense, Nerissa was certainly prepared for her fourteenth birthday. Her wavy and shoulder-length violet hair had been done up into a bun much more ornate than her usual lose one, and her soft features and crimson eyes were accentuated wonderfully by the cosmetics she wore. Every bit of her attire, from her silver tiara to her intricate pink satin dress, to her high-heeled shoes ensured that she would make a radiant sight this evening.

But spiritually, she…. well, fourteen was a major milestone, was it not? That much closer to being an adult. That much closer to being a queen. And on top of that...

lifeless sky, lifeless earth, lifeless people, gone, all gone…

... no. She had to put that out of her mind. It was all just a terrible dream.

Nerissa closed her eyes and worked to listen to the faint and soothing melody that was perpetually carried on Illuster's wind. Even when she could not hear it, she could always feel it radiating warmly in her heart.

"As long as the Rainbow Melody plays, nothing can harm us here in Illuster."

Nerissa had been taught that as a young child, and in the past, it had served as a guaranteed reassurance. And although the words rang rather hollow at present, they would have to do for the moment. She was a princess, after all, and a princess who would be the center of the kingdom's attention tonight. Royalty could never afford to drag their subjects down with their own concerns.

A series of rapid-fire and rhythmical knocks sounded at one of the high and ornate doors of her bedchamber, distracting Nerissa from any further fretting. Without missing a beat, she tore her attention away from the window and replied with a prompt

"You may enter, Amber."

Verifying the identity of the person outside the door was not necessary, not in this case. Nerissa had known this particular individual since the two of them were small children. She was familiar with many of her behaviors, including exactly how she knocked on doors.

Nerissa's bedchamber doors swung open, and Amber Lowe, a girl the same age as Nerissa, entered. She was a full head taller than Nerissa, who just barely cleared five feet, and athletically built, if a bit on the lanky side. Her dirty blond hair was trimmed into a short bob, her eyes were russet brown, and her features were the sort that could readily be called handsome. Like most members of Illuster's royal guard, she was dressed smartly in a gold and white guardsman's uniform. Her posture was rigid, and although she was tying for detached stoicism, there was a hint of anxiety written on her face. Most would have missed this. Nerissa couldn't if she tried.

"Oh my… is it Celes again?"

Amber nodded stiffly. "Unfortunately, you are correct, Lady Nerissa. Lady Celes has disappeared on us once more."

Amber's delivery was clipped and formal, as expected of someone in her position. It also made some small part of Nerissa's heart ache, just as it had for six-odd years. She did her best to push that aside, just as she did her best to disregard the nervous ache that gnawed at her stomach in the wake of her nightmare. No, there were other things she could be focusing on. Like her younger sister's decision to vanish on the bodyguard she shared with Nerissa yet again.

"I was afraid that was the case." she sighed in exasperation. "And today, of all times…"

Amber immediately dropped into a bow of apology. "I sincerely apologize, Lady Nerissa. I did not allow Lady Celes to so much as leave my sight until I had escorted her to Altair's side. It isn't the place of a bodyguard to go dragging her princess around, especially on a day like this but-"

"Amber, you've done nothing wrong!" Nerissa exclaimed. "You're always free to come to me for assistance! Has that not always been the case?"

Amber was now looking Nerissa in the eyes, but she still looked quite tense. "Lady Celes is… not fond of me. But she adores her elder sister. And I have no right to drag Mother or the other guards into the results of my carelessness. So… here I am now. If this sits well with you, Lady Nerissa."

"It really is, I promise!" Nerissa insisted. "It isn't as if I'm busy at the moment. I'm just… worried."

Said worries were not entirely focused on Celes and whatever she had been up to, mind, but Amber didn't have to know that.

Amber seemed slightly more relaxed. "As am I, Lady Nerissa. This is the fourth time this week. Altair said she may as well have vanished into thin air mid-lesson."

"Ah… really? And Celes is usually so eager to apply herself at her magecraft lessons. This really is odd…" Nerissa hummed pensively, turning the matter of her little sister's strange behavior over in her mind for a moment before clapping her hands together. "Never mind that. Standing around and speculating won't help us find Celes. Let's be off!"

It took Amber a moment to register that her princess had taken off without her. Nerissa could be that impulsive sometimes.

"Ah, Lady Nerissa! Please wait!"

Amber had to run to catch up to Nerissa. Her princess could also be quite light on her feet, even in a fancy gown and heels.

Progress on the search for Princess Celes was slow going. Neither Nerissa nor Amber wanted to take their time searching, but alas, a princess, especially a princess on her birthday, could never be afforded much peace to herself. Every leg of Nerissa and Amber's hunt for Princess Celes was met with castle staff eager for the princess' thoughts and input on one thing or another. And why not, Nerissa firmly reminded herself every time it happened. It was quite literally their job to please her.

Apparently, Celes had been all over the place in the past while - stopping by the kitchens, sneaking around past royal guards, raiding the gardens, and evading her tutors. That was all rather eyebrow-raising in itself. Unfortunately, no one the two spoke to knew what Celes was up to or where she had ended up in the end. And all of them had requests about Nerissa's birthday gala and favors to ask of the princess, things that took up a fair amount of time.

By the time Nerissa and Amber made it to the royal library, the two girls had spent over two hours searching for Celes and maybe fifteen minutes out of all that time making any meaningful progress towards that search, something that was clearly eating at Nerissa. She looked apologetically at Amber as the two paused near the library's entrance.

"Amber, I'm sorry to keep wasting your time like this But, it isn't as if I can just tell them 'no'. I am their princess, after all…"

Amber stared blankly at Nerissa as if the latter had spouted a string of absolute gibberish. "That's right. You're our princess. We're here to serve your needs. Servants have no time you have to worry about wasting, Lady Nerissa."

A bit of heat surged within Nerissa's chest. For a moment, she wanted to vent it out... but she demurred. This was what Amber wanted,after all. Instead, she did her best to cut through the awkwardness that was beginning to build up between them with a cough into her hand and a stiff-sounding

"Erm, anyway… I'm certain Siri can help us! Celes is rather fond of them, after all."

Amber said nothing about Nerissa's sudden swerve away from the current topic. She simply dutifully followed at Nerissa into the royal library of Illuster. It wasn't as if she had a right to say anything anyway.

Nerissa's eyes were sparkling as she stepped into the royal library of Illuster. This was her favorite part of the Celestial Citadel - a high-ceilinged and absurdly spacious dome with floors that seemed to stretch upwards infinitely, packed with multiple holographic display screens, buzzing with numerous librarians, and lined with thousands of shelves which held an infinite-seeming multitude of books. For a moment, Nerissa's eyes flitted towards one of the shelves, before she forcibly tore her gaze away.

"Not now, you fool. The books are not going anywhere. You don't have your glasses anyway. Focus."

For just a moment, there was the slightest hint of smile playing on Amber's lips… and then that smile faded abruptly, and she was back to playing near-expressionless bodyguard as she dutifully followed Nerissa further into the library.

It didn't take either girl long to find "Siri", or rather, Sirius, the head librarian. At present, they were standing at an immense desk near the entrance of the library. They were a tall and willowy individual with short and wavy white hair, icy blue eyes, pointed, furry white ears, and a fluffy white tail, who was clad in a neatly tailored silver and white suit. They sported a silver star-shaped marking on their forehead, carried an ornate-looking gold case at their waist, and wore a pair of smart silver spectacles. The moment they sensed Nerissa and Amber's approach, they dismissed the display screen they had been perusing with a wave of their hand.

"Ah! Lady Nerissa! And Amber as well! How very, very nice to see you here!"

Sirius clearly meant every word of that - not only were their ears pricked up, their tail was wagging a mile a minute as they sprang up from their desk, putting away their reading glasses in a fluid motion, and bounded towards Nerissa and Amber, a reaction that drew an amused giggle from a few passing-by scholars.

Nerissa curtsied graciously. "The pleasure is all mine, Siri. How have you been keeping?"

"Same as always, same as always." Sirius said cheerfully. "Give me information to chew on and some good books, and I'm a happy dog!" A pause, then. "Now… under normal circumstances, I'd point you towards new titles to read… but judging by the look on your face, and erm... recent events, you have better things to do right now, right, right?"

"Perceptive as always, Siri." Nerissa said. "I am currently assisting Amber in locating Celes… again. Judging by what you just said, I'm assuming you saw her?"

"Our princess is perceptive as well, yes, yes. That's correct. - Lady Celes stepped into the library, started pursuing one of our databases… and then I saw her, she saw that I saw her, she closed out of the database like it was about to bite her hand, then… hmm…"

Whatever Sirius was going to say from there turned into a great deal of thoughtful humming, their tail swishing back and forth all the while. Maybe things would have continued that way for some time longer, had Amber not finally spoke up.

"Apologies for speaking out of turn, but and then what, Sirius."

Sirius looked slightly cowed at Amber's words. Nevertheless, they did not abandon their cheerful tone. "Well… she ran off. As to where, I'm not exactly sure. Judging by the direction she was traveling in and what I know of Lady Celes, I'm going to say she was either headed for the gardens or the Temple of the Stars."

Nerissa's eyes widened at the latter point. "Of course! That would be where she ended up in the end! Come on, Amber, let's go!" Without thinking, she grabbed the other girl's wrist and started forwards, just as if things were like they had been six years ago.

"Lady Nerissa, please-"

But that wasn't the case, Nerissa realized the very moment Amber spoke. It wasn't like it was back then at all. The fact that Amber stood there, rigid and expressionless the moment Nerissa did that instead of eagerly following her princess was proof enough.

Now it was Nerissa's turn to look cowed. She hesitatingly letting go of Amber's wrist, a thin and sheepish smile of apology on her face. "Sorry, Amber, I wasn't thinking."

More blank staring. "I'm just your bodyguard, I don't-"

Sirius immediately cut into between the two of them. "Ahaha… pardon for interrupting, but do you mind if I come with? I don't have anything I really need to do at the moment, and I am as much a steward of that place as I am this place, so-"

Nerissa looked quite relieved. "Of course, Siri. I'd love to have you along!" Amber gave no such assent, but she raised no objection either.

And off princess, bodyguard, and librarian went, all three trying to pretend there was nothing awkward or uncomfortable hanging between two out of three of them.

Stepping within the Temple of the Stars always felt like slipping into another world.

Perhaps it was the fact that the Rainbow Melody no longer required straining to be heard here - Nerissa, Amber, and Sirius could easily hear it playing, soft, sweet, and ever-present, reverberating around the shining pristine white and gold domes of the Temple. Likewise, the warmth it brought to their hearts felt that many times more intense than the mild comfort it provided outside the Temple, like being embraced in a comforting hug from a loved one.

Perhaps it was the presence of the four statues at the center of the temple's innermost chamber - four ornately-dressed women standing on four pedestals, arranged so that all four were facing one another. Each held a crystal close to their chest - one pink, one blue, one orange, and one white, and each was carved out of pale gray marble with such delicacy and detail that they seemed seconds away from coming to life and stepping off their pedestals.

Perhaps it was the glowing wisps of magic that rose and floated through the air like tiny fireflies, so great was the concentration of mana in the air. And why not? This was, after all, the seat of what was quite literally the greatest magical resource Illuster had.

Perhaps it was the presence of that resource, which served as the source of the Rainbow Melody itself - an ornate gold and silver music box, which sat on a golden pedestal, inaccessible without ascending the ornate-looking stairs in front of it, itself surrounded by the pedestals with the statues atop them. The heart shape on the lid of said music box was divided into four sections - one pink, one blue, one orange, one white, and the Rainbow Melody could be heard more clearly than ever the closer one drew towards it.

Perhaps it was some combination of the above? Nerissa had no time to puzzle it out, not when she had something - or someone - more pressing right in front of her.

"Celes!"

Princess Celes, the younger of the two princesses of Illuster, had been seated on the stairs leading up to the music box enshrined in the Temple of the Stars… right until her older sister called out to her, causing her to nearly jump a foot in the air out of shock. Her violet eyes widened as she took in the sight of her older sister, their bodyguard, and the head librarian - slash - temple steward, and mouth worked silently for a moment before she finally squeaked out a

"Oh… hullo, Nerissa. Guess you caught up with me after all."

Celes was a girl of ten, who stood a few inches shorter than her already-petite sister. Her curly bluish-violet hair, which stopped right past her earlobes, had been styled at some point today, and was currently ornamented with a rather askew tiara. She wore an ornate dress that was near-identical to her elder sister's, save for its color - blue - and its state - thoroughly dirt-stained. A porcelain doll sat in her arms - that of a tan-skinned young woman with long, jet black hair, red eyes, and the russet-colored ears and tail of a fox. Said doll was dressed near-identically to Celes, although her own dress was in far better shape.

Nerissa made a soft noise of disapproval at her sister's appearance. Clearly, the interference of the gardeners had not been enough to keep Celes from ruining her outfit. Even if it wasn't as important for her to keep face tonight, well… a princess was a princess was a princess. She didn't always like it either, but there were standards to maintain.

"Oh, Celes, your dress…"

Celes looked down at said dress, then back to Nerissa, then back again, before laughing sheepishly.

"It's fine, really! Look!"

With a wave of her hand, and the brief flash of glowing blue runes that signified Celes using magic, the dirt stains had faded from the front of her dress. Well, mostly faded. You'd have to strain your eyes to see them, mind, and that was clearly good enough for Celes.

Nerissa sighed on exasperation. "I don't think Altair would be happy with you using their lessons like that."

Celes waved this off nonchalantly before dashing towards Nerissa, shifting her doll to one arm, and giving her older sister a somewhat awkward one-armed hug. "Happy fourteenth, Nerissa! How's it feel, being nearly an adult?"

"I… don't feel any different? A bit anxious, but that's to be expected." A lie, but nobody had to know. "I was more worried about finding you. Don't you and Vulpecula want to be prepared for this evening?"

Celes parted from her awkward hug with her sister and adjusted Vulpecula in her arms once more. "I won't look too babyish if I take her with me, right?"

Amber finally broke her self-imposed silence and approached Celes. "I apologize for speaking out of turn, Lady Celes, but why have you been going off on your own for the past few days? And why are you here? This… isn't a playground for… children…"

Even as she spoke, the bodyguard's words were dying in her throat. The withering glance Celes was giving Amber as she spoke had everything to do with that.

"It's a secret." Celes replied sharply, Vulpecula nodding in time to her words as she spoke. "I can't tell anyone. Especially not you. My servants are not allowed to demand anything out of me, Amber. That's a royal decree."

On 'royal decree', Celes crossed her arms across her chest, staring icily up at Amber, who shrunk backwards. In doing so, she let go of Vulpecula… who remained suspended in the air, floating right at shoulder level with the young girl.

Now it was Nerissa's cue to get upset with her younger sister. "Celes! There is no need to be so rude to-"

Celes raised her hands defensively. Vulpecula did the same. "Nerissa, I… I'll tell you later, I promise! But not now, alright?"

Her sister was dodging the matter of apologizing to Amber, and Nerissa didn't appreciate it in the slightest. Before she could say anything, she noticed Amber out of the corner of her eye. The taller girl might have looked mildly shaken at best to a casual observer, but Nerissa knew far better.

Thus, she left things with Celes at "Please do." before moving to Amber's side, gingerly holding onto the bodyguard's arm and leaning up to whisper something in her ear. Amber… didn't appear to register it, but Nerissa remained by her side regardless.

Now was Sirius' turn to badger Celes. "So… Lady Celes, can you at least tell me why you were here? As steward of the Temple of the Stars, I am owed that, you know."

"I just like it here." Celes batted away a wisp of magic with her finger as she spoke. She sounded slightly defensive but far less snappish than she had been with Amber. "It's relaxing. Better than being dragged around to magic lessons or having to sit in at a meeting or being told off for picking flowers."

"Heh… I can certainly give you that one, Lady Celes." Sirius said followed Celes' gaze to the music box and the statues that surrounded it. "It is a beautiful place - and the seat of the Celestial Orgel, the very source of the Rainbow Melody that protects Illuster from harm."

"And the shrine built to honor the legendary warriors Pretty Cure, right?" Celes had heard this story a million times. Sirius had told it a million times. Neither party was sick of it yet.

"That's right. The four brave women who borrowed the powers of Celestial Beasts like myself to save us from a great calamity some… three-thousand years ago, yes, yes. The Blossom Knight, the Soaring Knight, the Tempest Knight, and the Lunar Knight. Were it not for their efforts, the Rainbow Melody would have never been created, and the Roaring Sparks of every living being, would be lost."

"Imagine that…" Celes gazed intently at the Celestial Orgel. "No more willpower, no more dreams, no more emotion… it'd be the same as dying, wouldn't it? Maybe even worse."

Even as she tried her best to console the quietly miserable Amber, Nerissa was listening to Celes and Sirius' exchange. And the minute Celes brought that point back up, the images from her dream came rushing back.

No life, no light in their eyes, no motion, no soul, that was it, that was what it would look like were everyone to be without their Roaring Spark, that was it-

The anxiety from this morning came rushing back to Nerissa. This time, it came with a side of lightheadedness and spots at the corners of her vision as the scenes from her nightmare played and replayed in her head, refusing to go away. And then she felt herself swoon-

-and that had Amber immediately jolting of her funk, snapping to attention, and moving to stabilize Nerissa.

"Lady Nerissa?" Amber whispered, her voice thick with concern.

"It's nothing, don't worry." Nerissa whispered back. "Didn't sleep well last night. Birthday jitters. Think it's catching up with me."

Not a lie, but it wasn't entirely the truth either. And the more she tried to suppress what was truly bothering her the most, the worse her head hurt.

Celes and Sirius had immediately abandoned their exchange the minute they heard Amber speak, both looking genuinely alarmed at Nerissa's state.

"Lady Nerissa? Do you need some fresh air?"

"Nerissa? Everything okay?"

Nerissa was fighting a losing battle with the specter of her nightmare - she was trying to hold out, but the spots in her vision were multiplying rapidly, making it nigh-impossible to focus on anything.

"I'm alright, really, I…"

Before Nerissa could say anything more, her knees buckled. Amber caught her in her arms before she could hit the floor. Worry was written all over her face as she stared down at Nerissa.

"Should we return to the Citadel, Lady Nerissa?"

Nerissa's first instinct, as it often was, was to lie, but she quickly concluded it wasn't worth it. She was too obviously ill.

"...I think we should, yes." She stared up at the ceiling, futilely trying to make her eyes focus. "Sorry, Celes, but we need to return."

"Oh, alright. I guess I can humor Altair a bit more." Celes sighed. "Hope you get some rest, Nerissa."

Nerissa made a soft noise of assent in return. Amber picked her up and bridal carried her down the temple's immense set of stairs without a word, Sirius following behind her, and Celes bringing up the rear.

Perhaps if the three had looked behind them, they would have seen the solemn glance Celes shot back towards the Temple of the Stars and the soft 'see you soon' she mouthed in the direction of some unseen stranger. But alas, this was not to be.

The day passed by, the sun began to sink below the horizon, and the shadows around Illuster lengthened. Around town, a great many people were preparing for the grand gala that would be Princess Nerissa's fourteenth birthday. Within the castle, the staff were busying themselves like bees in a hive, preparing for the same. And as for the princess herself…

...Nerissa had spent a good chunk of the next few hours day lying in bed, trying to recover from her earlier spell in the Temple of the Stars. She had been up and around a handful of times - sometimes to stretch her legs, at one point to eat the lunch Amber brought in for her, but for the most part, she laid down, the world flowing on past her as the nightmarish maelstrom in her mind swirled uneasily about, trying to drag her body down with it.

Amber was standing outside her door now, just as she had been for several hours now. Nerissa could hear her warning off those who came to ask the princess for one thing or another when she wasn't acting in Nerissa's stead and passing on information about her princess to them. It was all quite accurate, of course. Amber knew Nerissa just as well as Nerissa knew Amber.

Amber's presence was comforting. It always was. But at the moment, it failed to provide sufficient solace in the face of the echoes left by her nightmare.

It was only a dream, Nerissa told herself over and over. It was only a dream. Nothing can happen to the Rainbow Melody. Only royalty can touch the Orgel to begin with. Celes wouldn't hurt us. Mother wouldn't hurt us. Nothing can hurt us here. It will be alright. It will be alright.

But why couldn't she make herself believe that?

There came a point when Nerissa could no longer hear Amber outside her bed chamber. That was her cue to leave her bedchamber, lingering malaise or none. She was worried about Amber... and due to make her formal debut as the star of the evening very soon. It was high time she took care of what she needed to before this evening's events.

Celes was waiting for her outside, Vulpecula floating besides her. "I already sent Amber on her way." she explained matter-of-factly. "She and the other members of the royal guard have their own preparations to make."

"I see…"

Nerissa felt a bit uncomfortable at this. She knew she shouldn't have been. She had a duty to be fully prepared for the celebrations tonight, and Amber had a duty to act as a part of security detail. And that was how it would always be, she firmly reminded herself as she started off in the opposite direction from Celes.

"Nerissa? Shouldn't we be headed towards the ballroom?"

"I'll catch up with you later." Nerissa's voice sounded odd and distant to her own ears. "I wish to talk with Mother first. In private, if that's alright."

"Who am I to stop my big sister?" Celes started off before pausing in her tracks, turning, and waving. Vulpecula did the same simultaneously. "Bye-bye!"

"Bye-bye…" Nerissa returned the gesture, unable to force the same amount of enthusiasm Celes had managed, before making her way towards the audience chamber of the Queen of Illuster.

Even if she was another year older today, Nerissa still felt like a small and inadequate child in the presence of her mother, Queen Lucinda of Illuster. And why not? The position of Queen of Illuster was quite a lofty one, and Illuster's citizenry worshipped the ground Queen Lucinda walked on. As elder daughter, Nerissa was set to slip into Lucinda's shoes someday, and while she would never admit it, the prospect was nerve-wracking. Becoming a queen, let alone a woman on Lucinda's level, seemed so far beyond Nerissa.

Queen Lucinda was a woman of great beauty, with platinum blond hair that shined like starlight and deep blue eyes that seemed to contain galaxies, and a woman of great majesty, whose very presence radiated power despite her petite stature. At present, she sat on her high, gilded throne in the vast and orante audience chamber of the Celestial Citadel. Nerissa offered her mother a low curtsy once she was ushered inside.

"Good evening, Mother."

"Good evening, Nerissa." Queen Lucinda's tone was gentle and warm. "I understand you nearly fainted in the Temple of the Stars earlier."

Nerissa's first reaction was a defensive one. "I apologize sincerely, Mother. I had no intention of-"

"Nerissa, it's alright." Lucinda said gently. "Celes, Amber, and Sirius were all incredibly concerned for your welfare when they spoke of this incident. Are you feeling well? I wouldn't dare force my own daughter to exert herself when she's feeling ill, regardless of the occasion."

"I have recovered, Mother." Nerissa said. "Physically, I am feeling well, but on an emotional level..." She trailed off, biting her lip. Was it worth troubling Lucinda over this?

"Nerissa?"

Nerissa released a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "I apologize for troubling you. But..." Her voice caught. She took a moment to calm herself before continuing. "I have been experiencing a recurrent nightmare. Between its vividness and consistency, I fear it may be some sort of portent."

Nerissa scanned her mother's face for some hint of skepticism. She could find none. So, she continued, pausing a few times to swallow pack the tears that were threatening to well up as she recounted her recurring nightmare in detail. Lucinda said nothing for a few moments afterward, leaving Nerissa with nothing but the sound of her heart thumping in her chest. But finally, she spoke.

"The mass suppression of the Roaring Sparks of everyone in this kingdom... such matters have not been a real concern for three thousand years."

"I know should not be fretting over something so stupid, Mother. Intellectually, I understand it's an utterly foolish thing to-"

Lucinda cut her off right there. "I do not think it foolish, Nerissa. As Queen of Illuster, I am not a woman given to jump at mere portents, but as a mother, I must take anything that troubles my daughters seriously. Might it ease your mind slightly if I stepped up security a bit this evening?"

"It would, yes." A symbolic gesture, to be certain, but anything that would help her retain her composure tonight. "Thank you, mother." Nerissa moved to leave, only to pause and add "Before I depart, might I request one last thing?"

"Name it, and it is yours."

"May I have a hug?"

Immediately Lucinda rose from her throne and approached Nerissa, gently pulling her daughter into her embrace. The two remained like that for a few moments before Lucinda gently broke away from the hug, a look of pride shining in her eyes as she regarded Nerissa.

"You really are growing up into a fine young woman, Nerissa. One day, you will become a queen this kingdom can be proud of. Of that, I am quite certain."

And now holding back tears was quite beyond Nerissa. They went cascading down her face in waves. "Thank you, mother. I swear I will make you proud tonight!" It took a few more moments of sobbing before Nerissa finally pulled herself together. "Oh dear… my face is probably a mess now. I apologize sincerely for-"

Lucinda laid a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder. "You're alright. There is still plenty of time for you to get cleaned up before the gala."

Nerissa nodded tearfully before she prepared to exit the audience chamber.

"Farewell, Nerissa."

"Farewell, Mother." Nerissa paused in the doorway a moment before adding "And again, thank you. You don't know how much this means to me."

Had she known this might have been one of the last times she'd speak with her mother, perhaps Nerissa would have lingered a bit longer. But hindsight was an inconvenient mistress, and thus, the princess shot her mother one last smile and went off on her way, trying her best to be tentatively hopeful despite the lingering malaise that plagued her.

Amber spent the last few moments before Nerissa's birthday gala practicing sword drills in the guards' barracks, long after the other guards had filtered out. Not only was engaging in such exercises for the sake of keeping her skills sharp of the utmost necessity, given her position, she found it relaxing. Meditative almost.

The girl moved like a well-oiled machine as she went through drill after drill. Don't focus on Nerissa's fainting spell and how you didn't notice how she was ill before, focus on keeping your swings accurate. Don't focus on those moments of awkwardness with Nerissa, focus on keeping your form the best it can be. Don't focus on how much Celes despises an insubordinate lout like yourself, focus on never, ever leaving an opening for your opposition.

This didn't make the worries at the back of her mind go away. It was unlikely anything would, because Amber's natural state of mind was an anxious one, but it certainly helped. Good. This was what she was best at in the end, anyway. This was all someone like her would ever be good at.

Someone was calling her name, but Amber failed to properly register it, so caught up was she in her swordplay - until she suddenly found her practice swing being blocked with the flat out the other party's blade, abruptly jolting her out of her reverie.

"Amber, you are to answer me when I speak to you."

Amber forced herself to stare up at the interloper. "I apologize, Mother."

Alexandria Lowe, Captain of the Royal Guard and mother to Amber Lowe, returned her daughter's level stare with a cold one of her own. She was an intimidating woman, standing a few inches taller than her already tall daughter and sporting a jagged scar across the side of her face. Her long, dirty blonde hair was done up into a high ponytail, and although her build was mostly concealed underneath her uniform, Amber knew for a fact that the woman was solid muscle.

"Still sloppy, I see. You'll never be able to protect them with such poor form, Amber."

"Understood, Mother. I clearly need more training." Amber wanted to look down at the floor but forced herself to maintain eye contact with Alexandria. Doing otherwise was not permitted.

"Not tonight, you don't. Her Majesty has informed me that she wishes to increase security within the castle. Princess Nerissa's orders." Alexandria hummed wryly, sheathing her sword all the while. "I personally doubt either princess is in any sort of immediate danger, not here, but I'd advise you to treat it as an emergency anyway. It'll be good practice for you. Not every kingdom out there is as… hospitable as our own."

Amber didn't bother asking what Alexandria meant. She had no reason to. Her mother's collection of scars, most of them concealed beneath her uniform, was vast, far more impressive than the comparatively minor injuries she'd amassed through training.

Instead, she kept her gaze and tone level as she responded with "I will devote every fiber of my being to this task. My life is nothing compared to the life of those two."

Alexandria smiled. It was less the smile of a loving mother and more the smile of a trainer who had finally bent a hound to her will. "Good girl."

And she was off. Amber drew in a shaky breath, sheathed her own sword, and followed her. Even if there had not been a real threat within the Celestial Citadel for thousands of years, she would still throw herself into this wholeheartedly, namely for Nerissa's sake. Her protection was the only thing she could give the princess these days.

It was to be a marvelous evening!

The evening sky, already a lovely canvas of violets and lavenders and blues, was decorated with colorful bursts of fireworks launched into the air in celebration of Princess Nerissa's birthday. The long and winding path towards the Celestial Citadel was lit by numerous shimmering pink and blue orbs, and the Citadel itself was decorated with shimmering tinsel made of light and a variety of glimmering wisps. Every window of the Citadel shone with light and the sound of the ballroom's orchestra carried clearly in the air as a small parade of citizenry journeyed towards it.

Most every person in the crowd was abuzz with excitement… save four individuals moving among their number. Said individuals were wraithlike in their presence, their forms hidden by flowing black cloaks as they glided along silently towards their destination, unnoticed by their fellows.

Only when the four approached the front gate of the Celestial Citadel, where a retinue (larger than usual, per Nerissa's orders) of royal guards stood, individually checking the identities of everyone passing through the castle, did someone appear to register their presence. One of the guards immediately moved to address the quartet.

"Pardon, might I see some identification?"

The tallest of the cloaked figures nodded, but they did not produce anything. The guard caught a pair of vermillion eyes gazing at her from beneath the figure's hood and briefly flashing violet. The guard felt the sensation of talons sinking into her brain for a moment… and then the four were gone, and she was back to checking identification with her fellows, as if nothing had ever happened.

By the time any of the guards realized what had just taken place, it would be far too late.

The vast and spacious gilded ballroom of the Celestial Citadel was, of course, nothing short of resplendent on the evening of Princess Nerissa's birthday gala.

The room was illuminated by both electrical lighting and many glowing orbs of pure mana, which danced high above the heads of those in attendance like a herd of captive stars. Shimmering blue and pink mana butterflies flitted about the room, sometimes settling on a guest's head for a moment before they flitted off once again, and the beautiful tapestries of pink and violet decorated the walls, were enchanted with magic of a similar nature, making the star chart-esque insignias glow radiantly. A collection of gorgeous floral displays - featuring Nerissa's favorites, camellias, pink carnations, and violet roses - decorated every table and most every corner of the room.

And of course, there was a veritable banquet laid out upon the tables - the Citadel's chefs had truly outdone themselves making all of Nerissa's favorite dishes exactly the way the princess liked them, and many of their creations seemed almost too beautiful to consider eating. The orchestra employed for the event played beautifully as numerous Illustrian citizens, some of them commoners, some of them nobility, some human and some Celestial Beast, milled about, making sure to enjoy themselves to the fullest.

Nerissa had very little time to herself this evening. If she wasn't greeting those in attendance at the gala, she was graciously accepting gifts from one guest or another, or accepting offers of a dance from said guests once another one started up, or being pulled into a discussion with nobles. If she wasn't doing those things, she was making sure the guests were contented. Not that she minded at all. Keeping herself as busy as humanly possible kept her mind off the looming specter of her nightmare.

Still, Nerissa mused, taking advantage of a lull in her obligations to park herself by one of the tables and pour herself a glass of punch, even if she appreciated being kept busy, it was nice to be able to breathe for a moment or two. Princess or not, she could only take so much of this at a time.

She wasn't alone at this table - Sirius was nearby, currently regaling Altair, a petite individual with vulturine features, with a string of excited rambling. They held an pastry in one hand and a shortcake in the other and alternately took a bite out of each treat as they spoke, their tail excitedly swishing back and forth all the while.

"So! Funny thing that- our databases - I've told you about those terrible, terrible database errors we've been having, right, right? The ones concerning the- ah, hello, hello, Lady Nerissa!" Here, Sirius offered an enthusiastic wave… or at least an attempt at one, given the pastry in their hand. Nerissa returned it with a small one of her one. "-those strange chunks of null information? Anyway - my, these are to die for! - Procyon said she-"

Altair huffily turned their gaze away from Sirius, the feathers on their wings visibly ruffled. "At least finish swallowing your food before you start rambling."

Nerissa barely suppressed a giggle behind one silk-gloved hand. Typical Sirius - even if their position among the Citadel staff was quite lofty, they themselves had never been particularly great at formality beyond a certain level.

"Having fun, Nerissa?"

Nerissa tore her gaze from Sirius and Altair to find Celes with Vulpecula floating on one side of her and a plate of cookies floating on the other.

"Of course! This has been a wonderful birthday thus far." Not entirely genuine, but it sounded far less forced than it would have earlier, which spoke volumes about how much better Nerissa was feeling… or at least how distracted she was at present. "Your work on the decorations tonight is excellent, Celes. Aren't you glad you finished off those preparations with Altair?"

Celes looked aside. "I guess so…" She sounded as if something was bothering her. It concerned Nerissa, but she knew forcing the issue was not going to work. "I'm a good mage without them. I could have done all of this on my own."

"You always have been the superior mage between the two of us." Nerissa said. "But you know, raw talent on its own isn't everything. Mother is powerful enough to manipulate even the Celestial Orgel, but she only got there through dedication and strength of heart."

Celes fell uncomfortably silent for a few moments before distracting herself with a cookie. Finally, she replied with "If you say so, Nerissa. See you later!"

Before Nerissa could say anything else, Celes, who was quite nearly as light on her feet in an ornate gown as she was, had vanished into the crowd, leaving the elder princess to her own devices. Staying and eavesdropping on Sirius' conversation was tempting, but she had other things she would rather be doing at present - namely, trying to figure out where Amber was.

Captain Alexandria, was certainly present, standing rigidly at attention next to Queen Lucinda, who was standing towards the front of the ballroom, consulting with several fellow nobles. And there was certainly no shortage of guards in the area - a pair each guarded the four entrances to the ballroom and Nerissa knew there was a second, larger than usual retinue stationed in front of the castle. But try as she might, she couldn't figure out where Amber was. Even as she edged around the ballroom, glass of punch in hand, she still could not place her in the crowd.

"Lady Nerissa?"

Nerissa jumped a bit, maintaining an iron grip on her glass all the while, before wheeling around to face Amber. The taller girl had piled a large amount of grilled pheasant onto a plate and was neatly eating it with rapid speed… but not without blowing on each piece several times first.

"Oh, good evening, Amber." Nerissa said. "I was just looking for you."

"Ah… really?" Amber said, between bites of pheasant. She was doing a bad job at sounding detached. "Mother had me patrolling the halls earlier. They just switched me to the ballroom, but Ivy told me she could cover things on her own for a bit. Said a 'growing kid' needed a bite to eat." She cast a nervous glance in her mother's direction, but if Alexandria had noticed her daughter's presence in the room, she gave no indication. "I'll go back to work shortly, but-"

Nerissa cut her off there. "Amber, you're alright. I'm sure Captain Alex would understand. What mother wouldn't want her daughter to relax and enjoy herself?"

Amber said nothing to that, instead preoccupying herself with the pheasant. Although Nerissa picked up on her discomfort, she missed the source of it, as evidenced by her failure to press the issue further.

"Anyway," Nerissa continued "The pheasant is excellent, isn't it? I remember you mentioning it was one of your favorites, so I brought that up to the chefs earlier today."

Amber flushed deep red. "Lady Nerissa, you didn't have to-"

"But I wanted to, Amber. And I am glad you're here to enjoy it."

Amber stiffly coughed into her free hand. "It is delicious, yes. Maybe a bit warm, but…" Well, alright, it was probably perfectly tolerable to most people, but not to someone with a tongue as temperature-sensitive as hers. "Anyway, Lady Nerissa, are you certain you're feeling better? That's been worrying me more than my own silly concerns."

"I'm feeling much better, yes." A sip of punch, then "Maybe I'm a little worn out, but it is nothing I cannot sleep off later. A princess must have plenty of stamina, after all."

Both girls enjoyed their drink and their meal in silence, before the sound of a waltz suddenly filled the air, and multiple guests moved to pair off. This had Nerissa, snapping to attention, keenly aware that she would be requested for another dance. But-

-instead, she offered her arm to Amber. "Might I have this dance? Just for old times' sake?"

Amber balked visibly. "Lady Nerissa, carrying you is one thing, but I…" She glanced nervously towards Alexandria, then towards Nerissa, then back again. "Please vouch for me if Mother says anything."

Nerissa blinked in surprise. "Vouch for you? To Captain Alex? Why-"

"Just promise me."

"I promise, Amber." Nerissa said with a solemn nod. "Now then, shall we?"

Amber nervously made her way onto the dance floor arm in arm with Nerissa. "Please bear with me, Lady Nerissa." she said quietly, as they took their places. "I haven't done anything like this since we were children."

"I'm sure you'll do fine." Nerissa said. She was drawing some odd looks, bringing a member of the royal guard onto the dance floor like this. She did not care a whit.

So, off the two went, Nerissa, trying her best to adapt her graceful moves to Amber's clumsy and halting ones. It was not a perfect combo - the two bumped into several other pairs several times, and Amber stepped on Nerissa's toes at least once, but Nerissa wasn't bothered at all. Being close to Amber like this was worth any potential indignity.

"Lady Nerissa, I'm sorry-"

Nerissa shook her head. "Amber, I'm having a marvelous time. Thank you for this. And for just for being there for me. You don't know how much I appreciate it."

Amber averted her gaze, nearly bumping into another couple in the process. "I'm just doing my job, Lady Nerissa. As long as I'm being useful to you, I'm happy." She noticed that the other girl's gaze kept flitting around the room, even as they danced. "Lady Nerissa?"

"That's odd…" Nerissa said quietly. "I don't see Celes anywhere. She usually loves these dances. I hope she hasn't-"

Before Nerissa could finish that sentence, several things happened at once.

First, multiple guards came rushing into the ballroom, all of them more than a bit frantic.

Then Alexandria's voice cut through the air, several magnitudes louder than the orchestra. "What do you mean we've been compromised?!"

The orchestra ground to a halt, cutting off the music in the air abruptly. Most everyone had turned their attentions to the now borderline apoplectic captain of Illuster's royal guard, who had furiously rounded on several of her fellows, all of whom were offering barely-coherent apologies in return.

Nerissa felt her heart freeze in her chest as 'We've been compromised' rang out again and again in her head, intermingled with visions of her nightmare. She was dimly aware of Amber parting from her and placing a hand on the sheath of her sword. And then-

-there was what sounded like an explosion from somewhere nearby, causing the floor of the ballroom to shake briefly, eliciting a cacophony of screaming from many guests in attendance, followed by a burst of light in the center of the ballroom.

It was hard for anyone to register what was at the center of that light for a moment, so intense was its glow. And then the intensity faded, revealing the Celestial Orgel hovering in the air. It remained suspended for several moments before falling to the ground and sliding towards Nerissa's feet. It popped open as it came to a stop,revealing that it was very much empty of its contents.

And then the Rainbow Melody stopped playing.

Imagine being suddenly thrust into darkness and cold after knowing nothing but sunshine and warmth for your entire life. That was what every single being in Illuster experienced at that moment. It left most far too shocked to do anything.

Nerissa was dimly aware of her picking up the now-empty Orgel and holding what had, until a moment ago, been the beating heart of her kingdom to her chest. Her mind was panicking, reminding her of her nightmare and screaming at her to move, but she couldn't. She felt a million miles away from her own body at present.

There was a loud hissing sound from the very center of the ballroom, and a surge of malevolent-feeling mana pulsed through the floor, causing several guests to flinch away from the area. A circle of shining vivid gold runes surfaced on the floor in the center of the ballroom, followed by a burst of gold flame as the four cloaked figures materialized in the middle of said circle. Each whipped their cloaks off and flung them aside, revealing their true appearance to the attendees of the gala.

The figure at the forefront was a tall young woman with olive skin and vermillion eyes. Her multicolored hair - gold growing out into red-orange - was worn in a bob that bared her forehead, which sported a gold banded gemstone. She wore a dark gold high-necked cape which looked rather like folded dragon's wings, golden earrings and bangles, a sleeveless gold dress, black tights, and knee-length black boots.

The other three figures - two slender teenage girls, who shared the exact same height, build, and facial features, and a wiry and tall young man, who seemed to be in his early twenties and had a clear familial resemblance to the two girls - were quite striking on their own. All three were unnaturally pale and their eyes reflected very little light, making them appear a few degrees off from being fully human.

One of the girls had silvery-green hair that flared out at the base of her neck and sported bangs that covered one of her lightless gold eyes. She wore a navy tunic with dark green trim, a dark green belt with with a gold buckle, dark navy shorts, and dark green tights. A short dark green cape with a peacock feather design sat at her shoulders, and navy half-crescent earrings dangled from her ears. She wore shin-length navy boots, and the back of her right hand was inset with a peacock blue gemstone.

The other girl had silver eyes and long pale pink hair tied into low pigtails. She wore a gray tunic with dark violet trim, a dark violet belt with a silver buckle, dark gray shorts, and dark violet tights. A short violet mantle, which was trimmed with silver fur and tied at the front by a violet bow, sat at her shoulders, and gray half-crescent earrings dangled from her ears. She wore shin-length gray boots, and the back of her left hand was inset with a cloudy white gemstone.

The young man had bronze eyes and scruffy blue-gray hair pulled into a short ponytail. He wore a burnt orange tunic with burgundy trim, a burgundy belt with a bronze buckle and dark orange pants, which were tucked into shin-length burnt orange boots with burgundy trim. A flowing snakeskin print burgundy scarf, was tied around his neck, a burnt orange half-crescent earring dangled from his right ear, and the back of his right hand was inset with a scale patterned orange gemstone.

The ballroom was eerily silent in the wake of the strangers' arrival. Nerissa was numbly aware of someone gripping tightly onto her arm, confirmed by a quick side glance to be a visibly panicked Celes.

Nerissa was this kingdom's princess. She needed to act. She could not make herself act. It did not seem that anyone else present could either. None except...

"Do you realize what you have just done?"

...Queen Lucinda, who strode forwards through the frozen crowd. Her dark blue eyes seemed to hold maelstroms within them as she stared down the intruders. Her posture and tone of voice betrayed absolutely no fear. If anything, she seemed to be daring the four to dignify her with a response.

And respond the woman did, spitting fury as she rounded on Lucinda. "You, of all people, have a lot of nerve taking that tone with me!"

Flames of shimmering gold leapt from the woman's extended hand towards Lucinda. At that moment, Alexandria and three other members of the royal guard broke from their collective stupor and leapt to action. Alexandria drove an elbow into the woman's side, causing her flames to misfire and incinerate a floral display near Lucinda, while her three compatriots were physically restrained by the three other guards.

"I don't care who you are, what business you have here, or what sick thought process guided the atrocity you just committed." Alexandria hissed sharply, gripping the woman roughly by the arm with one hand as her other hand prepared to unsheathe her sword. "I will not permit anyone to so much as speak to our Queen in such an insolent manner. Now, explain your actions at once, or so help me, I will make you explain."

The woman said nothing in response to Alexandria's words, only biting her lip in defiance as the gem on her forehead glinted, and her eyes flashed violet. Her compatriots, who made no efforts to struggle against their captors, said nothing either, simply staring stonily ahead at their leader.

And then the guard who had been restraining the green-haired girl staggered back, giving a sharp cry as they grabbed at their chest. Their two fellows did the same moments later, allowing all three interlopers to effortlessly escape from their captivity.

"Sorry, but I don't take orders from lifeless beings." the woman replied dryly.

Alexandria's eyes suddenly widened in pain, causing her grip on her captive to falter enough for the latter to wrest herself from it.

Amber started forwards, eyes wide with terror. "Mother!"

Lucinda had rushed to Alexandria's side. Alexandria hardly seemed to notice, instead glaring daggers at her daughter. "Why are you just standing there, Amber? Do something!"

Her mother's harsh words were enough to get Amber to try to unsheathe her sword, but she couldn't get any further than that. Her legs were trembling too badly to obey her, and her hands were refusing to cooperate.

Something was ripped right out of the chests of those affected - a crystal, which was shaped like a multi-pointed star and glimmered beautifully with all the colors of the rainbow… before it rapidly turned pitch black and sank back into the chests of its hosts.

Alexandria suddenly shoved Lucinda to the side, seconds before violet energy enveloped her form and the forms of the affected guards. Said energy quickly dissipated, revealing inky, amorphous blobs with empty gold eyes that bore no resemblance to the humans they had been only moments ago.

The newly-formed blobs of darkness lurched towards the other guests. Each one they managed to touch collapsed to their knees and cried out in pain before they too suffered the same transformation as Alexandria and her fellows.

Every guest present scattered in panic. The queen, her daughters, and said daughters' personal bodyguard were battered about as their countrymen fled towards the ballroom's exits, desperately trying to escape. It was to little avail. With this many people in this blind of a frenzy, navigation was difficult, making it all too easy for one of the blobs or the woman to infect those trying to flee. And once one person in the tightly-packed crowd was affected, those around them fell like dominoes.

Sirius watched these happenings with horror, their ears pressed flat against their head as they drew backwards… and unknowingly towards another one of the blobs. "Oh my, my… could this be-?"

Before they could say anything more, they were shoved forwards, towards Nerissa and Celes. They turned around to see Altair, who mouthed "Get them out of here! Go!" before they too succumbed to the plague that was now spreading around the Citadel ballroom.

"Happiness fades. Dreams can be crushed. Willpower can be daunted." the woman said. "Ultimately, such things are better off discarded entirely. That is why I, Sardonyx, have chosen to relieve you of your Roaring Sparks. A fitting gift, wouldn't you say, Lucinda? Almost uncalled for, given what you've done to me and my kingdom."

Nerissa handed the Orgel off to Celes, before she strode towards Sardonyx and took her place besides her mother, her hands blazing with pink light.

"What do you mean by that?" She was trying to sound as coolly defiant as her mother had and not quite making it. "We've done absolutely nothing!"

Sardonyx looked more amused by Nerissa's attempt at defiance than anything else. "That's right. That is exactly what your lot did when we were at our lowest. Absolutely nothing."

Suddenly, the green-haired girl, who had been impassively watching the unfolding chaos with her fellows, spoke up.

"Lady Sardonyx, that child has the Orgel."

Sardonyx stared past Nerissa and Lucinda and smiled as her eyes alighted on Celes, who was paralyzed with fear. "So she does. I'll be taking that, then. Along with your Roaring Sparks, of course."

Nerissa could barely make herself move, even as the gem on Sardonyx's forehead glinted and she moved her hand towards the group. The elder princess reflexively closed her eyes, bracing for the inevitable as she cursed herself internally for not being able to do anything in the end.

But nothing happened.

When Nerissa opened her eyes, she found Queen Lucinda standing directly in front of everyone and extending her hands, which glowed with radiant light, outwards. Her mother had created a shimmering white barrier around the group, protecting everyone from Sardonyx, her underlings, and the inky blobs infesting the ballroom. Judging by the look of exertion on Lucinda's face, she would not be able to maintain this barrier for very long.

Nerissa stared uncomprehendingly at the sight. "Mother?"

Celes finally found her voice in turn, if barely above a whisper. "Mother… what are you…"

Lucinda did not look towards either of her daughters, instead keeping her gaze fixed on Sardonyx, who was staring at the group in bafflement, even as the fruits of the plague she had unleashed began slithering out of the ballroom.

"I'm so sorry, Nerissa, Celes." Lucinda said quietly. "I am about to place a terrible burden on your shoulders. Yours as well, Amber, Sirius. All of you deserve far better than to be saddled with this duty. I wish it did not have to come to this."

Sirius, still stunned from Altair's sacrifice, spoke up, their tone uncharacteristically hesitant. "Queen Lucinda, do you mean-?"

Lucinda nodded solemnly, her focus still trained on Sardonyx all the while. "Listen, you four - this is not goodbye. Even if Illuster falls tonight, this is not the end. The legendary warriors Pretty Cure wove the Rainbow Melody from the light in others' hearts once, and they will do it again. When that happens, Illuster will be restored to its former glory. And although this means sending you far away and maybe even placing you in more danger, it is the only option I have."

"Mother, why would you say something so defeatist?" Nerissa demanded tearfully. "We can stay here and fight with you! We can find another way to restore the Rainbow Melody! I will give you all my power, if that is what it takes! I owe this kingdom that! I cannot run away! I do not deserve to-"

Lucinda turned to meet her elder daughter's eyes, revealing that her own were welling up with tears. "Please fight bravely, no matter what dangers your journey presents you with. Please never give up hope, no matter what happens. And know that I will always be with you in spirit."

Before Nerissa could protest further, there was a blinding flash of light, and she, Celes, Amber, and Sirius had vanished from the room. Moments later, Lucinda's barrier dissipated in a shower of sparkling light. She collapsed to the ground in exhaustion, a tearful smile on her face, even as the inky black forms that had once been her subjects advanced on her from all sides.

Sardonyx, now visibly drained but triumphant, stood back and impassively watched Lucinda meet her fate. Finally, she moved to address her similarly impassive underlings.

"Agate. Tourmaline. Selenite. Find those four and deal with them accordingly. They have what is rightfully mine."

The young man - Agate - offered Sardonyx a short bow, followed shortly by the twins - Tourmaline and Selenite - before the three vanished from the ballroom.

"It's better this way." Sardonyx muttered to herself as she beheld the sea of black spreading out in front of her and slowly flowing out of the ballroom. "They're all much better off this way."

She didn't sound entirely convinced of it herself.

The next thing Nerissa knew, she was sprawled on the floor of one of the castle corridors in an undignified heap, her dress and hairstyle an unkempt mess. For a moment, she could almost completely forget what had happened, and then she realized how dead and empty the air around her was, and everything came rushing back into focus.

"Mother… Captain Alex… Altair… everyone is…"

Nerissa was tearing up again, making it difficult for her to see the hand offered to her as anything but an indistinct blur. Nevertheless, she accepted that hand with a slightly trembling one of her own, allowing Amber to pull her to her feet.

"Lady Nerissa, I…" Amber drew her gaze away from her. "No. I apologize. I don't have a right to look at you. Not after what I did."

Celes, who was huddled nearby and holding Vulpecula close, the Orgel beside her, said nothing. She seemed to be in a state of shock.

Sirius' ears perked up as the sound of distant footsteps carried towards them. "Erm, everyone, I'm very, very sorry to do this, but we're not quite out of the woods."

The very second Sirius finished speaking, an arrow of blue energy went whooshing towards them. It was only narrowly deflected by Amber's quickly-unsheathed blade. The act drew a dismissive "tch!' from Tourmaline, who stood at the end of the corridor, aiming a blue and black crossbow directly at the group.

"Just surrender already. You four are only staving off the inevitable."

As she spoke, Agate and Selenite appeared at the other end of the corridor. The former wielded an orange and black whip, the latter wielded a large gray and black mallet. Worse, there were a herd of the black blobs that had once been Illuster citizens slithering behind them.

Nerissa swallowed back her tears, staring Tourmaline in the eyes with a look of defiance, even as she and her siblings advanced on them. "If we surrender, Mother's sacrifice would have been in vain! For her sake… for everyone's sake - I will not give up!" She turned to Sirius. "Siri! Are you ready?"

Sirius nodded. "Of course, of course! Not used to this many people, but… I'll manage!"

There was a brief flash of light, and where there had once been a humanoid figure, there was now an immense white dog with a silver ribbon around their neck and strap with an ornate gold case slung over their shoulder. Sirius' change gave the three siblings visible pause - just enough for Nerissa to get onto their back, followed by Amber, who quickly sheathed her sword and picked up the Orgel, holding it tightly to her chest with one hand, followed by a noticeably dazed Celes.

"Please hold on tight, everyone!" Sirius said, moments before charging at full speed towards Selenite and Agate. The former let out a small squeak of surprise as the dog bowled her over, easily clearing the sea of black at her heels with a long leap, the latter just looked a bit stunned at being knocked onto his back.

Selenite unsteadily pulled herself to her feet and picked her mallet up. "Oh no… that's not good at all." Her wispy expression and detached-sounding tone of voice were more fitting of a girl who had dropped her ice cream on the pavement than they were a girl who had lost four people she was supposed to personally deal with.

Agate patted her on the shoulder. "Hey now, it's alright, Selenite. If we don't get them, all those Utsuroids that Lady Sardonyx created will, right?" He froze up, painfully aware that Tourmaline was standing behind him and fixing him with a death glare. "But… I guess it'd be bad form for this guy to make 'em do all the work. Let's go."

Illuster was dying.

Every last inch of the kingdom was rapidly set upon and overcome by Utsuroids. Not a single sapient being in Illuster, be they human or Celestial Beast, was able to get away before they were set upon by their transformed kinsmen and converted into still more Utsuroids.

The animals that populated the kingdom were thrown into an utter panic, birds crying out in distress, horses in now-unmanned stables rearing up in fear, and dogs and cats futilely calling out to masters that were no longer themselves.

Every drop of color and every bit of life was draining away from Illuster. The sky above was gradually fading from blue to gray, everything in the area, living and non-living, was slowly being sapped of its vibrance, and the air was growing colder and stiller by the moment.

Moment by moment, the portent that was Nerissa's dream was coming true. The nightmare that had troubled the princess for so long was becoming real.

Sirius was blazingly fast, even with three people on their back. Nerissa was forced to grip onto their thick fur tightly enough that her knuckles turned white, lest she end up falling off. It was a wonder, she mused, that Amber could manage the same one-handed, even in light of her superior strength.

Sirius did not show any signs of faltering as they ran, dodging more Utsuroids along the way, keeping themselves and their precious cargo just out of reach of the arrows firing towards them and the three figures rushing in their direction. Hopefully, they'd be able to keep this up all the way until they reached their destination.

"Where to, Siri?" Nerissa asked breathlessly as Sirius made a hairpin turn around a corner - eliciting a cry of frustration from an unseen Tourmaline as one of her arrows connected with a wall - and down one of the Celestial Citadel's many spiral staircases, this one reaching far below the castle.

"Portal. Castle basement. Nearly there." Sirius was in no state to be their usual chatty self, so focused were they on their goal as they charged down the rather dimly-lit spiral staircase, taking several of them at a time and missing still more looming Utsuroids as they traveled further and further down the stairwell's length.

Amber had remained silent, but Nerissa could feel her presence behind her as Sirius made their charge, the loud cracking of a mallet missing them and connecting with stone, echoing in the distance, and towards what was sure to take the group to whatever faraway world Lucinda had been speaking of before she'd sent them away.

And as for Celes…

...Celes' grip on Sirius was slowly slipping.

Everyone else was too focused on their end goal to notice. And Celes said nothing, simply staring ahead with dead eyes as her grip on Sirius' fur grew looser and looser until-

-she was thrown off Sirius' back, giving a piercing scream as she flew into the air. Nerissa and Amber immediately snapped to attention, but it was too late. Before either could do a thing, a pair of Utsuroids rose upwards and dragged her backwards into the darkness with lightning speed. Even the three siblings seemed caught off guard by this.

Nerissa wasted no time in trying to leap off Sirius' back, only for Amber to restrain her with her free hand.

"Amber… Amber please don't…Celes!" Nerissa cried as she struggled to free herself. "I need to go back for Celes!"

"Lady Nerissa, we can't do anything for Lady Celes." Amber said solemnly. "Not anymore…"

Nerissa continued to struggle, even as Sirius charged onwards. "I can't just leave my sister! Please, Amber-!'

"Lady Nerissa, please calm down!" Amber sounded as apologetic as she did frantic. "Didn't you just say you wanted Queen Lucinda's sacrifice to mean something?"

That was enough to make Nerissa cease her struggles. As Amber ceased restraining her and re-steadied herself on Sirius, the librarian charged towards the heavy wooden doors that led to the castle basement.

The doors flew right open for the group… and slammed in the three siblings' faces. Sirius, who was panting heavily as they slid to a stop, sighed in relief. And then the doors began to buckle inward under what sounded like the repeated strikes of a mallet. Sirius bolted forwards, even as the sound of fists being driven into the door with unusual force mingled with the sounds of the mallet's strikes.

The castle basement was dimly lit by electric lighting much like its stairwell, supported by myriad thick columns, and comprised mostly of gray brick and mortar. The area was populated upon rows of dusty casks, barrels, shelves upon shelves of preserved goods, and myriad outdated pieces of machinery. There was an elaborate circle of runes carved on the middle of the floor, which was the size of a small pond and was surrounded by a circle of light gray columns.

Sirius stepped towards the circle and muttered a series of incantations under their breath. The runes began glowing, and mana began rising upwards from the floor.

The noise on the other side of the basement doors was growing increasingly louder and was punctuated by flashing lights - blue, silver, and dark orange visible through the cracks of the doors, followed by a sharp and disdainful "Fools! You can't run forever!"

The circle on the floor was beginning to shift and change, its center rippling like water as more and more mana rose upwards around it.

The basement doors were beginning to buckle inwards. "Almost there, Tourmaline!" followed by "Heh, nice! Put your back into it, Selenite!"

The runes on the floor had faded away completely, replaced with a pool of what could readily be mistaken for unusually clear water… save for the strong magical energy pulsing from it and the numerous colors dancing on its surface. Sirius drew back, readying themselves for one last leap.

"You ready, Lady Nerissa, Amber?"

"I am." Nerissa replied. She sounded badly shaken but still resolute. Amber simply made a soft noise of assent.

The basement doors burst open in a shower of splinters, and Agate, Tourmaline, and Selenite bolted inside... just in time to see their quarry leap into the portal they had opened. The three immediately followed suit.

Nerissa wasn't entirely sure how she was managing to maintain her grip on Sirius' fur, so blindingly fast was their speed as they half-ran, half free-fell downwards through the portal, and she was even less sure how Amber was pulling it off. Nothing about her surroundings was discernible - it was a mess of shimmering multicolored light that rushed around the group as they traveled with increasing rapidity, its brightness making it difficult to focus on anything.

That was fine by Nerissa. The more she focused on the journey ahead, the less she had to think about what had just happened.

And then another energy arrow grazed past her, followed by several more, and only focusing on what was ahead was no longer an option.

The three siblings were right behind the group, Tourmaline trained on Sirius' form with her crossbow. The velocity at which she and her siblings were traveling made aiming at the group difficult, so she had opted for simply firing a wildly-aimed salvo at her opponents, who were traveling too quickly to properly fight back against her.

One of the arrows from this salvo managed to hit with the case slung over Sirius' shoulder, causing two medal-like objects to fly out of it and rapidly fall away from their grasp.

Sirius attempted to increase their momentum in an attempt to reach the falling objects before they were completely out of their reach. Then a shockwave of dark orange energy slammed into their side, knocking the wind out of them momentarily and jostling Nerissa and Amber hard enough for the Celestial Orgel to slip from the latter's grip, sending it tumbling out of reach.

Now it was Nerissa's turn to keep Amber from leaping off Sirius, who was pushing themselves onwards despite their clearly flagging stamina, putting more and more distance between themselves and their trio of pursuers, who seemed to be arguing amongst themselves in the distance, until-

-there was a loud rushing sound filling her ears, followed by an equally loud pop and another burst of light that left spots dancing in front of her eyes, before Nerissa felt herself tumbling roughly onto what felt like, smelled like, and was revealed to be, once her eyes were able to focus - a field of grass. She pulled herself up, gritting her teeth a bit - god, she smarted all over! - as she tried to take in her immediate surroundings and get a handle on what had just happened.

Nerissa had ended up on a grassy hillside illuminated by the slowly setting evening sun. She could see a two-story brick building a short distance away. Said building had a sign with the likeness of a shooting star hanging on its front and sported what looked like an observatory on its top. The air around her, which carried a strong hint of the ocean in it and lacked the ever-present buzz of mana Nerissa was used to, felt terribly strange and yet so much more comforting than Illuster's air had towards the end.

It took a moment for her to get her head screwed back on after orienting herself but the moment she did, Nerissa registered the presence of her two fellow Illuster refugees, who were lying sprawled a few yards away.

"Amber! Siri!"

Amber shakily pulled herself to her feet the moment she saw Nerissa sprinting in her direction, but Sirius appeared to have trouble getting up. They made an earnest attempt at it… but then exhaustion kicked in, and they whimpered as they collapsed back into a prone position. Amber's look of concern at this sight quickly turned to one of distress as she spotted something behind Nerissa.

"Lady Nerissa, look out!"

Nerissa found herself being shoved aside by Amber, seconds before another shockwave of dark orange energy went shooting past her.

"Huh. You're quicker on the uptake than I thought, Miss Knight."

Agate stood before the pair, whip in hand. He looked quite disheveled, a bit disoriented, and rather like he had somewhere else he would rather be.

"Y'know, this guy'd rather be figuring out where his little sisters got thrown to... but an order is an order. Guess this is the end of the line for you three."

Agate swung his whip at Nerissa. Amber was in front of the princess with lightning speed, deflecting Agate's whip with her blade before it could touch Nerissa.

"I will not let you touch her!" she hissed. As she deflected several more attacks from Agate, she added "Take Sirius and run, Lady Nerissa. Find someplace safe. This is all a tool like myself can do for-"

Agate took advantage of Amber's momentary lapse in concentration. He lashed his whip around her sword, jerking it out of her grasp before sending it flying far out of her reach. Before he could retaliate against Amber any further, a small bolt of pink energy struck his hand. Judging by his reaction, it mildly stung more than anything, but it still made him fumble his attack just enough for Amber to sidestep it.

Nerissa was standing beside Amber, hands glowing faintly with pink light. "I'm not going anywhere, Amber. I already lost Mother and Celes. I'm not going to lose you too."

Amber looked horrified. "Lady Nerissa, if something happens to you-"

"I know." Nerissa said as she stared down Agate, who seemed too surprised at this turn of events to immediately retaliate. "But that doesn't mean I can abandon you!"

"You two, please-!" Sirius cried out, trying to rise to their feet, only for their injured ribs to bring them to their knees.

Agate sighed in resigned exasperation, as if he had been asked to take out a few bags of long-overdue garbage and not get rid of a pair of teenage girls. "Well… guess this is it, then." He swung his whip, which blazed with dark orange energy at the pair-

-and in that instant, the case slung over Sirius' shoulder suddenly flew open on its own. Two medallions - one pink with the likeness of a dolphin, and one orange with the likeness of a lion, rose upwards out of it and flew towards Nerissa and Amber. The moment the medallions appeared before the two girls, both felt a strong warmth growing in their chests. There was a radiant light shining from their hearts, which seemed to be resonating with the medallions in front of them, which were also glowing radiantly. Both lights grew in intensity by the moment, causing Agate to stagger backwards in pain when he lunged for the pair.

When the light cleared, there were two devices that resembled small CD players - Nerissa's pink and fuchsia and Amber's orange and yellow - hovering directly in front of the two girls, alongside the two medallions.

"Nerissa! Amber! Those are your Roaring Compacts!" Sirius said. "Grab those, insert the medallions into them, and say 'Pretty Cure, Roaring Rebirth'!"

Nerissa immediately grabbed her Roaring Compact and the Medallion. "Got it! Medal, set!" She opened the Roaring Compact and inserted the medallion, before closing the device and pressing one of the buttons on the front. A short melody played by a flute sounded as the medallion within spun rapidly, causing the Compact to pulse with pink light. "Pretty Cure, Roaring Rebirth!"

Amber hesitated slightly before following Nerissa's lead. "I... I see. Medal, set!", she said, following the same steps as Nerissa. A short melody played by an electric guitar sounded as the medallion within spun rapidly, causing the Compact to pulse with orange light. "Pretty Cure, Roaring Rebirth!"

An enormous, multicolored sphere of light formed around both girls, who rose into the air as they closed their eyes.

Within the sphere, Nerissa and Amber's accessories and clothing faded away and were replaced with shimmering pink and orange light, as Nerissa's hair was let down from its bindings, leaving it to flow free.

Glimmering pink water swirled around Nerissa's form, resolving into a pink dress with a fuchsia-trimmed seashell bodice with a lacy front, scalloped fuchsia shoulder pads, a large and flowing dark fuchsia waist bow, and a fuchsia-trimmed pleated skirt with a cream-colored second layer, worn over dark pink shorts. At the same time, sparkling orange lightning crackled around Amber's form, creating a waist-length orange tailcoat with yellow trim, tan pleats around the bottom edges, and tan fur trim at the ends of its long sleeves, worn over knee-length dark orange shorts with a dark yellow belt.

Still more water swirled around Nerissa's arms and legs, resolving into wrist-length pink gloves with scalloped cream-colored trim and flower-shaped fuchsia ornaments on the back, shin-length fuchsia stockings, pink shin-length boots with scalloped cream-colored trim and fuchsia ornaments towards the top, and a short, dark pink cape with scalloped edges and cream-colored lining. The lightning followed suit, crackling around Amber's arms and legs before resolving into dark orange gloves with yellow diamond-shaped ornaments on the backs, shin-length yellow stockings, orange ankle-length boots with yellow tips and tan fur trim, and a flowing dark orange cape trimmed with tan fur at the edges.

As more water danced around Nerissa's form, she gained a fuchsia choker with a cream-trimmed, pink, and flower-shaped ornament dangling from it, along with a pair of pink star-shaped earrings. Once more, the lightning followed suit, crackling around Amber's form as she gained a yellow cravat with a tan-trimmed, orange, and diamond-shaped clip, along with a pair of orange star-shaped earrings.

Nerissa's hair turned lavender and grew out past her shoulder blades in a shower of pink sparkles, as the top part became tied up into spiral buns by flowing dark pink ribbons with fuchsia, cream-trimmed star-shaped ornaments. Amber's hair turned platinum blonde, grew out to her shoulders in a shower of orange sparkles, and gained a tan-trimmed, yellow, and star-shaped hairclip with flowing orange ribbons attached.

A white and pink pouch - containing each girl's Roaring Compact - appeared at both Nerissa' and Amber's waists in a flash of pink and orange light, as the two girls opened their eyes, which had turned bright pink and vivid orange, respectively. The sphere of light dissipated as each girl touched down on the ground in a shower of pink and orange sparkles before striking heroic poses.

"Guardian of the ocean that blooms with life! Blossom Knight, Cure Delphinus!"

"Guardian of the wind that sweeps through the plains! Tempest Knight, Cure Leo!"

"The two of us are Pretty Cure!" Nerissa and Amber… or rather, Cure Delphinus and Cure Leo chorused as they faced down the now thoroughly stunned Agate.

"Those who cruelly meddle with the hearts of others-" Cure Leo said, pointing a finger at Agate.

"We'll put a stop to your actions at once!" Cure Delphinus said, following suit.

There the two stood - the legendary warriors of yore reborn, facing down one of the people responsible for their kingdom's destruction... and unbeknownst to them or the others present at the scene, being watched by a figure at the window of the nearby building.