Until the Moon is Full


Author's Note: Hey there, as you know (if you've read Cure Narrative chap6 or you get the idea from my pen-name), I am a huuuuuuuuuge fan of Cure Moonlight. So I have decided to start the story I have always wanted to write, a fanfic with Moonlight as the main protagonist, set in three years ago, starting when she meets Cologne. Also, this chapter is based on the first chapter of the novelisation of Heartcatch Precure, but I'll try my best to use my own words and summarise it, and change it a little, and cut some parts explaining things not related to Moonlight.


Disclaimer: I do not own such a splendid season of Precure nor its novelisation and its translation.


Bold: emphasize

Italics: thoughts

CAP LOCK: SHOUT


Chapter 1: The Destined Protector, Cure Moonlight! (運命の保護者、キュアムーンライト!)

It had been the second week after Tsukikage Hideaki — Professor Tsukikage's disappearance in France during his search for the Great Heart Tree. And Tsukikage Yuri went to the Botanical Garden, where he worked at, to see if there was any news on her lost father.

"I'm so sorry, Yuri-chan," as usual, it was the curator of the Botanical Garden, Hanasaki Kaoruko, who was waiting for her, "He's still missing. Not even with the help of the Interpol can he be found."

Yuri sighed, and with a disappointed visage, she drank the rest of the tea in her cup, "I see. Thank you for the update. I should be going now, I need to cook tonight."

"Is Haruna-san still feeling unwell?"

"Mother's still not eating much, even though she just got out from the hospital..."

"Oh dear, help me give her my best regards."

"Thank you again. Goodbye," Yuri stood up and bowed, she walked towards the exit, only to stop abruptly before the door.

"What's wrong?" Kaoruko inquired.

"No... I just felt like being watched for a second..."

Kaoruko smiled and pointed at the giant, ridiculous doll in the middle of the greenhouse (Yuri never understood Kaoruko's taste, but she never showed it), "Yuri-chan, you're a beautiful young girl, maybe Coupe has taken a liking to you."

Yuri deemed Kaoruko as trying to cheer her up, so she nodded with a smile of her own and left.

After that, Kaoruko turned to the doll, Coupe, "It wasn't Coupe who was watching her, it was you, wasn't it? Cologne."

A smaller, much much smaller fairy, which looked like a white plush toy, emerged from Coupe's furry belly. In fact, Coupe had once been a fairy like that too, the partner of Cure Flower.

Cologne flew in front of Kaoruko urgently, "Cure Flower! She's the one! That girl is a Precure!"

The curator blinked a few times, then exclaimed, "You want to make Yuri-chan a Precure?! Wait a second, Cologne, don't call me 'Cure Flower' anymore, it's been almost 50 years!"

"No, I cannot do that. You cannot possibly expect me to start calling you by your civilian name after you saved the Earth from Dune!"

"Fine, suit yourself, we're getting beside the point, you want to make Yuri-chan a Precure?!"

"Yes! She's the perfect candidate! I've been watching her during your entire conversation in here, and it seems to me that she has excellent reflexes, strong legs, and she even realized that something was watching her. And above all, I'm amazed by her Heart Flower, it..."

"No, I won't allow it!" Kaoruko interrupted Cologne's enthusiasm, "This isn't the time! Have you even been listening? Her father is missing!"

"Exactly! You didn't let me finish. Even in this situation, her Heart Flower is still blooming in its full glory! With that strong heart, it's like she was born to become a Precure!"

"No! I won't let you do so! Find somebody else!"

"Cure Flower! The Great Heart Tree is in danger, the Desert Apostles are on the move, we need her! The world needs her!"

Kaoruko couldn't argue with that, Cologne being here was clear enough proof that the world and the Great Heart Tree was in need of a new guardian. On top of that, the pendant in which she sealed the power of Dune — King of the Desert Apostles — glowing a few weeks ago was an unmistakable evidence, but still, "There has to be someone else suitable to become a Precure, find that girl."

"Fine," Cologne sighed, "I'll search elsewhere."

With that, he left the Botanical Garden.


"Yuri-chan, the bath is open!" Haruna called to her daughter.

"Got it," Yuri called back. She was done washing the dishes, now she was just dealing with the extra food.

What extra food? Well, ever since Haruna got out from being hospitalized as her health deteriorated from her depression, Yuri wanted nothing more than to give her mother hope.

Each night, Yuri would cook one extra dish, and put out her father's tablewares, she told her mother that if father suddenly returned, he wouldn't have to starve.

To be honest, the more times they got extra food for the next day's meal, the less hopeful Yuri herself became.

She shook off her negative thoughts as she put the sashimi into the fridge. I'll just go take a nice, long soak to ease myself.

But as she was relaxing in the bathtub, she suddenly had that gut feeling again, that someone was watching her on the other side of the door.

She carefully stepped out of the tub and slipped the bathroom door open by a small gap, but no one was there.

Silly me. She lightly hit her head as she resumed her bath.


During the next few days, Yuri never ceased to feel the same presence spying on her, even in class, at lunch, or just taking a trip to the grocery store.

Though, on one fateful night after almost a week, the culprit finally revealed himself.

Yuri was just done with preparing for her lessons on the next day when she felt the same aura, she looked over her shoulder and saw a floating plush toy.

"Who are you?!" Yuri gasped as she caught the fairy in her hands.

"I'm sorry for alarming you. My name is Cologne and I've been observing you for the past week."

"Ah, so you're the one watching me."

"Yes, I am."

"So you were the one peeking from outside the bathroom."

"..." Cologne's face heated up as he bursted out in fury, "How rude! I'll admit that I was outside your bathroom, but in spite of how I may look in the eyes of humans, I am a gentleman! I did not and will never intend to invade a lady's privacy in such disgraceful ways!"

Yuri narrowed her eyes to assess the creature in her hands, then she laughed, "Okay, okay, I believe you, gentleman." She stressed on the last word.

Cologne quickly cooled down and said, "Tsukikage Yuri, I have a request for you. Would you do me the honors of becoming a Precure?"

Seeing Yuri's dumbstruck reaction, Cologne sighed, "Alright, I'll explain from the beginning." He took in a deep breath and hoped that Yuri would listen, "Earth is in danger. A nomadic race called the Desert Apostles originally lived on a planet in outer space. But a long time ago, their planet died out. They now search for planets they can call home and turn them into their ideal living environment, a desert. They possess very advanced technology, they use up all the resources in the planet and move on to the next. 400 years ago, they set their eyes on Earth. They now dwell in Castle Planet, their base in outer space, biding their time to attack. Thus, the Great Heart Tree gives birth to fairies..."

"Hold on," Yuri interjected, "Did you say the Great Heart Tree?"

"Yes, the one your father was searching for."

"How'd you know!?"

"I'll explain later. As I was saying. The Great Heart Tree is the source of all life on Earth, if all the Heart Flowers within all humans wither, the Heart Tree dies. So it gives birth to fairies, such as myself, to give girls the Precure Seeds and assist them to transform into Precure, ones who protect the Earth from the Desert Apostles."

Yuri took a second to let all the information sink in, "Right, so I have one of these Heart Flowers too?"

"Yes."

"And you can see it?"

"Of course, your Heart Flower is beautiful white lilies, in flower language they means..."

"Purity and dignity," Yuri recalled, she had educated herself on flower languages long ago.

"Is it not the perfect Heart Flower for you?" Cologne grinned.

Yuri smiled for one second, and then she went back to contemplating. Cologne felt uneasy with this silence.

Maybe she can't get the picture? Maybe she doesn't want to become a Precure? Maybe she doesn't believe me?

A few moments later, Cologne was put at ease, Yuri calmly told him her conclusion, "I understand. Your request is that I become a Precure to protect the Great Heart Tree and the Heart Flowers of everyone on Earth?"

Cologne sighed in relief subtly, "Precisely, as expected from whom I set my sight on. So now..."

"Wait, not so fast," Yuri interrupted, and Cologne immediately tensed up again, "let me get one thing straight: if I do become a Precure, will I be able to meet the Great Heart Tree?"

"That's... um... possible. It's constantly moving to protect itself, not even us fairies know its whereabouts at the moment. But, if you become a Precure and get stronger, the Great Heart Tree will eventually appear before you."

"So I might find my father if I become a Precure, right?" Yuri looked at him with hopeful eyes.

And Cologne felt bad to tell her that it was an empty hope, "I cannot guarantee that, I'm sorry."

Yuri looked at the rueful fairy and then giggled, "In these kind of situations, shouldn't you have lied that I can meet my father so I would become a Precure?"

"Uhm... well..."

"You're quite the honest one, I like you," she tapped his nose lightly with her index finger, "Will you be the fairy that will assist me to become a Precure?"

Cologne heaved a sigh of relief again, "Yes, it would be me, and I would very much like to do that right now. However, there's someone against you becoming a Cure at the moment, the past Precure, Cure Flower. The one who sealed away the power of the King of the Desert Apostles 50 years ago."

"50 years?! That's a long time! My parents weren't even born..."

"Ah, but she is well alive and she is someone you're familiar with, in fact."

Yuri tried to search her database of all the females she knew and eventually came to a conclusion.

"No way..."

"Yes way, the curator of the Botanical Garden, Hanasaki Kaoruko."

Yuri almost choked at that.


Botanical Garden, the next day

Kaoruko was starting to worry, "It's been a week since Cologne left," she turned to Coupe, "are girls suitable to become a Precure so hard to find?"

Coupe usually doesn't move, but this time, he moved his eyes, looking right behind his partner.

Kaoruko turned around and got startled by the sudden and coincidental appearance of Cologne, "Wh— Cologne, don't you scare me like that!"

"Cure Flower! I've found one! I've found a girl to become a Precure!"

"Really?!" Kaoruko stood up, "Who?"

"Yes," he pointed at the doorway, "You can come in now!"

When Kaoruko saw that it was Yuri stepping inside the greenhouse, she glared at Cologne, "What is the meaning of this?! I thought you went to find other..."

"There is no one else more suitable than her!"

Kaoruko wanted to argue but Yuri spoke, "Kaoruko-san, Cologne has told me everything. I might be able to meet with the Great Heart Tree if I became a Cure, I might be able to see my father again..."

"Yuri-chan," Kaoruko interrupted, "being a Precure is a dangerous mission, you could even lose your life if you're not careful! You can't do this just because you might find him. I can't let you take that risk!"

"No! If I really can have such power to protect the world from being turned into a desert, then I will use it to fight. I want to protect the Great Heart Tree, I want to protect people's heart. Please let me become a Precure!" Yuri pleaded strongly.

Kaoruko faltered at this. She knew that if a Precure didn't arise sooner, Earth would be so vulnerable that the Desert Apostles can take over it so easily Dune didn't even need to have his full power, and she couldn't deny Yuri was indeed perfect for the job.

Still, she knew just how dangerous it could be, a small mistake could be fatal. Yuri was almost like family to her, she couldn't permit it, she couldn't cause Haruna any more sadness.

Then she arrived at a conclusion. She took a deep breath, "I see, you are serious about this. Very well then, there's no way I can get you to stop when you set your mind on something."

Cologne flew to Yuri, and she hugged him in joy.

"However, I will only allow you to become a Precure under one condition."

"Yes?" Yuri's eyes became alerted again.

"You need to learn how to fight. Let me teach you."

"I'm sorry, what?!" Yuri was visibly taken aback by what she had just heard. Kaoruko-san might have been a former Precure, but she was almost 65 years old already!

Sensing her insecurities, Cologne immediately stepped in, "Yuri, don't you underestimate Cure Flower. When she was a teenager, she was the youngest winner of the National Karates Championships."

Yuri blinked a few times before pushing up her falling spectacles and regained her composure, "O-oh, I see..."

"If you can survive my training, I'll let you become a Precure."

Kaoruko hadn't been doing karates since the fight 50 years ago, but she was positive that she could teach the basics of this sport.

If I trained her harsh enough, she might just give up on the idea.

The next day after school, Kaoruko informed Yuri of her training schedule. One hour before school, two hours after school. On weekends, she would let her take a rest.

Kaoruko assumed that Yuri would last at most one and a half week following that harsh schedule. Much to her surprise, Yuri willingly resigned from her school club and focused on her training.

Forget about giving up, in two and a half weeks' time, Yuri completely mastered every basics Kaoruko taught her, she impressed Kaoruko multiple times by almost defeating her in a practice match.

Yuri's prized attack was the Shouteiuchi, in which she'd charge up from the ground and deliver a powerful strike with the bottom of her palm. She did a little research and found that if used correctly, it can be more potent than just a punch. She grasped the attack perfectly within slightly more than a week.

If this goes on, I'll be the one to give in. Maybe I should enroll her in some Karates school... Kaoruko kept this thought to herself.

Well, she didn't have the chance to do so, because the Desert Apostles finally made their move the next day.


Kaoruko was waiting for her soba in a traditional soba restaurant while watching the TV news. Suddenly static filled the screen, then the image changed to an eerie dark place, there was a masked man sitting in a throne-like chair, in front of him were two men and one woman.

The woman, who had her long auburn hair tied into a chignon, walked towards the camera and said, "Cure Flower, your general location has already been pinpointed by Professor Sabaku," she gestured to the masked man behind her, Kaoruko could almost feel how powerful he was, even though he was all the way in Castle Planet, the woman continued, "Prepare yourself, we are coming for your pendant." She let out a haughty laugh as the screen filled with static again, then the picture turned back to regular news report.

All the customers casually continued on their meals, assuming either the shopkeeper changed the channel to mystery drama by accident or someone hijacked the TV signal to pull a prank, all but Kaoruko.

Her face went as white as a sheet. She shouted to the shopkeeper, "Something urgent came up, I need to go, I'll leave the money here!"

"But your order is ready," the shop keeper said while Kaoruko scurried out of the shop.

"Coupe!" Kaoruko shouted as she bursted open the greenhouse's doors, "Send a message to Cologne, tell him to come here with Yuri-chan, STAT! The Desert Apostles are on the move!"

15 minutes later, Yuri came running into the greenhouse with Cologne on her shoulder.

"I'm no longer against you being a Precure," Kaoruko said as soon as Yuri arrived, "Cologne, give her the Heart Perfume."

"Roger," he extended his hand out to Yuri, then a perfume bottle materialised in front of Yuri.

As soon as she took the item into her hand, she was surrounded by a silver light radiated from its centre. Her school uniform was replaced with a white off-the-shoulder one-piece dress. Even though Cologne had given her a spoiler or two about what would happen because he was too excited, she was still visibly transfixed.

"I knew it from the start! She is the one!" and Cologne's excitement wouldn't be chilling down any time soon.

Kaoruko smiled at his enthusiasm, but immediately switched back to a stern face, "Now, to transform, you..."

"Don't worry, I taught her that," Cologne interrupted, then turned to Yuri, "Ready?"

Yuri regained her composure and nodded.

"Come forth! Precure Seed!" as soon as his voice sounded, a round purple stone came flying out from his heart-shaped brooch.

Yuri caught the stone in her hand, placed it inside the perfume and yelled,

"PRECURE OPEN MY HEART!"

(Let me just skip the costume descriptions cuz we all know what she looks like.)

Kaoruko was awed by Yuri's gorgeous appearance while Cologne immediately flew to her and nestled in her embrace, "You did it! You really did it!"

She gave him a sly smile, "Oh, have you ever doubted me?"

"No... maybe a little," he replied mischievously as she giggled.

"I'm so glad for you two," Kaoruko interjected, "Now, give your Cure self a name."

"Ah, Cologne and I have already talked this over." She made the shape of a flower bud with her hand and spread her fingers open as she spoke, "A flower that glistens in the moonlight... Cure Moonlight!"

She struck an elegant pose, her transformation was complete.

"What a lovely name," Kaoruko praised, "But why 'moonlight'?"

Cure Moonlight replied coyly, "It's just because I love Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata..."

Kaoruko smiled a bit, "Alright, now all you need to know is how to purify a Desertrian."

"Rest assured, I have taught her that as well," Cologne winked.

"You gave way too many spoilers," Moonlight quipped, "The element of surprise is long gone."

Kaoruko smiled wryly, she was glad to see Yuri and Cologne getting alone so well in such a short time, however, the contentment didn't last long.

The giant doll — ahem, I mean fairy let out a howl to alert everyone.

"Cure Moonlight, cling onto Coupe, he'll teleport us to where the people need you."

Moonlight did as she was told, and the next second, she found herself and the others in a car park next to the Kibougahana Station.

Kibougahana Station? Mother...

Noticing the change in his partner's countenance, Cologne asked, "What's wrong? Nervous?"

"No, not quite," Moonlight replied, she put a hand on her heart to cease its rapid pounding.

Mother is working inside...

But she didn't let Cologne or anyone else know. She was anxious about her remaining parent, so much so that she would've been shaking. But she wasn't, because she wasn't Tsukikage Yuri anymore, she was Cure Moonlight, and she was expected to fight with bravery, she needed to be strong.

"It's okay," Cologne flew in front of her, "You'll be okay. I trust you."

Moonlight caressed Cologne's head, "I know. Let's go."

Shouts and screams could be heard from the station, the foot soldiers of the Desert Apostles, the Snackeys, were terrorizing the station. Leading them was the woman from the TV before.

The Snackeys weren't really strong, all they could do was chase everyone away, and so the woman pulled a facepalm. "Ay, ay... is that all you can manage? Let me, Sasorina, show you how it's done!"

She looked around and spotted a frightened woman — Tsukikage Haruna.

"Heheh... this will do," her eyes glowed golden when she inspected Haruna's Heart Flower, three rapa blossoms, one of which was about to snap off its branch. Sasorina thrusted her hand at Haruna, "Heart Flower, come on out!"

Haruna screamed as beams of light appeared under her. The next moment, she was gone! In her place was a crystal octagonal pyramid, at its tip was a sphere, and inside was Haruna, unconscious.

Within the pyramid was Haruna's Heart Flower. Sasorina broke the sphere off and discarded it like garbage, until it went flying towards the car park.

It landed in Cologne hands, who was flying next to Moonlight, arriving at the station.

"I was sure that I heard someone scream," Moonlight looked around in search of victims.

Cologne shoved the crystal ball in front of her face, and she went speechless.

"H-Haruna-san!" Kaoruko exclaimed.

"Moonlight, your mother's Heart Flower has been stolen. If it wilts completely and she's separated from it, she'll stay this way forever!" Cologne told her, and she instantly clenched her fist.

"Moonlight, cool your head," Cologne soothed, "It's dangerous to fight with anger."

Moonlight took a deep breath, "Right, thanks. I'll save my mother's Heart Flower!"

After she regained her composure, she charged towards Sasorina and sent a low kick. Sasorina swiftly dodged it and asked in surprise, "Who are you?"

"Cure Moonlight. A Precure born to protect the Great Heart Tree from the likes of you!"

"Oh, so you pests do appear every time we try to take over Earth. Let's see what you can do," Sasorina said and disappeared from Moonlight's sight.

"What?!" Moonlight was stunned, but she quickly scanned her surroundings and saw Sasorina reappear next to a postbox.

"Desertrian, it's your cue!" Sasorina exclaimed. The Heart Flower and the postbox crossed each other, then the Heart Flower disappeared while the postbox grew larger and sprouted arms and legs.

"Hahaha, let's see you fight a Desertrian!"

The Desertrian went on a rampage, and sent a lamppost flying in its path. Moonlight had to dodge the lamppost, and she was amazed by her speed.

Incredible! So this is the power of a Precure?

She flashed behind the Desertrian to deliver a kick to its back. Then she dashed under it and kicked it into the sky. When it fell down, the ground caved in.

Kaoruko thought to herself in the sidelines, she's catching on fairly quick, like she was born to become a Precure!

Meanwhile, on the battlefield. "Why..." the Desertrian started to speak, "Why won't you call us anymore? You used to do it so often..."

Moonlight was surprised that the Desertrian could speak, while the Desertrian continued, "Do you have any idea how worried Yuri-chan is?!"

At the mention of her name, Moonlight paused, she realised that the Desertrian was speaking her mother's feeling.

The Desertrian spitted out letters that turned into explosives. Moonlight dodged most of them, but the impact threw her into a pole.

"I... I can't..." Moonlight stammered, "I can't fight my mother..."

"Moonlight!" Cologne wanted to fly to his partner right away, but Kaoruko held him back, "Moonlight! Stay strong! You need to reclaim your mother's Heart Flower! And quickly!"

"I... I will save my mother," Moonlight stood up and pointed at Sasorina and the Desertrian, "These letters are filled with the senders' feelings, how dare you turn them into weapons?!"

"Tsk, quit the blabber," Sasorina said.

The Desertrian fired another letter, Moonlight kicked it back and it exploded on the Desertrian.

"Yes!" Cologne cheered, and finally let Kaoruko pull him back, "Now, purify it with your Tact!"

Moonlight nodded and shouted, "Gather, the power of flowers, Moon Tact! PRECURE SILVER FORTE WAVE!"

A silver energy ball in the shape of a flower shot out from the tip of her Tact and pinned the Desertrian on a massive purple rose.

"Haaaaaaaaaa!" Moonlight yelled as she spun her Tact, the Desertrian was soon turned back into the Heart Flower.

She peered into the crystal and saw that the flower was no longer wilting, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Watch out!" she heard Cologne yell, the next thing she knew was that Sasorina's untied hair somehow found its way on her neck. She dropped the Heart Flower.

This time Kaoruko wasn't fast enough to stop Cologne, he dashed towards Moonlight.

"Stay away and help me keep the Heart Flower safe!" Moonlight ordered him.

Reluctantly, he obeyed. Taking away the crystal at least twice his size while casting worried glances at Moonlight.

"Now I've caught you," Sasorina smirked, "You fought well, but all will end as soon as the poisonous tip of my hair touches you. Heheh..." Her braid morphed into the shape of a scorpion's tail.

Moonlight was calm, and with one knifehand strike, she broke free of her assailant's grasp. Sasorina stumbled backwards.

"I will never lose to someone who toys with people's hearts like you!" With that, Moonlight sent a powerful palm strike and Sasorina was sent crashing into a wall.

"No one messes with my family! And certainly no one uses my family to bring destruction upon others!" Moonlight said, she sounded composed, but everyone could sense the anger in her voice.

"Grrrr..." Sasorina bit her lips, "I'll remember this, Cure Moonlight!" she growled as she retreated.


"Mother... mother!" was what Haruna heard as she woke up.

"Yuri-chan... what happened?"

"There was a fiasco at the station, we found you fainted there," Kaoruko explained.

"I see, sorry for the trouble, Curator," Haruna stood up and bowed, "Now then, I should be taking my leave, I should have handed over my shift."

"Oh, I'll tag along," Yuri said as she picked up Cologne — as a doll — from the table, "See you later, Kaoruko-san."

Yuri and her mother walked out hand in hand, it had been such a long time since she had last felt the warmth of her mother's hand.

Seeing Haruna smiling again, made Yuri smile too, and she asked without thinking, "Did you have a good dream, mother? You seem to be in a fairly good mood."

"Not exactly a good dream, but a funny one," Haruna giggled.

"What is it about?"

"Promise that you won't laugh at me?"

"Okay, I promise."

"I turned into a postbox and threw insults at your father."

"What?!" Yuri was shocked, "What else happened?"

Haruna tilted her head when she realised that Yuri didn't think it was funny, "Uh... I woke up."

"Oh, I see," Yuri relaxed at once, "Phew."

She's not avoiding to mention father anymore... Yuri noted.

Haruna suddenly said, "Say, Yuri-chan."

"What is it, mother?"

"I've been curious, what's up with that plush you've been carrying around lately?"

Yuri felt Cologne tense up on her shoulder, she smiled and replied, "Oh, I saw him on display in a fancy goods store and fell in love with him. So I thought I'd treat myself and bought him. You don't mind, do you?"

"It's good to treat yourself from time to time, Yuri-chan, of course I don't mind," Haruna took Cologne into her hands to look at him more closely, "Hmm... it's not as cute as I thought a girl your age would want, how about I buy you something cuter?"

Yuri couldn't help but laugh at that, "Oh mother, you know I'm not good with dolls adorable enough to be loved by everybody. He's fine the way he is, calm and cool, and a little cheeky too."

She took Cologne back from her mother as they continued to chat. Soon they arrived at the station.

While Haruna went to apologise to her colleagues and manager, Cologne flew in front of Yuri and gave her a glare.

"What?" Yuri started giggling again.

"Well I'm sorry for being cheeky!" Cologne said, obviously not sorry at all, but Yuri didn't mind anyways.

"You should be glad that my mother doesn't mind me buying a plush toy and didn't have me throw you out." Yuri looked at her mother, and her face became sedate again, "Cologne, she's really going to be okay, right?"

"Yes. You healed her Heart Flower, remember? That should've lifted some stress off of her mind."

"Well then, I guess I should be thankful to have her back."

"So," Cologne returned to his spot on her shoulder, "how do you feel after fighting your very first Desertrian?"

"It was harder than I thought, but not something I can't handle."

Fate was cruel to you, Moonlight. Cologne thought. It wasn't fair having you to fight your one remaining parent for your first time.

On the bright side though, you coped with this fight just fine, which means you should have no problem with the ones yet to come.

Even so, Cologne chose not to speak his mind, "Don't you get cocky now, the fight has just started."

"I know. There's still so much I don't understand, the Desert Apostles' powers, my powers, and the Heart Seed and Heart Pot just now..."

"Don't worry too much either," Cologne would've given her a thumbs up if he had fingers, "you'll do fine, I just know it."

Yuri smiled, "Thank you."


Castle Planet

"Sabaku-sama," Sasorina reported, bowing in front of her superior, "Just as we thought, a new Precure did appear."

With Sasorina are the two men on TV earlier, the blue haired one, Cobraja, clapped his hands, "Bravo!"

"So, how strong was she?" The other man, named Kumojacky, questioned.

Sasorina rose from bowing, "Well, I was just testing the water today so I can't say for sure..."

"Or, you probably ran back here with your tail between your legs."

"Damn you, Cobraja."

"Sabaku-sama, let me go next time!"

"No, me!"

"Hey! She's my prey!"

"Silence!" red light flashed in Sabaku's eyes, "I will decide who to go, independent actions without permission shall be condemned."

The three generals of the Desert Apostles stopped arguing, though nothing stopped them from casting impudent glares at each other, "Understood."

Sabaku returned to his private chamber after that. As the right hand man of Dune, he had access to all the technologies in Castle Planet, so his chamber was more laboratory than bedroom.

In fact, Sasorina, Kumojacky and Cobraja were his work too. They were fusions created by a human's primarily wilted Heart Flower and the DNA of animals in the desert.

Sasorina used to be a nursery teacher. But when an accident took the life of one of her students, the society didn't give her much of a choice other than a psychological breakdown. Sabaku used a scorpion's genes to create the humanoid Sasorina.

Kumojacky had been a martial artist aiming for nothing but strength. However, he wasn't exactly a good embodiment of sportsmanship. He was self-centered, and he deemed those not as strong as him to be trash. As a result, when his infamousness was spread, he was denied by most other martial artist. He was turned into Kumojacky with the genes of a spider.

Cobraja used to be a fashion designer. He abused models of whom he thought wasn't beautiful enough, insulted other designers whose designs weren't to his taste and much more. He was fused with the genes of a nonvenomous cobra.

Sabaku wouldn't doubt the capability of his creations, he was only tired of their pointless bickers.

He walked up to the main cultivation tank in his chamber, inside was a teenage girl, beautiful yet cruel, wearing a black off-the-shoulder one-piece dress, a black wing sprouting from her back.

This wasn't a creation like any other, this was special, she was special.

"Hurry up and be born, my daughter," Sabaku pleaded, "My new daughter."

Slightly, just slightly, so subtle that not even Sabaku noticed, the girl had spoken one inaudible word, "Fa... th...er..."


End of Chapter 1


Behind the scenes and spoilers:

Yuri: Thank you for reading today, everyone! [Dips into a bow politely] From this day forth, I will protect everyone's heart as Cure Moonlight.

Cologne: [flies in front of her] And from this day forth, I'll support you as your fairy and your friend, always.

Yuri: I'm glad that I got to be your partner, Cologne.

Cologne: Though, as I've mentioned, [suddenly turns around] the fight has only just begun. Next up on Until the Moon is Full, The Dark Greeting (闇の挨拶), will you be alright?"

Yuri: (nods) I'll do fine. Anyway, see you all next time.