SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMER

-CHAPTER START-

The next day, as she sat in class and waited for the teacher to get back from the restroom, Betty focused her mind and her energies to use the new little trick that becoming a PreCure had granted her and Pixee was helping her refine: empathy – the ability to sense the emotions of others around her. And what's better, it wasn't on all the time, which would probably be overwhelming; it was something she had to actively think about to have active.

Right now, from the various other students around her, she could sense lots of things: some boredom, casual cheer from two girls talking with each other, a bit of lust, and… whoa. She discreetly turned her gaze to the lone girl sitting by the window, gazing out through it with apparent boredom. 'Dusk' was a new girl, a transfer student who showed up when Christmas break ended. Nobody really knew anything about her; even her 'name' was a fake one, and only the principal knew her real one, apparently keeping it secret at her request. She was quiet and solitary, never really interacting with anyone, though she got good grades and was fairly athletic. She did get some attention due to her looks – a slim but shapely build, breasts in the upper range amongst the class, bright teal eyes, and slightly-wavy red hair with blonde streaks in it – but she never responded to any attempts to compliment or make conversation with her.

And right now, Betty could 'see' that Dusk was in a constant state of lonely, morose sadness, with a hint of bitterness mixed in. Why was 'Dusk', so… so in pain, Betty realized? What had happened to her? Was it related to why she had suddenly transferred in from, supposedly, another school quite a distance away? Seeing all that lonely sadness, Betty felt a need to help this girl. But how?

Betty was distracted from wondering about 'Dusk', pulled out of her thoughts, by two other students starting to squabble over in the far corner. Two girls were trying to keep their little argument down to whispers, but it was still enough to draw attention. Before it could get worse, however, a tall girl with platinum-blonde hair and blue eyes – Selena Acionna – walked up to the pair, a calm smile on her face. Betty couldn't hear well what was being said, but she watched as Selena calmly, expertly defused the conflict, getting the two other girls to let go of their anger and make peace. Betty really as amazed; Selena was known for easily mediating and breaking up fights, cooling heads and easing hostilities. Even the teachers had praised her ability to calm people down and get them to stop arguing.

"'Ey, Betty!"

Betty turned away from the incident on the far side of the room as someone sat next to her: her friend…

"Vicky~!"

Victoria Dare, a slim and lean-muscled girl with shoulder-length dull-blonde hair and deep-green eyes, was one of Betty Starr's closest friends. Vicky was an exuberant, energetic girl, into physical activity and sports. She was also a very kind-hearted girl who liked to help people, often taking it upon herself to guide new students around until they got their bearings, and in general doing little things to help others; naturally, she got along wonderfully with the friendly, cheerful Betty.

"Hey, Vee?" Betty started.

"Yeah, Bee?"

"I was wondering if… you had any ideas of what sports or workouts I could try out on the side if I wanna get a bit more in shape. I don't mean, like, bodybuilder or professional athlete, but like, toning my muscles and building my endurance a little."

Vicky grinned. "Sure! I get what you mean, and can totally help. Meet me outside the track after school gets out."

Any further discussion was cut off as the teacher returned, and everyone settled in for class to begin.

-BREAK-

Betty made her way over to the school's track as school got out, her usual spring in her step. After P.E., there'd been a semi-surprise math test, and she'd cleared it with an A-minus – not perfect, but more than good enough. As she approached the fence near the track, though, she spotted Victoria leaning against the fence looking quite downtrodden.

"Vicky? What's wrong?"

"…I got a 'D' on my math test" the other girl said, miserably. "I always try so hard to study my math, to understand it, but it's always a huge uphill battle; I just can't wrap my head around the problems and stuff. I… I wanna get into something science-y as a career when I grow up, but… if I suck at math, that can't happen. …What was I thinking? A math-illiterate dumb jock wanting to get into science? Yeah, right…"

Saddened and concerned by her friend's mood, Becky was about to say something, to think of something to try to cheer Vicky up…

"My, my," a classy-sounding voice spoke, "what have we here?"

Both girls turned, to see a tall and lean man, clad in a snazzy-looking suit of blacks and greys, with light-grey gloves on his hands, a short top-hat on his head, and carrying a simple white cane with a ball-shaped greyish-blue gem at the top as a handle. But what set Betty on edge was the black diamond mark on the front of his suit, and dark-grey whites of his eyes. From inside her backpack, she heard Pixee whisper "Oh no…"

"Such sadness, such bitter frustration, such faithlessness…" He grinned as he held his cane-staff up, the gem glowing with dark power. "I can make use of that…"

Black Diamond held his staff high, and a cold, bright light shone from it. The two girls reflexively squinted and shielded their eyes as the light cast their shadows on the pavement behind them… and then, Vicky's shadow darkened, peeled itself up off the ground, and floated up while curling & shifting into a pitch-black orb that floated over to in front of Black Diamond. Vicky, meanwhile, fell to her knees, feeling chilled and drained. Black Diamond grinned as the shadow-orb, the manifestation of Victoria's negative emotions, floated before him, and at his command Darkness power began to rapidly swirl around and into it, forming a roiling ball of black and dark-purple energy that rapidly grew as it floated upwards.

The dark orb shattered, and a newly-forged Vish around 10 feet tall dropped to the ground with a thud. It had a similar "shapes mashed together" appearance to the one Cure Gleam had fought yesterday, though with some little differences; also, its color pattern vaguely resembled an evil-looking soccer uniform, though there was a path with multiple complicated little math symbols crammed onto it on the left chest.

"And that's a little more energy harvested for our cause…" Black Diamond remarked, as the energies cast off the Vish's creation flowed into his cane-crystal, darkening it. "Go ahead and do what you wish, beast."

The Vish roared and brought its foot down at the girls, and Betty grabbed Vicky and threw her and herself out of the way just in time. She hurriedly led the drained girl away, but noticed that the Vish was now heading toward the school building. Setting the still-dazed Vicky down in cover behind a shed, Becky steeled herself and ran back out, readying her gem… not noticing that behind her, Victoria had just come out of her dazed state.

With a flare of pink light, Cure Gleam took form. The Cure of Light made her presence known to the Vish with a flying kick from above, but unfortunately the monster saw her coming and managed to raise its arms in a block, being sent skidding back on its heels but taking no significant damage. It struck back, firing an energy blast from its palm at Cure Gleam, who just managed to dodge it. The Vish followed up by forming an energy ball made to somewhat resemble a soccer ball (covered in various mathematical symbols and such) and kicking it at her, launching it at her with much greater speed than the hand-fired blast. Gleam wasn't able to get out of the way of this one, and cried out as she was blasted back by the impact. She brought her tumble to a quick stop, gritting her teeth; her powers had converted most of the potential injury into 'magical damage', but it still hurt like real harm, and her powers could only protect her from so much before she started actually taking damage.

The Vish charged, and so did Cure Gleam to meet it. The warrior of Light and the creature of Darkness exchanged blows of bone-crushing power, the earth shaking with every blocked strike, every stomp, appearing evenly matched. Cure Gleam was successfully dodging or withstanding everything the Vish threw at her, but she couldn't manage to break through its defense and land a decisive blow.

"W… Whoa…" Vicky gazed from her hiding place, wide-eyed as she beheld the clash. "…That's Betty?"

"It's a long story" Pixee said from behind Victoria, startling her. "But basically, an evil group led by the King & Queen of Darkness is planning to conquer this world, but they need enough of a certain type of energy to do it. Their field-leaders, the Black Card Quartet, can take a person's negative emotions and make big monsters called Vishes; the creation process generates some of the energy they need, though they'll need to find an additional source unless they plan on making a really big number of Vishes. A prophecy spoke of a team of legendary warriors, the Elemental Pretty Cures, who would stand against the forces of darkness. Yesterday, Elizabeth rescued me from Black Spade, and when he sicced a Vish on us, her determination to protect me let her transform."

"This is amazing… but… it looks like she's having trouble…"

Pixee nodded, looking worried. "This Vish is a better fighter than the first one. She didn't even take any hits last time, but now…"

"That thing… came from me… In a way, this is my fault that Betty is being put through trouble and pain right now…"

Cure Gleam fired a cluster shot of small pink energy bolts, but the Vish formed a shield (apparently made from a giant division symbol) that blocked the attack, and then it rushed at her before she could react. She cried out as the shield-bash sent her flying, leaving her on the ground stunned. The Vish stomped towards her… and a soccer ball smacked it in the side of the head. The monster and Cure Gleam turned, and saw Victoria standing there, glaring at the beast.

"What are you doing?!" Cure Gleam shouted.

Vicky moved into position between Cure Gleam and the Vish, and the monster started stomping forward. Gleam tried to get back up, but was still sore and disoriented from the earlier hit.

"I may not be as smart as I should be," she said, "but I'm strong, and I use my strength to help people, treat them with kindness. I won't let someone who's vicious and cruel to others have their way! Especially against my friend!-!"

The Vish was sent stumbling back as a burst of power accompanied a shining green light enveloping Vicky. The light swirled together and formed into a sparkling green gem, as well as a small heart-shaped green & white brooch with a circular slot in the middle. Victoria took hold of them, and brilliant green light enveloped her.

(TRANSFORMATION THEME: Smile PreCure – "Smile Charge")

In the heart of a realm of swirling green light, clad in a glowing, sparkling 'dress' of solid green magic, Vicky held her transformation gem high. "PreCure!" She held the hand with the gem up high to her right, and the left hand with the brooch down low. "Elements Charge!-!"

With a lightning-quick movement she brought them together and pushed the gem into the brooch, swung the device around in a quick flourish of an arc, and then slammed it to her chest. The glowing green light at the center of the chest sparked with power, and then emitted multiple bolts of bright green lightning that crackled as it bent and wrapped around Victoria's torso, flowing along her body. With a thunderclap, it burst and solidified, transforming into a light-green outfit with some white frills and dark-green lining, short sleeves with the hems jagged-looking like a lightning bolt, a white-lined green bow in the middle of her chest with a green gem with a darker-green lightning symbol in the center, and a thigh-length green skirt with white hem.

She held her right hand high with two fingers pointed up, and a bright green lightning bolt struck down from the heavens and hit her hand like a lightning-rod; green electrical magic coalesced around her hand and forearm, while more of the current rapidly flowed down her body and gathered on the other hand. With a crackle, a pair of forearm-length gloves formed, white with green lightning and circular green gems on the backs. She then bent back, stretching one leg high, and more magic lightning struck her extended foot, forming around it a white boot with a little green heart on the toes; the green energy flowed up her leg and across her hips to travel down her other leg, cladding that foot with a matching boot.

Above her head, a dark-grey thundercloud seized and heaved, green light piercing out from within. It was blown away from within to reveal a golden headband with small green diamond-shaped gems in a row along the top. She placed it upon her head, and her dull-blonde shoulder-length hair glowed with power and partially spiked upward, turning a bright green color, while her dark-green eyes lightened in shade to match. To finish, a good-sized light-green bow formed on her lower back, just above the skirt.

"Crashing thunder," she shouted, clenching her fist as emerald-colored sparks of lightning danced around it, "heralding the storm!" She threw that fist high, releasing the energy with a thunderclap, fist held high. "Cure Volt!-!"

(END)

Cure Gleam stared in shock as her close friend transformed, emerging as a new Pretty Cure. Cure Volt, feeling the amazing power flowing through her, took a stance as she glared at the Vish, a brief crackle of green lighting around her pulled-back fist as power built within her like a coiling spring. The Vish snarled and charged at her, but it barely managed to begin the motion for a punch before Cure Volt surged forward with a lightning-fast punch of her own that had so much power packed into it, the Vish was sent hurtling back, its midsection – now with a noticeable dent in it – crackling with green lightning.

Cure Volt took off running, charging at the Vish, which had gotten back on its feet and now rushed to meet her. Their fists met in the middle with a thunderous bang, and the two then flowed into a rapid series of blows, blocking and dodging. After several seconds, Cure Gleam rejoined the battle with a flying kick from above, catching the Vish off-guard and giving Cure Volt room to land another blow, an electrified palm-thrust strike that nailed the best in the chest, sending it staggering back.

The Vish roared as it steadied itself, lashing out with a sweeping chop that the two Cures leapt back to avoid. It formed a large ball of Darkness energy covered in little swirling math signs at its feet, and then kicked the ball at Cure Volt. Timing it right, she shrouded her leg in green Lightning energy and kicked it back, adding force to it. The Vish kicked it at her again, and she sent it back. One more repetition, and this time the ball – now shrouded in Cure Volt's energy and traveling with great speed – slammed into the Vish, blasting it back and badly damaging it.

"Now's your chance!" Pixee shouted.

Nodding, Cure Volt held her hand high, and a bolt of green lightning shot down. She 'caught' it, and the mass of Lightning magic shifted and formed into the shape of a long sword with a slightly curved 'blade'. Brandishing it, she charged at the Vish, which quickly formed and kicked another energy ball. Cure Volt chopped the attack in half, and then with a burst of speed she blitzed into her foe:

"PreCure: Spark Saber!-!"

With a flash of green light, Cure Volt appeared behind the Vish, and a half-second later a glowing green cut appeared clear through the beast. The Vish roared out before an explosion of emerald light and crackling lightning accompanied its destruction.

Cure Volt dispelled her blade, straightened up and turned around, just in time to get tackle-hugged by Cure Gleam.

"That was so cool, Vic-… I mean, Cure Volt! I have a partner now!"

"You sure do" Cure Volt grinned. "Just glad I was able to help you… especially against something that existed because of me…"

Cure Gleam looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hey, Vicky? Maybe, while you're helping me practice training my body, I could help you with math? I'm not the best around, usually get either a B-plus or an A-minus, but every bit helps, right?"

"I could pitch in, too" Pixee spoke up. "Some of the more complicated spells I know require knowledge of complex mathematical formulae."

Touched by the offer of help, Cure Volt gave her friend a slightly blushing smile. "Okay!"

-CHAPTER END-

And next time, the team will continue to grow...