OP: Magical Story~Time

It was almost nice having to curl up to Myfanwy in order to keep the illusion of her being a stuffed animal. Mallory's nerves hadn't completely disappeared, but the surprisingly fluffy fairy truly made her feel better. She slept through the night with almost no problems.

When she woke up, most of the girls were already awake. Mallory climbed down from her bunk to find Harper packing things into a sleek purple backpack. "Morning," she said shyly… a lot of her bravery from the previous day seemed to have worn off.

"Good morning!" Harper responded as she stuck a spray bottle full of sunscreen into her pack. "You should get ready to leave for the day. We would have woken you sooner, but Vita thought you'd need some rest to recover from yesterday." Over from her top bunk, Vita waved, then set to tying her hair into a sloppy bun. "Biddy came in and told us we'd need our swimsuits, towels, sunblock, bug spray, and anything else we'd want to bring to activities." Harper frowned as she picked up two books and carefully analyzed the covers of both before putting the thicker one into her bag.

"Do we know what we're doing today?"

"Not entirely. Swimming lessons, I think, and some activity for the entire afternoon, but I'm not sure what it is."

"Okay! Thanks!"

Mallory pulled out her own backpack, a fabric bag with a pink and white candy stripe pattern and a gold buckle. She stuffed the necessary items into it carefully, then delicately picked up the still-sleeping Myfanwy and placed her on top. The fairy didn't wake, and Mallory was glad for it.

There was no good reason the fairy should come along, logically. Mallory had promised Biddy that she wouldn't use her newfound Precure warrior powers unless there was an emergency, and it'd be safer for the illusion if Myfanwy stayed in the cabin all day. Still, Mallory couldn't help but think of how boring it would be if she were stuck in the tiny area for hours and hours. At least in her backpack, Myfanwy would be able to see some new sights and perhaps go fly around in the forest when nobody was looking.

At the last second, Mallory looked at her clover-shaped CIT pin sitting on her dresser. The group had been informed that they didn't need to always wear them… only during ceremonies or when they got to intern with real counselors and work with kids. Otherwise, they could sit safely in their cabin. Mallory, however, knew her CIT pin now served another purpose. If necessary, it could transform her into a Precure. Though the need for such an action was unlikely, Mallory had decided that if she were to come face to face with the nefarious Xanthe once again, she'd rather have her magical powers than not.

She placed it into her pocket. Harper noticed. "We don't have to have that today," she noted, sounding puzzled.

Puzzled wasn't a good expression for Harper. In the last eighteen hours that Mallory had known her, she'd already gotten a fairly decent idea of what Harper was about. Slightly older than Mallory at age sixteen, Harper definitely looked and acted her older than her age. She was mature, cool, and probably popular in school. She wore her shoulder-length dark brown hair in stylish clips, and even her camp-worthy clothes were things that Mallory only saw in magazines. When pressed, Harper had admitted that her mother was a marketing agent who helped design ads to place in the same 'zines that Mallory often looked at… style-wise, Harper just happened to reap the benefits of having a mom working among some very nice designers' assistants who were aware there was a teenage girl in the house. "Believe me, without them and my mother, I wouldn't have a fashionable bone in my body," Harper laughed, but Mallory didn't believe that for an instant.

Mallory smiled as she thought. Eventually, she said, "I know. I just… I'm proud to be a CIT, and I want everyone to know it!" It was a half-true answer, after all. She truly was proud… but the reasons for keeping her brooch close did go deeper. She just couldn't simply tell anyone, unfortunately.

Harper nodded, accepting Mallory's excuse. She then paused, hesitating a moment, before clipping her own pin into her hair. "I'll do it too," she decided. "You're not the only one proud to be a CIT."

In ten minutes, the girls were lined up behind the two CIT counselors. Biddy, the strawberry-blonde Precure warrior, was adjusting her watch and answering questions that two of the CITs that Mallory hadn't yet met had. Next to her stood the other counselor, who Mallory had gotten to know at the opening ceremony the night before. Amelie was fair-skinned, tall but delicately built, and had straight brown hair… she almost definitely could have been a model instead of a summer camp counselor, and Mallory couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy when she thought about her own unruly curls and childish appearance.

The lovely counselor clapped her hands. "Alright, everyone, it looks like we're going to have a storm today, so we'll probably not have swimming or boating time. It seems like it should clear up in the afternoon, though."

Biddy nodded. "We're going to go over swimming and boating rules and procedures in the dining hall instead, then play some games, so stay there after breakfast unless we tell you otherwise."

The CITs agreed, and they headed off to the dining hall to get food.

Worlds away, another group gathered as well… a group that consisted of the generals of Color War. Four of them seemed more or less pleased. One, whose hair and eyes were yellow, was sulking.

"Xanthe, lighten up. It wasn't even a fair fight, was it?" asked a small girl with dark violet dreadlocks and long nails to match.

Xanthe frowned. "Since when have we cared about fighting fair, Plum?"

A redheaded man next to Plum scoffed. "At least Xanthe has some sense. All is fair in love and war, remember," he mused as he spun around dramatically, crimson coattails whipping Xanthe in the arm as he did. "That's why we were created! Cardinal, Xanthe, Verte, Cobalt, and Plum… five Color War generals to exploit the fears of our enemies and turn them into soldiers for our master's master plan."

Across the room, a preteenage boy with bright blue hair turned to snap at the others. In his hand, he held a Playstation 4 controller, which was hooked to a quietly humming system. Across the television screen nearby, cars raced blurrily. "Stop with the history lessons, nerds! I'm trying to concentrate!"

"Yes, please!" agreed an elderly woman with green highlights running through strands of white and black hair. "I've almost defeated Cobalt finally."

"Fat chance, old lady! You've never defeated me in anything!"

"Apart from every battle with Humglums we've ever had," she countered serenely.

Cobalt fumed. "That wasn't you! That was the monsters you controlled!"

As the pair of gamers bickered, Xanthe and Cardinal thought. "I'll go out to that delicious hub of fear and strike terror into the hearts of the Precure for sure this time," said the yellow-headed woman sweetly. She turned to face a nearby mirror, which reflected a comically princess-esque villain. "Today, I'll show them exactly what the Color War can do! Ohohohohoho!"

Mallory hadn't gotten a good look at the dining hall the night before… she'd been too distracted by the events of that day. Now, she saw that it was beautiful, more elegant than she would have expected of a summer camp. It consisted of one full floor and a mezzanine, and star-shaped lights hung down from the ceiling, illuminating the gold-colored walls. On the bottom floor, one side hosted a series of sinks for hand washing… across from it was an open cafeteria-style kitchen. On the other sides were staircases, and the middle had many long, Hogwarts-esque table, of which the one closest to the kitchen was assigned to the CITs. Four more grand tables decorated the upstairs.

As the group sat, Biddy and Amelie went to get the food. "I hope it's pancakes!" said Vita enthusiastically. "I haven't had Breezy Bridge pancakes in months!" She grabbed onto Mallory's shoulder suddenly. "You're going to love them! No other place in the world has pancakes like them!"

"What's so special about them?" said Mallory, puzzled.

Harper grinned. "The kitchen staff have perfected the art of hiding what's inside. You don't know what flavor it is or what's inserted into the batter until you cut it open and take a bite. They're called surprisecakes."

"They do muffins the same way," Vita said as she went to sit down at her own seat, "but I like pancakes better."

When Amelie and Biddy returned, it was indeed with the much-loved surprisecakes, apple juice, and bacon. One by one, the girls passed the food down the table, each taking some. When all was served, Mallory cut into her pancake. Immediately, a chocolate-chip core was revealed. She grinned and took a bite, only to find that they were delicious as well.

Across from her, Vita was brandishing rainbow-sprinkled insides, and Brooke, sitting beside her, seemed to have blueberry. Then, Harper cut open hers.

"There's nothing in there," she said quietly.

Immediately, several girls leaned across the table to look. "What?" "No way, there's always something!" "You could go ask for a new one!" "That's no good!"

"It's fine," Harper assured the group. "It's still a pancake, and I love pancakes all the same."

Still, Mallory noted that her face had fallen. Just a little bit.

Just as the counselors had predicted, it stormed hard and heavy. The good news for Mallory was that while all of the girls were trapped indoors, the staff didn't seem to supervise them quite so heavily. It was easy for her to sneak up to the second floor while the rest of the CIT group played board games downstairs.

As soon as she was alone, she opened her backpack. "Myfanwy!" she whispered. "Myfanwy, are you awake?"

The little fairy yawned and opened her eyes, nodding contentedly. "You let me sleep in, didn't you?" she asked.

"Yeah! Was that okay? Was it okay that I brought you at all? I thought it'd be more interesting than being alone in the cabin."

Myfanwy gave an affirmative shake of her feathers. "I mean, really, I'm okay with either. I wouldn't be alone, after all, I'd have… oh no…"

Mallory blinked as she watched Myfanwy's face fall. "Myfanwy, what's…"

"I lost Hestia!" blurted the bird. "I was so caught up in all the things that happened yesterday that I didn't even think about… oh no… what if she's hurt? What if Xanthe or one of the other Color War generals got her? What could happen! Mallory, we've got to find her!"

"Slow down! I don't even know who she is, and I can't do much if I'm just another camper! Tell me what's going on, and then we can get Biddy and ask for her help."

With a sniffle, the fairy started to explain. "Hestia is… my cousin… or maybe my niece? It's complicated. See, when I was little, Kerensa Carys… the queen of the Hearth Queendom… adopted me. Even though she's kind of my mother, she's more like a big sister to me. But I'm not that close to Vesta, her birth sister, and she's kind of like my aunt, so Hestia, who's Vesta's daughter, is like my cousin. Anyway, I babysit her a lot. When we were sent here, I was supposed to watch over her-crow."

"What happened? I saw you come out of the portal, but not anyone else."

"I don't know," said Myfanwy. Tears were starting to roll from her eyes onto her beak. "She could be anywhere-crow!" Then, the bird blinked and blushed. "I mean; she could be anywhere!"

Mallory picked up the bird and hugged her close. "It's alright, Myfanwy. We'll find her. I promise. Even if we have to get every person in camp involved, we'll find her."

She felt the bird begin to settle down. "Okay. First, though, we should probably stick to just us. I don't know how we could have the entire camp looking for her without explaining a lot of secrets."

"It's a deal," Mallory agreed.

Mallory went back downstairs to see most CITs still engrossed in the game. However, off to one side at their own table, Harper sat with another girl. Mallory made her way over to them curiously, just in time to hear hiccupping sobs.

Harper reassuringly had her hand on the other CIT's back. "Kendra, it's okay. We're all safe inside. Nothing can hurt us here!"

"My sister said that a lightning strike once burned down the arts and crafts building though…"

"That was a long time ago, and there's a lot more safety measures now."

"Still… I don't want to go on the high ropes later today if there's a storm now, what if I got struck by lightning all up high like that?"

Harper paled. "Wait, it's the high ropes course later?"

Kendra put her hand over her mouth. "Oh no! You didn't know?"

"Today's awful!" Harper exclaimed. "This is the worst possible first full day of camp! First, nothing in my surprise cake, then a storm, and now this? I… I'm gonna go. You'll be fine, Kendra. I promise."

As Harper walked off, Mallory hid behind a pillar, slightly embarrassed to be eavesdropping, though she hadn't meant to. She felt bad for both girls. It surely seemed like a bad day back for both of them, and she only wished she knew how to make it better.

The storm halted while the girls were eating lunch, much to the joy of Kendra and the disappointment of Harper. Though neither said a word, the change in attitude was obvious to anyone who was looking… and Mallory most certainly was.

The group trekked the trail that led to the high ropes course as soon as they finished eating. It was wet, half-flooded, but Mallory had had the foresight to wear hiking boots. They got covered in mud, but her feet stayed warm and dry, much to her surprise.

Though one part of her brain was busy worrying about her fellow campers as they walked, another was excited. Camp Woodwake, her old camp, was an adventure camp that focused on height challenges, obstacle courses, and trips to rock faces and mountains. She'd spent nine years that honing her adventuring skills, and had done everything from building natural shelters to jumping from platform to platform forty feet in the air. The Breezy Bridge high ropes course, which was roughly half that height, would be… well, a breeze. Still, it'd be fun. She hadn't tested her height prowess in about nine months.

When they emerged from the trail, moving branches to the side as they did, Mallory grinned at the look at it. It was much simpler than what she was used to… a ladder built into the side of a tree ended in a platform, which led to a Z-shaped series of tightrope obstacles. The first was a simple tightrope with a long rope to hold onto while you crossed… the next had several shorter ropes that dangled above, and the third was three tightrope wires twisted, so that you had to maneuver carefully to get through. At the very end, there was another platform with two exit strategies… a zipline or a giant swing.

Standing at various places were the adventure staff, counselors whose sole job was to monitor and help girls on the high ropes course. They gave encouraging grins from up at their stations, while one, perhaps the leader, stood confidently on the ground. "Hello!" she said, waving to the group. "Welcome to high ropes! Today, you're going to test the confidence you need for CIT by challenging yourself on our course, twenty feet in the air."

Harper raised a hand. She looked pale and almost sick. "Does everyone have to do it?" she asked.

The woman on the ground tilted her head. "Well, we encourage everyone to try, so… yes. You should at least give it a go."

"I have to use the restroom," Harper immediately said, her voice low and raspy. Her eyes were wet and red as she turned and ran off in the direction of the nearby bathroom.

Biddy put a hand out as if to stop her, but then slowly set it back down when she realized that Harper was already as good as gone. "It's nothing to be ashamed of," she said, shaking her head slowly. Then, she sighed, composed herself, and turned to the rest of the staring group. "All right. I'm on my time off now, so I'm going to leave you with the adventure staff. Be the responsible and enthusiastic young women I know you can be, okay?"

There was a murmur of agreement, then Biddy left down a half-hidden trail in the woods.

Mallory had expected Harper to compose herself and then come back, but it didn't work out that way. It was half an hour through the high ropes session by the time Mallory realized that her bunkmate was simply hiding. She wouldn't reveal herself until the time was over, more than likely.

After already going once, Mallory was in line to go again, but the thought of Harper kept bugging her. "Can I use the restroom?" she asked Ella, the head of the adventure staff. Ella gave her the nod, and harness still on, Mallory headed down the path towards Harper.

When she got there, she found Harper sitting outside the small restroom. Though she was more composed than before, her eyes were still wet and red. "Hi," said Mallory.

Harper rubbed her eyes with her hands and swallowed. "Before you ask, I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. Can I sit down?"

"As long as you don't try to convince me to go up that nasty, awful, scary course. People have been trying to persuade me for five years now… the answer is still no."

"You're afraid of heights?"

Harper nodded. "Y-yeah. I don't know why, I didn't have a traumatic experience or anything, but whenever I'm up higher than like two feet, I get dizzy and nauseous and terrified. People keep saying I have to get over it, but why would I? In the real world it's not so hard to avoid things like looking out of the windows if I'm above the first floor, or taking the elevators. I can just… I don't know why I have to do this stupid, stupid ropes course!"

Mallory thought. It didn't seem like it'd be good to talk about the things she loved about being up high… the freedom, the view, the adrenaline. However, she couldn't think of what else to say. "You know, you could always come on and encourage everyone from the ground!" she ended up deciding.

"They'll try to make me do it," Harper argued.

"But there's no way they can if you don't want to. I know you'll face your fears when the time is right, but for now maybe you could stand your ground! And ask them some questions about how it all works. Do you know how all the safety mechanisms work? There's a reason we say 'on belay' before we climb… it's to make sure we're safe as we can be!" Mallory grinned. "Ask some questions, watch some people, and maybe... maybe decide that today it isn't for you. But it could be, sometime."

Harper nodded. "Okay. I'll at least think about it."

"Thanks!" Mallory stood. "Now, I'm gonna get back there before they think I'm hiding too! See you later, Harper, whether it's in five minutes or fifty!"

"On belay?"

"Belay is on."

"Climbing?"

"Climb awa-"

"EEEEK!"

Mallory and Ella were interrupted from climbing commands when a loud shriek came from Kendra, who had eventually gotten over her fear of thunder and lightning and the storm returning enough to find a place on the tightrope. She clung to a tree platform between two of the obstacles. "Spider!" she yelled.

Ella smirked and called out to her. "Think of it as a powerful motivating force to go forward!" Then, she turned back to Mallory. "Sorry. Climb away!"

Mallory hustled up the ladder with practiced ease; though the course at her old camp was different, both bigger and newer, the premise was the same, and she knew just how to put her feet in comfortable positions as she pulled her weight with mostly her hands. She had just stepped onto the platform, then the first tightrope, when the scream repeated itself.

"AHHHHH! HELP! SOMEONE, PLE-" The noise turned into strangled sounds that Mallory had never heard before; they were almost frightening. No… actually, they truly were frightening.

Ella glanced at the other adventure staff, and one of them snapped their fingers. Immediately, every CIT froze… except Mallory. Instinctively, she understood that she had to stay as still as possible. The only reason I'm not frozen too is because I'm a Precure, more than likely.

Seven unique voices called out the transformation phrase that Mallory had practiced in her head time and time again in the last 24 hours: "Precure, lead me home!" Then, in flashes of different colors, the adventure staff were replaced with seven Precure. They didn't bother doing introductions, only raced off in search of the voice.

It was moments after they left, seconds after a dangling and no longer completely secure Mallory felt free to move again, when the sky opened and the royal-looking Color War general Xanthe materialized. "Ugh," she said. "I'm just barely free of them… if I'd stayed a moment longer, they'd have found me. The Infinite Princess of Earth has way too many bodyguards."

Mallory stilled, though she could see her backpack on the ground rustling from the corner of her eye. Myfanwy poked her head out.

Xanthe continued talking to herself. "All I need is one more powerful fear… while the Precure are distracted with the one, I can ride the other straight to the Princess and take her… it should be a breeze. Hah! No pun intended, ohohoho!"

Myfanwy slowly, quietly, started to flap her wings, inching towards Mallory and pausing whenever Xanthe looked her way.

Xanthe, however, barely paid any attention. She scanned each CIT, passing over Mallory with barely a hint of recognition (or perhaps, simply not caring… Mallory looked frozen, and Xanthe knew that no bead would work on the magical girl). Soon, her eyes locked on Kendra, who was stuck still quivering from the spider. She pitched a bead at the girl.

"No!" shouted Mallory and Myfanwy in unison, but it was too late. Visions played out in the air of lightning strikes, clowns, and bugs of all kinds, ending with giant, fuzzy tarantulas.

"As I see your fears, let them become!" ordered Xanthe with a grin, and Kendra's clothes, skin, hair, and eyes began to drain of all colors. The color swirled up and took form into a giant spider monster with numerous eyes, eight fuzzy legs, and a morning-star shaped mark on its abdomen.

"Humglum!" it roared as it soared back across the tightrope and towards Mallory and Myfanwy.

EYECATCH 1: A brief montage of Biddy images: scolding a group of CITs including Mallory, dangling by her harness after falling off the high ropes course, folding an origami crane, and finally, posing as Cure Campfire.

EYECATCH 2: Myfanwy and Hestia fly in circles, then fall onto Biddy's head as she leads an activity. She rubs the bump they've made, then looks up at the camera and smiles anyway.

"Mallory! You need to put on your pin and become Cure Marshmallow!" Myfanwy cried.

"But Biddy told us to only transform in an emergency!" Mallory protested.

Myfanwy looked around. "Do you see another Precure? I don't! Mallory… this is an emergency."

For a moment, the fifteen-year-old girl thought, then she nodded, taking her pin out of her pocket. "Alright, let's go. Precure! Lead me home!"

Pink light surrounded Mallory as she placed the brooch into her hair. Once again, she found her old tee shirt and skort being replaced in favor of her pink and white Precure dress. White ribbons and gloves materialized, and her hiking boots turned clean and pink. "Protecting the promise of hearth and home, I am Cure Marshmallow!" she shouted as she landed on the platform.

Then, she looked down. The first glance told her she was still about twenty feet off the ground, which wouldn't have been so bad except for… "Where did my harness go?!" she noticed. Her breath grew panicked as she looked around, as if it would be laying on the tightrope next to her.

"You can jump and balance well, remember?" Myfanwy said dryly. "Your harness would have only gotten in the way, so the magic temporarily deleted it. It'll reappear when you turn back to normal… I think…"

Marshmallow made a mental note to be safely on the ground when she detransformed. She didn't mind heights, even enjoyed them, but she very much preferred being safe and hooked into a harness when she was in the air as a normal girl.

"Oh my gosh."

She glanced to the ground. Harper was there, staring upwards, but it wasn't in horror at the high ropes course anymore… it was at Cure Marshmallow. The Precure waved sheepishly. "Uh, hi, Harper!" she said, slightly surprised that the girl had come out of hiding so soon. "So I'm a superhero, I guess maybe I should have mentioned that. Or maybe not. It's kind of a secret. Don't tell anyone you know, please! Especially not Biddy."

Harper nodded, still obviously in shock. "I don't think she'd believe me anyway," she said quietly.

Marshmallow must have had enhanced hearing… she picked up on it even from twenty-five feet away. "Oh, believe me! She would. And she wouldn't be happy. Anyway! Stay there, or maybe get out of the way or something. Myfanwy, what should I tell civilians to do when I see them?"

Myfanwy thought. "It's a case by case basis. With another monster on the loose elsewhere, I doubt telling her to run would be good."

Harper's eyes were practically the size of saucers. "Is the bird stuffie…"

"Well… yeah? See, she's actually…"

"How about we explain it all later?" Myfanwy said sharply. "For now, Marshmallow needs to fight the Humglum."

Marshmallow nodded and leaped onto the tightrope where the spider monster was balancing. Quickly, she threw a series of punches at the thing, but the eight legged Humglum dodged easily while still keeping balance. As Marshmallow began to get exhausted, the thing turned and shot long, sticky web at her.

It threw her back against the tree that was at the middle of the first platform, covering her like a blanket she couldn't get off… in fact, the more she struggled, the worse it was. "Cure Marshmallow!" exclaimed Myfanwy, flapping her wings nearby. "Let me help!"

"No!" Marshmallow ordered. "You'll get stuck too."

Harper gasped as she watched the plight of her magical friend. "Mallory!" she called out. "I'm… I'm going to help! I'll find a way!"

Xanthe laughed at that, but it only served to make Harper more determined. With careful, shaky breath, the teenager approached the ladder and grabbed onto the highest rung she could reach. Slowly, ever so carefully, she pulled her body up until she was standing on the first step.

"Ohohoho!" Xanthe cackled. "A case of fear of heights! Time to unleash another Humglum, I see! This is almost an invitation, isn't it, pet?"

She tossed a bead down at a shaking Harper, and perhaps because of the girl's quivers, it missed. Harper's face grew ever more determined even through its tears as she put one hand in front of the other, her feet following, until she was most of the way up.

"Why don't you give it a rest, already?" Xanthe suggested as she pitched another bead. Yet again, it missed. "What kind of a person tortures themselves like this when they could just give into terror and fall into the blissful forgetfulness of a Humglum, hmm?"

"What kind of a person would I be if I couldn't help my friend?" Harper countered through sobs. "I'm almost there, and I won't stop!"

Xanthe laughed her awful laugh. "One step higher, and I won't miss," she threatened. "My Fearful Beads will extract all of your worries and transform you, as well! One monster to terrorize this Precure… one for the others… and soon, one to set loose on this pathetic world!"

Cure Marshmallow could see Harper bite her lip, but the girl pulled herself up from the ladder to the platform anyway. "I dare you," she said quietly as she turned to face Xanthe. "I've faced every fear I have head on now, and I'll do it again. Just try me."

"An invitation, how quaint! Didn't I tell you that this is what that ridiculous show was?" cackled the general, and she wound up the bead before pitching it at Harper. "If this is what you wanted, I could have done it from the ground!"

There was no arm to block it. The Fearful Bead hit Harper straight in the chest, and all three women watched as fears projected in the air, as if it were a screen. The bodies of a man and woman that seemed to be her parents… an image of stormy, murky, deep water… then, a vertigo-inducing image of the ground from fifty feet up… Harper herself, falling. Xanthe gave a sly grin. "Very few to choose from, but aren't they good ones? Why not see what your truest one is? As I see your fears… let them become!"

But the bead did nothing. Instead, Harper's brooch began to glow.

Myfanwy's eyes followed. "Harper! You… you…"

"You're a Precure!" Marshmallow said happily. "Just like me!"

"How that is when I didn't unlock your potential first, I don't know, but it's true!" agreed the fairy. "Now, all you need to do is transform. Say the words! You know what to do."

Harper nodded, and a light wind started up, one that seemed to usher in purple smoke that covered her. "Precure! Lead me home!"

The wind became tornado-like, a transparent spiral that shielded Harper from all attack. It didn't seem too necessary… everyone from the Humglum to Xanthe to Marshmallow was completely transfixed with the sight. It was hard not to watch Harper's graceful movements. Her hair grew thicker and turned a light shade of purple. As she moved her head slightly, it knotted itself into a bun and sidetail combination, reminiscent of Sailor Chibi Moon… albeit on only one side of Harper's head.

Then, Harper folded in on herself and let the tornado spin her around. One by one, each article of clothing transformed. A tank top turned into a white leotard, and a bolero jacket's sleeves shortened. Holding it closed was a purple kerchief and a golden clover that matched the one on her head. Harper's denim pleated skirt softened into a light purple cloth piece. Then, in unison, white gloves appeared on her hands, and knee-length hiking boots adorned her feet in place of the usual sneakers.

The wind began to fade, and Harper pointed emphatically at Xanthe. "Protecting the promise of safety and comfort," she said in a low, clear voice, "I am Cure Belay!"

Mallory could practically feel the stars in her eyes. "Cure Belay!" she said enthusiastically. "You're so cool! I'd hug you if I wasn't stuck!"

Cure Belay nodded. "Later," she promised. "For now… I have a spider to knock out!"

With a confident grin, the new Precure glanced around and located the spider Humglum. It was dangling from the platform that was across a thin tightrope from Marshmallow and Belay. Belay gulped nervously as she glanced first to the monster, and then to the ground twenty feet below. Xanthe, still hovering nearby, laughed. "Ohohoho, you may have conquered your fears once, but now you're still trapped by them! What a plot twist! Humglum, seize this chance and show her your best long distance moves!"

"Humglum!" the spider agreed in its monstrous, high voice.

It flipped around and began to shoot its long, sticky web right at Cure Belay. Almost instinctively, the girl ducked and rolled forward, going into a low crouch.

Then, Belay blinked. She had apparently just noticed that she was crouching on the tightrope with perfect balance. There seemed to be no danger of falling for a moment… then she started to wobble and cry. "I… I… I can't…"

"Yes, you can! You already have done so much!" cheered Marshmallow.

Myfanwy put a wing up in a celebratory, encouraging motion. "One foot at a time! Or just continue to roll, Belay! Either way, you can do it!"

Xanthe cackled. "No you can't! They don't know your fears like I do. You're helpless this far up."

"Don't listen!" pleaded Myfanwy. She and Marshmallow watched Belay grip the tightrope tightly, enough that it would probably imprint her skin by the time she had to let go… if she ever did.

"I'm listening to her," Belay said quietly. As she did, she raised her head up. "She does know my fears. You know what she doesn't know? My spirit. My soul. I'm never helpless, not completely."

Slowly, Belay removed one shaking hand from the tightrope and unsteadily thrust it towards the Humglum. "Blueberry… Blueberry Belay Solaris!"

From her hand came a gust of wind with the same purple smoky sparkles that encompassed her as she transformed. The burst of air hit the Humglum and scrambled all eight of its legs around until it began to fall from the platform with a helpless yelp. Xanthe watched, stunned.

Belay smiled slightly, obviously still anxious, and slowly began to back up back onto the platform. After two minutes, she got there, just as the stunned Humglum started to get back onto its feet (and failed, collapsing back onto the ground). With a slightly more solid surface below her, Belay turned to face Marshmallow and repeated the spell. "Blueberry Belay Solaris!" she cried, but didn't release the magic from her own hands. The wind sucked in the webbing that enclosed Marshmallow and freed her. "Thanks!" said Marshmallow. "Now, ready to defeat that 'fraidy-cat fear once and for all?"

"Fraidy-cat?" Belay asked with a smile.

"Yeah! If it wasn't afraid of you, why did it go where it thought you couldn't reach? You terrified it! Now, let's go terrify it more together!"

From a safe distance from the edge, Belay looked down at the dizzy spider monster and gulped. "Just one thing. How do we get down?"

"We jump!"

"Um. Not happening."

Marshmallow reached out and clutched Belay's hand tightly in her own. "Would I let you get hurt?" she asked. "Would your powers? Would Myfanwy... uh, the bird?"

"Um, I don't think so… but… um. Would you keep holding my hand? And can I close my eyes?"

With a smile, Marshmallow nodded. Belay swallowed hard, and closed her eyes as she inched closer to the side. "Ready?" asked Marshmallow, but didn't wait for Belay's negative response before continuing. "One, two, three, jump!"

The two tumbled from the platform, Belay ever so slightly dragging her feet, but they still landed neatly on the ground. "You can open your eyes now," Marshmallow said. Belay did and heaved a huge sigh. "Then," Marshmallow added, "when you're ready, summon your baton like this, but use a different adjective. Bright Batonette!" She threw her brooch in the air, and it became her sparkling pink weapon, the shining pink ribbons shooting out from each end.

"Like this?" Belay asked as she unclipped her pin and tossed it upwards. "Breezy Batonette!"

Her question was answered when it twirled and transformed into a long shiny purple baton. Like Marshmallow's, it was decorated with ribbons, but instead of sticking out in a fringe, they were tied into bows on each end. Belay caught it with no hesitation, hugging it close. "Nice!" Marshmallow said as she admired the weapon. "Now, follow your heart and my lead."

The two spun their batons in circular motions as they spoke the words to the purifying spell… Marshmallow was pleased that it was as automatic for Cure Belay as it was for her. "Fears be banished! Courageous Finale!"

They pointed their sticks at the monster, and purple wind intermingled with pink sparkles to create a shining beam that hit the Humglum straight in its forehead. It roared in protest as the magic disintegrated it and turned it into a bead that dropped onto the ground. Cure Marshmallow moved forward and picked it up to find that it was silver with a yellow lightning bolt design. For a moment, she admired it, but then she turned to Cure Belay and held the bead out towards the new Cure. "Here," she said. "I was told these beads give Precure more courage, and make them stronger. I couldn't have won this without you… so you should have it!"

Belay moved to take it, then paused. "No. I have more courage already, without needing a bead. Besides, without you, I couldn't have gotten up there… or back down! Please, keep it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! There'll be others anyway, won't there?"

Marshmallow nodded. "Thanks!"

"Of course. Anyway, you can pay me back by teaching me how to get back to normal," laughed the purple Precure.

The other CITs started waking as soon as Belay and Marshmallow were Harper and Mallory once again. As they rubbed sleepy eyes, Mallory examined the bead. Her first one! It was another fear that she didn't need help to conquer… storms never bugged her, even if she was outside… but it was nice to have a physical reminder of her win against the Color War general and Humglum.

Harper had disappeared a few moments before. "They'd be confused if I wasn't here, and then I was," she noted. "So I'm going to pretend to go hide in the bathroom again. See you later!"

As Mallory rolled the lovely bead around in her hand, Biddy emerged from the woods. She took one look at Mallory, then at the bead in the girl's hand, and sighed. "Mallory… can I see you for a moment?"

Mallory nodded and began to follow Biddy, who was walking back towards the trail she'd come from.

"I thought I told you that you weren't to transform except in an emergency!" Biddy said as soon as they were out of earshot of the others, her eyes closed and one hand on her forehead. The other was on her hip, and the body language was clear. She was exasperated, but not entirely surprised.

Mallory nodded. "And it was! You were on time off, and the adventure staff had to go chase down the other Humglum. They put a sleep freeze on the others, I heard them do it, but I'd been in the bathroom with Harper and I guess they forgot in the heat of the moment. When I came back, that Color War general from before, Xanthe, was turning Kendra's fears into a Humglum, and I was the only Precure who could help her at the time!"

There wasn't technically a lie.

"And

Harper was hiding from the ropes course in the bathroom the whole time," Biddy assumed. "At least none of the other CITs realized what was going on, and at least Harper didn't come back and let Xanthe transform her fears as well. Harper's fear of heights would make a powerful Humglum, believe me. She can barely go up the steps without fainting."

Mallory didn't correct her.

"I guess that was an emergency," Biddy allowed. "Next time, though, call for one of us. You'd be surprised at how far we can hear."

She wouldn't, but didn't say as much. Instead, she asked a question. "Is everyone on staff a Precure, Biddy?"

Biddy thought, chewing on her lip. "If you know about Precure at all, I guess there's no harm in saying yes. Everyone is. You're perfectly safe, okay? Just try to be a normal girl for a few more years. If you end up on staff, we'll of course explain more. Okay?"

Mallory nodded, and Biddy walked away to check on the rest of the group.

Myfanwy peeked out of Mallory's backpack. "So many!" she commented. "I didn't expect that. No world should need sixty Precure, all active at once."

"Xanthe said the same thing, more or less," Mallory said thoughtfully. "And something about a 'princess of Earth,' too."

"The Infinite Princess of Earth, to be precise… I wonder what's going on."

"Yeah," agreed Mallory. "Me too."

ED: Summer Camp Can-Can

Next time on Care Package Precure:

Mallory: It's nice to be part of a duo, even if we aren't supposed to use our powers!

Harper: You mean that you aren't! Biddy never said anything about me!

Mallory: Ooh, loopholes. I like that.

Myfanwy: We'll need all the firepower we can get tonight… I have a feeling that Color War is planning something.

Harper: And I have a feeling one of my friends isn't going to like it. Next time on Care Package Precure: Taps! Cure Forest is Born!