Pitter patters of little paws echoed across the barren landscape. Outside of the large tree in the center of the decimated town, nothing grew. No life lived here, there was only rubble and ruin, twisted and warped remnants of buildings and a thick layer of grey dust that the shadow kicked up as it ran towards the largest of the ruins. A thick layer of smog obscured the red sun that hung large and low in the sky, blending away the difference between the wasteland and the desert sky until the horizon was indistinguishable.
Down in the ruins, the Dread found its way through the maze of rubble until it reached the wrought iron door leading down into the cellar. The creature pressed itself against the cold stone of the ruins, flattening itself into a shadow that slunk easily through the crack between the door and the wall. Reassuming a three dimensional shape the Dread trotted past the white-faced anxoid grunts that busied themselves lifting rocks and rubble and rearranging them into what vaguely resembled furniture.
Past the entryway lie a room with black drapery that fluttered ever so slightly, despite the total absence of wind. It was here Lady Baphomet stood, hunched over a stone table covered in pale white masks. Noticing her company, the goat-headed figure straightened up, gesturing towards the table which the fox-like monster jumped upon deftly.
"Welcome back. I hope you have good news," she murmured, petting the Dread affectionately. "Have the Pretty Cure been giving you problems, or have they heeded my warning?"
The shadow monster looked up to the figure, opening a single, large eye in the center of its face with a wet smack as the blackness peeled away. Holding the face of the creature between her hands, Lady Baphomet peered into its eye momentarily. She turned away in disgust, dropping the head of the creature who allowed its solitary eye to recede back into its featureless face.
"I suppose it can't be helped. Those girls do not understand the situation, and are making poor decisions. But we warned them, didn't we? They will have to deal with the consequences. That is good news for us, you won't need to settle for picking off only the weakest and most frightened of them. Since they have ignored my request, there is no reason for us to play nice. Continue with the current plan, but I want you to keep an eye out for the brave ones as well. We can't have any new Pretty Cure awakening."
The Dread listened patiently, bowing its pointed head as the goat-headed figure turned back to face it. "And start using the new masks."
"I'm surprised your parents let you have me sleep over! There's no way my parents would be okay with that!"
Sofía lay in a bright yellow pajama set on Bing's bed, giving her cat a few gentle pats as he sniffed the newcomer curiously. Bing stood in the doorway of her bathroom brushing her teeth and attempting to speak without spraying toothpaste suds at her girlfriend.
"Well they don't know know about...us. They don't even know I'm queer."
"Oh wow, really? Are you worried what might happen if you came out?"
Bing shrugged, "No, not really. They never asked and I never told. We're a sort of 'keep it to yourself' kind of family."
No kidding. Sofía thought, chuckling quietly to herself as Bing went to spit and rinse. The prince reemerged shortly after with her hair piled into a bun on the top of her head.
"Do you know where Boo has been?" Bing questioned as she crawled into bed, picking up Poe and setting him in her lap. The cat entertained her pets for a short while, but soon leapt from her lap and dashed across the room to some dark corner of the basement.
Sofía shrugged, "I think she's kinda stressed by not knowing what's going on. She spends all her time at that weird tree, probably trying to figure out how to get us to Frighton so we can stop all this shit," she mused, "I just wish she'd keep us a little more in the loop of what's happening, I kinda feel like she might be keeping secrets."
This suggestion made Bing frown. That idea hadn't occurred to her, but the bat fairy did seem particularly insistent on being vague. Even her origins were a total mystery to the girls. The prince let out a long sigh, her eyes drifting slowly closed.
"At least it doesn't seem like Lady Baphomet is acting on her threat so far. We've purified tons of anxoids and Dread in the last week and nothing's changed," Sofía pointed out with a note of hopefulness. "Maybe she isn't as strong as we think."
"Could be...but what scares me about her is how she got in your head like that," Bing said softly. "You looked so scared...and I didn't really know what to do. If she can make people hallucinate scary things like that, I don't know what we can do to combat her."
"Maybe that's what it's like inside of one of those terror masks," Sofía murmured, her brows furrowed with worry. "We really need to talk to Boo and see what she thinks is the best way to go about this."
Bing heaved a heavy sigh and rolled over onto her stomach with a groan. "Why can't we just have a clear objective? Like 'Hey, go gather all the pieces of this magical thing and the monsters will go away. That'd be nice." The girl scrunched her eyes closed tighter, her face buried in her pillow.
A breathy laugh passed Sofía's lips, and she scooted closer to her partner. Running the side of a finger down Bing's cheek left a trail of goosebumps that rose gently along the trail of her hand. After a long silence Bing turned her head to face her, warm eyes finally opening and looking through thick lashes at the girl beside her.
"You seem lost," Sofía observed in a whisper.
The observation made Bing raise a brow curiously.
"Oh?"
"In your mind," she elaborated, tracing her fingers across the girl's cheek once more and tapping her gently on the side of the head. Bing smiled softly, her gaze drifting towards the girl's face though not quite making eye contact.
"I'd like to get lost there with you."
This was even more perplexing than Sofía's first observation.
"What?"
"I wish...you'd let me in there," the chicana whispered, her own eyes downcast, "I have a feeling there's lots of beautiful things going on up there. But maybe...maybe you're scared to show people."
"I guess I'm just as bad as Boo, huh?" Bing drew in a deep breath. "I'm not used to being open, I suppose," she admitted, tilting Sofía's chin up so the two could lock eyes. "But with you...I know I'm safe. I can start. I will start. I'm not afraid," she vowed in a low whisper, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to the girl's lips.
They fell asleep there, limbs atangle with one another and foreheads touching lightly. The warmth between them drew sweat to their skin, though neither awoke in discomfort. Instead they remained in their half-embrace until sunrise brushed across them.
Sofía awoke from her sleep with a start, the image of Bing disintegrating in her arms fresh in her mind once again. Her breathing slowed as she saw the girl sleeping soundly beside her, entirely untroubled. Wiping her face of sweat with the back of her arm, she turned toward her partner slowly and carefully. With a slight tremor she reached her fingers carefully towards the girl, grazing her shoulder with a feather touch. She heaved a sigh of relief as the girl remained in one piece, only stirring slightly and opening her eyes, a sleepy smile crossing her face.
"Good morning."
"So, who has plans today from 3-4?"
Sofía plopped down at the lunch table with the rest of her friends, dumping the contents of her lunch bag out in front of her.
"Sorry hun, Saanvi and Audrey and I all have practice," Bing replied apologetically, Saanvi nodding along sagely.
"And I promised I'd help out setting up some new art display cases," Peyton added, tucking a curl of red hair behind her ear.
"What's going on?" Fay asked, face smeared with ketchup from the hamburger she inhaled inhumanly fast.
"Spectrum cluuuub!" Peyton sang before Sofía could even open her mouth.
Fay dabbed at her face with a napkin. "What do you do in Spectrum Club?"
"We mostly just talk about queer issues, sometimes its just free discussion but sometimes we have prepared topics, and sometimes we get speakers and sometimes we watch movies," Sofía explained, puffing out her chest. "I'm the new president so I've gotta make my term in office the best the club has ever seen!"
"Towards the end of the year they pretty much always lose steam and just watch Rent every month," Audrey added with a wry smile, winning a snort and a playful nudge from Saanvi.
Sofía puffed up even further, shooting a poisonous look at Audrey. Unfortunately, the black haired girl was immune. "Not this year! This year is going to be great! And it'd be great if you could come! We always have a good time, even if it does get off topic," she added, sticking her tongue out childishly at Audrey whose face was plastered with an amused smile.
"Well I don't have any plans for this afternoon, so I'd love to come to your meeting," Fay replied sweetly, her pledge of attendance brightening Sofía's face.
"Meet me in the weight room!"
A look of concern and genuine confusion crossed the blonde's face. "The...weight room? How do you hold meetings in there?"
"Oh! That's not where the meetings are that's just where I will be, lifting weights on my off period to train."
"Whatcha training for?" Peyton questioned curiously, Sofía immediately kicking herself mentally for letting that last bit slip. Her eyes flickered over to Bing ever so briefly who seemed unbothered by the question, at least on the outside. She was a better actor than Sofía.
"Nothiiiing. I mean, uh, it's a secret."
Peyton raised a quizzical brow. "Are you training to be a super teenage spy for the government? Because if so please give me a heads up so I can wipe all the pirated material from my hard drive."
"Yeah, that's it. Secret government spy."
The redheads face dropped. "Dude don't joke about that stuff, you never know what weird stuff goes on in the world around us that we don't even see." The chicana laughed, tossing her hair back over her shoulder and silently praying for someone to change the subject.
"Bing do you have any idea what she's hiding?"
Looking up from her lunch, the volleyball prince chewed slowly and after a brief moment's thought shrugged as she swallowed. "I honestly don't know what she's talking about half the time."
"Hey!" Sofía jabbed her girlfriend with her elbow, jutting out her lower lip in a dramatic pout. Quickly Bing planted a small peck on the girl's forehead and flashing the briefest of smile before her face dropped again and she took another bite of her pizza slice.
"You two are too much," Peyton accused with a small smile. "A pair of dorks the both of you."
"Oh yeah and what does that make you?!"
"To be fair, I think it's safe to say everyone here is a bit of a dork," Audrey chimed in, Saanvi nodding sagely once again.
"Fay doesn't seem like much of a dork," Bing pointed out, causing the pale girl to laugh nervously.
"Ahh, I don't know. You might change your mind once you get to know me better," the angel at the end of the table admitted shyly. "Maybe at the meeting today my dorkiness will show itself!"
With the ringing of the bell, Fay went off to locate the weight room. Prying open what she assumed to be the right door, her eyes fell upon Sofía in her gym uniform sitting on one of the benches. Fay smiled slightly from the doorway, watching as the petite girl told off a much larger boy.
"...so you can just wait your turn like everyone else!" Sofía scolded, craning her neck to look the boy in the eye and placing her hands indignantly on her hips. As soon as her eye caught sight of the girl in the doorway she bounced up from the bench. "Oh, hey! Ready to go?"
The boy watched in disbelief as the girl hopped amicably off the bench and grabbed her bag, heading for the door. Peering into her backpack at her folded clothes, she grumbled incoherently to herself.
"I don't really feel like changing back into my uniform while I'm all sweaty, you don't think anyone will judge me, do you?"
Fay shrugged noncommittally, "I don't know, you are the president though, so maybe that will work in your favor," she laughed softly, "I think you look cute regardless!"
"Good answer," Sofía grinned, slinging her bag over her shoulder and leading the blonde down the hall.
The Spectrum Club met in an English classroom that was currently littered with art projects that didn't seem to have much to do with English. Mrs. Fairfax was a sticky sweet teacher known for being one of the easiest in the school, so everyone fought to get in her classes, even if it meant they wouldn't be learning much. The sweetness made her the perfect advisor for the club however, and she showed movies so often in her class that there was always a tv cart stowed in the corner in case they really did just want to watch Rent again.
"Hey Mrs. Fairfax! Thanks for getting the room set up for us!" Sofía chirped as the girls arrived, propping the door open behind them, "This is my friend Fay, she's new here."
The towheaded woman that sat at the desk in the corner of the room beamed and waved. "Welcome Fay! I hope you're liking Redwood so far!"
"I am! Sofía's been a big help too, I don't know what I'd do without her!" Fay replied, making Sofía's face light up.
"Ohh, you!" she gushed, pulling out a rolled up welcome poster from her bag and sticking it to the whiteboard with magnets.
"Yo, Fay!"
Nia held up a hand in greeting, her much-too-long sleeve flapping in the air. "Glad to see you here! I don't know anyone else from band who comes here, so now at least I know there will be at least one cool person."
"Hey! That's no way to talk in front of your president!" Sofía protested, though she held out a hand, "I'm Sofía, nice to meet you! What year are you?"
Nia took her hand while hers was still covered by her sleeve, "Nia, I'm a sophomore. I met Fay in concert band."
More students began to filter in, taking seats in the semicircle of desks while Sofía perched herself on top of a desk, her own wooden throne, at the front.
"Hey everyone! I'm glad you could all make it to this year's first meeting! For those who don't know, I'm Sofía and I'll be your president this year. I use "she, her, hers" pronouns and my favorite food is gnocci. Why don't we all go around and introduce ourselves?"
"Uh Sofía, I think there might be someone still outside," Nia piped up, looking over her shoulder at someone lingering in the hallway.
"Oh, you're right," the president murmured, waving a hand at the straggler. "Hey! You can come on in, we're just getting started!"
The boy in the hall looked up suddenly as he was addressed, and quickly scurried away down the hall. Sofía frowned, sliding off the desk and peeking out the door. "I'll be right back, I'm gonna go make sure everything is okay!"
Walking down the hall she couldn't tell where the boy had disappeared to, but rounding a corner she spotted him once again, along with something else. The boy stood, frozen in panic as a Dread stood a few feet from him, the cold from its body reaching all the way down to where Sofía stood at the end of the hall.
Shit.
With Bing at volleyball practice, Sofía was going to have to take this one on alone. Better make this quick then!
"Nightmares nevermore, trick-or-treat transformation!"
In a puff she had transformed, the boy startled by the sudden appearance of smoke.
"A mischievous smile on a moonlit night, Cure Witch!"
Leaping forward the purple cure placed herself squarely in front of the boy and the monster, landing with a satisfying clack of her heels.
"Get out of here! I'll take care of this thing!" Witch ordered, holding her arms out to shield the boy who scrambled to get away. It wasn't until she stood directly in front of it that the pretty cure realized there was something different about this Dread from all the ones they had seen before, or rather, there was something different about the mask on its tail.
Instead of the usual plain white mask with two eye-like slits, this mask was more ornate. This version had blank black eyes that almost appeared to be dripping down the face, and a black mouth lined with rows of razor-like teeth and pulled up in a twisted smile.
Witch pulled back a fist and charged towards the Dread, aiming for the mask on its tail as she swung through. The shadow creature leapt over her head, avoiding the attack entirely, much to the purple cure's frustration.
"Damn it! Too short!" she grumbled, skidding to a halt and turning around. Much to her dismay, the boy had not run far, instead choosing to linger at the corner of the wall and watch. At this point the Dread was again mere feet from the boy, and with a quick jump it placed the mask on his face.
"I'M SCARED!"
A thick black ooze began to dribble out from behind the mask, covering the boy's body until it formed a familiar amorphous black monster, only this time with a new masked face, and bigger too. As soon as the boy was completely covered in the goop, a red light lit up behind the bleak black eyeholes of the mask, and they focused directly on the Pretty Cure.
With a grumble two large arms grew out from the shapeless body, and the monster dashed towards the girl with arms outstretched. Jumping into the air to avoid the charge, Witch straightened out her legs and went in to stomp on the beast's face, but was caught off guard when a third and fourth arm grew and plucked her out of the air with ease and slammed her into the opposite wall.
"Shit," Witch grimaced, only to be tossed in the air and caught with another hand and slammed against a row of lockers. These new masks seemed to make the resulting anxoids much more aggressive than before, and the cure barely had time to catch her breath before she was tossed again to another hand like the thing was juggling her. Her whole body began to ache, as even with the strength of a precure she sustained quite a beating, but her focus was realigned when she heard a tentative voice from the end of the hall.
"S-Sofía?"
Fay stood down the hall, watching in horror as the beast tossed the purple haired girl around like a ragdoll. She looked different, certainly, yet Fay was unmistakably sure that this was her friend.
"Get out of here now!" Witch ordered as she was tossed again, but the presence of another seemed to catch the anxoid's attention as well, and it let her fall to the floor as it glided towards Fay. Though disoriented, the purple cure managed to get to her feet. What did the monster want with Fay? If its only concern was getting back to Frighton why did it need to bother with her?
"Let's see how you like getting tossed around!" Witch cried, running up behind the monster and grabbing one of its four arms, swinging it back over her head and cracking it face first into the tile floor. It was only mid-swing that she noticed Fay's ankle gripped in one of its hands, and frantically Witch sprinted to catch her before she too hit the ground.
"Seriously, get out of here now!" she pleaded with the blonde who looked absolutely horrified, and rightfully so. Fay only shook slightly, eyes jumping from the cure to the anxoid, and back again. Did the monster she saw in the woods last week have something to do with this one? And what did her friend have to do with all of this?
Fay scrambled around the corner as soon as the monster stood again, wrapping all four shadowy hands around Cure Witch and squeezing her tight. Gasping for air, the cure struggled against its hold, but the more she squirmed the tighter it seemed to grip her. She closed her eyes weakly, mind racing as she attempted to think of a plan when suddenly the monster's grip on her loosened and it faltered slightly, falling back and dropping her to the ground.
"Fay?"
"Not quite."
Cure Pumpkin caught Witch as she fell, smiling warmly. "You're a mess without me huh? Fay came and found me, said you were getting your ass kicked."
"These masks are different! This thing is super strong!" Witch gasped, trying to catch her breath. "Please be careful...I don't want you to get hurt…"
"I'll just wear it down, you try to get steady and we'll take care of this thing together!" Pumpkin suggested, pulling her bonewick wand from her chest and waving it at the monster.
"Pretty Cure Jack-o-Jinx!"
The pumpkin fireballs collided with the monster and burst into glitter while the beast roared, and Pumpkin scored a second hit to the side of its head with the heel of her boot, and a third with the end of her wand as she smacked away a hand that came down to grab her.
A second hand came flying towards her which she blocked deftly with her wand, as well as a third and then a fourth which she leapt over, landing back on the ground and firing another pumpkin for good measure.
"You're up hun," she encouraged, Witch nodding with determination as she produced her own wand from the palm of her left hand and snatching it up in her right. With now practiced ease she traced a pentagram in the air, and though she was weak, fired it with what strength she had left.
"Pretty Cure Haunted Hex!"
The sigil burned the blackness, the strange goop beginning to fall off in chunks until the boy it had captured was revealed underneath and the mask popped from his face.
"We need to show Boo that mask, so be careful not to touch it," Sofía murmured going to the boy's aid as Bing carefully scooped the mask into her duffle bag.
"Hey, are you okay?"
The boy sat up slowly, rubbing his head. "Uh...yeah I guess so. I feel like I just had the weirdest dream...I was so scared."
"Well if you want, there's a Spectrum Club meeting going on right now, I can take you there! I bet everyone would love to meet you."
He hesitated slightly at this suggestion, but with some newfound courage he nodded slowly, standing to his feet. "Yeah, I'd like that."
