"We're losing shards faster than we can collect them," Eki said, staring at the dark-colored shard in her hand and rolling it around her palm thoughtfully. "Even with the shards corrupted and giving us more power, Pretty Cure is stronger than we thought."

Apoa and Peria stood in angry silence, the cut on Apoa's lip standing out bright red against her pale face. Eki closed her hand around the shard and looked at the other two, cocking her head.

"How did they manage to beat you?"

Peria snarled. "Be quiet, Eki."

"But…you two are-"

Peria walked forward, hand raised as if to hit her, and Eki flinched backwards.

"Peria."

At the deep voice, Peria halted, her fist inches from Eki's face. Her expression twisted, but she backed off, leaving Eki hunched over and trembling. Night walked into the room slowly, footsteps echoing in the sudden silence.

"Our direct attacks have not been successful," she went on, hands clasped behind her back in an aggressively military pose. She stopped walking in front of Eki, who straightened up and bowed respectfully, doing her best to hide her trembling. "It seems that another tactic must be employed."

She placed a hand on Eki's shoulder.

"Lord Garandou has asked that you use your…talents."

Eki looked started, but her face flushed in pride and awe. "Of course! I mean, thank you." She bowed again. When she raised her head, her grey eyes had turned emerald.

"It would be my honor."

Episode 10: "I'm the Princess! Himeko vs. Himeko"

"This is so boring," Riko said, leaning backwards and sighing. "This studying is going to positively kill me!"

The club was sitting around a kotatsu in Yoshi's living room, eating oranges. Books and papers were spread out on the table.

"Chin up, Riko! You're gonna ace that entrance exam," Shinobu said, tone cheery. She wasn't studying, but leaning on her arm and chewing happily on an orange slice as she read a book. It was titled "A Thousand and One Curses," and Shinobu seemed very absorbed. Every so often, she'd put a post-it on a page and nod.

Riko sighed again, leaning her head on the table and closing her eyes. "Easy for you to say! You guys don't have to worry about it until next year." Her eyes opened and her head popped up. "What exactly do you guys plan to do?"

Nao finished working on a column of figures, circling her answer. "I want to go into the sciences," she said, eyes lighting up. "I'll get a degree in Astronomy and then work at the Atacama Observatory through the University of Tokyo." She sighed happily. "I'll look at stars all day long! Chart the movement of planets! Track satellites! Work in a planetarium…" She realized that everyone was looking at her, and turned pink and clammed up.

Riko beamed. "That's our Nao! We're rooting for you!" She turned to Shinobu, expression expectant.

"Me? I don't know. On our survey sheet I just put 'Cryptid Hunter' but I think 'Paranormal Investigator' or 'Exorcist' would be fun too. What do you major in for that, I wonder…"

Riko looked like she regretted asking, but a morbid curiosity caused her to lean forward and keep asking questions. "An exorcist? Like a miko?"

"No, more like…a detective. Who solves ghost crimes," Shinobu said. "I've studied a lot of mystery books. I think I'd be good at it. Plus, I'm already friends with the city mortician."

"Uh-huh," Riko said, her expression somewhere between horrified and fascinated.

"What are you doing after high school, Yoshi?" Nao asked, changing the subject.

"Oh. I'm gonna focus on judo," she said, shoulders lifting in excitement. "My goal is to be the second woman to be a 10th dan rank, and then the first person ever to be 11th dan." She crossed her arms. "It'll be a lot of work, but I'm gonna do it! I've already talked to your dad about it, Nao."

"He'll be happy to have a full-time student," Nao said, peeling an orange. "You're trying for the business school in Yozora, right, Riko?"

Riko nodded, brushing her hair out of her face and tapping her pencil on her paper. "I might as well." She closed her eyes, a dreamy look on her face. "Can you imagine! Me, a career woman, coming home from a long day at work- and there's Yoshi, in a dress and apron, cooking me dinner! 'Hello, darling, how was your day?' 'Better, now that I'm home to see you!'" Riko squealed and hid her face in her hands.

Yoshi prodded Riko in the head. "Hey, hold up. You know I can't cook!"

Riko removed her hands, clasping them under her chin. "Oh. Right. You burnt dinner and then you ordered pizza. That's much more likely."

"Hey, where's Hime?" Shinobu piped up, interrupting the conversation before Yoshi could argue that her cooking wasn't that bad. "I thought she said she'd be here."

Almost as if on cue, there was a knock at the door.

Himeko had promised to meet at Yoshi's house, but currently she was curled up under her covers, feeling sorry for herself.

Stella had tried to wake her up, to get her out of bed, but the bat was tiny and couldn't move the chubby princess, who had tucked herself in under the blankets like a hermit crab. All Stella could see of her was the top of her head, mint green strands of hair poking out haphazardly. Eventually, the bat had given up and left the room, leaving the Princess alone.

The wool blankets were too scratchy. Even when Himeko closed her eyes, she couldn't pretend she was in her room at the palace, waiting for the day to begin, hiding from responsibilities. She missed her soft sheets. The four-poster bed that was made from wood from the moon tree, that glowed softly whenever it was exposed to bright light. The old, creaky window that liked to stick when she opened it. Her subjects –

Her stomach fell when she thought about the faeries that lived in the Kingdom of Stars. She burrowed her face further into her pillow – another thing she missed, all her pillows – and tried not to think about it, but the memories came flooding back.

"Princess! We need to leave, now!"

Stella, her sword at her side, grabbed Himeko by the hand. She could hear shouts from outside, the crash of rocks being thrown through the windows. Stella's pink eyes narrowed, and she drew her sword from its sheath in one fluid motion.

"What about Lumo?" Himeko said, doing her best to run with Stella but tripping over her feet in fear as Stella pulled her forward.

"He'll be fine! As long as you're safe, it doesn't matter-"

Himeko yanked on her arm, her eyes wide with fear and the threat of tears. Stella skid to a halt. Her purple hair, usually straight and neat as befitted Captain of the Guards, was in disarray. There was a bruise on her cheek. The star barrette she always wore was gone, lost somewhere. For a moment, she didn't look like a soldier. She just looked like a frightened kid, only a couple hundred of years older than Himeko.

"Princess – Himeko, I know you're scared," she said, her voice pleading. "But we need to get to the shards. We need to leave-"

There was a crash, and Himeko could hear the yelling get louder. Wordlessly, the two began to run again.

Himeko rolled over onto her stomach, cocooning herself further into the blankets. Truth be told, she didn't really feel like going outside today. It had been fun at first, pretending to be a normal girl, a commoner who talked about sweets and did homework, but as the days wore on Himeko realized she missed the routine she was used to, the castle where she lived. She missed when Stella would pat her affectionately on the head after a long day. She missed the throne room, full of windows and flowers and people. The mansion that Stella had created with her magic was lovely, full of old oak paneling and rooms and light, but it smelled like magic, like ozone and air. The sheets didn't smell like home, or even fabric. They smelled like nothing.

It was lonely.

Himeko remembered how lonely it had been before, just looking out at all the planets and watching a million lives go on as she watched, wishing she could be a part of it, but now that she was, she would have given anything to be back in the palace watching over everything again.

She felt so useless here.

Himeko didn't leave her bed until well into the evening, and as she trod downstairs, she could tell Stella had been fretting. The bat had taken to sitting in the rafters whenever she was stressed, and Himeko could see her perching there now. As she walked in, though, Stella's ears pricked up and she flew down to meet the Princess in the entryway.

"Are you okay, Himeko?"

Himeko hugged Stella close, shaking her head. "I called Yoshi and told her I wouldn't be going to the study session. I'm not feeling good."

Stella put a small paw on Himeko's cheek. "Okay."

Himeko felt tears begin to prick at the corners of her eyes. "Do you think everyone back home is okay? Are they welcoming the new stars? Are they all safe?" A sob left her, and she sunk down to the floor, curling over and doing her best not to cry, but the tears leaked out anyways. "I can't do anything here! I'm trying to stay strong, but I-"

She could feel Stella trying to hug her, stretching her wings and arms as far as they could go.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Himeko said, apologizing over and over.

"Good morning, everyone!" Himeko greeted Nao and Kimiko the next morning at school. Her day off had done her good – the weariness and homesickness she had felt had been cried out in one big torrent, the pain now stuffed back down to its usual spot in the back of her mind.

Nao turned away, looking petulant.

Himeko felt her anxiety level begin to rise, but she swallowed it back down. "Or, um, just a regular morning, then," she stammered.

Kimiko bit her lip, motioning Himeko towards the window and away from the pink-haired girl sitting in front of them.

"What's wrong, Kimi?" Himeko asked, face folding into puzzlement. "Nao looks like she's having a rough day –"

Kimiko looked disappointed. "Oh, Hime, I know you're new here – I don't know how things were back where you were from, but it's really impolite to say such things to Nao. You really hurt her feelings."

Himeko gasped. "Did- did I greet her wrong? Was I too informal? I've been living as a commoner so long, maybe I forgot-"

Kimiko waved her hand as if to stop Himeko. "I, uh, don't really get what you're saying, but that's not what I mean. I'm talking about yesterday, Hime."

"Yesterday?"

Kimiko exhaled, beginning to look frustrated. "Nao called me all upset! I know we're pals, Himeko, but Nao is my best friend since elementary school. I can't sit by when someone I love is hurt."

Himeko's eyes widened. "Wh-"

"If you didn't mean it," Kimiko continued, "You should really apologize. She was really hurt by it."

With that, she turned and walked to her seat, leaving Himeko standing there, confused.

What?

"Stella, something strange is happening," Himeko said.

Class 2-C was outside for gym period, and Himeko's two pigtails had been pulled into one big one so her hair was out of her face. She stuck her hands into the pockets of her gym jacket, glad that Yozora high assigned school uniform sweats for the colder months. She was standing away from the throng of girls as the teacher called names to try the long jump. Nao and Kimiko were standing close to each other; talking, their heads bent together, and Himeko felt a stab of guilt.

"We never made it to Yoshi's house yesterday," Stella mused, comfortable and warm tucked inside of Himeko's jacket, her head peeking out by the zipper near her chest. "You weren't at the scene of the crime."

"So why did Nao think I said something terrible?" Himeko asked, frowning. "I don't even know what it was."

Stella considered this.

"Singularity?"

"Maybe," Himeko conceded. "It doesn't sound like either Peria or Apoa, though. They're not this sneaky."

"Well, be that as it may, someone is impersonating you." Stella frowned. "And they must be fairly convincing – everyone seems a little…on edge."

Himeko kicked the dirt in front of her. "I don't feel good."

"What?" Stella looked up, saw how pale Himeko was. Didn't press it. "Maybe you should go to the nurse," she suggested, snuggling further inside the jacket. Himeko hunched her shoulders and began walking off the field towards the school, a pit in her stomach.

Nao turned around, seeing Himeko's pigtail bob as she made her way up the hill.

"Nacchan, leave her be. She's acting funky," Kimiko said, crossing her arms. "She pretended she didn't know what I was talking when I confronted her this morning. It's nice to see her guilty conscience in action."

"I know…" Nao squirmed in unease. "Don't you think it's really out of character for her, though? She may be thoughtless sometimes, but she's never mean."

Kimiko snorted. "Whatever. She insulted you, so she insulted me." She thumped her fist on her heart. "She's dishonored my clan!"

Nao punched her lightly in the arm. "You need to stop watching those ninja dramas."

"Oh, what, so you're allowed to freak me out by talking about black holes, but the second I mention something cool-"

"Momomiya! You're next!"

"Okay!" Kimiko called back, giving Nao a look before running to the starting place for the long jump.

Nao scratched the back of her neck, looking back up at the hill. Himeko had disappeared inside the school, and Nao felt a vague sense of dread, like there was something she wasn't understanding.

A girl with ash-white hair stood behind her, face hidden by the collar of her coat.

She smiled like a snake.

"Kiharu, here's my handout," Riko said, holding up a thin stack of papers up for the freckled boy to peruse.

"Oh, thanks." He took them from her, looking it over quickly.

"Being in charge of those things seems pretty boring," Riko sighed, pushing away from her desk and tilting in her chair.

He shook his head. "Nah, it's fine. I don't mind it." He looked around. "Where's Yoshi and Isao? I haven't gotten their worksheets yet."

Riko shrugged, pulling her Pretty Cure Mirror out and checking her makeup. "Who knows?"

"Oh."

Riko looked up. "Oh? Oh what?"

"No, just…"Kiharu pointed at the door. "Isn't that your friend?"

Riko looked where he was pointing, noticing someone at the door, peeking in.

"Oh!" She pushed away from her seat, weaving through her classmates and approaching the green-haired girl in the doorway. "Himeko! What brings you to the third floor? Is everything okay?"

"Riko…" Himeko's eyes were watering. "I just heard the worst thing…"

The blue-haired girl's face folded into an expression of concern. "Himeko? What's going on? Here, follow me-" She took Himeko's hand and led her to the end of the hall, near the staircase to the second floor. "What's wrong?"

Himeko wiped at her eyes, sniffling. "I was outside, you know, by the lunch spot, and I overheard Yoshi say-" She took a deep breath, as if to steady herself. "She said- she said that she was going to break up with you, because- because she said she couldn't date a girl-"

Riko's expression had become very cold, and Himeko flinched backwards, her nerve failing her. She couldn't even finish her sentence. It died in her throat.

"Himeko, I don't know if you think this is funny, but lying about this sort of thing is absolutely unforgiveable." Riko's tone was icy.

"It's not-"

Riko leaned in, her visible eye narrowing in anger. "I am choosing to treat this as a misguided attempt at humor, but if you ever try to joke like this again, even your status as Princess won't save you from your fate."

With the threat hanging in the air, Riko leaned back, her expression relaxing into something serene. "I hope the rest of your day is lovely," she added, turning on her heel and waltzing back into the classroom.

Yoshi and Isao were standing by Kiharu's desk, but he had already left to deliver the worksheets. Riko walked up to them, trying her best to look calm, but Yoshi wasn't fooled.

"Whats's up with the scary face, Riko?"

"Oh, nothing," she said, vaguely. "Yoshi, you were…?"

"At the teacher's office! Hikawa-sensei had some boxes he needed moved, so he had me and Isao help since we're both strong."

Isao lifted his shoulder and winced. "I swear he had bricks in those things. It was actually pretty tough."

"That's because you were carrying, like, four at a time."

Riko nodded, resting her fingertips on her chin. "Hmm. That's what I thought. And you weren't outside?"

"Nah. No reason to be," Yoshi said.

"And you still want to date me?"

"What's with those questions, Riko?" Isao asked, now making big circles with his arms to stretch them out. "You two've been practically married since the fourth grade."

Yoshi laughed. "Yeah, seriously!" She threw her arm around Riko's shoulders and planted a kiss on her cheek. "You're stuck with me, so why the heck would you ask me that now?"

"Oh, no reason," Riko said, deep in thought as she threaded her arms around Yoshi's waist. "Just checking."

Shinobu stretched her arms above her head, feeling her spine pop. She stood up, sighing.

"Shin? What's up?" Kimiko asked, tapping her papers on the table to organize them.

"I'm going to get a drink from the vending machines," she said. "Do you want anything?"

"Nah, I'm fine. We just ate lunch."

"Well, I'm thirsty. Be back in a second!"

Shinobu waved and hummed as she walked out of the classroom and around the corner. Class 2-C was situated right next to the drink machines, so it was only about twenty steps until Shinobu was inspecting her choices.

So focused was she on the drinks that she almost didn't hear when someone walked up behind her.

Almost.

Shinobu put in her yen coins and pressed the button for the banana drink she liked, turning around when the juice box had been dispensed. "Heya. You here for juice too?" She asked, poking her straw into the designated hole, but hesitated for a moment.

"Something wrong?" Himeko asked, tilting her head, standing with her hip cocked and her toes pointed inward.

"No," Shinobu said, thoughtfully taking a sip of banana juice. "Not really. What's up?"

"I had a question for you," Himeko said after a moment. She leaned in, whispering. "Well, actually, I just felt you should know…"

Shinobu waited.

"I really hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I overheard Riko and Yoshi talking…they said you were creepy," Himeko continued, her expression sad. "They said that they were afraid you'd curse them."

Uh." Shinobu could feel herself grinning, unsure how else to react. "Himeko, what are you saying? I know that already. That's not much of a secret." She took another sip of juice.

Himeko looked shocked. "What?"

"Yeah. You called me creepy like, three days ago after I showed you the shrunken head I found at that antique store. Well," she added, "you called the head creepy. You called me gross. Which is pretty justified." Shinobu shrugged. "And Yoshi told me if I ever cursed her, she'd punch me in the face, so I think she's a lot more superstitious than she lets on. Like I'd curse her, though. She's my friend! I'd curse someone for her, though. It's pretty easy. I just need a lock of their hair and a piece of their clothing and then I can make a voodoo doll!" She beamed and took another sip of juice. "Sorry, I got distracted there," she laughed, scratching the back of her neck. "You got me going! But seriously. If you need anyone cursed, I got you."

Himeko was backing away.

"Right…well, I'm going…back to class…"

She ran off down the hall, past the classroom, and disappeared from sight.

Shinobu tilted her head, her smile spreading slowly across her face. "Works every time," she mused.

Eki leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.

"She's not creepy, she's scary! How did a girl like that become a Pretty Cure?" She gasped, crouching down and taking the green pigtails in her hands.

I thought shapeshifting into the Princess would cause havoc, but these girls are too obstinate, she thought moodily. Especially the purple one. And the blue one wouldn't even listen to me. Eki snorted. I thought my disguise was fool-proof, but I get the feeling she wasn't fooled at all. She made a mental note to be more careful.

She shivered, remembering the look in Riko's eyes. What's wrong with them? They're nothing like I thought they'd be. Not only that, but something about the short girl with the long bangs made her nervous, but she didn't quite know why.

"Who the heck owns shrunken heads, anyways," she mumbled to herself. She pushed herself up and walked over to the window at the end of the hall. It was propped open, and Eki leaned on the windowsill.

Below, a certain pink-haired girl was walking out the door.

"You have one new voicemail…"

Yoshi sat down at her seat, unlocking her phone and checking her messages as she waited for class to start. Her phone buzzed, a notification popping up as she scrolled.

1 Missed Call: Hime

She frowned. When did Himeko try to call? She almost put the phone down, but for the sake of getting rid of the notification, Yoshi clicked the play button and held the phone up to her ear.

"Hi, um, Yoshi, it's Himeko. I'm not gonna make it to the study group today – I don't feel very good – I'll see you guys at school tomorrow, though. Sorry again. Tell everyone else hi for me!"

Yoshi pulled the phone away, brow furrowing in confusion.

That doesn't make sense.

"Hey, Riko," Yoshi whispered, poking her in the back and causing Riko to yelp and turn around in surprise. "Let's find the others. You were right."

"Blugh."

Himeko slouched along the corridor, still in her gym clothing. She had gone into the nurse's office to sleep off her stomachache, but after waking up, she realized it hadn't helped as much as she would have hoped. The ache was obviously mental.

Stella had left somewhere during her nap. When she had woken up, the bat was nowhere to be seen, but Himeko wasn't worried. She probably had left to find one of the others.

She sighed. Her clothing and schoolbag were still in the locker room. It wasn't a long walk, but already she dreaded the idea of running into her friends.

Are they still my friends? She wondered, moodily kicking a rock, pretending it didn't bother her. I've apparently made them all mad. I don't even remember it. A stab of anxiety made her stomach hurt again. Will they still want to be Pretty Cure?

"What is it, Himeko?"

Himeko's head jolted up hearing Nao's voice, but she could only see the back of her head. She almost called out, but someone stepped out from behind the bushes, and Himeko dove behind a tree, barely breathing.

That's me!

She peeked out from behind the trunk, heart thumping in her chest.

Nao was crossing her arms, her expression obscured at this angle, but Himeko could see…herself. She had a perfect view of her own face, standing with her hands on her hip.

I don't stand like that! Himeko thought, frowning. She noticed a copse of bushes closer, and, getting on her stomach, began to army crawl closer to hear what they were saying.

"What's wrong? You seem upset," Himeko said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.

Nao's fingernails dug into her crossed arms. "Of course I'm upset! Who wouldn't be? You told me my club was stupid yesterday!" There was a rustling behind her, but she was too angry to give it much thought. "I thought we were friends. Even Kimiko knows how important my club is to me, even if she doesn't care about it!"

Himeko looked nonplussed, annoyed even. "I'm just speaking the truth. Don't get mad at me for my opinion."

Nao uncrossed her arms, throwing her hands out. "What's with you? The Himeko I know would never say something like that!"

"Maybe you just don't know me that well," she said.

"I know enough," Nao snapped. "The Himeko I know is kind, and caring, because she knows what it's like to be scared all the time! She fights even when she wants nothing more to hide! She relies on me, and I rely on her! She'd never say these things! You're not Himeko!"

"But I am," Himeko said, letting go of her hair and clasping her hands behind her back, rocking on her heels. "I didn't tell you before because I needed you to save my kingdom, but keeping a secret like that is terrible, isn't it? Shouldn't friends tell each other everything?"

Nao's shoulders hunched.

"How dare you!"

Nao and Himeko looked to see another Himeko dive out of the bushes, jumping to her feet, pointing and shaking in fury, dressed in her gym clothing still and wearing one ponytail high on her head. "How dare you come here and jeopardize my friendships! They think I've been mean and rude, but that wasn't me! That was you! I'd never say those things to Nao! "

Nao's mouth dropped open.

"Nao's club is fun! She's really happy whenever we're all there! How can you call such an important thing stupid?!" The Himeko continued, fists bunched. "You're terrible! Oh, not you, Nao, her," she said, jabbing her finger at the other Himeko with emphasis.

The Himeko with two pigtails opened her mouth in surprise and shock. "Wh-who are you? An imposter!" She cried, pointing and stomping. "Nao! Tell me you believe me!"

"Nao! Don't listen to her!" Himeko yelled, eyes beginning to brim with tears. "I'm your friend! Please believe me!"

Nao looked from Himeko to Himeko, completely bewildered. "Uh," was all she could say.

Yoshi, Riko, and Shinobu ran up at that moment, Stella flying along behind them. When they saw the small gathering in front of them, though, they all stopped dead.

"There are…" Shinobu began, trailing off in surprise.

"…Two Himekos…" Riko finished, staring at them bug-eyed.

"Which one is the real one?" Yoshi said, looking back to forth. "They're absolutely identical."

"No."

The two turned to Shinobu, who was pointing at the Himeko in the gym clothing. "That's the real Himeko."

Riko squinted. "How can you tell?"

"Clones or changelings always have one difference. Something off about them." She held up her finger, like a professor delivering a speech. "I'm pretty sure I'm right, but we should test them. Ask a question only the real Himeko would know."

Riko looked crestfallen. "What could we possibly ask her? I don't know Himeko that well at all…"

Shinobu waved her concern away. "Leave it to me."

The two Himekos stood there, glaring at each other, but Shinobu walked right up to them, putting a hand on Nao's shoulder. "Okay, then, a question for you. What color socks did I wear yesterday?"

Everyone stared at her.

"What is she doing?" Riko whispered, but Yoshi just shrugged.

The Himeko in gym clothing stared at her, looking lost, but the one in the regular uniform responded with a confident "grey".

"Correct! They were grey!" Shinobu turned to face the Himeko in the gym clothing. "Which makes you the real Himeko."

"What? But I answered correctly!" The other spluttered, looking angry and confused.

"Exactly," Shinobu said. "The real Himeko didn't leave her house yesterday, because Yoshi got her voice mail saying so. How could she have known what socks I was wearing? Anyways, I've known you were a fake since yesterday. The real Himeko hates oranges. Why would she have suddenly eaten three whole ones at Yoshi's house? It doesn't make sense. Also," she added, linking her arms behind her back, "you didn't sit or stand like Himeko does. I noticed at the vending machines. I don't know who you are, but anyone could see you weren't the real Himeko just by that."

The Himeko standing before Shinobu looked at her coldly, an expression that looked strange on Himeko's face.

"Well done," she said thickly, and her pigtails turned steely white, her tan fading and her eyes becoming grey. Instead of Himeko, a pale, gaunt girl stood in her place, the school uniform having transformed into a high-necked blouse covered by a blue dress, the front cut out to reveal pale grey shorts.

The real Himeko gasped. "Eki! I should have known," she grimaced, but turned to Shinobu, expression fading into one of surprise. "How did you know that would get her to reveal herself? If you always knew…"

Shinobu shrugged, then turned to Himeko and smiled. "I just had a feeling that whoever was at Yoshi's house yesterday couldn't have been you. There's no way you would have said something like that. It was just a matter of exposing her in front of everyone. We're friends, after all. I can tell the difference between you and someone just pretending."

Himeko turned pink and looked at her feet, suddenly bashful.

Yoshi gave a low whistle. "Maybe there's something to Shinobu becoming a detective, after all."

"Who cares?" Eki spat, jumping into midair and alighting delicately on a telephone pole. "I was hoping to stir up more trouble before you caught me, but oh well." From her pocket, she drew a dark-colored Starlight Shard. "I guess we're back to the usual tactics."

She tossed the shard into the air, and the portal opened up, a gaping scar in the clear blue sky. "From the depths of space!" Eki yelled. "Uchui! Obey!" She then waved her hand, and a small gold birdcage popped out of thin air. She tossed it forward, and it collided with the wispy figure that was clawing its way out of the void.

A huge, shadowy figure, with the grey head of a bird and smoky wings that formed and re-formed as they moved, hovered before them. Its torso, however, was the birdcage, thin and glinting in the evening sun, the small bird's wings beating against the bars. The Uchui shrieked a different sound than the usual roar, higher pitched and grating.

Riko covered her ears, wincing at the sound. "I don't think I like this," she said, frowning.

"I'll make you pay for impersonating me so poorly!" Himeko yelled, grabbing her mirror and holding it high above her head.

"So, you'd be fine if she did it well?" Riko muttered, but the rest of Pretty Cure followed suit.

"Pretty Cure! Cosmos Activate!"

The bright light was blinding, and Eki threw her arm up, a cry escaping her.

"The promise of infinite possibility! I am Cure Galaxy!"

"The brightest light in the dark! I am Cure Star!"

"The fire of a beautiful dream! I am Cure Solar!"

"The veil of happiness and beauty! I am Cure Nebula!"

"Blazing a trail to destiny! I am Cure Comet!"

Cure Star pointed at Eki, her face tight with anger. "I'm gonna take you down! It's payback time!"

The bird Uchui clawed at the mint-colored cure, and she jumped out of the way as the talons dug deep into the dirt.

"Maybe we should deal with the Uchui first," Galaxy said, raising her fists.

"There's a living thing right there, though!" Cure Comet pointed out, looking nervous. "How can we attack without hurting it?"

Stella landed on Comet's shoulder. "I don't know! I've never seen an Uchui like this before," she mumbled, and Comet put her hand up to comfort the bat. "How can you put such a cute bird in danger? You're the worst!"

"W-what?" Eki said, looking genuinely concerned for a moment. "I'd never-!" She caught herself, her expression hardening.

Nebula grabbed Star's arm. "I have an idea!" She bowed her head, and the others leaned in to hear her plan.

From her stance high in the air, Eki squinted down at the legendary warriors. "What are they doing?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips. "Uchui! Take them out!"

The monster shrieked, beginning to move forward, but Pretty Cure was prepared.

Cure Nebula stood, her legs shoulder-width apart. "On my signal! One…two…three!"

At that moment, she placed her hands over each other, palms facing her mirror. "Pretty Cure Ultra Spiral!" The mirror glowed purple, and Cure Nebula pressed her hands to her chest, catching the glowing in her hands. She closed her fist, drawing it back, the glow now contained within, and with her tongue poking out in concentration, she threw it with all her might.

Her aim was good – the purple ball of energy spiraled toward the birdcage, through the bars. Before it hit the bird, Nebula threw her arms out and it split, purple hues separating around the small bird and creating a perfect sphere of energy that kept it protected.

Eki tilted her head, but there was a whistling near her head, and she whipped around just as a bright burst of green tore through the air where she had just been floating.

"Hey! Careful!" She yelled, kicking her legs and flailing her arms in annoyance.

"Why should I? I was aiming at you!" Cure Star yelled back, shaking her fist at her.

Galaxy rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Guys, hurry up!" Nebula shouted, the strain in her voice apparent.

Solar cracked her knuckles. "Galaxy! It's go time!"

The two girls raised their hands to their mirrors.

"Pretty Cure Rising Flare!"

"Pretty Cure Shining Heart!"

The pink whip sliced the Uchui lengthwise right above the birdcage as the four golden lasers ran up the wings and severed them.

The Uchui's shriek dissipated into the air, and the smoky being unformed and began to curl into the air. Nebula fell to her knees, the purple force field shredding and shattering. The birdcage began to fall towards the ground, but Eki swooped in and caught it before it hit. Galaxy turned, just in time to see the relief on Eki's face before she glared at Pretty Cure and disappeared into the void that opened up behind her.

"I saw Pretty Cure!"

"What?! They were here?"

"Did someone get the battle on video? Send me a copy…"

Nao sidled over to Himeko, ignoring the throng of students gathered around the cell phone with the video.

"Hey."

"Hey," Himeko said, smiling, but it was deflated somewhat.

Nao pulled up a chair and sat next to her, looking down at her hands, clasped in her lap.

"…I'm sorry we treated you so poorly," she began. "Or, at least, I did. I was upset and wasn't thinking clearly. Riko and Shinobu could tell that something was up the moment Eki began to mess around, but…" Her grip tightened, and her head bowed low. "I've been so caught up in my own head that I didn't even question it."

"It's hard," Himeko said suddenly, and Nao looked up. "It's hard when you're in charge of something. A lot of people depend on you, and you have responsibilities. If you think you're failing them, it's easy to believe that you weren't the right choice. That you shouldn't have bothered, since you messed everything up anyways. And people get hurt because of you, but you can't do anything-" Himeko inhaled sharply, trying not to cry.

Nao reached out and took Himeko's hand.

They said nothing for the rest of break, just sitting and holding hands until the class bell rang.

"Wait," Himeko said that night as she got ready for bed. "I never told Shinobu I hated oranges!"

"You must have," Stella said, perched on the sink. "How else would she have known?"

Himeko laughed. "Right. Of course. I probably just forgot."

"Thank you for helping me today," Eki said, hanging up the birdcage on its hook, the small yellow bird chirruping happily. Eki looked around the room, at the tens of birdcages similar that were suspended from the ceiling from long ribbons. The sound of birdsong filled the room, the noise dampened by the pillows strewn about on the floor. She opened the door to the cage, and the bird hopped out, fluttering onto Eki's outstretched finger obediently.

"They had to save you when I was blinded by how angry I was," Eki said, her voice almost a whisper. "I'm sorry. I'll be more careful next time." She smoothed the feathers at the small bird's neck, and it nuzzled her fingers, eyes closing in contentment.

"Next time…" Eki's soft expression turned hard, and the moonlight made her face look skeletal.

Outside the window, slowly, the stars began to blink out, one by one.

Next time on Starlight Pretty Cure!

Nao: Eki keeps popping up at the worst times…

Riko: It's getting stressful.

Yoshi: Yeah. All these monsters all the time! I feel like I'm forgetting something…

Stella: Didn't you have to be somewhere?

Yoshi: Oh no! I'm late! He's going to kill me!

Shinobu: Next time on Starlight Pretty Cure: "A Twin's Dilemma! My best friend, or my enemy?"