Obligatory filler sleepover episode! How will Ray fuck up this time?
As always, critique, thoughts and anything is always welcome with open arms! I love to hear what you guys think ;;v;;
Thanks to Nexus_Schwarz and SugaryDiamond for beta-reading again, and leaving wonderful comments and helping me improve! As usual! Be sure to check out their respective fanseries, Mythical Precure! and Weather Control Pretty Cure! *w*b
"I HAVE ARRIVED!"
Ray huffed, having used the last bit of air from their lungs to call out. They had been running around the forest for so long, stumbling around while trying to find Beryl's little cabin.
They had passed another, normal house on their voyage through the forest but nobody had been home, or at least they hadn't answered the door when Ray had rung the doorbell seven times.
This wasn't really how they had expected to spend their Sunday, but this had to be done, and they had to do it on their own. They had to prove that they could be independent!
"T-Terre..." The blond breathed out as they arrived at the cabin. They knocked on the door. "Beryl."
Nothing. They tried again, and again. After nothing happened, they grabbed a bottle of water from their flower-shaped pouch and took a huge slug from it.
"Beryl!" They tried again, finding themself out of breath once more. Their stamina wasn't the greatest. They felt so tired that they expected to fall over and flicker any second now.
After seeing a bundle of red hair poke out of one of the windows, Ray sighed in relief.
"Oh? Oh! Ray!" Beryl waved at them and climbed out of the window, made a little jump and landed in front of Ray. "You came to visit me?" She smiled, excited.
"I came to deliver an... um... invitation...?" Ray replied, sounding rather unsure as they opened their pouch and handed Beryl an envelope.
"What's this? A birthday card?" Beryl inspected the envelope, which only had her name written in on with golden ink. The writing was almost unreadable because of how cursive it was.
Ray frowned in confusion. "... A what?" They didn't linger on the question however as they shook their head, tapping at the card.
"You wanna come inside!?" Beryl asked, pointing at the cabin behind her. "I have snacks!"
Ray shook their head and stepped back. "No." Their voice was surprisingly soft.
Receiving no further reply from Beryl, Ray made a little bow and turned around. "Next Saturday. Do not forget!"
Then the blond waltzed out of view, leaving Beryl with the unopened envelope.
Beryl pouted, feeling a pang of rejection as Ray had left as soon as they had come. She told herself that they must be busy. Can't expect your friend to devote all their time to you, right? It wasn't that they didn't want to stay because they disliked her, right?
With a dejected look, she carefully opened the envelope and read the paper that was inside it.
A huge smile crossed her face as she read it.
Episode 11: Uneasy Peace
Eclair tapped her fingers on the counter. Today was a very quiet day at the Primetime Diner, barely any customers.
"I can't believe Connie is that new Cure from yesterday..." She spoke, looking at Hanan. The brunette was redoing her bun absentmindedly as her eyes seemed to be focused on the handful of customers, happily enjoying their greasy meals. "I'm not sure how to feel about that. I don't want her to be in danger."
Hanan waved her concerns off with a grin. "So, you don't mind me being in danger then?"
"You're way more aggressive. I bet you would make for a great, scary villain." Eclair chuckled. "Connie is too sweet, and kind, and cute, and angelic to be fighting monsters and bad guys!"
While Eclair's description of Connie made Hanan chuckle, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous about all this. Eclair had a point. Connie definitely seemed like the type who couldn't hurt a fly, even if she tried.
Well, she did flicker Ray, but that had been an accident.
From what Hanan knew of her, she was extremely passive and would rather avoid conflicts altogether. Yesterday had been personal, she had been desperate and that's why she had fought, but Hanan wasn't exactly counting on her to continue helping them. She probably didn't want to, and Hanan knew she couldn't expect her to fight.
Hanan had been thinking about that for a while, but the last few days had really pulled a piercing question to her mind. Why were they fighting?
Obviously to protect the world, the people but... why did they all accept this new life-changing job (for lack of a better word) so easily. Obligation? Fun?
Morgan obviously loved it. The only times Hanan had seen her happy was during fights, but teamwork was a concept she tried to avoid. She seemed to be more happy when left on her own.
Beryl, on the other hand, was bit harder to pin down. She seemed to be in a constant state of cheerfulness and glee, and it felt oddly soothing for some reason. Hanan wondered if she actually realised the dire of the situation or just saw this as a fun hobby of sorts.
Hanan herself... she... she just wanted to protect people. That was all. Or at least that's what she told herself, and kept telling herself. Maybe the praise and admiration of other people was another reason, despite her insistently telling herself that wasn't the main reason.
"Listen, you better protect Connie." Eclair was suddenly up close to Hanan, her eyes piercing through Hanan's. "If something happens to her I will punch you and make this... thing..." She pointed at Hanan's pocket, where she had hidden her Overheated Charm. "... into an omelette. I bet it's spicy."
Hanan couldn't tell if Eclair was serious or joking.
"I promise I will protect all of them." Hanan stated, having all intentions to keep that promise. "Including Connie."
Eclair grinned as she bumped her friend in the shoulder. "Thanks." Her grin turned into a rare, soft smile. "You'll be careful too, okay? Don't take all responsibility upon yourself. I know I can't fight with you, but I'll always be ready to help in any way I can, got it?"
After giving Eclair a warm smile of her own, Hanan disappeared into the kitchen where Aaron was busy doing his usual cooking magic.
"I HAVE ARRIVED!"
The door of the diner was swung open and the announcer proudly stepped forward, wearing a prideful smirk as they marched to the counter.
Eclair seemed unamused.
"Be honored, native humans, to be in my presence! To bathe in my glorious light!" Ray said, huffing their chest forward. Their entire body was glowing brightly and all the eyes of the customers in the diner rested on them. They heard murmurs but couldn't make out what was being said. Ray was sure it were praises.
Eclair made no attempt to hide her laugh. "Oh, you are such a special little snowflake, aren't you?"
"Not a snowflake, a beacon of light and hope." Ray corrected. "But thank you for your compliment. I deserve it since I was the one who saved all of you a few days ago from the dangerous Aeris! Do not forget my name, Radiant Lumiere, the light of-!"
"The light of shutting the hell up and just saying your order?"
"N-No?" Ray flinched as Eclair glared at her with an irritated expression. They shrunk back a little and fumbled with the sleeves of their shirt. "Tell Igni- Hanan that I want to give her something. Personally."
Narrowing her eyes, Eclair leaned forward. "And that is?"
Before Ray could reply, Hanan stepped out of the kitchen, holding two plates. "I've got the orders ready!" She stopped. "Oh, hey, Ray. What brings you here?"
Without saying anything, Ray handed Hanan another envelope, or tried to but Hanan awkwardly shrugged and motioned to the two plates in her hands.
Eclair swiped it from Ray's hands, making them flinch again but they quickly regained itself. "That is private!" They placed their hands on their hips, pouting. "Who do you think you are? Seems like you are just Ig- Hanan's servant."
"Servant!?" Eclair burst into laughter. "Han, they think I'm your servant!"
Hanan turned around with a grin. "Oh, you aren't?"
"Pretty sure you are my servant." The blonde shot back as Hanan continued her work. Eclair turned to Ray, waving the envelope around and seeing Ray's eyes follow it like an alert cat would. "I kicked her ass when we were kids. I had to protect the playground from the evil Hanan, 'overlord of destruction'~!"
"What!? You defeated her!?" Ray gasped, eyes widening."Is that why she is not as aggressive as she used to be...?" They muttered to themself.
"The teacher got between us eventually, but I totally won." Eclair snickered at the memory, still holding the envelope. "So, are you gonna order or what?" She asked, not even trying to act polite to Ray. "Do you even have money? Or any idea what you're doing?"
Ray gasped, offended. "Do not underestimate me!" They shouted, drawing the attention from the few customers again. "I will not allow you to look down on me! You have no magical powers to speak of!"
"Just order already, brat." Eclair rolled her eyes, sounding less and less amused with each passing second.
"How dare you insult me, Radiant Lumiere! Just because you tamed Ignis-!"
"It was a joke, you idiot! Oh my god." Eclair threw her hands in the air. "Also... you need to stop calling Hanan 'Ignis'. It's making her uncomfortable."
Raising their nose in the air, Ray scoffed. "I am trying, but that will not change the truth. She is too cowardly to face the truth. She is a monster and does not dese-"
"Stop. Right now."
A hand grabbed Ray by the collar of their shirt and pulled them close to her, lifting them off the ground a little.
"Hanan is not happy with how you are treating her and those other girls. I hope you know that." Eclair hissed, looking down at Ray, still in their grip and frozen in fear.
"B-But...!"
"She is too nice to call you out on your shit." Eclair continued, her voice lowering in volume and gaining a threatening edge. "I am not nice, so you better get off your high horse or I will punch you off it, we clear?"
"... I do not own a horse...?"
Eclair exploded. "OH MY GOD, HOW STUPID ARE... you..." She stopped mid-sentence, letting Ray go as her demeanor made a drastic turn from intimidating and loud to flustered.
Taken aback by the sudden shift, Ray blinked and slowly turned around to see Connie standing in the doorway. She looked way better than she had yesterday. She was actually smiling as she held her sketchbook in her hands and walked towards the counter, slowly. She still seemed a little wary of Ray.
"H-Hello, Connie! " Eclair's rough voice turned into an almost squeaky whimper as she choked out a greeting. "Can... I... can I take your or-... order? Or are you... here for Aaron? Or Hanan? Because you are a... Pre-... Pretty Cure now too, right? Hanan told me it was you yesterday... and you were... um... really... a-angelic!"
Ray frowned, eyes flicking from Eclair to Connie. "Angelic? Ha, do not make me laugh! She..." They wanted to say more but Eclair's glare looked more intense than ever. If looks could kill... they probably would have flickered twenty times by now.
Connie's smile faltered for a split second as she clutched her sketchbook, but she quickly regained herself. "I just wanted to visit, and maybe some fries?" She asked, placing some money on the counter.
"Always!" Eclair nodded with a smile, taking the money and calling into the kitchen, Aaron quickly peeked out, grinning widely as he saw Connie.
He smiled and pulled her in a hug. "There's my favorite superheroine!"
"Oh, hey, everyone is coming here today." Hanan came back, heaving a little sigh. Eclair handed her Ray's envelope as Ray gasped and revealed yet another one, which they awkwardly handed to Connie.
Ray nodded, proud of their accomplishment. "Now I have to find Unda... Morgan. Do you know where she might be?"
"Probably at the beach." Eclair shrugged. "So you're gonna bother her now? She will kick you, I'm sure of it. And I sadly won't be there to see it."
Without saying another word, Ray rushed out of the diner.
Eclair watched Hanan and Connie silently open the envelopes Ray had given them, reading them, and then exchanging some confused looks.
Morgan had lost herself in her music. Loud, upbeat yet rebellious tunes ringing in her ears as she lay in the sand. There was no sun to speak of, to Morgan's slight dismay, and the wind was cold.
But her trusty hoodie protected her from getting too cold. It wasn't pleasant but she could handle it. She was always rather cold, even back when she was small, and had learned to deal with it.
Morgan hid herself away in her hoodie, pulling it over her head and closing her eyes again.
Then she felt a piece of paper fall on her face.
She grabbed the piece of paper and cringed when she saw Ray looking down at her, wearing a smirk.
"Uh... hey?" Morgan said as she pulled the headphones from her head and eyed the envelope. "What's this? An invitation for a birthday party?"
Ray blinked in confusion. "No? It is an invitation and I will not accept 'no' for an answ-"
"A sleepover? Sure."
Ray looked even more confused. They had expected Morgan to decline and had even prepared a little speech to convince her to come. Looks like they wouldn't be needing that anymore.
"That was easy!" They blurted out.
Morgan gave them a look. "Anything to not sleep at home." Morgan shrugged. "The others are coming too, right?"
"Yes. They are. I personally invited them!"
Beryl had set a deadline for herself.
She had to finish these handmade lucky charms before the sleepover upcoming Saturday. It would be the perfect time to give them all!
They had to be perfect.
Beryl sighed a little. She still hadn't given Ray the opal bracelet they had made, but now she had to make ones for the others too!
For Morgan she had settled for aquamarine with some pearls for a fresh, watery look. Simple, but Beryl was sure it'll look good with her dark hair and make her blue eyes stand out like a beautiful ocean.
Hanan's was four pyrope garnets kept in place by leather braids. Like fire, burning with compassion and kindness. As Hanan had proved being extremely considerate towards Beryl, at least. The fact that she knew that Beryl wasn't fond of fire hadn't gone unnoticed and that might be the reason why Hanan had refrained from using it too much.
Of course, she hadn't forgotten Bright. Beryl hadn't found a single gemstone that fitted his colorful personality, and feathers, but she had gotten a cute alternative idea! A little bracelet with seven colored gems, forming a rainbow together.
"But what do I give Connie...? I barely know her!" Beryl cried out, looking at her vast collection of gemstones. She pouted as she inspected any possible, fitting candidate.
Her eyes stopped at an ametrine. Purple and yellow entwined, just like in Connie's egg. The way it was shaped vaguely resembled a heart, and Beryl thought that was quite cute.
If she remembered correctly, her mom had once told her ametrines helped relieve stress and anxiety.
Connie could probably use something like that and-
Beryl stopped thinking when she heard her stomach grumble.
"Guess I'll better get some food first!"
The entire week went by without any attacks. Things were peaceful and it was almost as if people had forgotten the Pretty Cures even existed. Connie's awakening as Cure Gale was treated like a minor thing, but she seemed to be happy with that, though.
School had been a little overwhelming for her. To suddenly be back, as if she hadn't been away for roughly a year and being expected to act like nothing had happened, it made her feel rather uneasy if not anxious.
Yet she continued to smile. It had suddenly become so easy to give reassuring smile after reassuring smile to anyone who noticed her stress, or noticed her in the first place.
Connie had always been content being left on her own. Hanan and Eclair had been the only ones that had seeked her out occasionally, done group projects with her in class, and sometimes had small talk, especially at the diner.
But now... she genuinely felt scared when left alone.
"Are you okay, Connie?" Hanan's voice cut through her thoughts. "You don't look so well. Do you need anything? Some water?"
Hanan's nosiness had become a lifesaver for her.
Connie shook her head with a reassuring smile. "I'm all right. It's just a little difficult getting used to this again."
The other girl stayed silent for a moment, tapping her fingers on Connie's desk while she seemed to be thinking about what to say next.
"... Listen, if you ever have a problem, just come to me." Hanan eventually said with a warm smile. "We can help each other through anything and everything, because we're friends."
She was like a dependable and admirable older sister.
"Thank you, Hanan." Connie said in her usual, soft voice. "I don't really know what to think... or do...? I'm scared."
"You're okay. It's okay, really." Hanan instantly reassured her as she started packing her stuff. "You don't have to fight if you don't want to."
Connie shook her head again, fumbling with her own egg, the Skyhigh Charm, in her hands.
"No, I have to do this, just like you guys." She spoke. "And I want to save Bronze and the others..."
Hanan kept quiet at that, again, unsure how to react to Connie's words.
"I don't care about what you say." Hanan was slightly taken back by Connie's sudden shift in tone. "I'm going to find a way to save them too."
"We'll figure something out..." Hanan finally choked out, awkwardly rubbing her arm. "But if you don't want to fight, then that's fine! We can't ask that much of you." Hanan objected, unsure whenever Connie was speaking the truth about wanting to fight. "It's hard and-"
Eclair loudly released a breath she had seemingly being holding for a while. "Y-Yeah! It's really dangerous, you know?" She chimed in as the three of them were walking out of the classroom after the final bell had rung.
"So, uh..." Eclair whispered to Hanan as Connie was out of earshot. "You guys are going to your secret Precure sleepover thing now, right?"
Hanan nodded. "Yeah. We're first picking up our stuff, and see if we can find Morgan." She gave Eclair an apologetic look. "Sorry."
"What? I'm not mad, nerd. I was gonna help my bro with his artsy stuff this weekend anyway." Eclair replied with a dismissive wave. "Just... don't play Truth or Dare, or spin the bottle, or anything questionable like that." She warned, cheeks flushing red. "I've heard stories where that ended badly, trust me."
"Pff, don't worry, I'll make sure Connie is still pure for you~!" Hanan couldn't help but snicker, playfully pushing Eclair's shoulder.
Eclair punched Hanan's shoulder back, as her face turned red. "I didn't mean it like that, Han! Oh my god! Don't talk about her like that!"
Beryl had no trouble carrying a big backpack as she hopped down the street, humming a perky little tune.
She was so excited!
She couldn't wait for the sleepover to start. They would eat stuff together, play games, have fun, and, by the end of it, they would be even closer friends!
And, yes, she had managed to finish the lucky charms in time. She would give all them her little gifts, to officially cement their friendship and to show them that she treasured their company.
Beryl smiled to herself, holding onto her own treasure. Her most precious treasure of all: the green, flower-shaped crystal hanging from her necklace.
"I'm finally doing this again. Heather, Aurora... wish me luck."
The sleepover had actually been Bright's idea. It had been a literal bright idea for Ray, who really wanted to try and become a bit more on friendlier terms with the Cures, if not only to be thankful they were protecting the world in their stead, for now at least.
But a sleepover seemed to be the best way to accomplish that. They had seen it on the magical box, or a "television" as Bright had called it.
Ray paced around in the living room, their arms placed on their back.
"They are late."
"I'm sure they'll show up soon enough. They just got out of school, after all." Bright said as he was proudly placing his freshly-baked rainbow cake on the table. "Except Beryl, but she will probably show up soon enough. I bet she will be first."
The entire table was already filled with all kinds of snacks, from other sweet things such as waffles and pancakes to the more crunchy chips and popcorn. There was enough to pick from and Bright was sure everyone would find something to their liking.
"I am so nervous!" Ray admitted as they suddenly stopped pacing. "I have never done something like this before..."
He gave them a smile. "I'm sure it'll be fine. You wanted to show them you're thankful, right?"
"... Yes..."
"They will understand your intents. I bumped into Beryl yesterday and she was really looking forward to it actually." Bright told them. "Just treat them how you want to be treated. That's all the advice I can give."
"But that would imply we are equal..."
Bright took a moment to reply. "Which you are." His voice sounded rather firm, making Ray flinch a little and stopping them from saying anything else.
Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock.
Ray made a little jump as the person kept knocking on the door. Knock. Knock. It made them a little nervous but they knock knock just knock kept going knock knock kno-"
"SILENCE!" They screamed out.
"Ray!? Bright!? Hello!?" A familiar voice said from the other side of the door. "I smell pancakes! You guys have pancakes!? You can't keep them from me!"
Ray turned to Bright with a pouty face as he rushed to the door to open it. Beryl, with a large backpack, hopped inside.
"I smell so much good stuff! My nose is going craaaaazzzyyyyy!" She beamed, throwing her bag on the couch. She grabbed a pancake from the table and managed to stuff almost the entire thing in her mouth. "Bright, you're the best dad ever!"
Appalled, Ray averted their eyes from Beryl's wild eating habits. "How distasteful and greedy you are. No manners." They hissed. "If you are going to act like Terre, then I will keep calling you by that name!"
Beryl gave them a quick, unreadable glance. She quickly grinned as she swallowed the last piece of her pancake. "Oh, I got a little present for you! So look forward to that!"
"A gift? For me?" Ray questioned softly. All the gears in their mind started turning while they tried to find a reason why any of the Titans would give them a gift, let alone Terre, who never shared anything with anyone.
Sure, they had been showered with gifts almost daily back home. From admirers, devoted followers, or anyone really, who all had been shunned away by their mother, including the gifts. She always ordered Lucille to throw them away, but Ray knew Lucille always secretly kept them, either for herself, Bright, or to give them back to their owner.
But the Titans were the last one should expect a gift from. They were all selfish.
"Hehehe, you'll see!" Beryl winked as she was visibly restraining herself from eating another pancake.
Morgan, Hanan, and Connie arrived not too long after Beryl, who gave all of them a hug. Even Morgan let her do so, but not without voicing her complaints.
After greeting the girls, Bright went into his own room, intending to leave the group to themselves and hoping that Ray wouldn't cause too much trouble. He would be lying if a part of him hoped it would be the other way around, if only to get Ray to open up and have some well-needed fun.
Sleeping bags seemed to be unnecessary as the two couches in the living room could both be turned into beds. There were also the handful of big, comfy-looking bean bags scattered around the living room.
Morgan sat down in one and almost sunk away in the soft material. "Nice."
"All right." Ray spoke up, straightening their back and standing in the middle of the room. "I have invited you all today to participate in- Terre, Aeris! Excuse you!? I am explaining something!" They cried as Beryl and Connie had gone to the snack table.
"Please... don't ca-" Connie started softly but trailed off once Beryl opened her mouth.
"Don't call us that!" The redhead snapped, shooting a quick glare at Ray before turning her attention back to the table with snacks, chirping with glee as she and Connie ate some popcorn.
Ray frowned, face turning into a pout as they watched the two in disdain, but they tried their hardest to not say anything.
"Go on, Ray." Hanan said calmly, offering them a somewhat forced smile. "What did you want to say?"
"Uh... I have been researching and observing natives of this planet, on the magical box, and have come to the conclusion that the most effective method of enhancing positive relationships is... uh... with this 'sleepover party' occasion." They said, obviously trying very hard to sound more authoritative than they were. "I do want to have a positive relationship with all of you, but it has to come from both sides! I want you guys to respect me, and I will respect you in return."
Morgan snorted loudly at that. "Since when have you ever respected us? Hm?"
"Because you never respected me either and-!"
"Okay, okay!" Hanan quickly came in between the two. "Let's just... have a fun sleepover party. We can watch movies, play games, anything! Or practice our new group pose!"
Without saying anything else, the group quickly changed into their sleeping wear. Ray retreated into their own room to change while the others just picked different parts of the living room.
Hanan proudly presented a small USB-stick as the group was still waiting for Ray to finish.
"Isn't this one still in theatres?" Morgan asked with an all-knowing grin as she looked at the name written on it. She closed one eye while looking at Hanan. "Arr, matey, didn't expect ya to enjoy the pirate life."
Hanan stared blankly at her. "Anyway, I've heard it's really scary!" She gained an excited twinkle in her eyes as she started rambling. "A horror movie that's scary, you don't see that often. It's a remake of an older movie and-"
"Oh no, a scary movie?" Beryl gulped, grabbing Connie's arm. "I can hide behind you guys when it gets scary, right? Riiiiiight?"
Then Ray stepped back into the room with heavy steps. They timidly kept their gaze at the floor while they stepped forward. A white-pink hue was on their cheeks.
"Do not laugh. I know I do not look exactly presentable but-" They started meekly, pulling on their pajama shirt, obviously with overly long sleeves. "I think it is comfortable."
"That's the point of pajamas, silly."
Ray pouted again. "Do not call me- Oh! Terre!" They gasped as they finally looked up. "Is that your nightwear!? That is even more inappropriate than what I am wearing! And Unda, why is there a skull, the mark of evil, on yours!?" They took a deep breath. "Are you showing your true colors?"
Beryl and Morgan exchanged some confused glances and looked down at their clothes, trying to find what was wrong with it. Beryl only wore a overly big, green shirt, which fell to her thighs while Morgan's pajamas was just a top with a skull on it and some text, and a pair of shorts.
"Hanan and... Connie's nightwear is passable!" Ray nodded at Hanan's simple long-sleeved shirt, with a little star on it, and her pajama pants. Then another nod to Connie's white nightgown.
Beryl frowned and pulled on her shirt. "But this is my bro-"
"Is this really a subject to be complaining about?" Morgan groaned, narrowing her eyes. "Hanan, what is that?"
The brunette proudly showed her sleeping mask, with what seemed to be a visor of sorts depicted on it. "The pajama is a match for this mask. He's my fave and he's really cool, and badass and-"
Morgan slapped a hand over Hanan's mouth. "Shut up. I don't care."
"Or do you mean... you donut care?" Beryl grinned and handed Morgan a donut, which she grabbed but didn't take a bite out of.
"I hate you."
Most of the evening was spent without much trouble. Hanan forced the group to practice their team phrase and pose at least once, and Morgan quit after one time. But now they were totally ready for the next attack, whenever that was gonna be.
Next, Ray picked to play a simple board game for all to play, and, would luck have it, they actually won a couple of times. They proudly rubbed their victory into the others' faces, but stopped when Morgan kicked them in the guts for it.
After that, they played a handful games of Twister and it quickly became clear that Morgan was almost undefeatable when it came to agility, with Beryl being a close second while Ray somehow managed to almost break their back while trying to play.
When Ray was trying explain why the game was unfair, a pillow hit them in the face, and they hit the floor.
"Pillow fight!" Beryl cried out. "Pillo-!" A pillow hit her too.
The culprit, who turned out to be Hanan, laughed and just barely evaded the pillow thrown in her direction, making it hit Ray once again.
"How dare you attack me!?" They cried out, looking at the pillow that had hit them. "No respect for me... means I will not give respect baaaack!" They closed their eyes and threw the pillow in a random direction, hitting Connie weakly in the chest.
The pillow fight continued for some time. Connie jumped in right away, hiding behind the couch and collecting any pillows she managed to grab along the way. After getting hit twice, Morgan reluctantly joined as well.
After a while, Bright, in peacock form, did come in to check if everything was okay but the group was so busy they didn't even notice him. While normally not fond of being ignored, he was actually really pleased at the sight of everyone having fun, even Ray, who cheered every time their throws hit their mark.
Bright smiled. This was the youth Ray had missed out on. Having fun with friends, playing silly games, and just having a good time.
After a minute or so, he silently went back into his room, returning to listening to his audiobook in peace.
"So..." Morgan started after finishing the fight and sat down in one of the bean bags again. "Where's the booze?"
Beryl gasped loudly. "What!?" She gave Morgan an almost horrified look. "You can't do that! That's bad!"
"Geez, I thought we were gonna have a party." Morgan said, playing with a lock of her hair. "Is this a party or a party?"
"Okay! I'll go put on the movie!" Hanan said with a loud voice, interrupting the two.
Ray did not enjoy the movie.
They were hiding in their banana-shaped sleeping bag (which Morgan had made fun of) the entire time, sometimes peeking an eye out but quickly retreating again whenever an overly fake monster appeared on the screen, or when a loud noise was heard.
"This is so dumb!" Morgan groaned, munching on a piece of the rainbow cake. It was really good. The movie was not. "Why is she running upstairs when there's a killer monster in the house!?"
"Ssshhhh!" Hanan shushed her, and continued to watch the movie intently. Her attention was being held captive by the screen.
Beryl, seated in between Hanan and Connie, was scared by the obviously CGI monster on the screen, clutching either of the girls' arms whenever it came into view. Despite her fear, she didn't stop chomping down on cookies and other snacks.
Connie, on the other hand, was surprisingly calm during the entire movie. She had clutched a pillow against her chest while she stared at the screen in a serene daze, and only got visibly startled when a loud noise was heard.
"Ray, are you... okay?" Noticing the obvious discomfort they were in, Connie softly placed a hand on the sleeping-bag Ray was hidden in.
"I am fine... I have seen worse!" A muffled sniffle was heard from the blanket. "And that includes you!"
"What happened to that 'respect'?" Morgan spoke up, not taking her eyes from the screen.
Ray poked their head out, still teary-eyed.
"Are you crying?" Morgan asked, not even trying to hold back a snicker.
"It is so sad..." They replied. "That man just wanted to spend time with that woman... but he got tainted and turned into a monster, all to protect her." They sniffled again. "And now she wants nothing to do with him anymore... although it is his own fault for getting tainted..."
Morgan was still snickering. "It's a damn werewolf movie, Ray, who cares!?"
Hanan let out an awkward chuckle. "Heh, yeah. Movies often have forced love stories like that. It's either a love story, or family dynamics, or something." She shrugged, but then grinned. "But nobody cares about that, we're just here for the action and bloodshed!"
"Of course, that is what you care about." Ray narrowed their eyes at Hanan. "I should have expected that from Ignis."
Another sniffle was heard. "But it's so saaaaad!"
"You too, Beryl!?" Hanan gasped as she watched Beryl lean against Connie while sobbing dramatically. Connie gently patted her back.
"I say we watch a drama movie next." Morgan suggested with a grin. "I'd love to see you guys react to that."
They didn't end up watching a drama movie. Instead they spent the rest of the night watching a, presumably, comedic film that was playing on TV. None of them knew anything about it, not even Hanan, who seemed to be quite knowledgeable on these kind of things.
But none of them were really paying attention as sleep was finally starting to catch up to them.
Connie was the first to go, followed shortly by Beryl... but Morgan and Hanan couldn't yet open the door to dreamland yet.
Ray was actually the reason for Morgan and Hanan's trouble falling asleep. Their whole body emitted an almost obnoxious light. It was like they were a living, breathing light bulb.
It wasn't clear if they were asleep or just laying completely still, with their eyes closed, on the couch they had claimed for themself. Their glow escaped even the sleeping-bag they had wrapped themself in.
Morgan and Hanan exchanged some annoyed looks. Morgan was surprised how angry Hanan looked when she had put on her sleeping mask, turned away from Ray, and pulled the blanket over her head.
Suddenly, Ray started squirming and murmuring, thrashing a little in their sleep.
Morgan groaned and pulled a pillow on her face in an attempt to drown out the light. She would be lying if she said that Beryl's snoring and Ray's mumblings weren't getting on her nerves.
She wasn't a light sleeper, since she had slept through louder stuff. The trick was falling asleep, but when Morgan was gone, she was really gone. Well, until her alarm would scream and wake her up.
This time her alarm was quite different.
"WAKE UP!"
That actually managed to drag at least three of the four out of their sleep. Hanan pulled off her sleeping mask, Morgan almost fell from the beanbag, and Connie put her hands over her ears while Beryl leaned against her, still snoring.
Ray was wide awake and stood in the middle of the room, rubbing their hand. Their glow had lessened significantly.
"What... is it?" Hanan was the first to stand up and approach Ray, holding up a hand but not touching them. "Did you have a nightmare?"
"There is something here..."
Hanan looked around. With Ray's form being the only source of light, it was difficult to see anything.
Was someone or something... in the room? Bright?
"T-There!" Came Connie's voice from behind her. She was still sitting, with Beryl still leaning against her, as she pointed at the window. "I heard something..."
Before any of them could reply, the doorbell rang. They all froze in place, expressions varying from fear to annoyance as Morgan waltzed to the door. She stood on her tiptoes and looked through the little peephole in the door.
"What!?" She backed off and gave the door a kick. "Are you for real!? Go home, ya nasty!"
Hanan frowned as she watched Morgan go to her bag and got her Seaborn Charm.
"You guys go back to sleep, I'll handle this." Morgan said, transforming into Cure Splash before unlocking the door, throwing it open, and kicking the person standing in front of the door. Or well... trying to since they managed to step back just enough to avoid a kick in the face.
The mysterious visitor turned out to be Hail. He coughed a few times at the chorus of gasps and groans.
"Ah, Ice to see you. I had a hunch that you would be here." He said, as if he was a simple doors-to-doors salesman. "I... eh... had a little trouble with the portals." His smirk turned into a frown as he pulled some frozen branches out of his hair. "Ugh, I look li-"
"Shut up and get out of here! It's like three in the morning, you old fu-!"
"Ahem. I apologize for coming this late. Time is a little different for me. I admit that I miscalculated." Hail continued, raising his voice. "It would have been snow fair to start an attack while you were asleep and unready, and that's why I came to warn you in advance. Now, go prepare while I'll find someone to tur-"
"The heart that burns with the warm flames, Cure Ember!"
"The heart that soars with the courageous wind, Cure Gale!"
"Icey. All right, then." He jumped back and spread his arms to summon at least a dozen Flurries, slowly making patches of frozen snow appear in the street.
Beryl yawned. "Ohhh... isn't that... considerate of him?" She was the only one still untransformed as she stood behind Gale. Splash splashing some water in her face almost instantly made her fully wake up, and she quickly transformed as well.
"The heart that grows with the steadfast earth, Cure Terra!"
The flurries started throwing snowballs at the various windows in the street, playfully hopping around to evade the Cures' attacks
All the noise obviously woke people up, more and more lights turning on in the street.
People were watching from windows and a few even came outside to find the source of the noise. Most of them instantly retreated back into their homes once they saw Hail, the snow, and the Pretty Cure.
One unsuspecting and still half-asleep woman in a nightgown was not that lucky as Hail grabbed her, revealed a newly filled bottle of Dark Ink and proceeded to turn her into an Unbound. This Unbound wore a sleeping mask over its head and seemed a little drowsy.
"Guys, we have to do it now! Our group pose!" Ember urged the others. "Like we practiced! Come on, come on!"
"Embracing the past to pave a path for the future, Prime Pretty Cure!" The quartet declared, holding hands as four lights blended together around them before lining up and posing.
Splash turned to Ember with a smirk. "We did it. Happy now?"
"Yeah! That felt great!" Ember grinned, all the sleepiness from before seemed to have vanished after she had transformed. "I'm fired up!"
"Brrravo." Hail clapped. It wasn't clear whenever he was mocking them or being genuine.
Without another word, the Cures scattered over the battlefield. Ember fought the horde of Flurries, occasionally using some fire to easily make them melt. Splash and Terra focused on the Unbound, landing a few kicks and punches, and making it fall over surprisingly easily. Gale flew straight to Hail.
"You're Aeris, correct?" He said, raising an eyebrow and looking her over. "I hope you're aware you made Bronze really upset."
Gale was slightly taken aback. "I... um... tell Bronze to wait a little longer, I will save her. We will save her!" She declared, trying to sound more determined than she actually was. "And we will save you too! Just let us help..."
Hail couldn't help but laugh at that. "I'm afraid you're too late, child. I already threw away every ounce of my humanity." He raised his hands with a shrug. "Gone and melted away, all of it. Isn't that just thrilling, or should I say chilling?"
"I know you're not a monster..." Gale said, hands trembling. "None of you are... please, don't let Shade make you think that you are beyond redemption."
Another chuckle, followed by a shrug. "The brat? Who cares about his opinion?" Hail replied. "I'm just doing my job. But, I do have to admit... becoming a harbinger of darkness sure has the oddest application method I've seen."
"Gale!" Ember was suddenly right next to her. "What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to talk to him..."
"Don't..." Ember started, looking rather tense, grabbing Gale's arm and pulling her away slightly. She had promised Eclair to look after her. She wasn't planning on breaking that promise so soon. "You won't get through."
"Correct. You're wasting your time." Hail nodded as he watched Ember and Gale rejoining Splash and Terra in their fight. While they managed to make the rather sleepy Unbound fall over, its eyes stayed the same color.
Splash summoned a ring of water, which circled around her hands, before smashing against the Unbound, making it fall on its stomach. "It's not even putting up a fight...! It keeps falling over!"
Already gotten very used to her flying abilities, Gale used a strong windblast to roll the Unbound on its back.
"All right!" Splash leaped in the air and got ready to use her attack, then she realised something and instead landed on the Unbound's stomach. "It's asleep!?"
The monster had its sleeping mask over its eyes as it was lying on its back. It used its massive arms to weakly swat in the air, like a child trapped in a nightmare. Gale evaded it with ease.
Ember and Terra both jumped on the monster too, while Gale hovered above them. Splash had ran up to the Unbound's head and kept kicking against its cheek, shooting water, and even tried a few punches. It only moaned and occasionally slammed its hand on the ground.
"Guess we're all tired." Ember chuckled as she, Terra, and Gale backed off so that Splash could finish it off, hopefully.
"Pretty Cure Hydro Wave!"
Hail leaned against a street lamp, shrugging as he watched the Unbound dissolve. "Hm, decent enough, I suppose." He narrowed his eyes as the remaining Cures approached him. "So you want to 'save' my friends and I?"
He took a step forward, freezing the small patch of grass he was standing on and summoning a few more Flurries.
"I'm not letting you."
Cold eyes stared down at them. "They've been hurt before and I am not letting that happen again, so don't you dare to drag them back."
The Cures didn't reply right away, and let the words sink in a little. None of them really liked the implications of what Hail had said.
"Haha, don't start playing that card now." Splash rolled her eyes, kicking down a few more Flurries. "I have no sympathy for the likes of you!"
"Hail, I wanted to give you a chance, because of what Gale told me..." Ember said solemnly, giving Gale an apologetic look before continuing. "But if you won't accept our help, then there's nothing we can do for you!"
"Good. I am glad you finally understand." Hail replied while summoning a portal behind him. "I bid you farewell for tonight, but we'll see each other again."
Gale flew forward, reaching out a hand. She opened her mouth, trying to say something, but no words came out.
She needed to make sure nobody had to suffer like she had. They weren't monsters, they weren't...
Back then, they had tried to help her, multiple times. They had looked after her and accepted her like one of their own. For the time she spent there, she had thought there had been no way out... no place to go back to except there.
But then Ray had lit a fuse of hope and managed to undo everything Shade had done to her, just like that. Reverting everything as if nothing had ever happened.
If she could be saved, then they could too. She knew they were humans once. They had to have family, friends, or loved ones that missed them... or didn't miss them if they had been forgotten, like she had been.
"We'll be eagerly awaiting your inevitable return, Aeris." Hail's voice pierced through Gale's thoughts with a cold tone. He extended a hand to the other Cures. "And, of course, we will gladly welcome you three too with open arms, when the time is right." A smirk. "I'll even ask Elegy to make you a delicious meal."
Without saying anything else, he went through the portal. The snow melted away and the last couple of Flurries did as well.
The first thing the Cures found after undoing their transformations and going back inside, was Ray and Bright, still in peacock form, waiting for them.
While Bright showed gratitude and thanked them, Ray's reaction was almost the exact opposite.
"This is your fault." They said with an intense glare. "You keep bringing the darkness here... ! You ruined my sleepover! You-!"
"Are you serious!? We are putting our lives on the line to fight. We are protecting your sorry, little ass from danger while all you do is whine, whine, whine and whine!" Morgan yelled as Hanan grabbed her arm before she could kick Ray. "If anyone is to blame it's that brat. He started this in the first place!"
Ray narrowed their eyes. They kept silent for a long time as they seemed to be thinking really hard about something.
"No, Ray, don't be like this." Bright said firmly. "You said you wanted-"
"You offered help to someone from the darkness." Ray ignored Bright and stepped closer to the girls. "Why do you think that is all right!?" They gave Connie a dark glare. She shrunk back fearfully. "Do not try to act innocent with me!"
Beryl tried to grab Ray's attention with a forced laugh. "But, Ray... you helped Connie back then? Maybe you can help them too?"
"That is different!" The blond objected, snapping their head to Beryl now. "In them, there is nothing, except darkness. And a really clouded... something." They added, not sure whatever that 'something' even was. It felt vaguely familiar, in a way, but they couldn't put their finger on what it was. One thing was for sure, it was something bad.
Hanan gently pushed Morgan and Connie away from Ray. "I don't understand why you're upset, Ray?"
Ray bit their lip, actually taking in Hanan's question. "How am I supposed to feel then? Tell me..."
An incredibly awkward silence fell. Beryl's eyes flicked from every person present in the room. Ray stared at the floor, Bright awkwardly stood behind them, Hanan stared at Ray while resting one hand on Connie's shoulder and keeping another in front of Morgan, who rolled her eyes.
"T-Take this!" Beryl interrupted the silence as she rushed to her backpack and held out her hand in front of Ray. She opened her palm to show the opal bracelet. "I made this for you, Ray! It's a lucky charm. This opal is very pretty and colorful and it reminded me of you and-"
"... Trying to flatter me with poorly-made gifts will not work!" Ray yelled as they threw the bracelet on the floor, stomping on it in their rage as it shattered under the weight. "It will not. You will not fool me! No, no, no, no!"
Connie held a hand over her mouth in shock as she hid behind Hanan, who shared a tense look with Bright. Morgan seemed disgusted at how Ray was acting, and Beryl stared at the opal in silence with an unreadable expression on her face.
"Ray, please. I thought we got past this... we want to be friends... we had so much fun earlier today and-"
"I see... I see what you are doing." Ray interrupted Hanan as they clenched their fist. "You are putting up a charade to get my trust, only to stab me in the back when it works in your favor." They kept their gaze low. "I am not something to be controlled. I am not yours and you cannot tell me what I can and cannot feel, or say, or do!"
Exhaling a loud breath, Morgan stomped over to them and kicked them in the foot, making them almost fall over. "We're not even saying that. How about you stop acting like an entitled, paranoid, selfish piece of shit?"
"Everyone, please, calm down." Bright spoke up as he stepped in front of Ray. "Ray, why are you acting like this? Why are you so upset? They helped us again. They have given you no reason to distrust them... they never did."
Ray averted their eyes, silent.
"... What about your promise?" Beryl asked.
While the voice was barely a whisper, it still carried a certain firmness in it.
Beryl stepped forward, until she was almost uncomfortably close to Ray. They just looked up at her with wide-eyes. "Didn't you say you would believe in us?" Her expression was as calm as her voice.
"Listen, we want to be your friend..." Beryl continued on when nobody said a single word. "And I don't want to hear any protests, Morgan!"
For once, Morgan stepped back, holding up her hands with a worried frown "... I wasn't gonna say anything."
"I don't know what happened to you before all this, but I understand that it must have been very painful..." Beryl said, her voice losing its calmness as tears filled her eyes. "And it's not my place to pry. It's fine. We all have our secrets."
The more she went on, the more Beryl started feeling frustrated as she kept digging up all her buried feelings from the past couple of weeks.
"I know that the other me hurt you a lot, and the people you cared about... but I, Beryl Forrest, Cure Terra, am your friend and I want to make you happy! Trust me, Ray, I really want to see you happy! Believe in me, like you said you would!"
With trembling hands, she picked up the shattered opal. She looked back up at Ray with a glare as tears streamed down her face.
"What do you want me to do, Ray!? How can I make you accept me, not even as a friend but just... just... no matter what we do... it's never good enough..." She paused, taking in a breath. "Why do you keep treating us like garbage...!?" Squeezing her eyes shut, she stomped her foot down. "TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT FROM US, RAY!"
After screaming at the top of her lungs, Beryl stomped her foot down again and the room suddenly started shaking noticeably.
Panicked, Bright scrambled to catch some sculptures or vases with his wings and Hanan quickly joined him. Connie, still recovering from Beryl's loud screaming, aided as well, holding up another sculpture, letting it hover in her hands.
Ray tried to step away from Beryl, tripping over their feet and falling on their butt. In fear, they looked up at her as she had regained her calmness.
"If you keep on continuing like this, pushing others away... you're going to hurt yourself and what you care about sooner or later." Beryl said, staring down Ray with a steely glare. "If you really meant what you said in that letter back then... then..." She bit her lip. "Then start believing in us."
They crawled back a little and shielded themself with their hands. Beryl just turned around, not giving them any more attention.
Ray stood up, eyes shining with tears. "I am going to my room. I request some time for myself." They said before walking out of the living room.
"I'm so sorry..." Bright started as soon as Ray closed the door behind them. "I didn't know this would happen... I wish I could help them see that you are different from the Titans."
Hanan kneeled down and gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't apologise, Bright. It's not your fault." She muttered. "Like Beryl said, they have been through a lot. You guys both lost everything... and it was, in a way, our fault."
"Goodness, no!" Bright gasped. "You are not them, and should not have to bear their mistakes. Don't let Ray, or anyone, make you think that." He gave them all a quick look, lingering on Connie the longest.
Morgan had a faint hint of a smile on her face as she sat down in the beanbag. "Finally, someone who gets it!"
"Thank you, Bright. You're really sweet." Connie replied softly, although the sadness was still evident on her face.
Bright nodded, and he exchanging some "good nights", retreated back into his own room, leaving the four girls by themselves.
"Sleep well, everyone." Beryl said with a soft smile. It was obviously forced, but it was also almost impossible to tell. She lay down on the couch and pulled the blanket over her head. Not even a few minutes later, she started snoring again.
Nobody else said a word anymore as they soundlessly went to sleep.
