Roaring Hearts Pretty Cure

by DarkPrinceCait

[Fanseries] The princess of the magical kingdom of Illuster and her loyal bodyguard are driven from their homeland after it falls to the sinsister Void Clan. Now stranded on Earth, their only hope of taking back what they hold dear is to become the Legendary Warriors Pretty Cure and restore the Rainbow Melody that once protected Illuster.

14. Episode Fourteen

Episode Fourteen: To Harm or Heal? Tsukiko's Conflict!

---

Nanami hummed thoughtfully as she and Sirius idled in uptown Seizato. The elder princess of Illuster opened the notepad on her phone once more, carefully going over the checklist that Tsubasa had helped her and Kohaku prepare for their upcoming weekend vacation at Yuzuki's private island. Tsubasa had claimed that she seemed to have most of the essentials, but well, one could never be too careful when managing an itinerary.

"Your first summer here, and you're kicking it off riding to a private island by helicopter." Tsubasa had said with a low whistle, once Nanami and Kohaku had broken the news to her on the night of the sports festival. "Then… you guys did live in a castle and all. I'm sure this is nothing new to you."

"Oh no," Nanami had said "this is novel, in a way. I have been brought along on a few diplomatic visits and such, but never unsupervised. And the sort of places I visited with Mother and Celes were a far cry away from a small private island like this." She had looked aside, flushing a bit. "To be honest, I have no idea how one would conduct themselves on a normal vacation, let alone prepare for one. I always had people doing that for me."

"Nanami, that's nothing to be embarrassed about." Kohaku had informed her flustered partner.

"Damn right, it's not." Tsubasa had agreed. "I can help with all the vacation preparation, if you two and Sirius can help me do the shopping? And… as for the bit about adult supervision… I'll see what I can do. Wouldn't mind a private island vacation myself, if you'll have me."

There had been an unspoken note of 'I'm worried about letting you two stray too far' in Tsubasa's voice, Nanami noted. It was understandable that she would worry – wherever she and Kohaku went, trouble would inevitably follow.

And the best thing the two of them could do, Nanami mused as she gave her checklist another careful once-over, was try their best to keep Tsubasa unaware of their closer calls, lest she end up worrying more. Neither she nor Kohaku was certain that was working. Or that her idle mention of inviting the twins, who kept claiming they hadn't decided yet had not set off alarm bells in Tsubasa's head. It seemed that Kohaku wasn't the only one who was leery of those two.

"So, what is the verdict, Lady Nanami?" Sirius asked as they stared up at her quizzically. "Everything present and accounted for?"

"It seems that way." Nanami said as she put away her phone. "Kohaku already finished her half of the shopping too, from the look of it. All we have to take care of is swimsuits – and Tsubasa said she wanted to be there with us for that one. So!" Nanami nodded firmly. "With that out of the way, there is only one thing left to do!"

The princess and the librarian looked at one another, their eyes sparkling.

"To the library!"

Both Nanami and Sirius hit the ground running, both weaving around passers-by as they charged forwards at top speed. Halfway through their high-speed trek, Sirius suddenly stopped in their tracks, forcing Nanami to come to a sliding stop, mere inches from an ice cream stand.

"Siri?" Nanami asked the librarian, whose ears were perked up and whose tail was swishing steadily. "Is it...?"

"That's right, that's right." Sirius said. "I feel the strong presence of a Roaring Medallion!" As they started off, they noticed Nanami taking off after them and shook their head. "I'll be alright, don't worry!" they assured her. "Wouldn't want all the copies of the new…"

"Trials of Apollo."

"Right, right, the new Trials of Apollo to get checked out before you can get there." Sirius said. "To be honest, I'm more worried about you."

Nanami smiled sadly at that one. "Don't worry. I won't allow Celes or anyone else to lead me into another trap. I wouldn't want to cause you any more worry, Siri."

Sirius hesitated for a moment before heading over to Nanami's side, allowing the princess to scratch them behind the ears. Once Sirius seemed satisfied she was feeling better, the two parted and set off on their separate ways.

"Well…" Sirius said. "Take care, Lady Nanami. And please, stay safe."

"You as well, Siri." Nanami said as she watched the librarian disappear into the crowd. She only continued onwards once they were gone from view.

---

Unfortunately, it seemed that Nanami was indeed too late – every last copy of the new Trials of Apollo had already been checked out. Apparently, the series had a great many fans in Seizato, who had eagerly snapped them up that morning.

"Oh well," Nanami and Amane, who was standing a few yards away from Nanami at the library counter, sighed and slouched in unison. "Isn't that how it goes?"

Moments after speaking, the two girls looked at one another, realized what they had done, and burst into laughter – politely muffled by their hands, of course. This was a library.

"Guess great minds think alike!" Amane said as she headed towards the children's section. Nanami followed after her. "How's vacation prep going? Do you have everything together, or are you just taking a break?"

"Kohaku and I have most everything prepared, I believe." Nanami said. "So, why not reward myself with a trip to the library?" She shot Amane, who was consulting a shelf with the focus of an archivist, a concerned glance. "Are you certain you don't want to go along, Amane? Yuzuki did say she was perfectly willing to accommodate you."

Amane shook her head, even as she selected a book from a nearby shelf and began to page through it. "I'm alright, really!" she said. "Summer is a busy time for me! I have grocery deliveries to do, homes to help clean, the sports teams' summer training to assist with… a wannabe hero always has lot on her plate! And besides," she added as she closed the book with a sad smile "I think the twins need something like that far more than I do. They're both worrying me a lot."

Indeed, something seemed up witht he twins. Yuu was even less talkative and more asocial than normal, seeming distant even from the sister she usually stuck to like glue. Tsukiko seemed alright... on the surface. She was polite and sociable, nothing but friendly to the Cures and her other classmates and had been throwing herself into both sports and academics with gusto, but there was an artificiality in her enthusiasm, and she seemed to have become as distant from Yuu as her sister was from her.

Popular theory around 2-B was that the twins had ended up fighting with one another. "And no wonder," a classmate had asserted "Tsukiko-chan is so kind and generous, but Yuu… she's so weird and emotionless, like a robot! Guess Tsukiko-chan got fed up with her." Said classmate hadn't gotten any further than that, between Nanami asking her to stop insulting her friends and the realization that Yuu was staring her down, but it had been clear that a lot of people agreed with said classmate's assertion.

Granted, Nanami did agree with her classmates, in a sense. The twins had likely fought, and she knew what they likely had fought over. But… if she brought that up to Yuu or Tsukiko, the sisters would likely part ways with them. No, she would have to be subtler in her approach if she wanted to reach their hearts.

"I wish there was an easier way to get in touch with Tsukiko." Amane added as she continued to browse the shelves with Nanami in tow, building up a small stack of books as she went along. She paused, an uncomfortable expression crossing her features. "Last time I asked for her phone number, she looked like she was going to cry. And from what I heard of her home life..."

Nanami nodded solemnly. "They both seem like they're hurting. I wish there was something I could do to help them."

"Same, same." Amane said. "See, I made another appointment to read to the kids at the pediatrics ward, and I wanted to invite Tsukiko along. It'd probably help her, right?"

"I believe it might." Nanami did not like thinking about that trip, considering what it had led to, but it had seemed to mean a great deal to Tsukiko. "I could accompany you if you want? I quite enjoyed it myself - and who knows? Perhaps we might run into Tsukiko along the way."

Of course, accompanying Amane would mean potentially leaving Sirius to their own devices a bit longer, assuming they didn't run into one another along the way. Nanami sent a mental prayer towards the librarian - and made a mental note to text Kohaku. Couldn't be too safe, right?

Amane's eyes lit right up. "Really?" she asked as she sprang to her feet, holding a stack of children's books to her chest. "Really, really?" She looked like she might die and go to heaven right there at Nanami's nod of assent. "You're so great, Nanami!" she squealed, a bit too loudly for someone in a library, earning her a loud shushing from a passing-by librarian. Amane slouched sheepishly, a blush creeping to her cheeks. "I'm so lucky, being friends with such an amazing girl."

"I'm happy to know someone as hardworking as you, Amane." Nanami noted the steam pouring out of the other girl's ears as she helped the class representative in her search. "But please, don't overdo it. I'd hate to see you make yourself sick."

"There's no need to worry, Nanami!" Amane said. "Trust me - I know my limits by now!" As she returned to browsing, she added "Now, come on - between you and me, we should find all sorts of great stuff for the kids!"

---

Tsukiko Hoshikawa sighed wistfully, the ocean air gently ruffled her bobbed maroon hair as she sat upon a hillside and gazed upon Seizato General in the distance. Several children's books were stacked neatly besides her. By all means, it should have been easy to muster the willpower to take them into the hospital, but Tsukiko didn't feel like doing it right now. Or rather, she wasn't sure if she had the right to step foot into such a place at present.

"What do you guys think?" she asked the small handful of rabbits who had congregated near her. The rabbits, being rabbits, said nothing. Some simply stared right back at her, others cuddled up by her or affectionately bumped her side. Not helpful, but it was at least comforting. "The children will probably be disappointed if I don't show up. But… after everything, do I deserve to be there?"

Yuu was angry at Tsukiko. The moment the two of them had returned to the nameless kingdom after the sports festival, she had let Tsukiko have it. Tsukiko was cowardly, she was foolish for holding back against Pretty Cure, she was ungrateful, not wanting to die for Sardonyx... it had gone on and on until Tsukiko had simply walked away.

Tsukiko was not angry at Yuu. Her sister's anger, she had realized in the middle of Yuu's rant, was born out of fear. Tsukiko understood. She was scared too. Both of them were growing to recognize the beauty in this world and its people. Both of them were forming attachments here. And both of them were hurting for it. It was just a bit easier for Tsukiko to deal with. After all, she had never put quite as much stock in Sardonyx's approval as Yuu did.

"I wish you never talked us into spying on them!" Yuu had told her that during her rant. Tsukiko agreed, in a sense. The days of being hollow dolls who lived only to follow Sardonyx's orders seemed so depressing in hindsight, but they had been so much simpler. Their mission would have been easier if they could carry on like they had before. But...

Tsukiko reached into the pocket of her skirt and withdrew the Lunar Medallion. It still hurt a little to touch but nowhere near as much as before. In fact, it felt a little comforting to hold onto it like this. How odd.

"I'm sorry, Yuu." she said quietly. "But I can't go back. Neither of us can."

Suddenly, the rabbits around Tsukiko froze up, several rising onto their haunches in attention. Before Tsukiko could ask them what was wrong, the sound of something rushing towards her caught her ears, and the rabbits scattered, seconds before Sirius came tearing towards her.

Tsukiko was immediately on her feet, her mind a blind whirl of panic. Had she been found out? Was Sirius going to deal with her? Would she have to fight them? Her form tensed as she faced Sirius down. She was fully prepared to transform and fight them if she had to.

Sirius stared at Tsukiko. Tsukiko stared right back. Both parties remained frozen before Sirius finally backed away, their ears drooping slightly.

"Please, please, don't panic!" Sirius said. "I know this might seem a bit strange, but I'm really, really not going to hurt you! I promise!"

Tsukiko blinked in surprise before she relaxed. Slightly. "You're not?" A normal human should have been shocked at the existence of a talking dog, but she didn't feel like even trying to seem surprisd. "Then why are you…" She noticed that Sirius was staring at the Lunar Medallion in her hand. "Is it this?"

Sirius nodded. "Now I understand why that Medallion was so hard to track. You must have been chosen by it!"

Tsukiko stared incredulously at Sirius. Chosen? Someone as rotten as her? Don't make her laugh!

"This may be a lot to swallow." Sirius said. "But… then, you're taking the existence of a talking dog surprisingly well." Their tone was slightly forced on that last bit, Tsukiko noted. Maybe they really did suspect her. "Tsukiko Hoshikawa, you must be our third Pretty Cure! The Lunar Knight, Cure Lepus!"

Tsukiko's eyes widened, and the wind kicked up around her as Sirius' words echoed in her head. Her, a Pretty Cure? That… was not possible. She tore her gaze from Sirius, her eyes darkening. She existed to defeat Pretty Cure and usher in Sardonyx's world of silence. Even if she chose not to act on that purpose, someone like her could never…

"Take it." Tsukiko offered the Lunar Medallion to Sirius without meeting their gaze. When they failed to accept it, she dropped it in front of them. She could hear her sister telling her off for giving Pretty Cure an advantage, but she didn't care. Not anymore.

Sirius' mouth worked silently for a moment as they stared at the Lunar Medallion. "You don't understand!" they finally said. "For the Medallion to choose you like this-!"

"Choose me?" Tsukiko asked. She gathered up her books before moving to leave. "You're mistaken. I just found it. There's no way a girl like me would be 'chosen' for anything."

Sirius looked nothing short of crushed, but nevertheless, they directed the Lunar Medallion into the case they wore on their shoulder. Before they could say anything more, or Tsukiko could leave, the sound of more footsteps carrying towards the two could be heard, and then-

"There you are, Tsukiko!"

Nanami and Amane were running towards the pair, both girls holding small stacks of books to their chests. Nanami flashed a beaming smile at Sirius, who returned one as well as a dog could, while Amane beamed at Tsukiko, her smile growing even brighter once she noted the books the younger twin was carrying.

"Oh my gosh!" Amane said. "We were on the exact same wavelength all along, Tsukiko! I'm so glad!" She hesitated before adding. "Um… I'm right, aren't I?"

Tsukiko answered Amane with a half-hearted smile. "You're right." she said. Part of her still wanted to leave, but maybe she would be more deserving of this if Nanami and Amane accompanied her. Maybe.

Nanami, meanwhile, was consulting with Sirius. "Glad I ran into you like this, Siri!" she told the librarian. "Did you…?"

Sirius nodded, casting one last fleeting glance towards Tsukiko, before offering Nanami an unspoken will you three be alright by yourselves?

"I believe so." Nanami said. "Take care, won't you, Siri?"

Sirius hesitated for a moment before giving Nanami one last nod and taking off.

"What a smart dog!" Amane exulted as she watched Sirius depart. "Even Nanami's dog is in a class of their own!" She turned to Tsukiko, her eyes sparkling. "Isn't she amazing?"

Tsukiko looked over at Nanami, who smiled warmly at her. The younger twin tried to force a smile in return, even as she felt her heart twist. "Yeah." she said quietly. The three girls stood there in awkward silence for a moment before she added "So… you guys were also going to the hospital, right?"

"Of course." Nanami said. "And we would love to have you along. In fact, we were talking about that just a few moments ago. This is something you really enjoy, isn't it?"

"Yeah!" Amane said. "You've seemed so down lately, and it was worrying Nanami and me. We thought doing something like this might help you, and I'm guessing you had the same idea? I'm so glad!"

Tsukiko looked genuinely floored at the notion of one of her enemies and her first victim worrying about her welfare behind her back. For a moment, she wanted to tell the pair that she didn't deserve such things, but then she thought better of it. She would keep her mouth shut and go along with them. Because the children deserved it.

"Let's go, then." she said with a small smile. "It would be wrong to keep them all waiting."

---

Sardonyx seemed a bit frailer than she had before her clash before Pretty Cure, but she was back on her feet and giving the Void Triad the time of day again. At present, she was seated in her throne and regarding Agate and Tourmaline. She looked a bit worried about the people before her... or rather the distinct lack of a person.

"I see Selenite is absent again." Sardonyx said. "Do you know where she might be, Agate, Tourmaline?"

"Sorry, but no." Agate said. "This guy's clueless – all she said was that she had business on Earth, and I'm not a fan of prying."

"It's nothing you need trouble yourself with, Lady Sardonyx." Tourmaline said. "Selenite is my concern. And Agate's too, I guess." Her brother huffed in annoyance at that bit. Tourmaline rolled her eyes in return. "You may lay all your worries about your mission on me, your most devoted subordinate!"

Sardonyx barely seemed to notice Tourmaline's declaration of loyalty. "I see…" she said quietly. "I would hope she was being productive, but…" She looked quizzically at the siblings. "Have either of you two noticed her doing or saying anything odd?"

"No." Tourmaline lied, almost instinctively. Steamed as she was at Selenite, potentially directing Sardonyx's anger her twin's way did not sit well with her. "All is normal with her."

"Yeah, if something was up, we'd come to you." Agate agreed. "But as far as this guy can tell, nothing is."

Sardonyx did not seem entirely convinced. She still dropped the issue. "I can still count on you to bring my beautiful world of silence to fruition, can't I, Tourmaline?"

"Of course, Lady Sardonyx!" Tourmaline said. "I pledge my loyalty to you a hundred times over!" Let Selenite's convictions waver! That was just fine! She had enough conviction to make up for the three siblings combined! "I shall never stop until your ideal world is realized! My life for you, Lady Sardonyx! My life for-!"

Suddenly, there was a burst of violet light, and the doors of the audience chamber were flung open with near-explosive force. Celes stormed through them and towards Sardonyx, her hands still glowing violet . The young girl looked infuriated beyond belief – and if her literally explosive entrance and prominent scowl wasn't driving that home, the fact that she was making sure to stomp her feet as loudly as possible every step of the way was. Even Vulpecula,looked a bit disgruntled – no mean feat for a mere doll.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Tourmaline demanded as she planted herself between Celes and Sardonyx. "This is a private meeting between Lady Sardonyx and her Void Triad. What makes you think you have the right to burst in here like this?"

"We're really doing this again, huh?" Agate sighed. "Tourmaline, for the last time, there's no need to pick fights with the kid!"

"Come on, Tourmaline, be nicer to the brat." Tourmaline muttered in a mocking tone. She glared coldly at Celes. "What gives you the right to such much as consider-"

Sardonyx rose to her feet as the temperature in the air climbed a few degrees. "Tourmaline. Stand down." she said. Tourmaline obliged, if reluctantly. "And Celes," she continued, her demeanor softening noticeably "what seems to be the problem?"

"Lady Sardonyx…" Celes said "why won't you let me go back out? You said I was your most valuable playing piece, right?" That turn of phrase earned her a baleful stare and a mouthed 'liar' from Tourmaline. Celes ignored it. "You said you liked me, didn't you? Then why do you act like those three are the only ones who can do anything?!"

Sardonyx was silent for a moment or two, the shadow she cast on the wall wavering perceptibly as the leader of the Void Clan seemed to retreat into a sort of trance, looking almost as if she was consulting with an unseen third party. Finally, she spoke.

"Agate. Tourmaline. You are dismissed. I wish to consult with Celes in private."

Tourmaline stared at Sardonyx as if the leader of the Void Clan had just punched her in the stomach. Still, she obeyed, shooting her best death glare in Celes' direction as she went along. Agate trailed after her, offering Sardonyx once last concerned-looking glance before he too was gone.

"God, she's so annoying." Celes muttered as she stared after Tourmaline. "So full of herself, so irritable… it gives me such a headache! Doesn't it annoy you, Lady Sardonyx?"

No response.

Celes turned around slowly… and then pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle a scream of terror, Vulpecula mirroring her actions to the letter. Sardonyx was lying slumped forwards on her throne like a rag doll. Her shadow, clearly defined and very much not Sardonyx-shaped, seemed to be staring right at Celes. And…

…there was that feeling of wrongness in the air, far more intense than it had ever been before. Normally, Celes felt at ease around Sardonyx or at least trusted her more than she did the rest of the Void Clan. At present, the young princess, who was trembling all over, wanted nothing more than to flee the audience chamber and never come back.

Not that such an option was open to her. The minute Celes turned to flee, the audience chamber doors slammed shut of their own accord and flashed violet. Something told Celes that they would not open unless Sardonyx wanted them to.

There was a sound of something shifting behind Celes. She turned to find that Sardonyx... or rather, something wearing Sardonyx's form was approaching her. Her movements were far too precise, those of something that had figured out how to imitate humanity perfectly while failing at being convincingly human. The picture-perfect but artificial-looking smile she wore was straight out of the uncanny valley. And her eyes...

Sardonyx's eyes were a brilliant vermillion. The eyes that keenly scrutinized Celes were almost pitch black, with almost no division between pupil and iris. Sardonyx's eyes held a spirit that was sad, vengeful, and above all else, human. These eyes did not have a shred of humanity in them.

Fleeing was not an option. Celes understood that. Still, she backed away slowly as the thing wearing Sardonyx's form drew closer.

"You're not her, are you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "You're not Sardonyx!"

"That is correct." not-Sardonyx said as she stared down at Celes, her attempt at looking reassuring only serving to make her look more unsettling. "I am simply borrowing her body for a while." She crouched down, putting her at eye level with the young girl. "But I am your friend, Celes. Every bit as much as Sardonyx is."

Celes said nothing. She was too frightened to do anything. Not-Sardonyx did not seem to notice.

"I am the reason Sardonyx can create her beautiful world of silence. She is nothing without me, and I am nothing without her. And you, Celes… I can help you achieve great things. Just as you can help me achieve great things."

Celes was still too frightened to speak, but the incredulous stare she shot not-Sardonyx was apparently answer enough.

"I am finally strong enough to properly use this body and yet so very far from being fully restored. I am too weak to help you. But given enough time, this will change. I swear I will give you the power you desire." She stared into Celes' eyes with something that approximated pride. "You have done so much for me already. The least I can do is help you be your best possible self." She laid an ice-cold hand on Celes' shoulder. "After all, this is all that is left for you."

"That's right." Celes repeated hollowly. "This is all I have left."

"Good girl." Not-Sardonyx gave Celes an absent pat on the head, sending a shudder through the young princess' form. "You will not tell Sardonyx about this promise of mine, correct? It is not something she need trouble herself with."

Celes nodded numbly. "Never." Her voice sounded a million miles away to her own ears. "I promise."

"And you will remain here, will you not? I cannot help you if Pretty Cure gets to you first, Celes."

Celes could not think of anything worse than remaining here, not as things were now. But… the idea of becoming strong enough to help to Lady Sardonyx was so tempting. And if that meant dealing with the strange, alien-seeming being that claimed to be her benefactor, then so be it.

"Alright." She tried her best to force herself to stop trembling as not-Sardonyx walked past her, in the direction of the audience chamber entrance. "But!" she added. "if we're going to be friends, I'll need your name! I can't just think of you as 'not-Sardonyx!"

Not-Sardonyx paused to stare at Celes, her black eyes shining. "Queen Kugelblitz. Remember to always speak it with reverence, Celes."

Kugelblitz's form suddenly went rigid and she pitched forwards. Instinctively, Celes dashed forward to steady Kugelblitz before she hit the ground. Or to steady Sardonyx, rather – the eyes that looked back at Celes were slightly unfocused vermillion ones, and the sense of wrongness in the air had dissipated utterly.

"Are you alright, Lady Sardonyx?" Celes asked.

Sardonyx, who looked a bit drained, shook her head. She winced in pain as she struggled ot her feet. "She said she wanted to speak with you, but I didn't realize how draining even that would be. I don't think I was awake for any of it." She hesitated before adding "Did Lady Kugelblitz say anything in particular?"

"Not really." Celes lied. "She really just wanted to say hello. And to tell me to stay here if I could, that too. That was all."

"I see." Sardonyx seemed to be testing the doors of the audience chamber, as if she feared they would not open for her. She seemed relieved when they did. "I'm glad. I was worried she might have grown bored of…" She noticed the way Celes was looking at her and shook her head. "It's nothing you need to worry about, Celes."

"If you say so." Celes bit back the surge of guilt that rose within her stomach. "Do you need fresh air, Lady Sardonyx? You don't look so good."

"As fresh as you can get in a dead world." Sardonyx replied darkly. "But… yes, I think that'd help. It might help both of us."

And then the two of them were off, Celes' exchange with the unsettling queen looping in her mind all the while.

---

Nanami and Amane had expected a warm welcome when they and Tsukiko visited Seizato General that afternoon. What they had not been expecting was for Tsukiko to be such a well-known figure among those at the hospital. That had been clear the moment the group entered the lobby, and the receptionist greeted Tsukiko with a warm "Good to see you again, Tsukiko-chan!" drawing a small and quiet "You too, thanks." from the younger Hoshikawa twin.

It only continued as the group made their way to the waiting room. Doctor Rallis had stopped and greeted Tsukiko with a cheerful "And there's our junior healer now! How are you doing?", earning a muttered "I'm alright" from Tsukiko. Several other staff members had stopped to greet her warmly along the way. It seemed that Tsukiko had made a reputation for herself around here.

"You sure are popular here." Amane said as the three girls idled near the waiting room.

"I'm sorry." Tsukiko said quietly. "Yuu and I haven't been getting along, so I was looking for things to do. I remembered how fun this was when we did it, and it takes my mind off... everything, so..."

"We're not upset with you." Nanami smiled warmly at Tsukiko, who guiltily averted her eyes. "It sounds like you've become quite well-loved around here. You should be proud!"

"Maybe." said Tsukiko, who did not know if she deserved to be proud of anything, as the group entered the waiting room.

The reaction from several of the children present was instantaneous. They looked at Tsukiko as if the girl was an old friend who had just returned to them after a long absence, and Tsukiko looked just as fond of them as they were of her.

"Hey, it's big sis!" a girl exclaimed. "Good to see you again!"

"Tsukiko! Hello!" a boy said. "What did you bring for us today?"

"Oh, you brought your friends too?" another girl said. "I'm glad! Hi, Tsukiko's friends!"

One of the nurses on duty offered Tsukiko a smile and a wave the moment she noticed her. "You really like this place, don't you, Tsukiko?" She smiled. "I'm glad – the children really appreciate it too."

For a moment, Tsukiko hesitated, as if the presence of Nanami and Amane was giving her terrible stage fright. She glanced nervously in Nanami's direction, clearly monitoring the other girl for her reaction.

Nanami, of course, wasted no time in stepping in to help. "Tsukiko worked really hard to find us some good stories to share with you!" she said brightly. "I really hope you appreciate it!"

"Yeah!" Amane chimed in. "She's done so much on her own, we thought it was only fair to help her out!"

"You guys…" Tsukiko muttered. She really didn't deserve this at all. But they did, she mused as she looked over the at the children present. They deserved all the hope and happiness a small thing like this was giving her and more. Forget what Sardonyx had taught her - she would rather listen to her heart right now. "That's right!" she said. "My friends wanted to protect my smile too! Just like I want to protect yours!"

And so, the three library committee members read to the small crowd in the waiting room. It was not as showy and organized of an affair as last time – there were no props, no costumes, and no real organization on the audience's part. Multiple children left for their exams or filtered into the rooms as the girls read to them, and numerous staff members occasionally paused to listen in. But it still had the same effect – most every child present was that much more at ease by the time the three were about finished.

There were so many radiant Roaring Sparks around the room, Tsukiko noted, sparkling and shining within the hearts of the children, their family members, and the staff. Were her siblings here, they would have likely seen a buffet of potential victims. But Tsukiko could not see this as anything but beautiful – a lovely miniature galaxy of hope and happiness. How could she have ever wanted to destroy such beauty?

Once the three girls had finally finished reading to the children, most everyone present broke into applause. Someone behind the three was applauding particularly loudly. The trio turned to find Bunko and Banri Kijima, the latter of which continued applauding long after most everyone else present had ceased, until Bunko gave him a puzzled look, finally prompting him to stop.

"Heh… sorry." Banri said sheepishly. "You guys were so good, I got carried away." He looked quizzically at Tsukiko. "Don't you have any more stories about Pretty Cure to share?"

A small buzz carried through the room once Banri mentioned Pretty Cure, drawing confused looks from parents, and downright puzzled looks from Nanami and Amane. It seemed quite a few children shared Banri's sentiment.

"You've been sharing stories about Pretty Cure?" Nanami asked Tsukiko.

Tsukiko felt her heart drop into her chest as she met Nanami's eyes. "They said they liked heroes, so... I remembered the rumored heroes in Seizato, and..." She averted her gaze as what little color there was in her face drained away. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be weird... everyone loved those stories and Pretty Cure so much, so..."

Nanami said nothing. She simply offered Tsukiko a reassuring smile and a gentle pat on the shoulder, gestures that made Tsukiko feel better and worse at the same time.

"Yeah, I think it's really cool that you've been doing that, Tsukiko!" Amane said. She turned to the children. "It's super neat that Tsukiko does this, right?"

"Yeah! Big sis is Pretty Cure's friend, so she's always got all kinds of cool stories about them!" a girl said.

"They're the heroes that protect our town!" a boy added. "They're fighting really hard to save everyone's hearts! That's so cool!"

"Tsukiko's got quite the imagination." another boy agreed. "It'd be so cool if heroes like that actually existed."

Banri narrowed his eyes at the boy who had just spoken. "You take that back!" he said. "Pretty Cure are definitely real!" The boy rolled his eyes in response. Banri huffed indignantly and turned to Bunko. "They saved one of your friends, didn't they, sis?"

Bunko shot Nanami and company an apologetic look before adding "Uh… Aiko did say something about that? Something about these two creepy weirdos attacking her and Aimi-chan at Nijiro's sports festival? And something about these two sparkly super-strong girls saving them, and… something?"

"Pretty Cure were at the sports festival?" Banri's eyes widened. "Tsukiko, did you know about this?"

A wave of similar questions was traveling around the waiting room now. Tsukiko, nodded, her gaze slowly traveling towards the ground all the while. Part of her wanted to leave, now that Nanami knew what she had been up to. But… but if she fled without warning, the children would think less of her, right? And... maybe she did want to remain with Nanami, even if she didn't deserve to. Just a little.

"You guys don't have to lie to make Banri feel better." Bunko said. "Aiko was pretty sure it was just a dream. It was too wild to be anything else. I've heard like, rumors, about Pretty Cure around Sorairo, but everyone says they've only seen them in their sleep too. They could be… a mass dream or whatever? A collective imaginary friend, I guess?"

Numerous children were staring at Bunko, looking the very picture of offended. She didn't seem to care… although she did deflate a bit once Banri got in on the offended staring.

"Pretty Cure really does sound too good to be true. A lot of stuff about them seems quite implausible, once you hear the rumors." Nanami said. She noted the crestfallen expressions around the room and added "But it's not that simple. Not at all! Strange as it may seem, Pretty Cure is definitely real!" She lowered her voice a half-step and added "Kijima-san, would it be alright if the three of us stepped out with Banri for a little while?"

Bunko looked rather caught off-guard by the genuinely friendly tone Nanami had just used. "Um… sure?" she finally replied after a moment of stunned silence and a few seconds of confused blinking. "But only if Banri is okay with it."

"I'm totally okay with it." Banri said. He also lowered his voice a bit before adding "You're a friend of Pretty Cure too, aren't you?"

Nanami smiled. "I suppose you could say that."

---

Amane still looked as if she was walking on air long after the three library committee members and Banri stepped outside, Nanami wheeling Banri around the outside perimeter of the hospital while Amane and Tsukiko followed.

"I can't believe this." she said. "You guys are actually friends with Pretty Cure?" Nanami and Tsukiko exchanged glances before both nodded in unison. Amane looked like she was going to pass out. "You two are way too amazing!"

"You believe in Pretty Cure too?" Banri asked, staring quizzically up at Amane.

"Yup!" Amane chirped. "They saved me once! Actually, I think I was one of the first people they saved! So… I can brag about that much."

Tsukiko looked down at her feet as Amane spoke. If Amane knew Tsukiko was the 'monster' that had attacked her that day, there was no way she would want her around.

"I'm glad." Banri said. "I mean, not that you got attacked, but that there was someone to save you!"

"Don't worry, I totally got that." Amane said. "What I remember was really scary, but… it's nice, knowing there are people like that. People who will fight to protect you."

"It really does help." Banri sighed morosely, staring up at the vivid blue sky. "I have a really bad heart, so I'm in and out of the hospital a lot. It stresses Sis out a ton, and I know it worries the rest of my family too. And… I try to be strong, so they won't worry more, but sometimes…" He trailed off uncomfortable as his eyes teared up.

Nanami brought Banri's wheelchair to a gentle stop near a man-made pond on the hospital premises. "It's alright." she said gently, once Banri had finally collected himself a little. "It is terribly frightening, facing something far bigger than yourself every day. It must be a bit like the fear the Pretty Cure feel every time they have to fight."

Banri looked up at Nanami, his eyes wet with tears. "Pretty Cure gets scared?"

Nanami nodded. "That's right. Even if they fight with all their hearts, there are still times when they are afraid. Times when they find themselves thinking 'Can we really win?' or 'What if we never see our loved ones again?' Sometimes, it's hard even for heroes to stay strong in the face of danger."

"But, if they gave up, they would let a lot of people down." Tsukiko said without thinking. "Kind of like the people working here. I'm sure it gets scary for the people working here too. But because they keep fighting, there are a lot of people who still live. No matter how hopeless the battle seems, it's worth fighting to save others." She looked aside before adding "That's how I feel, anyway."

"That sounds right to me." Banri said. "Maybe that's how I should look at things when I'm scared." He smiled tearfully at Tsukiko. "You'd make a great doctor. You've got the right attitude for it."

Tsukiko blinked in surprise. "Ah… really? Medical stuff is kind of interesting, but..." She looked away, her eyes darkening a bit. "I don't know if someone like me could do such a thing."

"I think you could be a wonderful doctor, if that's what you choose to do, Tsukiko." Nanami drew another look of surprise from the maroon-haired girl. "I can definitely see where Banri is coming from." She laughed quietly. "That is quite a way away, but it is nice to have plans for the future."

"I guess it is." said Tsukiko. "I've never really thought about my future. Or even thinking about what I want to do. It's always been about what my sister wants."

"It is hard." Banri said. "And I get it. I don't like thinking about my future either." He fell silent from there, wordlessly prompting Nanami to resume the group's walk. Everyone traveled in slightly awkward silence for a few minutes before he finally spoke up again. "It's nice to know friends of Pretty Cure. I was getting sick of people telling me they weren't real. They believe in all of us, right? It's only fair to believe in them."

"I wouldn't worry too much about that." Nanami said. "Cure Delphinus and Cure Leo are happy just knowing they're able to save others. They don't concern themselves with recognition. But… I'm sure they would appreciate the sentiment, Banri." She hummed thoughtfully. "Oh, I know! What if I asked the Pretty Cure to take some photos? That would help, right?"

Banri's eyes lit up. "Really?" he asked as he stared up at Nanami and the others. "You'd really do something like that for me?"

"But of course!" Nanami said. "Those two are usually pretty secretive – but there is no way that they would dare refuse a request like that! They'd definitely want to protect your smile, Banri!"

Now it was Banri's turn to look like he was about to pass out. "I can't believe this." he said. "You're gonna get pictures of Pretty Cure! Oh my gosh… there are so many questions I'd like to ask them too… later, maybe? I'm sure they're too busy for photos and interviews... but it'd be okay in the future, right?"

Nanami and Tsukiko exchanged glances before both girls nodded in unison. "I think so." they chorused before looking aside and laughing.

"Sheesh, you two." Amane said. "But… it is super-exciting! I don't think anyone has seen Pretty Cure that clearly before! You're really lucky, Banri-kun!"

Banri's Roaring Spark was shining quite brightly, Tsukiko noted as the group continued onwards, chatting amiably on their way back to the hospital. It could be used to create an Utsuroid right here and now. Were Yuu here, she would likely be telling her to stop dallying and get to it. Were Hisao here, he would likely back Yuu up and remind Tsukiko that the three of them had nothing else but this. That wherever she went, no matter how she felt or thought, she could never escape her destiny as a Void Clan member.

Well, it was good her older siblings weren't here, wasn't it? Because Tsukiko was not going to attack Banri. Tsukiko was never going to attack Banri. This was her first little rebellion before…

…well, leaving the Void Clan was not an option. Not at present. Not until she won over her siblings. She would not dare go anywhere without her brother and sister. But she could not continue like this. She wanted to be someone else. She needed to figure out what she wanted to be.

Being a healer did sound like a long shot, but perhaps she could grow into that kind of person over time, Tsukiko decided as the group returned to the hospital. She could not take any of what she had done back, but perhaps she could work to be better. And perhaps... perhaps she could convince her siblings to do the same. It was a nice notion, even if she was not entirely confident in it at present.

---

Shopping for swimsuits had been quite an experience. Kohaku had looked really nice herself in the sporty orange and yellow two-piece that Tsubasa had helped her pick out. Her partner had been rather self-conscious about wearing such a thing, given her tiny collection of training scars, but once Nanami had pointed out how impressive she had looked, and how well the swimsuit suited her figure, she had decided to wear it with pride. And pointed out that Nanami's glasses had fogged up just a little bit, that too.

Kohaku was every bit as flustered as Nanami was, mind – her ears were still burning a little, thinking about how nice Nanami had looked in the floral one piece she had selected. Her partner looked like a lovely oceanside flower. Thinking about how happy Nanami would be – and how much fun the two of them could have together on the beach - made it far easier to look forwards to this vacation.

Any lingering flusterment from swimsuit shopping and excitement for the weekend vacation promptly dissipated once the Cures and Tsubasa exited the clothing store, bags in hand, and regrouped with Sirius. There was an uncomfortable aura in the air, along with a disconcerting number of crows populating the shopping district. Many were watching the group with keen, beady eyes, and still more were scouring the area for shiny objects.

"She doesn't know when to quit." Kohaku said darkly. "At least we've recovered the Lunar Medallion. No matter how hard Tourmaline and the others try, we'll be three to one against them." She cast a quizzical glance Sirius' way. "How will we know who it belongs to anyway?"

"Oh, that's very, very simple." Sirius said. "The Lunar Medallion will choose its rightful owner, just like the Blossom and Tempest Medallions chose you two. The Roaring Medallions are naturally drawn towards strong and just hearts, yes, yes."

"Ah, really?" Kohaku looked genuinely surprised by that one. "I thought they just chose us because Nanami and I were in danger."

"My, that seems so far away now." Nanami said. "But… that does make perfect sense, Siri." She paused, her expression growing pensive. They had been quite close to Tsukiko when they had found the Medallion, hadn't they? "After all, Kohaku and I would not have been able to get this far without strength of heart."

"So, there will be three of you guys soon?" Tsubasa asked. "That should make things a bit easier." She grinned. "Let me know when you've found your third member - I'll give her a hero's discount on coffee!" She paused to stretch and yawn before adding "Anyway… now that we got the swimsuit business knocked out, we should head to the arcade, right? Wouldn't want to break a promise."

Kohaku frowned uncomfortably. "I'm still not sure about this, Nanami." she said. "I know it's to help a sick kid, but… you said Tsukiko is involved in this, right?"

"That's right." Nanami said. "The two of us are working together to help him. As far as I can tell, her intentions are good."

"If we're right about those two, then you can't afford to be too careful, Nanami." Kohaku said. "It could easily be a set-up. Or a means to his heart. Remember that business with Aozora-sensei?"

Tsubasa did a double take. "Wait, what happened with Meg?

"It's nothing!" Nanami squeaked. "Nothing important anymore, anyway!" That said, she promptly changed the subject. "If you're worried, can come along with us, Kohaku. I would feel better having you along anyway. Just as I feel better having Tsubasa with us on the island."

"Hey, it wouldn't be right to make Haruno-san wrangle so many kids alone." said Tsubasa, who didn't look entirely reassured by Nanami's words. "And if Hoshikawa-san and the twins are coming with, well… can't say I trust him that much either. Plus, Meg said she'll help me recoup the loss from two days missed. So, you're stuck with me, for better or worse."

"That means a lot to me, hearing that." Kohaku said as she nodded to Nanami and Tsubasa in turn. "On both counts. She cast one last leery glance towards the crows before she sighed and looked away. "Well, we'd better knock these photos out." She grinned at Nanami. "Let's take some great ones together!"

"With pleasure!" Nanami said.

There were not many people in the arcade at this hour, putting Nanami and Kohaku at little risk of being caught while they were using the print club booth. Still, Tsubasa made a point of standing guard in front of said booth as her charges transformed into Cure Delphinus and Cure Leo and proceeded to take a long string of selfies. Judging by the giggling and excited chatter that was issuing from within said booth, they were having the time of their lives doing so.

Tsubasa had zero complaints about any of this. So what if she was getting a couple funny looks from the tiny handful of remaining arcade patrons? Her charges were doing a good deed for and a ton of fun while they were at it. That mattered far more than her own silly pride. When Nanami and Kohaku had emerged from the print club booth, each holding a selection of selfies as if they had found the holy grail, Tsubasa decided she couldn't feel any prouder of them if she tried.

"I can't believe this." Tsubasa said as the group emerged from the arcade, looking over Nanami's shoulder at the photos she and Kohaku had taken. "We've finally captured Pretty Cure on film. And they look great!" She grinned approvingly. "You two look like you had a lot of fun."

"We certainly did!" Nanami replied. "I can't wait to show Banri! And of course, Tsukiko will be happy to know we came through for her as well."

Kohaku was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. "You know, I never had a chance to appreciate how pretty you are as Delphinus, Nanami."

Nanami's glasses fogged right back up again. "My… thank you, Kohaku!" she said. "You cut quite a handsome figure as Leo, for what it's worth?"

Kohaku turned beet red. "You're too kind." she muttered. "But… thanks. Either way, we're a beautiful pair." Did that sound weird? She hoped that didn't sound weird.

"That we are." said Nanami, who clearly didn't think it sounded weird at all. "I'm so glad to hear that, Kohaku!"

And the Illuster refugees and their guardian departed from the shopping district, their every move followed by the keen eyes of the many crows in the area… and the lightless gold eyes of Tourmaline, who watched the group from her perch atop a neighboring building.

"Hm? What does Selenite need with such things?" As Tourmaline spoke, a crow deposited another shiny object into her hand. She tossed it aside without a second glance. If it wasn't burning her, she had no use for it. "And why would Pretty Cure...?"

Part of Tourmaline wanted to believe that her sister really was trying to make up for her earlier slip-ups. Perhaps whatever business she was helping Pretty Cure with was an elaborate set-up on her part. Perhaps she had wised up after the two's altercation, and she was going to prepare a beautiful offering of negative energy for Sardonyx. Perhaps…

Tourmaline frowned in consternation, even as she coolly discarded several more well-intentioned but ultimately very worthless crow gifts, to a chorus of disapproving caws. She couldn't quite believe that. For now, she would give Selenite the benefit of the doubt. But from the look of things, it might behoove her to keep an eye on her sister's activity in the future.

---

According to the receptionist on duty, Tsukiko was already visiting with Banri when Nanami and Kohaku arrived at Seizato general that afternoon. Indeed, when a nurse escorted the Cures to his hospital room, they found Tsukiko seated by his bed, with Banri propped up in it. The pair seemed to have been conversing for quite some time.

"Doctor Rallis said I'm recovering quicker than they thought." Banri was informing Tsukiko. "I might be able to go home in a few days!"

"I'm glad!" Tsukiko said. "I hope you get to go home soon! And that I'm helping you, of course."

"Don't worry, you're definitely helping." Banri said. "Between you being here and knowing Pretty Cure is fighting to protect me, it's easier to fight this. Even the doctors say I'm recovering more quickly than usual." He grinned brightly. "You really are a healer type, Tsukiko."

That was Nanami's cue to knock gently on the doorframe, sending Banri and Tsukiko, the latter of whom tensed up a bit at the sight of Kohaku's presence, sitting up at attention.

"I hope we're not interrupting anything." Nanami said as she and Kohaku stepped into the room.

"You're not!" Banri said. He looked quizzically at the large envelope that Nanami was holding, before glancing towards Kohaku. "Huh? Did you guys...?"

"That's right." Kohaku said. "I'm also a friend of Pretty Cure. Nanami's my best friend, so she made sure to introduce me to them." She looked over at the still visibly tense Tsukiko. She didn't look like she was up to anything, but a good bodyguard was not supposed to write off a potential threat that easily. "I heard you've been a frequent sight over here."

Tsukiko tried her best to swallow her nervousness, lest she upset Banri. She didn't quite make it. "That's right." she said quietly. "I've been volunteering at Seizato General a lot. Mostly, I just read to the younger patients, but Banri told me there are… outreach programs, I think? Maybe I'll do one of those soon."

Kohaku's demeanor softened a bit as she offered Tsukiko her best attempt at an approving smile. It was enough to make Tsukiko relax slightly. That was good. Even if Kohaku didn't really trust either of the twins, she still wasn't comfortable seeing Tsukiko this distressed.

"I'm very proud of you, Tsukiko!" Nanami said. "Keep up the good work!" Then, to Banri "And of course, I am not one to go back on a promise… and neither are those two. I hope this is to your liking, Banri!"

Nanami handed the large envelope to Banri before prompting him to open it. Within was a lovingly composed collage of the myriad selfies that Delphinus and Leo had taken together, mounted on soft pink poster board with white lace trim and sparkling pink and orange decorations. Said photographs were arranged in the shape of a heart, around a 'We're cheering for you, Banri! Please never give up!' written in Sirius' elegant script with metallic silver pen.

Banri was silent for a few moments as he took in the sight of the collage with quivering eyes. Suddenly, he broke down crying.

Tsukiko stared at Banri in alarm. "Did we do something wrong?"

Banri shook his head. "N-not at all!" he said. "I'm just… I'm just so glad you guys would go out of your way for me like this! And that I have proof that Pretty Cure is real!" He grinned tearfully at Tsukiko. "I knew you weren't a liar! I just knew it!"

As Banri continued sobbing in joy, Tsukiko found her hand traveling to her heart. It felt satisfied in a way that it never had when she had carried out Sardonyx's orders. Maybe this really was who she could be. A healer.

"You should thank Nanami and Kohaku too!" Tsukiko smiled warmly at the pair. "Thank you so much! You two really are my friends."

"As are you, Tsukiko." Nanami said. "I'm cheering for you too, alright?"

Kohaku still seemed less at ease around Tsukiko than her partner was. Nevertheless, Tsukiko noticed the taller girl looked just a bit less leery of her now.

Moments after Banri had gathered himself enough to properly thank Nanami and Kohaku for the photos, a nurse had entered the room and escorted a reluctant Banri away for another examination. Tsukiko and Pretty Cure were now left to their own devices. Part of Tsukiko wanted to leave and perhaps try and track down Yuu. Better that than hang around Pretty Cure.

But...another part of Tsukiko decided she had to try, and that was the part that won out. After all, running away from the Cures was something the old Tsukiko, the one who passively acted out her role and never, ever did anything to step outside of it, would have done.

"Do you guys want to stay a bit longer?" Tsukiko asked. "I want to look into this place's volunteer program. If that's okay with you two, of course."

As of now, Tsukiko decided as she conversed with Nanami and Kohaku, she was reborn. Today was the day she began to figure out who she was in earnest. And from there, it was only a matter of time until she inspired her siblings to do the same. She would like to think that way for now

---

Tsukiko felt her heart's horizons continue to expand over the next few days. She still made a point of checking up on Banri, who was recovering wonderfully, during her visits to Seizato General, and she still read to the hospital's younger patients. But the hospital's volunteer program had presented her with so many other options as well. They were always looking for people to offer emotional support to families of patients, organize its picture book collections, and help maintain its main and rooftop gardens.

One day, Tsukiko learned, she would be old enough to help attend to the patients in the wards too, should she choose to do that. But for now, she already had a wealth of options at her fingertips. "There are so many things you would excel at, Tsukiko." Nanami had told her. "With your kindness and dedication, you would be a great help to everyone here." Even if Tsukiko still did not feel deserving of Nanami's kindness, the princess' words still meant the world to her.

Expanding her horizons at the hospital certainly took a great deal of weight off of Tsukiko's mind. It nearly made her forget her fear that Kohaku was waiting for her to do something wrong whenever she and Pretty Cure were together. It nearly made her forget how lonely and miserable she felt when she returned home to that nameless kingdom. And it nearly made her forget how empty she felt without Yuu by her side.

Tsukiko and Yuu still interacted, mind. But it was not the same. Yuu only made the most cursory attempts at interacting with her during school hours. It was barely better when the two were in the nameless kingdom – Yuu seemed to care more about training or hunting for the last Roaring Medallion than bothering with her siblings, and when she did speak to Tsukiko, it was only to ask her about prospective targets.

Part of Tsukiko wanted to get Yuu to open up. She missed having anything beyond a shallow conversation with her sister. But another part of Tsukiko was afraid that Yuu would be angry at her for approaching her, try to stop Tsukiko from finding herself, or both. Thus, she tried her best to put how lonely she felt without her twin out of her mind.

Tsukiko might have been able to put Yuu out of her mind, if only in short bursts, but Yuu could not do that with Tsukiko. Her sister's odd behavior was troubling her greatly. She had noticed how her twin beelined straight for Seizato General most every time school had let out. She had noticed how much friendlier Tsukiko and Pretty Cure seemed to be with one another. She noticed how Tsukiko kept using her siblings' human aliases, even when they weren't on Earth.

And she noticed how much… lighter Tsukiko seemed. Yuu felt troubled seeing Tsukiko drift further and further away from her. Tsukiko didn't seem to be as affected. In fact, Yuu began to worry, Tsukiko might have actually been happier without her. As if Yuu had been dragging her down all along.

Maybe she really had been a liability in Tsukiko's eyes, Yuu found herself thinking as she watched Tsukiko and Amane chatter about Pretty Cure in glowing terms before homeroom. Maybe Tsukiko really had resented her all along. Or maybe the influence of this world was corrupting her sister. And in that case, that was her failure, wasn't it? If she had just refused more firmly back then…

Yuu had her own worries on that front. The older twin had not been spending much time with Irene as of late. That was of no benefit to her side mission but hanging around the younger girl was making her feel increasingly torn up inside. Between that and whatever was going on with Tsukiko, it was better to just focus on looking for targets and the Soaring Medallion, lest she end up imploding.

And whatever was going on with Tsukiko most certainly had nothing to do with Sardonyx's goals. The day the sisters' gems had fully recharged brought no news of any promising targets from Tsukiko with it. Factor in how secretive her twin had been, and it was clear that something distinctly non-productive was going on.

Yuu ended up getting her answer when she accompanied Tsukiko to Shooting Star that afternoon. Her sister had been absolutely insistent on bringing her along. Yuu had accepted, of course. She had nothing better to do. And maybe she would finally figure out what Tsukiko was up to.

At first, Tsukiko had been rather halting and awkward around Yuu. But soon, she was eagerly attempting small talk – what did Yuu plan to order, what was her favorite flavor of coffee, did she want some sweets to go with the coffee, had she given any more thought to the island vacation, did she want to go accessory shopping with her later...

Part of Yuu was glad that Tsukiko was actually speaking to her, but the other part was annoyed with her sister for wasting her time. The two of them knew full well that Tsukiko was hiding something from her, and that this string of meaningless questions was accomplishing nothing outside of giving her a headache.

Yuu was on the edge of telling Tsukiko to cut to the chase and tell her what she was doing, when a rather loudly-dressed man approached the twins' table.

"Oh, funny running into you here, Hoshikawa-san! Thanks for the good work the other day!" said Ayumu Rallis, who shot a beaming smile to the suddenly flustered-looking Tsukiko. He turned his attentions to Yuu and added "And there's a new and familiar face! You must be the twin sister she's always talking about!"

Yuu blinked in surprise. Tsukiko was… talking about her? Probably about how much of a socially-inept burden she was, that ugly part of her mind asserted, and the way Tsukiko had shifted uncomfortably in her chair seemed to confirm that.

"That's right." Yuu said between sips of her latte. "Yuu Hoshikawa. Pleased to meet you." She quirked an eyebrow at Ayumu. "What do you mean by 'work', exactly?"

"Oh, your sister's been an avid volunteer at the hospital I work at. We're all really fond of her." said Ayumu like the useful idiot he was. Then, to Tsukiko "I'll see what I can do about you shadowing me sometimes, Hoshikawa-san. Your sister can come with too, if she's interested?"

Yuu shook her head. "Sorry. I have better things to do." she said bluntly. As Ayumu departed after one last friendly farewell, she looked at Tsukiko, her visible eye glinting. "So, that's what you've been up to. I was wondering why you've been so distant."

Tsukiko looked terribly apologetic. "I was trying to give you space, and I… at first I was trying to distract myself, but then one thing led to another, and, I-"

"It's fine." Yuu said, knowing full well it wasn't. "You don't need to explain." Or rather, she wasn't sure she wanted to hear it. "Only results matter, Tsukiko. And I'm certain that you've already found an ideal target at that hospital – or perhaps several? A house of the sick has to be a hotbed for strong Roaring Sparks."

Tsukiko felt the temperature around her drop a few degrees as Yuu spoke. She thought of the going-away present she and Pretty Cure had assembled for Banri, who was leaving tomorrow. She thought of the radiant Roaring Spark that Banri had possessed. And she thought of how Yuu would almost certainly deal with this situation and felt her heart sink into her stomach.

"I suppose it is." Tsukiko said quietly. "But I have no intention of-"

Yuu smiled. It was not a friendly smile. But it was not malicious either, Tsukiko realized. It was desperate.

"If you've lost your nerve, then I'll do it." Yuu said. "You've already played your part wonderfully, Tsukiko. I can take it from here."

"If you say so, Yuu." Tsukiko said hollowly. She knew what her sister was trying to do, and it made her feel sick. And here she was, folding to her yet again, just so Yuu would stop being mad at her. The Lunar Medallion really did have terrible taste. "I guess we're going together, then?"

Tsukiko felt so weak and pathetic, expecting Pretty Cure to bail her out yet again. But right now? She had no idea what else she could do, short of risk another fight with her twin.

"Of course." Yuu said. "And we'll pull off a victory against Pretty Cure this time. The two of us are always of one mind, after all."

Yuu did not try to sound convinced of this. And Tsukiko did not pretend to believe it. There was no point in trying. Not anymore.

---

Tsukiko had planned to meet up with Nanami and Kohaku the next afternoon in order to see Banri off. But she never showed up, even after a good half hour spent waiting outside the train station. By the time the two finally boarded their train, gifts for Banri in hand, Nanami had grown terribly worried about Tsukiko, and Kohaku was clearly more than a little on edge.

"I feel terrible for this, but it wouldn't be fair to make Banri wait this long." Nanami told Kohaku as the two rode the train to downtown Seizato. "I would like to hope Tsukiko just went ahead of us, but…"

Kohaku frowned. "I know you believe in those two, but they're likely our enemies, Nanami." she said quietly. "It pains me to say this, but I won't drop my guard around Tsukiko, just because her intentions seem good."

"I understand." Nanami said gently. "I don't think I'm wrong for believing in the twins. But I don't think you're wrong for being vigilant either, Kohaku. Either way, I would like to think we're a bit closer to resolving things with those two."

"I wish I shared your optimism, Nanami." Kohaku sighed. "I really do."

Banri was in the hospital lobby when the Cures arrived, along with his parents and Bunko. The moment he saw Nanami and Kohaku, his eyes lit up.

"See, I told you they'd show up!" Banri triumphantly informed Bunko before he eagerly wheeled himself towards Nanami and Kohaku. "It's good to see you two again! But… where's Tsukiko? She said she'd be here."

Kohaku smiled nervously. "I'm sure she's just running late. In the meantime, Nanami and I made some gifts for you?" She handed him a small bag tied with a gold ribbon. Within was a collection of frosted sugar cookies, some decorated in the form of pink flowers and some in the form of orange diamonds. "Hope you like them."

"I also prepared something for you, Banri." Nanami gave Banri a small gift bag. Within was a small hand-embroidered cream-colored sachet, with a pink dolphin and an orange lion on the front. "I hope this is to your liking."

Banri looked nothing short of over the moon. "Thank you so much!" He turned to the rest of his family, grinning ear to ear. "Look what they made for me!"

"Well, look at that!" Banri's father said. "You girls really went above and beyond for Banri, didn't you?"

"It sure seems that way." Bunko said. She motioned Nanami towards her. Once the princess was sufficiently close, she lowered her voice a bit. "I owe you and Shishioh-san one, Nagisa-san. Thanks. For like, everything." She cast a glance towards Banri, who was eagerly chatting back and forth with Kohaku and added "Those photos were really nice? Like, those outfits? That makeup? I'm in awe. And all so you wouldn't let him down. I was like, super-unfair to you."

"Ah… thank you?" said Nanami, who was unsure how she felt about any of what Bunko had just said. "But it would be unfair to take all the credit for helping Banri - Tsukiko also deserves your thanks, Kijima-san."

"Well, we'd best be going." Banri's mother informed her son. "It wouldn't be right to waste this beautiful day in a place like this."

Banri shook his head. "Not yet." he said. "I want to wait a bit longer for Tsukiko. I don't think it'd be fair to her if I just left now."

As if on cue, Tsukiko suddenly stepped into the hospital lobby, holding a large envelope to her chest. She had lost much of the light in her eyes and spring in her step that had been there before. The reason for this quickly became clear, as Yuu followed right after her. If Tsukiko seemed downcast, Yuu might as well have brought her own personal storm cloud with her.

"Tsukiko!" Banri exclaimed. He eagerly wheeled towards the younger twin and leaned towards her, prompting her to give him a tight, if awkward hug. "I'm so glad I waited for you." he told her… before looking quizzically at Yuu, who was staring fixedly at him. "And you must be Yuu! Tsukiko's told me all about you!"

"Has she now?" Yuu said coolly. Her visible eye glinted momentarily as she continued to stare him down, a sight that sent ice into Tsukiko's stomach.

"Yup!" said Banri. "She says you're great with animals, and that she wishes she was as dedicated as you were! I wanted to meet you for a while now!"

Yuu looked genuinely shocked at this. She looked from Banri to Tsukiko and back again, the corner of her lip twitching. A surge of unnecessary emotion welled within her. She did her best to swallow it down. She had no time for this.

"I see." said Yuu. "I wish we could stay, but Tsukiko and I have somewhere we need to be. Sorry, everyone." She offered an apologetic bow to Nanami… and a pointed glance towards Kohaku, who couldn't look less suspicious if she tried.

"Right… we really should be going soon." Tsukiko said. She knew full well what Yuu was about to pull. She knew what her role in this was supposed to be. She needed to do something about it, but what? "But before that..." She handed the envelope to Banri. "I hope this is okay."

Banri opened the envelope to find a lovingly hand-made picture book. The story concerned a group of animals who banded together to help a prince who had been placed under a curse, and how the prince helped the animals in return when they were in need. The story had been written by one Amane Yamaguchi, as the cover proudly proclaimed, while the bright and detailed illustrations, which had been drawn with colored pencils, had been created by Tsukiko.

"Oh my!" Nanami said. "So, that's the secret project Amane kept talking about! It's beautiful, Tsukiko!"

"Thanks." Tsukiko replied. She barely met Nanami's eyes. "I wish Yamaguchi-san wasn't too busy to be here, but it can't be helped."

Banri stared at the picture book for a few moments before he burst into tears of joy and pulled Tsukiko into another hug. When the two parted once more, he wiped his eyes on his shirt sleeve. "I'm really gonna miss you." He smiled sadly. "Until my next stay here, anyway."

"Hey, don't talk so negatively!" Tsukiko said. "There won't be a next time for a long time! I won't believe otherwise!" She noticed the clear 'hurry it up' stare Yuu was giving her. An idea suddenly took root in her mind. It would be a long shot, but… "Besides, we can still hang out! So... bye for now, Banri. I'm glad we met!"

Before anyone present could say anything more, Tsukiko hurried to Yuu's side… and half-led, half-dragged her in the direction of the hospital's main gardens. As the twins departed, Tsukiko's gaze met Nanami and Kohaku's. For a moment, the younger twin looked just a bit pleading. And then the two were gone, leaving Pretty Cure alone with the Kijima family.

"Something tells me we shouldn't stray too far." Kohaku said quietly as the twins took off. "Or let our guard down."

"I completely agree." Nanami said quietly.

She wanted to believe that Tsukiko's intentions were nothing but pure, but the uncomfortable aura that Yuu had brought with her was not something that she could ignore.

---

Tsukiko could feel Yuu's gaze boring into her as she led her sister towards the hospital's main gardens. She knew her twin was not happy about this… and she also knew that Yuu would not allow herself to object with this many people around, lest she draw unwanted attention. Shad no issue exploiting that at present.

Finally, the sisters arrived in the hospital's main gardens, which were located in the building's center. The entire place was gorgeous to behold, between its carefully arranged flower beds, the sound of gentle birdsong in the air, the myriad animals darting about, the variety of animal sculptures, and the sun dappling the area with beautiful patterns of light.

Now was Tsukiko's cue to let go of Yuu's hand. She did not look towards her sister as she drank in the sight of the gardens. She had been here several times now, but they never failed to impress.

"Aren't they amazing? I've been helping to care for them." She kept her eyes on the gardens and away from Yuu. If she looked at her sister, she would surely lose her nerve. "Doctor Rallis told me that the beauty of nature can help patients heal. When I said I had a nature-loving sister, he told me I should take you here."

Yuu said nothing, but Tsukiko could feel her sister fuming behind her. She still kept going.

"A hospital is a house of the sick. But the people here are so warm, and they value life so much. Even if life is fleeting and fragile, and even if they can't save everyone, they still think it's worth fighting for." She turned to Yuu, her eyes wet with tears. "Just like I do! And just like you must as well! If they don't see fleeting things as worthless, why should we?"

Yuu narrowed her eyes at Tsukiko. "What does any of this have to do with that boy's Roaring Spark?"

"I don't care about Banri's Roaring Spark!" Tsukiko snapped. "And neither should you, Yuu. Can't we just end this already?"

"I knew this was going to happen." Yuu said darkly. "You've always been so soft-hearted, Selenite. It was only a matter of time before you got attached to this world." She shook her head sadly. "It doesn't matter how you feel about the lifeforms here. It has nothing to do with us. We are meant to be harbingers of silence. Unlike you, I have never forgotten-"

"Would you stop?!"

Yuu stared in shock at Tsukiko. Her mouth worked, but nothing came out.

"You can't fool your own twin, Yuu!" Tsukiko said. "Do you think I don't notice how much you care about Irene? How lonely you look when we're at school? How at ease you are when you're caring for animals? You say you can't feel, but you do! You say you can throw away your life for Lady Sardonyx, but you can't! You say there's no doubts in your heart, but there are!"

Yuu was silent for some time. For a moment, Tsukiko feared her sister might lash out at her, run away, or both, but finally Yuu spoke, a hint of strain in her heretofore emotionless tone.

"I wish we had just remained like we were, Selenite. That 'Yuu and Tsukiko Hoshikawa' never existed. Then you wouldn't be so attached to this world and I wouldn't be saddled with these unnecessary feelings."

"They aren't unnecessary!" Tsukiko snapped.

"Yes, they are!" Yuu fired back. "Whenever Irene treats me kindly, I can feel something inside of me breaking! When I spend time in places like this, I find myself wishing I didn't have to ruin them! When I see you enjoying yourself on Earth, some part of me really is jealous of you!" She looked away sharply. "If this keeps going, I'll become useless to Lady Sardonyx!"

"Is that so terrible?" Tsukiko asked. "Volunteering at the hospital, learning about medicine, bonding with the staff here… those aren't useful to Lady Sardonyx either. But they're useful to me. They're what I want to do. What about you, Yuu? What do you want to do?"

Yuu looked genuinely taken aback by that question. "What do I want to do?"

For a moment, Yuu thought of the animals of this world. She thought of the people Irene had told her about, the people who fought so hard to protect and care for nature. She imagined a world where she didn't have to sacrifice Irene. A world where she and Irene could protect the lives of animals together.

And then she thought of Sardonyx - how happy she felt every time Sardonyx was proud of her, how hurt Sardonyx would be if she and her siblings betrayed her, and how Sardonyx had...

"I can still count on you to bring my beautiful world of silence to fruition, can't I, Tourmaline?"

Yuu tightened her fist as her gaze grew steely. "I want to usher in Lady Sardonyx's world of silence. That is the only thing we should want, Selenite."

"Yuu, please don't-!"

"Tourmaline! It's Tourmaline! There's no need to use those fake names here!" Yuu snapped. "Face reality, Selenite! Even if it's painful, we exist to bring about Sardonyx's world! We can't be anything else! After all she has done for us... what right do we have to turn our backs on her?"

"What right do we have to take everyone's future away, Yuu?" Tsukiko's voice caught slightly as her eyes began to water. "What right do we have to make a judgment on everyone's lives? What right do you have to take someone else's sister away?"

Yuu turned away sharply from Tsukiko. "Fine, then." she said bitterly. "If you're going to be like this, then go, Selenite. You're happier without a socially-inept burden like me, right? And I will be just fine on my own."

Tsukiko shook her head. "Don't be ridiculous, Yuu." she said. "It doesn't matter how different we are, or what we believe, or... or any of it! You're still my precious sister! I would never dream of abandoning you! Just like you would never turn your back on me!"

Yuu said nothing, but she was stunned enough for Tsukiko to feel secure in approaching her.

"I want to live in this world with my strange and aloof twin sister and my spacey and carefree big brother." Tsukiko took Yuu's hands, gently clasping them in her own. "I want the three of us to create a new future together." As Yuu, still teary-eyed met her gaze, she continued. "And it doesn't have to mean abandoning Lady Sardonyx! If we can convince her to cooperate with Pretty Cure, then surely, the Kingdom of Crystals will-"

Yuu suddenly averted her gaze. "Stop it..."

Tsukiko stared at her sister in confusion. "Yuu?"

Yuu sharply jerked away from her sister, sending Tsukiko reeling backwards. "I said stop it, Tsukiko!"

For a moment, both sisters looked far too to do or say anything. And then Yuu bolted towards the gardens' entrance like a girl pursued.

"Yuu, wait!"

Yuu did not wait. She kept running as quickly as her legs could carry her, towards the Roaring Spark she was supposed to be harvesting and as far away from her sister as humanly possible. If she remained with Tsukiko for even a second longer, she might... she might actually end up...

My life for you, Lady Sardonyx! she reminded herself over and over as she fled in desperation. I won't forget that! I can't forget that!

---

Kohaku didn't want to have her suspicions validated. She did not trust the sisters, especially Yuu, but she also knew how much Nanami wanted to believe in them. The thought of the pain that her partner would suffer when (if?) they let her down made her heart hurt. She wished she was wrong about them being their enemies, just so Nanami wouldn't be hurt further.

When Tsukiko came tearing towards the Cures, who were waiting in front of the hospital, having just seen Banri off, all Kohaku could feel was a sinking sense of disappointment. Kohaku knew what was likely coming, from what she had seen of Yuu and Tsukiko's behavior. Judging by the way Nanami's face had fallen, she suspected her partner did as well.

"Where is Banri?" Tsukiko asked. She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"He just left with his family." Nanami said. "I believe they were headed to the ice cream parlor near here."

Tsukiko nodded. "We need to hurry, then!" She caught herself there, her mind frantically flailing around for a way to explain herself. "I mean… there was something I… we-"

Nanami raised a hand, cutting Tsukiko off. "It's alright." she said gently. "The ice cream parlor is not too far from here – if we're quick about it, we can easily catch up with him."

"After our training camp, that's nothing for the three of us." Kohaku said. She smiled thinly at Tsukiko – she might not have entirely trusted her, but her intentions did at least seem to be good. "Are you two ready?"

"Of course!" Nanami said.

"Same…" Tsukiko said. "So, come on! We need to hurry!"

Please, wait for me, Banri! Tsukiko thought as she and the Cures took off running towards the ice cream parlor. We'll make sure to save you!

---

Yuu was balanced on the roof of a building in downtown Seizato. From here, she had a clear birds-eye view of the Kijima family, who were currently seated outside in front of a fancy-looking ice cream parlor and amiably chatting with one another over frozen treats. More specifically, she had a clear view of Banri Kijima's brilliantly shining Roaring Spark. The one her sister had deliberately failed to go after. The one she wasn't 'supposed' to take.

For a moment, Yuu could feel herself hesitating, as Tsukiko's words looped around in her mind. Her sister wouldn't want her to target this boy. Her sister wanted to live in this world and help the people there. Her sister didn't want either of them to carry out Sardonyx's mission anymore. Her sister would be so unhappy if…

"Who cares?" Yuu hissed under her breath as she tightened her fist. "Selenite is a fool! Selenite has always been a fool!"

Yuu didn't care about this boy. Yuu didn't care about this world. Yuu didn't care about her own future. Yuu didn't care about her siblings' future. All that mattered was Sardonyx's happiness. All that would ever matter was Sardonyx's happiness!

The elder Hoshikawa twin's form trembled with barely-suppressed rage as a strong wind kicked up around her.

"I am…"

The beauty of nature was useless. The happiness and safety of the animals of this world was useless. All of it was useless compared to what Sardonyx desired, and it always would be!

"I am a member of the Void Triad, and a servant to Lady Sardonyx!"

Yuu's form shifted to her Void Clan attire as multiple birds touched down around her. The gem on the back of her right hand shined with dark violet light as she regarded her quarry, her inhuman gold eyes shining with malice.

"To live for Lady Sardonyx! To die for Lady Sardonyx! That is all I, Tourmaline, desire!"

---

All seemed well when the Cures and Tsukiko arrived at the ice cream parlor. Banri and his family looked completely at ease, as did the small handful of other people enjoying ice cream outside at this hour, several of which paused to stare at the three teenage girls who had torn towards the ice cream parlor like their lives depended on it.

Banri looked up from his ice cream sundae, his eyes wide. "Tsukiko!" he said. "Everyone… why are you here? And why were you running?"

"Yeah, seriously." Bunko said between bites of her sundae. "You look like you had to hurry and put out a fire or something."

"Ah… well." Nanami looked aside sheepishly. From the outside, they probably all did look a bit silly. "You see-"

And then a strong wind suddenly kicked up around the ice cream parlor. Several passers-by were nearly blown over, ice cream was knocked out of people's hands, and the three girls were forced to brace against the gale, lest they be bowled over. As the wind dissipated, a vast number of birds touched down around the area, followed by Tourmaline, who descended from her perch atop the ice cream parlor to stand in front of Banri.

"Found you." Tourmaline said coolly. "I'll be taking your Roaring Spark."

Bunko forgot about her ruined dress and rushed in front of her brother. "Don't you dare!" she hissed. "He just got out of the hospital, you creepy freak!"

Tourmaline unblinkingly pointed her hand towards Bunko. A gust of wind strong enough to blow the other girl a few feet away blew forth from it, leaving Bunko to land hard on the pavement. When Banri's parents tried to intercept her, she blasted them away as well without batting an eye.

"No!" Tsukiko cried as she started towards her sister without thinking. "You can't!"

Tourmaline looked at Tsukiko, her eyes hollow. For a brief moment, the elder twin looked mildly upset by her sister's obvious distress… and then her gaze hardened. She looked away sharply and snapped her fingers, causing a circle of blue runes to appear under Banri's wheelchair.

Tsukiko would not be deterred. "I said 'no'!" She tried to throw herself at Tourmaline, only for Kohaku to grab her firmly by the arm. "Banri-kun!"

"There's no need to put yourself in danger." Kohaku said firmly. "Nanami and I will take care of this."

"It's okay, Tsukiko." Banri was trying to sound reassuring, despite being on the verge of tears. "No matter what happens, Pretty Cure will definitely fight to save me, right?"

"That's right!" Tsukiko could sense Tourmaline tense ever-so-slightly at her words, and although the sight hurt her heart, she tried not to feel guilty about it. That was something the old Tsukiko would have done. "Pretty Cure will definitely save you!"

"Don't… don't be ridiculous!" Tourmaline snapped. She extended her right hand towards Banri, the gem on its back blazing with dark violet light. "Roaring Spark! Come forth!"

Banri cried out in pain as his Roaring Spark was ripped out of his chest, drawing screams of panic from his sister and parents. At the same time, Kohaku let go of Tsukiko's arm, allowing the younger twin to scramble towards safety. Banri's Roaring Spark blackened and sunk back into his chest, causing him to be swept up in an immense sphere of dark violet energy.

Moments later, the sphere of dark violet energy dissipated to reveal a towering Utsuroid, which resembled a winged bronze humanoid statue with empty gold eyes and a gold-trimmed navy gem embedded in its chest. It wielded a scythe in one hand, and had an hourglass embedded in its stomach. As most every civilian present collapsed, Tourmaline vanished in an upward gust of wind before appearing on its shoulder, her eyes shining with desperation.

"Let's go, Pretty Cure!" she exclaimed. "This time, I'll definitely crush you!"

Nanami and Kohaku immediately readied their Roaring Compacts.

"Medal, set! Pretty Cure, Roaring Rebirth!"

"Guardian of the ocean that blooms with life! Blossom Knight, Cure Delphinus!"

"Guardian of the wind that sweeps through the plains! Tempest Knight, Cure Leo!"

"The two of us are Pretty Cure!" Cure Delphinus and Cure Leo chorused.

"Those who cruelly meddle with the hearts of others-" Cure Leo said, pointing a finger at Tourmaline.

"We'll put a stop to your actions at once!" Cure Delphinus said, following suit.

The Utsuroid cried in anguish as it swept its scythe in a low arc towards Delphinus and Leo, lopping off the tops of several nearby trees in the process. The two Cures immediately took advantage of the opportunity the Utsuroid had given them. They launched themselves towards the blade of its scythe before running up its handle and nailing it with a combined leaping kick. The Utsuroid staggered backwards before jabbing at the Cures with its free hand, forcing them to leap backwards and touch down on two opposite-facing rooftops.

"I'm so scared." the Utsuroid said in Banri's distorted voice. Its tone was small and miserable-sounding. "I try to be strong, but… but I'm really scared!"

Tsukiko winced as she watched the fight from her spot behind a nearby building. "Banri-kun…"

The Utsuroid attempted to cut at Leo with its scythe, only for the orange Cure to summon her shield, deflecting the blow just long enough for her to roll out of the way, leaving it to take out a chunk of the rooftop instead. Delphinus summoned the Blossom Scepter and blasted one of the Utsuroid's wings with a high-pressure burst of water, drawing its notice. Leo immediately used the opening Delphinus had given her, making a running leap off the rooftop, onto the Utsuroid's shoulder and towards Tourmaline, who was immediately ready with her crossbow.

"You never learn, do you?!" she snapped as she fired a salvo of energy arrows at Leo.

Leo deflected the arrows with her shield without missing a beat. "That's my line." she said as she summoned the Tempest Saber and rushed down Tourmaline.

"I'll never stop being sick!" the Utsuroid cried as it tried to take down Delphinus, who dodged and wove around the blows from its scythe as she leapt from rooftop to rooftop, using every opening she had to fire bursts of water at it. "It's only a matter of time until I go back to the hospital! And what if… what if…"

Leo ran at Tourmaline, who expertly dodged each slash and each energy blade from the Tempest Saber before she moved to counter with her crossbow. Despite her usual agility, Tourmaline's form was far sloppier than usual, making her own attacks easy for Leo to evade. Her opponent was growing desperate, the orange Cure realized. It was as if she feared something terrible would happen, should she not get rid of Pretty Cure.

The Utsuroid screamed in anguish before swinging its scythe towards Delphinus, who leapt off the rooftop she was on. It gave another scream as it drove its scythe downwards. Delphinus leapt upwards just in time to avoid being nailed by its blade, which cut an immense gouge into the asphalt instead.

"What if I never come back?!" it cried.

"Do you hear this, Pretty Cure?" said Tourmaline as Leo parried her blows. "This is what you're trying to preserve! This is what Lady Sardonyx is trying to save you from! Do you understand?"

That was Leo's cue to nail Tourmaline with a straight punch, sending her reeling backwards. "Do you really think a lifeless world is preferable to a world with pain in it?" she demanded as she dodged and parried the flurry of punches Tourmaline sent her way in response. "What a stupid thing to say!"

As the Utsuroid worked to free its scythe from the ground, Delphinus ran up its handle and towards the gem on its chest.

"As long people have their hearts, there is still hope for the future, no matter how scary it seems!" Delphinus said as she dodged the Utsuroid's attempts to knock her away with its free hand. "And there will still be people who create that hope! People like the doctors who work so hard to save lives! People like Tsukiko, who try to give others hope."

Tsukiko, who had been doing her best to hurry unseen after the Cures and their opponents, pressed a hand to her heart as Delphinus spoke. That was right, she thought. That was who she wanted to be. But if Tourmaline was going to be like this, then…

Tourmaline's pupils shrank in fury at the mention of her sister. "Shut up!" she snapped, smacking Leo away with a high-pressure burst of wind the second the orange Cure broke through her salvo of punches. "Hope is fleeting! It's fragile! No one needs such things!"

Leo gritted her teeth in pain as she steadied herself. She glanced towards her partner, who was halfway up the scythe's handle. "Delphinus!"

"Got it!" Delphinus said as she took a running leap forwards, aiming the Blossom Scepter at the gem on the Utsuroid's chest.

Tourmaline's form was shaking with rage as she stared down Leo. "He doesn't need a future… I don't need a future… no one needs a future!" she cried with the desperation of a girl trying to convince herself of her own words as she rushed the orange Cure. "For everything to remain as it is, frozen forever! That's the ideal! That's how things are meant to be!"

"To stay… like this… forever." the Utsuroid replied mechanically, as the hourglass in its stomach began to glow with dark violet light.

Delphinus fired a high-pressure blast of water at the gem on the Utsuroid's chest, cracking it right down the middle. And then the hourglass in the Utsuroid's stomach flipped over.

Immediately, the color in the immediate area drained away, and Delphinus and Leo found themselves being propelled backwards. Or rather, the two Cures realized with mounting horror, the entire battle was going in reverse at high speed. Everything that had happened during their clash with the Utsuroid was rapidly being undone, as if it had never happened.

Seconds later, Delphinus and Leo found themselves right back where they had started – standing in front of the Utsuroid as Tourmaline balanced on its shoulder. For a moment, Tourmaline looked just as stunned as they were… and then she broke into hysterical laughter.

"Amazing!" she said. "To think a frail boy like that could create an invincible Utsuroid like this! Watch me, Lady Sardonyx! I'll definitely crush Pretty Cure!"

Leo stared at the Utsuroid in horror. "It really did reverse time. Nothing we did to it mattered."

Delphinus gave Leo's hand a comforting squeeze. "It's alright." she said gently. "If we can just get close enough to take out that hourglass, we won't have to worry about that." She looked up at the Utsuroid, her eyes shining with resolve. "Banri! For your sake, we will not give up!"

Tourmaline grinned arrogantly as Pretty Cure nodded at one another before rushing towards the Utsuroid and launching themselves into the air, Melody Arms at the ready. Now that she knew what her creation was capable of, she felt no need to so much as lift a finger. And indeed, before the Cures could land a blow on the hourglass, the Utsuroid reversed time, leaving the pair right back where they started again.

"Don't you get it?" she sneered. "No matter what you do, it's useless! Useless, useless, useless! Just like everything else in this world! Soon, this boy's heart will be lost to you! And then…"

"What right do we have to take everyone's future away, Yuu?"

That didn't matter, Tourmaline told herself as the Cures fought the Utsuroid, only for it to negate each attempt at a finishing blow, no matter how fast or well-executed with its time-reversing powers. It was only a matter of time before Pretty Cure fell, and the Utsuroid took down the hearts of everyone in Seizato. Soon, no one here would have a future, and…

"What about you, Yuu? What do you want to do?"

…that was good because Lady Sardonyx said it was good! Who cared how lonely she felt in that silent kingdom! Who cared about how much warmer this world felt! Who cared about how much Irene's love meant to that traitorous part of her heart! Her feelings were irrelevant! Her sister's feelings were irrelevant! So why… so why…?

"I want to live in this world with my strange and aloof twin sister and my spacey and carefree big brother."

Why couldn't she feel happy, knowing what was about to happen? Was it because Selenite…

…that was why, Tourmaline mused bitterly as Pretty Cure continued to fight a futile battle, despite their obviously mounting frustration and draining energy levels. Because they believed in hope for the future, against all odds. Just as Selenite had grown to. And that wouldn't change, no matter what she had to say about it. Just like Pretty Cure wouldn't give up, no matter what.

Tourmaline could not live in a world where Sardonyx had no use for her. But she couldn't live in a world where her twin sister was her enemy. And if she could not change Selenite's heart…

Even as her twin was coming to this realization, Tsukiko watched Pretty Cure futilely struggle against the Utsuroid from around the corner of a nearby building. They were fighting valiantly, but they couldn't last foreer. Eventually, those two's stamina would give out. And then Seizato would go the way of their home kingdom. Sardonyx would surely approve but there was no way that Tsukiko would. And no matter how loudly Tourmaline screamed and railed, it was clear she felt the same way.

Pretty Cure couldn't even touch to their opponent. Tsukiko knew that well. But, she told herself as bits of silver light began to dance around her form, she could. She would not hesitate this time. It didn't matter that Pretty Cure was supposed to be her enemy. Now was the time for her to repay the help they had given her!

Indeed, Tsukiko had been correct. Pretty Cure couldn't last forever. The two were growing worn down by their futile struggle against the Utsuroid, and although they were trying to stay strong, the way their forms trembled with exertion as they stared down the Utsuroid and Tourmaline spoke volumes.

"You really are at the end of your tethers, aren't you?" Tourmaline forced a triumphant smile she did not feel. "I guess that's that, then. I've won."

And then the hourglass in the Utsuroid's stomach shattered in a burst of silver light.

"Wh-what?" Tourmaline sputtered.

Pretty Cure, having been granted their second wind by this sudden turn of events, came barreling forwards, rapidly driving the Utsuroid backwards through downtown Seizato with a flurry of elementally-charged punches and kicks.

"That energy…" Tourmaline whispered. "It can't be!"

Delphinus and Leo readied their Melody Arms before leaping into the air and nailing the gem on the Utsuroid's chest with a combined energy blast. The gem on its chest cracked down the middle, this time for good, as the two Cures touched down onto the rooftop of a nearby building before nodding at one another.

"Let our radiantly roaring hearts create a beautiful harmony!" the two Cures cried out in unison as they transformed their Melody Arms into their instrument modes.

"Oh water, play a cascading melody!" Delphinus cried.

"Oh lightning, dance to a sparkling rhythm!" Leo cried.

"Sing out together, oh powers of Pretty Cure!" Delphinus and Leo chorused. "Pretty Cure Roaring Concerto!"

The Cures' finisher rushed towards the Utsuroid. Tourmaline leapt off of its shoulder and onto the nearest rooftop, seconds before the Utsuroid was engulfed in a massive rainbow-colored explosion of light, causing the gem on its chest to shatter.

"So warm…" the Utsuroid said as it gave off multicolored energy before its form resolved into that of an unconscious Banri, who was deposited gently onto the ground.

For once, Tourmaline did not go after Pretty Cure in the wake of their battle. Instead, she watched her opponents hurry to see to the unconscious Banri before she looked sharply away. She felt equal parts hollowed out and oddly relieved. She wasn't sure if she liked it. She wasn't sure of anything anymore.

"So, that's your answer, Selenite." she said quietly. "But mine…" She looked down and shook her head. "I don't know anymore."

And then she was gone in an upward gust of wind, leaving Pretty Cure to see to Banri.

---

Banri's eyes slowly flickered open. He was nowhere near the ice cream parlor. No, he was flying above downtown Seizato. Or rather, someone was carrying him. For a moment, he found himself wondering if he was being carried off to heaven by angels. And then he looked up at the person carrying him.

"It's you!" he gasped. "Cure Delphinus! And Cure Leo too!"

Indeed, Cure Delphinus was holding Banri in her arms, leaping from rooftop to rooftop en route to the ice cream parlor, as Leo kept pace alongside her.

"You really did fight to save me." Banri said. "I remember! Just barely, but I definitely remember!"

""It's just like I told Nanami." Delphinus said. "No matter how scary the battle is, we will never stop fighting for everyone's future. We have too many people depending on us to give up!"

The group was drawing close to where Banri's family was. They were now beginning to stir from their spell of unconsciousness, much like many of the other civilians in the area.

"I'll fight for my future too!" Banri told Delphinus and Leo. "If you guys can do it, so can I!"

"I look forwards to it." Leo said. She and Delphinus nodded at each other before they leapt downwards from their current rooftop, onto the awning of the ice cream parlor, and then onto the ground near the Kijima family. Leo set up Banri's abandoned wheelchair in a fluid motion, before Delphinus gently deposited him into it. "Will you be alright from here?"

"I think so." Banri said. He was looking straight at Bunko, who recovered enough to pull herself to a sitting position and was staring slack-jawed at Pretty Cure. He grinned and flashed her an 'I'm okay' gesture. "I guess you have to get going, right? I'm sure heroes like you are super busy."

"That's right." Delphinus said. "We have an entire town to look after. So, until next time-" She gave Banri one last gentle pat on the head before she and Leo moved to leave. Before they departed, she offered him a beaming smile and a wave, as Leo offered a shy smile of her own. "Take care, Banri!"

And then she and Leo were gone. Banri watched them roof-hopping into the distance, until they had disappeared from view.

---

Tsukiko spent a while after the battle on the hillside overlooking Seizato General. Part of her wondered if she should head inside, just so she had an excuse to stay on Earth a bit longer. But another part of her refused to budge from her spot. She hadn't been able to find Yuu after her battle with Pretty Cure, and she really didn't want to leave without her sister. If she stayed here, maybe Yuu would find her.

Moments after the thought occurred to Tsukiko, she felt a sudden rush of wind behind her, followed by the sound of soft footfalls. And then Yuu sat down beside her. Her sister looked incredibly spent and more than a bit tense, enough that Tsukiko instinctively braced for the lecture that was surely coming.

"There's no need to be like that." Yuu said quietly. She even sounded completely spent. "I have no energy for lectures. Not after all of that."

The two sisters sat side by side in silence for some time before Tsukiko finally spoke.

"I don't want to fight my own twin, Yuu. But I can't live this way either. That's why I did it. I'm not going to hide that. I'm done hiding things from you."

"I'm glad." Yuu said. "It's not fun, not being trusted by your own twin. Even if I sort of deserved it." She was silent for a moment before adding "But even if I can see it your way, can you really believe Lady Sardonyx will? You saw how she acted back there. Back with Pretty Cure."

Tsukiko nodded solemnly. "That does worry me. But… we're different than Pretty Cure. She revived us because she valued us, right? Maybe if we tried to convince her together, she would listen. Then it wouldn't have to be like this."

"Maybe." Yuu said. There lying behind her usual flat tone that had not been there before. Something like hope. "I don't know yet." She exhaled slowly before flopping backwards onto her back, Tsukiko following suit. "We'll go with Pretty Cure to that private island. Irene will be there too, after all. And…"

Tsukiko glanced worriedly at her twin. "You aren't going to-!"

"I don't know. I don't know anything anymore." Yuu said. "I'll give you my answer then. That's all I can say for now." She stared up at the sky, which was gradually fading from the vivid blue of the daytime to the soft oranges and pinks of evening. "The sky looks very beautiful right now."

"The moon looks lovely as well." Tsukiko said. Indeed, the moon was quite clear in the sky at this hour, looking almost like a precious gem. "And it doesn't have to stop being that way, right, Yuu?"

Yuu sighed heavily. She sounded both annoyed and affectionate. "That's right, Tsukiko. Maybe that's how it's meant to be."