By Yuri and Inori's side, Tsubomi watched as the Precure disappeared into the horizon, headed to the Precure Palace, to rescue Chiffon. All of them brave, strong, capable… But she was not one of them. Tsubomi knew it was wiser for her to stay behind, but even so it hurt to recognize her own uselessness.

Last night was difficult, but even harder was being able to sleep with so much in her mind. As she laid down on the cold stone floor, she could see the destruction wherever she looked, and how could Tsubomi sleep knowing the Palace of Smiles was like that? It should be one of the safest places in the entire Kingdom, always beautiful and full of life and joy, but now it lay in ruins. Could it ever possibly go back to the way it was, after such devastation?

Even with those thoughts in her head, though, Tsubomi managed to fall asleep eventually. She and Yuri shared their warmth as they embraced all night, never letting go. Tsubomi felt Yuri's soft breath on her face, gentle and peaceful. Despite all the sadness and suffering, it made Tsubomi happy to be so close to Yuri.

Tsubomi wandered aimlessly around the Palace. Servants with brooms swept the pieces of the monsters that had attacked last night, but even when they were done with that, there was still rubble, splinters, tapestries in shreds and ashes scattered around. Wherever she went, Tsubomi smelled cinders and dust.

But the worst by far were all the corpses. Reika and Miyuki said that not too many had died, that it could have been worse, that they had been fortunate not to have suffered even greater losses, but when Tsubomi saw a pile of dead men being burned just outside the gates, she could not see how someone could possibly call that luck. Her stomach turned as she heard the fire crackle, laughing at all the men it claimed.

Queen Beauty helped the servants and masons the best she could, bringing them food and water and helping them carry their burdens. Tsubomi followed her example, and tried to be of use. She was asked to bring a crate full of bricks to help rebuild the mess hall's walls, but she struggled to lift it, having to set it down many times to catch her breath, and when she was finally reached the mess hall, she put the crate on the floor with too much force, and half of the bricks ended up broken.

"I'm sorry!" She said, as if apologies were of any use. All eyes were on her, judging her, Tsubomi was sure of that.

"It's alright," a worked said. "You've helped enough."

Tsubomi wanted to disappear, to be a flower so small that its unseemliness wouldn't be noticed by anyone, that her torn petals would never be made a mockery.

She shook off that thought. She could stand there and feel sorry for herself, or she could try again, try to do a better job for the people who were counting on her. Any less would not be worthy of a Precure.

And so she returned to work, and she roamed the Palace searching for whoever needed help. It was still morning, there was much work to be done. Bricks and stone can built a castle, not tears and sadness.

The Palace's storerooms had been lost to the fires, and with them so was most of the food that had been stockpiled. When it was finally time to eat and the entire palace gathered, they found no feasts, not even meat, but only bread and stew, and not even much of it. Beauty and Miyuki ate beside the workers and soldiers, the same vile stew with turnips that the common folk had.

"Tsubomi, dear," Reika said. It seemed that all her rage from last night had disappeared, and the serene queen that Tsubomi had grown used to had returned, "I apologize we don't have anything more filling than this."

"I don't mind," Tsubomi said, and she tried to gulp the stew down without looking disgusted to prove her point. She failed miserably, and spit out some broth.

"It's really bad," Miyuki said. "Labyrinth's attack destroyed more than we had initially imagined. We won't have food for long, if you can even call this stew food."

"What shall we do, then?"

"Clearly we cannot just stay here and starve," Reika said, "but I cannot leave the Palace, not at this time, and most of the capable hands here are working on rebuilding walls and ceilings so that we won't have to sleep in the cold much longer. I fear it'll take long, though, as many sections of the Palace are completely destroyed and we'll have to tear the very foundations apart if we mean to rebuild. It's not a work for days or weeks, but months, years. With regard to food, though, we cannot wait that long. Tsubomi, would you mind going to Lapis' marketplace and acquire as much food as you can?"

"I would be happy to help!"

"Very good," Reika put her hands together and smiled. "I'll have some soldiers accompany you, of course, to help you carry everything."

"As it's official business, you should probably go as Cure Blossom, not as Tsubomi," Miyuki said. "I would know it, it took me months to get used to signing letters as Cure Happy instead of Miyuki Hoshizora."

"You still do it sometimes," Reika laughed. "You sign your name with very cutesy letters, in fact. Even in that message to Cure Muse…"

"D-Don't remind me of it!" Miyuki said, blushing. "It was a honest mistake!

"Well," Tsubomi tried to make herself be heard while the two giggled, "I can do it. When should I head out?"

"As soon as possible," Reika said. "Lapis is not very far from here, you can get there by the afternoon. There are many inns there where you may rest, and I'm sure they'd have suitable accommodations for a Precure. You'd leave in the morning, and you'd be back here just in time for lunch."

Tsubomi nodded, glad to be of use. She truly wanted to help, but had found nothing she could be truly useful at, so perhaps now she'd actually be helpful. Miyuki handed her a heavy purse full of coins. Tsubomi knew that with such a large sum she could buy enough food to replace all that had been lost, even at full price. However, she was sure the merchants would offer a discount to the Precure, and she did not know how to feel about it.

Before Tsubomi could set out, though, she had someone to talk to. Yuri was easy enough to find, as there were not many places to be now, with the Palace crumbled. Yuri sat by the gardens' pond with a book in hand, entranced by whatever it was that she was reading: she did not hear when Tsubomi called for her, and only noticed her when Tsubomi sat by her side.

"Yuri," Tsubomi said, and she tried to take a look at the book in Yuri's hands. It seemed to be a book detailing the history of the Oceanlands, the southernmost region of the Precure Kingdom that spanned Stormwall and the Diamond Isles to the west, and further to the east, Calmtide. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Tsubomi. I offered to help around the castle but Queen Beauty urged me to rest, and said it wouldn't be fitting for me to do a servant's work. Thankfully the castle library was unharmed so I was able to fetch some books, but in truth I think I'd prefer to help. The Palace has already been far too generous in allowing me as their guest, giving me good quarters and food, even though I cannot even transform now. It is more than they owe me."

Tsubomi meant to ask Yuri why exactly she could not transform, but she didn't. She had heard of Precures losing their ability to transform after great suffering, like the loss of a limb, of a family member. Or a fairy, who to Yuri was closer than her own family. Eventually, when they put their grief to rest or their sense of duty proved greater than any person tragedy, they would once again transform. Tsubomi would pray every night that Moonlight would return, that Yuri would once again have all her amazing strength. But if that happened, would she need Tsubomi anymore?

Of course she wouldn't. Why would such a capable Cure need someone as meek as Tsubomi? In the end she was always a burden. Once, when Erika was by her side, Tsubomi thought that perhaps she was not weak, that she had some value after all, but Erika was gone, for so long and so distant that she was just a memory now. Her most pleasant and sweetest memory, yet a memory nonetheless.

"I-If you'd like to be of help, then you can come to Lapis with me! Reika asked me to go there and buy food, and I thought you might like to come with me. It would be nice to finally leave the Palace of Smiles, to see a different place, different people. And Lapis is a very big, beautiful city! Have you ever been there?"

"When I was a young child, so I don't remember much."

"So… Would you like to come with me?"

"I'd love to," Yuri smiled.

Tsubomi smiled back, held Yuri's hand, and helped her up. Yuri didn't need any help walking anymore, she was past that, and she was no longer so soft-spoken, nor did she stutter every word. Whatever was broken inside her was fixed, in one piece again, or almost. She could not transform, but to Tsubomi there was no doubt that soon enough she'd be back to being Moonlight.

There was no time to waste, not with the Palace so desperate for food, so Tsubomi set out immediately, Yuri by her side, and half a dozen soldiers behind them. Tsubomi was a considerable distance ahead of them, so that she could not hear whatever they said. She feared what they could think about her, that she was weak for not following the other Cures, that they resented her, that she was not a worthy replacement for Moonlight. And they would be right in thinking all that.

Tsubomi did not let that bother her, though. Not now that she had Yuri with her and they marvelled as they passed by lakes of shining blue and woods of vivid green. A pleasant breeze was their constant companion, bringing with it the scent of flowers, wild berries and grass. If she looked to the far distance, she could barely see hills rising right where the Iron Mountains began, before the peaks were high, cutting the skies.

It was no wonder some called the Precure Kingdom a wonderland. All the colors were so bright, all the sights so beautiful, all the smells and tastes so sweet. The Iron Mountains and the Diamond Isles were desolate places, their lands ravaged in a search for ores and gems, but the rest of the kingdom was a true treat for the eyes, and the great castles the Precures lived in were like art amidst the marvelous landscapes. Watery Cradle was an underwater castle with walls of unbreakable glass, and no matter where you looked, you could see the colors of the sea, the fishes and the reefs and the calming blue. Stonetree was like a great alabaster oak, a tall castle shaped like a tree, its branches grand corridors, its fruits large and well adorned rooms and its roots, great storerooms.

Yet that beauty was a luxury of the Precure nobility, a truth Tsubomi was reminded of as she passed by a small village, its houses built with plain wood, its inhabitants clad in brown wool. Their hands did not have the softness that those of a noble might have, and their speech was cruder, but Tsubomi knew it was them that the Precure were sworn to protect, and it was to their protection and well being that the Precure fought. She would never forget that, although she feared many of the Precure had. Not Beauty, though, she was loved by the common folk for her generosity and kindness. She was one of the most popular queens in history, and despite the circumstances of her coronation, she was well loved. Tsubomi heard whispers of dissent in the eastern lands, but she doubted they were true.

Slowly the sky's color grew redder, dimmer, the sun setting as the large gates of Lapis and its azure watchtowers were finally in their sight. The city walls were far higher than those of the Palace of Smiles and, of course, they weren't razed. The guards at the gate would question every visitor, but when they saw Blossom, transformed, they let her and her companion pass freely.

Tsubomi found the markets in no time: she just had to follow the crowds, the noise, the smells of spice and meat and fresh vegetables. Well, not fresh anymore. The sun was setting already, and all the finest crops had been sold long before, in the morning. It made no matter, as they would only return to the Palace in the next day.

Instead she headed to a large tent with crates upon crates piled all around. In front of its entrance were banners with the sigil of a merchant company, one of the largest in the realm. Tsubomi knew that symbol very well, as she had seen it in the lands of her House many times. The Coriander Trade Company owned many plantations close to the Garden of Hope, in addition to other enterprises all over the continent. As she stepped into the tent, Tsubomi immediately recognized the man by the counter, hurriedly writing down something onto a large book.

"Good afternoon, Obata."

"Oh, hello," he said without lifting his eyes from his book. When he did so, he was immediately surprised. "Forgive me if I am mistaken, but might you be Tsubomi Hanasaki?"

"I am, I'm glad you didn't forget that. You would always come to the Garden of Hope to visit the greenhouses, do you remember that?"

"Of course I do. It's a pity your parents were rarely there, it's been years since I last talked to your father. How is he doing?"

"Same as always. Too much work, too little time," and not enough letters, she thought. She wondered if her parents even knew that she was Cure Blossom now.

"I've heard that you became a Precure a while ago. Your parents must be so proud of you."

"They are," she lied. Tsubomi looked back, and saw Yuri investigating some strange fruits. "What are those?"

"Passion fruits," Obata said, with pride, "straight from Märchenland. They're really delicious, soft and juicy, but haven't been very successful here so far. People don't know what it is so they are suspicious of it, and they cast it aside. We're not going to give up on it, though, and if it starts selling, we'll probably start growing it as well. And it makes for an excellent juice! You should try it," he said, pouring a liquid into three glasses, and gave two of them to Tsubomi and Yuri.

"Anyways," she began to drank. It was as good as Obata had said, "we're here for a reason. We need food, lots of it."

"What for?" He asked.

"Have the news not reached Lapis?" Yuri asked. "The Palace of Smiles was attacked."

"Goodness…"

"Our food stockpiles were lost, so Queen Beauty has asked us to come to Lapis and purchase food to last us until the region's farmers come to the palace with their crops again."

"Of course, I'll sell you as much as you need. But the Palace of Smiles, attacked… How?"

"Treason," Yuri said. "Of the kind that cannot be forgiven. We were betrayed by someone we sheltered and helped, someone who repaid the Kingdom's generosity with cruelty and destruction. I distrusted her from the beginning."

Had Yuri truly always disliked Eas? Tsubomi could not recall her saying anything on the matter, but perhaps she misremembered. Or maybe she had learned about the part that Eas played in the fall of Silver Moon. Tsubomi hoped not, but she could not take that idea off her head now.

"Dire news indeed. Is the Queen safe?"

"She is, thank the Heart. Most of us were unharmed, and the ones who were hurt are in no danger anymore."

"That's a relief. Well, I'll give you all the food you need, free of charge."

"No, I'll pay," Tsubomi insisted, handing Obata her coin purse. "It wouldn't be fair not to."

Obata nodded, and asked for Tsubomi to sign her name in his book. She took great efforts to make her handwriting pretty and elegant.

"Come the morn, your food will be here. I see you have companions so I take it you will have no difficulty transporting it to the Palace."

"Thank you, Obata," Tsubomi smiled and shook his hand. Then she left him to his notes and numbers and got out of the tent.

"What now?" Yuri asked.

"Are you hungry? I am. We should find an inn that serves good food, buy lodgings for the night, and perhaps explore Lapis for a little while before we go to bed."

"That seems like a good plan," Yuri said, and she grabbed Tsubomi's hand, holding it as they searched the city for an inn. There were many of them, as Lapis attracted many travellers, but most were unsightly, dirty and full of suspicious people, so Tsubomi avoided them.

A smaller one caught her eyes, and as she passed by it, Tsubomi could smell the food. Chicken and beans and boiled potatoes caught her attention. The accommodations were simple but cozy, and the quarters had two beds, so Tsubomi and Yuri wouldn't have to be apart. Tsubomi rented rooms for her, Yuri and the soldiers that followed them, and ate as much as she could along with Yuri. When they were full, they left the inn to spend the rest of the night admiring the beauty of Lapis.

In the very center of the city was a large, well-lit plaza, full of benches and tall trees of all sorts, the jewel of Lapis. Its stone tiles were of a deep blue that gently sparkled by the light of the moon, like a second starry sky. And in the midst of it stood a fountain that poured the clearest water Tsubomi had ever seen. The water cascaded from vases held by statues of Precures from the distant past: Cure Black, Cure White, Cure Angie, Cure Empress and others whose names Tsubomi couldn't quite remember. She stared at her own reflection in the waters. Yuri, by her side, was smiling so beautifully. Tsubomi blushed when she saw that: she had grown to love Yuri's smiles, her happiness. When Yuri was happy, Tsubomi felt bliss herself, always.

Yet they couldn't remain there forever, admiring the two skies, as they had to return to the inn soon, and then, to the Palace of Smiles. They promised they would visit Lapis again, someday, with a little more time.

Their beds stood in opposite sides of the rooms. They changed to their nightwear, and Tsubomi helped her companion get dressed, but in truth it was just an excuse to touch Yuri's pale and soft skin. Tsubomi felt a little guilty at that, but her fears died as she realized that Yuri herself enjoyed the feeling of Tsubomi's fingers running across her back.

They laid down in their beds, looking at each other, smiling. Yet that sad thought snuck its way into Tsubomi's mind again, and she had to ask.

"Hey, Yuri?"

"What is it, Tsubomi?"

"About Silver Moon, your mother…"

"I know," Yuri said. There might be some trace of sadness in her voice, Tsubomi thought, but it was well disguised. "I've been told."

"W-When? By whom?"

"By Miyuki, just after you yourself were told about it. Did you think I did not know?"

"I'm sorry… I thought so, and I never told you about it. I did not want to hurt you."

"I don't blame you. I did not take it well at first. Well, I still don't. But things have been terrible for so long, I've gotten used to it. Ever since I lost Cologne… No, even before that. Ever since half my family abandoned me for the desert," she said with bitterness. The tale of Sabaku's treason was well known. Half her family gone, leaving only Yuri's mother… Even Tsubomi could not imagine that, despite her family being so distant as well. At least they had not forsaken her as Sabaku did with Yuri.

"Oh, Yuri…"

"It's truly alright, Tsubomi. It doesn't hurt that much anymore. Thanks to you. You're like my family now," Yuri said, and closed her eyes. She looked so peaceful, Tsubomi did not want to disturb her, and so she also tried to sleep. It came easy tonight, as she was well fed, well rested and laying on a comfortable bed, and she dreamt of the moon over great oceans, stars shining all around.

As Obata had promised, the food was waiting for them at the marketplace. It was considerably more than Tsubomi had expected at first, but thankfully, Obata had provided them with a cart and a mule, so their journey would have no troubles. Tsubomi carried a heavy crate full of meats of all sorts, and she was thankful for the strength she had when she was Blossom. It was a strength she couldn't possibly have as Tsubomi, that meek flower.

Yuri was by her side as before, but this time, they lagged behind the soldiers, as despite her strength, it was still a great weight to bear. Would Moonlight have any difficulty? No, for sure she wouldn't, the greatest Precure of these times would not be troubled by a mere crate.

They stopped on the way a few times to rest, and also to eat. Not too much, though, this food was for the Palace, but it was hard to resist the temptation when they remembered all the delights they were holding. They set out before sunrise, and it seemed that, as Reika had predicted, they'd be at the Palace by lunchtime.

The Palace's guards did not even have to ask what they brought: the moment they saw all the crates and barrels they knew that in just a few moments they'd have a wonderful meal. Tsubomi wondered if they had to swallow that stew once again last night, and it seemed likely that they did. They grinned as they opened the gates, relief clear on their faces. Even Reika could not contain her excitement, and she rubbed her stomach.

Servants hurried to open the containers and take all the food to what was left of the kitchens. When she saw the mess hall, it looked like the entire palace was already there, anxious to eat, with plate, fork and knife in hands. Beauty was the first to eat, or rather, her taster. Even now she did not risk her safety. Tsubomi told them that Obata was trustworthy, yet Reika still insisted on it.

Tsubomi and Yuri sat beside Inori, who looked so full of joy when she finally put food on her plate. She ate vegetables of all colors, but mostly carrots. At first she ate slowly to savor her meal, but after a moment she was gobbling it all. Tsubomi looked around, and all the faces she saw were smiling, content. That made Tsubomi happy as well, happy to have brought them something that brought such joy.

When they were done eating, they left their plates behind, and they were soon put away by a servant. There was still much work to do around the Palace, but after all this, they could afford a few moments of rest, and the three of them had gotten used to spending moments like those in the Fairy Chamber, playing around, relaxing.

The Chamber now had a big hole on one of its walls, but was otherwise left unharmed. Some younger fairies were still terrified, and they clang to Inori as soon as they saw her. Tsubomi laughed, as she looked quite comical with a dozen fairies on her face, not letting her even see where she was walking.

"Come on, give Buki at least a minute of peace," Tsubomi said, laughing.

"These children are very disobedient," Chypre said, laughing, while Coffret tried to control them. "They won't even listen to me, their senior!"

"That's because you don't discipline them properly," Coffret said. "They aren't scared of you, they think you're too nice."

"As if being nice is a bad thing!"

"It is when you're taking care of children."

"You really don't understand anything, do you, Coffret?"

Tsubomi laughed. She wondered what it would be like if she and Erika argued as much as Chypre and Coffret did. The thought suddenly made her very sad; even if they argued so much, Tsubomi wouldn't mind, as long as they could be together again.

With great effort, Inori calmed down the fairies, and they let her sit down and catch her breath. The fairies then began to surround her with inquisitive eyes.

"Buki," Potpourri asked, "what are we going to play today?"

"Well, I didn't even think about playing today," Inori said, teasing, and the fairies all whined in unison. "Maybe Tsubomi and Yuri have an idea?"

"U-Us?" Tsubomi asked. The only idea that came to mind was picking flowers from the garden, but they already did that too many times.

"We could sing," Yuri said, and faced the fairies. "Do you all like singing?"

A hundred voices answered at once, and though she couldn't make out a single word, it was clear to Tsubomi that the answer was yes.

"Well, let's start with a cute, fun song. How about The Fairy that Learned how to Whistle? Do you like that song?"

They answered with enthusiastic cacophony again. Tsubomi knew that song, everyone did, but no one actually liked it. It was stupid, not very fun, and it wasn't even a short song. There were stanzas beyond counting, and half of the lines didn't rhyme. Even so, the fairies always seemed to love it. Then again, fairies loved lots of things that baffled Tsubomi.

"Let's go, then," Yuri said, and she began to sing.

There once was a fairy that was round like a ball,

He always told everyone that he knew it all.

Yet that was quite the filthy lie,

For the fairy did not know how to whistle!

Tsubomi felt more and more like a fool with each line she sang, but neither Yuri nor Inori was slightly embarrassed. They sang and clapped and laughed, Inori with much more enthusiasm than Yuri. Not too long ago Tsubomi would never imagine Yuri playing around like this, but she presumed that losing Cologne made Yuri appreciate fairies much more.

The fairy then went to the big pond,

To talk to his good friend, the wolf,

And to ask him for a little help,

But his request was naught but a yelp!

Ridiculous. But actually fun, Tsubomi thought, to be around friends, so she stopped caring about how silly she looked and began to sing louder.

The wolf looked at him confused,

And smiling, he, quite amused

Said to the fairy:

"There you are. I'm going to kill you."

Tsubomi did not remember that part of the song. Then she realized it wasn't in the song at all, and she looked back, and saw that winged monstrosity breaking open the Chamber's door. Tsubomi remembered her, the girl she saw as she fled from the Sunflower Aegis. Dark Precure. Yuri's face was frozen in fear, and when the fairies noticed the intruder, some of them stopped singing.

"Finding you was quite a bother," she said, taking slow steps towards Yuri. "But I'll end it now. Father isn't here to make me spare you."

Father? Was she Yuri's…

"Why are you here?" Yuri got up, and tried to hide her fear. "Why have you come to torment me again?"

"Oh, sweet sister, you know why. Now, be quiet, I don't mean to waste words on the dead."

Yuri took some steps back, and Dark Precure lunged against her, screaming, her one open eye full of hatred, her hands ready to shred. Tsubomi would not allow it. She transformed in a split second, grabbed her Flower Tact, and ran towards the monster, ready to protect Yuri, no matter what it took.

Dark Precure just grabbed Blossom by the hair and tossed her against the floor without even looking at her. Yuri was her only target, and she would stop at nothing to kill her.

Pine was no match as well, and a single punch knocked her unconscious, causing her to revert to her normal form in under a second after she was done transforming. Dark Precure took steps towards Yuri, and only the fairies stood between them.

"Come now and die, sister, or I'll destroy these fairies to get to you. You'll die just the same, but you'll take them with you."

Yuri wavered, and Tsubomi tried to say something, but everything hurt. Yuri told the fairies to leave, but they were unrelenting.

"We'll protect Yuri!" They said, and Dark Precure chuckled.

"You'd let them die just like Cologne, Yuri? Even for you, that's twisted," she pulled out a Tact, just like the one Tsubomi had, but hers was black and crimson, and its tip shone with anger.

She pointed it at the fairies and at Yuri, and it glowed brighter for a second before it shot a great blast of red light. Yuri jumped in front of the fairies and extended her hand. There was another flash of light, white now, coming from her fingers, and it held back Dark Precure's attack until it faded, harmlessly.

"So you can still fight? Transform, then, and let's end this."

"No. I won't transform. I won't fight here. I won't bring even more destruction to the Palace, and I won't force these fairies to watch even more brutality than they already have. I won't play a part in your monstrosity, Dark Precure."

"Dark Precure?" She sounded amused. "You won't call me by my name, dear sister, or have you forgotten it as well?"

"You are not my sister. You aren't a person. You are a monster, Anri."

"So you remember. Well," she grinned a wicked smile, "you won't fight, so you will die."

"No," a voice came from behind them. Beauty, by the door, with her blade in hands. "You will leave this place and you will never come back."

"You presume to fight me? I should kill you just to make Yuri suffer more."

"Then come," she pointed her frozen sword at Anri, "and see if the queen of the Precure Kingdom bows down to a mere brute."

Anri struck her with such speed that Tsubomi could hardly notice her attacks, yet Beauty parried every single one of them. Her twisted Tact had a red blade on its tip, and whenever it clashed against Beauty's sword, the ice would shatter, but she would summon another in an instant, never allowing Dark Precure to find an opening.

As Beauty cornered Anri, a massive dark wing hit her face, smothering her, while Dark Precure punched her in the stomach, but Beauty soon freed herself from its grasp, and swept her enemy off her feet with a swift kick. She lifted her sword and it came down with great force against Anri, but her wing blocked the stab that would have pierced her face. She shrieked in pain, and kicked Reika away. She got up, panting, her wing bleeding, and she looked around. Blossom rose to her feet, trying to look like a threat, but in truth she didn't think she could even fight.

Before Dark Precure could make a move, soldiers rushed inside the Chamber, led by Happy. They held crossbows and javelins, and when Anri realized she could not possibly be victorious, she pointed her Tact at the floor, screamed, and was surrounded by red. She lept through the ceiling, breaking it easily, and then she was gone. Tsubomi fell to her knees, and began to cry in pain.

"Tsubomi!" Yuri ran towards her, and gently held her wounded arm. Even her soft touch hurt. "I'm glad nothing worse happened to you."

"What was that, Yuri?" Tsubomi asked. "Dark Precure… Your sister? But…"

"Half my family abandoned me, I told you," Yuri said. "My father and my young sister, Anri. My father thought the desert was more worth fighting for than his family, his elder daughter. And Anri…" Even remembering seemed to bring Yuri great pain. "Well, I had a sister once. But she died, and all that is left is this monster."

"D-Dead?"

"Not truly. But she might as well be. Anri was difficult sometimes, a jealous child, but she was kind once, and we loved each other. But the sister I loved is gone now."

Tsubomi knew Yuri was not telling the whole story, but she did not ask more. The pain was too great, and all she wanted to do was rest. Yuri's eyes welled up as she held Tsubomi close to her face, and hugged her. Tsubomi wondered if this was how she cried when she lost Cologne. No, it can't be, I'm alive. Yuri's tears were of relief.

Yet she still could not transform. Despite her recovery, despite all the happiness she found again, she could still not transform. Tsubomi wept when she realized why: Yuri was too afraid to, once again, fail to protect that which was dear to her.

It always bothered me that Dark Precure was never given a name, and I always thought that Anri was a nice name, so there you go.