Dark Mint woke up to the silence and darkness of her bedroom, and she sighed. It felt strange to be there, and she couldn't help but wonder if she should not be elsewhere. Last night, the Precure told her it was fine for her to keep her bedroom, that she would not be kept imprisoned in the room with mirrors, like the others, but they spoke to her coldly, uncomfortably, like they didn't know what to tell her. Of course they didn't. It was too sudden for them to make sense of what she was, of the lies she told them.
No one hated her, no one told they forgave her for it, no one said things were the same. No one seemed to know what to make of all that happened and all that they learned. But they did not look at Dark Mint the way they looked at her when they thought she was Komachi. Though she went to sleep praying that all would be normal when she woke, she knew, when she told them the truth, that it could never be. She could never go back. She got up of bed and opened her windows, only to find that the sun hadn't even risen. She glanced at the clock on her table, and saw that she had gotten extremely little sleep, four hours, if that. She didn't feel tired, but mostly that was just because her anxiety and worry were so overwhelming now that they suppressed every other feeling, trapped her in a melancholic numbness.
Staring into the darkness, she almost wished she had kept her silence. They were willing to die for her. Why? They called her Komachi, instead of screaming out, for the sake of spite, her true identity. She could have continued to be Komachi, she could have said they were just fakes, not Nozomi's beloved friends… But she could not lie. In that moment, only truth made sense, and even now, when she wished she could take it back, she understood very well why she did it, why she chose truth.
She remembered the way Reika looked at Dark Rouge, just as she had looked at Lemonade and Aqua before… She would kill them all. It wasn't rage she felt for them, it wasn't hatred. She had no cause to feel anything for them, like Nozomi did, they hadn't betrayed her, they weren't born of the suffering of her dearest friends… And that was what terrified Mint so much. Reika didn't hate those girls, she felt nothing for them, she saw them as things to be disposed of. By the end of their battle, Reika's face was like it used to be, again, as if she returned to who she always was, but Dark Mint kept remembering the moments where she swung for the kill.
It was always Komachi she loved, Mint thought. It was Komachi who she saw as a person, only Komachi who was deserving of any thought at all. She was not Komachi, just as Dark Rouge was not Rin. They were just things. Aqua was right all along. Dark Mint was just too stupid to see it at first.
Best for her to have ended it when she did, to have let the mask shatter. The longer she wore it, the worse things would become, the more everyone would be hurt in the end. And if she could save Aqua, Lemonade and Rouge from suffering, if she could preserve their lives, then all was fine. It was the best someone like her could accomplish.
The rest of the Desert Rose seemed to be empty, everyone retreated into their rooms. No one was standing guard the last night, so the corridors held no life, the empty spaces of the manor overwhelming. Something about seeing so many locked doors made Dark Mint feel unnerved. It was the solitude, it was the helplessness, it was seeing all her friends beyond her reach, and having no one to turn to for comfort. The silence was such that the sound of her crying seemed deafening, and even as she wiped her face and covered her mouth she could not stop her tears or her whimpering. Now that she was thinking of all these things, the pain did not stop.
Dark Mint went downstairs. She found Himari asleep on a couch, with Iona close to her, both with books still on their hands. It was rather impressive that they managed to focus on their work after all that, but Komachi had told her, once, that when she was desperately sad, she would distract herself with thoughts that were not her own. If she didn't silence it, her anguish would drown her, and what best way to do so than reading, something that occupied the mind quite well?
She wished she could find that sort of comfort, but right now the idea of reading only made her think of Komachi, the real Komachi, the person she could never be. It was not a thought worth having. Instead she sought the door of rubies, and found it left open. She made her way down the stairs, and felt the heat of the Starfire torches. Sweat ran down her brow. She wondered if it was always this obvious, or if it only seemed that way now that she was gripped by her worries. No one had noticed it before, after all, as people have a hard time seeing things they're not looking for.
The door to the room where they found the mirrors was locked, its key still in its hole. Of course, a wooden door would not really be able to keep those three imprisoned. Fake as they might be, their strength was real. This could hardly be called a prison, not when the starsteel door was left open, but, then again, it's not like they needed to be locked away. Where would they go, anyway? There was nowhere for them.
She opened the door. Torchlight crept into the chamber, casting light upon the girls trapped inside their mirrors. Dark Mint did not stare upon them for long. It was a sad fate, and one that reminded her of Komachi. Ever since she left, Komachi had been alone, all alone… She shook her head. She should not trouble her mind with Komachi. As the light shone into the room, Aqua was the first to wake, but Rouge and Lemonade soon followed, none of them looking particularly pleased to be there. They were shackled together by their arms, so when Aqua moved, so did the other two.
"The idiot has come," Dark Lemonade grumbled. "I never really expected anything from you, but still, ruining your life has got to be a whole new level of idiocy."
"Usually, when people save your life, you thank them," Dark Mint fired back at her. Usually she'd just take the offense, and think little of it, but she was not in the mood to be abused in silence now.
"It was interesting that you thanked us by wasting the chance we gave you," said Aqua. "You should have kept your mouth closed…"
"Why do you act like this?" Dark Mint was tired of it. She hoped at least that they would try making sense, now of all times. "You always speak as if you despise me, and yet you were throwing your lives for me… Why?"
"Why not?" Dark Aqua shrugged, avoiding her eyes, but Dark Rouge stared straight into her eyes.
"I told you that we care about you. But only you have lived among Precure, amidst their kindness and their courtesy and what have you. We have not. We could never afford to be kind. Have you already forgotten our lives? Tenderness is a weakness. We have to always be strong, and if that means constantly hurting anyone around us, then so be it."
"That's no way to live."
"But it is," said Aqua. "We've lived thus far. Goodness, they really made you one of them. You were dumb enough to believe it, too. You speak like a Precure, you use these words that only they would. I bet you want to tell us to have hope. But hope is not for us. It's not for you. The only person who has ever helped us, knowing what we are, was Alice. But most Precure are not Rosetta. Most Precure are like Beauty, and would kill us," Dark Mint recoiled, and Aqua smiled. "Yes, you saw it in her eyes, too. It's as I told you. They cannot love what you truly are. Your existence spits in the face of every Precure. We are all imitations, mockeries of them and all that they hold dear."
Dark Mint had nothing to say to that. Those were her thoughts exactly. But when they came from Dark Aqua's mouth, they sounded abhorrent. She did not want them to be true. But she was right… She had always been right. There was no kindness in the world for the likes of them.
"What's to come now?" Dark Lemonade asked. "Hanging, beheading, burning? I hear the Red Rose loves burning betrayers, and our existence is just that. Seems they have plenty of Starfire around, too…"
"The Precure will decide what to do with you," Dark Mint said. "I'm confident they'll be understanding of the situation we're all in… None of us had a say in the matter. We did what we needed to survive: you fought with Nightmare to preserve your lives, and that, too, is why I lied."
"Oh, so they still tell you their plans?" Lemonade sneered. "That's rather impressive. They must be as clueless as you. Or maybe you're the foolish one, believing what they tell you… Did you take part in the decision?" She shook her head. "Of course you didn't. You're not one of them, and you can't know what they intend to do. They might kill us here, or they might take us to their pretty tower so that their Rosehearted can take a look at us… I bet they'd do that. That way they can say it was not their decision, if we are to be executed after all, and that would not blemish their pure hearts… It was not their fault."
Dark Mint wished she could have answered immediately, but her mind drifted to Mucardia, to the smoke of his burning, and the way his ashes spread in the wind. He had lied, too.
"You're unbelievable," Dark Mint lashed out at her. "Are you seriously fantasizing about your own death just so you can prove me wrong, just so you can have a chance to call me an idiot? You should be more concerned about that."
"I am concerned," Lemonade said, lowering her voice. "I don't want to die. I'm just mad at you. You've wasted the chance we gave you. It might as well just get you killed with us, in the end. It's… It's not right. That the four of us should just die, I mean. It'll just be as if we never existed in the first place. If you get out of this alive, at least you can remember us. For whatever that's worth."
"Didn't know you cared so much about this," said Dark Aqua. "When have you grown sentimental?"
"Shut up. You had the same intention. It's not easy living with the knowledge that your existence is wrong and unwanted. That you don't matter at all. Dark Mint might be a dumbass and a fool for trusting the Precure, but at least she had it better than us. Even if Shadow cracked her mirror, eventually, that'd be fine. She'd not see it coming," she turned to Mint, "you'd die a happy fool, thinking everything was fine. You threw away the gift of a good life, of acceptance. How can I not hate you for that? And envy you, too… You seem to be doing so fine. You should have kept things as they were. Let us die. You managed to trick yourself into believing you were one of them. That's the best you could have ever asked for. You should have kept it up."
"Not if the price was your lives," Dark Mint said. "If you would risk them for me, then I'll risk mine for yours. I have that right. I may not have much, but I have my life, and I can use it as I will. And I'll save you."
Dark Lemonade laughed, first with scorn, and soon she was coughing, and Dark Mint realized that her laughter had turned into crying. She was afraid, and she wept out of both fear and sorrow. Dark Rouge held her hand, and Lemonade did not say anything nasty in return, did not slap her. She just held Rouge's hand, while Aqua put her arm around her.
"Alice saved our lives once," said Aqua. "We live in her debt now, kind-hearted as she may be. You'll find little joy in living thanks to someone's mercy, knowing that it's pity that spared you."
"That's still more joy than dying," Dark Mint said. "It's still worth fighting for."
She left after that, and let them comfort Lemonade. They could do it far better than she ever would. Just as she was not one of the Precure, she was not like them. She belonged nowhere, that was the truth of it. She had hope, unlike them, but while hope meant something to the Precure, to her it was just an empty, desperate feeling. She clang to it, but it did her little good.
In the living room, Himari and Iona continued to sleep, and now the morning sun was shining down on Fortune. Last night's battle left her quite hurt, and her face was full of blue spots. She looked troubled, even asleep. I betrayed her, too, not only Nozomi. Dark Mint had to move away from her, and returned to the foyer, but there she found Setsuna sat on a couch next to a glass table. Her arms, badly scratched, rested on her legs, and her left hand was bandaged. She smiled when she saw Mint.
"Good morning," she said. Mint nodded. "May I have a word with you?"
Dark Mint couldn't tell if it was a request or a demand. Everything sounded like a command to her, now, in her precarious situation, so she agreed, and sat in front of Setsuna.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah," she lied. Then she realized such a stoic answer was not proper. She should be trying better, she should be trying to show she was still her friend. "Did you?"
"Just fine, all things considered. I talked to Miki, a little. I promised Kanade I'd sleep with her, but I miss Miki so much, you see… Ah, but I'm talking too much about things that don't really matter! I'm sorry. I wanted to talk to you, and meant to ask how you're feeling."
"I…" It was a difficult question. Dark Mint didn't know what was the right answer. The truth was too difficult to say out loud, but lying didn't seem right, either… "I don't know."
"Do you feel relieved?" Setsuna asked her. "For saying the truth, that is. It's important to understand that. How you feel about it."
"I don't feel any relief," said Mint. "I'm more worried than ever. I'm sure you understand why."
"I think I do," said Setsuna. "Though our situations may be different, there are some similarities, if it's not too presumptuous of me to assume I understand you…"
"It's fine."
"It's not easy. And knowing what's right is often difficult. No one can tell you how to feel. No one can tell you to be happy, to be relieved, to be regretful. But I want to support you. You might need some right now. I know I did… And was fortunate to have plenty of it, from everyone, from you…"
"All that time, I thought about how similar we were," Dark Mint admitted. "And I admired your courage. I wish I could have been as brave."
"You were courageous. You said that to protect those girls, right? That's admirable. Of course everyone may be hurt about the lie, but I hope they'll come to understand. I understand, or at least I'm trying to. I'll speak on your behalf should you ever need me."
"I may need you."
"I know. I hope everyone will be understanding. I'll try and help them understand, if they cannot. I feared retribution at first, but once the initial shock had passed, they were all willing to listen to me. They will listen you too, soon, today, perhaps. All will be well."
Will it? Dark Mint smiled in return, but she could not be certain, nor could Setsuna. She was torn: though she knew Setsuna could understand her, she didn't know how much she could trust anyone, now. And it wasn't just for herself that she was concerned, but the other girls… And they were hardly the same. Passion was a true Precure, after all.
She excused herself. She needed some air, she said, and some distance from her troubles. Setsuna agreed that it might do her some good, and said she was free to leave, that she didn't need to ask permission. Polite as Setsuna was, Dark Mint figured the others might suspect her if they woke and found her gone, so a warning was appropriate. She put on new clothes, lighter ones, more fit for the desert climate than the dress she wore the other day. Setsuna was still sitting there when she left, still smiling gently.
"I can't tell you what to do," Setsuna said, "and I don't know what you mean to do. If you're leaving for good, you can do so," she said, though Dark Mint would never abandon Aqua, Lemonade and Rouge. "But I really hope you come back. We are still your friends, and still care for you. Even though Nozomi might be hurt, she still cares for you."
"I know," Mint said, and opened the door. She hurried past the gardens, until she reached the city streets.
Though it was early, Miwar was already buzzing with life. The markets were house to great crowds and smells she could not identify. Only when people recognized her as Precure did the crowds give way for her, but she'd have quite preferred to have gone unnoticed. She wanted only to disappear, for a little while, to not matter and to not worry.
The Apostles told the city of the services of the Precure, and Salamander made it clear that the Precure were now their friends, and to be treated as such, even though they did not yet have a formal alliance. As far as the common people could tell, she was a Precure, and she was treated as such.
All doors were open to her, everyone had a gift to offer her. Dark Mint wondered if this generosity meant they were truly thankful, or if they meant to get in her good graces. She rejected their gifts, but gave her thanks to them all. None were things he might ever need: incenses and potteries, lenses and statuettes. She did not want anything, only to be alone. It was only when she began to feel hungry, after leaving without having eaten, that she accepted an invitation into one of Miwar's well-regarded restaurants.
It was a charming little place, a luxurious façade hiding a cozy interior. There were only a handful of seats, most of them occupied, but Dark Mint found a vacant one on a corner, exactly where she wished to be. Right next to her table, a photograph had been framed on the wall. A rather old one, showing the restaurant's opening. The exterior looked different, and the surroundings were mostly empty, the streets far less crowded than the ones Dark Mint found. She wondered when that was. She was so distracted by it that when a came to ask for her order, she fumbled, trying to look for something on the menu that seemed appetizing. She didn't recognize most of those dishes, so in the end she just asked for the chef's specialty. The puzzled look she received indicated that she might have said something stupid, but for the sake of courtesy the waiter smiled at her, and said he'd arrange for her meal to be brought soon.
Dark Mint sighed. It was fortunate that, at least, no one was looking at her. It seems everyone understood she wished for some privacy. She waited in silence, still staring at the photograph. She distracted herself well enough, trying to take note of each detail she saw there, counting how many people had been there to witness the grand opening. She was so distracted that, when someone approached her and greeted her, she absent-mindedly greeted them back. Only when the person sat in front of her did she realize who it was, a woman hidden beneath a hood.
"It seems you've gotten everyone's attention, and I must say it's made you quite easy to follow," said Hadenya. When Dark Mint's eyes widened in shock, the woman just raised a hand to urge her to stay calm. "I'm not here to hurt you."
"Then leave," said Dark Mint. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "You're wanted, you know. I should just yell out your name, have the guards take you to Salamander."
"And ruin the day of all these people eating around us?" Hadenya smirked.
"You really have no honor, do you?"
"Honor gets you nowhere, I find. Regardless, I didn't come here for you to judge me, or for us to exchange insults, especially because I have no reason to badmouth you."
"Then why are you here?"
"To propose something to you."
"I don't want to hear it," Dark Mint got up, and meant to walk away, but she found she could not leave. She was waiting for her meal, she should not just go away… That's what she told herself, at least. In truth she was just curious.
"You might not be interested, but your friends might be," Hadenya still smirked, insufferably smug and despicable. This was a rotten woman, through and through. "I hope the Precure are taking good care of them. They are important assets, and we would not dare depart Miwar without them…"
"I'm not stupid enough to believe this."
"It's not a lie. Of course, you're right that I'm hardly doing this out of the kindness of my heart. We have no way to leave this city. The gates are barred, the walls closely watched, and if there are any other exits, then Cobraja surely knows about them, and will have taken proper measures. The plane that brought your fellow mirror Precure is under control of the Apostles, in the Palace of Bronze. We cannot leave without it, but as of now, there's only three of us, Bloody and Gamao as well as myself."
"So you need help. Why should I give it to you?"
"Because you can return to Nightmare with us as well. Do the Precure know what you are?" Dark Mint didn't answer, but she found lying very difficult now, as well as concealing her feelings. "Ah, they do. They'll only tolerate you for so long, you understand. And the other three, Lemonade, Aqua, Rouge… They're enemies of the Precure. They will be treated as such."
"You're wrong," Dark Mint said, unsure of her own words. Hadenya disregarded her protests entirely. They were entirely hollow.
"It seems I must use less pleasant methods with you," Hadenya grumbled. "You are servants of Shadow, and, by extension, vassals of the Director. Eternal is our most important ally, you see, and we inform it of all we're using you for… Until now you were missing, and it's a miracle that you were found. But rest assured that you remain disposable. If you don't return to Nightmare, if you are lost here forever, your mirrors still unbroken, then you'll be regarded as traitors."
Dark Mint knew where she was going with this, she just never wanted to think about it. She hoped that it would never come to pass, but that now seemed like mere wishful thinking. She could not run away from it forever.
"It's a simple choice, my dear girl. You help us, or you die. You may think you hate me enough that you'd rather ignore me and leave me here, but none of us will leave without the other. Only I can awaken the Kowaina that will take us away from this hideous, damnable city. And if you don't return to Nightmare, then your fellow fakes will die as well. You might throw your life away happily, but theirs…?"
Dark Mint looked down on her own hands. She avoided Hadenya's gaze, but merely knowing she was so close was unpleasant enough, and made her want to get up and run away. This wasn't right. She didn't know what to do… But she also knew that she had no choice. If it was for the sake of Aqua, Lemonade, Rouge, who were willing to die for her, then how could she just let them die?
"What do you want?" Dark Mint asked, and Hadenya grinned.
"I understand you may have compunctions about the grittier parts of our plans, so you may leave them to us. But I'll need your assistance. You have access to the Desert Rose and to the Precure and their plans. We will need to move quick and to improvise, but it'll be fine," she passed Dark Mint a slip of paper. She did not read it yet, and kept it in her pocket. "Those are your instructions for now. Make sure to tell your fellow fakes about them. They must play their parts as well."
Hadenya got up, and left just as the waiter arrived with Dark Mint's meal. It smelled like some fine sort of meat, but she was too distraught to even look at it, and instead watched Hadenya leave and disappear in the crowd. It felt so unfair, to have no choice but to work with her, with this abhorrent woman, these monsters at Nightmare. But Hadenya was right: she'd let her mirror be cracked, if the alternative was betraying the girls she had grown to love, the ones who, even after learning of her lie, might be willing to give her a chance… But Lemonade, Rouge and Aqua owed them nothing. It was already wrong for them to die for their sakes, and worse still that it would be Dark Mint who'd have to make such a decision. She wanted to cry, but there were so many people around her, and she felt embarrassed. When she reached into her pocket, though, and read the note that Hadenya had left her, it only took her a few seconds before she began to laugh hysterically. For this to happen to her… She kept laughing, refusing to believe it was real, refusing to think it was anything but a joke.
Perhaps it was all a joke, after all, her whole life, and the punchline was thinking she finally achieved something better, only to have it all taken away from her. She read the words on the paper over and over again, and though they were detailed instructions and explanations, there was only one way to read them: help us kill everyone you love, and everyone who has ever cared for you, or die horribly.
For a second she meant to just rip it in half, to refuse… But she saw herself in the darkness again, with Lemonade weeping, comforted by Aqua and Rouge, and then she didn't know what to do. She put the paper back in her pocket and walked away without touching her food.
The sound of clashing swords brought peace to Makoto. She always found that strange, how sparring eased her troubles, but movement kept her mind both busy and sharp, warded off unwanted thoughts. And she didn't want to think now. She swung at Reika, and the only thing in her mind was the swaying of her blade, the way her feet moved along the grassy garden, how her sparring sword seemed to dance in the air, moving both elegantly and swiftly, matching Reika blow for blow. Soon she found an opening, and her blade was at Reika's throat.
"Are you distracted?" Makoto asked of her partner. Elena, sitting by the rose bush, watched the two of them spar, and chuckled when Reika was defeated.
"Ah, I'm sorry," said Reika. "I've not slept well last night, I'm afraid."
"You're lying," said Makoto. Were it most other people, she'd not have brought attention to that, but Reika owed her more honesty than that. She should trust her more than that. "We don't often sleep well, yet we still fight to our limit. This is not your limit, even for mere practice. You are distraught."
"Well, of course I am," Reika said in a sigh. "I can't stop thinking about everything that happened."
"Those are too many things to think about," said Makoto. "Not even you can possibly be smart enough to think so many things without your head bursting. If you keep this up, you're going to start bleeding from your ears."
"Well, not all of us are as practiced in running away from their troubles by fighting," Reika snarled, and as soon as she was done speaking, a regretful look claimed her face. "Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"To tell the truth?" Makoto was not offended. She picked up Reika's sword from the floor, and played with it, swirling it effortlessly. "If you'd like to go back inside, we don't need to practice today. Perhaps it was too forceful of me, inviting the two of you-"
"I'm fine, really," said Elena.
"-to come spar," Makoto continued, "but I'm afraid I don't know any other way to comfort you," she admitted. "You're right, that fighting is a fine way of running away. When I have a blade in my hands, the rest of the world disappears. I suppose that's something to be thankful for, when you've lived a life like mine," she offered Reika the sword, but she didn't take it.
"I'm sorry. I really can't focus. I can't stop thinking about-" She hesitated. "About everything."
"That's fine," said Makoto. She turned to Elena. She, at least, seemed eager to try her sword arm against Makoto. "You've saved me last night. That was a fine move, the one that took that bastard's hand."
"I do not usually disarm people quite so literally," she said, taking the sword, feeling its weight. "But I've always found that the most important thing in a duel is your disarming technique. Do you agree, Cure Sword?"
"We all have our methods," she avoided the question. She despised this style, in truth, of aiming to knock off your foe's weapon. It led one to focus more on the opponent's sword, and not on the opponent himself. Perhaps it was a fine style for tournaments, but in battle your goal was not to remove your opponent's weapon, but to strike them down.
Elena stood before Makoto, her right leg before her left. Makoto wondered if she'd make the first move, or if she was a defensive sort of fighter. She had only seen her fight in an all-out brawl, not a proper duel, so Sword knew nothing about her foe. She'd need to learn. She swung her sword from the left, and Elena parried the blow, the countered with quick jabs of her own. Sword repeated her move, and so did Matador. Quickly enough there was a stalemate. Makoto waited, circling around her enemy, and for each step she took, Elena took one in the other direction, the two right in front of each other.
Matador lunged, then lifted her sword when she was right before Makoto. An uncomfortable position from which to parry, that left her open for further attacks. Makoto blocked her, and immediately moved to the side to avoid the next strike. She slashed at Elena, but her attack, too, was dodged, and Matador used the opportunity to bring down her sword with all her strength. Their swords locked, neither of the two strong enough to overpower the other. Makoto already knew what she would do, though.
The most important thing is your disarming technique. Makoto saw her opponent's elbow move slightly, the sword sliding down Makoto's own, to the left. The force of her movement would knock Makoto's sword away with a spin of the blade, but Cure Sword moved her hand to the rhythm of Elena's weapon, the two swords sliding off each other. And then she touched Cure Matador's stomach with the tip of her sparring sword, and then she knew her song. It was a pretty one, rather elegant and pleasant, but all too predictable.
"What?" Elena let go of her sword. "How did you know what I was gonna do? It was too fast a technique to react to, so you predicted it, right?"
"I did," said Makoto. "It's an extremely effective disarming technique. Possibly the best you can employ when fighting someone with the same weapon you're using. But predictable."
"It has always worked so well for me," Elena protested. "It puts your opponent in a position where they can't properly react to what I'm doing in time, because of course they'd never think of following my blade to maintain their hold…"
"I thought of it, though," Makoto said. "Your form is excellent. You've clearly mastered your techniques, I'd never dare question that. You know what the best moves are, the ones most likely to ensure victory… But I know them as well. If you always perform the best and safest techniques, you'll always defeat opponents below your skill level, but only them. You're better than pretty much everyone, so that's never mattered before, but it also made you predictable."
"No one has managed to predict it," she insisted. "Only you. You're better than me, I know that much, but still… I didn't think there was such a great gap."
"There isn't," Makoto admitted. "It's not a difference in skill, only imagination. Meaning no offense."
"None taken. My pride is not hurt for losing, I'm just… Shaken, shall we say, to know that what I thought was my strength can be a weakness…"
"You've mostly fought in tournaments, isn't that right?" Elena nodded.
"Yes. With the Red Rose I mostly performed administrative functions, supplying our agents in the Desert Lands with all they needed, and the logistics of that. It was all rather boring, to not be allowed into real battles, so I've taken a liking to fencing tournaments."
"There you'll face people with the same skillset that you have. So you can understand their moves, and expect what they'll try to do. But true battles are messy. An opponent who's not nearly as good as you can kill you because his movements are so absurd that you can't know what they'll do. He'll parry when he should be striking, throwing you off guard, and when you think he'll riposte, he'll swing his sword like a butcher's knife and chop off half of your face."
Elena was silent after that. She seemed to have much to think about, her beliefs brutally shaken. Makoto almost felt sorry for her, but it was better for her to understand it before she was hurt.
"We should spar some more, when we have time," said Makoto. "Your form of fighting has become a habit, and habits are hard to abandon. It'll take some time, months, perhaps, but I'll be partner, if you'd like."
"I-I'll think about it," Elena said, walking away. "I don't meant to waste much of your time, or be a bother…"
She was just covering for her wounded pride, Makoto could tell. She said she wasn't hurt, but of course she was. If Makoto found herself in that position, she'd surely feel wounded, too. Her sword was everything to her.
"You won't be a bother at all," Makoto reassured her. "And you're a fine partner, I'll keep myself sharp if I practice with you. We both have things to teach one another. I'll try to teach you that always doing the safest move can be, sometimes, dangerous."
No one wanted to spar much after that. Reika and Elena were both too distraught, though for different reasons, and Nozomi had not even showed up. Iona had told Makoto that Hime was interested in practicing, but the princess was hurt so badly from last night that it was a miracle she could even walk. With nothing else to do, the three walked away, to meet with the rest of the Precure.
They found them gracing the gardens, enjoying the beautiful morning. Kanade and Nile had brought chairs from inside the Desert Rose, set them all over the gardens, and Makoto found taking a seat to be quite the seductive prospect. She'd love to spend the day relaxing, but of course she knew she would not be able to do so. There were things to discuss, and duties to fulfill, and troublesome thoughts disturbing her mind. Now that she was not fighting, she was thinking, and there were only sad things to think about.
"Good morning," Itsuki greeted them. Makoto and Reika greeted her back, but Elena was too grumpy to make small talk, so the whined some words Makoto could not hear, and looked for somewhere to sit down. "I can't quite understand you, already practicing one day after such a fight… I'd be too tired!"
"Even when exhausted, I cannot stop," Makoto explained. "It makes me feel fulfilled, so even if it makes my arms hurt, I'll keep sparring, so long as someone is willing to be by my side. But, perhaps, it would be nice to be able to relax…"
"I'm sure," said Itsuki. Then, she rose her voice. "Now that you're here, though, there's something I'd like to ask of everyone."
As she said that, everyone began to focus on her. All the Precure were here now, except for Himari, still holed up inside. She said she'd not leave for the Palace of Bronze until she finished deciphering all the hidden texts, as it'd be too inconvenient to constantly move between the Desert Rose and the Palace. She didn't seem to make that much progress, and, so far, it only seemed to be an excuse for her to avoid everyone else.
"I've lost something," Itsuki said. "A small signet, belonging to the Desert Apostles, given to us by them when we left to seek Olivier."
"A signet?" Setsuna asked, and everyone else seemed similarly confused.
"It bears the personal seal of Salamander, and it's a treasure of the Apostles."
"I've never seen such a thing," said Nozomi. "What is it for? You say it's a treasure, so it has to be valuable, right…?"
"Quite," Itsuki explained. "We were given it to pay for all our expenses when we were in the Desert Lands, looking for the City of Mirages. The signet marked us as friends of the Apostles. It was a great help to us."
"Sorry," said Kanade. "I didn't see it. Did you take it with you to the Palace?" Itsuki shook her head. "Then you must have misplaced it…"
"I'm thinking the same," she sighed. "I wanted to return it to Salamander. It's his, after all, from all those years ago… It seems only fitting."
"I doubt he's going to be mad," said Elena. "He's just been brought back to life and was reunited with his son. I'm sure he's too happy about that to care about some old signet."
"You're right, I guess," said Itsuki. "Still…"
"Well, we don't need it anymore either," said Miki. "The word has gotten out, that we saved Salamander. I'm pretty sure everyone in this city is more than happy to help a Precure."
Everyone nodded, quite satisfied. Regardless of all that had happened, in spite of their sad discoveries and the worries that gnawed at them, they had won. Makoto could not forget that. She thought about the girl that called herself Komachi… It was a hard blow to learn she was with the enemies of the Precure, once, but so did Setsuna, and she had proved herself a loyal ally. Makoto was shaken, but she had never met the real Komachi. This Dark Mint was all she had ever known, and it was her that she cared about. That didn't change. That could not change. They'd won, and all would be well. Understanding that helped her feel at ease, and her urge to hit something with her sword was immediately gone. It was not often that she felt confident like this.
A figure approached from the distance, coming slowly towards the garden. Makoto was rather surprised to see Komachi, as she didn't know she had left, but, then again, she hadn't seen her in the house. She had tried not to think of Komachi. No, not Komachi. Dark Mint. It was an unfortunate name to have, not even a real one, a name that belonged to her. A name like that defined her only by what she wasn't. She was not the real Cure Mint. Nozomi avoided her gaze, but Hime smiled when she drew near.
"There you are," said the princess. "It's some very fortunate timing, I must say. There was something we wanted to discuss, and I was waiting for you. Himari just wants to stay inside, so she's not joining us, but, otherwise, we're all together now, so we can decide matters."
"W-What matters?" Mint suttered, and immediately Hime bowed in apology.
"Ah! I'm sorry, that sounds so ominous when I put it that way! What I meant was, ah, uhm, well…" Yuko squeezed her princess' hand, and Hime let out a sigh, composed herself. "I wanted us to decide what to do about all the Starfire we've found."
"Can't we just leave it there?" Kanade asked. "Reika said that Starfire is perfectly stable. We keep it locked there, and we throw away the key, and the problem is solved."
"That is true," said Reika, "although, admittedly, there are no real records of Starfire being stored away for millennia, so it might, eventually, deteriorate. Whether that would make it unstable or would simply stop it from burning, we can't know."
"Are we going to gamble?" Iona asked. "Maybe, a thousand years from now, it'll be harmless. Or maybe a thousand years from now it detonates and burns down Miwar and kills everyone here. That's a lot of Starfire. It might be smothered out by sand, but there are roads leading out from this city."
"That's very unlikely to happen," said Reika.
"But you just said we can't know for sure," said Hime. "And, besides, we know it's not perfectly stable, right? It cannot be ignited normally, but the force of, say, a fall… That might stir it, no?"
"It burned Dark Aqua's hand in the palace of Trump, when she held the false Crown," Makoto pointed out. "You can't say it's perfectly safe, can you?"
"If you handle it carefully, it is."
"But a thousand years from now, will people still handle it cautiously?" Hime asked. "Suppose it all ignites. Suppose it even consumes stone and pavement, and spreads through roads, making torches of every city on its way? How long would it burn?"
"I can't give you an exact prediction," said Reika, "I'm hardly a specialist."
"I read Ange's writings," said Iona. "She says that such a great amount of Starfire might easily sustain itself through magic for over a month before it spreads itself too thin and begins to fade. That's enough to extinguish all life in the Desert Lands, the Neutral Lands, perhaps even portions of its neighboring countries."
"If that happens," said Kanade. "It very well might not. It might be safe after all. Reika and I aren't telling you to stop worrying, to think everything is fine, but consider this: what are we going to do? Do any of us know how to destroy Starfire?" No one said anything. "We might as well be endangering Miwar by trying. We're Precure, after all. Our powers ignite Starfire. It's only if we want to, or so we're told. But I don't feel safe handling something that, at the first mistake, could kill millions of people in a few days."
"It's not safe to leave it there, either," said Iona. "The door won't stop anyone forever. If someone really wants to get through it, they could reach the underground deposits by digging. We can try to keep it hidden forever, but we also can't know the Precure will last forever. We can't assume that people will always understand that Starfire is dangerous. And for that, we need to get rid of it."
"Well said," Hime nodded. Reika sighed, then sat down next to Nozomi. Makoto wanted Reika to be right, she wanted there to be no danger, but when had wishful thinking ever helped anyone? Precautions helped, not hopes.
"What do you propose, then?" Setsuna asked.
"Reika told us that Starfire cannot consume sand," said Princess, "and we are in the middle of a desert. If we transport the Starfire to the desert, then we can bury it where it'll be harmless, or even ignite it all where we can control it, where we know it'll not be able to grow."
"That might work," said Makoto, "but there's thousands of barrels down there, and just a few of us. It'd take us ages."
"We don't need to do it on our own," said Hime. "We can ask the Apostles for help. I have no doubt that they'll be happy to take all the Starfire out of their city, too. It'll not be easy, I know, coordinating such a large operation, but if we have enough hands helping us, then we can do it before we die of old age."
That struck Makoto as a sensible enough plan, and well thought-out. Princess Himelda, though still a fearful and frail girl, became more of a leader by the day. It was impressive, really, how far she'd come. When they first left Last Light, Cure Sword feared she might be a liability, but in that she was completely wrong.
"What of me?" Dark Mint asked. Again, only Nozomi did not look into her eyes. Only Nozomi avoided. Everyone else, though wounded, still cared for her, still wanted to understand her. "This doesn't seem like the sort of subject that pertains to me, as I'm not a Precure."
"But you are one of us," said Yuko. Dark Mint didn't seem to believe it. Her eye twitched, like she took offense to it. But Yuko's smile was unwavering. "That hasn't changed. We want you to keep helping us."
"Keep… Helping you?" She said, in total disbelief. "What can I even help you with, here? I can't transport the Starfire out of town. If Dark Aqua was hurt by it, then we are all at risk…"
"You can help oversee it," said Hime. "You and the others. We… We understand that we can only blame them so much for what they've done through coercion. And that you were only trying to survive. We understand," she said, though it didn't seem like Nozomi was willing to believe that. Cure Dream didn't look angry, but hurt. "Mirage will understand as well once we convince her that they can help us. If you can convince them to take part in this plan, to offer us their assistance, then we will have a much easier time arguing for their sake. What do you say?"
Dark Mint said nothing, her eyes drifting away from Hime. They moved from Precure to Precure, all the girls surrounding her. Makoto felt sorry for her, being put in this position. To Sword, nothing changed. She wanted to tell Dark Mint that, if she was willing to believe it, but she didn't appear to be. And, though Hime offered her a choice, to Makoto it was plain she didn't have one. If this was her only hope for earning her companions forgiveness, then how could this not, too, be called coercion, just as Nightmare and Eternal had done?
"Alright," Mint said at last. "Yes, that will be fine."
Reika approached her just a few minutes after Iona finished her lunch of lamb with cooked rice and lemons, which Nile swore was utterly delectable - and she was absolutely right. Iona was thinking about having seconds when Beauty told her they needed to talk, so she considered asking her for patience, but it seemed quite important, so Iona decided to spare her some time. She didn't have much of it, either, what with how they'd start removing the Starfire from the Desert Rose in the afternoon, in just a few hours, and the fact that she had not yet finished her reading with Himari… She'd have to find time for that in the night, even if she was exhausted by then… She had just gotten to such an interesting part, too, and relevant: pages where Cure Ange explained how a Precure might control or even quell Starfire. Iona was very interested in the subject. Still, for Reika, she couldn't be too annoyed.
Iona followed her to the courtyard and its fountain, where she found Makoto waiting with Nozomi and Setsuna. Nozomi was sitting on the edge of the fountain, feeling its cold waters on the tip of her fingers, while Makoto and Setsuna talked among themselves, exchanging words that Iona couldn't quite hear. They became silent when Beauty and Fortune arrived, and waited for Reika to clarify things.
"I'm sorry it took me so long to bring this up," said Reika, "but I hoped that I wouldn't need to explain anything, that it would never matter… But last night, it did," she turned to Iona, who understood at once what she meant. She could only be speaking about the abrupt change in her demeanor, the darkness that had appeared in her eyes, then.
She pulled up her sleeve, revealing her pale skin, bruised and cut. Even in the heat of Miwar, she always wore these long-sleeved clothes, stockings and boots that went up to her knees, and Iona could not imagine it being anything but unpleasant. She didn't know what, exactly, she was showing them.
"I did not tell you what happened when I fought Joker in Fabelpfalz," she explained. "I did not tell you how I defeated him and how I vanquished Pierrot. You never asked. It was enough to say I killed them. And I thought it was fine that way, that I could hide it forever, but I think you should know…" She put a finger on her wrist, pointing at her vein, and moved the tip of the finger down her arm.
Her veins were blackened. Iona feared her eyes were tricking her, at first, that it was only a deep blue, that it was only a shadow that made the lines seem darker than they were, but there was no mistaking it. Blackness ran inside her veins.
"Reika…?" Nozomi was horrified. "What happened?"
"I overpowered Joker, that much is true," she said, "but did not immediately cut him down. He… He tempted me."
"With what?" Iona asked.
"With the power to protect the ones I love. Power that I lacked. I could not save you from behind hurt," she told Iona. Though she had not felt it in days, she remembered now the pain on her ankle. She shivered. "I could not save Akane. I couldn't save my family, my home. None who were dear to me, and nothing."
"You were worried all that time in Märchenland," Nozomi pointed out. "Iona and I noticed. But we didn't understand just how much it hurt you…"
"I never allowed you to understand. I thought it would be shameful. I couldn't even fight, in Morgenluft, Makoto'll recall," Sword nodded slowly, sadly. "I was failing everyone by being afraid. I didn't want to be afraid anymore. I didn't want to be weak anymore, and I wanted to save Akane, as I had failed before… So I took Joker's power."
Before anyone could say a thing, Reika was holding a small blade, just an icicle, short yet sharp. She slashed at her own hand, carefully, so as to not cut deeply. Black blood oozed out of the open wound. It looked eerily like…
"Ink?" Nozomi asked what Iona was merely thinking. She held Reika's hand, the blood pouring on her own fingers. "It's so cold…"
"It's the power's curse," said Reika. "The toll I must pay for the gifts I was given. Last night I fought like never before. I felt faster and stronger, and my magic came more easily to me than it ever did. Once I tasted of this bitter blood… A taste so vile, like death, like hatred. The price paid…" She covered her wound with her hand, and her cold touch crystallized it, so that the blood stopped leaking. "And my mind felt clearer than ever. And that's not a good thing. I made this pact for the sake of Akane. The tainted blood reminded me of that. Only of that. While I fought, nothing else seemed to matter. I only wanted to end the battle so that we'd be done with this nonsense, so that we could leave Miwar behind, be one step closer to Akane…"
"I don't like this," said Iona. "Is that what Joker told you would happen? That you would be so focused? You didn't believe him, did you?"
"I was too desperate to doubt him," she said. "Please believe me. It's not making me evil, it's not making me hateful. It's just making it hard for me to care about other things," she lamented. "I can only think that I must reach Akane. That I must save her. I accepted this curse for her sake, and yet here I am, so far from her…"
"It's not right," said Nozomi. "Do you really think this power will help you?
"I thought so when I accepted it. I believed I was so weak, such a failure, that I'd have to keep watching, helpless, my friends hurting… But if I had the power to prevent that, to protect you all…"
"You always did," said Nozomi. "Accepting Joker's offer, a curse, letting it into your blood… You've allowed evil to enter you."
"Why are you judging her like this?" Makoto asked. "Do you judge me as well, for all the unsavory things I've done in the Trump Kingdom, to the Selfish? Is it evil to slash a woman's throat when she begs for mercy?" Nozomi had no answer for her. "We all do what we can to protect those we love. Sometimes all we can do is questionable and painful. None of us can be perfect, beyond temptation, not when it comes to people who are dear to us. If I could have the power to bring my princess back, or to kill all of the Selfish, then I would give my heart for it."
That's just as bad, Iona thought, but she could only wonder if she, too, would have been able to resist such a promise. She thought of Maria, and closed her eyes. Her chest felt tight. For Maria, she too might do anything…
"It might not be right," said Setsuna, "but Makoto speaks the truth. We are not perfect. We all make choices we may rue. I regret the lies I told you. With all my heart I do regret the danger I've put you into. Fear drives us to mistakes, and none of us is so strong as to never fear," she said, giving Iona pause. Nozomi still looked displeased, but not judgmental. She cared for Reika, and in her eyes, Iona saw fear. "Komachi, too, felt fear, you know," she brought up Dark Mint. Nozomi groaned.
"Don't call her Komachi," said Nozomi. "She's not Komachi."
"I'm sorry. Dark Mint is a sad name to say," Setsuna explained herself, "so I didn't want to… But that doesn't change the fact that we must not hate her. It was good of Princess Himelda to include her in our plan. She needs our support now, as you do," she looked at Reika.
Beauty conceded her point. It was only Nozomi who refused to, only Nozomi who remained hurt, angry. Iona knew she could not blame her, but still she felt sorry for the girl that called herself Komachi. Neither of them deserved this. Neither of them should suffer like this, but Iona had no words to make Nozomi forgive Mint, and no words to make Mint happy again.
If she had ever truly been happy among them. Iona might never know that.
They returned to the Desert Rose afterwards. Hime had returned from the Palace of Bronze, informing the Precure that she had gotten all the support they'd need for their endeavour. Salamander was familiar with Starfire, it turned out. It was Starfire that burned his face, that forced him to first wear his mask, hundreds of years ago. That much, it turned out, had been erased from history, to Nile's surprise. She had always heard that the crimson on Salamander's face was a birthmark, the signal that he was the bringer of the Tempest. Iona didn't understand what that meant, but Himari was happy to explain that the people of the Desert Lands believed in the concept of the Tempest, the representation of times of great change, and they were brought by men born with the blood of dragons, branded by the birthmark of crimson, their hair red, living fire. Quite the oddly specific belief, but it clarified things, a little.
The Dark Precure were brought from beyond the door of rubies by Kanade and Itsuki, and freed of their restraints. Just a formality, Iona knew. Mint accompanied them, though she was not imprisoned like they were. Aqua and Rouge confirmed that they would help in whatever was demanded of them, but Lemonade complained about having no choice in the matter. Still, she didn't refuse.
"I have something to say," Himari raised her hand as the Precure readied themselves to leave. "I didn't want to bring this up, and I don't want to sound like I'm still mistrusting you all, but, well… I am still mistrusting you all. Your Rosehearted wants me dead. And if any of you have any ideas about it…" She shuddered. "I don't feel safe. And yet I cannot go to the Palace yet, not when my work is not finished, since you're not letting me take the books there…"
"If you feel unsafe," Makoto said, "then I could make arrangements to have you guarded by someone you trust. Elena has volunteered to stay up at night. Would she suffice?"
"I'm already helping you with the Starfire, though," said Elena. "You'll need to find someone else tonight, at least."
"Do you trust me?" Itsuki asked Cure Custard, and the woman bit her lip.
"I can't fully trust anyone," Himari said, "but I'm fond of you, and Elena as well, and Miki… Yes, Sunshine, I'd feel much safer if you were to guard me. Just for the time being. I won't be a burden for long, I just need to have some confidence in the fact that I can go to bed and not worry about getting my throat slit during the night."
That was awfully paranoid to Iona, and she wanted to call her out on her unfounded worry, but she said nothing. Himari did not sound like someone who ever wanted to change her mind, so why try? Itsuki would lose some sleep, but that was all. A fair price to pay to ease Himari's worries.
"Then it's decided," said Makoto. "Himari, you'll be sleeping in the first floor, on the third room to the right. I can't have you sleeping on the couch again, if you're so worried," she approached Custard, and whispered something in her ear, but Iona, like everyone else, was too far away to hear.
"Well, it's not like anyone was going to kill me in my sleep when Iona was right next to me," said Himari. Iona agreed with her, but the truth was that, last night, she would have been too tired to possibly wake up even if someone was being eviscerated next to her. But it was better if Himari didn't know that.
"Itsuki will stand guard before the door," Makoto declared. "We'll make it up to her on our way back to the Phoenix Tower, and exempt her from scouting duty."
Though Itsuki said it was not necessary, she certainly seemed thankful for it. Iona, too, found herself wishing Custard would let her stand guard, so that she might be spared of having to scout ahead. Such infuriating work…
Iona watched most of the Precure leave, save for Itsuki and Himari, who would stay behind. They followed Hime to greet the Apostles at the entrance of the Desert Rose, past the gardens, and all the soldiers and volunteers who had come to help with removing the Starfire. The door of rubies was left open for them, while the Precure would focus on establishing the quickest route to leave Miwar and take the Starfire to the barren lands of the desert around the city. Iona was one of the last to leave, and stayed behind with Makoto, ensuring the Apostles could make their way downstairs and bring up the barrels of Starfire orderly. It was a hard effort to coordinate at first, because the stairs and the corridors were so narrow that only one could pass at a time, but it was trivial enough to organize things in a few minutes. Soon, the workers understood their duty well enough, and all that was left was for the Precure to offer their guidance and assistance. And Iona had something to ask of Makoto.
"Sword," she said as the two of them left, the afternoon sun hurting her eyes. "You think Himari is just being paranoid, right? None of us would even consider harming her."
"Perhaps to her it's not paranoia," said Makoto. "To Cure Custard it may very well be a perfectly reasonable fear. It's not for me to judge whether I think she's worrying too much or not. It's easier to just ensure her safety."
"Be that as it may, you announced rather loudly where she'd be sleeping," Iona said. Makoto just smiled. "So is she really that well-guarded? Itsuki can't be awake forever."
"Don't you worry about a thing," said Makoto. "I've taken every precaution," she said, enigmatically, and left, smirking at her own cleverness. Iona had no choice but to follow, and to hope that Makoto was as careful as she thought she was.
The work, like any well-organized endeavour, ran along smoothly under Reika's watch. Lines of workers came to and from the Desert Rose, moving slowly and cautiously. They carried the barrels in reinforced carts, and the streets of Miwar were of such quality that the carts did not bump, and the Starfire was in no way compromised. Reika knew that the mere bumps of a road would not be enough to ignite the white fire, but it made everyone more relaxed, being able to tell on their own that all was safe.
She accompanied them as they left, with Makoto and Iona by her side. The rest of the Precure had gone on before them, guiding the workers on the proper way, ensuring that they were properly organized. In the streets, people lined the sidewalks to look at what was happening, and talked among themselves, questioning what the Precure could be doing. Eventually, they would be told, but not yet. The Precure had asked the Apostles to keep it a secret. Learning that, beneath their feet, there was enough Starfire to turn half of the country to ashes, was likely to pause quite a panic with the population. Panic was just about the worst they could deal with right now. It was a delicate moment, in more ways than one.
Though Reika thought everything was proceeding rather quickly, she soon learned that it was much more lengthy procedure than she had expected. Not only was Miwar a large city, but its gates were well-defended, and even those under the employ of the Desert Apostles were held by guards, and had to explain their business. That wasn't surprising, though: Reika knew these measures were necessary so that Hadenya and Bloody would not escape. She wondered where they could be now. It was not her job to seek them, and they were locked out of the Palace of Bronze, without access to their masks and their Kowaina, so they couldn't do any harm anymore… Or so the Apostles believed. They were convinced of it, but Reika herself was not so sure. She would have liked to help the Apostles seek them, but she had her hands full right now.
Her hands were always full, of course. She had not rested since that blessed week in Morgenluft, when she could be home. Yet, even then… She looked at her wound, where she had cut her own hand. Beneath the ice she could see the black, and she shuddered. Even when she was home she had not felt much relief. She had only avoided her troubles, that was all, she had only lied and pretended all was well. But now that she told her friends the truth - though she couldn't bear to tell it to all the Precure, only to the ones closest to her, and Setsuna, whom she knew would understand - she finally felt like she was doing something other than running away. She hoped to see Kotoha again soon. She'd need her help, now more than ever.
And I need Akane. She could never forget that. She needed to save Akane, or this curse would be for nothing. Deep down, Reika knew that it was a mistake, but if she could use this power to save Sunny, then it would have all been worth it, and she would not be wrong. She couldn't afford to be wrong. For everyone's sake, she needed to always be right…
This, at least, was going well, if slowly. She tried not to think of Nightmare, not when she could do nothing about it. No point in giving herself a headache over something that was not supposed to be her concern right now. Instead, she watched over the Starfire with Iona and Makoto.
"When Dark Aqua held the false Crown," Makoto told them as they walked together through the streets, crowds gathered to watch both them and the carts, "the Starfire ignited, though her hands were not even touching it. Was it because she was, in part, a Precure, or a trap in the Crown?"
"We can only speculate," said Reika, "and speculating won't do us much good. Without being able to take a look, I can't say for sure. You must be right that it was a trap, though. How unfortunate that the Selfish were never capable of springing it. Too lazy even for that…"
"I was thinking about it," Makoto said. "The Crown, I mean, and Marie Ange… It was one of the last things she did, according to her journal… She must have known that she had lost, that the Selfish would not be stopped. I feel… I feel pity," Makoto put a hand on her heart. "I wish I could have been there for her. She was alone in her final moments, desperately making preparations for her death. That's miserable. I should have offered her some comfort, at least."
"You could not know," Iona reminded her.
"You're right, you're right," said Sword. "And that's not my point, anyways. She must have known that Starfire would consume her palace. From the beginning she had to have known that the Selfish would take everything, but she'd not allow them to enjoy it… I never thought of it that way, you know? That it wasn't merely an ordinary trap. It was meant to destroy the palace and all the Selfish. I never imagined she'd be capable of doing such a thing, but if Cure Ace holds a piece of her heart, then it certainly explains Aguri's demeanor… Much as I hate to refuse it."
"Wait," Iona stopped. "Sorry to change the subject, but maybe something like that is why all the Starfire was down there?" It seemed plausible enough to Reika, when Iona put it like that.
"Not a trap, like in Trump," Reika expanded on her line of thought, "but a last resort of some kind…"
"Never needed, thankfully," said Makoto. Iona, though, was deep in thought. Reika asked her what was the matter, and caught her off-guard.
"Ah! I was thinking on what I was reading," Iona explained, "from Cure Ange's journal."
"Another Ange…" Makoto grumbled. Despite herself, Reika smiled. It was just like Makoto to get annoyed at someone for daring share a name with her beloved princess.
"I haven't finished it yet. I asked Cure Custard for help, but she said that she was too busy trying to decipher a treatise on the nature of Starfire. That was a bit above my level, so I didn't understand much. Still, from Ange's writings, it seemed that she didn't want many people to even know about the Starfire. It was the Red Rose that ordered it to be stored away, but she made sure that the door of rubies remained closed… I didn't have the time to read any more than that, I'm afraid…"
It was interesting despite Iona's information being complete, Reika had to admit. Was it thanks to Cure Ange that the Starfire had never been used? Perhaps they'd never know that, but whatever the reason, Reika was thankful that Ange had been so cautious.
Further ahead they found Hime, alongside Setsuna. Hime could easily have looked laughable, a girl so small, so hurt and bandaged, shouting orders at people twice her size, urging them to be cautious. But even Iona didn't see anything funny. Cure Princess looked admirable, not only now, but since she set out from Last Light on Mirage's orders. Despite all their hardships, the princess had never broken or bent, and, according to Cure Sunshine, she was brave in battle, as well. At least someone was proving herself better than all others thought she was. Reika felt the cold in her veins again, and remembered the way Iona and Nozomi looked at her. Fortune remained by her side, but Dream seemed to be avoiding her. She was avoiding everyone.
"How goes it?" Reika asked Hime. The princess stuttered before answering, caught off guard by Reika, so focused she was on her duty.
"Slowly," said Hime. "Slowly is good. We really wouldn't want to rush something this important…"
"That's true," Reika agreed, "but we can't linger here forever, either… And the longer we take," she lowered her voice to a whisper now, "the more chance we give Nightmare to do act against us."
"You think they will?" Hime asked. She took the threat seriously, which was more that could be said for most other Precure, who were quick to convince themselves that the danger had passed.
"I have no doubt that they will try something, once they're desperate," said Reika. "It's only been a day, but soon they'll try to escape, by whatever means they can find. There is nothing as dangerous as a desperate enemy, you see. Cornered, there's nothing they won't try. So we must be as careful as we can, but also not delay."
"I'm not sure how to do it any faster, though," Hime said. "Everyone is doing their best already…"
Reika knew how. The Apostles had provided them with plenty of help, but she knew they could get them more. She'd only need to visit the Palace of Bronze and request further workers from Salamander. Soldiers, perhaps, so that they could protect the Starfire from Nightmare, should things come to that point… Reika wondered if that was not overly paranoid of her, but she was not one to let a risk go ignored. She bid Hime goodbye and good work, and left Makoto and Iona behind to help. It'd be a waste for all three to go to the Palace when they were so short on Precure.
The crowds let Reika pass with no trouble. They might not have understood what exactly was going on, but it was clear to them that it was urgent, so they did not stand in her way. To her embarrassment, Reika had to ask around for directions to the Palace. She had only been there twice, once by car and the other time at night, and now under the bright sunshine everything looked different. Of course, everyone was eager to help Cure Beauty, and a man even offered to take her to the Palace himself, but she politely declined, saying she needed only instructions. Soon enough she was on her way.
With Nightmare's rule ended, the streets were once again free to tread upon at all times. Mostly, they looked the same. Perhaps it was wishful thinking on her part, but she saw more smiles now, and bigger than before… Or maybe she was telling herself that so that she could continue to believe that all pain and strife had been worth it, that this struggle made some difference.
Soon she noticed how the streets were narrower, and the buildings all towered over her, cast their shadows on her. Even in the middle of the afternoon, when she sun was brightest, the shadows here gave the street an appearance of darkness. She looked around, and saw only closed doors and windows around. She was told this was the shortest path, that this narrow alley would save her a minute or two of walking… When she heard footsteps behind her, she thought she might have been lied to. She continued to walk without looking back. It was nothing to fear, for who would dare attack a Precure? Only Nightmare…
She turned back. The man was standing right in front of her, dressed in black, his face harsh and weathered. Bloody carried no weapon, was not poised to strike, but Reika drew her blade anyways.
"Good afternoon, Cure Beauty," he said with a tip of the hat. Though he made an effort to look cool, Reika could not fail to notice that his fingers were shaking. She took the sword closer to him. "I figured you'd offer me a more courteous greeting than this."
"What do you want?" She would not return his empty words. Bloody seemed genuinely displeased by that.
"I wanted to talk to you," said Bloody. "Forgive me for following in the shadows. It is hardly proper, but it appears to be a bounty on my head, so I had to wait for a better opportunity, a quieter place… I feared I'd not find one, but I've been most fortunate."
"You know you are marked for death, and yet you walk the streets of Miwar? You must have a death wish. If you've come to ask me to indulge it, I'm afraid I'd sooner give you to the Apostles than to cut you down as if you were a beast. I'm not a butcher," or at least I like to believe I'm not.
"Handing me to the Apostles would be butchery," he said casually. "We've done them quite a lot of harm, after all, and that they will not so easily forget. Whether or not it's your hand that swings the blade, you'd be sentencing me to die."
"And yet you've come to me," said Reika, "only to talk. Well, you're talking, and it doesn't appear you're saying much."
"I'll make myself brief, then. I have an offer for you."
"What makes you think I'd even consider it?"
"May I look at your wrist, my girl?" He asked, all courteous, but Reika pulled her sword hand away from him. He grinned. "You make for a poor liar, Cure Beauty. I've seen the black blood flowing from your veins last night. Some might have fooled themselves, refused to see the truth, believed it was just the darkness… But I know plenty about despair magic, having worked alongside my lady Despariah for so long. And that's despair magic, the likes of which few would know… Was it Joker, or Pierrot?" Reika didn't answer. "Holding your tongue won't change the truth," he said, as if she did not already know. "But it's fine, I understand it might be difficult for you to speak about it. Still, I know what it means. It means you are corruptible, or reasonable. It's all a matter of perspective, I suppose."
"So you think I can be bought? That's very presumptuous of you. Perhaps I should give you to the Apostles after all."
He didn't seem afraid anymore. Fool! What was Reika thinking, showing such weakness, such honesty? It was one thing to tell her trusted friends, but this foul beast…? She felt more stupid than ever before.
"I know where your friend Nao is," he said. Reika nearly dropped her sword. "You are only friends, right?"
"What do you know about her?" Reika demanded of him. He did not waver.
"When the Precure of Morgenluft were captured, we presided their… Division. Sunny to the Selfish, Happy to remain with the Bad End Kingdom, and March to… Somewhere far away, with her adorable family."
"You are low," she snarled. "He lowest of the low. It almost makes me want to be the one to swing the blade."
"Do so and you'll never know where your March is. Or, even worse, you might learn only once it's too late. That'd be something, no? To know you could have saved her if not for your frail pride. She's in a dangerous place, girl. Even I feel sorry for her and her little brat siblings. Now, if you don't know where she is, then you cannot save her. I know where she is. I'll be happy to tell you, because I'm desperate for your help. I'm in no position to lie to you. But you are in no position to refuse, are you? You could tell yourself that you can't help us. That the purity of your heart is more important than Nao's life. But that's a lie. Your heart is tainted already. When the darkness has touched it, it will not let go," on instinct, she put her hand on her chest. "You feel it too, don't you? You can try to refuse me. But would it bring you any joy? Compared to saving your beloved friend, what is the worth of being able to say you've stayed good? You Precure speak of love. If you love Cure March, then you know what must be done."
"What do you want of me?"
"I won't ask for much out of you," said Bloody. "I won't ask you to turn on your fellow Precure," he said, though how else could Reika possibly see it? "I need the girls. The ones you've imprisoned."
"What could you need them for?"
"Yours is not to ask, but to do. We need them, and they need us. You might think you are helping them, but the truth is that if they do not return to Nightmare, their mirrors will be broken, their lives forfeit," Reika couldn't tell if he was telling her the truth. "You will be saving them, too, if you care about that. But even if you don't, we will need them. We will need you to let them come to us."
"Today?"
"Soon," said Bloody. "When you think it's possible. When you do, you bring them to us, I will tell you where your sweet March is, and we will both go on our ways."
Reika stood still. She shouldn't even be considering it. It was the same thing with Joker. As soon as she had considered it, she lost. She should have denied Joker at once, just as she should be denying Bloody, but he didn't make it easy… It was not only Nao's life in the balance now, but those girls' as well. Her choice, now, was clear.
The sun was beginning to set, yet the work was not nearly done. Nozomi had a hard time paying much attention, what with her mind, so troubled and full of thoughts that made her ill. Everything was fine, though, so she supposed it didn't matter if she was focused or not. The Apostles and the volunteers were beginning to leave, when their shifts were over, and soon Nozomi no longer saw any carts coming from the Desert Rose. Instead they returned empty, coming from outside the gates of Miwar. She asked a woman if they had any troubles finding a place to store them, and learned that Nile and Elena had already confirmed that they burned very briefly, in the sands, and were extinguished when they could no longer consume anything. Soon enough Matador and Nile were coming back, too, alongside the last group of men pulling their now empty cart. Nile told Nozomi that she could keep going, she was not tired yet, but Elena said she had enough and was ready go return to the Desert Rose as soon as possible so that she could get some rest. She didn't even wait for Nile to say goodbye to Nozomi before going on her way.
Nozomi didn't follow them, of course. She had things to do. She wanted to talk to Kanade, and hoped to find her still in the streets of Miwar, somewhere. Now that she was free from her duties, she was free to seek Cure Rhythm.
There were few people in the streets now, and mostly they were returning to the Desert Rose, to place back the carts there, and to eat after a job well done. Yuko said she would have liked to be able to cook, but even she could not make enough food for hundreds. And there would be even more of them the next day, now that Reika had requested more support from the Apostles. Their days would still be busy, even after their victory. Nozomi might have liked to rest for some time, but she knew it would not be true repose. It never was, because how could she ever feel at ease when she had to live with the constant knowledge that there would always be more battles to be fought? She found herself thinking of tomorrow instead of resting, when she tried.
She knew that even tonight she would not be able to sleep well. The thought of Dark Mint's lie haunted her mind. She felt so stupid. When she found her in Trump she was so happy to see Komachi once again that she never even considered how unlikely a meeting it had been. She believed Dark Mint when she said that she had merely changed her hair, because how could Nozomi ever care about something so small as that when she thought Komachi was right in front of her? She never paid it any mind. The others might have been suspicious at first, but when they saw Nozomi's joy, they believed Mint too. She had never given them cause to disbelieve her. She transformed just like the rest of them, but only now it occurred to Nozomi that making bright green lights sparkle was hardly unusual magic. She felt angry, disappointed, she felt like a fool… But she did not want to be consumed by anger. She wanted to trust this girl she thought was her friend… It just hurt too much to do so. She felt like a great idiot for having been fooled for so long. But that was only proper. What was Cure Dream but an idiot?
Kanade was not alone, but by Hime's side, laughing underneath the now-lit street lamps, leisurely making their way to the manor. Someone at least seemed to be content. Nozomi was glad for it. She had never been the sort of person to take pleasure when others shared in her misfortune. She was not dumb enough to resent the joy of others, at least. Kanade and Hime waved at her as she approached, and Nozomi half-heartedly returned the gesture. She could still smile, at least, she was glad to learn that.
"Hime and I were considering going out tonight," Kanade told Nozomi when she came to their side. "Let's all go out, actually. There are plenty of good restaurants around, and would be pretty miserable for us to stay holed up, no? Especially when there's such a big city around us… It feels like we've seen so little of it. And it's a beautiful place…"
"As beautiful as the cities in Majorland?" Hime asked.
"Now, let's not go that far… I'm a patriot when it comes to that, and will never accept anything but Luminosa as the most beautiful city in the world! You ought to see it someday, Nozomi," she told Cure Dream, "if, well, something remains of it. I've promised Hime that I'll visit the Cloud Citadel. How is your home, Nozomi? We don't hear much about the Palmier Kingdom nowadays."
"Oh, it's pretty, I guess," Nozomi said. "Lots of palm trees and baobabs. Or at least there used to be. I haven't thought about it in a while. It makes me sad."
"I understand," said Kanade, "but we'll save it. And then we'll all visit it together! We'll see the whole world. The Cloud Citadel in the north, Luminosa in the south… Morgenluft, the fairy kingdoms, and then we might return to Miwar and actually see it. It might be too much to visit what's past the Crystal Ocean, but we won't be in a hurry. Someday…"
"Will we?" Nozomi asked. Neither of the two knew how to answer her. "Why are you already making plans?"
"We might as well get to experience some of the world we're saving," Hime smiled. Something about that smile annoyed Nozomi. Hime and Kanade had not been with the other Precure to Morgenluft or to Trump. They did not suffer as they had. Of course it seemed easier to them.
"I guess," Nozomi said. She didn't want to be too much of a downer, so she held her tongue. Let these two enjoy their victory, if they could. They didn't deserve to be punished for Nozomi's sadness. "Kanade, can I ask you something that's been on my mind?"
"Of course."
Nozomi wasn't actually sure how to word her doubts. Her feelings were clear, and she understood them perfectly, but when it came to voice them, sometimes she faltered. Though she was fond of both Hime and Kanade, she was not as close to them as she was to Reika, to Iona, to Makoto, to Nagisa and Honoka. She never felt ashamed when she was with them, but with other people, this insecurity always came back: the fear of not being able to express herself, of not making sense, of being laughed at, called an idiot. She knew they would not, not girls as kind as Rhythm and Princess, but it happened enough in her life for her to fear it anyways.
"Did you feel betrayed when you learned that Setsuna was part of Labyrinth, once?"
Whatever it was that Kanade was expecting Nozomi would ask, it definitely wasn't this. She was more surprised than uncomfortable, and struggled to think of an answer. Nozomi was in no hurry, though. Hime gave the two of them space, and soon she was gone, far in the distance. Kanade and Nozomi walked together, slowly, until Kanade was ready to answer.
"A little," she said, finally. "You'll remember, though, that I had no time to really feel anything. It was so sudden, not just Setsuna's confession but everything that came after. The accusations, then all of us going to the Phoenix Tower… I had just a few moments to make up my mind, and the answer came to me in an instant: I'd defend Setsuna, no matter what. I love her. She was good to me when I was alone, always close and kind. And in turn she accepted my closeness and kindness. So it was hardly a choice. You're thinking of Mint, aren't you?"
"I'm afraid I'm pretty transparent."
"There's no pride in being unclear about your feelings. It's fine. I can't tell you how to feel, though. I can only let you know how I did, back then. I was sad that she lied. I understood why she had, but it still stings. There's always this bit of pain when you learn that someone you love is not as open as you thought," Kanade said, and Nozomi thought of Reika, too. She could not blame anyone, though, she knew that, not when she too had shut herself off to everyone who offered help. "How do you feel about Mint?"
"I don't know," Nozomi spat out her words before thinking. "Angry, because she makes me think about Komachi, who is lost right now, in the hands of our enemies. It doesn't feel right for someone to take her place, to lie to me… It's like it disrespects all the true memories I had with Komachi, the real Komachi… And yet… And yet…"
Kanade did not pressure her to speak up. They just continued to walk, and in the night there were few sounds to be heard but their footsteps. Nozomi tried to look away, but whenever her eyes met Kanade's, she found them calm, gentle, patient. They did not judge her.
"And yet I know she did it because she feared for her life. She had nowhere to go. Like Setsuna… And, like Passion, she could not tell the truth about who she had been. But she told the truth, too… If I could forgive Setsuna, if I could accept her, then I should forgive Dark Mint too, right?"
"I told you that I can't say what you should do," Kanade reminded her. "Only you can know how you feel, and what to do, and only you can know what will make you feel better. You'll have to live with your choice, so it's important that you are certain that it's the right one, so that you'll never regret it. I don't regret mine, not at all, so I hope you don't either."
"Thank you, Kanade," Nozomi told her. "I think I know what I want to do."
"Then let us go back, shall we?" Kanade took her hand, and pulled her along, the two of them running until they reached Hime again.
The princess asked what it was that they had talked about, but Kanade dismissed the question with some light-hearted laughter, and said only that it was a secret. Hime laughed with her, and asked no further questions. The rest of their way, Nozomi said little, and only heard the two speak between themselves, discussing where they might go, what restaurants they might find interesting. Nozomi herself didn't have an opinion at all, as she hadn't paid attention to Miwar as these two had, but she had to admit that, the more they spoke, the more her mouth watered… Yes, going out for dinner seemed like an excellent plan, and one that would force her to distract herself from her worries.
As she neared the Desert Rose, Nozomi grew more certain that she'd stop running. Her resolve made her confident. She'd have to speak to Dark Mint when they could be alone, just the two of them, when they could be calm enough to voice all their thoughts. It would be hard not to think of her as Komachi, or as an imitation of Komachi, but Nozomi kept thinking about how all the other Precure, who never knew the real Komachi, grew to love Dark Mint all the same. They love her for what she is, not the person she pretends to be, so I should, too…
They were the last to reach the manor. The full moon was reflected on its ponds and pools, and gazing upon it brought Nozomi some worry. Itsuki had said that Olivier has wolf's blood, and that the full moon brought out his wildness. She hoped that he was fine, and being taken care of. Nozomi had only heard stories about curses like the boy's, but none of them made it sound like an appealing notion. Still, it was not her problem. She should worry about her own issues, instead of losing sleep over all that was wrong and dangerous in the world.
Murmurs came from the living room. Nozomi felt uneasy: they were displeased whispers, worried, voices talking over one another, none of them making any sense. Iona awaited by the door, and the look she gave Nozomi indicated that, whatever had happened, it was not good. Nozomi stepped into the living room, and there she saw Cure Custard sat upon a couch, Miki and Elena comforting her. The woman was crying, afraid, and a chill grasped Nozomi's bones as she began to imagine what it would mean even before someone bothered explaining it to her.
"Custard," she called her name, and asked the obvious, "is something the matter?"
"Tell them, Itsuki," Himari said. "Tell them all what happened. Tell them what you did."
"Some thirty minutes ago, when everyone was returning from their work with the Starfire, the starsteel doors closed while there were people taking the carts underground. Mint called me to open them, because she could not. And then…"
"And then I heard sounds of a door being broken into," Himari said. "It's a very distinctive sound. I'd not mistake it for anything else. But it was not my door. Someone had come to kill me, and when I visited the room that was supposed to be mine, with Makoto, the bedsheets had been pierced through by a stabbing weapon. Because someone thought it was me, abed, and they meant to kill me."
"Wait," Nozomi didn't understand. "Why do you say someone meant to kill you when they didn't try entering your quarters?"
"Because I lied when I told everyone that Himari would be," Makoto repeated her words from earlier in the day, "sleeping in the first floor, on the third room to the right. I whispered into her ear, told her instead to sleep elsewhere. Because I had just announced to everyone where she was supposed to be, you see, and while I thought it was likely to be Cure Custard's paranoia, I didn't want to be careless. And now it seems that she was right all along. Someone tried to kill her. Almost certainly one of us."
"If it depended on Itsuki, they would have gotten close," said Custard. "She left me. She left me alone to help those fake Precure. I'm sure they're in on it too… Oh, yes, they'd surely earn themselves a pardon from Cure Mirage if they got rid of someone she wants dead, no?"
"That's absurd," said Nozomi. "You know they weren't lying, you know they can't open that door. If it closed, they would not be able to open it on their own."
"And why do you think it was closed in the first place?"
"We did nothing," Dark Aqua told her. "At a time like this we'd not even consider trying something this stupid, and we have nothing to gain from your death. And for Mirage's sake…? No, never. We don't want you to die."
"Curious for you to say that," Himari snarled, "you wield a sword, don't you? And it was precisely a blade that cut through the other bed. What do you say about that?"
"Is it a crime to prefer the most elegant weapon there is?" Aqua asked. "Half of us wield it, and the other half can at least understand how it works, and how it might be a good instrument of murder."
"Who would have done it, then?" Himari asked.
"We are not going to accuse anyone here tonight," said Makoto, though Himari looked ready to start firing away accusations of all sorts. "We will keep you safe, and discover what happened. It's deeply disconcerting news, to all of us," she said, somber. "And I would like to believe that none of us did it, but, thus far, that's the only possibility we can safely consider…" Makoto turned to face the rest of the Precure. "Please, if any of you is responsible for this, I ask that you come to me. You don't have to do this. Just because it's Mirage's order, you don't have to obey it. She doesn't need to know, and even if she does, she will just have to live with the knowledge that we spared the life of her enemy. None of us need to impress her. None of us will get in trouble for defying her command. Do you all understand it?" She asked. Nozomi nodded, and some other heads as well.
"I am so sorry," Itsuki told Himari. The woman tried not to look at her face, but she could not resist long. She seemed furious at first, but soon she was only afraid, the rage gone.
"It may have been just a mistake," Custard admitted. "But I don't want to be guarded just by Itsuki. It's not that I distrust her, but… Well, I distrust her a little," she said, regretful. "Perhaps I should just accept Salamander's invitation to the Palace of Bronze. But then I cannot finish my work, and I am so close… Just as I heard the noises outside my door, I was almost done transcribing Ange's writing on how to stop Starfire from spreading. Iona is likely to be interested in that as well."
"I am."
"It's your choice whether you stay or go," said Makoto. "I would offer to be your guardian, but I plan on trying to find out who it was who did it."
"Do you think you can?" Reika asked. "We have such little information to go by…"
"I can try," said Makoto. "It is sad to say, but if there is someone among us who we cannot trust, then we must know. And I will not hear any accusations before this is properly investigated. Dream, Rhythm and Princess were the last to arrive… I may require your help."
"Eh? But we already have so much work to do tomorrow…" Hime whined.
"I know, but this is important. As for Himari's protection…" As she spoke, Elena raised her hand.
"Let me do it. I don't know how much trust Custard has in me, but if she has enough to keep me by her side, then I'd much rather stay here than out there in the desert heat."
That was far more honest than Nozomi was expecting. But, then again, Elena was honest to the point of being unpleasant. And, most importantly, she was dependable in a fight. That might be all that mattered.
"Fine," Himari said. "Do all that you can. I'm putting my life in your hands again, as I did when we met in Almdyta."
"You know I will not disappoint," Cure Matador smiled.
It was like that, in great discomfort, that the Precure parted ways for the night. Though it was not yet very late, no one was in the mood for pleasantries now. Even Kanade and Hime didn't dare voice their plan to help the Precure find some enjoyment. Though Nozomi was not quite as eager as them, she was disappointed. Worse, still, was how Mint and the other false Precure shied away from the others, retreated to their own corners: Mint to the stairs, headed to her bedroom, and Lemonade, Aqua and Rouge past the starsteel door, back to their makeshift prison. Himari, accompanied by her protectors, made her way up, and each of the other Precure desperately looked for a way to pass their time before having to sleep. For Iona, it was reading, which Nozomi did not wish to disturb. Makoto had something to discuss with Kanade and Hime, and entreated Miki's assistance as well. Yuko found a distraction in cooking, and was joined by a curious Setsuna. Nile wanted only to sleep, though, tired from all her work.
She sat by Reika's side. Beauty did not look her in the eye. She wasn't looking at anything, only the walls, the bookcases that ran along it, as they did all over the manor. Nozomi stared at Reika's wound, at her pale skin, and Reika hid it from her. Somehow that stang.
"Reika," Nozomi wanted to talk to her. "Is everything okay?"
"Can you say, after what just happened, that everything is okay?" Reika asked. "This is… Concerning."
"There's something in your mind," Nozomi told her. That much was plain to see, from the way her icy eyes drifted away, as if Reika was completely distracted by some other thought. "You should talk to me about it. You can always count on me, and I want to help you."
"Even you don't tell me everything," Reika said, cold. "Even you won't explain to me why exactly you feel so wounded. It's not right for you to always give yourself to others while you are being hurt. I love you beyond words, Nozomi, I truly do, but I don't know what I can do for you."
"I'm sorry. I don't think you can. I don't think anyone can. I am being weak," she admitted, "and only I can overcome this weakness. I cannot be your burden."
"You are no burden," said Reika. "You should never call yourself that. Even now, you still can't see it," she said, getting up. "I'm sorry. The truth is that you cannot help me either. You know this curse I have saddled myself with. You know this mistake of mine. You cannot save me from it. I, too, have been weak, and must bear it."
"Bear it by my side," Nozomi rose as well, offered Reika her hand. Beauty paused, her hand lingering close to Nozomi's, their fingers nearly touching.
"I can't," she did not take Nozomi's hand, and instead put her palm on Nozomi's cheek. She had such cold fingers. "I care for you too much to make you suffer with me. You deserve better than it. Better than dealing with my failures. I only want one thing from you, please. Please continue to love me even as I'm like this. Even as I make mistakes. I'll always support you. Please, do the same for me, even if we cannot tell each other all that hurts us."
"Oh, Reika," Nozomi giggled. Her stomach hurt, and she felt cold, so cold, but she laughed anyways. "You are so dramatic. Of course I'll always be by your side, and I'll always love you. You are my dearest friend. When you are ready to tell me what wounds you, perhaps I will be, too. But regardless, you'll always have my support."
"Thank you," Reika said, letting go of her. "Thank you," she repeated, smiling, but there was a sadness in her voice, well disguised, perhaps,but it was there. "Thank you," she said one last time, now clearly agonized, and then she walked away. Nozomi didn't follow her.
