Episode Six: Shadow of the Gold Dragon! Muse's Worries

Muse had been fast asleep, curled up atop the pile of silk cushions that served as her bedding when the sound of someone softly padding into her softly lit bedchamber caught her ears, causing them to twitch. Even then, the small blue kitten only barely stirred until a paw gently prodded her awake. She let out a tiny, tired little "mrrp" as her blue eyes slowly flickered open...

...and immediately widened at the sight of the black cat before her. "Huh? Mama?"

Clio nodded before giving her daughter a gentle headbutt. Muse answered her mother's greeting by gently nuzzling her. Both cat spirits remained where they were, purring up a storm, before Clio stepped back and shifted forms, taking on the appearance of a woman with long and wavy black hair, with the top parts tied into cat ear-like buns.

Muse sprang towards her mother, shifting forms in mid-air. Clio caught the little girl in her arms without missing a beat. Muse snuggled close to her mother, grinning ear to ear.

"Mama! I missed you so much!" Muse looked up, tilting her head quizzically. "But how 'come you're back? The sky's still all funny and the air's still weird. Don't you need to be with those girls?"

Clio's smile faltered. "That's…" Her voice caught for a moment. "I can't stay here. We have a... big battle coming up soon." She could feel hot tears pricking at the corners of her eyes as she spoke, no matter how hard she willed herself to stay dry-eyed. "I wanted to see you and your father before..." Her voice caught again. This time, she couldn't finish the sentence.

Muse was looking at her with concern. "Mama... why are you crying?"

Clio said nothing at first. She simply remained where she was, trying futilely to gather her composure... before pulling Muse close. Her form trembled as she held her daughter tightly, as if the little girl would slip through her fingers like sand.

"Muse... I wish I could hold you forever. Just like this."

Muse made a soft noise of confusion before reaching out and gently patting her mother on the shoulder. "Don't be sad, Mama! You can hold me all the time when you get back!" She hesitated before speaking again, sounding far more uncertain this time. Something didn't feel right. "Mama... you'll come back, right?"

Clio did not respond. For a moment, Muse feared she had done something to make her mother mad at her.

But finally, Clio managed a quiet "Of course I will." She gave Muse a gentle kiss on the forehead as she sat down in a nearby armchair and began to gently rock her four-year-old daughter in her harms. "I will always be there for you, Muse. Somehow. Some way. I promise."

"Always?" Muse was struggling to keep her eyes open, but she had to hear it from her mother. She had to.

Clio smiled. "Always and forever, Muse. I will-"

"-never leave! She said she'd never, ever leave! She promised!"

Muse was shaking all over as she clung to her father's side, sobbing her eyes out. Numerous other spirits were staring at her, the little kitten having a breakdown in the middle of a formal ceremony. Muse did not care. Let them stare. They weren't the ones who had lost their mom.

There were spirits as far as the eye could see in the Hallowed Wellspring's main temple, appearing of animals of all shapes and sizes, in a rainbow of colors. Each and every one had gone out of their way to be present here today. Clio had been very well-loved, and this day was significant even aside from that.

Today was the day the sky had gone back to normal, and the aura of wrongness had left the air. Today was the day the Hallowed Wellspring learned of Pretty Cure's victory. Muse thought they were going to hold a welcome home party for her mother at first. Clio had been Pretty Cure's leader, after all.

But Clio did not return. Clio was never, ever coming back. Clio had lied.

"Although our sister's return to the aether fills us with sorrow, we cannot forget what her noble sacrifice represented. Because of Sister Clio's actions, we have gained a valuable reprieve and precious time-"

Muse wanted to tell the stupid head priest at the head of the temple giving that stupid speech to shut up and the stupid people at the temple to go away because there was nothing good about her mother dying, nothing right about it, who cared about what it represented, her mother was gone, and she couldn't stop hurting, why did nobody here care-

"What about me?" Muse sniffled miserably. "What about how I feel?!"

Muse felt a paw on her shoulder. She looked up at her father, Sol, a white-furred cat with golden eyes.

"Muse." Sol gently touched his forehead to his daughter's. "You need to endure. We're all hurting. But we have to keep looking ahead." His voice caught a bit. "It's what Clio would have wanted."

Muse wanted to tell Sol to shut up too. He had loved Clio so much. Why was he telling her to endure this? She couldn't! She didn't want to! She wanted to scream and yell and shred things with her claws and make a scene until everyone stopped acting like this was a good thing and paid attention to how badly she felt, but...

...then everyone would be mad at her. Everyone would think she was a bad girl. And Muse wanted people to like her, just like they'd liked Clio. She wanted to be a priestess like her one day, after all.

(She'd wanted to be a Pretty Cure like her too, but that was impossible now. Even if she was old enough, even if she was good enough, Cure Ouryuu's power was...)

So the small kitten tried to swallow her grief as well as a four-year-old could and managed a tearful nod. "I'll try, Papa. I'll try."

Even if it still hurt. Even if she still wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. She had to be strong. She had to be a big girl. But right now, it felt impossible. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop-

-crying, she must have been crying in her sleep, because Hiroko was prodding her awake and Kichu was frantically pawing at her as she stirred back into wakefulness.

"Muse, are you alright?" Concern was written all over Hiroko's face. "You sounded like you were in pain."

Kichu looked no less concerned. "Chuu?"

Muse looked from Hiroko to Kichu and back again. Part of her wanted to tell the truth. Part of her wanted to talk about it. She knew Hiroko wouldn't judge her. It just wan't in her nature. But... giving Hiroko more to worry about was...

"I'm not hurting, Hironyan." Not physically, anyway. "It's okay - I just had a bad dream. That's all!"

Hiroko did not seem at all convinced. "Muse... I don't mind talking about it. It always helps me after I have a nightmare."

Muse shook her head. "It's no big deal, Hironyan!" She forced a smile. "I've already forgotten what it's about!" Before Hiroko could protest, Muse made a big show of getting comfortable and curling back up on top of Hiroko. "We need to be up and around early tomorrow anyway, don't we, Kichu?"

"Chu." Kichu agreed. He also began to make himself comfortable on top of Muse... even as he snatched concerned glances at the cat spirit.

Within moments, Kichu was asleep, and Muse had drifted back into slumber alongside him. Or maybe she was just playing possum. Either way, Hiroko couldn't ignore her roommate's emotional state. Muse's heart was clearly in a great deal of pain, and Hiroko had a good idea as to what her dreams had centered around. It wasn't her place to pry, even now, but...

She remained awake for some time, gently petting Muse and making sure the cat spirit's sleep wasn't disturbed by any more upsetting dreams before sleep finally overtook her as well.

Pretty Cure's destination this time was the eastern sealing stone, located on the east end of Kyoukai, in the center of the sharp, modern-looking concrete and brick plaza outside of the local library. This one was no less striking than the central sealing stone, sporting an equally ornate carving of a flying blue dragon on its side. Hiroko found herself idly wondering who could have created such structures as she and her companions took in the sight before them.

The plaza was all but vacant this time of day, allowing Pretty Cure and their allies to work without fear of being noticed. To take the first step towards fulfilling their mission.

Izumi stretched idly as she regarded the sealing stone. "Man... it's wild to think we're already a fifth of the way into our mission."

Yasu nodded before casting a glance Jun's way. "What do we do?"

"Oh, that's really simple, Nyasu!" Jun chirped before retrieving Kichu from her handbag and offering him to Hiroko. He stared up at her with expectant pink eyes. "Wanna do the honors, Hironyan? It's only fitting."

"Ah, sure, I don't mind." Hiroko accepted Kichu from Jun, trying not to pay any mind to the subtle dark circles below the blue-haired girl's eyes. "What should I do?"

"Just hold Kichu up to the carving on the sealing stone!" Jun said. "He'll handle the rest!"

Hiroko nodded and approached the sealing stone with Kichu in her hands. Jun stepped back a few paces, and Izumi and Yasu followed suit. As soon as Hiroko was close enough, Kichu leaned forward and pressed his little paws to the carving of the blue dragon. The moment he did so, both he and the carving began to glow with soft blue light.

"Chu chuuu !" Kichu squeaked as both he and the carving shined brighter and brighter.

Pretty Cure felt a gentle wind kicking up about them and the air crackling with power as the lights given off by the mouse and the dragon grew more and more intense. And then suddenly, it was done. The wind abruptly died down, the light faded, and Kichu slouched in Hiroko's hands, panting tiredly. She went to hand him off to Jun-

-right as it became clear that the strange events that had just transpired were only mostly done. There was still a subtle crackle of power in the air, and before any of the Cures had a chance to process what that meant, their surroundings began to flicker and change.

Hiroko gasped in surprise. Izumi let out a soft "holy hell". Yasu adjusted her glasses a bit.

A vision of a completely different world was translucently superimposed on the area around them - an elaborate, high-ceilinged temple decorated in shades of white, gold, and deep blue. Every now and again, the image jumped and warped like a channel on an analog television with a bad signal.

Spirits much like Jun were milling about the temple. Some were humanoid, some were in the form of animals of all shapes sizes and colors, and none of them seemed to notice Pretty Cure or their allies at all... save for a white cat in the near vicinity. He perked up the moment he made eye contact with Jun and went bounding towards the group. As he drew near, his form shifted into that of a middle-aged man with a short goatee and long-white hair pulled into a long ponytail.

"Aha! There... Muse, I've... so proud...!"

The man's voice was as warped and staticky as the world around him, making him impossible to understand.

Jun looked a bit... embarrassed? "Uh... Papa? You're kind of cutting out." Then, more quietly to Pretty Cure. "That's Sol. My dad. He's... a lot."

Sol looked immediately apologetic. "Sorry... guess... spirit power-" He frowned before taking a deep breath and focusing. His form glowed with a soft white-gold light, and the image around him... mostly stabilized. It was still flickering quite a bit, and it was clear that Sol had to focus to keep it that way. "And there we go! So!" He grinned broadly at Jun, exposing prominent canine teeth. "How's my favorite daughter in the entire world?"

Forget embarrassed, Jun now looked like she wanted to phase right through the floor. "Papa, I'm your only daughter."

Sol either didn't notice or didn't care about his daughter's reaction. "And that's why you're my favorite!" Before Muse could protest further, Sol shifted his attention to Pretty Cure. "Alright! I don't have a lot of time, so I'll make this brief. You three! Keep up the good work! And stay vigilant! The further you press on, the more the Shade Kingdom will push back!"

Hiroko nodded. "We're all trying our best, Sol-san."

"Good to hear, good to hear! We at the Wellspring are cheering you on!" Sol chirped. It was clear where his daughter got her energy levels from. "And Muse?"

"Yes, Papa?"

"Keep at it - no matter how hard it gets. If your mother were here, she'd be so pr-"

Before Sol could finish his sentence, the illusory temple suddenly blinked out of existence like a television picture that had been switched off, cutting him off with it.

Izumi blinked several times. "Huh... maybe we've gotta get further into our mission to get a better signal."

Hiroko seemed no less perplexed. "It certainly seems that way." She moved to ask if everyone still wanted to grab a bite to eat at Western Paradise... and then she noticed the forlorn way Jun and Kichu were staring at the eastern sealing stone. "Jun? Are you alright?"

It took Jun a moment to respond. "Huh? Oh, y-yeah, Hironyan! I'm fine and full of energy!" She flashed a grin and a peace sign. Neither of them looked genuine, and indeed, Jun visibly faltered a few seconds later. "Um... could you guys go on without me? I'll catch up, I just need some time alone."

Yasu nodded. "We'll wait for you there, Jun."

Hiroko hesitated visibly... before she nodded as well. "I understand. Take all the time you need, Jun. And... please stay safe, alright?"

Jun looked briefly bothered by Hiroko's words, but she quickly shook it off. "Of course! Have fun, you guys!"

She smiled and waved cheerfully as the three Cures left in the direction of Western Paradise. She didn't allow herself to stop smiling and waving until the three were out of sight.

It was starting again. Pretty Cure was trying to rebuild that damn barrier.

Hinyu was prepared to face hell for breaking this news to Kagemera. Dealing with the Shade King was like dealing with a powder keg that would go off at the tiniest provocation, especially at this hour. Medicine blunted the King's reactions - and Kagemera never had want of it until a bit later in the day.

At best, Hinyu expected yet another roaring tirade that would leave his sensitive ears ringing for hours afterward. At worst, he expected to add another scar or two to his collection. Kagemera made very good use of his teeth and claws in his fouler moods, and even in his weakened state, he enjoyed an advantage of size and strength over his majordomo.

He had not been expecting the thoroughly nonplussed huff Kagemera had answered him with once he stood before him and delivered the news.

"So. The vermin build their web once more. How foolish."

Hinyu wondered why Kagemera was so sedate... and then he noticed that boy, the one with all the eyes, standing next to the Shade King with a silk pillow in hand and the cracked and broken golden crystal that Kagemera was holding between two sizable claws. Of course. War prizes soothed the savage beast.

"I envy your boundless confidence, Your Grace." Hinyu was laying it on a little thick, but. Couldn't be too careful. "As expected from the future monarch of three realms."

Kagemera did not take his eyes off the Ouryuu crystal, but Hinyu didn't miss the disdainful snort his yes-man routine earned. "Why should I not be confident? This Pretty Cure is a shell of its former self, thanks to that foolish woman." He chuffed in contentment as he turned the crystal over and over between his claws. "It has no right to exist. And I shall take pleasure in snuffing it out for good."

Hinyu wanted to burst out laughing at that one. That 'foolish woman' was the reason Kagemera was in that sorry state! That this generation of Pretty Cure thought themselves capable of what their forerunners failed to do was an absolute joke, yes, but the idea of a shambling, broken-down wreck pacified by a pretty rock being the one to eliminate them once and for all was the height of hilarity!

"But of course, your Grace!" Hinyu would not laugh, no matter how much he wanted to. The king's majordomo served and groveled and cowered and waited. A fool with a death wish would laugh. "I look forward to the day you realize your divine right." Ha. Anyway. Change of subject. "And I shall help further that mission however I can. The Tree of Wrath is about to blossom once more, you know."

That had Kagemera at attention. The Shade King absently deposited the broken Ouryuu crystal on its silk pillow. The boy nodded dutifully and departed without a word as Kagemera leaned forward.

"It's quite a generous bloom." Hinyu tented his fingers. "Enough to prime our yearly sacrifice and still leave a bit on the side."

Kagemera grinned, exposing his mouthful of pointed teeth. "Perfect. I already have a list of candidates. As for the leftover pollen-"

"Might I request use of that, Your Grace?" Hinyu said. "There's something I would like to try. An experiment, you could say. Earth does provide some curious samples."

"Granted." As much as Hinyu despised the man before him, he did appreciate his utter lack of hesitation. "I also grant you use of a Wrath Seed."

Hinyu nodded dutifully. "Much appreciated, Your Grace. It is high time those girls-"

Kagemera narrowed his eyes. "No. You will take the field, Hinyu. Atone for troubling me with that news by proving yourself." He grinned mockingly as the branches of the Tree of Wrath rustled behind him, filling the air with muffled groans of agony and despair. "Unless you care to join your father this year. It is your choice."

Hinyu felt a fireball surge within his chest. Every inch of him wanted to bring out his own fangs and claws against Kagemera, to show him what happened when a cornered fox was pushed too far. But once again, Hinyu was the king's majordomo, not a fool with a death wish. The road was longer and more difficult, but it would be worth it. It would be worth it.

And so he dropped into a bow. "I am honored to serve, Your Grace! I shall not disappoint!"

It was so peaceful here, Jun mused as she and Kichu relaxed on a bench on the library plaza, not far from the eastern sealing stone. Between the way the sunlight filtered through the trees, the sharp yet elegant look of the plaza and the nearby library, and the presence of the sealing stone, which was now buzzing subtly with power… she couldn't have chosen a better place to be alone with her thoughts.

"Those three are becoming a great team, aren't they, Kichu?" Jun asked the small mouse, who was poking his head up from her handbag. "I'm glad. Maybe we really can preserve all this. Even if…"

Kichu laid his head against Jun's hand as her smile faltered once more. "Chuuu…"

Jun sighed sadly, even as she idly scritched Kichu behind the ears. "It's not Mama's fault. She did what she had to do. But…" She stared down at her hands. "If we still had the Ouryuu crystal, I could transform like Mama. Mama's girls loved her. She was so strong and brave and lovely and perfect, and I'm…"

Kichu pawed at Jun's arm. "Chu chu chuu!"

Jun huffed and looked away. "Don't give me that, young man! You were the one who chose to rampage at the Cake-Off!" Her face fell. "But I did make things worse. I can't even look after you correctly, huh?"

Her eyes were growing heavy. Part of it was the gentle patch of sun warming her body, part of it was… well, Jun was tired. She had barely slept the previous night, and although she had been doing her best to play it off, she still felt horribly worn out. She couldn't sleep. She had to stay alert. But…

...god, it was so very difficult. "I wonder if some part of Mama is still out there." Jun told Kichu in between a muffled yawn. "I wonder if she really can see what I'm doing. I wonder if she'd… really be proud."

Jun was steadily losing the fight to keep her eyes open. Maybe… maybe if she rested them a bit. Just for a moment. A deeper sleep would make it difficult to maintain human form, but a light rest was…

...what Jun drifted off into despite herself. Soon, the blue-haired girl was slumped on the bench, snoring gently. She did not notice Naomi and Kaori passing by. She did not hear the way the pair chattered amiably about their lakeside date. And she did not see the bag of donuts the latter girl held.

Kichu did, however. The small mouse perked up, nose twitching and pink eyes sparkling as the smell of sweet baked goods wafted towards him. He launched himself from Jun's handbag and into the bag of donuts the second Naomi and Kaori drew close enough. Neither girl seemed to notice.

And Jun certainly did not hear it. She heard and felt nothing, past the feeling of a gentle hand on her shoulder and the sound of a gentle voice whispering in her ear.

"It's okay, Muse."

But that was probably just a dream.

"I'm really worried about Jun."

Hiroko sighed quietly as she idly swirled her straw around in her ice cream soda. The plan had been to grab an outdoor table at Western Paradise, enjoy sweets with her friends, and then hit the shopping district together once the four of them had figured out a plan, but all thoughts of such things had fallen by the wayside at the moment. She had known Jun was carrying a heavy burden, but to see it eat at her roommate this much...

Izumi took a half-hearted bite of her deluxe ice cream sundae. "Yeah… she's seemed pretty down lately." She frowned slightly. "Has she said anything to you, Hiroko? I mean, you guys are roomies and all."

Hiroko shook her head. "Jun doesn't really speak up when something's bothering her. She's always trying to keep a brave face, even when she's upset."

"She might not want to burden us with her feelings." Yasu's eyes darkened a bit. "It's... difficult for some people."

Hiroko reached out and laid a hand over Yasu's own. It seemed to help her upperclassman, just a little.

"She mentioned she was a priestess in training when we first met." Hiroko said. "And she's supposed to be acting as our mentor and the guardian of Kichu, who was made to restore the sealing stones." And on top of that, her mother had been the previous Cure leader and had given her life in the line of duty... but was that Hiroko's information to give out? "That's a lot of pressure to place on a fourteen-year-old."

"Yeah..." Izumi took another bite of her sundae. "We can't like, force her to talk if she doesn't wanna, but I hate to see her so down. Maybe we could do something to cheer her up."

"That could work." Before Hiroko could say anything further on that subject, the sound of a commotion across the street caught her ears. Her eyes widened as she saw the handful of photographers and collection of photography equipment set up around... "Wait, is that Himura-san?"

Indeed, it was Shinobu Himura. They were dressed to the nines in sporty, masculine clothing and were striking multiple poses for the photographers assembled in the area. They were clearly reveling in every moment of this.

"Yeah, Himura's a model." Izumi said. "That's why they're attending Mirai - they want to further their modeling career. Their big bro is studying to be a makeup artist, and I heard Yurika - that's their big sis - used to be an idol too. That family's got talent."

Yasu tapped Hiroko on the shoulder and wordlessly passed her fellow Cure her cellphone. Hiroko's eyes widened as she scrolled down the site Yasu had opened to. It looked to be an online modeling portfolio for Shinobu. They pulled off every single possible look flawlessly, be it graceful floral gowns or tailored suits.

"Himura-san is amazing." Hiroko said as she gave Yasu her phone back. "They look good in everything."

Izumi nodded sagely. "They do. Nonbinary people are powerful."

Hiroko blinked a few times at that last bit. "Nonbinary?" She might have heard that term once before in passing, but her brain wasn't making a solid connection.

"You know, people who aren't… who aren't binary?" Izumi took a moment to mentally flail around until she hit on an explanation. "Like, uh... Himura's gender kinda varies, and Kurono isn't entirely a guy, and Hoshino doesn't have a gender! Like that!"

Hiroko felt something within her shift slightly at "doesn't have a gender". Was that a thing? Were other girls not ambivalent to the whole... concept of being a girl? She would have written it off, but then, she had thought all girls just sort of forced themselves to like boys until recently. Maybe...

...before Hiroko could ponder that thought any longer, Jun came running towards the group's table like a girl pursued. She had to flail her arms a little to keep from careening right into Hiroko.

"Sorry I'm late!" Jun said. "I meant to get here earlier, but I kind of spaced out and… fell asleep and then some birds woke me up, and anyway!" She took a moment to catch her breath. "Um… are you guys okay with me ordering something?"

Hiroko just smiled. "Of course we are. We aren't even halfway done with our own treats." She motioned for Jun to sit down. The blue-haired girl looked a bit more well-rested, but… "Are you feeling any better?"

"Oh yeah!" Jun chirped. "The nap really helped! I'm super-charged and ready to go!"

Speaking of being super-charged… she needed to wake Kichu up. The mouse spirit was a heavy sleeper, and it wouldn't be fair to deny him Western Paradise's sweet treats. So, she opened her bag-

-and the color drained right from her face. Kichu was gone.

This wasn't like before, when he'd wander off, and Jun had to scramble to retrieve him. Kichu was a little guy who couldn't get far. It didn't take much to find him. But this time... she hadn't even checked to see if he was in her bag before she'd dashed off to catch up with Pretty Cure. Jun had left him behind.

Kichu, the hope of the Hallowed Wellspring and Earth, was lost. Something terrible could have already happened to him. And it was all her fault.

Jun immediately hopped to her feet. "Um! Hironyan! Everyone! Change of plans! I forgot something!" Before anyone could say anything, Jun had taken off running… before turning around mid-run and adding "Please don't wait for me, okay? I'll… I'll definitely catch up with you later!"

And then Jun was gone. Hiroko felt her heart sink as she watched her depart, and it was clear that Izumi and Yasu were no less troubled. Something was very wrong here.

Muse didn't know she was capable of covering this much ground in this little time. She certainly hadn't been capable of this back then, back when she was trailing Tamakushi around Mirai Academy. Maybe it was because her family was involved this time around.

Either way, the moment she had put enough distance between herself and Pretty Cure, she hit the ground running like her life depended on it. Perhaps because it did, in a sense.

Muse dodged and weaved around the legs of passers-by and evaded the grabbing hands of children as she bolted towards the Kyoukai library. Every now and then she paused to sniff the air, ears at attention, whiskers twitching, and eyes scanning the area as she tried desperately to pick up on some trace, any trace of Kichu's presence.

She had no luck whatsoever.

Muse already wanted to burst into tears. Kichu must have been so scared and alone. What if someone had carried him away? What if the Shade Kingdom had gotten a hold of him? Any number of terrible things could have happened to her baby brother, all because his stupid big sister hadn't been careful enough. And once Pretty Cure found out how badly she had screwed up, they would... they would definitely...

"I'm so disappointed in you, Muse." Hiroko and her teammates were looming over Muse and glaring at her with contempt. "I want nothing to do with a careless girl like you."

"Now we'll never finish our mission!" Izumi snapped. "Why couldn't you keep a closer eye on Kichu?!"

Yasu's glasses glinted coldly. "Get out of our sight. You aren't worthy of being our mentor."

Muse drew in a shaky breath and pushed herself onward. She had to keep going. She had to fix this before Pretty Cure found out what she did. Pretty Cure and... god, her superiors would hate her even more than Hiroko and the others would, wouldn't they?

"Muse, you are hereby stripped of your duties as an apprentice priestess and forbidden from any future dealings with Earth." the head priest, a tall man with flowing, iridescent hair and vivid pink eyes informed the blue-haired girl hanging her head before him. "I regret ever entrusting you with our future."

Sol just watched as the temple guards roughly escorted his daughter outside. "I was wrong, Muse." he said. "Your mother would be so ashamed of you."

No, no, no... she couldn't let this happen! She couldn't rest until she'd fixed this!

Unfortunately, even if Muse couldn't allow herself to rest, her body had other ideas. The adrenaline that had carried her towards the library was already beginning to peter out by the time she drew close to the library plaza, and by the time she finally arrived at the plaza itself, her legs gave out from under her. She remained where she was, panting hard and absolutely livid at herself for running out of stamina now... and then she heard a familiar voice nearby.

"Huh? Is that-?"

A very concerned Haruki Fukuda was crouched down before Muse. He wore a red hoodie with three sunflowers on the front, jeans, and red and white sneakers, carried a canvas bag, and had a rather overstuffed-looking notebook tucked under his arm.

"Inoue-san? Are you okay?"

Muse let out an involuntary squeak of surprise despite herself. She immediately attempted to save herself by meowing and making a show of cleaning her paw. Haruki was very clearly not buying it.

"Er...:" Haruki looked around, making sure nobody else was in the immediate vicinity before he spoke. "Inoue-san... I know it's you. The collar... your mouse friend... you don't have to hide if you don't want to."

Muse hesitated. Part of her wanted to pretend she hadn't heard Haruki and play the part of a normal cat until he gave up. Yasu clearly didn't want her little brother involved in Pretty Cure's business, and Muse had to respect that. But another part of her was far too tired and fed up to even bother pretending... and that part won out.

She sighed quietly before shifting back into human form. It took more of an effort than it usually did. "You saw right through me, Harunyan."

Haruki said nothing. He appeared to be in too much shock from what had just happened. He remained silent as he helped Jun to her feet, guided her to a bench, and then retrieved a bottle of juice for her from a nearby vending machine. He idled nearby, still not saying anything and occasionally snatching awkward glances at Jun, who tried to focus on her juice and not on the boy she was worried she'd done something to upset.

And finally, Haruki spoke. "Um... hey, Inoue-san? I don't mean to pry, but..." He took a deep breath. "Are you a witch?" He glanced around furtively again before adding "I promise I won't tell if you are!"

Jun had frozen mid-sip. "A... witch?"

"Yeah!" Haruki said. "The little white mouse is your familiar, right? And you can magically turn into a cat! I'm right, aren't I?" The more the boy spoke, the more keyed-up he seemed to get. "I've always wanted to meet a real live witch!"

Jun shook her head. "N-no, Harunyan, I'm a priestess! That's different! And Kichu is-" Missing, and she had to find him. Immediately. Jun hurriedly finished her juice before springing to her feet, absently tossing the bottle into a nearby trash can, and starting off. She felt a little wobbly, but whatever. "Thanks for the juice, Harunyan, but I've gotta-"

Haruki started after her. "Is everything okay?"

Once again, Jun found herself hesitating. She couldn't tell him. She had to keep him out of her business, she had to keep everyone out of this business, because this was her fault, her mistake for her to fix, but... but...

Jun did not look at Haruki as she spoke. "Harunyan... this stays between you and me, okay?"

Haruki nodded solemnly. "I won't tell anyone else, Inoue-san."

Jun took a deep breath, turned towards Haruki... and let everything tumble forth at once. Her drifting off to sleep and losing Kichu, her frantic search through Kyoukai for the little mouse, her fear of people hating her for being careless enough to lose him in the first place, her fears for Kichu's safety and well-being...

...at some point, she had started to cry, and that just made her feel worse. "I'm sorry." Jun wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "I shouldn't be telling you all this."

"It's okay, Inoue-san." Haruki said. "I... kind of understand. Maybe not totally, since I'm the younger sibling, but..." He paused before adding "I could help you look for him if you want! I really don't mind."

"Harunyan, I really shouldn't drag you into my mess-"

Haruki was undeterred. "I don't mind. You don't need a reason to help somebody, Inoue-san." He cracked a smile. "Besides... it's easier to finish a quest with more party members, right? I can't use magic, but I know Kyoukai pretty well - and I can use a sword! Kind of. That helps, right?"

That did cheer Jun up a bit. "You're weird, Harunyan. But... you do have a point." If the Shade Kingdom showed up, she would protect this boy. Surely she could hold the line until Pretty Cure showed up. "Okay." She nodded resolutely as she met Haruki's gaze. "Let's do it. Let's go rescue Kichu!"

"Alright!" Haruki pumped his fist. "The knight Haruki has joined priestess Inoue-san's party! Time to set off!"

And with that said, the pair threw themselves into searching for Kichu, starting with every inch of the library plaza.

Haruki's presence was a huge help in more ways than one. He seemed to be on good terms with pretty much everyone he and Jun talked to as they searched east Kyoukai for Kichu, something he chalked up to his family's social status. ("Oh, so you're like an adventuring prince, Harunyan." Jun had concluded, a comparison the boy seemed to appreciate.) And his presence kept Jun from falling apart as the pair struggled to find any leads. She didn't want to make him feel bad.

And that was good, because Jun felt herself struggling to keep it together more and more as she and Haruki continued their search. Nobody in east Kyoukai seemed to know anything about where Kichu had gone to, and the pair was not having any more luck in the shopping district. Sure, there were a few Mirai students who brought up the "mouse incident" at the Cake-Off, but that was as close as they got.

By the time she and Haruki reached the outer edges of the shopping district, Jun found it almost impossible to fake a smile. "Maybe he really is gone for good." Her voice was catching again, despite her best efforts. "Maybe we're wasting our time."

"Inoue-san..." Haruki laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We can't give up!" He hesitated before adding "Um... maybe we should try to call Tsubasa-san? You said she had amazing detective skills, right?"

Jun opened her mouth to protest, because no, they had to keep Pretty Cure out of this, no matter what... and then she noticed that Haruki was not paying attention to her. His focus was on a nearby auto repair shop - or rather, on the woman in gray coveralls standing outside, clearly in the middle of a smoke break. She had short and messy jet-black hair and red-orange eyes.

"Hm? Something up, Harunyan?"

"That's Shinobu-san's sister." Haruki said quietly. "I think they were in the area earlier - maybe she knows something?" He approached the woman. Jun dutifully followed. "Excuse me? Yurika-san?"

Yurika Himura immediately snapped to attention. She tossed her half-finished cigarette aside, absently grinding it under her heel as she addressed the two teens.

"Oh, Haru-kun! And..." She stared at Jun just a bit too long. "I see you brought a friend. Can I help you kids?"

Jun waited for Haruki to respond... and then she realized he was giving her the floor. She had to psych herself up before she spoke. Something about the way the woman looked at her made her nervous.

"Um! You're Himura-san's sister, right? Did they mention seeing a little white mouse around here? Or did you see one? He's… this big," Here, she mimed the size of a softball "white fur… pink eyes…"

The light in Yurika's eyes seemed to dim a bit, and her previously neutral expression grew steely as she scrutinized Jun intensely. When she spoke again, her tone was several degrees cooler.

"Hey... you're Clio's girl, aren't you?"

"That's right." Jun said it without thinking. She immediately wished she hadn't. The way Yurika looked at her made her stomach drop. "Are you-?"

Yurika turned away. "I have nothing to say to you. Clean up your own mess."

The color drained from Jun's face as she backed away half a step. She looked absolutely crushed. Haruki, on the other hand, looked slightly livid. He positioned himself by Jun' side, staring daggers at Yurika.

"Why are you being so rude to Inoue-san? All she did was ask you a question!"

Yurika did not seem to notice or care about Haruki's offense. "I don't expect you to understand." She did not look at either teen as she spoke. "She knows what I mean."

Jun did. She understood the moment she realized who this woman was. Or rather, who she had been. Clio's girls had loved her so much, and she... she had...

Your mother died so a stupid, careless girl like you could live. That was what Yurika was thinking, wasn't it? Jun felt heat prickling at the corners of her eyes again. Of course. Of course. She deserved it.

Before Haruki could say another word, Jun shoved past him and bolted in the direction of the central square.

"Wait!" Haruki called after her. "Inoue-san!"

Haruki shot Yurika one last glare before taking off after Jun. Yurika watched him go. For a moment, the black-haired woman seemed to genuinely regret what had just come out of her mouth... and then the moment passed. She withdrew her pack of cigarettes from her pocket before shaking her head, pocketing them again, and retreating into the auto repair shop.

Moments later, the three members of Pretty Cure hurried towards the area from the opposite direction. Izumi took point, while Hiroko trailed behind a respectable distance, allowing a visibly worn-out Yasu to keep up. Hiroko and Izumi looked thoroughly frazzled, and even Yasu seemed a bit stressed out.

Hiroko's heart sank as she looked around. "She's not here either. Neither of them are. Nishimura-san was sure she'd seen her and Haruki-san running in this direction too..."

Yasu checked her phone again. "Haruki hasn't replied to any texts. That isn't normal."

"Maybe they're both avoiding us." Izumi paused, frowning. "Do you think it's got something to do with Kichu? He's run off before, and I don't remember seeing him with her."

Hiroko nodded. "I'm pretty sure it does. Babies can go pretty far when you're not watching them. But why...?" She caught herself there. "No, I know why Jun wouldn't ask us for help. If Kichu really did get lost..."

"She must think we hate her." Something in Yasu's tone suggested she was talking from experience, and once again, it made Hiroko's heart ache.

"Yeah..." Izumi looked deeply bothered by the idea. "We can't just leave it like this."

"And we won't." Hiroko said. "I never want Jun to feel like she can't go to us for help."

It stung to know Jun felt that way. But Hiroko couldn't judge her for it either. She just wanted to make sure her roommate was safe and felt safe with the three of them. That was what mattered most.

Kichu had never felt so scared and alone before.

He had never meant to get lost like this. All he'd cared about at the time was yummy smells coming out of that bag the forehead girl was carrying and how Big Sis was too asleep to stop him from enjoying himself. And then all he'd cared about was choosing which yummy doughnut to treat himself to before he fell fast asleep…

...only to wake up in the middle of that park, with the forehead girl crying about her strawberry doughnut and the drill-haired girl yelling "it's the cake thief!" and trying to grab him. He'd run away as fast as he could, even thought he was still sleepy, and his tummy hurt a lot but...

...even after getting away, even after sneaking a ride with one human after another, all around Kyoukai, he hadn't seen Big Sis or Pretty Cure or... or anyone familiar. He was completely lost.

Kichu sniffled miserably as he huddled underneath a vending machine. He wished he'd never gone after that doughnut. He wished he'd been good and stayed with his sister. He wished he knew where she and the Cures even were. He...

...felt his fur stand on end and his whiskers twitch involuntarily. Without thinking, the little mouse spirit ventured out from his hiding place and looked up.

There was a tall and thin man balanced on the rooftop of the building above him. The man had neat red hair, wore a very nice black and red suit, and exuded the most malevolent aura Kichu had ever felt. It made Kichu want to cry. He fought the urge as best as he could. He didn't want this man to notice him.

As it was, the man was much more interested in the humans walking around. He was looking at them the way a human might look at cockroaches. He wasn't taking any action, though. Just... watching them.

Until a girl ran past Kichu, bringing a predatory glint to the man's eyes and a too-wide smile to his face.

A blue-haired girl with twin buns.

Big Sis!

Kichu didn't stick around to see what the man would do next. He took off running in Big Sis' direction, or what he hoped was her direction, as quickly as a small mouse spirit could. That man was very bad news, and Big Sis and her friends could be in terrible danger! He had to make sure they'd all be okay!

Jun was clinging to the central sealing stone, almost as if for near life by the time Haruki caught up to her. It hurt to see someone usually so happy and upbeat look so broken and miserable, and something told him that it went far deeper than the awful way Yurika had treated Jun or her panic over her little brother. Not that it mattered right now. All that did was that Jun was hurting.

Haruki took a tentative step in Jun's direction. "Inoue-san?"

"She's gone." Jun's voice was softly muffled. She did not look up. "I thought I could feel her if I... but I can't... she's gone, and it's my fault-"

"If that's what Yurika-san was implying, then she's wrong. She had no right to-"

It was as if Haruki had tripped a powder keg. Jun pulled away from the central sealing stone and rounded on him, eyes blazing. "Yes she did!" She couldn't stop shaking. From anger? Grief? She wasn't sure. "Mama was their leader... their friend. And now she's gone. She died for a stupid, careless girl who just... just ruined everything!"

"Inoue-san..." Haruki took a moment to cast about for the right words. "You shouldn't blame yourself. I mean... I know how easy it is. When I lost my dad-"

"Don't act like you understand!" Jun snapped. "Mama was different! She was perfect. Irreplaceable. She should still be here!" She slouched like a puppet with its strings cut, her gaze sliding to the ground. "But they're stuck with me. I'm a horrible guardian, I don't know half as much as Mama, and I can't even transform. I'm worthless."

Haruki said nothing. Jun was right - he didn't understand. Pretty Cure, the monster attacks on Kyoukai, whatever Jun was talking about... it was all far bigger than he was. Perhaps it wasn't for him to understand. But he did not leave Jun's side either. Sometimes, people didn't want sympathetic words. Sometimes, they just needed people to be there. Yasu was like that sometimes. Perhaps Jun was the same way.

It took Jun a moment to even realize Haruki was still there. Once she appeared to register his presence, she wordlessly reached out a hand. Haruki took it in his own. She squeezed it just a bit too tightly as she struggled to gather her composure.

"I'm here, Inoue-san." Haruki said quietly. "It's okay. I won't go anywhere."

And then an unusual silence fell over the central square as the sound of footsteps carried towards the pair.

"What a surprisingly honest self-assessment, Muse of the Hallowed Wellspring. You are utterly worthless."

Jun snapped to attention... and felt her blood run cold as she took in the sight of the tall and lean red-haired man approaching the pair. He radiated the malevolent energy of a Shade Kingdom servant, as if the cold contempt in his green eyes, the malicious smile playing on his lips, and the Wrath Seed he withdrew from the inner pocket of his suit jacket were not bad news enough on their own.

"But don't worry." The Wrath Seed the man held pulsed and writhed with a life of its own. It appeared to already be on the cusp of germinating. "I can rectify that."

Jun planted herself defensively in front of Haruki. Her hands began to glow softly with golden light as she stared down the red-haired man.

"Harunyan." Her voice was deathly serious. "Please run."

Haruki did not hesitate. He turned and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He did not get far.

Hiroko felt her heart sink when she saw the gray skies swirling above Kyoukai's central square. She felt her blood turn to ice when she heard a distant scream from that direction. A very familiar-sounding scream.

"Muse!"

Hiroko immediately bolted in the direction of the city square. She had been afraid of something like this happening from the moment her roommate had asked to be left alone. She and her fellow Cures had been looking all over Kyoukai for Muse, who they all kept barely missing, to prevent something like this. And to have it realized…

…felt infinitely worse than what she had imagined. Hiroko barely noticed when Izumi and Yasu caught up to her. She could barely process anything outside of the sight before her.

An immense, plant-like Nikuina stood before the group. It sported two massive, whiplike vines, an equally massive maw of sharp teeth, and a cage-like growth on the top of its head. Within the 'cage' laid Muse. The cat spirit was barely conscious, and much of the color had drained away from her body.

Colorless, unconscious bodies was scattered all over the central square. Most seemed to have merely fallen to the influence of the Nikuina, but one figure was bound tightly by black vines and had an expression of pain frozen on his face. One unfortunately recognizable figure.

"Haruki!" Yasu was visibly furious - a far cry from her usual stoic self - as she looked from her unconscious brother to the barely-conscious Muse to the one behind all of this – a red-haired, sharp-dressed man who was balanced on a nearby streetlight and very clearly amused by Pretty Cure's reaction. "Why would you-?!"

Hinyu barely seemed fazed by Yasu's reaction, let alone Hiroko and Izumi's clear horror at the sight before them. "He tried to cheat me of what was mine. How terribly rude of him." He smirked. "And right after I so generously offered my help to your friend."

Hiroko readied her Puricell without hesitation. "Everyone!"

Izumi and Yasu were right behind her. "Pretty Cure! Spirit Unleash!"

Muse's eyes opened half a crack as Pretty Cure rushed down the Nikuina she was trapped in. Despair pushed down on her from all directions as she watched the three teenagers that she was supposed to be a mentor to, could have been leader to if she had just had the Ouryuu crystal, waste their time trying to rescue her.

Genbu attempted to go straight for her cage, only for the Nikuina to effortlessly smack her aside with one of its vines before she could land a water-charged kick. Seiryuu attempted to take advantage of the opening it had given her and move in with a damaging blast of wind, but it successfully deflected her attack with its other vine before absently deflecting an attempted sneak attack from Byakko.

"Why…?" Muse did not understand at all. She was worthless. Weak. Careless. Not at all worth saving. "Hironyan… everyone… please don't…"

Pretty Cure regrouped near the Nikuina. Seiryuu frowned as she watched its movements before nodding resolutely.

"Plants do hate ice." Seiryuu said. "Genbu, Byakko, could you give me a hand?"

Genbu grinned. "I thought you'd never ask."

Byakko nodded dutifully. "Understood."

Genbu charged forwards, prompting the Nikuina to lash a vine towards her. The moment it did so, Genbu hit it dead-on with a burst of dark violet water. Seiryuu immediately followed up by firing a blast of ice-cold wind from her palm, freezing the vine solid. Before the Nikuina could react, Byakko hit it with a sparkling, light-charged flying punch.

The vine shattered into pieces on impact. And Hinyu burst into hysterical laughter.

"Pretty Cure! I'm surprised at you!" Hinyu was grinning unnaturally widely, exposing a mouthful of sharp teeth, as he burst into applause. "I had no idea you hated her this much!"

Genbu wheeled on him, eyes blazing. "What in the hell are you-?!"

And before the black Cure could finish that sentence, Muse began to cry out in pain.

Pretty Cure watched in horror as the cage-like growth holding Muse began to pulse, draining ribbons of energy away from the cat spirit, who continued to whimper in pain. As this happened, the vine that the Cures had destroyed began to regrow itself until it had completely regenerated.

Hinyu seemed downright delighted by his handiwork. "Beautiful, isn't it? She recognized her worthlessness, and I finally made her useful. Few worms get such opportunities."

And something in Seiryuu immediately broke.

"DON'T TALK ABOUT HER LIKE THAT!"

The blue Cure launched herself at Hinyu. That he was far stronger than her did not matter. That she was abandoning any semblance of strategy did not matter. All that mattered was making the man who spoke about Muse like she was dirt beneath his heel, who was now casually using her as a battery for his monster shut the hell up.

Hinyu narrowly managed to leap out of the way of Seiryuu's wildly aimed attack, touching down gracefully on the ground as the blue Cure went flying past him. She was not deterred. The moment she realized she had missed, she rounded on him again, sending a hail of wind-charged punches and kicks in his direction. He sidestepped every single one.

As Seiryuu struggled to get a hit on Hinyu, Genbu and Byakko fought to free Muse from the Nikuina without causing her any further harm. It was tough going, when the Nikuina expertly blocked their attacks with its vines and both Cures had to pull their punches to keep it from draining any more of Muse's energy.

"Please hold tight, Muse!" Genbu said. "We'll get you out of there, I promise!"

Muse looked up weakly. "Please stop trying… please. I'm not worth it!"

Hinyu laughed, even as he continued to effortlessly evade each blow Seiryuu sent his way, casually leading the blue Cure this way and that all over the city square. He seemed to be treating this more like a dance or a game than anything serious, and Muse's words just seemed to amuse him even more.

"That's right, you're not!" he said. "You failed to protect that boy. You failed to be useful to your little friends. And now they're all going to die because of you."

Hinyu absently snapped his fingers as he casually side-stepped another blow from Seiryuu. The Nikuina's vines shot towards Genbu and Byakko with lightning speed, wrapping up both Cures in their grasp and lifting them into the air. It gave a roar of triumph as it began to tighten its grip on the two Cures-

-and Seiryuu immediately took advantage of the half-second opening Hinyu had given her. She nailed him right in the gut with a wind-charged straight punch, hard enough to send him flying backward.

Hinyu's eyes widened in shock as he doubled over in pain. "Y-you…"

Seiryuu did not wait to see what Hinyu would do next. She was running towards the Nikuina at full speed, clearly intent on rescuing her friends. The sight of it all, coupled with the indignity of what had just happened, made the air around Hinyu spike in temperature as his features began to shift.

"You stupid, stupid child. I was going to make this painless."

Before Seiryuu could reach the Nikuina, the air around her grew much hotter than before. She and the others had a half-second to register what was about to happen a fox the size of a small horse, with off-white fur and three massive, red-tipped tails launched itself towards her, fangs bared.

The blue Cure narrowly managed to evade the attack, only for the fox to round on her again. It opened its mouth and spat forth a massive column of white-hot flames. This time, Seiryuu was not so lucky. The flames caught her across the side as she attempted to get out of the way. She cried out in pain as she hit the ground, now sporting visible scorch marks across her side.

"Hironyan!" Muse wanted nothing more than to vanish right now. First, she had lost Kichu, and now Pretty Cure was going to die because of her. "This is all my fault… I wasn't worth-"

And Seiryuu looked up weakly. She shook her head. "You are worth it, Muse. And nothing will ever change that."

"Yeah!" The strain of fighting against the Nikuina's tightening grip was clearly getting to Genbu, but nevertheless, she managed a smile. "You're one of us, Muse! Friends don't abandon friends!"

"You're not worthless." Byakko sounded weak and strained, but she tried to keep a brave face. "You never were."

And in that moment, the despair that had been pushing down on Muse like a lead weight seemed to lift a bit. Some of the color flowed back into her form, and she found it a bit easier to move.

Muse's eyes welled with tears. "Everyone… even now, you still-!"

Hinyu, who had been watching the scene unfolding before him impassively, let out a peal of barking laughter. "Oh, what amusing melodrama."He looked as amused as a fox could. "But… I grow bored. Farewell."

And Hinyu spat forth another burst of flame-

-right as a small, glowing object collided straight into the side of his neck, knocking the flame off-course. It instead cut a massive, smoking swathe through the area right next to Pretty Cure. Hinyu yelped in pain as the small figure found purchase on his nape and bit down hard. It did not just hurt, it burned.

Muse's eyes widened in shock as she realized who had saved everyone. "Kichu!"

Kichu narrowed his eyes as he bit down even harder, channeling ever last shred of power in his small body as he did so. He wouldn't let this awful fox hurt Big Sis and her friends! He wouldn't!

Unfortunately, Hinyu successfully flung him off moments later. Kichu gave a squeak of pain as he landed several feet away from the fox spirit before losing consciousness.

And Muse immediately regained the rest of her color. "You… you monster!" Her form began to blaze with golden light as her eyes trained on Hinyu. "I'll never, ever forgive you!"

There was a burst of gold light, and the tendrils comprising Muse's cage fell away. The Nikuina groaned in pain and loosened its grip on Genbu and Byakko a bit as Muse sprang towards Hinyu, claws out and teeth bared. He smirked and sprang forth, baring his own fangs-

-only for someone to dive in between him and Muse, answering his strike with a roundhouse kick aimed straight at his ribs. Hinyu was left to collapse on the ground as the mystery figure turned away from him and stared down the Nikuina.

Seiryuu stared in shock at the woman standing before everyone. It was her, wasn't it? The mystery Cure who had saved her and Izumi, back at the racetrack.

She had vivid orange eyes and long, flowing orange hair, ornamented by a red and orange hair ribbon. Red heart-shaped earrings dangled from her ears, and she wore a red and orange scarf around her neck. She was clad in an elegant light red dress with winglike shoulder pads and a red tailcoat with orange trim, and a flared orange chest bow with a red heart-shaped crystal clasp.

"Don't be foolish." The strange new Cure did not look at Muse as she spoke. "They need you alive."

With her piece said, the red Cure casually fired two bolts of red flame from her palm toward the base of the vines holding Genbu and Byakko. The vines fell right off, allowing both Cures to free themselves and rush to help Seiryuu to her feet as Muse hurried to check on Kichu.

With no vines left and no Muse to use as a battery, the Nikuina was now a sitting duck. It left helpless to defend itself as the red Cure pelted it with an elegant hail of fire-charged blows, driving it further and further back.

Hinyu narrowed his eyes as he struggled to get up. His body felt strangely leaden, and his neck still burned where that damned mouse had bitten it.

"So, one of the old guard remained." he hissed. "Oh, his Most Royal Majesty will just love-"

His words died in his throat as he looked down at his paw. He was not just flickering… he was already growing translucent. How had that mouse… oh, damn it, he'd puzzle that out later! He had to get out of here now, lest he lose his shape completely! He gave one last snarl of agitation before vanishing in a column of white-hot flames.

The Nikuina, now thoroughly weakened, collapsed in a heap as the red Cure touched down in front of it. She snapped her fingers, and a red and orange longbow appeared in her hands. She began to glow with a red aura as she trained the bow on the Nikuina and pulled back the string.

"Pretty Cure!" Orbs of fire danced and red lily swirled around the red Cure as an arrow of red flame formed within her bow. "Scarlet Sniper!"

The red Cure let go of the string, and the arrow of flame flew straight towards its target, growing in size and intensity as it traveled on its path before connecting with its target in an immense burst of red flame. The Nikuina gave one last roar as it dissolved into ash, leaving nothing but a shower of light particles behind.

The red Cure gave a soft 'tch' before turning away and moving to leave. Or she would have, had Seiryuu not started after her.

"Wait!" Seiryuu called. The red Cure paused in her tracks. "You're Cure Suzaku, aren't you? The same one who fought alongside-"

"And what if I am?" Suzaku said. "That isn't relevant."

"Of course it is!" Seiryuu shot back. "Pretty Cure is supposed to be a team! So-"

Suzaku turned on her heel, fixing the three with a glare. "Don't mistake my intentions. I'm not teaming up with three children who haven't even fully awakened. I couldn't let you or Clio's girl die. That's all."

And before anyone could say anything further, Suzaku walked off. Flames swirled about the red Cure as she departed. When they dissipated, she was nowhere to be seen.

Haruki was still fast asleep, even after the battle had ended. A lot of the affected people were taking a bit longer to wake up than normal, but they otherwise seemed alright. That, combined with the rather… different nature of that Nikuina did make Hiroko wonder a bit, but she wouldn't focus on it too much. Not right now. Right now, she was just glad that Jun, Kichu, and Haruki were alright.

Yasu was seated next to the central sealing stone, allowing the still-sleeping Haruki to use her lap as a pillow. Izumi was close by, doing calf stretches as she monitored the sleeping bystanders. Hiroko, who sat near Yasu, was being fussed over by Jun. As for Kichu, he was once again perched on Jun's shoulder.

Jun's hands glowed gently with golden light as she pressed them to Hiroko's leg. "Does that help with the pain, Hironyan? Those burns looked pretty bad."

Hiroko nodded. "I can hardly feel them at all, Jun." The burns had vanished after she'd released her transformation, but a bit of the pain had lingered afterward. Still lingered, but Jun didn't need to know that. She already looked pretty pale. "I'm more worried about you, Jun." Her eyes darkened a bit. "You should have never been put through that."

Jun looked away. "I'm fine." Tired and weak, but that could be slept off, right? "And it's fine, Hironyan. It's my fault for running off."

Yasu shook her head. "It's his fault for hurting you and Haruki." She frowned, glancing down at her sleeping brother. "I understand why you did it. I don't like it, but I understand."

"I'm sorry, Nyasu." Jun stared down at her hands. "I just… I was already worried about being useless, and then I lost Kichu, and... I was so scared! I really thought you guys wouldn't want me around anymore."

"Just 'cause you messed up?" Izumi abandoned her calf stretches in favor of kneeling by Jun and patting her on the shoulder. "Friends don't ditch friends, Jun. We're not going anywhere!"

"Chu chuuu!" Kichu agreed. He gently bumped Jun's face.

"That's right, Jun." Hiroko said. "If you have a problem, I want you to be able to come to me with it. You aren't bothering me at all."

"You guys..." Jun's voice caught a little. "Sorry, I'm… really not used to this. People back home treat me a lot differently when I screw up. Especially since I can't do as much as Mama could." She sighed sadly. "I wish her crystal hadn't been lost."

Hiroko just smiled. "I'm grateful that you're you, Jun. That won't change. And I'm sure we'll find some way of getting the Ouryuu crystal back. We have to try, right?"

"Hironyan…" Jun's eyes welled with tears… before she pulled Hiroko into a hug. "I love you, Hironyan!"

Izumi eagerly joined the group hug. "And we love you, Jun!"

Yasu hesitated… before leaning over and awkwardly joining the hug herself.

And once again, Jun Inoue, otherwise known as Muse of the Hallowed Wellspring, could not stop crying. But this time, they were tears of happiness. For the first time in a long while, the worries that swirled around the young spirit's heart like a storm cloud seemed to clear up a bit. Surely everything would be okay.

Even as Big Sis was fussed over by her teammates, Kichu found his attention being drawn elsewhere - specifically, to the transparent, golden figure standing by the central sealing stone and gazing upon Jun and Pretty Cure.

She was very faint, and Kichu could barely make her out, past the outline of flowing robes and long, wavy hair with twin buns much like the ones Big Sis wore, along with the barest suggestion of facial features. But something about her was really familiar. Comforting, in the same way Big Sis was.

She met Kichu's eyes and smiled, moments before she faded away in a shower of sparkles. She had seemed a little sad but also very proud of Big Sis and her friends.

And elsewhere in Kyoukai, Yurika Himura staggered back into her workplace's mercifully empty garage before she slid to the ground. Beads of sweat rolled down her face as she gritted her teeth and grasped her chest in pain. Once again, it felt like a fireball was consuming her from within, and said fireball had grown in intensity since the last time.

"Damn it!" she hissed. "It really is getting worse."

She took one ragged breath, then another, trying to will the pain to go away. She could endure this. She had to endure this. What was the alternative? Putting yet another child in the line of fire? Standing by and watching her successor fight until they were inevitably crushed like they had been ten years ago?

This was not those kids' fight. It was theirs. It had always been theirs. Kimiko, Marina, and Rie had failed to understand that in the end. But Yurika did. Yurika always would.

"Clio…"

"Everyone… please protect our shining future!"

Even now, Yurika could see the final moments of their leader, their mentor, the closest thing she'd had to an actual mother figure in her mind's eye. Clio, looking almost angelic as she had willingly burned out her life to protect her world and theirs. To protect her husband and that little girl of hers. That naive, foolish, careless little girl.

The way Haruki had reacted to her had stung. And the way Clio's girl had taken her words hurt even now. Would Clio have approved of the harsh approach Yurika had taken? She doubted she would.

But Clio was no longer here. Yurika was. And if Yurika had to exercise a bit of tough love, so be it. She could endure any anger or resentment those children felt towards her for telling the truth. Just like she could endure the pain that fighting as Cure Suzuaku caused her. That was her lot in life.

"I'll keep going." she whispered to a Clio who wasn't there. "Even if it kills me. For your sake, I won't stop."