Chapter 5 Corruption

The Oshimaida looked even more monstrous up close. Shadows were draped around it in an unnatural way, and it was smashing its surroundings like an angry child. When the Precure approached, they spotted a young man standing on a rooftop. He was wrapped in this gauze like material, and he was watching the Oshimaida gleefully.

"Bicine!" Saaya exclaimed. From atop the building, Bicine laughed.

"That's right! It's time to face your doom, Precure!"

Saaya got out her Preheart, and her teammates did the same. Ruru and Emiru joined hands, and each girl placed a mirai crystal in their respective device.

"Heart…." Saaya said.

"Shine!" The others joined in. Each of them was surrounded by a bright light, and when it cleared Hikaru gawked.

"Kirayaba," she said softly. Her eyes began to sparkle and her face broke out into a grin. "You guys look amazing!"

And they did. Saaya's name of Cure Ange was very fitting given the majestic nature of her appearance. Cure Etoile looked strong, confident, ready to kick butt and ready to save the world. And Cures Macherie and Amour were the perfect duo.

"Now!" Saaya yelled.

On her command, the Hugtto team jumped in the air. Etoile spun around and aimed her foot right at the Oshimaida's head. It made a direct hit, causing the monster's skin to bounce back like jelly. Cure Etoile pulled away from the monster and landed near Hikaru.

"We need to be careful," Etoile explained to her new friend. "With Hana gone we aren't as strong as we usually are. We can't access Cheerful style, and Saaya and I don't have attacks that can defeat an Oshimaida."

"Oshimaida!" the Oshimaida yelled. It threw a punch at Emiru and Ruru. Macherie was knocked out of the air and thrown to the ground.

"Emiru!" Ruru called out in a panic. The Oshimaida directed its attention to where Hikaru and Cure Etoile stood. It drove its fist at them, and the untransformed Cure Star had no choice but to watch.

"Hooray, Hooray! Heart...Feather!"

Saaya leaped in front of Cure Etoile and Hikaru. She held a blue, heart shaped barrier in front of them. When the Oshimaida hit it, it pulled back its fist and yelped in pain. Hikaru glanced toward Cure Amour, who was kneeling by Cure Macherie as she slowly rose to her feet.

"That was not called for, I say!" Macherie proclaimed. Cure Amour looked back up at their shadowy opponent.

"It's up to us to finish this," she said. "You ready?"

"I was born ready!"

Macherie and Amour rose into the air once again. They pulled out a set of identical guitars, each with a heart shaped body.

"Twin Love Rock Beat!" They called in unison. Emiru did a downward strum, and a heart shot toward the Oshimaida. Once enveloped, the Oshimaida looked more relaxed.

"Please accept my resignation," it said happily, and disappeared. Macherie and Amour floated back down to the others.

"Nice job guys," Cure Ange said. "We wouldn't have been able to win if it wasn't for you."

Macherie and Amour grinned at Ange and Etoile. From his place on the rooftop, Bicine was laughing maniacally.

"Great show everyone!" he said nastily. "It's just a shame your leader wasn't here to see it!"

"Leader or no leader," Homare said, "we still managed to beat you." Bicine waved a gauze covered hand.

"Small potatoes," he said. "I didn't come here just to watch an Oshimaida go on a romp, however entertaining that might be. I also came to deliver a message."

The Cures all became alert. The Hugtto team got into their fighting stances, cautious. Hikaru, on the other hand, was more curious than anything else.

"What message?" she asked. Bicine grinned.

"I just wanted to thank Cure Star on behalf of Criasu Corporation," he said. "The donation of your tools has really benefited us." Bicine jumped down from the building. Now he was standing right in front of the Cures. "And President Kurai wants to inform you of this. Once Cure Tomorrow is revived, he is going to use her power to bring more Precure here. And once that happens, you guys are as good as gone."

With that, Bicine teleported away.

Lala was leaning over the dashboard intently, not daring to look up. Hana had her face directed out the window and was taking everything in.

"This is amazing!" she exclaimed. "All these planets…"

"Lala," Yuni said as she walked up to her partner's side. "Are we almost at the Star Palace?"

"Almost lun," Lala responded. "We should be landing in about five minutes."

Out the window, Hana could see a pink planetoid that was shaped like a heart. It was encircled by a blue ring. As the rocket descended, Hana could see that they were pulling up to a courtyard of sorts. It was circular in shape and had twelve pavillions around the perimeter, each bearing a different zodiac sign.

"I love this place!" Hana exclaimed. Yuni came to the window and when she looked outside, her expression turned sour.

"Something is wrong," she said. "Something happened to the Ares and Taurus Princesses."

"Which ones are those?" Hana asked, for she had trouble remembering the zodiac symbols. Yuni pointed to two separate pavillions. Unlike their brightly lit, colorful counterparts, these ones were black. Prunce came to their side, and when he got a glance of the pavillions he let out a gasp.

"Lala! We need to land immediately!" The rocket pulled up and landed in the center of the pavillion circle. Accompanied by Fuwa, the four of them got out. When she looked toward the pavillion belonging to the Taurus Star Princess, Fuwa let out a whimper.

"Fuwa," she said pitifully as she floated toward the princess. The Taurua Star Princess had a pained expression on her face, and black drops of energy were escaping from her body. Lala, Yuni, and Hana looked toward the Ares princess and saw that she was the same way.

"What's wrong with them?" Hana asked. Yuni put her head in her hands.

"Oh no," she groaned. "Hikaru had the Ares and Taurus pens."

"And someone did something to corrupt the pens prunce?!" Prunce yelled.

"Who could have done that lun!?" Lala asked as her antenna started to jerk around. Hana sighed.

"I think I know who," she said. "Criasu probably realized the power in the pens and harnessed it."

Yuni, Lala, and Prunce looked horrified. Lala's antenna stopped waving about and her expression became serious.

"If that is the case," she said, "then that means that both of our worlds are at stake."