Chapter 7 Stepping Into Action

Hikaru, along with Harry, Traum, and the Hugtto team, all rose bright and early the next morning. Hikaru herself didn't have to do a lot to prepare, but Ruru did. Hikaru waited around with the others, trying to make small talk to pass the time. When Ruru was finished, she came out dressed in a black and violet dress and long boots. She had a cape flowing behind her, and her long hair was tied up and decorated by a black headband.

"How do I look?" Ruru asked. Saaya gave her a smile.

"You look great," she said.

"You look like you belong at Criasu," Homare said as she gave her teammate the same smile as Saaya. Ruru gave a small breath.

"We had better get going."

"Right," said Dr. Traum as he stood up. "Hikaru, are you ready?"

Hikaru's nervousness was eating at her. She nodded uneasily. Traum, satisfied, looked to Harry on the floor.

"Harry?"

Harry jumped into the pocket of Hikaru's skirt.

"I'm ready!"

"Good," Traum said. He turned to Ruru's teammates. "Remember everyone, you are to wait near the back of the building. Once Harry has reached Hugtan, he will go to the window and give you the signal."

"We know," Homare said confidently. Emiru was shaking.

"I can't believe we are about to do this," she said weakly. Hikaru flashed her a smile.

"It's going to be okay guys. We're Precure, after all. We fight for good, and it is a known fact that good always prevails!"

Emiru took a big breath. She looked at Hikaru and gave her a small but sturdy smile.

"Thank you, Cure Star," she said softly. Hikaru gave her new friends one last smile and one last nod before she headed for the shop's exit. Ruru and Traum joined her shortly afterward, and together the three of them stood on the porch. Hikaru put her hand on Ruru's shoulder.

"You nervous?"

"Of course," Ruru responded. The look in her eyes supported that claim.

"Ruru chan, we can do this," Traum said reassuringly. "You said so yourself; we have an eighty four percent chance of success."

Ruru took a shaking breath.

"Which leaves us with a sixteen percent chance of failure."

Traum looked at Ruru sympathetically. There was fear in his eyes; he did not want to lose her.

"We don't have to do it, if you're too nervous," he said. "I can think of another plan!"

"No," Ruru said as she shook her head. "I have assessed every other possible scenario. Our second best option leaves us with only a forty six percent of success."

"Oh man," Hikaru said in shock. "That's less than half!"

"If we want to fix things," Ruru said, "this is how we have to do it."

Traum smiled. There was a warmth and a pride in his eyes, the kind that can only be found in the eyes of a parent.

"You are very brave, Cure Amour," he said. "I am very proud of you."

Ruru looked at her creator and gave him a small smile. A hopeful and courageous one.

"Thank you, Papa," she said softly. She turned her head forward and took a deep breath.

"Alright," she said strongly. "Let's go."

Hana and the Star Twinkle team crouched behind a huge, alien boulder. Lala could see a fence made of fabric surrounding an area that was at least twenty feet wide.

"Aiwarn is in there?" The others nodded.

"And she's very heavily guarded prunce," Prunce said. He was referring to the two nottorei who were standing at the entrance.

"Yeah," Elena agreed. "How are we gonna get in?"

"Well, I don't think attacking outright would be a good idea," Madoka said. "We need something cunning." She gave everyone standing to her right a smile. "And thankfully, I know just the person. Yuni?"

Madoka turned to Yuni on her left. Yuni looked away from the camp, suddenly interested.

"We need you to become Blue Cat," Madoka said. Yuni's eyes grew wide.

"What? Really?" she asked. "But I thought you didn't like it when I became Blue Cat!"

"We don't," Madoka said. "But neither does Aiwarn."

Yuni looked down, contemplating her choice. Lala wished she could see what was going on in her head.

"Yuni, are you ready?" Madoka asked. Yuni closed her eyes and bowed her head.

"You know what, Madoka?" She opened her eyes and turned to her teammates, a sly smile appearing on her lips. "I've been waiting for you to ask me that my whole life."

Yuni stood up with everyone. She took out her perfume bottle.

"Okay. Everybody stand back." Yuni sprayed herself and was wrapped in the rainbow light. When it cleared, she was wearing a blue colored dress, a pair of sunglasses, and a top hat.

"Woah! Stylish!" Hana exclaimed.

"The phantom thief of space has reappeared!" Yuni said as she tipped the side of her hat. "And she's about to pull off the heist of the century!"

"You got this Yuni!" Lala said.

"Give it everything you've got!" said Elena. Yuni gave a mischievous, confident smile.

"I always do." With that she ran, sneaking into the camp and slipping past the guards unnoticed.

"She won't take long," Prunce told Hana. "She never does."

As soon as he finished saying that, Blue Cat reappeared with an item in hand.

"I'm back!"

"Wow, you weren't kidding!" Hana said. Madoka looked at Yuni intently.

"What did you take?"

"This," Yuni said as she held up a silver ray gun. "Without this baby, we won't have to worry about any notriggers."

"Nice!" Madoka exclaimed joyously. "Now how are we going to draw out Aiwarn?"

"Only one way I know how," Yuni said. "By putting on a show." Blue Cat pulled out a collection of fireworks from her pack. She stuck them in the ground and lit the fuse, telling everyone to stand back as they went off. They were glorious; they looked like mini supernovas. Within minutes, a purple haired cyclops girl was standing in the entrance.

"What's going on here?" she yelled. Yuni stood upon the rock.

"Enjoying the fireworks?" she asked Aiwarn. "I picked out only the best for you."

Aiwarn looked surprised at the sight of her rival, but her countenance quickly shifted into fury.

"Blue CAT!" she yelled with gritted teeth.

"It's nice to see you again, Aiwarn." Yuni held up the gun. "Looking for this?'

Aiwarn's anger was almost completely overrun by shock.

"That's mine!" she said.

"Oh? Is it now?" Yuni said with a taunting tone.

"YOU GIVE ME MY GUN BACK!" Aiwarn screamed. Yuni flashed another taunting smile.

"Well if you want it so badly," she said, "why don't you come and take it?"

Yuni dashed away with the speed of a cheetah. Aiwarn ran after her.

"You get back here!" she yelled in a fit of rage. The other Precure got to their feet.

"Go, go, go!" Madoka urged them. Together the four girls ran into the camp. But once they entered, they were met with a nasty surprise.