Chapter 8 Creeping Darkness
"Nottorei!"
There were hundreds of them, and they were all facing the Precure. Lala, Elena, and Madoka got out their Star Color Pendants, and Hana got out here PreHeart.
"Star Color Pendant!"
"Heart Shine!"
Each of the girls was surrounded by light. When it cleared, Cure Milky, Cure Selene, Cure Soleil, and Cure Yell stood facing the nottorei. They all yelled as they charged at the foot soldiers.
"Milky Shock!"
Lala pointed her antenna at the nottorei in front of her, and teal-colored lightning bolts shot out of the tips.
"Soleil Shoot!"
A ball of fire formed in the air, which Elena kicked toward the nottorei intensely.
"Selene Arrow!"
Madoka aimed an arrow that appeared to be made out of pure moonlight at her foes. Hana got out her pom poms.
"Hurray, hurray! Heart for You!"
A pink heart shot out toward the nottorei. They let out a dreamy, happy squeal of delight before they were knocked to the ground.
"Let's go!" Elena shouted. The four of them ran to a tent near the back of the camp. Inside it they found barrels upon barrels of mechanical devices.
"It's gotta be here somewhere lun," Lala said as she reached into a barrel and pulled out a toaster.
"But how will we know when we find it?" Madoka asked as she pulled a robotic rubber duck from another barrel.
"You're right!" Elena said once she had found a Darknest bobble head. "We don't even know what it looks like!"
"Uh, guys!" Hana called from across the room. She pulled a pink and golden colored laser gun out of one of the barrels. "Do you think this could be it?"
Lala approached and took the gun.
"Well," she said. "It appears to be made from the right material." She pointed to a chamber full of twinkling, multi-colored lights. "And it appears to use magic as its power source lun. I think this might be it!"
"Excellent!" Elena exclaimed. "Now let's go!"
The girls stepped out of the tent with the gun in hand. Outside they gasped; even more nottorei surrounded them.
"Nottorei!" the creatures proclaimed. Milky handed the gun to Cure Yell.
"Hana," she said. "Taking this and find Yuni lun. We'll join you later."
Hana nodded and jumped into the air. She flew over the hoard of nottorei and could hear her friends giving their battle cries. Once outside the camp, she ran across the ground. Once she ran over a hill, she saw Yuni fighting Aiwarn in the valley down below.
"Give up, Aiwarn!" Blue Cat called as she blocked Aiwarn's attack.
"NEVER!" Aiwarn threw another punched and missed. "You are unbelievable! First you try to trick me by posing as Bakenyan, and now you try to run away after stealing my gun? You're a coward!"
Hana came closer. She could see Yuni give a sly smile.
"I'm less of a coward than you are," she said. Aiwarn gritted her teeth and growled.
"You are such an annoying stain!" she snarled. "YOU ARE NO RAINBOWNIAN!"
Silence befell the scene. Hana could see that Yuni looked shocked beyond words.
"Aiwarn." She took of her glasses. "You just crossed the line. HANA!"
Blue Cat tossed the gun to Cure Yell. Hana caught in and smashed it to the ground. Aiwarn looked horrified as her invention lay in a million pieces.
"NO!" she cried. Yuni raised up her Pendant.
"Star Color Pendant!" she yelled. She was bathed in light, and Blue Cat was replaced by Cure Cosmo. Cosmo flew at Aiwarn and threw a punch at her. Now Yuni was calling the shots, and all Aiwarn could do was protect her face. Milky, Soleil, and Selene came into the valley, and when they did, Cosmo grabbed Aiwarn by the neck and held her aloft.
"You're both outnumbered and outpowered," she said. "Now I suggest you get out of here before we kick your butt."
She let Aiwarn go, and the alien cyclops sprinted away. Yuni took a deep breath and turned to Hana.
"How did it go; did you find it?"
"Yes," Hana said with a smile. She showed the gun to Cosmo, and her orange eyes grew wide.
"She has it," she said in disbelief. She took the gun from Cure Yell and aimed it at the wall. She pushed a button and a portal appeared. A dark hallway was visible on the other side.
"Hana, does that look like your world?" Elena asked.
"Yes!" Hana exclaimed joyously. "That looks the inside of Criasu's headquarters!"
"We're coming, Hikaru!" Lala yelled. She jumped into the portal and Selene turned toward the others.
"Let's go!" Suddenly, the gun started to beep. "What's going on?"
Yuni examined the side of the gun in horror.
"It's out of juice!" The portal disappeared, leaving the Precure stunned.
"Lala!" Hana yelled.
…
Traum, Ruru, and Hikaru stood in front of Criasu's front door. Traum knocked, and they were greeted by a serious looking man. His face was serious and his blue hair was in a ponytail.
"Dr. Traum," he said.
"Listle," Traum greeted him. Listle narrowed his eyes.
"Why are you here?"
"Because," he said, "we are coming back to Criasu."
"We have also brought you a Precure as a captive," Ruru said stoically. Listle looked like he wasn't buying any of that.
"What's going on here?"
"Nothing!" Traum said as he held up his hands in what looked like surprise. "We just want back in the company!" Ruru took out her PreHeart.
"I officially revoke my name of Cure Amour." She placed the device in Listle's hand "I trust that the company can make use of my transformation device."
Listle stared at the PreHeart. There was a greedy gleam in his normally empty eyes.
"We can indeed," he said quietly. "Come in."
Traum smiled and stepped forward. Ruru grabbed Hikaru's hand and lead her into the building. Hikaru put her hand on her pocket, just to make sure that Harry was alright.
Like everything else about Criasu, their front lobby was dark. There was a dread to the darkness, an ugly feeling that lingered in the air. Hikaru felt fear run through her spine as she was lead into the hallway.
"We will take Cure Star to the basement," Ruru told Listle as they approached a staircase. "She will be held their until we take her to the President."
"Yes," Listle said sinisterly. "Yes she will."
The darkness and dread accentuated as Hikaru was lead into the underbelly of the building. The cell she was thrown into was empty save for a bare bed on the right hand wall.
"Don't get too comfortable," Listle told Hikaru. "You won't be here for long."
Listle left. Once he was gone, Ruru and Traum removed their somber expressions.
"You're doing great, Hikaru," Ruru whispered.
"Thanks," Hikaru said. "You guys too; you're very convincing."
"Well," Traum said with a chuckle, "We've had a lot of practice."
"There is a vent just underneath the bed," Ruru said. "Good luck."
With that, Ruru and Traum left. Once she was sure no one else was in the hallway, Hikaru moved the bed across the floor. She could see the vent right above the floor.
"Okay Harry," Hikaru said as she opened her pocket. "Are you ready?"
Harry jumped out and grinned up at Cure Star.
"As I'll ever be!" He pried the vent open and disappeared into the shaft. Hikaru moved the bed back into place, and as soon as she was done, three people entered the room. One of them was a tan woman in a red dress, and the other two were tall young man.
"Well well well. A Precure from another dimension," the woman said smugly. "Our president wants to see you."
Hikaru took a deep breath and stepped forward. The two young men put their hands on her shoulders and lead her out.
