This was never supposed to happen.
The Kingdom of Toys, normally a peaceful paradise full of delights such as sugar-flowers and cotton clouds, teeming with happy dolls and toys of all kinds... was gray. Literally gray, and lifeless.
All over the land, toys stopped skipping and singing, and instead sank down to the ground. Their happy smiles gave way to looks of silent lethargy.
It did not happen all at once. Some toys felt the effect slower than others, and fortunately, they were able to get their friends to someplace safe before they too were struck. One toy, a cream-colored teddy bear with a ribbon around his neck, had just finished dragging his best doll friend out of the strawberry soda lake when he dropped, and didn't get back up.
Other dolls huddled together in an attempt at safety, only to slump against each other and go limp.
Fountains gradually shut off, the sparkling water seemingly evaporating.
Even the buzzing of bees and the breeze itself stilled, going as still and silent as everything else.
The Kingdom of Toys was supposed to be happy. Lively. Where toys, beloved by all, made Real, played together.
This was never supposed to happen.
In a castle in the heart of the kingdom, King Drosselmeyer groaned weakly, and pushed himself off the ground. His arms were weak, and he hurt all over, his fair skin marred with burns and scratches. He nearly collapsed again, but he grit his teeth, squeezed his bright green eyes shut, and pushed on. He could not give up. Not when others were counting on him.
Especially...
"Papa!" a tiny voice cried out, and suddenly a little brown rabbit doll was rushing up to him. She put her tiny plush paws on his arm, as if trying to help him up. "Papa, are you okay?!"
"I should be the one asking you," the king said, managing a tiny, weak smile. He turned his head to look at her, and his light green hair fell like a curtain behind his shoulders. "You did well, Velvet, hiding like that. You're a good girl."
Velvet sniffled wetly, and hugged Drosselmeyer's arm. The king picked her up and held her to his chest, taking care not to let her feel how he trembled. His splendid gown was already singed at the edges, torn in places of the sleeve. Velvet had heard the commotion, how he fought to protect the kingdom, protect Reality, protect her. She would be shaken enough as it was, he didn't need to make it worse.
And yet...
"Velvet," he intoned solemnly, approaching a large, shattered window. "I need you to do something brave for me."
"M-Me, Papa?" Velvet asked, looking up with teary eyes.
"Yes. Our kingdom is already falling. Our Reality is fading away from us, and it will take all of my remaining strength to keep our kingdom from unravelling."
"But... But what does that gotta do with me? Y-You're Papa, you can fix this, right?" Velvet sniffled.
"I'm afraid it's not that simple. I'm already going to be expending most of my magic to try and hold off the worst of what's happening to the toys; there's nothing more I can do. But," he added when Velvet threatened to cry. "There is something you can do."
"Me?"
"Yes. You, and the legendary warriors. Pretty Cure."
"Pretty Cure!" Velvet gasped. She frantically scrubbed at her face, trying to dry her tears. "But- But I thought they were just a bedtime story!"
"No, Velvet. They're very much real - as Real as you are," he lightly teased, smiling. "Go to the Land of Humans and find Pretty Cure. They will help us, and look after you in my stead, I promise."
"But how will I find them?" Velvet asked. "I - I wouldn't even know where to look!"
Drosselmeyer removed one arm from around her, and held his hand out. "They will help you." A sphere of light appeared above his palm, sparkling and shining softly. Velvet felt a strange, warm feeling in her chest, as thought she had just seen a familiar friend. And then suddenly, the light burst apart, and revealed four doll-like toys; one pink, one blue, one green, and one yellow. All of them had white cloth heads and a bow tied around their neck, while the rest of their bodies were simple cloth hangings. "The Poppets are toy fairies that have always guided us to Pretty Cure in times long past," Drosselmeyer explained, as they opened their color-coordinated eyes and flew towards Velvet. "Take them with you. They will find the ones whose hearts resonate with their own, and grant them the power to become Pretty Cure."
Velvet lifted a paw towards one of the Poppets, the one with the soft pink body and the bright rose eyes. The Poppet squeaked and bumped her head against Velvet's paw pad. "Can I really...?" Velvet tried to begin, her voice trailing off.
"You must, Velvet," Drosselmeyer stressed, his heart breaking that he had to put such a burden on her plush shoulders. "You're our only hope." And with that, he lifted Velvet up towards the sky, a white glow surrounding his hands and forming an aura around Velvet.
The toy rabbit squeaked in alarm as she began to drift into the sky, the Poppets floating alongside her. Drosselmeyer released her, and she began to fly away, fast. She looked back at the castle as it slowly grew smaller and smaller, never taking her eyes off Drosselmeyer.
And yet, she swore she could still hear his words to her:
"Be careful, my girl."
OP: "Hello, Everybody!" - day after tomorrow
The sun filtered through white, lacy curtains and into a pink and cream bedroom. The light landed on a sleeping girl's face, causing her brows to furrow lightly. She rolled over, drawing her strawberry-print covers over her head in an attempt to stay in Dreamland, but it was no use.
A few seconds later, the cheerful beeping of a digital clock woke her up fully.
"Fwaaaaah~ I'm awake..." Moe Aito murmured, sitting up in bed. She rubbed at one reddish-brown eye as she tapped the reset button on her clock, silencing it. She ran her fingers through her short, strawberry-colored hair, then gently slapped the sides of her face to wake up fully. "Okay."
Tossing the covers back, Moe got out of bed and made her away past the displays of old toys, stuffed animals, and books towards her far window. She grabbed a toy bow and arrow set from a shelf as she went, giving it a little twirl.
More sunlight filled the room as she opened first the curtains, then the window itself. She readied the bow and little suction-cup arrow, aiming it at the window across from her, at the house next door.
Pop!
The suction cup made a loud noise as it hit the glass. A few moments later, the pale yellow curtains parted, and Aika Tokuwa opened their bedroom window. "Good morning, Moe!" they called out as they wrenched the arrow off the window.
"Mornin', Aika!" Moe called back with a bright smile. "Did you sleep well?"
"M-hm, about the same as usual. I'll see you outside in an hour?"
"Sounds good. See you!" The two of them closed their windows, and drew the curtains. Moe kept her bright smile, even as she looked back at her closet door, where a deep pink and white uniform was hung up.
Joyful Pretty Cure
Episode 1: A Joyful Beginning! The Pink Heart, Cure Sweetie!
Moe sat at the table, tipping her rice bowl back as she frantically scooped the last few grains into her mouth. Across from her, her father lowered his tablet, eyebrows lifted. He was young, only 33 years old, with soft red hair that swept across his forehead, red-brown eyes, and rectangular glasses. He pushed those glasses up his nose as he told Moe, "Slow down, sweetheart. You're gonna choke."
"Let her," grunted her grandfather, a man with gray hair cut close to his scalp, and severe-looking reddish brown eyes set in a stern face. He had his sweater sleeves rolled up as he did the dishes, scoffing and shaking his head. "It's the only way she'll learn."
"Ah wohn-" Moe began before swallowing her food. "I won't choke on a little rice, Grandpa!" With that, she stood up, drank the last of her milk, and ran for the door.
"Moe, your dishes!" both men shouted at once.
Moe ran back in, grabbed her empty dishes, and ran back to the sink. She kissed her grandfather on the cheek, then went to her father to do the same. "Okay! I'm going to school! Bye!"
"Bye, Moe! Love you!" her father called out. As the door clicked shut behind the girl, the man shook his head and smiled at his own father's back. "Was I this bad when I was in school?"
"Oh, Kouta," Goro Aito muttered. "You were worse."
Meanwhile, Moe jogged out the gate in front of her house, checking her phone. Idly, she swiped through some emails advertising cram schools, notifications about upcoming conventions, and a response to a comment she'd left on someone's plush-making tutorial. She sent the cram school emails to the trash folder.
"Moe!" Aika greeted her as they opened their front gate and stepped onto the sidewalk. They smiled gently as they approached, holding their school bag in front of themself. Moe couldn't help but think that it looked far more sophisticated and cooler than her own. "Were you waiting long?" they asked, briefly toying with one of their thick, dark blue braids.
"No, I just got out. Let's go!"
The two friends walked side-by-side on their way through Omocha Town, heading towards the train station. It was around seven-thirty, and many other teenagers were walking the streets as well.
In the sea of deep pink and white uniforms, it made Aika stick out like a sore thumb.
Rather than the long-sleeved white blouse and pink jumper with the matching bow tie that Moe wore, Aika's uniform was in varying shades of blue. They wore a pale blue blazer with white buttons and snazzy cuffs, their pleated miniskirt and bowtie were matching blue plaid, and rather than he white frilly socks and pink Mary Janes, they wore black stockings with blue-black loafers. Even their bags were both different, Aika noted; Moe's was cream-colored and more of a backpack, while Aika's own was a sleek black messenger bag.
The two friends talked about things that were both meaningless and of utmost importance at the same time. What kind of lunch they hoped would be sold at school. What they'd had for breakfast. What Aika was planning on doing over the weekend, whether Moe would study more for her tests this year.
Their conversation dwindled as they approached the train station, and Aika turned to face Moe.
"Well..." they began awkwardly, a nervous smile on their face. "This is my stop."
"Yeah." Moe smiled back, her furrowed brow at odds with her bright smile.
The two stared at each other for a moment, then suddenly dropped their bags and hugged each other tightly. Aika squeezed Moe with all their strength, burying their face in her shoulder. Moe in turn squeezed Aika like a teddy bear, letting out a long "Hmmm-mmm!" as she did so.
Finally, the two broke apart, their smiles carefree again, and retrieved their bags. "We're still getting celebratory waffles after school, right?" Moe asked.
"Our tradition? Of course!" Aika laughed, pushing their glasses up their nose.
"Okay. Good luck at Koigokoro!"
"Don't get into trouble, Moe!" Aika called, walking into the crowds.
Moe just giggled and waved, staying exactly where she was until she couldn't see Aika anymore. Then, her smile faded ever so slightly, her hand drooping. This would be the first time since daycare that they wouldn't be in the same class... It was a bit strange.
"Oh, stop it," Moe scolded herself, shaking her head. "You're still neighbors, you'll see each other every day. C'mon, Moe - joyful day!" And with that attempt to soothe her own heart, she turned and continued on her way towards Omocha High School.
"Let's see..." Moe murmured to herself as she walked down the hall. Streams of people flowed around her, a few of them pausing to bow in front of a full-length mirror on a stair landing, but she kept her eyes on the room labels. "1-A, 1-A... oh, here it is!" She carefully moved to the door of her classroom, and slid it open.
Nobody inside paid her much mind as she walked inside. The other students stood or sat in various parts of the room; a few of them seemed to have found their middle school friends and were happily chatting away. A few students sat by themselves, though nobody looked too upset about it.
"It doesn't look much different from middle school," Moe mumbled to herself as she found a desk by the window and began to slide into her seat.
"Hey, excuse me?"
"Huh?" Moe blinked up at another girl who'd approached her.
The other girl stood with her hands on her hips, her green eyes narrowed slightly as she tossed her shoulder-length, blue-black hair over her shoulder. She folded her arms, allowing Moe to see the red bead bracelet on one wrist. "That seat's mine," she said simply.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't see your bag here-"
"I called it before you got in," interrupted the girl.
"Oh. Well, sorry again," Moe said, getting back up and stepping back.
"Whatever." The other girl sat down, resting her chin in her palm and closing her eyes. She huffed contemptuously, and flipped her thick hair again. Moe thought for a second that all that flipping might have been how her hair got that curl at the end. "Just make sure you pick an actually available desk next?"
"Y-Yeah..." Moe backed away, smiling awkwardly. Okay, so that desk wasn't free... That was fine, she didn't need a view from the window anyway. She glanced around the room again, and her gaze landed on a desk closer to the center of the room. She walked up to it, and noticed the girl who sat at the next one.
"Excuse me?" Moe called.
No answer. The other girl, chubby and round-faced, with shoulder-length wavy brown hair held back with two yellow bows, just sat listening to something on a pair of chunky yellow headphones. Her head bobbed in time to the beat; Moe could faintly hear the music herself.
Moe leaned forward and tapped at the desk. "Excuse me," she called again.
"Hah?" the girl opened her eyes, blinking rapidly as if she were surprised to find herself in the classroom. She turned her brown eyes towards Moe, then removed her headphones. "What's up?"
"Is this desk free? I accidentally took someone else's earlier."
"Oh, no, go right ahead!" The girl smiled and nodded towards the empty desk. "Nobody's sitting there. You can have it."
"Thanks," Moe sighed gratefully, dropping into the chair. She set her bag down, then looked back up at her neighbor. Now that the headphones were removed, she could hear the music a little clearer and... wait a moment, she knew that song!
"Are you listening to Venus Angel?" she gasped, eyes growing wide.
The girl blinked again, then grinned ear to ear. "Yeah! He's my favorite singer - right now I'm listening to-"
"-to 'Why You Gotta Act This Way!' I've heard it on the radio a few times." Moe felt herself smiling easier. "It's one of my current favorites. 'I was a liar and a player of the game...'"
"'But I truly gave my heart to you~'" the other girl sang with her, then the two dissolved into giggles. "My name's Etsuko Kiyowa. Nice to meet you!"
"I'm Moe Aito, same! Actually..." Moe's head tilted. "Is that his newest CD you're listening to?"
"Yeah! Mom got it for me as a birthday present. Do you have it, too?"
Moe huffed and began toying with a lock of hair, looking to the side and pouting. As she toed at the floor, she explained, "Nooo... I didn't get a high enough grade on entrance exams, so Grandpa said no."
"...you wanna borrow mine later?"
"Would I?!"
At that moment, the second bell rang, and a pale man in a relaxed brown suit walked into the room. He had dusty brown hair that lightly skimmed his shoulders, and kind brown eyes. Clearly he was the teacher.
"Alright, everyone, take your seats now," he called out, reaching the blackboard and taking a piece of chalk. As the rest of the class spread throughout the room and took their seats, he wrote a name on the board: "Mr Shinoda." Then, he turned to face the class, placed his hands on either side of his podium, and smiled. "Alright, as you can see, I'm Mr Shinoda, and I'll be your homeroom teacher. I'm also the math teacher, so I'll be able to help you out with math homework before and after that class."
Moe felt herself sinking into her seat at the mention of math.
"Take a moment to look around at your classmates. Look to your left, and to your right. Note the person in front of you, and behind you."
Moe saw the student in front of her, a girl with brown skin and dark green hair, slowly look over her shoulder. When she saw Moe looking at her, she stiffened, and quickly faced forward again.
Meanwhile, Etsuko reached over and tapped Moe's arm. Moe looked over, and the two made eye contact. Seemingly for no reason, the two were overcome with giggles.
"These people will be with you for the next three years, so let's all try to get along as a family, okay? We're all friends now, is that clear?"
"Yes, Mr Shinoda!" the class chorused.
"Good. Now, if that's settled, let's begin class introductions. First up…"
Moe smiled brightly. Oh, yeah, this was definitely going to be a good year. She was sure of it!
In the heart of Omocha Town, a little brown bunny hid in an alley, behind a clean plastic trash bin. The four Poppets hovered near her head, dividing their attention between Velvet, and the busy shopping street ahead of them. Velvet's eyes were wide as she took everything in; the dog-walkers, the young adults on daytime dates, and people handing out tissues and business cards. "Is this The Land of Humans?" she whispered to herself. "It's a lot different from The Kingdom of Toys..."
The Poppets squeaked in agreement.
"Can I really find Pretty Cure here...?" Velvet whispered again, her tiny paws touching the gold heart-shaped clasp of her collar. Her eyes shimmered with anxiety for a moment, then she shook her head rapidly. "N-No! No, I promised Papa I'd find them! I've gotta help - everyone is counting on me!"
The Poppets squeaked in agreement. The pink one floated over and rubbed her head to Velvet's cheek, as if nuzzling her.
Velvet sniffed. "Come on, Poppets," she said. "Let's see if we can find them! Oh..." she realized suddenly, ears drooping as she took in the huge amount of people passing her by. "But where will I start?"
The school day passed normally, at a pleasant pace that wasn't too fast, nor too slow. As each teacher entered the room and introduced themselves and began their subjects, Moe took careful notes - and not just of the subjects either. Her pink sparkly notebook had a few comments written in the margins:
"English - young teacher. Seems cool.
Science - old guy, totes boring to listen to.
Social Studies - grandma-looking woman. Seems approachable."
In fact, the only hiccup was PE. The PE and health teacher, Mr Kumagai, certainly fit his name - he was a big, burly man with a severe expression, and a loud, booming voice as he directed everyone to run down the jogging track. "Just because it's your first day doesn't mean you get to slack off!" he roared, squirting water into his mouth. "We'll have you lot in top shape in no time!"
Fortunately, by the time the final bell rang and everyone packed up, Moe's legs had stopped feeling so sore. She joined the throng of students heading to the front gates, smiling and cheerfully waving at some of her classmates.
"I'll bring the CD tomorrow, Moe!" Etsuko called, jogging away and waving her hand over her head.
"Thanks!" Moe called back.
As she grew closer to the gate, one person started to stand out. Next to the gate was a small girl, definitely elementary-aged. She stood holding her backpack straps, from which a strawberry plush keychain dangled, excitedly looking around and bouncing on her toes. She had black hair that fell in curls to her shoulders, the top layers pulled into pigtails. She looked like she was still dressed for summer, with a white sailor top with short, puffy sleeves, and baggy bright blue shorts with lace trim. On her bouncing feet were white socks with blue bows on the outside, and navy Mary Janes. Her bright blue eyes lit up when she spotted someone in the crowd. "Yoshie!" she yelled, running into the sea of students. She lifted a hand above her head, causing her heart bead bracelet to gleam in the light. "Yoshie!"
"R-Risa!" the first girl Moe met in class sputtered in surprise. She put her hands on her hips and leaned forward, glaring down at the girl. "I told you not to come to my school!"
"But I wanted to see you!" Risa cried cheerfully. "I wanna talk about my first day!"
"Oh my God, you're impossible," Yoshie muttered under her breath. She seized Risa's hand and dragged her out the gate with her. "Come on, let's get outta here..."
Moe paused, blinking curiously, her expression blank. "What was that about...?" she began to wonder-
-only for a loud, shrill beeping to cut her off.
"Oh my gosh!" she cried, pulling her smartphone from her uniform pocket. On the lock screen was a reminder she had set for herself: Sweet Dreams with Aika - don't dawdle! "Our waffles!" she cried, pocketing her phone again. "I'm gonna be late!" And with that, she ran through the crowd, calling out 'excuse me's and 'sorry's as she did.
Five minutes later, Moe was walking down the street, eyes fixed on her smartphone. She had the maps app open, and was watching as the little pink dot that represented herself moved down the line. "Okay," she muttered, looking up for a moment to take stock of her surroundings. "So in a minute or two, I'll take a left turn... And then I walk straight until I hit the street clock..."
It was a lot easier to find Sweet Dreams back in middle school, she thought to herself. But the high school was farther away, and on top of that the cafe wasn't in the same direction as her house. It was going to be a bit more of a walk this time, she admitted to herself.
The good news was, though, with Aika needing to take a train to and from school, Moe was guaranteed to arrive first each time. So she could make sure to save the best table for the two of them. That was why she couldn't be late today; everyone knew the best seats were either outside, or by the giant window that overlooked the street and had a cute little garden in the sill. She had to get one of those!
She followed the map through the busy streets lined with quaint, pastel shops and little gardens. Every now and then she would look up just to make sure she wasn't going too far, or to return a greeting someone offered.
But at one point, she looked up and saw something a bit... odd.
"Hm?" Her steps slowed a bit. "Who...?"
Walking down the street, heading in her direction, was a brown-skinned girl. She had long, dusty purple hair and dull purple eyes that stared fixedly ahead, almost listlessly. But her clothes... She wore a wine-purple dancing tutu with pale lilac ruffles around the waist, and another layer beneath the topmost skirt. Light purple rosettes formed matching bracelets on her wrists, and another larger rose sat over the center of the tutu's neckline. She had dark gray stockings, wine purple ballet flats, and a dark silver tiara with a dark purple heart in the center.
That was... unusual, for daywear. Cute, but unusual.
Moe stepped to the side, as she noticed the girl seemed to be making no attempt at avoiding anyone, preferring to continue walking straight. As she drew closer, Moe noticed the girl's movements were rather stiff, and there were very odd-looking grooves around her elbows and wrists. Closer still and she could see some on her face, neck, and her fingers, too! That was really good make-up, Moe decided.
"I wonder what she's cosplaying..." Moe mumbled to herself. "Or maybe there's a movie filming here?"
Hmm, but she didn't see any cameras around... Maybe filming was in another location or something. She just hoped they weren't filming next to Sweet Dreams.
Moe turned her gaze back to the phone, tapping on the now-dark screen to wake it up... and her eyes went huge. "Whoa, wait a second!" She used her thumb and index finger to zoom in, then looked up, then back at the phone again. "Yes! A shortcut!" she whispered to herself, smiling in jubilation.
It wasn't on the red line that showed her where to walk, but she could see it. Between the flower shop and the antique shop, there was an alleyway that would take her to the other side of the block. And if she reached there, then Sweet Dreams would only be just down the road. "Joyful day!" Moe cried, turning and jogging towards the alley.
Fortunately, though unsurprisingly given Omocha Town's standards, the alley was very clean. A pastel blue garbage bin sat next to a side door in one of the buildings, and there were some empty cardboard boxes stacked up, but everything was still immaculate. The boxes had no stains or spots, there was no trash littering the ground, and the alley was still nicely lit. Not many wild animals would be hanging around here, not in such a clean, populated, bright place.
So Moe was pretty confused when she heard rustling from the cardboard boxes. "Hm?" she wondered aloud, slowing to a stop. She stood next to the boxes, staring at them. They had gone still, but... no. No, she had definitely heard something. "Hello?" she called. "Someone there?" There wasn't a door next to the stack, so it couldn't be an employee coming or going.
The boxes squeaked.
"Hello?" Moe stepped closer, frowning and putting her phone into her uniform pocket. "Someone in there?" She looked around briefly. She was a bit far from the pedestrian road, nobody could hear her talking. Which meant they likely hadn't heard the boxes, or that squeak, either. "Hello?" Moe called again, stepping closer.
The boxes rustled again. The squeak sounded terrified.
"Is... is there a kitten in there?" Moe called, frowning deeply. Her heart twisted a bit. She hoped it wasn't a kitten, that would be too sad. "I'm not going to hurt you, come on..."
But it wasn't a kitten inside the boxes.
Hiding where Moe couldn't see, Velvet sat stock-still, her paws over her mouth to try and muffle her rapid breathing. She didn't know if she should come out yet. Was this voice a friend? Or was she one of the ones who attacked her home and her Papa? She knew she had to come out eventually, she had to find Pretty Cure, but she couldn't take this risk...!
But suddenly, one of the Poppets, the pink one, stiffened. She floated away from her sisters, who all crowded at Velvet's collar, and hovered in midair, listening.
"Helloooo?"
With a loud, delighted squeak, the pink Poppet flew out.
"Rosie!" Velvet cried before she could stop herself. "Rosie, no!"
Moe was taking another step closer when she saw the pink and white blur zoom towards her. She yelped in alarm, taking a stumbling step backwards, just barely keeping herself from falling back. "Wh- a bird?" she cried. The little shape flew up to the side of her face, nuzzling her cheek and chirping excitedly. "Ah, ah, no, a... not a bird?" Moe murmured, eyes wide and confused.
The boxes moved again, and she saw a little brown and pale yellow bunny peek out. The bunny's bright red eyes widened. "A Pretty Cure!" she cried in a high-pitched, cute voice. "I found one! Rosie, you found one!" And with that, she leaped up high into Moe's arms, the girl catching her seemingly on instinct.
"Wh-whoa there!" Moe cried, stumbling backwards. "I'm not a- wait, are you a talking bunny?" she suddenly realized. "Wait. Wait, what are all these things?!" she cried, looking around at the cloth dolls floating around her.
The bunny leaned back, smiling sweetly. "I'm Velvet! An amba...am-ambass... I'm from the Kingdom of Toys!" she chirped. "And these are the Poppets - the pink one's Rosie."
Rosie squeaked and nuzzled Moe again.
"Ehhh... hello?" Moe murmured, feeling a bit lightheaded.
Eyecatch A: Moe sleeps comfortably in her bed late at night, holding Velvet and Rosie like dolls. She yawns and snuggles them in her sleep.
Eyecatch B: As the sun shines through the window, Moe sits up in bed, tossing Velvet and Rosie into the air before catching them in a hug, nuzzling them and laughing.
On the public roads, the doll girl continued to walk, ignoring the curious looks people sent her way. Her dull, flat eyes scanned her surroundings as she went on, taking in every detail. Pastel buildings, clean brick walkways, a bright sun... throngs of people milling about and going on their merry ways, whispering and talking excitedly. Once in a while a delighted laugh would reach her wooden ears.
It's a lot like that other place, the living doll thought to herself, her inner voice flat. But not exactly.
"Pleeeease?" a young, sweet-sounding voice cut through the white noise of the crowds, making the doll snap her head in its direction. She felt a rush of something in her chest cavity, something rising-
-but no, the voice didn't belong to the rabbit she was looking for. Instead, a little girl dressed in blue was hanging off of an older girl in a red and white school uniform. The two of them stood in front of a strange box full of stuffed animals, with a metal contraption inside at the top. The doll focused on the stuffed toys inside the glass box, but then her attention was grabbed by the little girl again. "Please, Yoshie?! I won't ask for anything else!"
"You always say that," the other girl grumbled, but she reached into her pocket and pulled out some coins. The doll watched as she dropped the coins into a slot, and leaned forward, grabbing a strange stick. "Alright, which one?"
"The yellow one! The one with the daisies on its paws!"
"Okay, let's see..." Yoshie muttered under her breath. Her eyes narrowed as she moved the stick, and the strange metal thing moved along with it. After a few slow, cautious movements from the girl, the metal thing dropped and opened up. It landed on top of the stuffed animals, closed... And then to the doll girl's shock, it lifted back up, a yellow teddy bear caught in its grasp.
The little girl shrieked in delight as the bear was brought close to the glass wall and dropped. Quickly, she bent low and pulled the bear out from a small hole, hugging it to her chest. "Oh my gosh, thank you, Yoshie, thank you!"
"Yeah, yeah, don't mention it..." Yoshie said, again under her breath.
The doll girl was no longer focusing on the two humans. Her gaze was on the teddy bear in the girl's arms. It stared back at her, its bright blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight, its cute smile almost welcoming.
The doll narrowed her eyes slightly and looked even harder.
Slowly, little by little, she could see a pink and gold aura around the bear, flickering and reaching upwards like sparkling flames. In her mind's eye, she could almost see the bear lifting its tubby little arm to hug the girl, though to everyone else's eye, it was immobile.
A friend! she could hear the bear feeling. Friend! Happy! I love you!
"You're wasting your time," the doll girl interjected, catching the two humans' attention.
Risa turned bodily, holding her new bear to her chest. Beside her, Yoshie narrowed her eyes and glared at the other girl.
"Excuse me?"
But the girl wasn't looking at Yoshie or Risa. Her dull eyes were focused solely on the bear, at its happy smile. At the way it seemed to be hugging the younger girl. "You're only wasting your time. Getting attached… you're only setting yourself up for pain." As she spoke, she reached into a hidden pocket in her skirts, and pulled out a small toy jack. It was a striking black, gleaming eerily in the afternoon sun as she held it up next to her eye. "So in that case...
"Why not cause them pain before they can do the same to you?"
Suddenly, the girl pulled her arm back, and snapped it forward again, hurling the jack at the bear with all her might.
Yoshie grabbed Risa's shoulders and jerked her backwards, but the jack wasn't aimed at Risa. Instead, it struck the teddy bear directly in the face. It jerked once, then slumped over. The sunny yellow color shifted, darkening until it was a sickly purple-black. Miasma and fog began to surround its form, causing Risa to drop it in alarm.
"Wha- Teddy?!"
The bear fell face-down on the ground. It was still for barely a second when its body began to convulse and swell in various places, like heavy boiling water. It began to grow, jerkily expanding several inches, then feet, at once.
Risa and Yoshie backed away in disbelief and shock. Slowly, so did the surrounding civilians, whispering to each other in confusion and apprehension.
"What's going on?"
"Is a drama filming? Is it practical effects?"
"Shouldn't one of us do something?"
When the bear was the size of a small building, it slowly uncurled its limbs and stood up, head slowly lifting to look at the street below. It still resembled a bear, but not the yellow daisy one. Now its smile was a foul grimace, its eyes burning red crescents. Instead of the sunny yellow and white, it was an awful purple and black; and where the daisies had once been embroidered there were now black broken hearts. The bear stood for a moment, then suddenly flexed its paws, causing long, sharp claws to pop out. It opened its mouth to show razor-sharp fangs, and roared at the top of its voice.
"GOMIIIIII!"
That broke the spell. Everyone who had been frozen in silence began to run instead, screaming loudly. Yoshie grabbed Risa again, lifting her up off the ground and turning to run.
The odd girl pointed to them. "Gomingyō! Don't let them get away!"
"GOMI!"
Moe heard the roar. She heard the screaming. Another roar. The ground shook with the last sound, making Moe lose her balance and pitch against the side of one of the buildings. She braced herself with one arm, still holding Velvet in the other. "Wh-what was that?!" she cried.
Velvet pressed close to Moe's chest, her eyes wide and frightened now. "O-Oh no..." she whimpered. "Are they here already?"
"Who? Is who here?" Moe asked.
Suddenly another scream pierced the air. Moe had only heard the voice for a day, but she recognized it immediately. "Konishi!" she gasped, running towards the sound.
When Moe exited the alley, she was met with a shocking sight. Yoshie was being knocked to the ground, screaming intensely. In her arms was Risa, her face pressed tightly to the older girl's chest, as Yoshie's arms wrapped around her upper back and head. Looming over them was-
"A- A teddy bear?!" Moe exclaimed in disbelief.
"Yoshie!" Risa shouted tearfully, snapping Moe's attention back. She was holding fistfuls of Yoshie's shirt, shaking her. "Yoshie, get up!"
"The bear... that bear attacked Konishi and her sister...?" Moe said, voice hollow.
"This Gomingyō will attack any human who would hurt a toy," said a new voice. Moe suddenly noticed the other girl standing there, the one she had previously mistaken for a cosplayer or an actress. The girl was staring directly at her, her eyes blank and dull. But then, her brows lifted ever so slightly as she noticed the rabbit in Moe's arms. "Oh... wait a moment..."
Velvet pressed herself closer to Moe, holding her shirt desperately. "It's Cappelia!" she cried, tears springing to her eyes.
"Cappelia?"
"You. Human girl." The girl - apparently Cappelia - pointed at the two of them, and at the Poppets which hovered like bees around Moe's head. "Give me the rabbit, and I'll call off my Gomingyō."
Moe looked down at the rabbit in her arms. Velvet whimpered in terror, pressing herself tightly to Moe's chest. Moe tightened her grip. She looked back to Yoshie and Risa. Yoshie was slowly regaining consciousness, and Risa was still wailing.
She looked to the monster. To the doll-like girl.
If she gave her Velvet, this would stop... If she gave her Velvet, the monster would go away and stop hurting people... If she gave her Velvet...
She tightened her grip on Velvet. "Absolutely not!" she declared loudly.
The girl blinked. For a moment, her dull eyes almost looked surprised. Then she hummed, and turned back to her monster. "Then in that case... Gomingyō?"
The bear roared, shaking the very ground. It lifted a huge paw...
...and Moe ran in between it and the two girls on the ground.
"Gomi?!" the monster paused. It actually paused.
"But you won't hurt Konishi and her sister, either!" Moe shouted.
A low groan caught her ear. "A-Aito...?" Yoshie groaned.
"Yoshie!"
"Konishi! Get out of here!" Moe shouted, turning her back to the Gomingyō and pulling Yoshie to her feet. She couldn't see any wounds, fortunately - it seemed like something else had made Yoshie faint. The other girl swayed on her feet for a moment, then shook her head to clear it, and ran. She lifted Risa a few inches off the ground, running as fast as she could, stumbling as she finally turned a corner and was out of sight.
"GOMIIII!" the Gomingyō roared, something making its voice crack as it roared. It lifted its paws over its head, moved to take a step to give chase-
-but Moe refused to budge. "Stop this! You're a teddy bear!"
"Gomi?"
"What are you doing...?" Cappelia mumbled, frowning.
"You're a teddy bear! That's not something monstrous! You're not supposed to hurt Konishi, or her sister, or anybody else, are you?!" Moe was shouting up at it. "Teddy bears aren't supposed to cause pain! They're meant to bring joy, they're meant to be for hugging! This can't be who you really are, Bear, it just can't!"
"Gomi?" the monster rumbled, its tone slightly quieter... and confused.
"Don't confuse my Gomingyō," intoned the girl. "Toys weren't meant to be seized at, mishandled, or ignored. Gomingyō has seen that, now."
"That is true. Toys are meant to be loved. Toys are meant to bring happiness, and bring people closer together. Toys are meant to carry someone's love with them their whole life. But what you're doing, what that bear's doing, that's not what toys are for either! You can't attack people, Bear, it's just not right! This definitely isn't who you are!" Moe shouted that last sentence with all her might, squeezing her eyes shut and bowing her head, clutching Velvet tighter in her arms...
... And then both the brooch on Velvet's collar, and the pink Poppet, Rosie, began to glow. A gold ball of light shot out from Velvet's brooch, and Rosie quickly met it halfway. She began to fly circles around it, leaving a glittery trail behind her, until the light was a swirl of gold and pink. When she finally stopped and floated back, the light burst apart into sparkles, revealing-
-"A Cure Key!" Velvet cried.
"A... Cure Key?" Moe echoed, reaching out with one hand to take it. It didn't look like a key. Rather, it looked like a thick piece of gold wire had been carefully curved into a heart shape, and had a bright pink diamond hanging in the center. It looked like a piece of simple, yet fine and beautiful, jewelry. When Moe's fingertips touched the metal, she felt a rush of something shoot through her body. Power? Love? Warmth? All three and more? It made her breath catch, and her eyes widened.
Velvet leaped out of her arms, quickly plodding to the side of a building for safety. The three remaining Poppets followed her. "Use it to transform, Pretty Cure! Hurry!"
That word echoed a bit in Moe's mind. 'Transform.' A big part of her still didn't know what was going on. But another part of her, one that had apparently awoke when she touched the Cure Key, knew precisely what to do.
Moe held the Cure Key between her hands; it floated in mid-air, as if even it knew what was to happen. "Pretty Cure!" Moe shouted, and suddenly her surroundings seemed to flash away. She found herself in a void of pink, surrounded by stars and sparkles, her clothes suddenly replaced by a long dress made of light.. She could see even more sparkles dancing across her skin, felt a rush of power as she smiled and finished the phrase. "Wind Up!"
Moe flung her arms out at her sides as the Cure Key floated towards her chest. As it settled against her dress, a bright pink chest-bow burst out from either side of it. Moe spun around, causing light to stream from the Cure Key and wrap around her torso. As she began to slow, the light wrapped around her body and burst out, revealing a white bodice with pink ribbons criss-crossing up the front, puffy short sleeves with dark pink ribbon, and a short, frilled pink vest. When she began to stop, the skirt of light burst apart as well, revealing a light pink skirt with dark pink trim and a scalloped hem that emerged from the dark pink ribbon at her waist. It had a pink overskirt with dark pink ruffles along the bottom, and the petticoats beneath made it poofy and comfortable. She moved one leg out briefly before moving it back, tapping her heel to the toes of her other foot. In a burst of light, she had formed her boots; short white ones with a pink toe and white angel wings on the sides, and pink kneesocks with a dark pink ribbon and frill. She held her hands out in front of herself, light bursting from them to reveal short white gloves with a pink underlayer, and Rosie floated down to hover over them. Moe brought her closer to her face, allowing Rosie to nuzzle her cheek as the girl laughed. She tossed Rosie high into the air, a shower of pink sparkles falling from the Poppet. When the sparkles landed on Moe, she got a dark pink choker, pink ribbon earrings with gold dangling hearts, and her hair suddenly lengthened. It lightened to a shade of bright pink as Moe closed her eyes, and formed a large heart-shaped bun atop her head with two long ringlets cascading down her back. A dark pink bow appeared behind her bun, and finally, Moe opened her eyes to reveal they had become a bright sugar pink.
The void faded as she slowly floated down a few inches, her heels landing on the road with a click.
Cappelia was stunned, her eyes wide. "What... what is that?" she murmured.
On the side of the road, Velvet and the three Poppets were cheering. "A Pretty Cure! We found a Pretty Cure!" Velvet sang out as the Poppet squeaked.
"Wow... so this is what being a Pretty Cure is!" Moe delighted, lifting her hands and looking down at herself. "I look so cute!" Rosie floated down by her head to squeak happily, causing Moe to smile up at her, too. "You helped? Thank you so much! You should be a fashion designer, you know that?"
Cappelia frowned - just barely, her brows only lightly creasing. "Fine. It doesn't matter," she said. "She's too new. Gomingyō, destroy her!" she declared, pointing at Moe.
"GOMII!" the Gomingyō roared as it began to charge towards her.
"Huh? Oh no!" Moe yelped, leaping up out of the way-
-too high, as she suddenly found herself floating high above the street. "Kyaaah! I don't know my own strength!"
Rosie flew up to meet her, hovering by her head and squeaking loudly. Moe looked to her, blinking in surprise. It was only now occurring to her, she almost seemed to understand Rosie. Not as if Rosie were speaking plain Japanese, but she knew in her very soul what Rosie was conveying. "Right- right, okay!" she said as she began to fall back down.
As Moe fell towards the Gomingyō, she curled her legs inward. When she was level with the Gomingyō's head, she suddenly snapped one leg out and turned sharply, delivering a fierce roundhouse kick to it. The monster roared as it was sent flying, crashing into one of the now-empty shops and smashing its front entrance.
The people who had been hiding inside screamed, running further back inside the shop. Fortunately, nobody was near the entrance or windows, so they were unharmed.
But now there was a gaping hole, and they could see out into the street. And most importantly, they were exposed for the Gomingyō to attack.
"Gomi!" the monster roared, spotting the crowd of humans inside the store. It tried to crawl forward, to slash at them with its claws. A few people screamed, held each other. "GOMIII!"
"Oh, no you don't!"
"Gomi?!" the monster yelped, feeling something suddenly grab its leg. And then in one swift movement, it was dragged backwards, back into the street.
Moe held it tightly, gritting her teeth; even with her newfound strength, she had to push herself. With a loud cry, she gathered her strength, and began to turn her body. She sharply swung the Gomingyō around 90 degrees, releasing it when she faced the street again. Cappelia quickly leaped away, landing atop a nearby mailbox.
The Gomingyō went flying, skidding down the road and tearing up bricks and cobblestones, smashing vending machines and breaking storefronts as it went. And then it just lay there, groaning weakly.
"Hurry, purify it!" Velvet shouted from the sidelines.
Moe didn't even need to ask how. The words, the action, just came to her.
"Pretty Cure..." she began, her voice loud and echoing. She tapped her hands over the Cure Key on her chest, causing her hands to shimmer. She held them in front of herself, cupped gently, and Rosie flew in to hover over them, and began to glow bright pink. Moe held her hands beneath Rosie, raising them high above her head as she slowly spun around, eyes closed. "...Sweetie Resonate!" When she re-faced the Gomingyō, the light grew bright, brighter... and then a heart-shaped beam shot forward from Rosie, like a laser. It sped towards the Gomingyō, causing a wind that whipped Moe's hair and clothes wildly.
When it struck the Gomingyō, it trapped the giant bear in a huge, sparkling pink heart. The Gomingyō began to float inside it as the heart slowly lifted off the ground; Moe turned her stern gaze up at it and held her arms out and up in front of herself. Suddenly the heart glowed so bright the monster could not be seen, then exploded into thousands of sparks.
The yellow daisy teddy bear floated where the monster had been, unharmed. It floated down towards Moe, who caught it gently in an embrace. Smiling, the girl kissed the teddy bear's nose as Rosie nuzzled its cheek.
And then it was over.
From her perch, Cappelia frowned. "This could be trouble," she said to herself, and then teleported away.
"You did it! You did it!" Velvet cheered, rushing back into the road to meet her new hero. "I knew you could!"
"Aw, thank you!" Moe laughed. She held the bear in one arm, and lifted her other hand to scritch at Rosie's face. "But I couldn't have done it without this little cutie-bug~ Ah, w-wait a second!" she suddenly cried, face blanching. "Th-the street!"
"Don't worry!" Velvet chirped. "I've got it!" And then she closed her eyes, putting her nubby paws over her heart-shaped brooch. It began to glow brightly...
...and right before Moe's eyes, all the damage done to the surrounding area had been reversed. It was as if nothing had ever happened.
"Wooow..." she whispered. "You're amazing, Velvet!"
Moe didn't realize it yet, but a crowd had begun to gather behind her. While she stood in the road, the people who had run away were slowly starting to come back out. They all stared at her, as more and more came out to hear and see her.
And then finally, one stepped forward and spoke.
"What's your name?!" they cried.
Moe stopped cheering, turning around with a light squeak of embarrassment.
The crowd, encouraged by that one shout, began to cry out as well.
"That was amazing!"
"You saved us!"
"How did you do it? Where did you come from?"
"Weren't you scared?!"
"Your name, girl, what's your name?!"
"A-Ah, hey, hey, one at a time..." Moe sputtered, holding up her hands and taking a step backwards, a bit overwhelmed. "I-"
"Please!" the first person, a woman with a bright blue apron over her clothes, called to her. "At least tell us who you are!"
"Me? Oh, I'm uh..." Moe blinked, suddenly realizing she couldn't tell them her real name. "I'm..."
Her hand drifted over her chest, where the Cure Key sat. She focused on the warm feeling in her heart, the sensation of power, of love, of her newfound strength. Her eyes closed for a moment, deep in thought.
A name...
Then her eyes opened, and she smiled brightly. "Everyone!" she declared. "You don't have to worry about a thing! I'll be here to protect you from now on, as the pink heart is sweet!" Her smile widened as she properly introduced herself. "Joyfully yours, I am... Cure Sweetie!"
ED: "Joyful" - NiziU
Moe: "Uwaaaah, I can't believe it! I'm a transforming magical hero!"
Velvet: "I can't believe I found one so soon! And only two more to go!"
Moe: "Two? So I'm part of a trio?"
Velvet: "No, there's four of you! And the second Pretty Cure is right there!"
Aika: "...eh?"
Moe: "Next time on Joyful Pretty Cure; 'A True-Blue Friend! Cure Kindness Arrives!' See you soon, bye-bye!"