Note: The following episode briefly touches upon period-typical homophobia. There is nothing too overt, but a common homophobic viewpoint is mentioned.
The sun was already bright and hot over Omocha Town, making the students at school sleepy and lethargic. Some teachers had opted to close the blinds to keep the students from being distracted, while others were kind enough to open the windows and allow a breeze in.
One of the latter teachers was Mrs Niou, Omocha HIgh School's social studies teacher. She paced back and forth in front of the room as she talked, a pleasant breeze cooling everyone off and bringing in the sweet aroma of flowers from outside. A few students did stop paying attention, preferring to daydream, and Aoi Sakura even dozed off at his desk. But most of the others were paying close attention, enraptured by her speech.
"My own grandmother was part of Japan's women liberation movement in the 1970s," Mrs Niou was saying, gesturing emphatically. "In fact, she took part in several rallies right here in Omocha Town! She and many other women would meet up to discuss women's literature, and strived for changes to be made to the law. She even helped to establish our local women's shelter," Mrs Niou added, grinning as her students let out a collective oooh.
"All of this seems very far away to you now, but the previous generations are still here, and have done and seen a lot. We can all learn from them," Mrs Niou concluded. "So… this week, I have an assignment for you."
The awed expressions on everyone's faces turned to disgust and disappointment, and everyone groaned.
"Boooo!" Keita called out, jarring Aoi awake.
"Now, now, this is a fun assignment! I want you to meet with someone your grandparents' age or older, and ask about their life. Learn about their experiences, and compare them to your own. Maybe their actions and the things they witnessed paved the way for you to live the way you do, and you didn't even think of it. On Saturday, you'll turn in a paper on what you've found out."
At that moment, the bell rang, and Mrs Niou began gathering her things to head to her next class. "You don't have to pick someone right away. I understand it may take some time. If you want, you can even just ask your own grandparents. But I expect to get to everyone's report on Saturday. So long, everyone!"
As she left, Yoshie slumped in her seat, groaning loudly. "That's so booooriiiing," she lamented. "If I wanted to listen to an older person ramble on and on, I'd turn on my dad's boring financial programs."
But several students were intrigued. Lyka in particular looked like she was already thinking very hard. Hmmm…
OP: "Hello, Everybody!" - day after tomorrow
"I think it sounds fun," Aika said later that day.
The group was sitting in their usual booth in Sweet Dreams, partaking in their after-school waffles. Moe was only eating half of her own, having given the other half to Velvet. The bunny had covered it in whipped cream and chocolate sauce, and she now had a good dollop of it on her nose. Aika chuckled, accepting a napkin from Celes and dabbing at Velvet's face.
"I wish my school gave us assignments like that. But instead, I have to just write a report after doing research on the web. I don't get to go out onto the field until I'm in eleventh year."
"Well, at least it should be easy," Etsuko admitted. "I've got a neighbor who saw Nausicaa in theaters - I can ask them about that. That sounds like it'd be something fun to talk about."
Moe nodded. "I can just ask Grandpa! He's right there, after all. Lyka, how about you?"
Lyka shook her head. "I'm not sure… My grandparents are on vacation this week. They won't be back til next weekend. And I don't know many other people in my neighborhood." She felt herself blushing as she slumped in her seat a bit. "I… didn't really interact with our neighbors much," she admitted.
The others looked sympathetic, nodding. They all understood how shy she had been until this year. Leafy nuzzled at her cheek in reassurance, earning a gentle pat to the head.
"Well, ask your parents, maybe," Moe offered. "I'm sure they know someone!"
"Yeah… maybe…" Lyka admitted, then pulled out her phone to check the time. "Oh. I should get going - Mom and Dad wanted to go grocery shopping and I wanted some things, too." She got up from the booth, pushing her mostly-eaten waffle towards Velvet (who practically pounced onto it in delight, getting cinnamon all over her paws) and waved at the group. "I'll see you all later, okay? Bye!"
"Bye, Lyka!" everyone chorused as she jogged out of the restaurant, waving one farewell wave to Michi.
Joyful Pretty Cure
Episode 19: Many Memories! We Can Learn A Lot!
"Dad! Daaad, can we get this?" Alberto cried, running up to Eric and waving a jar of chocolate spread.
"No, Beto. We have peanut-butter."
"But that's not chocolate! I wanna try chocolate sandwiches!"
"Absolutely not. That's too sweet, you'll be hyper all day." Eric gently took the jar of chocolate-hazelnut spread from Alberto and put it back on the shelf, high up where he wouldn't be able to reach. When the boy started to whine, Eric shook his head and scoffed. "We'll let you pick out a snack at the check-out, okay? It's either the chocolate spread, or the Kamen Gummies."
"Ah! I want the Kamen Gummies!"
"Then you don't need the chocolate."
While all this was going on, Lyka and Amaia were browsing the meat selection. Amaia held a shopping basket over one arm, while Lyka picked up a pack of pork belly. "Can we make butadon this week?" she asked.
"Hmm…"
"Pardon me, I need to get in here."
Lyka and Amaia looked up to see an elderly woman with bony hands and a pinched expression sidling up to them. She wore a pale blue, long-sleeved sweater, a dark blue skirt that reached her ankles, and white slip-on loafers; her dark gray hair was cut in a neat bob that curved around her jaw. Despite her stooped posture, she didn't walk with a cane or walker, carrying one of Seiyu Grocery's shopping baskets as if it were nothing.
"Oh, Ms Miyazaki!" Amaia greeted with a smile. "How are you today?"
"I'll be a lot better once I get in and look at those pork chops."
"Oh, yes, of course, I'm sorry. Lyka, scootch over, please."
Lyka did as she was asked, staring wide-eyed at the elderly woman. Something about her seemed familiar…
The woman, Ms Miyazaki, leaned over to look at the displayed meat. Though she looked as if she was only paying attention to the selection, she sniffed and said "Didn't your parents teach you not to stare, young lady?"
"A-Ah! I'm sorry!" Lyka blurted out, bowing apologetically. "I just - Have we seen each other before, ma'am?"
"I live down the street from your family," Ms Miyazaki said bluntly. "I see you walking to school when I get my mail, and I've seen you walking back sometimes."
"Ms Miyazaki also came to see us when we moved into the new house," Amaia explained. "You were probably too little to remember, you were only two, but she dropped off some food for us and babysat you a few times."
The wheels were turning in Lyka's head. She had an elderly neighbor, one who apparently knew her - at least in passing. She had a homework assignment to speak to an elderly person about their life. Yes, this could work. If she agreed, of course.
"I'm sorry to trouble you," Lyka began as Ms Miyazaki dropped some pork and chicken into her hand basket. "But I go to Omocha High School-"
"So I've noticed. Don't know why they changed the uniform over there…" the old lady muttered.
"-a-and in Social Studies we were just assigned to interview a senior citizen about their life. Could I maybe talk to you?"
Ms Miyazaki turned her hard expression onto Lyka, squinting at her. Lyka gulped anxiously, twisting her hands in front of her skirt, legs trembling faintly. She immediately broke out into a cold sweat under the woman's scrutinizing gaze, her thoughts racing a mile a minute. Oh, why did I ask? Why did I phrase it like that? she thought in a panic. I must have said something wrong. Maybe I offended her by calling her a senior citizen - maybe I was too forward in general. She probably has things to do, she doesn't need me hanging around!
But to her surprise, Ms Miyazaki nodded briskly. "That sounds fine. Come to my house any time you like in the afternoons, but not after six. That's when I start on dinner and watch my shows." She paused, reaching for another package of chicken, then sent Lyka a sideways look. "Well. Aren't you going to say thank you?"
"A-Ah, yes! Thank you, ma'am - Ms Miyazaki!" Lyka stammered.
"Very good. I'll be expecting you." And with that, Ms Miyazaki shuffled away, leaving Lyka with a pounding, nervous heart.
Amaia smiled gently, squeezing her shoulder. "Don't mind her. She seems harsh at first, but really she's a nice old woman."
Lyka shook her head. "I'm not worried… I just wonder if I accidentally offended her."
"Oh, Lyka, you're too nice sometimes… I promise you, you didn't." At that moment, from down the aisle, they could hear Alberto whining again, 'Come ooooon, Risa gets to have two bags of HI-Chews when she goes shopping!' "Come on, let's go back to your father and brother before Beto tries to sneak even more sweets in."
Lyka's nerves lasted all the way through the rest of the shopping trip and the rest of the night. She barely touched her dinner of soboro don, and at bath time she was so preoccupied with her worry for how things would go that the water got cold without her noticing.
Finally, as she sat in her pajamas and finished toweling her hair, she voiced her concerns to Leafy. "I don't know how to talk to a stranger," she sighed as the green Poppet hovered in front of her. "Especially not an old stranger."
Leafy squeaked questioningly, tilting her head.
"Well… well, of course, I have an easier time talking to adults than people my own age," Lyka admitted. She dropped her hands to her lap and looked up at Leafy, the fluffy green and white striped towel sitting on her head like a hood. "But not older adults… Teachers are easy, and so's the mail carrier, or the cashier at the store. But an elderly person… they just seem so far away somehow. And I always feel like I'm being judged." She looked at her hands, slowly curling her fingers into an anxious fist. "Like… like what if they have all sorts of extra rules they expect us to follow? What if we have nothing in common? What if I say something to upset them? That would be easy to do - the younger generation is so different from the older one, you know. And in the store today, she seemed a little upset already. What if she already dislikes me?" Lyka sighed. "I know I'm thinking too hard about this…"
Leafy squeaked again, this time louder and more rapidly. She flew forward, gently butting her head against Lyka's cheek and subtly dislodging the towel. She nuzzled happily at her partner's face, still squeaking. Lyka sighed again, this time with a slight smile. Leafy's words poured into her mind, as loud and clear as if she'd spoken plain Japanese.
You worry too much, Lyka! Everything will be fine - you're a wonderful, sweet person! You wouldn't upset her by asking questions or talking to her! She might be happy to have you, too - she did agree to let you come over!
"That's true," Lyka admitted. She chuckled, bringing her hands up to cup around Leafy and draw her to her face. She smiled down at the little Poppet as the latter gently dropped into her palms, rubbing her thumb against her plush head. "You're great, Leafy…"
Of course! I'm Lyka, Cure Charity's, beloved Poppet!
Lyka laughed again, feeling a weight lift off her chest. That night, she slept peacefully, dreaming nonsense instead of anything distressing.
As the school day passed, however, Lyka felt her nerves beginning to flare up again. She felt almost itchy, unable to stop her pencil from tapping against the top of her desk, or her leg from jiggling. The teachers didn't seem to mind, cheerfully going on with their lessons as if nothing was wrong, but Yoshie looked at her in irritation after she started clicking her pen too much. After that, Lyka decided to just drum her fingertips against her thigh instead; it made much less noise.
At least the added adrenaline gave her an advantage in gym class that day, as her reaction time in soccer was a lot faster than usual.
"Looking good out there, Caro!" Kumagai barked loudly from the sidelines. "Everyone, follow her lead and hustle!"
As the end of the school day drew nearer, Lyka's nerves grew. She wished time would slow down already, but unfortunately it only seemed to go by faster instead. And before long, the final bell was ringing, and she was among the throng of 'Go-Home Club Members' heading out the door. She waved a brief farewell to Moe and Etsuko - smiling weakly in response to their concerned looks - and headed for home.
Soon, far too soon, she found herself standing in front of Ms Miyazaki's house, a pale yellow one-story home with light brown roofing and white shutters. She checked the address on the note her father had given her. "4-42-3, this is it…" she muttered to herself. Lyka drew a deep, steadying breath, inhaling for five seconds and exhaling for seven. In her back, Leafy peered and squeaked loudly.
You can do it, Lyka!
"Yeah. You're right," Lyka responded with a weak smile. Then, steeling herself, she walked up the path to the front door and rang the bell.
"Well, it's about time," Ms Miyazaki's voice called from the other side of the door, making Lyka jump. The front door opened and Ms Miyazaki frowned down at her. "Saw you approaching from my window; thought you were going to just stand there and give up."
"I just wanted to make sure I had the right place…" Lyka murmured.
"Well, come in. Take off your shoes; I have slippers for you."
While Ms Miyazaki moved to the kitchen, Lyka stepped out of her shoes and into a pair of dark green slippers, shuffling out of the entrance hall and into the sitting room. She wasn't quite sure what she expected, but the main room looked so… normal. The walls were a very pale rose color, and the eggshell carpet matched the decorative fireplace and the ceiling-high windows, which were adorned with peach and green gingham curtains. The furniture was brown burnished wood with mint green cushions and upholstery, the coffee table between the couch and armchair had several magazines and a sudoku puzzle book on it, and a glass display case held fine china, decorative lanterns, and a few framed photos. Even more framed photos lined the mantle of the decorative fireplace, or sat on top of the boxy tv that sat against one of the walls. Not only that, but there was a soft floral scent in the air; Lyka spotted a potpourri bag sitting on top of the display case.
It seemed so different from what she expected… Leafy poked her head out in curiosity, looking around the room. Lyka paid her no mind, instead moving to set her bag down on the floor next to one of the couches. As she did so, she got a closer look at some of the photos.
Many were in black and white, and the ones that were in color looked harsher than any photos Lyka had ever seen, with a golden haze over the image. She looked at one of the black and white photos first; the image showed a group of girls around her own age, all wearing knee-length skirts or jumpers, Peter Pan collars, and stylish wedges. One of them, a girl with a pixie cut, had her arm thrown around another's shoulders, holding her close and showing off the chunky bracelet she wore. Written in ink in the corner were the words: Satsuki, Minami, Fujiko Against the World.
"Have a seat," came Ms Miyazaki's voice all of a sudden, making Lyka jump. Lyka whirled around, her heart pounding as Leafy ducked back out of sight. But Ms Miyazaki didn't comment on her alarm. She just casually approached the coffee table with a tea tray, a steaming teapot in the center. "I made jasmine tea," she said, setting the tray down. "For your nerves. You're the most high-strung girl I've ever seen," she snapped.
"So-sorry…"
Ms Miyazaki looked up at her at last, then moved her gaze behind Lyka to the picture she'd been staring at. Lyka swore her eyes softened at that moment, a faint chuckle escaping her lips. "Ah, you've been looking at my pictures," she said, sinking into her armchair. "Didn't anyone tell you it's rude to snoop?"
"I-"
"For pity's sake, don't apologize, girl. Have a backbone."
Lyka almost said 'sorry' again, then stopped. She took a deep breath, straightening her spine and squaring her shoulders. Then she said, "I wasn't snooping. I was curious about the photos; they are right there."
This seemed to satisfy Ms Miyazaki, who simply nodded. "There, see."
"Erm… which one of these girls is you?"
"The short-haired one," Ms Miyazaki said. "Fujiko is the girl I have an arm around, and Minami is the one with the perm."
So she's Satsuki… Lyka thought to herself.
"That was taken in my high school days… can't recall if I was in my ninth year or tenth."
"So… so what year would that be?"
"So blunt. But that'd be the sixties, if you must know." Ms Miyazaki poured a cup of tea and pushed it towards Lyka, then poured some for herself. "Sit down, then, go on."
Lyka cast one more look at the other photos before she sat down. Now that Ms Miyazaki mentioned it, the same short-haired girl showed up individually in a lot of the other pictures. There she was leaning against a brick wall with her hands in her pockets, sitting on the hood of a car while she wore a jumpsuit, standing in line for a concert… Were it not for the clothes and the black and white photography, Lyka would have assumed the pictures were of someone her own age, from this year. Not the old lady across from her.
"Well? Sit down. You said you had questions."
Lyka slowly sat down on the couch, taking the teacup gingerly between her hands. She took a sip, closing her eyes at the mellow sweetness. She was impressed; the tea was the perfect temperature - warm but not so hot that it burned her tongue. "Thank you, Ms Miyazaki."
The old woman waved a hand to the tray. "There's shortbread, too. Take some if you want."
"Y-Yeah… I'm sorry, I don't know where to start."
"Stop apologizing. And just start where you please."
"Okay…" Lyka pulled out her pencil and notebook, and began to ask some questions. She was careful not to overstep her boundaries with her visit today, keeping everything related to the era Ms Miyazaki lived in. She didn't want to ask about anything too personal yet and risk insulting her. Besides, she barely knew her, personal questions could wait.
"Did you go to concerts a lot?" she asked at one point, remembering the photo of Ms Miyazaki and her friends in front of a ticket-taker.
"A few, yes. My parents wanted me to stay in and study more often, but I was a bit of a rebel in those days. And I brought home top marks, so they usually relented." A wry smile crossed her face. "That picture behind you? That time, I wasn't allowed to go - none of us were, it was right before exams. So Fujiko stole her older brother's car and I snuck out through my window. My parents never knew I was gone."
"Did Fujiko get in trouble?" Lyka asked, her eyes wide as she stopped writing.
"Oh, she did. Her brother went to the garage and saw his car missing. Then her parents saw her bed empty and put two and two together. They demanded to know who else she'd involved in it-"
"What'd she say?" Lyka held her breath.
"Not a word. She insisted she'd done it all on her own, all by herself. Mine and Minami's parents were suspicious, but when they asked us we said we had no idea and had been at home all night. And since they hadn't checked in on us and hadn't seen us missing, they believed us." Her smile turned wistful. "I felt a little bad, but Fujiko insisted on taking the blame herself. Said she'd never forgive us if we admitted we'd all gone together. That was the sort of girl Fujiko was; always taking the heat for us. We repaid her every time, of course."
"Like how?"
Ms Miyazaki's smile looked devious all of a sudden. "I used to help her change her grades. This was before computer-printed grades were so common, of course - we went to Omocha High School, and they hand-wrote their grades and report cards until we graduated. And all sorts of other things. One day we were the ones who snuck her out, when we went to a concert that had English singers."
"Wow… what happened to your friends?"
"Fujiko got married and moved to New York with her husband," Ms Miyazaki said, her expression turning sad. "Minami moved to Tokyo to pursue a career in medicine. We still speak, of course, but once in a while, I miss those two wild girls who used to joyride in a jeep with me and sneak out of class when it was too boring."
"Oh…"
"But it's in the past. Never mind it. You want to ask anything else?"
Lyka spent as much time as she could with Ms Miyazaki, asking more and more questions and writing down all her responses. Though sometimes, she found herself so absorbed in one of the old lady's stories that she forgot to write, and Ms Miyazaki had to ask "Aren't you taking notes?" and startle her into starting up again. But each time, Ms Miyazaki's tone would soften a bit the more she spoke.
Lyka listened to her talk about concerts, and about school in Omocha Town back before she was born ("Omocha High used to be an all girls school, you know. We used to wear these lovely dresses…"), and the fashion trends at the time ("And everyone was wearing skirts, shorter and shorter! Some of us even used to buy long skirts and cut them to reach above our knees." "Didn't your parents get mad?" "We didn't care."), all kinds of things.
But soon, all too soon, the clock struck six.
"Oh, dear," said Ms Miyazaki. "I need to start my dinner. And you, young lady, should head home."
"Yes, ma'am." Lyka stood up, grabbing her bag and slipping her notebook into it. She caught a glimpse of the paper as she did so, and was surprised to find just how much she'd written down. There was already more than enough for a good report. She could just use what she had.
But…
"May I come back?" she asked timidly, as Ms Miyazaki headed for the kitchen.
"If you want."
Lyka smiled.
As the week went on, the students of Mr Shinoda's class were abuzz with the new knowledge they were getting. A few of them were comparing notes and experiences with their classmates, trying to figure out if maybe the older person they'd talked to had known their friend's older person. On Wednesday, Yumemi, for instance, was delighted to find out that her great-grandmother had briefly been courted by Yoshie's great-grandfather, but had turned him down. "That's so neat!" she squealed, hugging the other girl in an iron grip. "We could've been cousins~"
"Koike, get off of me!"
Moe, Etsuko, and Lyka sat around Moe's desk, with Aika on facetime, getting their usual group gossip in before class officially started. "So Grandpa told me all kinds of cool stuff about the 60s!" Moe said cheerfully. "He even pulled out some of the photos he had back in the day - the fashion is so cool!"
"My neighbor told me about going to see movies in the 80's, and seeing more American films get released over here," Etsuko added.
Lyka nodded enthusiastically. "I've been learning a lot, too. Did you guys know that a lot of women in the 60's and 70's got sick of wearing pants, so they wanted to wear shorter skirts?"
"Haaah… I'm jealous," Aika sighed from Moe's phone screen. "I guess I can always just talk to my own neighbors, too, though. But it'd be fun to get a grade for it."
Velvet's eyes sparkled. "I wonder what Papa can tell me about the sixties!"
This prompted everyone to look at her curiously. "Would Drosselmeyer even know much about Japan in the sixties?" Aika voiced aloud. "I can't imagine he leaves the Kingdom of Toys very much…"
"Well, that's true, he's only left a handful of times. But he's received toys from a long, long, long time ago!" Velvet chipperly said, keeping her voice down so nobody else could hear. She lifted her paws, gesturing as she spoke. "He's gotten stuffed teddies from the fifties, an' cloth dollies from before that, and wooden figures from before that!" But the mention of dolls and wooden figures gave Velvet pause. She lowered her head back down, staring contemplatively into Moe's bag.
Cappelia… She had seemed so upset, so sad, the last time a Gomingyō had appeared. More than that, she seemed scared.
For a few moments, Velvet remembered the dancing, smiling Cappelia from the Kingdom of Toys. How she herself would sit in the garden, under the sugar roses, and how Cappelia would slowly dance and twirl with such grace and beauty that it made Velvet's heart sing. Cappelia would smile peacefully, turn that lovely smile towards Velvet as she finished a pirouette.
"What do you think, Velvet?"
"That was so pretty, Cappelia!"
But those days ended. One day Cappelia stormed off, angered by something Drosselmeyer had said. And the next time she'd seen her… Velvet shook her head. No. Something was wrong. Pinocchio had hurt Cappelia, or lied to her, or something. That had to be it, there was no other way she could turn on all of them like this.
Especially with how horrified she'd seemed last time. Only someone who had been manipulated would react like that! Right?
But soon, class began, and Moe had to turn off her phone and everyone else had to go through the school day. Lyka found herself actually looking forward to the end of it, when she would visit Ms Miyazaki again.
Time flew by, and Lyka once again waved farewell to her friends and hurried for her neighbor's house. Her heart felt light as she walked, a song in her throat as she reached the walkway.
"Well, someone is in a chipper mood this afternoon," Ms Miyazaki said as she opened the door.
"Hello, Ms Miyazaki. I was excited to see you today."
"Hmph. I can't say I've heard someone say that in a long time… Well, come in, put on the slippers. I'll get the tea."
Lyka smiled brightly, and stepped inside.
Eyecatch A: Etsuko sleeps sprawled under her covers, hugging a pillow to her chest. Velvet and Amber sleep on top of said pillow.
Eyecatch B: In the morning, Etsuko rolls off the bed in her sleep, bringing Velvet and Amber with her. In pain and shock, she sits up, then laughs as she sees Velvet and Amber are unharmed.
Cappelia sat at her vanity with her fingers tented, staring down at the two Pulse Marbles. They seemed so innocent, so innocuous… but Cappelia knew otherwise. Her chest clenched, and the rose brooch suddenly felt very heavy against her breast. You make our monsters stronger… You react all on your own… Why would Bogeybox make such things?
She… she shouldn't use these, she realized. Not now, not until she was sure… of something. Her mind was too mixed up.
All she knew was that using the Pulse Marbles was suddenly a lot more frightening. Heaving a sigh, she snatched them off the vanity and shoved them into a small wooden box. There. Out of sight, out of mind. If they weren't in plain sight, they couldn't pose a threat. If she didn't carry them with her, then she couldn't use them. Simple as that. She would just ask Pinocchio for a Shadow Jack instead, she reasoned as she left her room.
"Cap-pe-li-aaaaa~!"
And speak of the devil, there he was.
Cappelia turned as Pinocchio came bounding up to her, cheerfully waving his hand above his head. "Cap-Cap-Cap-pel-ia~! It's good to see you again! I was getting so bored and lonely! Oh, but not right now, of course - Rags is playing with me, we're playing Hide-and-Seek!"
"Oh… that sounds nice." Cappelia suddenly remembered her promise to spend more time with Rags. How she'd been neglecting him lately. Once again, her chest felt heavy. I'll play with him later, when I come back. "Who's seeking?"
"Heeheeheehee…. Raaaaaaags~" Pinocchio giggled, doubling over and covering his mouth as his shoulders shook, the bells on his hat jingling. He peeked up at Cappelia over his fingertips. "He doesn't know it, but I've been changing my hiding spot~ It's more fun that way!"
Cappelia thought that sounded like cheating, to be honest, but she didn't say it out loud. Pinocchio might get upset. And with so much Reality at his hands, under his control, it was best to keep him happy.
Which reminded her…
"Lord Pinocchio? I have a favor to ask."
"Hmm~?"
"Could I possibly have a Shadow Jack, please? I want to visit the human world."
"A-gaaiiin? You're such a busy bee, Cappelia! I appreciate you, though, you guys all do so much for me!" Pinocchio smiled brightly, and held his hands out in front of himself, closing his eyes. Dark energy swirled between his hands, and a Shadow Jack popped into existence. With a flourish and another jingle, he held the Jack out to her. "Here you go. Have fun, Cappelia!"
Cappelia felt a pang of envy towards Pinocchio. She looked down at the Jack in her hand, a wistful smile on her face. "You know, you're lucky, in a way…" she murmured.
"Huh? How come?"
"You're so cheerful… You're so innocent. Everything is just an opportunity to play, a new game. Nothing gets you down for long." Even when he saw the flier for the Toy Drive, he'd cheered back up after a few rounds of tag. He'd always been like that. Even back when they had first met.
"Ehhh? You feel sad and mad because of humans, too?" Pinocchio asked, tilting his head as he swayed back and forth. He hummed in thought, then broke into a broad grin. "I have an idea. You'll be one of my generals!"
"Hm?"
"Yeah! Together… together, we'll get lots of Reality! And make things how we want it to be! Make humans how we want them to be! It'll be so great! Endless fun, endless playtime!" He jumped off of the garden bench, pumping his fists and grinning toothily. The sun went behind a cloud, briefly shadowing him. He looked down, eyes sparking. "And guess what? I've been practicing. I know exactly how to do it…"
"I wish I could be as carefree as you, sometimes."
Pinocchio's smile froze, fading slightly. But soon, he giggled, tilting his head. "Oh, Cappelia. It's easy when you just think about all the fun you'll have, and the new games there'll be to play." And with that, he skipped around her, heading down the hall. "I better hurry before Rags finds me! Bye-byyyeee~"
Cappelia watched him go, her own smile fading slightly. She didn't know his own story… but she was sure it was very sad.
Silently, she turned and left for the human world again.
Lyka was finding her visits with Ms Miyazaki to be the most fun part of her day. She'd hurry back towards her home street, past her own house, and straight to the old woman's. Ms Miyazaki would always have some comment for her when she opened the door.
"Slow down next time, you'll trip and break your leg."
"The rate you go, I bet you're one of the athletes in your school, yes? No? You should think of changing that."
And every time, Lyka would put her feet into the comfortable green slippers, join Ms Miyazaki on the couch, and listen to tales of the decades past while drinking tea. Even Leafy seemed to enjoy herself, snuggling in Lyka's bag and listening to the stories.
And that wasn't all that they did. One day, Ms Miyazaki had actually gotten up and turned the TV on, half an hour into Lyka's visit. "My show is on," she said. "I never miss an episode."
"Oh?" Lyka looked at the screen, mildly surprised that the show was in color. With the black and white, or harshly-lit, photos, and the blockiness of the TV, she was expecting something much the same. On the screen, a young woman walked through the bustling Tokyo streets, lamenting her single lifestyle. Lyka didn't recognize the actress at all, and the fashion looked a little different…
"This was popular back in 1985," Ms Miyazaki explained, settling herself on the couch. "Fortunately, they still air the reruns."
"Oh… what is it?"
"Chocolate Cocktail. It was my favorite drama series, when I was an office worker. That woman, Makoto, has moved to Tokyo from her small town, and finds herself torn between two different men-"
"You were an office worker?" Lyka blurted out before she could stop herself.
Ms Miyazaki raised an eyebrow. "I was indeed," she said. She poured herself more tea, then passed Lyka a cookie. "I worked as a secretary until about ten or so years ago. The girls and I would sit in the break room and watch this during the evening. I still remember the look on Asagi's face when Makoto went back with Tatsuji to his home." A cat-like smile spread across Ms Miyazaki's face, briefly making her look years younger. "She was so sure Makoto would choose to spend Christmas with Kenichi," she cackled.
Lyka laughed. "H-hey, don't spoil it for me!"
"Oh, hush, girl, this show's 37 years old!"
On another day, Ms Miyazaki brought out some of her old records.
"I do hope you kids know what these are," she muttered to herself as she fumbled with the record player's needle.
"Oh, yeah, I do. My father collects them, and I've seen them in movies."
"Good to know some things haven't been completely forgotten… Ah, here we are." Ms Miyazaki walked back to the couch as the record began to play, an energetic and poppy woman's voice filling the room. "This was mine and Fujiko's favorite record back in the day. How fortunate that it still works."
"Wow… I like the sound," Lyka said, closing her eyes and tilting her head. She held an opened photo album in her lap, her hand lingering on one of the pages. As Ms Miyazaki sat back down, Lyka opened her eyes in time to see her pointing to one of the photos. "Oh!" she gasped before the old woman could speak. "This is Omocha High School, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"I recognize the brick gate. It really hasn't changed at all, has it?"
Ms Miyazaki turned towards Lyka, looking her up and down. "The uniform certainly has. See, this was what we wore back in the day." She tapped one of the photos at the top - a class of thirty girls and their teacher, standing primly in three rows. The teacher, her hair in a bun at the top of her head, wore a long skirt with a blouse, and the students all wore calf-length dresses with buttons on the front and white cuffs, large neck ribbons, and black loafers. "The burgundy color is the same, of course."
"You all look so pretty…"
"What do the boys wear at that school now? They didn't make the school co-ed until after I graduated."
"Oh, I have a picture of my class, too." Lyka dug into her school bag and pulled out her homeroom notebook. She opened it up and angled it towards Ms Miyazaki. "This is my class, see?"
The old woman frowned at the picture, pointing to Mr Shinoda. "They let the teachers' hair grow like that? My my, when I was your age, Mrs Sasabe always put her hair up. We never even knew how long it was - though we liked to guess sometimes. My, have things changed…"
Lyka looked back to the photo album again. Her eyes moved slightly downward to the second photo on the page - Satsuki and Fujiko standing together in what Lyka assumed to be the school courtyard. It looked like it might have been taken the same day as their class photo. The two of them stood close, Satsuki holding one of Fujiko's arms, while Fujiko placed her free hand over one of Satsuki's own and leaned her head towards her. Something about the peacefulness, the warmth of their pose, seemed familiar…
She looked up, a certain thought turning in her head. "Hey, Ms Miyazaki…" she began, unsure of how to begin. "You and Fujiko seem really close in this picture."
Ms Miyazaki nodded. "We were indeed… Minami took that picture. We tried to persuade her to join us, but she refused. 'Let's take a picture of the wives,' she said." Ms Miyazaki paused. "Goodness, I thought I'd forgotten about that day."
"The wives…?"
"Fujiko and I used to say we'd marry each other. We'd made a pinky promise back in middle school, and all throughout high school, we were as close as a girl and her boyfriend might be. Fujiko and I used to say we didn't need boys to make us happy - much to our parents' reliefs." She paused as Lyka chuckled. "I would make Fujiko a bento every day, we called each other 'My Fujiko' and 'My Satsuki.' Those were lovely days for me, Lyka, let me tell you…"
Ms Miyazaki's hand drifted to the photo, almost caressing it as a soft, affectionate smile appeared on her face. Then, like a cloud covering the sun, it darkened slightly. "In our twelfth year, however… A boy from another school confessed to Fujiko. She told me all about it during lunch that day, in the courtyard. And so…."
Lyka was silent, looking at Ms Miyazaki with knitted brows. A heavy feeling sat in her chest as she looked between her neighbor and the photo of the two smiling girls. "What happened? Did she refuse? Did she-" Lyka suddenly stopped, remembering something Ms Miyazaki had told her on the first visit: "Fujiko got married and moved to New York with her husband."
Ms Miyazaki nodded slowly, as if reading Lyka's mind. "Fujiko dated that young man, all that year and through his college days. She married him shortly after he graduated."
"But… but you were girlfriends! Right? You loved each other?" True, not all high school romances lasted, but it sounded to Lyka that the two still had feelings for each other.
"Oh, Lyka, dear. Back in those days, two girls being so affectionate was seen as more of a phase. People accepted it, some encouraged it even, but only if it didn't continue to an advanced age, and only because… well, back then, a lot of people considered it to be just practice for a boyfriend or a husband. You were expected to grow out of it after a time, and start using everything you'd learned on a man instead."
"That's… that's awful."
"Hm. It was what it was. Fujiko got married, but I never did. I had said I didn't need men in school, and I meant it. And I never wanted another besides Fujiko."
Lyka looked down at the photo again. In the background, the record kept on playing, the woman's voice singing about love.
"But you know, I am pleased to see more girls holding hands in public these days. Seems I found at least one change I like."
"Yeah… I have some friends who are lesbians," Lyka ventured. Well, she only knew of two for sure, but she wasn't about to go into specifics. "And- And I like boys and girls, and my friends know it. So…"
Ms Miyazaki nodded. "That's wonderful, dear." After a pause, she looked up at the glass display case, and her eyes rested on a little doll. It was crudely made, but lovingly-so, with blue bead eyes, black hair hair that streamed to her waist, and a blossoming pink fabric wrapped around to make a ballgown. "You know, I'd made that for Fujiko, shortly before she was confessed to. I'd planned to give it to her, but after what I found out, I thought it would make everyone too awkward. Then I just didn't have the heart to get rid of it." As Lyka stared, unsure of how to respond, Ms Miyazaki got off the couch with a grunt and shuffled to the case. She opened it up and gingerly withdrew the doll, brushing it off and removing some imagined dust. "I suppose I should let her go home with you."
"Me? Oh, no, Ms Miyazaki, I couldn't-!"
"I think she could be in better places than a glass box. And you seem like the type to like dolls."
More than you know… Lyka thought to herself, feeling her face heat up as she glanced at her bag, making sure Leafy was hidden. Fortunately, she was well out of sight.
"It's not like it's the first thing I gave you," Ms Miyazaki added, setting the doll in Lyka's hands before she could refuse. "Those slippers are new."
"They… they are?"
"I couldn't have a guest walk around without house slippers… You're the first visitor I've had in ages, I wanted to be sure you had some nice, new slippers."
Lyka felt her heart warm, looking between the doll and her slippered feet. Ms Miyazaki was a bit sharp tongued, she thought, and very blunt. But she was also very kind.
She looked down at the doll, smiling gently and tracing the edge of her cloth face with a fingertip. At her side, she sensed Leafy wiggling out to get a good look.
'She likes you, Lyka!'
The couch shifted a bit, and Lyka noticed Ms Miyazaki sit down next to her. She picked up the photo album again and turned a few pages, jumping forward in time. "Well, let's stop focusing on such somber things. Let's see - oh! Here I am attending an early Princess Princess concert! Fujiko and Minami both took the time to visit me for that one…"
About a minute or two after six, Lyka was walking down the street for home, having just left Ms Miyazaki's home.
"I imagine you have everything you need, now," Ms Miyazaki said as she walked Lyka to her door. "Heaven knows my throat thinks so. I must've talked more this week than I have in the past two years," she grumbled, rubbing the front of her neck.
Lyka giggled under her breath. In her hands, she held the fabric doll. She couldn't stop caressing her face, brushing her yarn hair away from her little eyes, a soft smile on her own face. "Ms Miyazaki took especially good care of her, didn't she?" she asked Leafy, who nodded enthusiastically. "But I don't think she'd like to be in a glass box anymore… I'll put you somewhere nice, and take special care of you," Lyka told the doll. "Don't worry."
What Lyka didn't realize was that Cappelia was hiding nearby, peering out from an upcoming phone pole. She clenched her hand around the Shadow Jack, feeling its coolness in her palm.
I can do this, she told herself. Shadow Jacks will only make Gomingyōs. I've done it lots of times before… I can do this…
Abruptly, the image of the blue and yellow Cures appeared in her mind.
"Don't hurt anyone!"
"Whatever your reasons are for doing this… it doesn't excuse any of it!"
Cappelia felt her chest clench. No. No, this was wrong… But they had to do this. For Lord Pinocchio's wish, for all of their wishes. Even if it pained her to do this, there was little other choice-
"There's always another way!"
I wish that were true… Cappelia thought, squeezing her eyes shut tightly and flinging the Shadow Jack away. She hunched down, keeping her eyes closed and covering her ears, listening to the muffled cry of alarm as the Jack hit its target. I wish it were true.
"GOMIIIII!" the Gomingyō roared, as it towered overhead. The doll's once peacefully happy face was now a glowing red gash of fury, its pink kimono blackened with purple flowers. "GOMIII!" It took a step forward, forcing Lyka to frantically run backwards, its foot forming cracks in the street.
Lyka realized immediately where it was going. It's trying to get to Ms Miyazaki's! she thought in a panic.
"Pretty Cure, Wind Up! … A green heart is generous! Joyfully yours, Cure Charity!"
"Don't take another step!" Charity yelled, leaping high into the air, Leafy flying by her head. "Stop right there!"
"GOMIIII!" the doll roared, an undertone of despair and rage in her voice.
Lyka and Leafy, and Cappelia from her hiding place, heard the doll Gomingyō's feelings loud and clear.
"She gave me away!"
"But she gave you to me!" Charity tried to argue. The Gomingyō shrieked and threw a punch at her. Charity had just enough time to cross her arms in an X in front of herself before the plush fist collided, sending her flying back.
Her heels skidded against the street when she finally descended. The supernaturally-strong material of her boots tore up the concrete as she moved backwards, leaving two long trenches. But she quickly shook it off, and shot forward again.
"I'm sorry you were given away just now! It must have felt terrible!" she cried. The Gomingyō screamed, seeing the pesky Cure trying to stop her again. But Charity just leaped to one side, the wind billowing her skirts. Rubble and debris flew up from the force of the Gomingyō's punch, threatening to shower her, but she was already out of range.
Another punch, and Charity effortlessly moved the other way, still yelling up at the Gomingyō.
"You were with Ms Miyazaki for so long! It must have been painful and confusing for her to give you to someone new! I'm sure you felt rejected!"
From her hiding place, Cappelia slowly uncovered her ears, lifting her head.
"But I promise…!"
"GYAAAAH!" The Gomingyō reached up with both hands and slammed them downward.
Charity shot forwards, away from the combined fists and between the Gomingyō's arms. She briefly skidded, then leaped up again. "I promise… I'll treat you just as well! Believe me!"
Cappelia turned around to watch Charity.
"Just because one person gives up a toy, doesn't mean it's all over! It's the same with friends, and with everyone! There's always a new friend, a new bond to form!"
Cappelia stepped out from behind the pole, her brows furrowed.
"GOMI-NOOOO!" the Gomingyō screamed. It moved its arms back, one more than the other as it prepared to swing at Charity.
"Leafy!" Charity cried.
With a loud squeak, Leafy shot forwards. Her green brooch over her little collar glowed a bright spring green as she flew right in front of the Gomingyō's eyes. The monstrous doll screamed again, shutting its eyes tight and ducking its head-
-just as Charity's fist collided with the side of its head in a straight punch.
The Gomingyō staggered back.
"I'll be a wonderful friend to you! I'll treat you well, just like Ms Miyazaki did! Don't be afraid!"
Don't be afraid…? Cappelia thought.
"Pretty Cure Charity Wave!" The glittery green light surged towards the Gomingyō, wrapping around it and creating a giant heart. As all the other times before, the heart burst, and a purified toy remained.
When it floated towards Charity, the green Cure gently caught it. She smiled warmly, holding it to her cheek and gently nuzzling. "I promise," she said tenderly. "I promise you'll be happy with me."
"Did you mean that?"
It took a second for Charity to realize that it wasn't the doll that spoke. She turned around, seeing Cappelia nearby. Her eyes looked hollow, anxious. She had one hand resting against the phone pole. "What you said," she repeated numbly. "That… that just because you get rejected, doesn't mean you won't have another friend?"
That hadn't exactly been what Charity had said. But she knew Cappelia didn't need to hear that. Instead, she hugged the little doll close, nodding resolutely. "There's always another chance," she said. "I felt so lonely when I was a kid - I felt rejected by my classmates, by other kids. But I didn't lose my chance. I have friends, wonderful friends! There's always another chance to form bonds! …you have another chance."
Cappelia lowered her head, a fist curling over her chest.
Charity took a step forward. "...you can come with me," she offered. "If you don't want to do this, you can come with us. We'll help you."
"...you don't know what I want." And without another word, Cappelia vanished in a wave of rippling air.
Cappelia sighed deeply as she appeared in the entry hall and began walking to her room. She felt a little childish, she admitted, just teleporting away like that. It felt like she just wanted to get the last word.
But it was true. Pretty Cure didn't even know what she wanted. How could they help her, how could they be her friends?
…besides, it was starting to look like she wouldn't even get what she wanted anyway. Not with the Shadow Jacks needing-
–she reached her room and gasped.
Rags was floating in front of her vanity, peering curiously at the wooden box. The same wooden box that she'd put the Shadow Jacks in.
"Get away from there!" she shouted, making the other doll recoil sharply. He floated backwards, looking as stunned as he physically could as Cappelia raced for the box. She snatched it up in her hands, opened one drawer, and shoved it into the very back. It didn't look like either of them had activated, so Rags was unharmed, and she knew it, but…
Her chest felt strange. She knew that if she had a heart, it'd be racing.
"Cappy…?" Rags asked. "What's wrong?"
"N…nothing…" she murmured, shakily closing the drawer. "Why are you in my room?"
"I was looking for Lord Pinocchio… And I saw the box had been moved," he explained. "Normally it's in that far corner, but this time it was in the center… I wondered what had happened." He paused. "I didn't mean anything by it," he rasped, voice much quieter.
Cappelia felt horrible. Rags hadn't done anything wrong, and she'd screamed at him.
But what if one of the Jacks had hit him? Would he be a Gomingyō too? Or would it hurt him? She couldn't risk one of her only friends being hurt. Especially because of something she had done.
"You didn't do anything wrong," she said. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay… Are you upset, Cappy? Did Bogeybox say something mean to you again?" Rags floated closer, his tatters ruffling in barely-constrained agitation. "What did he say to you?"
"Nothing. I promise, it's not Bogeybox." Cappelia sighed again, turning away from the bureau.
She couldn't keep the Shadow Jacks there anymore. Not anymore. It wasn't safe.
She'd have to keep them on her at all times.
"You still haven't found Lord Pinocchio yet? Did you find out he's been moving?"
"He has?!" Rags moved backwards an inch. "I thought he'd just hidden too well!"
Cappelia laughed, feeling a weight lift off her chest, at least temporarily. "Come on," she said, stepping towards him and gently taking one of his tatters in her own wooden hand. "Let's go look for him together."
Sunday morning. A gorgeous, sunny day, two days after Lyka had left. Satsuki Miyazaki paused as she shuffled towards the living room, a tea tray in her hands. She looked longingly at the green slippers sitting in her entryway. Then, with a slight scoff, she turned and continued towards the living room.
"Lyka must have given her report by now," Satsuki muttered to herself as she set the tray down. Pouring herself the tea, she continued, "I wonder what sort of grade she got… With how much I told her, she'd better have gotten an A…"
With that, she took the remote and switched on the tv. As she settled herself and took her first sip of ginger-lemon tea, the morning news lit up her screen. A cameraman recorded her street, focusing on the twin trenches in the middle of the ground, running about twenty feet.
"Eyewitnesses report seeing one of the Pretty Cure fighting a large doll monster," the reporter's voice was heard saying. "Fortunately, there appears to be minimal damage; apart from these large divots here, there is a crater in the middle of the road-" The camera switched to a view of said damage. "-giving us a clear indication of where the battle took place. The lack of additional damage can undoubtedly be accredited to the speed and efficiency of the Pretty Cure. There have not been any injuries reported."
"Thank you, Shinomiya," said the news anchor. "The city of Omocha has assured residents that they will be patching the road up shortly. With now two instances of property damage that is not miraculously repaired, there are now talks of establishing a team specifically to tackle these cases-"
Ding dong.
"Oh, for heaven's sake…" Satsuki grumbled. She set the teacup back in the saucer, and rose from the couch. "It's the weekend," she added to herself. "Who could possibly-"
But as the front door opened, she came face to face with Lyka Caro. The girl smiled brightly, a casual purse over her shoulder. Satsuki immediately noticed the doll she'd given her sitting inside the purse. Not because she wanted to return it, but rather because she had chosen her purse as a place to keep the doll. Much like how the man at Sweet Dreams carried a stuffed hamster in his pocket.
In Lyka's hands, she held a record. With a slight flourish, she held it out towards Satsuki. "Look, Ms Miyazaki!" she chirped. "My dad has a Princess Princess record! Can we listen to it together?"
For a moment, the old lady was speechless, taken aback.
And then a wry smile appeared on her face.
"Come in, Lyka," she said, stepping aside. The other girl obliged, cheerfully stepping out of her walking shoes and into the slippers. "I'll get another teacup out for you…"
ED: "Joyful" - NiziU
Aika: "Ohhhh, Serizawa, is this what you've been writing this whole time?"
Nozomi: "J-jeez! Don't look at this! It's embarrassing!"
Moe: "That's really good, though! Do you want to go professional someday?"
Aika: "Say, say, there's actually a magazine taking writing submissions! You should send this in!"
Nozomi: "Hmmm… the chance to be published, my first steps into being a famous author…?"
Aika: "Next time on Joyful Pretty Cure; 'I Will Be An Author!' See you soon, bye-bye!"