A/N: Please note that this happened within the timeline of Heartcatch Precure (within episode 47-48, to be exact).

And also, just because I have a separate one-shot posted on the same day, they aren't really connected. In fact, this one follows the Heartcatch universe, but Of Hatred and Vengeance is set in an Alternate Universe.

Cure Narrative 30: Contradiction

Season: Heartcatch

Characters: Yuri T., Dark Precure, Sabaku

Summary: It is sometimes inconceivably difficult to hate someone.

Bold: emphasise

Italics: thoughts

CAP LOCK: SHOUT

I didn't know how I should feel.

I could practically hear my heart pounding in my ear.

"F-father!"

When I cried out that word, that one word I had not been able to say for three long years, I decided.

The battle could wait, his evil secret identity could wait, Dark Precure could wait, at that moment, I just wanted to be Tsukikage Yuri.

But apparently, Dark Precure could not wait.

"Professor Tsukikage is no longer your father," she said, "He's my father."

I couldn't feel my legs, I just collapsed on the ground.

Sabaku... Sabaku was the one who took the life of my dear Cologne, he was the one who cleaved my heart into two. Sabaku was the creator of Dark Precure, he almost killed me.

I hated Sabaku. I despised him with my entire being. I despised him so much that I once swore to myself, if the chance ever came up, I would force any ounce of hesitation out of my mind and kill him.

Right now I could easily aim my Moon Tact and avenge Cologne's sacrifice. And yet...

He was my father.

The once kind and beloved father I missed so much.

I felt my head split in half.

My father left me and mother behind to turn the world into a desert roamed by aliens and monsters.

My father had ordered Dark Precure to kill me on multiple occasions.

My father would have murdered me with his own hands had Cologne not intervened.

I refuse to accept all this! I just... can't!

I loved my father; but I hated him.

I wanted my father to come back; but I wanted to erase this villain from the world.

What... what should I do now? This contradiction... I feel... so conflicted... so helpless... so afraid...

As Dark Precure closed in on me, I couldn't even get myself to dodge.

Blossom stepped in front of me, "Yuri-san... hang in there, Yuri-san!"

I don't know! I don't want to face it!

"As Precure, we feel for you, Yuri-san!"

It was Tsubomi who gave me the courage to stand up again, she grabbed my hand and pulled me out from an abyss of devastation.

She reminded me that the battle was ongoing.

I have to put an end to this.

Dark Precure, the everlasting nightmare, the shadow obscuring my light.

I have to end this...!

"PRECURE FLORAL POWER FORTISSMO!"

I have to prove that my light would never succumb to her darkness.

At long last, that abomination was defeated.

Now I would run to my father. I would embrace him. And then I would ask him hundreds of questions as to... well, everything.

I ran to him. I embraced him. But I could not find my voice.

I continued embracing him, my tears threatened to cascade down my face. I hoped my action spoke all that I wanted to say.

"Yuri... I don't deserve to embrace you," he said gravely.

I don't care, I'm not letting go.

He proceeded to explain everything I had wanted to know, but now that I found myself in my father's embrace, all those explanations became strangely insignificant.

The most important in my world right now was staying a child in my father's warmth.

That is, until Dark Precure interfered.

She ordered me to let go of father.

I glared at her, mentally prepared to fight her again.

Father pushed me aside gently and walked to her, all while apologising for creating her, for creating a heartless puppet from my DNA, my little sister, for the sole purpose of exterminating me.

"It's enough, Dark Precure," father embraced her, "It's over now..."

I saw the surprise and pure happiness on her face. That was the first time in my life I tried to understand her.

Ah... this contradiction again...

Dark Precure wanted to eliminate me just to prove her identity. In a way, her whole existence was a tragedy.

She didn't even have a name.

That, was also the first time in my life, where I did not see her as an enemy, the first time where I did not feel hatred towards her boil in my chest.

I saw nothing more than a young girl craving for her father's love and trust.

Father looked at her with the kind expression I remembered, "Dark Precure... you are my daughter."

As Dark Precure's body began to dissolve into light particles, she averted her gaze from father and attempted to smile at me.

I was stunned. My tears threatened to escape again as I thought of all that Dark Precure's — my little sister's — life might have been, if only...

Father's right. It's over now. Now I can allow my tears—

Someone applauded.

Any urge of crying just flew out of the window.

Because Dune was standing there, and he was not planning to relent.

A skirmish between Dune and me, father and Blossom, ended just as quickly as it had begun.

"The strong will devour the weak. Is there a problem?" Dune quipped with the most nerve-wrecking smile I have ever seen.

Paralyzed in pain and fear, I thought it was the end.

But I was saved, again.

Father ran out and took the explosive into his palms.

I knew... I had seen this before... I knew exactly what father wanted to do. Still, I made the mistake of hesitating.

I guessed I wanted to believe this wouldn't happen to me again somewhere in my heart. "Father...?"

He looked back at me with apologetic eyes, "Yuri..."

And then I acknowledged that the truth was upon me.

"Take care of your mother..."

I clumsily dashed to him, even when I knew I was too late...

Another loved one, lost forever.

"FATHER!"

I had hoped that my father would come back home with me after this ordeal.

I had begun to imagine my long lost father back in my life.

I had hoped to eat dinner with him again, go to the Botanical Garden with him again... I had hoped I would be able to show him my examination results again and see the pride in his eyes... I had hoped that he would be there when I graduate high school...

I thought... even after all that father did, if only he returned home with me, I would one day find it in my heart to forgive him.

I had hoped that I would...

And then Dune just singlehandedly crumbled all that hope into dust and blew them off into the vast vacuum of space.

It's not fair... it's not fair... father should have come back with us... he should have apologized to everyone for what he did... he should have atoned for all the pain he caused mother...

He should have lived on for the sake of all that...!

"Father..." at this point, I didn't even try to dam the tears.

Enough...

Enough...!

Enough pain has been inflicted... enough lives has been lost...!

Who does Dune want to take away from me next?

Mother?

Momoka?

Erika? Itsuki? Tsubomi?

No...!

I refuse to let Dune lay a finger on anyone I love anymore...!

I glared at Dune through all the tears in my eyes. He may look like a young man, but he was a monster, a monster even more hideous than the Desert Devil.

At least this time, it's simple... There's no contradiction...

Yes, it is simple enough... I can despise him all I want, I can blame all my pain on him...!

"DUNE!" I snarled, rising to my feet.

"Are you going to fight me with hatred as well?" Dune asked, almost chuckling, clearly enjoying all this.

So what? Do you think my hatred is not enough to annihilate you?

Well, then, just watch me...!

I took a step forward.

This will bring them peace...!

To father...

To Cologne...

To myself...

I made the decision.

Yes, I shall slay Dune with my own two hands...!

And may it be the last death in this war...

And yet, just as I was about to let myself sink into darkness and hatred, a hand reached out to my wrist and held me back...

End of Chapter 30