Alright, back we go into the story! Chapter 9, where the first Crystal is found and we get the payoff of Lacerta's disguise! Don't think I'll be able to do quantity like I hoped, but it's quality that counts. (yanks the Disclaimers in)
Disclaimers: I don't own Pretty Cure, as all the rights go exclusively to Toei for that brand. This is a fanmade series for entertainment purposes only.
Airi walked down the hall to the homeroom, hearing excited chatter around the place. "Hm?" She walked into homeroom and sat down by her friends. "What's going on?"
Harumi looked at her. "We're getting a new student today."
Airi smiled brightly upon hearing that. "Sparkle-tastic!"
Kaoru nodded and smiled brightly as well. "Can't wait to see who it is!"
The teacher walked into the room, causing everyone to fall silent. "Alright, everybody! As you all may have heard, today we do have a new student here with us."
At that, Lacerta entered the room in her human disguise and wrote her name on the chalkboard behind her in perfect kanji before turning to the others with a kind smile. "Hello, everyone. My name is Rika Hebitsukai. I hope we all get along well." She bowed respectfully.
Tsukasa frowned worriedly as she looked at Rika. "Why do I have a bad feeling about her...?"
(Cue theme: 3-2-1! Zodiac Warrior Pretty Cure)
3, 2, 1, let's blast off!
Let's-la-soar into the sky!
Straight into the cosmos
Zodiac Warrior Pretty Cure!
When you look at the stars,
What do you see?
Will there be a sign of hope
Or a sign of despair?
Even if we're stuck within a pinch (Stuck within a pinch)
Keep your hope alive!
It's time to go go go!
Fire your ignition!
Race up to the stars!
Grant us the strength of the constellations!
With our hearts burning
We will fight on!
All of our hopes are one! (Go-go-go!)
3, 2, 1, let's blast off!
Let's-la-soar into the sky!
Straight into the cosmos
Zodiac Warrior Pretty Cure!
Chapter 9: Search on! Find the Crystal!
During the lunch hour, the team was eating some rice balls as they walked around the campus, Tsukasa asking the main question on all their minds: "Okay, we know the Zodiac Crystals are in the areas surrounding town and in town as well. We just need to try and look for them."
Harumi nodded a bit. "Yes, but where do we start first?"
Airi shrugged a bit. "We did detect one by the soccer field. Maybe we should start there."
"Mind if I help look?" A polite voice asked behind the group.
The seven of them jumped in surprise, the two fairies making a quick dive into Airi's bag before they all looked around to see Rika smiling at them.
Airi relaxed when she saw their new classmate and smiled. "Sorry, Rika-kun. We didn't see you there."
Rika rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I probably shouldn't have snuck up on all of you like that. I apologize."
Harumi smiled at her. "It's alright. No harm done."
"We were just talking about something we lost by the field." Kaoru explained to her.
Rika nodded. "I see. Perhaps I could help. I do have a sort of sense for lost things."
Tsukasa opened her mouth to speak, but Airi butted in quickly. "Sounds great!"
The group started walking to the courtyard as Tsukasa frowned slightly.
Orion looked at her. "What's the matter, Tsukasa?"
The purple Cure looked at her devoted soldier. "I don't trust Rika. She seems extremely suspicious."
Orion looked at the forest green haired girl and raised an eyebrow curiously. "She seems normal to me."
She raised an eyebrow. "You don't... sense anything off about her?"
He frowned a little bit. "I'm... not entirely sure. I think there might be something, but... I'm not sure what..."
Rika chatted away with the other girls, Airi watching them silently. She appreciated how much the others were getting along, even if they weren't including her.
The troop walked out to the soccer field as they started looking around the area, Airi more focused than the others.
Vulpeculos peeked out of Airi's bag and looked at her. "Airi, you okay?"
"Hm?" Airi looked at the little fairy and nodded with a confident smile. "I'm cool. Ah, I'm just more worried about finding the Crystal."
"You aren't the only one." Tsukasa knelt next to Airi. "Look, I've got a really bad feeling about Rika. She seems suspicious."
Airi looked at Tsukasa. "Suspicious how?"
Tsukasa frowned. "Well, she looks similar to Lacerta, don't you think?"
Airi was about to speak when she heard an excited voice from Rika. "Found something!"
The brunette got up eagerly and dashed over to the greenette, leaving Tsukasa dumbfounded. "Uuuuu…."
Vulpeculos patted her shoulder gently. "I understand your feelings, Princess. That's pretty much why I've been staying in Airi's bag."
Within the darkened Milky Way Kingdom, Eclipse was sitting in his chair, thinking over something.
The dark figure appeared before him. "You have been quiet as of late. I would have expected some results by now."
Eclipse looked at the figure. "My apologies. I have been thinking of how to attack the Cures."
The figure nodded. "Hm. If your next battle does not go well, then perhaps I should add in my power to the next Kurohoshi."
Eclipse nodded. "Thank you, Master." He watched the figure fade and sighed softly. "I have a better idea." He called Cetus to the throne room.
Cetus ran over. "Yes, my Lord?"
Eclipse stood up. "Change another human and make sure you don't fail." He flicked a Kurohoshi card over to him.
Cetus caught the card and nodded. "Roger that." He teleported away.
(Eye-catch: Airi, Harumi, Kaoru, Tsukasa, and Orion are seen spinning around as Lepus and Vulpeculos jump by their feet before the four heroes change into their respective forms.)
Back at the soccer field, Rika was holding a rose colored Crystal with sparkles in the pattern of the Scorpio Constellation.
Airi looked at the Crystal and smiled. "The Scorpio Crystal! Awesome!"
Kaoru smiled. "I knew there had to be something here!"
Rika looked at the Crystal, frowning as she thought over what to do. 'Hmph. It would be too easy to take the Crystal now. But... the Princess and her partner are already suspicious of me. I should give this to them...'
Harumi looked at her. "Rika, are you okay?"
Rika nearly froze up, her expression similar to a deer in headlights as she stopped for a moment before starting to laugh loudly. "I'm fine! I'm fine!"
The team became confused at her laugh, but they shook it off like it was nothing, save for Tsukasa and Orion who still had suspicions about her.
Suddenly a loud boom caught everyone's attention as a Kurohoshi themed after a stapler. "KUROHOSHI!"
The group looked over, Kaoru getting up quickly. "A Kurohoshi!"
Airi looked at Rika. "Rika-chan, get to safety!"
Rika nodded nervously and ran to safety.
Airi immediately took position. "Let's go, everyone!"
Orion and the girls nodded in agreement. "Yeah!"
(Cue Color Charge Instrumental)
"Zodiac Wand! Pretty Cure, Let's Blast Off!" The quartet of girls transformed in their respective ways before posing.
"The virgin's pure heart! Cure Virgo!"
"The lion's pride! Cure Leo!"
"The water bearer's tranquility! Cure Aquarius!"
"The bull's strength! Cure Taurus!"
The quartet clapped their hands in unison, spinning around together. "Saviors of Earth's Hope!" They jumped apart and landed before they posed as one team. "Zodiac Senshi Pretty Cure!"
(End Instrumental, cue Tuxedo Kamen style music)
Orion placed the petal of a rose to his lips, seeming to kiss it before he flicked it away, his body becoming covered in a starry void as he floated upwards.
His torso was surrounded by a group of stars that exploded into mini fireworks style and pinged his navy blue and amethyst suit into place before doing the same thing with his boots.
He snapped his fingers as white gloves appeared on his hands and a few rose petals flew past, his face showing with a silver visor over his eyes and his hair now being white.
He twirled around slightly and threw his arm out to the side, a black cape appearing on him as the background changed into one with a rose behind him.
(End music)
The group stood together, ready to face their opponent.
Cetus appeared and scoffed a bit. "Round three, everyone. Bring it on!"
"KURO!" The Kurohoshi fired off some staples at the team, causing the five heroes to dodge quickly.
Orion grabbed the wrists of Aquarius and Taurus, spinning around with them before he launched them at the Kurohoshi as the girls let out war shouts, aiming kicks at it.
The Kurohoshi blocked them and fired staples that pinned them both to the ground.
"Aquarius! Taurus!" Virgo was worried for her friends.
Leo growled at the stapler Kurohoshi. "Why you!" She lunged forward on all fours, dodging the staples that flew at her before she flipped forward and rammed her boot into its face.
"KURO!" The Kurohoshi punched Leo down and sent her flying into a tree.
"Leo!" Virgo saw her friend get knocked back, seeing another staple coming and yelping before she started moving quickly, dodging the staples as they flew at her.
Orion ran forward and made a barrier, shielding the two of them as the staples kept coming and straining slightly. "Can't… keep it up… much longer!"
Virgo got up and held her wand up. "Virgo Protection!" She boosted his shield with her own as the two held on tightly.
Cetus just laughed at the attempt they were making to protect themselves. "Man, and I thought I'd have a rougher time against you both! Without the others, you're weak! You're hopeless! You're boring!"
Virgo pushed hard, getting angry. "That's where you're wrong! We might be on our own, but we're still tough! We're still mighty! And we're still fighting!"
Orion panted slightly as he let his shield go, dropping to his knees. "I'm sorry… Virgo… I can't… keep it… going…"
"It's okay, Orion!" He looked up to see the Pink Cure holding strong against the barrage, a smile on her face. "I'll keep this shield up for you and the girls!" Her perseverance won out as she shouted loudly and sent her shield flying at the Kurohoshi.
Cetus was stunned by her attack. "What the?!"
The Kurohoshi stumbled, but shook off the daze as it was now thoroughly pissed off. "KuuuuuuuuRO!!!" It fired multiple staples at her again.
Virgo dashed forward, dodging the staples this time as she jumped around, getting close enough to grab the Kurohoshi and throw it to the ground. "Black Hole is wrong, and so are all of you! Just because we're weak in one way doesn't mean we aren't strong in other ways! I may be naive, but I won't let anything get in my way of helping my friends!"
A bright light in a similar color to the Scorpio Crystal burst out of Virgo as the others looked on in shock.
Rika looked amazed. "Such energy…" She watched as the Scorpio Crystal flew out of her hands and to Virgo's hand.
Virgo caught the now transformed Scorpio Wand as it pinged into her hand.
Cetus looked in shock. "No way!"
Virgo held up the wand. "Scorpio Stinger!" She fired a long scorpion tail that struck the Kurohoshi and knocked it off kilter before she readied her finisher.
Her star twinkled as she drew a heart with her wand. "Pretty Cure!" She flipped her hair and placed her hands to her lips. "Virgo Heartful Kiss!" She blew a kiss with a bright smile and filled the heart with energy that flew at the Kurohoshi and enveloped it in a pink heart.
"So beautiful..." The Kurohoshi had a calm look in its eyes as it exploded in a cloud of pink smoke and the Crystal Star became a clear shining crystal, floating to the teacher it had come from and disappearing back into him as the school was healed back to normal.
"Hmph. You Cures have no idea what's coming…" Cetus watched with disgust in his eyes before he teleported away.
After school that day, Airi was holding a Pretty Cure Club meeting, tapping on the desk with her knuckles. "Okay, okay! Let's get this meeting going, everyone!" She sat back in her seat and smiled as the other Cures, Orion, the humanized fairies, and the students who had joined the club all took their seats. "Now we've all met our transfer student just today, but I thought it'd be a wonderful idea to bring her into our ranks as a Pretty Cure supporter. Please welcome Rika Hebitsukai!"
Rika walked into the room to happy applause, even smiling and posing a bit when Michiko popped up from his seat and snapped a picture of her.
Tsukasa smiled softly, her mind still on the caution and worry. 'Okay, so maybe she may not be as bad as we think. But I'm not letting my guard down just yet…'
What no one had realized was that Rika, or Lacerta, had integrated herself into the team as a double agent.
(Cue ending: Go Zodiacs! Let's Pretty Cure!)
Preview:
Eclipse: Time to go down, Pretty Cure!
Airi: Eh?! The villains are powered up now!
Tsukasa: The only thing we can do is help people keep their hope alive!
Kaoru: And lead them to a brighter future!
Zodiac Senshi Pretty Cure! Rise of Darkness! Lead the way, Pyxis! By the stars, this will be epic!
Whew. Another chapter in the books. Better get some stuff done otherwise I'm in trouble. Laters! (zooms away)