A/N:

Shame on y'all. Just absolute SHAME. Over 100 reads in the first week? Just disrespectful! Thank you all soooo much. The clear support really does help me! This story's just getting started, so buckle up your seatbelts. We're in for a wild chapter to say the least. You won't believe what is the reality...

Warning: Excessive swearing and violence.

Episode 1: Adagio di molto (Part 1 - Detestation)

Beep...

...

Beep...

...

Beep-

"Hello, this is Misumi Honoka. Yes, maiden name Yukishiro. Since I'm married, I must change it with pride, haha~. Unfortunately, I can't come to the phone right now. But please be sure to leave a message at the tone, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can! If this is Nagisa, I love you!"

At the tone, please record your message.

"Hey Honoka, it's Nagisa! I've got some great news! The girls invited us to go to the theme park soon! I think it'll be fun to go out with them! Call me back when you get a chance, love you too!"

...of course, that's what she would have said. If she was still holding onto a thread of hope.

So, instead, this is what she said.

"...I hope you get this. I know you probably won't answer, since you haven't answered the...countless voicemails I've sent you. I'm so sorry...I wish I could have protected you. I wish I could have protected her...what have I done to you? Please, if I've hurt you, keep fighting. Keep fighting me. Keep trying to get through to me. I can't control myself. I need you, my Noka. I just need you to call me. My one true love, please, call me. Please..."

...please stay with me...

Ju Lan woke up with a start. She pushed herself up quickly off the ground and looked around to hear Li An groaning next to her.

"Ugh..."

"Li An?" Ju Lan started shaking her friend awake, analyzing the scene in front of her. It was so dark, and it felt like they were on metallic floors. "Li An!"

"Five more minutes..." Li An muttered.

Ju Lan rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "The Teacher did a miscalculation - you actually got an 89% on the test."

Li An immediately woke up at those words, in happiness. "Wait! Really? Oh, finally I'm on par with...you..."

She stared at Ju Lan, who had a grin on her face.

"...oh, you're just mean."

Ju Lan giggled a little before it turned into a look of concern.

"Are you hurt?"

"J-Just a small headache..." Li An asked as she stood up. "Where...are we?"

"Ah~ It seems our new prisoners have arrived!"

Both girls turned around as they heard an ominous voice. Ju Lan gasped and pushed a fearful Li An behind her.

There was a Queen, it seemed, who had poison skin, dark purple armor and a black cape around her neck. On her head was a crown of thrones and her grin...it was that of a werewolf.

"Thank you for coming! It's been so long since we've had guests...this should be fun~"

"Who-Who are you?" Ju Lan asked.

The woman chuckled for a moment before straightening up her back, stepping down from her throne.

"Darlings, please relax~...I am Tenebris, the ruler of this mighty land. Now, I beg the question - who are you, and what are you doing in my humble abode~?"

The knot in her stomach tightened. If she knew that they weren't supposed to be here...!

"I...I'm Ju Lan...and this is Li An...we're...we're..."

"-your interns!" Li An interrupted, confidently.

There was a paused before this woman, Tenebris, raised a brow.

"...Interns?" She repeated.

Ju Lan looked at her friend like she had grown two heads, but Li An kept going.

"You don't understand!" Li An had crocodile tears in her eyes.

"My friend and I come from very strict families! If we don't get an internship, we won't be able to go to school anymore. And then we won't be able to get good jobs! And we'll get sent back to Singapore!"

Singapore?! Ju Lan facepalmed mentally.

Tenebris began to think for a moment. She didn't remember hiring any extra help.

"Must've been one of the Shadows..." She mumbled.

She smirked a little. They could be of some use...

"...alright." She coughed, letting Li An stop her rant. "Very well. You two can work here for me. I'll allow it-"

BAM!

Both girls jumped as they heard something shatter in the background, screaming following behind it shortly.

"W-What was that...?" Li An asked.

"Not again..." Tenebris grumbled before standing up from her throne and walking down to the door way, she then turned to the two girls and told them to follow. The girls did as they were told. About a short walk later, Tenebris opened a pair of doors and Ju Lan and Li An were met with that most bizarre sight they had ever seen.

There were at least 60 girls with muddied colored outfits in the large room they just entered, and they all were attacking each other like wild animals. Laser blasts were fired, girls were punching each other and pulling on one another's hair, trying to rip out, and insults and swears were coming out like crazy.

"What did you just say to me, little whore?!"

"I'll make sure you regret the day you ever saw my goddamn face!"

"Eat my shit, SLUT."

"Woah..." Ju Lan had to cover her mouth at the vulgar language that was being released.

Tenebris shook her head. "Just a moment..." she inhaled before screaming.

"GIRLS!"

All the girls froze, mid-punch, kick, blast, or stabbing as soon as Tenebris shouted that.

Li An snickered nervously at the scene while Ju Lan just stared in shock.

Their Queen glared harshly at her servants. "Now, I'm not going to repeat myself. Who. Started. This?"

There was a heavy pause as all of them pointed out a glass window. Confusedly, Ju Lan and Li An looked that way, until just a few seconds later, the window shattered as two lightning bolts struck the ground.

Out of the smoke was two woman who were literally at each other's throats, the shorter one with red hair tearing at the slightly taller one's longer hair and dragging her across the floor.

"LET GO OF ME, BLACKFACE."

"MAKE ME, WHITE-OUT!"

Tenebris groaned. "Every single evening…"

She marched over to the two rivals and immediately tore them apart. "Alright, alright! What the hell's this about?!"

The two girls looked at each other before looking at Tenebris and started screaming, "THIS BITCH STARTED IT!" and pointing at one another.

"Start talking." Tenebris crossed her arms.

"She hit me!" The red head glared daggers at her. "She tried to push me off the stairs!"

"I'm sorry, are you on your period?" The other growled and rubbed her hair to rid herself of the previous pain. "I'm just wondering whether to take you seriously or not, Coal."

"Say that to me again, Paste."

"You little piece of useless-!"

"ENOUGH!"

Tenebris snapped at the two before one could probably choke the other. "If you two step out of line again, I'm not letting EITHER of you eat for a week, do you understand me?!"

"...Yes, my Queen..." the two girls said as they bowed their heads.

"You!"

She snapped her fingers towards Ju Lan who flinched.

"Y-Yes?"

"Step forward."

Ju Lan hesitated, but started to walk forward towards the two Shadows, who's heads were still bowed.

"This is Shadow Black and Shadow White, my most skilled and trusted servants. This is Ju Lan. She will be your maid for now on."

Ju Lan didn't know what to do, so she just curtsied shyly. "H-Hello there..."

The two girls just glared at Ju Lan, somewhat suspicious of her.

She hid her face away from them, shyly wringing her hands together. Tenebris just smirked.

"See, isn't that sweet? You two won't have to worry about her. She seems too small to cause any trouble, I'm sure! Any questions~?"

"No madam." They both said at the same time, which caused them to glare and growl at one another.

Tenebris sighed.

And to think, she thought this was a good idea…

It was hours later that Ju Lan and Li An had gotten accustomed to their new duties. While Ju Lan kept her head low, Li An wanted to explore while her friend cleaned around Shadow Black's room. She got a job as a kitchen consultant, but she wasn't going to be on duty until dinner.

"They seemed to hate each other," Li An broke the thick silence as Ju Lan cleaned out the dusty closet. "Didn't they?"

There wasn't a response. "Ju Lan...?" Li An asked worriedly.

"...I'm not 'small'..." she grumbled annoyedly, the words echoing in her head.

'She seems too small to cause any trouble!'

"I would say more you have a 'height disadvantage'." Li An joked a little.

Ju Lan sent a glare back towards her friend who immediately shut up.

"…that might be true. But I'm not small." She reiterated before going back to cleaning, grazing over a large, faded white box in the back.

"…hey, what's this? Li An, over here."

"Huh?" Li An walked over to where Ju Lan was and took a look at the box Ju Lan held in her hands.

"I'm not sure..." Li An admitted.

"Help me lift it up…"

Together, the two friends took the box and carefully placed it on the bed. There was a small little note on the edge of the box.

"Let's see… 'Our most precious memories…our new lives start today.' " Ju Lan read aloud curiously.

Opening the box, the girls gasped. They saw so many dusty items, from wands, to phones, rings, modules, compacts and all.

"Hey look!" Li An picked up a pink compact that looked like blush with a mirror. "I've always wanted one of these!"

"That's not even ours, put it back…!" But before she could stop her, Li An was already trying to test a perfume bottle out, pressing the button several times.

"Ugh, nothing! Why won't this work?"

"Maybe because it's old. Or perfume doesn't spray on naughty girls. I really can't believe you, Li An..."

The girls looked deeper into the box before finding old, worn out pictures. Most of them were seeming to feature several girls together, smiles as bright as they imagined the sun would be. Whether enjoying a birthday party, Christmas, Halloween, or simply basking in each other's company and friendship.

Li An analyzed a photo in particular which caught her eye.

There were 6 girls in the photo, laughing together with two men in the background. The girl in the center looked so…joyful as she had her hands on her lower abdomen. 4 of them surrounded her in elation and tears, while the 6th looked like she was about to murder one of the men in the picture.

She couldn't help but smile. "They look like such good friends…"

Ju Lan looked at the bottom of the box and saw a large picture frame that was dusty. She lifted it up, covering her mouth. "This has a lot of cobwebs…but it seems massive."

When she dusted off the photo...and it was like the world stopped as she gazed at it. It was like a stab in the chest.

The longer she looked at the photo, the more Ju Lan felt happy...yet torn apart. She slowly took the photo and looked over detail. The dresses, the decorations, and the expressions on everyone's faces.

Bridal bouquets, maids of honor, a large wedding cake...everyone seemed so happy. She also saw these... mysterious creatures she's never seen before. They looked like small little stuffed animals, but she couldn't help but feel so nostalgic looking at them...

And the two women in the center…

They both wore pink and blue wedding dresses respectively. The one in pink kissed the other's cheek so sweetly while the one in blue squealed and tried to get away but to no avail.

They looked just like…

"…Black and White…" Ju Lan mumbled softly in shock.

"What did you say?" Li An asked curiously.

"Black and White..." Ju Lan repeated before looking at Li An. "They look exactly like the two girls we just met!"

"Let me see…" Li An analyzed it before gasping. "You're…right!"

"They…were in love with each other…"

Ju Lan was heartbroken. Black was nearly ripping White's hair out just now, dragging her across the floor as they called each other the worst slurs under the sun. And yet, in actuality...it was far from that.

They were lovers. Married.

"No way...how could they have ended up like this…?" A small little tear entered her eye and threatened to roll down her cheek.

Li An was just as confused as her friend. After all, what they saw in the photos were full of joy and love. A direct contrast from what they saw in the room. How could such a beautiful and large group of friends be torn apart like this...?

...Unless...

Determination filled her soul. Huffing, Li An stood up.

"I've made up my mind. I'm not going to let Tenebris ruin their lives like this!"

"Wha-? Li An, what are you talking about?!" Ju Lan asked.

"These photos…the photos we're seeing right now…" she trailed off and looked at two photos in her hand, and then the wedding photo.

"They're of the girls we just saw. She made them be this way! This wasn't an accident at all, they look too close! She had to!"

"But Li An..."

"This isn't fair!" Li An had tears in her eyes. "They're fighting each other like dogs in the wild! It's like they forgot their friendship a long time ago. I don't even think they have free will. This should be considered abuse! You can't be okay with this!"

"Of course I'm not okay!" Ju Lan said standing up. "But...But what can WE do?"

There was silence as the girls stared at the mess in the room. They were utterly lost on what to do next.

Suddenly, Li An raised a finger as she heard the noise of a conversation from down the hall. "You hear that?"

Ju Lan was curious as to what she was talking about. "No, what?"

Li An grabbed her hand and led her out the bedroom, heading towards the throne room with haste.

"Hey, wait…!"

Li An wasn't listening as she and Ju Lan hurried to the doors, where there was a cracked window. Hesitantly, Li An leaned in and began to eavesdrop.

Shadow Black and Shadow White were at the front of their Queen's throne as Tenebris spoke.

"My most trusted servants. I have found news on the Stone Heart - the last remaining source of all Precure power. There are rumors that it could be around our very kingdom as we speak."

"The Stone Heart…?" Li An repeated in awe.

"...Precure?" Ju Lan let the word trail off of her tongue and felt rather lightheaded saying it.

"So, I decided we could do a little reverse psychology." The ruler offered with a fake smile.

Shadow Black narrowed her eyes. "What are you getting at."

"I'm sending you two together to go look for it."

"WHAT?!" Shadow Black and White screamed. "THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL I'M WORKING WITH HER!" They said as they pointed at each other.

Tenebris glared darkly. "What did you say?"

White growled. "I would rather choke on horseshit. Give me Egret, Rhythm, or Luminous, for crying out loud, the most useless fucking Shadow in this damned castle or literally anyone else!"

Tenebris groaned before glaring at the girls once more.

"I don't want to hear any complaints!" She demanded. "Listen to me, you degenerate Yin and Yang fucks. We have an enemy, and believe it or not, she might still be alive. We either destroy her or the Stone Heart. And seeing as how her existence is not yet confirmed, I don't wanna take any chances! You have only a night to do this, and you two WILL complete this mission no matter how much you want to skewer each other with saws!"

Ju Lan felt tears hit her eyes as she heard the insults. They were horrible enough, but for some reason, the shouting made her shake like mad. "Black...White..."

Li An suddenly got an idea. She gulped, closing her eyes. "...I can take over for you. You should go with them. That way they possibly…won't tear each other apart."

"What?!" Ju Lan gasped. "L-Li An, that's suicide. That's-!"

"Think about it!" Li An grabbed her hands. "They forgot their love for each other, and now despise one another…but maybe someone with a neutral perspective can help them bond and fall in love again. Ju Lan, you're probably the most neutral person I know!"

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?" She sweat dropped. "How am I supposed to make two people I barely know fall in love in one night?"

"...A love potion perhaps." Li An said sheepishly. "It could happen, though! Imagine, two lovers forgetting who they truly are, falling in love again. Enemies to lost love...how romantic~."

To Li An, anyway, it was quite the romantic thought.

Ju Lan, however, certainly wasn't one for romance at all. But nothing would hurt her more than Black and White forever being blinded by Tenebris' spell. And never loving each other - or being happy - again...

She sighed in defeat. "Okay...i'll do it. But you need to hold things down here until I get back. With the Stone Heart."

And a cured Black and White.

"It's decided~!" Li An cheered happily.

Ju Lan shook her head, but smiled nervously at Li An. She was glad she had such a supportive friend. Their friend group at school were all such a joy to be around. But Ju Lan felt like she knew Li An her whole life, and that she could always depend on her.

Well...here goes.

Inhaling, she knocked on the door before speaking. "M-Master?" Her voice was tense as she clenched her jaw.

The shouting stopped all of a sudden as she heard a growl sounding something like 'It's always something...'

"Who is it?" Came a sickeningly sweet voice.

"It's Ju Lan. I heard everything."

"Come in."

She cautiously stepped inside of the throne room, gently pushing open the door. In front of her, was Tenebris with an impatient look - and Shadow Black and White looking at her with daggers stuck in their eyes.

If looks were capable of homicide...

"You should not be eavesdropping, darling."

"I know..." she clenched her jaw. "...I want to go with them."

Another cliffhanger! I'm evil, aren't I? ;)

I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, as you can tell. But it honestly hurt. To see our beloved heroines and lesbians in such a state... ;-;

What do you think will happen next? Can Ju Lan really succeed in her goal? What about Li An? Will she be able to keep things under control until she returns?

And here's a fun game. Which "Shadows" do you think said all those vulgar slurs during that big fight? It'll be fun to read those guesses!

Make sure to leave a review on the way out! I enjoy reading them!

- Sweet