Goodness, another chapter this week? I couldn't help myself!
Over 1,000 views guys. Honestly, thank you SO much. I'm so glad you want to go on this journey with me! It's you all who drive me forward with inspiration and confidence!
Well then, enjoy the next chapter~!
Blue had to be honest with himself. Even before the year 2005 hit, he never liked her to begin with.
Deep within the stars of the galaxy lied a preschool filled with children who were only concepts waiting to be born into earth. The children - dressed in blue and pink - played happily together on the playground, playing hide and go seek, tag, or whatever humans did when they were the age of infancy.
He couldn't stand a single one of them.
The future children of Precure. Warriors who were supposed to be weapons of destruction and defense from the beginning, and nothing more. He hated the way that they sang songs together, the way they dreamed about their future lives on earth together, and the way they completely disregarded his lessons about the fates of Precure and their cycle of life by law...
...and listened to her.
"Can someone tell me the name of this Precure?"
His hateful eyes rested on the children sitting in a large classroom, all of them deep in thought and trying to process the picture shown on the board. In the front of the hall, the presumed teacher was the only one who didn't wear blue and pink. Rather, all pink.
Suddenly, a little girl bit her lip.
"...It's a trick!" She declared. "She isn't a cure, is she?"
The child at the front of the hall smiled mysteriously. "You tell me, Lucid."
Finally, she smiled brightly.
"Shiny! That's Shiny Luminous!"
"Very good, Lucid!" She applauded. "She works with my Mamas! As a reward, you'll get extra credit!"
"No way! Thank you, Marble-sensei~!"
Marble.
If he said the name out loud, he would believe it was venom. According to his morals and beliefs firstly, this child was problematic. Marble, unlike the other children, didn't have a father. She had two mothers. The thought made his stomach twist back and forth and feel queasy. She would go against the rules that he instated specifically never to sneak down to earth. But with this sly, anomaly of a child, she had a mind of her own. Marble would go down to earth to spy on her future parents.
Cure Black and Cure White. Tch.
Always proclaiming that they will "never give up". Always saying that love will win in the end. She truly did take after her "parents". And when she came back from her expedition, she would tell the children everything.
"I learned about this new dish today!" She excitedly would bounce up and down in class. "It's called takoyaki! Mama loves it!"
"Which Mama?" One of them asked as they tilted their head.
"Mama Nagisa!" She sighed happily, hugging herself. "Oh, I can't wait to meet her..!"
"Marble-sensei!" A little boy raised his hand. "What is your other mama like?"
Marble stood on the tips of her toes, twirling around on her bright pink dress.
"Mama Honoka is really smart!" She said proudly. "When Mama Honoka is in her classes, she teaches everyone about science! I wonder what she will teach me when I'm born..."
"Marble-sensei can be taught?"
"I thought she knew everything!"
"How is her Mama in school...?"
Then, she let out a giggle. To him, it was a revolting sound.
"No~! Of course I don't know everything!" She held her hands to her heart. "But you know what? I want Mama Honoka to teach me everything I don't know. Mama Nagisa too! I want to know all there is..."
"About what?"
The child flushed a little bit and closed her eyes.
"How to live."
The God grit his teeth and clenched his fist. He had enough.
"Marble."
All the children's gazes snapped over to the front door, where Blue walked in. Instantly, they all started to cower and hide underneath their desks while shaking in fear.
Except for Marble. Who just smiled at him.
"Everyone, it's alright. I'm here." She said with a gentle tone. "Is there anything I can help you with?" She asked formally.
"Did you go down to earth again?" He asked her with an icy tone.
"Yes," She said honestly. Her little dress skirt hid her tiny, trembling legs. "I wanted to see Mamas. Is something wrong with that?"
He growled in anger. "How many times have I specifically made it clear to you that no one go to earth until they are born?"
"Approximately 1,234 if you want the exact number." She spoke with a simple nod, trying to suppress a breath she was unknowingly holding. "Although, if you want it in a decimal, it's 1,234.89, or 1,234.90 if you round up. But that alone is just me. If you want the number for everyone in this class, as there are about 6,000 students in this classroom here, you would simply have to multiply that decimal by that whole number to get-"
"Shut up!" He seethed. "I don't care about technicalities or whatever, I just care that you disobeyed me!"
"Blue-sensei is such a meanie!" Lucid shouted all of a sudden, the other children begging for her to get back under the seat. But his gaze already snapped over to her.
"Lucid, I trust you haven't been down to earth?" He asked threateningly.
"N-No! I didn't, I promise!" She thought about it as she came out. "Well...I haven't really been to earth..."
Blue's eyes fixated hard on her. "What."
"But I've seen other realms and worlds besides earth! I was obeying you then!" She argued with a little pout. "...Papa isn't really from earth..."
"WHAT?!"
Lucid backed up several feet as far as her little shoes could take her. Her cover was blown.
"He isn't! You said not to go to earth, and I didn't!" She defended. "I did exactly what you told me. But I don't get it! Why can't I see Mama?!"
He marched right up to her and lifted her up by the shoulders, Lucid screaming and trying to pry him off her as he shook her.
"LUCID!"
"Blue-sensei, please let go of her!"
"Listen here, you little mistake!" He spat under his breath, tightening his grip on her. "Don't try to get smart on me! Above all else, you are not to leave school grounds until you are born! And if that means your royal-ass of a dad possibly won't ever meet your space-cadet of a mother so BE IT."
"Blue...hurts...!"
"Unhand her!"
All of a sudden, a piercing noise sounded throughout the room, strong and resonant. Everyone covered their ears and cried out in pain, Blue most of all. He dropped Lucid on the floor as the atmosphere suddenly changed.
Lightning struck around Blue threateningly, the weapon Marble used turning into nothing but stardust as she stared down her friend's attacker. Lucid quickly ran and hid behind Marble while trembling like a leaf.
"You will not touch her!" She said, her small voice suddenly growing in determination and authority. "I certainly agree with Lucid. Why do you insist we can't see our parents and dream of a future with them? It doesn't cause us any harm!"
"You have no future with them." Blue spat coldly. "Least of all, you, Marble!"
Lucid cried at the cruel words he said, but Marble stood her ground. "I sincerely beg to differ, sir! I won't allow you to hurt everyone's feelings with such unrealistic claims!"
Unrealistic...?
Blue let out a laugh. A wicked, harrowing laugh.
"I know more about the real world than you, a little child!" He declared. "How can you declare that your 'Mamas' will take care of you, teach you and love you when they don't even know you?"
"Y-You're being mean to Marble-sensei..." Lucid sniffled as she tightened her hold on her teacher. "Blue-sensei is so cruel!"
"I'm being realistic, just like someone wanted, Lucid." He grinned like a wolf. "She clearly has no power here. She never did-"
"Mamas do know me..."
Marble held her little hands to her chest, smiling again, this time, with little tears in her eyes.
"They met each other by fate after all. They have to know me..." she said in the best steady voice she could. "Because they love each other...Mamas love is why I exist. If they know their love to be true...then they have to know me...they have to love me...right...?"
For once, Blue was silent as he stared down the little girl. Even though he struck knife after knife into her heart, she still kept that damned smile.
"Mamas and I are going to be together..." She spoke in a weak, but firm voice, tightening her hands together as if in prayer. "We're going to be together f-forever...and there's nothing you can do about it!"
A pin drop filled the room, save for Marble's stifled noises in an attempt not to break down in front of him.
He huffed in distaste, turning away while giving her a sharp glare.
"Do not leave again."
Before he could leave for good, though...
"...AGH!"
A little boy stepped on his foot. Hard. Blue cried out and held his foot while he hopped on one leg. All the children laughed at him while pointing fingers, the insinuator grinning.
"Look, everybody! Blue's doing the hokey-pokey!"
He hopped out of the room while holding his foot, glaring behind him at Marble, who was now laughing through her tears.
Yes, even before 2005, she pissed him off to no end.
Present Day
The dinner that evening was chaotic, to say the least. Li An could say this for a couple of reasons.
1. Serving.
The poor girl had to make around, if not over, 60 plates of the most rotten food that she dare not have. Li An had to try not to hurl up the contents of her stomach seeing what looked like spoiled oatmeal that was stomped on, boiled in venom and spray painted so it looked like some sort of food. Although the Shadows seemed to despise her to no end, she wouldn't wish anyone to have something like this.
"I'm sorry," She said towards Shadow Melody, placing the dish down in front of her.
The Shadow narrowed her eyes. "Why?"
"You deserve something better than this." Li An dipped her head as she held onto the tray with around 9 other plates and glasses. "It's bad food..."
"Bad food?" Melody asked nonchalantly as she was handed a glass. "What's good food?"
Li An's heart fell.
I'm gonna be sick...it doesn't help that I'm hungry. I haven't eaten since Ju Lan and I left school...
2. Bickering.
For obvious reasons, fighting of course would happen during dinner tonight. Li An already figured this, so after everything was served, she stood by Dream at all times, her hands behind her back ready to take orders.
Shadow Dream wasn't too hungry, so she wouldn't touch any food unless she wanted to. But she noticed that the bubbly girl was rather stiff right now. She was trying a bit too hard to be professional.
Why did that hurt?
"You can loosen up around me, you know." She informed simply. "I'm not like the others." She whispered.
"Are you?"
There was arguing already taking place, but she heard that whisper back as clear as day. It was like a knife to the chest.
"How do I know you aren't? But I wouldn't know, I'm dumb..." Li An's sudden stoic and hardened voice sounded again, though she was shaking.
Before Dream could answer, a shout sounded from across the room from none other than Shadow Blossom.
"TRENCH! That's my damn plate!" She seethed. It seemed that a certain blue Shadow stole her plate to scoop more of it into her dish.
"And?" Shadow Marine grinned evilly. "What are you going to do, Thorns~? It's not like you liked it anyways."
"I haven't eaten in three. DAYS." Blossom screamed and slammed her hands down on the table.
"Yeah, and? Who's fault was that?" Marine innocently bat her eyes. "You're the one who sealed your fate by speaking out of turn. Don't you remember?" She then proceeded to mock her, Blossom's increasing rage being felt by Li An from across the room.
" 'Oh, Master! Please let me eat! You know how I felt last time'!" She whined like a little child before spitting. "Pathetic."
"I DO NOT SOUND LIKE THAT!" Blossom roared.
"I'm just trying to do you some good to not get in trouble again!" Marine growled back.
Blossom narrows her eyes and leaned in close to her face, the two of them nearly bumping heads.
ER%...JA...
T$U...V0M(...
"You have done no good for me, Trench!"
"Would you get out of my face, Thorns?!"
"MAKE ME."
SLAP.
The room went into pure silence as Li An looked on in horror, Blossom's hand to her cheek in utter shock and disbelief. She thought her eyes turned to static for a brief second, and then faded away almost right after.
Feeling Li An about to sob against her own will, Dream sighed harshly and reached her hand behind herself to pull the maid's hand from behind her back, squeezing it tight.
"I'm here. Don't worry."
Li An felt that connection of their hands and exhaled, trying to calm down. The warmth from the cold Shadow's hand was abnormal, but she was definitely not complaining about it. As she squeezed her hand tight, she heard a voice all of a sudden. An ethereal, pure voice that sounded rather urgent, but calm.
"...duck."
Li An couldn't analyze who it was just yet, because she had no time to. She ducked instinctively after the command sounded in her head, and moments later, a plate came hurling over her head, hitting the wall while shattering into pieces.
"Jesus..." Dream groaned in realization about what was happening. The alarm had been sounded.
3. ...Food Fight.
The next thing Li An knew, she was dragged underneath the table by Shadow Dream. The sounds of glass, metal and porcelain shattering on the ground into pieces rang into her ears, as well as the screams and shouts of the Shadows who tried with everything in their power to destroy each other with mere spoiled oatmeal and hard plates.
"You just made a big mistake!"
Shadow Blossom attacked Shadow Marine with the power of a tigress, tackling her to the ground and using every fiber in her being to try choke her out, Marine struggling with screams of rage.
"Does this happen often...?!" Li An yelled to Dream as she covered her ears, keeping her head low. She knew the answer, she just wanted confirmation.
"Kid, welcome to my world." Dream cried back to her while taking her hand, leading her underneath the table. "We need to leave!"
What she didn't realize was a bracelet around Dream's arm got lost underneath the table.
The Shadow and the girl crawled underneath the long table like they were trudging through a deep mine. They were shielded from the debris for now, but the thought of the aftermath of this situation troubled Li An to no end.
When Tenebris sees this...!
Currently, Shadow Rouge and Sunny were in quite the tussle. They ended up rolling across the floor, the glass and porcelain probably cutting into their backs. But neither Shadow cared.
"I was here first, Sunburn!"
"Fuck you, Rogue! I'm superior!"
ROGUE?!
Rouge slammed Sunny's head into the ground from underneath the table. She could have knocked her out by hitting her head on the top of the table itself, but she risked getting her own head done in.
"My. Name. Is. ROUGE." Rouge tried to find any weapon underneath the table she could get her hands on. She touched something viable for now and grinned sadistically, raising it high...
...but it jingled in her ears.
"Eh...?" Rouge looked up at the pink charm bracelet that rang in her ears, her eyes flashing from bright red to maroon, just briefly...
She heard a voice that sounded like hers.
"I'm sorry, but I can't go home..."
It looked so familiar to her...
"The five of us...?"
...
Rouge took her attention off of Sunny and on the bracelet for a hot second, gazing onto it analytically with her eyebrows furrowed. God. It gave her such a headache looking at it.
"Shit, we're trapped!" Dream's voice sounded in the corner of her ear. Rouge looked to see Dream and Li An at a dead end. "You're just going to have to stick with me and wait it out!"
"How long will that take?!"
"I don't know just lay low!" Dream snapped and kept Li An behind her. The poor girl was sobbing in her back...
...
...fuck it.
Rouge didn't know what came over her, but she put the bracelet on her arm. She crawled off of Sunny as her shouts for air came through.
"Hey, where are you going, coward?!" Sunny mocked while coughing.
Rouge for once ignored it. She gazed around as she approached the two who were struggling to make it out alive. She just needed to find an opening.
Luckily, she found a small little pathway, that looked devoid of any fighting. Growling, without looking at her, Rouge took Dream's hand.
"?! The hell-?!"
"Don't say a word, just follow me!" Rouge glared sharply at her and lead the two by the hand, crouching down to avoid any glasses of bottles that might be thrown at them. She quickly led them towards the exit, Dream guiding Li An in front of her.
"Just go that way, i'll meet you outside!"
"But what about you?!" Li An sniffled, obviously terrified of the whole situation. Someone, for sure, was dying tonight in her eyes.
"I'll manage." Rouge looked to the side as she heard victorious cackles from none other than Shadow Peace, her eyes lightly widening at her victim.
Lemonade...!
"...gotta go." She said, taking a brief look at the bracelet like it was a compass before rushing over towards the scene, where Peace held Lemonade down by her back as the latter struggled to get up.
"You chaotic swine flu, let me go!" Lemonade demanded, it getting harder to press herself up.
"...together..."
"You just shut your trap, little actress wannabe!" Peace yelled in glee, dark lightning forming in her hand. "I'm the main character in this story...AND YOU ARE NOT."
"Shadow Burning!"
Peace suddenly froze and screamed as fire engulfed her, sending her flying across the room and hitting the wall in the process.
Rouge took Lemonade's hand and took her across the room, searching for...something, anything really. Right now, the feelings of the bracelet were guiding her.
"What was that for?" Lemonade grunted as she rubbed her back.
"Doesn't matter right now, just follow me!"
Shadow Lemonade didn't get why her enemy was so frantic, but she just focused on whatever task was right in front of her.
"You are probably the weakest one here!"
Shadow Mint was slammed against the wall, Shadow March lifting her up by the neck and charging a ball of energy in her hand.
"If you think that only defending yourself with your 'powers' makes you strong, rest assured, you've got another thing coming!" March seethed. "You are WEAK. ADMIT IT."
"I'm...n-not...!" Mint choked and tightened her hold on her hand in an attempt to pry it off, actually feeling her eyes start to water.
"...can do..."
Before Rouge could interfere, someone else suddenly did.
"...anything...?"
"Shadow Sapphire Arrow!"
March stiffened as she was shot in the back, knocked out for the time being. Mint tumbled to the ground, regaining her breath as she looked up in confusion.
"A...Aqua...why..."
Shadow Aqua looked to the side without gazing at her.
"I got bored." She said plainly, her finger pointing to the side. "...there."
The 4 looked to the side, hearing Shadow Rose get shot across the room, hitting a wall while Shadow Happy watched sadistically.
"It makes me the happiest when everyone I despise is in agony," She said cheerily, slowly approaching her with a sickening grin. "You see? Look at you, so pathetic. You have no one here to go to. No one to help you when you're in writhing and horrendous pain. Isn't that exciting? Doesn't that make you ULTRA HAPPY?!"
"Happy, stop..." Rose stumbled and tried to get up and back on her feet.
"Oh no, but I'll keep going!" A dark heart suddenly formed in her hands as her expression turned insane. "And going. And going. AND GOING-"
"Shadow Prism Chain!"
Happy's hands were now bound behind her back. A sharp cry came from her as she got sent far back by the chains that came from Lemonade who tightened her hold on her.
"Ah, fucking hell, I had her...!"
"Let go of her!" Lemonade demanded, although alarms rang in her head.
Why am I doing this for her?
Rouge used this opportunity to get Rose to safety outside the dining hall. Aqua and Mint followed suit, Lemonade loosening her grip on Happy and letting her fall to the ground. Lemonade sent a sort of pitiful look towards her before leaving and joining the others in the hall.
Before Aqua could leave, though, she felt a shiver down her spine. A cold, cold shiver.
"SHADOW BLIZZARD."
Think fast.
Aqua instantly summoned her own attack and sent a geyser of water forward towards Shadow Beauty. The ice hurled towards her froze the water entirely, everything shattering on the ground into icicles in mere seconds.
"You'd best not push my buttons, Shadow Beauty." Aqua narrowed her eyes. "I have more important things to attend to."
"Important?" The icy Shadow spat. "What could be more important than this very moment?" She smiled wickedly. "This moment where I tear you apart...is everything to me!"
"Is that truly everything?" Shadow Aqua took a long look at her. "Is fighting and ending each other's lives all you people care about? Is this what your destiny is?!"
...
"Is this the path you truly choose?"
Shadow Beauty took a step or two back. But before she could rebut, Aqua was already out the door.
Dream currently was trying to calm a sobbing Li An down in the hallway. The child hid her face in her chest and bawled like a lost toddler.
"Li An, for god's sake, calm down!" Dream ordered irritably.
"I can't do this anymore!" Li An screamed in her chest. "I want to go...go...!" She bawled harder at the thought. She couldn't even go back home. Wherever home was. If Ju Lan was here, she would be considered home...
She wanted her.
"...Ju Laaaan...!" She bawled heavily, Dream closing her eyes in slight sadness. This kid really needed her friend, huh?
What does 'friend' even mean?
"Hey...it's okay..." Shadow Dream gently patted her back and rubbed it up and down. She pulled her close in a protective embrace and stroked her hair. "Those bad people won't hurt you. I'm sure Ju Lan will be back soon. Shh..." she whispered in a hushed voice.
Rouge looked at the scene in amazement. Dream sure knew how to handle this kid, didn't she? She knew just the right words to say. She couldn't do that.
"Li An...look at me?"
Li An opened her bloodshot eyes, sniffling and wiping her eyes as Dream's blurry face filled her vision.
"Y...Yes...?" she croaked out in English.
Dream let out a tiny little chuckle before stroking her hair back.
"I'm going to get us out of here. All of us."
This immediately got hushed protests from the others.
"Dream, are you mad?"
"Tenebris would find out!"
"Did a plate actually hit your head back there? You can't be for real."
Dream sent a sharp look at the others, silently hushing their discouraging words. "I'm serious." She said simply. "We must get out of here..." She looked down. "We...have to get out of here..." She said carefully.
"Christ, snap out of it." Rouge had enough as she approached the two. "What if Master-"
"She has nothing to do with it." Dream looked out the window as she said these words. "This is for our own sakes. I...I can't remember how long we've been here. But I do know that this place is hurting me. It's hurting me, and I can't tell you why. I just know that if I don't get out of here, I'm probably going to lose what's most important to me."
"And what is that?" Aqua interrogated.
"Myself."
They didn't expect that response. Li An looked up at Dream with worried and fearful eyes. And yet, they held a light sliver of hope.
"Dream..."
"You're hurt too, Rouge..." Dream spoke simply, rocking Li An back and forth without looking at the redhead. "When I said I could leave you to rot...that was...that was an exaggeration. I didn't mean it...but I could tell it hurt you."
Dream looked at Rouge one time and said two words that she thought she would never hear.
"...I'm sorry."
...Rouge nearly dropped the bracelet.
She looked down at it with eyes as wide as saucers, the beads jingling as it swayed back and forth.
Back...and forth...
...drip...drip...
Droplets of fluid hit the stained floors. Rouge tried to control the rushing water that was rapidly escaping her eyes, but to no avail.
These weren't words she thought she would never hear. ...they were words she thought she'd never hear again.
"What...t-the fuck..." Her eyes fought between maroon and bright red as she wiped her face furiously. "W-What...the...fuck...? W-Why...hic...why am I...?!"
"Me too...!"
Attention was brought to Lemonade, who tried her best not to cry. The cruel crimson color faded into a gold tint slowly, in and out.
"All of those horrible things I said...to you all...a-and to...to Li An..." She stopped herself briefly before letting the tears fall. "I'm so sorry!"
Aqua swore lightly to herself as she hugged herself, the memory of earlier hitting her mind.
"Had I friends, I would have shot myself a long time ago!"
"...It's not true...!"
Aqua flinched when she felt Mint hug her from behind, tears racing down her cheeks. "W-When I said you don't have friends...t-that's not true...! It was never true! I'm so sorry, Aqua!"
K0NACH)
K0MACH)
KOMACHI
"...Ko..ma...chi..."
Aqua's arms carefully wrapped around the girl, tightening her hold on her. "March...was wrong...you're not weak...! And...you're not stupid! Goddamn it..." Aqua cried and hugged her first and dearest friend.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!"
"Karen...!"
Shadow Rose was definitely at war with herself mentally. She saw these 4 Shadows - if she could call them that anymore - in a wet and sobbing heap of sorrow. She chuckled, trying to hold herself up in emotional standing.
"H-Ha!" She said with a shaky voice. "Y-You are all just pathetic! S-Simply pathetic!"
"...Milk..."
Rose stopped instantly.
She looked towards Dream and Li An. The latter having a look of sorrowful confusion. The former bearing a smile with tears leaking down her cheeks, opening an arm to her in invitation.
"...I missed you..."
Rose sucked in a breath while her eyes widened in shock. It took a few long moments gazing into dark pink eyes before one by one, tears started falling down her cheeks.
Harsh red eyes turned into sweet magenta.
"...Nozomi!" She lunged towards her and fell into her chest, Li An having to scoot back a little bit. But it was hard. Dream wouldn't let go of either of them.
Li An whispered in her ear, now very confused. "Dream, what is happening...?" She asked, getting scared. She awkwardly looked to the side, seeing the bracelet that fell out of Rouge's hand. She picked it up, starting to analyze it's color. But, what she didn't notice was an engraving on it.
It was in Japanese. Li An could hardly read Japanese. Ju Lan was probably much better than she was at it, but she could try her best. She would need Ju Lan to confirm it when she returned. What did it say...?
Dream answered her before she could ponder any further. She pulled her back so they were seeing eye to eye, Dream gazing at Li An in pride and admiration. Her words from before repeated in her head as she wiped her cheeks of remaining tears.
I'm here. Don't worry.
"...we're going to be free. That's what's happening." Dream explained. "It won't be that simple. A plan has to be made after all, we can't just walk out the door. We're going to have to be very careful about this, and I need you to stay with me at all times above all else. Are you up for this?"
Li An looked down at the bracelet once, a nostalgic feeling in her chest before nodding in determination up at Dream.
"...Yes."
Fun fact: I actually had to take a break writing because it was so emotional, even for me. ;-;
But next chapter, we're back to Ju Lan - for real, this time! XD
Take care, and leave a review!
- Sweet