After the string of rather... plot-heavy episodes, the upcoming few are gonna be a little more laid-back,,,, or so i thought...
I don't really know what to say here... other than thanks to everyone for still reading my story, I really appreciate the support! As always, any kind of feedback or thoughts are always welcome!
Bronze punched the wall.
"Damn it!" She roared as she watched the dent slowly repair. "What do we do? He's been out of it for at least a week!" Nervously, she peeked into the throne room. "... And that shadow is starting to really creep me out."
Elegy tapped her on the shoulder. While her look was gentle, she seemed just as disturbed by the turn of events as Bronze.
After Shade had collapsed when coming back the base, the four had kinda thrown him in the throne room, like trash. They didn't hear a thing for a couple of days (and, boy, did they enjoy that silence). When Elegy had decided to check back in, Shade was suddenly seated on the big throne, still in a deep sleep. His chest slowly rising and lowering proved he was still alive.
Just a few days ago they had suddenly found the shadow roaming the halls. It was silent and still. It barely moved, instead just... standing in place. Even when one of them did catch it move, it was slow and somewhat twitchy.
"Oh no... maybe he's truly dead this time..." Smoky said sarcastically, holding his guitar but not playing. "Anyone but Shade... what do we do without him? I am, like, so saaaaadddddd."
"But... we really can't do anything without him?" Bronze spoke up, leaning against the wall. "What about the new world he promised? Only he knows how..."
Hail couldn't help but chuckle. "Does he? Does he really know what he's doing?"
With a sigh, Bronze crossed her arms. "... He knows more than we do, though."
"Correct."
"Well, then, we should just... continue collecting some of that delicious darkness by ourselves!" Smoky said, mimicking Shade's screechy voice with a laugh. "Besides, we were doing most of the work anyway."
Somewhat solemnly, Elegy got her own bottle of Dark Ink, which was almost empty. Bronze and Smoky's were completely empty, while Hail's was still filled halfway through.
"We don't really have much left..." Bronze concluded as the four placed their bottles on the table, gathering around it.
Hail stood up, folding his hand behind his back as he decided to take charge. "Then we should be careful." He spoke and started to pace around the room. "Let us wait for the perfect opportunity to strike. We should pick our victims carefully. Make it count. Try to not engage into direct combat with the Pretty Cures. We shouldn't waste darkness."
The other three exchanged some puzzled glances.
"You know, guys... I don't mind staying here forever with you guys." Smoky suddenly said with a shrug. "I don't really need a new world. I just want to be with you." He adjusted his shades with a confident grin. "But if a new world will make you happy, I'll be ready to help."
Elegy pulled him into a sudden hug, caressing his red hair in a soothing way like a mother would to her son.
"Oh, come on, El! Let me be cheesy for once."
Bronze managed a smile. "We need an audience for you, though... I want everyone to hear your music. I want everyone to enjoy Elegy's food..."
"Good point, good point!" Smoky agreed. "So, what's the plan, Hail?"
"Like I said, Pick your victims carefully. Someone already feeling a strong emotion seems to give better results." Hail seemed confident, glancing at the floor as if deep in thought but after a good minute he just leaned back and grabbed the nearby remote to turn on the television. "But, there is a show I want to watch. No rush."
Episode 21: A Stone Cold Bluff
"Seriously?" Morgan crossed her arms and leaned back in the, admittingly comfortable, seat of the car she was in. "This lady wants us as her... bodyguards?"
"But... this is Victoria Richter!" Hanan chimed in, expression serious. "I... don't really know who she is, but I know my dad, Wasim, and Makeen are fans and she's kinda a big deal! Like Bright!"
Five people were in the car in total. The four Cures were picked up from home, or just from the streets (in Beryl's case) by a semi-familiar man. He was incredibly tall and bulky, wore a neat suit, and had a beige-tinted pin which read, "Agent Y. B. Buff".
They had seen him at least twice, first when word had gotten about out about Hanan, Beryl, and Morgan being Pretty Cure, and the second time was when Connie had joined.
Agent Buff was a special agent from the government that had spoken to them about being a Pretty Cure, about both the potential dangers as well the privileges they would be granted. A lot of legal procedures that every existing Pretty Cure team had to go through. He was also the one who had given them the special badges as proof of being a Pretty Cure.
"This is not even my field of expertise." He sighed gruffly. "I always get stuck with the small jobs while Blush gets to handle the big ones."
Beryl gasped obnoxiously. "Ehhhhh!? But...! But, Mr. Buff! We are the big ones too!" She flexed with a grin. "We've grown a lot since we last saw each other!"
That got an awkward chuckle out of Agent Buff. "... As I've heard." He said, pulling over the car. "Besides, I need to talk to both Mr. Bennet and his child."
His serious look made Hanan a bit concerned.
"Are they... in trouble?"
"Not quite, but... uh... it was a bit tricky to explain a well-known model transforming into a... a rainbow-colored peacock." Buff replied awkwardly, stopping the car. Everyone started undoing their seat belts. "But why I am really here is because we need to get your new teammate a badge as well... and Miss Richter requested you four to be at her show tonight, since the network really wanted Mr. Bennet to appear on her show. We were personally contacted and she seemed to refuse to do anything unless you four would be present. In case an attack happens."
"Miss... Richter? Victoria Richter?" Connie spoke up, fumbling with her hair.
"Yes. Victoria Richter. She's like... uh..." Buff furrowed his brows. "I'm not really into these things, but she's the host of Real Afternoon."
Even if she was a little confused Hanan still nodded, setting up a confident face. "Tell her not to worry! We will protect her, and everyone on her show! My dad, Wasim, and Makeen are all fans!"
Agent Buff lead the four to a studio, where they entered a room with expensive-looking filming equipment, a lot of seats, and a podium with a handful of comfortable-looking chairs. They quickly took a detour to the green room, where quite a few people were setting up.
Instantly, the most noticeable thing was Ray's glowing form. They were kneeling down and tightly holding onto Bright, who was in his peacock form. A woman stood next to them, trying to calmly talk to the blond.
"No! My dad is not an animal!"
"Please, it's jus-"
"No! How dare you exploit my dad like this!" They pouted, holding Bright closer. "His plumage is not for show!"
Bright chuckled nervously, getting himself out of Ray's surprisingly tight grip with some effort. "It's okay, Chanelle." He turned to the woman, before glancing at Ray. "Ray, please. Don't worry. I actually couldn't be happier! People can finally gaze upon my true beauty! On live television!"
Still frowning, Ray didn't seem convinced but Bright spread out his colorful tail-feathers proudly. A scoff could be heard from the other side of the room.
"Ah, can someone please get this child out of the studio? They are not one of the Pretty Cure, right?"
"Miss Victoria Richter!" Bright strolled over to the owner of the voice, another, younger woman sitting in a chair and getting her makeup done. "It is a honor to share a stage with you! You've truly grown into a fine woman!"
The woman, Victoria, raised an eyebrow.
"I've met your mother a couple of times!" Bright continued. "That was back when you were a child yourself... don't you remember? You were always doing those marvellous card tricks!"
Victoria's eye twitched. "... My, my. I was such an odd child..." Her eyes flicked to a few other people in the room before outing a sigh and resting her chin on her fist. "Is that child of yours going to continue making a scene?"
Feeling the tension rise, Agent Buff coughed into his hand and cleared his throat with a low, "Ahem!"
"Miss Richter, I have brought you the Pretty Cure." He said, quickly introducing them all.
"They are... a peculiar bunch, and a bit younger than I expected." Victoria's eyes were cold as she looked all four of them over. She set up a smile. "Pleased to meet you, 'legendary warriors'. I'm glad you have some time to spare to look after me, and my audience."
Hanan and Connie politely shook Victoria's hand while Morgan stayed back. Victoria retreated her hand at seeing Beryl walk up to her and merely gave her a nod, complete with a smile.
"Nice necklace." She commented on Beryl's little trinket. The redhead grinned and showed off her precious treasure.
"Why are you here?" Ray approached the four curiously. "Bright is hard at work! You are interrupti-!"
Morgan rolled her eyes. "Why are you here?"
"Bright is going to be on a show on the magical box! And I wanted to be with my dad!" Ray acclaimed loudly, pointing at Bright. "Bright is my dad, and I want to spend time with him!"
"What happened to 'I have no dad'?" Hanan asked, surprised at how irritated her voice sounded.
Ray glared at her, furrowing their brows. "I was foolish." They lowered their head. "When I almost lost him... I..."
They never got to finish their sentence as Agent Buff was suddenly behind them. His tall shadow loomed over the shorter blond.
"You are Ray Bennet, correct?"
Ray let out a shriek and made a jump before hiding behind Hanan, taking the right amount of distance to not directly touch her.
"I didn't mean to startle you." Buff frowned slightly and spoke with an apologetic tone. "I would like to discuss something with you, if that is all right?"
Crossing their arms, Ray shook their head. "... I refuse."
"Dude, you're getting one of these!" Morgan showed off her badge. "Discounts, free permission to leave during- wait you don't go to school- uh... a lot of discounts!"
After exchanging some looks with the girls and Bright, Ray reluctantly went with Agent Buff out of the room.
Although Victoria was a bit further away from the group, Connie could pick up easily what the woman was saying to another man, wearing thin glasses, who was presumably her manager. "Um... how did they... allow that red-haired one in here? She looks, and smells, like she hasn't seen a bath in months." She said in a whisper. "The girl in blue also doesn't really look... um... presentable like that. The other two are passable."
Hanan seemed to notice Connie's uneasiness at listening in to that conversation. She spoke up, walking up to Victoria. "So, what do you want us to do? Are you going to interview us as well? Are we going to be on live television!?"
"No. They wouldn't let me allow you on the show, and it's too late now." Victoria shrugged, letting out a sigh. "Shame."
"Ew, nasty. Live television." Morgan scrunched her nose in disgust and leaned to Beryl to whisper, "A bunch of fake bitches trying to act more important than they are."
Beryl didn't reply and just scratched her chin awkwardly, uttering a little laugh.
Hanan grinned sheepishly. "Oh, do you want a selfie with us? Bet that's great commercialism for your show! Also, you see, my dad and brothers really like your stuff and-"
"'Stuff'?" Victoria narrowed her eyes and puffed her chest forward. "My hard work and my dream is just 'stuff' to you? I'll have you know that I worked all the way from the bottom of the barrel to the top by myself, and with support of my mother."
"What? No! No, no, no! That's not what I meant!" Hanan raised her hands in defense. "I'm sorry if it came off that way!"
Heaving another sigh, Victoria stood up and walked over to Bright. "Let's get this over with. Remember you have to first be in your... normal form. You need to change on-camera."
Bright seemed a bit disappointed but changed form in a quick poof of feathers. "That's understandable." He crossed his arms with a slight pout, which morphed into a timid smile as Ray wrapped their arms around his torso.
Ever since what happened, Ray had become a lot closer to Bright. He wasn't entirely sure why they had made such an intense switch after being separated from him. They kept wanting hugs and referring to him as 'dad', which really warmed his heart, even if it may have been a bit forced on Ray's side. It did feel genuine, though.
Truth to be told, Bright felt relieved seeing Ray not so paranoid about getting 'tainted'. Well they still didn't accept being touched by anyone else, but it was a good start!
He had been told (by both Ray and the Cures) what had happened in the past. They had told him everything to get him up-to-date, and it all was a bit much to take in, admittingly. For most of his life, living in the castle town, being a guard, and not even realising something fishy had been up with Ray back then.
And the fact that his mother knew much more and never told him. He wasn't entirely sure how to feel about that.
Bright knew he should feel angry, betrayed, hurt, bitter, at Ray and the Titans for causing the destruction of a world and the loss of so many lives, but actually... he wasn't. To finally know what had set off the destruction of Primo was... not what he expected, and he just couldn't find it in himself to blame Ray or the Cures.
Instead of punishing anyone, hating anyone, Bright wasn't angry. Hatred would only continue in an eternal cycle. After all, both the Titans and Ray already faced the consequences of their actions and went through enough punishment.
"I can't believe my ravishing true form is going to be shown on live television! " Bright smiled at Ray as he returned their hug. Their skin felt so soft and delicate, like the porcelain doll Lumina always treated them as.
Victoria silently watched the two embrace. A brief smile graced her lips.
"That is simply adorable." She said. It was unclear if she was being genuine or mocking. "Now, it is time for the show."
With a quick sigh, she stood up and walked out of the room, and onto the set.
It was almost eerie how much Victoria's attitude changed when the cameras were pointed at her. She carried herself with a certain sense of pride and elegance, even if it was partly fake.
When he transformed into his peacock form on-screen, Bright's colorful feathers definitely pulled people's attention to him more than her, and she knew it.
"She's so pretty~!" Beryl commented as she was munching on an apple while watching Victoria. Next to her, Connie nodded quietly in agreement and took a sip of her coffee. She seemed a little tense.
After Buff had brought Ray back, they had joined the girls in the corner of the room just out of reach for the filming, proudly showing off their own placeholder badge they had gotten.
"You're part of the team, Ray. You've always been." Hanan said with a smile as Ray sat down on a chair next to her.
Ray smiled meekly. "Really?" Their smile grew. "Thank you. It is all thanks to your belief we are here... and that... Bright is safe..."
All five watched the filming take place. Victoria's manager had briefly spoken to them about the course of action. They literally didn't need to specifically do anything, just... be there in case something happened.
"You guys are doing a tremendous job at protecting this town. I am so grateful!" He started, pushing up his glasses. "A while back we were in Weathersdale and... my god, we almost got caught up in an attack. Victoria has been really on her toes after that."
"That's my hometown!" Beryl spoke up, excited. "My friends live there! I hope they're okay..." She briefly touched her necklace.
It took awhile for the manager to reply.
"... I wouldn't worry. Weathersdale has a really strong, competent Pretty Cure team." The manager reassured her before he returned his attention to the filming.
Sighing heavily, Morgan sank a little into her seat. "If I knew it was going to be this boring, I would have brought a game to play." She groaned.
To pass the gruelly slowly ticking time, Hanan had gotten a book from her bag and began reading it, Beryl was eating snacks that she had found in her pockets, Morgan closed her eyes for a nap, and Connie got her sketchbook.
Before they knew it, everyone was taking a break. Ray instantly ran up to Bright and held him close.
"Ooh~! They love me!" He chirped happily, spreading his tail feathers. "I mean, how can you not?"
Hanan shielded her eyes from the intense light that came from both Ray's flowing form, as well Bright's feathers.
Swallowing her hesitation, Connie approached Victoria, who had taken a seat and was drinking some water back in the green room during break.
"Let me guess... you want advice on how to 'make it big'?" Victoria smirked smugly at Connie, who gave her a surprised look. "You really have that type of silly innocence to you. One who wants to become a model after seeing a certain model, such as myself, make it big. First of all, I suggest you beware of certain types of magazines. I mean, with your body and face, it could attract a lot of... demoralising brands. Trust me."
"Oh no, I wanted to say something else." Connie said softly, clutching her sketchbook against her chest. "I... I'm sure nobody would dare to attack you. Maybe, they like your show..." She added nervously. "Not that I would... know."
Victoria raised an eyebrow but didn't really comment, making Connie even more nervous.
"Um... you probably hear this a lot but..." Connie said, trying to change the subject to the first thing that came to mind. "I would like your autograph, if that's okay?"
"Sure, if I can take a peek in your sketchbook."
Meekly, Connie handed her the sketchbook in her arms. "I'm still practicing... drawing people..."
"Not bad. I'm really not much of a drawer myself, but it seems like you have talent." Victoria commented, amused as she flipped through the sketchbook. "This lady is pretty. Is she a friend of yours? Or just a character made up on the spot?"
The woman in the picture wore a green dress. Her pale brown hair was adorned with many flowers. She looked like a goddess.
Connie grew red as she nervously fumbled with her hands. "Oh, um... um... you see, when I was younger I had an imaginary friend. I've tried redrawing her many times but... my memories are hazy. It's been so long..."
"Nothing to be ashamed of. I also had an imaginary friend." Victoria seemed to relax a bit as Connie widened her eyes.
"... You did?"
Victoria chuckled. "Yes, I did! We told silly jokes and played cards. I never once won, and I was the one who made him up! I don't even remember what he looked like, or what I named him. My memories are even more hazy but... sometimes it feels like... I made up those memories of making up an imaginary friend... isn't that just bizarre?"
That really was bizarre... memories playing a trick on you?
"I probably did it in an attempt to fill in the gap in my family." Victoria continued with a shrug when Connie didn't say anything. "Never knew my dad... so... I must have made one up back then. Children are hard to understand, aren't they?"
Connie started to feel a bit uncomfortable. That was exactly the reason why she had made up her own imaginary friend as a child... to fill in for the lack of a mother...
"But, other times it feels like... I had this imaginary friend even as a teen. Like... a few years ago...?" Victoria held her head with a hand, like she was experiencing a headache. "My memory is so... weird? It's like there's these gaps. Things don't seem to add up now that I think about it. It kinda hurts to think about it, to be fair."
Wait...
Growing increasingly more nervous, Connie felt his nagging feeling and she wanted to pry, but knew she shouldn't. "Why... are you telling me this? That is personal stuff and-"
"This is show business, dear. No secrets. If you can't handle that, then you're not cut out to be in it." Victoria shrugged again, seemingly having gotten over her previous confusion. "Mister Bennet? This reveal might even break his entire career, but it seems like people are interested in his... other form. Sure, a talking peacock on live TV, why not?"
Victoria stood up. "Ah, I'm getting back on the set." She turned to Connie with a prideful smirk. "Don't do anything sketchy." She chuckled briefly at her silly joke and got ready to walk out of the room.
Connie stood in silence for a long time, being too lost in her own thoughts to do anything.
The way Victoria spoke, her facial features, and the tone she had spoken with just now... it all seemed so familiar to her.
"Wait...!" She finally spoke up, stopping Victoria. "My friend... um... could help you make sense of your garbled memories...? They can... show it to you..." She bit her lip, hoping that what she was saying didn't sound too strange.
When she looked up, she saw that Victoria had an expression of curiosity and interest. "Oh, is that so? Let's meet here next commercial break."
After a long mental challenge of 'yes' and 'no', Hail finally decided to stand up and snatched one of the bottles with Dark Ink off the table. The other three turned their attention from the television screen to him.
"Oh, you're going?" Smoky asked, earning a simple nod as reply. "I thought you wanted to watch?"
Hail placed the newspaper down he had been reading before and pointed at the picture of a young woman. "According to this article she's scared of an attack happening, and thus the Pretty Cure will be there. Let's... make that fear come true."
Narrowing her eyes, Bronze read the article. "Wait, hold up! But she is...?"
He smirked, tapping his icy finger on the picture of the woman, freezing it over. "Isn't she such a charmer?"
"Selling my powers out like this. Unacceptable." Ray pouted as they, the Cures, and Victoria were in the green room.
Morgan asked, leaning against the wall. "Why are we doing this again? Prying into someone's memories?"
"Oh, it's no big deal. Celebrities have their entire lives known. Just look at my wikipedia page." Victoria said with a neutral tone and expression. "But you are free to leave if you don't care."
"We've gotta make sure someone doesn't mess stuff u-" Morgan stopped once Hanan had pushed her with a stern look. Morgan rolled her eyes, heaved another sigh, and shrugged.
Hanan smiled. "If it means we can help you... we'll be happy to do whatever..."
Summoning their Eternal Lantern, Ray frowned at Hanan. "We? You mean me. I am the only one doing anything." They tilted their head slightly, trying to hide a tiny grin. "But Connie promised to get me a picture book, so..." They cleared their throat and looked at Victoria. "If you'll allow me..."
"Obviously. Do your thing, child." Victoria chuckled, leaning back in her chair. She seemed relaxed. "I've seen stranger occurrences today. Besides, this is quite interesting."
The lantern in Ray's hands lit up with intense light as a single mirror rose up in front of Victoria. The window seemed to depict a mirror image of herself. Her black hair slowly came loose as her body started regressing into that of a child.
"Oh god, my hair was so out of control!" Victoria couldn't help but laugh at the huge mess of curly hair her younger self had.
With interest she looked at her younger self enjoy her childhood, playing with toys, working hard at school, laughing with friends... it was like watching some kind of magical home video.
Victoria smiled as she saw her mother, also looking much younger, come into view, pressing a kiss on the child's cheek.
Her blood ran cold once another figure, for lack of better word, appeared on the window.
The figure seemed to be somewhat taller than her mother but there was something very wrong with it.
It was hidden away by a mass of black, like a child had scribbled over it with black markers to hide away what was supposed to be there.
"Oh, that must be your dad!" Ray gasped. Judging from their tone and lack of shocking reaction it didn't seem like they, or any of the others, saw the same as she did.
It hurt just looking at the figure, so Victoria squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her throbbing temple. "Don't be... absurd, child. I've never... met my father."
"Then who's this guy kissing your mom? Oh, did she have an affair?" Morgan clicked her tongue in disgust.
Hanan gave her another push in the side, earning a glare from the shorter girl.
"What? How can you not see that... black... thing?" Victoria spoke up, carefully opening her eyes. Her head started throbbing again.
While Ray and Connie both were completely focused on the window, the remaining three exchanged some confused glances at Victoria's words.
"... What are you talking about, miss?" Beryl asked, blinking in surprise. "There is a man right here...!" She pointed at the window. It showed a younger Victoria sitting down on the floor, holding some cards in her hands. The man sat across her, cross legged, and also had cards in his hands.
"No, she is right. Something is wrong." Ray confirmed simply, as their frown grew. "I feel..." They shivered, unable to finish.
Victoria raised a hand. "You know... let us stop for now. This is clearly too-"
The window was shattered by an arrow made of ice.
Ray let out weak yelp as their body shook again. Victoria, on the other hand, seemed relieved.
"It is quite rude to peek into someone's past like that." Hail said with a cold and accusatory tone as he stepped out of a portal. "That's none of your business. Have some class, or... glass."
Each step he took slowly froze over the room.
"Ha, ha, ha! Oh, you're so funny, all right!" Morgan groaned as she and the others grabbed their Primary Charms, and Ray held up their Lantern.
Hail spread his arms, sending two waves of ice in the five's direction before they could transform, shoving them aside as he continued walking. "I have no time nor energy to waste fighting you today, so I'll be taking my leave soon."
Victoria, not hit by ice, fell out of her seat and quickly rose back to her feet. "Stay away!" She commanded, trying to slowly step back but found herself frozen in fear. Her legs just refused to move. "Get... away from me! I will call... secu... rity..."
"That won't be necessary." Hail replied simply and without a single expression, staring down at the frightened woman with his cold, glassy eyes. He got his bottle of Dark Ink in one hand and slowly, yet hesitantly, reached out to her with the other.
He didn't even flinch as the door was flung open and another person walked in. The others quickly recognised him as one of the makeup artists.
Heaving a cold, heavy sigh, Hail merely pushed Victoria aside and quickly grabbed a hold of the makeup artist, letting some Dark Ink drop into his shadow before dragging it out.
"Unbound, overshadow your light and dim your hope!"
The five broke free from the ice and all got their eggs and Lantern ready.
"Primal Spirit Unleash! Precure Evolution!"
Four barriers of fire, earth, water, and wind surrounded the four girls. Ray nodded and quickly raised their Eternal Lantern in the air with a fierce look. "Light Up!" A glass mural appeared underneath their feet and broke apart, engulfing them.
"The heart that burns with the warm flames, Cure Ember!"
Ray, having become Radiant Lumiere, struck a pose. "The light of ho-"
"The heart that grows with the steadfast earth, Cure Terra!"
"Um... "
"The heart that dances with the rising waves, Cure Splash"
"Everyone!"
"The heart that soars-"
"EXCUSE ME!?" Lumiere yelled, causing Gale to stop as she was hovering in the air. "I should come first. Please, do not interrupt me."
Splash rolled her eyes while Terra crossed her arms. "Let Gale finish her speech first! You are the one interrupting!" The green Cure said.
"It's okay. Let Ray say their-" Gale started meekly, raising her hands.
"No. Patience and structure is important in teamwork." Ember declared, completely serious. "We have to figure out a new team pose as well! That's gonna be the first thing we do when we get back!"
Lumiere pouted but allowed Gale to finish anyway.
"Um..." The purple Cure chuckled shyly before posing again. "The heart that soars with the courageous wind, Cure Gale!"
"And now you can go, Lumiere."
Excited, Lumiere nodded and spread their arms wide. "I am the light of hope that bears a pure he-"
"No, no, no!" Ember object, crossing her arms. "Like I said... your intro needs to be way shorter! We gotta match! So, let's just do the group one."
"GUYS! We literally have no time for this bullshit!" Splash pointed at the Unbound that had formed. "Ugh... fine."
Ember grinned proudly as she and the other three Cures got into position, leaving Lumiere by the sidelines. "Embracing the past to pave a path for the future, Prime Pretty Cure!"
"What!? You are just doing this to bully me!" Lumiere stomped the ground like an angry child, before Ember pushed them out of the way of an incoming giant hand slamming down.
The Unbound looked fairly normal with a regular humanoid body and white dots for eyes. Notable differences were its face looking like it had grey, leaking eye-liner, as if it had been crying. It also had white nail polish on its sharp, long fingers. On its arm was some sort of oversized compact and its hand held a variety of objects between its long fingers, including a makeup brush, a hairbrush, and a perfume bottle.
With a roar, the monster sweeped the perfume bottle violently in the air, creating some sort of pinkish fog.
"WHOOOOOoooooaaaahhhhh..." Terra covered her nose and mouth with her hands as she fell on her butt.
"Terra!?" Ember came rushing to her side in the midst of the fog. She was coughing as well. "Are you okay?"
Terra coughed too and seemed like she could faint any second now. "I'm just... gonna... hide in a ball and you guys... kick me in the monster's face or something. I don't mind either way."
The green Cure surrounded herself in a ball of rocks, leaving Ember perplexed. "Um..."
Gale waved her arms around, controlling winds to get rid of the pink fog around her.
"Thanks..." Splash breathed softly, seemingly a little light-headed as well. She instantly cheered up once she saw Terra's ball of rock, exclaiming a quick; "Oh yeah!", and jumping on it. She started running in place and, with the help of her water, she launched the ball straight into the monster's face, making it fall back and out of the room.
"Splash!" Ember called as the blue Cure returned to her side. "Be careful, you almost hit Ray- uh... Lumiere!"
Lumiere, who had ducked just in time to prevent getting hit, had gotten up. "Radiant Lumiere! The light of-"
"No." Ember raised one hand and rubbed her temple with the other. What was she gonna do with them?
As Gale helped a dizzy Terra back on her feet, Splash stomped over to Lumiere. "Oh, I'm sorry, your highness, I thought you were so 'amazing' and 'great' and whatnot."
"I am. Just look at me! My glorious light outshines you-"
Splash rolled her eyes. "Yeah, great, but can you actually be useful?"
"Give them time, Splash. This is all new for them." Ember chimed in, trying to come in between the two.
Still holding Terra, Gale meekly spoke up. "Um... Ember...? The monster is getting awa-"
"Hold on a minute, Gale."
"But...! But..." The purple Cure tried again, but frowned when she noticed her words were unheard. "Fine. You go bicker and bicker and Terra and I will fight." She grumbled as Terra nodded and the two went after the monster.
Lumiere crossed their arms with a pout. "How dare you underestimate my abilities, both of you!? You have seen what I can do!"
"Do it then and save us the troub-" A small shield was launched into Ember's face, making her fall over. "Did... you... did you just...?"
A foot stomped on her chest, keeping her down as Lumiere looked down at the fallen Ember. "Yes. Yes, I did." They laughed triumphantly, not unlike a super villain. "Now, that your leader has fallen, means that I am the new leader of the Prime Pretty Cure!" They raised their hands with a cheer. "First thing, we are going to rename that to Ray Pretty Cure!"
Ember chuckled weakly, trying to keep her anger inside. "That is... bad comedy, you little piece of shit!"
Shrieking in pain, Lumiere jumped off Ember to prevent their feet from getting burned.
"I knew it! You are abusing your powers and supposed authority!"
"We literally... do not have time to deal with your selfish ass, Radiant Lumiere, the light of hope that... whatever the hell it was." Ember rubbed her face as fire surrounded her. "Really... don't say it. I don't care."
She didn't give Lumiere a chance to reply as she turned her back to them and walked up to Splash. "Let's go help Gale and Terra." She said, breaths unsteady and heavy.
Splash splashed a bit of water in Ember's face. "... Better?"
"Yeah... thanks." Ember nodded and gave her a small smile.
Terra and Gale punched one of the Unbound's feet at the same time, making it fall over.
With a whine, it reached out for the two Cures. Gale managed to shoot off before the monster could grab her but Terra was too slow and found herself trapped in the monster's hand. Quickly it grabbed its brush and violently brushed over Terra's form.
"Terra!" Gale focused and shot a sharp wind at the Unbound's upper arm, and the monster threw the Cure in the air. Gale was quick enough to catch her friend and almost dropped her when she saw how her friend looked. "... Te... Te... Terra?"
Cure Terra's hair had grown much longer, dangling near Gale's feet. Her eyelashes had become super long, and her face was covered with a thick layer of badly-done makeup.
"Gale, tell my dad... I love him!" She whispered dramatically, making the purple Cure panic as she was still avoiding getting hit by the monster. "And Heather and Aurora, and Uncle Dale, and that guy from the sweets shop, and the nice lady from-"
Just then Ember and Splash came in, landing a few more kicks and hits before landing near where Gale was hovering.
"Oh, gross." Splash winced when she saw Terra, splashing some water in her face. The water didn't seem to have an effect on Terra. "You look like a clown."
Ember chuckled. "I'm sure some people wouldn't consider that a problem."
"I can't feel my face... you guys..." Terra whined softly as Gale sat her down on the ground. "It won't come off! And it smells weird..."
"Fear not! I am here!" Lumiere shimmered with pride as they stepped in front of the group, raising a few shields to protect them from the monster's attacks. They took a few graceful steps before launching themself in the air, ready for an attack. However, the Unbound pressed its big brush into their form, making them fall down.
"What? What!?" Lumiere grabbed one of their iridescent shields and tried to get a look of their reflection in it. Their face and hair was changed the same way as it was Terra's. Splash and Ember couldn't help but laugh at the sight.
"You tainted my face, you foul being!" While gritting their teeth, they manifested a horde of shields which they all send flying against the monster. "Unforgivable!"
Noticing an eye-color change from the multiple blows, Ember took this chance to deal the final blow. "Pretty Cure Scorch Wrap!"
As the Unbound disappeared, everything slowly returned to normal, including Terra and Lumiere's hair and faces.
"Hey, we're better!" Terra cheered, making a little jump. She opened her arms to invite Ray for a hug, which they didn't accept. Instead, they searched for Bright and pulled him into their arms again.
"Dad, dad! Did you see me!? Was I not really heroic!?" They grinned. Bright chuckled and nodded somewhat reluctantly.
Seeming disinterested, Hail watched the Unbound dissolve from the attack. He summoned a portal and got ready to leave.
"You bastard! Why do you think all this is all right!?" Victoria finally regained her movement and used all her power to grab Hail by his jacket. Surprisingly enough, he didn't even resist and almost slipped over his own feet as she pulled on him. "How dare you endanger my audience, and my co-workers!? I'll have you arrested!"
He looked down at her in mild surprise, then gave a small smile. "I wouldn't count on it." He said, gently pushing her hand off. "Now, I must take my leave. My family is waiting for me to come home... "
His escape attempt, again, was thwarted. This time by a kick from Splash. Ember and Terra led Victoria a safe distance away while Splash was joined by Gale, landing next to her in front of Hail.
"Going somewhere?" The blue Cure asked with a grin as Hail rubbed the corner of his mouth, where Splash had hit him.
"Wait, Hail...!" Gale spoke up, hands hovering over her chest. She seemed nervous as she flew closer to the man. "That man in her memories... that was you..."
Hail shook his head. "Not quite."
"You are! You're Victoria's father. That's why she can't remember you being there..." Gale took in a shaky breath. "But you were... you were right there!" Another breath. "That's why it hurts her to look in her memories, because they've been messed with...!"
Splash, having a hard to keep up, blinked a few times. "What?"
"And who's fault is that!?" Gale continued, getting even closer to Hail. "His'! Shade's!"
"Hm, I suppose I've got the brat to thank for one thing." He didn't seem fazed in the slightest. Instead, he seemed more annoyed that someone took some of his time. "Now, anything else?" He asked, creating a portal while giving Gale a cold stare. "No? Farewell for now."
Splash kicked the ground. "So... he's Victoria's dad... huh." She frowned. "Looks like the shit doesn't fall too far from the ass."
Hail almost got kicked back into the portal as he tried to step out.
"What's the-... why are you so angry?" He shielded his face as Bronze held Elegy back.
"It's okay, Elegy. Let's not fight. It's okay." Bronze said.
Elegy looked like she was ready to explode. She ruffled the sides of her head in frustration, trying to not yell or scream. Somewhat nervously, Bronze scrambled to get her notebook and pen for her to write.
"Here... write-" Bronze staggered back as Elegy slapped the notebook away. The older woman pushed Bronze away a bit more roughly than intended as she clenched both of her fist before shaking her head.
Hail quietly watched Elegy stomp out of the room, slamming the door behind her with a loud echo. "Leave her be. I know why she's angry." He said, sitting down. "It's about Victoria."
Bronze rubbed her metallic arms together somewhat nervously. "She's your daughter... and... you know the deal about Elegy's son. The fact that you are... um... treating this like a game... she had no choice but to leave her son behind. Can't exactly blame her for being ang-"
"Victoria's not my daughter." Hail corrected with a shrug. "Not anymore, at least. Chill, I am just trying to... let go. They're all going to get drowned in darkness anyway. It's better to leave no loose ties or emotions."
Tensely, Bronze took in Hail's words. She repeated them in her head a couple of times before she started muttering to herself and paced around the room. "Leave no loose ties..."
"That's a good point." Smoky agreed, absentmindedly playing his guitar. "I'm not ready to say goodbye to the best chicken burgers yet!" He mocked a tear-wiping motion.
"Now that you mention it... I'm hungry... " Bronze said softly, holding her hands over her grumbling stomach.
Hail rested his chin on his palms. "Sometimes you have to call a cold bluff." He concluded, lowering his head slightly. "Guess I wasn't ready... because I couldn't bring myself to do it, after all."
"That's not fair! You always win, dad!" The little girl pouted, slapping her small hand against his shoulder. "Not fair!"
"Of course, I do. I'm the master of the cards!"
The girl didn't seem convinced at her dad's word and slapped him again, only for a card to slip out of his sleeve. "Hey!"
"Oh no~! I got caught." He laughed as the girl glared at him while she was holding the card that had ensured his win.
"You cheater."
He grinned and leaned back slightly. "It's not cheating if you don't get caught."
"But I caught you! Time to get to the police station!" Now the girl laughed, as she triumphantly crossed her arms with a grin. "I'm telling mom! MOM!"
"Ah, well. It doesn't matter." Hail dusted off his hands and stood up, walking out of the room silently.
He didn't expect to see Elegy standing a bit further down the hallway. It didn't seem like she was doing anything aside from staring at the wall.
"Elegy?"
When she turned around to look at him, her expression turned from angry to worried as she ran up to him.
"Are you all right?" He asked, noticing how wet her eyes had been from the tears. "I didn't mean to make you upset with my actions."
Weakly, she raised a hand, activating her powers. "Are..." A woman's voice. "You!" A yelling man's voice. "Okay?" Another woman's voice.
"Me?" He frowned, just now noticing the icy-cold tears running down his cheeks and freezing up. He carefully touched his face, disgusted. "Seems like her influence runs deeper than I thought. That's a bit of a... problem..."
Waving it off, he quietly continued to walk, until he had reached his room. He took one last look back and noticed, in the corner of the hallway, that Shade's shadow was staring at him.
Hail stared back at it for a long time before scoffing and going into his room.
A good chunk of the fight did end up being broadcasted live as well, and the Pretty Cures quickly tried to sneak a little screen time before the show would continue as scheduled.
"I just wanna say that I love my dad, and my friends, and-!" Terra began, shoving her face into the camera.
Ember quickly joined her. "Dad, mom, guys! I'm here. This is for you!" She held up her hands, setting her fingertips on fire.
"Everyone, behold... my dad and me!" Lumiere used some shields to shove Terra and Ember away as they took the center stage, holding Bright close. "My dad is the best, and I want everyone to know that!"
Bright flew out of Lumiere's arms as he landed and struck an extravagant pose together with Lumiere. "We are ravishing!"
"Please, get off the set. We already lost so much airing time." Victoria's manager almost pleaded, earning a few awkward looks from the Cures, who quickly did as was asked of them.
"No!" Lumiere undid their transformation and showed off the placeholder badge they had gotten from Agent Buff earlier today. "This is proof that I am special and-"
Ember grabbed their sleeve and dragged them away. "Let's go." She said, undoing her transformation as well. The other three Cures followed her lead as they all went to the green room. "Well, everyone. A job well done today!"
"Never again, please..." Beryl shuddered, sitting down next on one of the chairs. "My face still feels weird!"
Morgan sat down on another chair, holding her hands behind her head. "Guess this really confirms that they were human at some point." She said, knowing full well that addressing the elephant in the room would bring some tension. "The bad guys, I mean."
"I told you all that... many times..." Connie whispered softly, fumbling with her hands while wearing a frown. "I want to help them..."
Hanan rubbed her arm nervously. "I know, but there's just nothing we can do right now. They don't want our help." She said solemnly. "We just have to make sure people don't get hurt."
A silence fell in the room for a bit, until Hanan clapped her hands, having regained a more cheery mood.
"But first...!" She started, grinning. "We have to practice our new pose!"