Eyecatcher B: Pai sits down to large helping of cheesecake, but his thought bubble bursts and he wakes up with his pillow in his beak. He throws a fit.
999
Pai squawked and flapped off the bench while suddenly, Natsuko was overcome with a wave of nausea, dizziness and fear. She clapped one hand to her mouth and doubled over as if pushed from behind.
"Natsuko!" Pai screamed. She lifted her pounding head to see him pointing his wing at something behind her. "A Chaos Dragon!" A burst of adrenalin cleared her mind and vision enough to allow her to scramble off the bench, across the paved path and stumble into the grass on the other side. With stains on her knees and pain in one hand from landing on a sharp rock, she turned around.
Someone, or something, stood behind the bench. The tight fitting black dress emphasised the figure's chest and feminine form, but unlike any human female, she stood at least a head above the tallest man Natsuko had ever met, including foreigners. What appeared to be her skin was as black as the void of space, but shiny where the light hit it. Her round face sported dangerous-looking angular eyes and an extremely large mouth which did not appear to have lips. Something like hair, expertly styled and also black, flowed from the top of her head, down her back. She stood at ease, looking at the girl and bird, cowering before her.
"A cygnet," she observed, coolly. "Can you feel the Chaos Energy? Is that why you're scared? Or do you wish you were safely enclosed by your mother's down anytime something goes bump?" Natsuko, herself shaking, risked a glance at Pai, who was absolutely cowed by the Chaos Dragon's presence.
"Pai," she whimpered.
"Yes, I know. 'The Cygnus has never been defeated,' and all that. I've heard that before. We all have. And we're tired of it." The dragon woman did not move. "Cygnet, I know you planned on dying here, but you probably didn't count on it being so soon. Not today, though."
Pai quickly started rummaging through what must have been a pocket underneath his wing, glancing up at the dragon, who still showed no intention of moving. He produced something and held it up towards Natsuko. "Take this and transform! Say -"
"Don't bother," the dragon woman barked. "If you transform, then tonight will, be your last." Pai remained stock still and Natsuko made no move towards the item.
For the first time since appearing, the dragon woman moved. Her weight shifted to her right leg and she stepped forward with her left. Each motion was perfectly fluid, graceful, like a dancer. Natsuko was paralyzed with fear, but couldn't help staring; nearly hypnotized by an uncomfortable feeling of strange beauty as the dragon walked towards her. Slits reaching all the way up to the hips on either side of the dragon's ankle length dress, parted as she walked, revealing glimpses of powerful legs colored absolute black. A tail protruded from below the hem, ringed with offset layers of barbs, the end held up off the ground. Not until she stopped in front of Pai did Natsuko realize the dragon was not approaching her.
"Next time you talk to the Cygnus, tell her that once the Earth falls into chaos, we're coming for her." The dragon towered over the tiny bird. Pai could not reply. The dragon stood so completely still while glaring at Pai, that Natsuko wondered if her dress could even blow in the wind. The dragon took a step backwards while turning and walked away from them, just as smoothly as before. "If you interfere, which I know you will, we will kill you." Several steps beyond the bench, she seemed to disappear into the shadow of a tree and with her went the powerful aura, but Natsuko was still shaking uncontrollably. Her breaths came increasingly rapidly and soon she was lifting her trembling hands to wipe away the streams of tears which erupted from her eyes as she sobbed. Pai took a step towards Natsuko, but his legs gave out and he plopped down onto the dirt. He put the item he held away and hoisted himself back up to his feet, then, trying again, he made it to Natsuko and placed a wing on her leg. Natsuko cried for a few intense minutes before her tears subsided, then, still shaking, she made her way back to the bench. Pai flapped unsteadily up next to the crying girl and nestled against her leg. Natsuko put a hand around him and have a gentle squeeze.
"What do we do?" she asked.
"We'll win. I know it. We have to."
Natsuko was unconvinced, however, and was immobilized by indecision. She did not think the bus would have come yet, but could not be certain of how much time had passed during the encounter with the dragon woman. Whether it had or not was not of concern to her, since she would not be going to dance class today. She knew it would be inevitable that Shun would confront her again, but still was unsure of whether or not to tell him the truth. That dragon had basically said he was already in the most danger possible, so what more damage could that knowledge do? But would he even believe her? 'Shun, I'm Pretty Cure and I have to fight space dragons.' 'Mom, I think Natsuko needs to go to the doctor.' But she needed support.
Natsuko realized that part of the reason she continued to shiver so much was because of the cold. The sun, while not completely set, had become hidden by neighboring buildings and the park was entirely covered in shadow.
"I'm going to go home. Come with me," she said, working stiffening fingers around the strap on her bag.
"I won't leave you," Pai replied, who stood and stretched his wings, wobbling slightly.
Natsuko felt somehow relieved and calmed by Pai's statement. "Here." She opened the bag for the bird to climb in and hide. Once he was inside, Natsuko stood and clutched the back of the bench to steady herself against weakened and trembling legs. When she was satisfactorily stable, she began the trek back to her bus stop.
At the bus stop, Natsuko checked the time on her phone to see how long of a wait they had and noticed she had some missed mail. Of course it was from Shun.
[hey where are you]
[im at dance but you arent]
[are you ok]
Natsuko typed one reply to him: [i dont feel good and im going home sorry]
Noting there were still several minutes before the bus arrived, she closed her phone and put it in her bag.
"Ow!"
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Natsuko looked around, but there was no one around to hear. "Sorry," she said again into the bag.
"I'm ok, but be careful." Pai sounded like he was holding back irritation.
The ride home was quiet and uneventful. Natsuko realized halfway through that she had forgotten to put in her earbuds and listen to music, but at that point, she was not going to get them out.
When she arrived home and walked through the door, her mother looked around the corner. "Natsuko? What are you doing here?" When her daughter did not answer immediately, she hurried over and saw she had grass stains and dirt on her knees and clothes. "What happened to you?"
"I got dizzy and fell," Natsuko said, removing her shoes while leaning on the wall for support.
"Did you eat lunch?" her mother asked.
In her already upset state, this question sparked quick anger in Natsuko, and she lashed out. "Yes, mom. I ate lunch. I always eat lunch. I have never skipped a meal and I never will. Not for dance or anything else," she said, angrily.
"I just worry about you." Her mother's response was firm but compassionate.
Natsuko's anger deflated and her shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, mom. I just, I don't feel good." She did not want to have this fight now.
"Let's get you upstairs. You should rest." Natsuko nodded. "You'll feel better after you sleep." Her mother held her arm while they walked upstairs, but Natsuko didn't protest. "I'll bring up some snacks for you," she said, then checked herself. "They'll help you regain your energy. Not because I think you're not eating," then, after a pause, "I'm sorry, too, Natsuko. I didn't mean to suggest that you're starving yourself."
"Mom," Natsuko said. She turned and gave her mother a big hug, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill out again. Fuyumi returned the hug.
"Go get your pjs on now." They separated and Natsuko turned back to her room with her head down. Fuyumi walked back downstairs.
Inside her room, Natsuko closed the door and opened her bag for Pai to come out. He jumped and flapped over to the beanbag chair and watched Natsuko, not speaking. She set the bag down and started unbuttoning her blouse as she walked across the room to her dresser, but turned back towards Pai.
"Don't look."
"Sorry, I was only wondering if you're ok," he said, somehow blushing through his iridescent feathers and looking away. He took a keen interest in the craftsmanship of the beanbag chair while Natsuko changed.
"I'm done," she said. Pai turned back around. Dressed in pink, bunny print jammies, Natsuko lifted the covers from her bed and slipped between them and the mattress, shivering. She had been cold to begin with, but having removed the clothing already warmed by her body heat, and sandwiching herself into a cold bed, she felt miserable. Not long after, her mother knocked on the door, then opened it and looked in before entering. She brought with her a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream, which she set down on the desk near Natsuko's head.
"This will make you feel better."
Natsuko sat up, wondering how she was slightly warmer when she was not covered by the blankets, but, upon seeing the ice cream, perked up a little. Between the familiarity of her home, the bed, her mother and now the ice cream, the fear that had assaulted Natsuko earlier was beginning dissipate and she felt safer. With a little smile, she lifted the bowl, took up the spoon and carved a small bit of green ice cream off the top scoop. As it touched her tongue, Natsuko closed her eyes and savored the flavor. Even though the cold treat made her shiver again, this kind of cold was acceptable. She put the bowl back down and risked being exposed to additional cold air to leave her bed and give her mother another hug.
"Thank you, mom!"
"You're welcome. Rest after you're done."
"I will." Once apart, Fuyumi left the room while Natsuko climbed back in bed. Reclaiming the bowl, she resumed eating the ice cream, slowly and deliberately. Between bites, she noticed a certain bird, looking covetously at the bowl she held. Natsuko's first reaction was to protect her precious ice cream, but in light of recent happenings which they had both been a part of, softened her stance. "Come here," she said, and immediately, Pai was winging his way up to the bed. He landed next to her and looked up with eyes full of anticipation, but she held the spoon back. "I won't get any kind of weird space disease if I share with you, will I?"
Pai looked offended. "I've had all my shots, thank you very much." With no other argument to be made, Natsuko dug out a small amount of ice cream and held the spoon close to the swan. Drooling, Pai slurped it up and pondered the taste for a moment. "It's no cheesecake, but it's good."
"If you don't like it, get out!" Natsuko growled, with fire in her eyes. Mint chocolate chip was sacred to her. Pai backed down.
"O, ok. You can have it," he said.
Natsuko continued to eat, feeling better with each bite, and despite her earlier outburst, shared several bites with Pai, who had been throwing sideways glances at the spoon each time it went into Natsuko's mouth.
Natsuko was hardly worried about the events of earlier by the time she had finished the ice cream; its magic doing the trick. However, even after mint chocolate chip ice cream, she still trembled slightly. An encounter with a two and half meter tall dragon from space would be a traumatic experience for anyone, after all.
"Nap time," she said to Pai, getting out of bed. Natsuko pulled the blinds and turned off the light, then returned to her now cozy bed, easing into the sheets and pulling the blankets up to her neck. She stared at the ceiling for a while, the familiarity of it comforting, but still feeling like something was missing.
"Pai?" she whispered into the darkness.
"Mmm?" came his reply.
"Do you... Would you like to sleep in the bed with me?"
"Can't fall asleep?"
"I'm... lonely." Shun. The two of them almost shared one life and to exclude him now made her heart hurt. She heard flapping wings and felt the light pressure of his steps on the blankets as the swan waddled across the covers and settled down near Natsuko's shoulder.
"Is this ok?" Pai asked considerately. Natsuko nodded. "Good night, Natsuko." Pai tucked his beak under his wing and Natsuko realized that this was the first time he had spoken her name. What would happen to them? Would she really have the power to defeat the dragons? Her eyelids grew heavy and she let them close. Tiny swan breaths, some traffic, and movement downstairs were about all she could hear. The darkness grew darker until it encompassed her completely and she fell asleep.
999
Natsuko woke to the sound of her alarm clock as usual, sat up and yawned. She noticed Pai, still sleeping and turned to get out of bed and start her morning stretches and -
"I didn't do any of my homework!" she explained loudly, waking the bird on the bed next to her. "Ahh! I didn't even take a bath!" She grabbed a set of clothes from the dresser and dashed to the door as Pai watched groggily. Something fell out of her arms and she agilely doubled back to pick it up before rushing out of her room. The bathroom was unoccupied when she entered, as it usually was in the mornings, and Natsuko quickly removed her clothes, filled a bucket with lukewarm water and hastily scrubbed herself off. The grass stains were still on her knees, and she worked hard to remove them, since they could be visible under her skirt. This came at the expense of her hair, though, which she left dry. Once that was done, she dried off and dressed right there, before dashing back and throwing her pjs in the corner of her otherwise clean room, before making the turn to go downstairs. Shun and their parents were finishing their breakfasts when she pulled up to the table.
"Good morning," her mother said, chucking.
"Running late, huh? Well, me too. I should get going," Nobu said. "Looks looks you're feeling much better than mom said you were yesterday."
"You didn't wake me up, mom!" Natsuko said, buttering some toast.
Fuyumi just shook her head. "You really needed to rest. I didn't want you to get worse than you were. I didn't let Shun in, either." Shun didn't say anything.
"Have a good day at school, kids," said their father, picking up his briefcase to leave.
"Bye dad," Natsuko said, hastily.
"Bye," said Shun, standing.
"See you tonight, honey."
"You going to be ready to go soon?" Shun asked. Natsuko could only nod in reply, since her mouth was full of food. "Ok." Shun left the kitchen to finish up his morning routine and her mother began cleaning up, leaving Natsuko alone at the table. Knowing that meant she was late, Natsuko finished her breakfast with haste, so she, too, could get ready for school.
"Thanks, mom," Natsuko said, pushing away from the table. She was about to rush upstairs when she paused. "Thanks for yesterday, too." When her mother turned around, Natsuko embraced her. Fuyumi returned her daughter's hug. "I feel so much better."
"You're welcome. I'm glad it wasn't worse than it was."
"Ok, now I've really got to go!" Natsuko said, before detaching herself and leaving the kitchen. "I love you, mom!"
"I love you, too, Natsuko."
Natsuko brushed her teeth and hair quickly before returning to her room.
"Get in, we've got to go!" she said to the swan on the bed.
"Where's my breakfast?" Pai complained.
"Shoot! I'll pick something up on the way out, I promise." Grumbling, Pai stepped inside Natsuko's school bag. "Sorry," she said, sheepishly. Sweatshirt and bag in hand, Natsuko returned to the first floor of her house to find Shun waiting at the front door. "I'm almost ready!" Back into the kitchen she went, where Fuyumi handed her a bag containing her bento. "Can I have something else?"
"What would you like?"
"I don't know, anything. I'm still kind of hungry." Natsuko shifted from foot to foot, anxious to be on her way. Her mother scooped another clump of rice out of the cooker, molded it into a ball and wrapped it in a paper towel.
"Plain rice ball," Fuyumi said. Natsuko took the snack from her mother's outstretched hand and suck it inside of her bag.
"Thank you!" Natsuko ran back to the front entrance, set down her bag to put on her shoes and hoodie, then stood up and beamed at Shun. "Not late!"
"Barely," he responded, opening the door. "Don't forget your bag." Natsuko picked the bag up and they left.
"Bye, mom!"
"Have a good day school, you two."
The siblings started off towards the bus stop. Another chilly morning left Natsuko with goosebumps, especially since the school dress code required her to wear a skirt, which was not conducive to heat retention. She made a mental note to keep her warm up pants ready; at least she could wear them on the journey between school and home.
"Are you really ok?" Shun asked, breaking her from her thoughts.
"Yes." She nodded.
"We missed you at dance last night. It wasn't the same without you there."
"I know, I wish I could have gone."
"What happened? Mom said you fainted. That's not like you." They turned the corner.
"I don't think I fainted. I just felt dizzy," Natsuko lied, not yet ready to tell Shun the truth. The noise from morning traffic hung between them as they walked.
"I was worried," Shun said, looking straight ahead.
"I'm sorry," Natsuko replied, both because she had caused her brother worry and because she was still keeping what really happened a secret.
"No, it's not like it was your fault. You didn't try to get dizzy." Natsuko didn't say anything. "I still feel uneasy, though," Shun admitted. "Like you're hiding something."
"Oh, Shun. Why are you making this so hard?" Natsuko said, throwing up her arms in exasperation and stopping.
Shun stopped a pace after her. "So you are hiding something."
Natsuko felt like crying from frustration. "I can't tell you right now." Shun sighed, his gaze a mix of anxiety and hurt. "Shun, I promised I'd tell you if I was in trouble. Trust me. I'm not in trouble." Yet, she thought.
Her brother's shoulders relaxed and Natsuko could see some of the stress leave his face. "I'm sorry, Natsuko. I shouldn't be pressing you like this. I'll trust you."
"Thank you," Natsuko said, surprised at how quiet it came out.
The discussion put aside for now, the Akiyama twins continued towards their destination, feeling more like they had but a few days prior. Only two other commuters were in the shelter when they arrived, half a block later; one, a middle aged housewife whom they sometimes saw there, the other, a male second year student at Mizuwa, whom they didn't really know. He lived further out than they did, however, since he transferred busses at this stop. Shun raised a hand in greeting and the other boy silently nodded, but continued to watch the twins from the corner of his eye; he had seen their argument down the street.
Soon the bus arrived and exchanged old passengers for new. After paying their fare, Natsuko and Shun sat in a pair of open seats; Shun on the aisle and Natsuko against the window as was their morning custom; Shun would get the window seat on the way home. Two mp3 players and two sets of headphones came out of two bags as they plugged in. Their conversation was always sparse on the short bus ride since they felt awkward and uncomfortable talking out loud in such an enclosed area filled with otherwise silent strangers. Soon their time came to exit and the three students made the last leg of the journey on foot. The other boy would either hang back or go ahead, but never walked right with them. Not that they would have minded necessarily, but it had become routine and thus hard to break.
A realization struck Natsuko when they were seated in their classroom. "Shun, let me copy your homework." Shun waved her closer with one hand, putting the other in his bag.
"I made a copy of the worksheets and filled them out in your handwriting," he whispered directly into her ear. "Mom wouldn't let me in to get one of your pens, so it's in blue ink, but I don't think they'll notice." Out of his bag slid two sets of documents, one in black ink, one in blue. Though this was far from the first time they pulled this stunt, Natsuko was still surprised to see her own writing on the page in front of her. She put her hand on the blue set and leaned towards her brother's ear.
"Thank you!" she whispered. Shun smiled and rolled his eyes a little. Natsuko danced back to her desk and bent over the papers, trying to absorb as much knowledge as she could before the bell, for fear that she would be called on.
999
When lunch finally arrived, Natsuko and Shun took their bentos to the roof, despite the cold weather. Shun liked the roof and besides, the cold kept others away. Natsuko, on the other hand, was freezing. She stuck her hands under her arms between bites and wished that it had been her turn to pick where to eat. Shun did feel slightly guilty for dragging his sister up there, but enjoyed it anyway. He was glad that she had cheered up, and wanted to have this time to spend with his best friend alone to make up for his lonely day yesterday. They talked about what Shun had done in dance yesterday and other topics until the time came to return to class. Natsuko was relieved to be back inside, for even sitting in the sun was not enough to keep the effects of the cold wind at bay. However, she didn't fully warm up until the school day was almost over.
"I don't think I should be too long," Natsuko said, as their classmates packed up. "I just have some papers to sort again."
"I'll wait," Shun replied.
"Ok." Natsuko turned to the door.
"Are there really that many papers that you need your bag?" Shun asked after her. "I'll come help."
"No, you don't have to," Natsuko said, gripping her bag a little tighter and not stopping. "I'll be back in a minute." The real reason was that she had gone all day without having a chance to talk to Pai and she was getting anxious because of it. The hall and stairs were crowded with students trying to leave, which suited Natsuko fine, because she found the bathroom empty. Natsuko hid in the last stall and opened her bag.
"Pai, how are you doing?" she asked, apprehensively. A grumpy swan head stared back up her.
"So bored, Natsuko. Don't you have any video games I could play or something?"
"Sorry, I don't. I have a few more things to do, then we'll go home and you can get out."
"This is going to get ooooooo-" The feathers on Pai's neck stood up, his eyes grew wide and he shivered violently.
"Pai?"
"Chaos Dragons!" he shouted quietly. Natsuko felt a shock go through her body and realized that it was not just from alarm at Pai's news, but the building was shaking. Screams came from the hallway. The shaking faded along with a rumbling Natsuko had not paid attention to before. In the hall, people speculated about the likelihood that there had been an earthquake just then, but Natsuko and Pai knew better, and were soon proven right by an explosion coming from the front of the building. The screaming intensified to shrieks of terror and stampeding feet.
"Natsuko," Pai said, urgently. She looked down at him, climbing out of the bag and standing on top of it. He reached into that hidden pocket under his wing and pulled out what might have been the same object he had offered her two days ago in the park. "Become Pretty Cure. Please!" In his wings, he held a brooch in the shape of a swan's head in profile. A black gem stood in place of the eye, set against etched silver feathers.
Natsuko held her hand back, away from the jewelry, lest she accidentally accept it. Somehow she had gotten through the first incident with the dragon woman without much trouble, but this was different. Between the fearful screams still echoing off the bathroom walls and the explosion from earlier, cracks were beginning to show in her smiling exterior. The reality of the situation was coming into focus and it was terrifying.
"Natsuko! You said!" Pai pleaded. Shadows shrouded her face and she pulled away from the item the swan held. "With the power of Pretty Cure, you can stop her!" but Natsuko remained petrified. "What will get you to accept this? Shoot!"
Shun!
Natsuko stood abruptly, sweeping Pai into her bag as she did so. Her shaking hands fumbled with the stall door handle, but she opened it and dashed out.
'What if I tell Shun? Will it place him in danger?'
'No more than he's already in.'
No more danger than he's already in. Teachers were trying to lead students to safety, but panic was prevailing in the hall. Children were pushing forward, tightly packed together, even spilling into the bathroom entrance and Natsuko was unable to get past them.
"Shun!" Natsuko shouted over the din, but there was either no response or she could not hear it, so she retreated back into the bathroom. "Shun's in danger! Pai, help me!"
"The window!" squawked the bird, popping his head out of the bag and pointing a wing to the small ventilation window placed high on the far wall. Natsuko ran to it, set the bag down and looked around for something to stand on, but nothing in the bathroom was movable. Thanks to her ballet, she had a decent vertical leap, but the latch was at the top of the window and remained out of reach.
"Natsukoooo!" Pai shrieked with an intensity she had not heard prior from the swan fairy. The outburst caused her to stop and look at her companion.
"There's another Cure!"
They stared at each other, motionless aside from Natsuko's heavy breathing, for a moment before her face began to contort and tears sprung from her eyes.
"Oh my god," she sobbed, wiping the tears away with unsteady hands and experiencing an unexpected but welcome feeling of relief and joy. Her heart and spirits rose, knowing there was someone else. "Where are they?"
"I don't, outside, I think," Pai responded with a light in his face that had not been there before.
Screams still came from outside, but Natsuko noticed inside was quieter. Jogging to the entrance, she saw that the hall was nearly vacant now. "Let's go!" Rushing back, she picked up her bag with the swan half hanging out and charged out into the hallway.
Natsuko was in excellent shape from her dance classes and so she was able to sprint to the main entrance without much difficulty. However, upon her arrival, she found the entrance to be blocked by a mass of students and teachers outside, unable to get back in. Through the glass doors, something huge loomed over them.
A dragon.
The knowledge of a second Cure gave Natsuko strength of mind and body, and the sight of the monster drove her more towards anger than fear. Just as she was about to turn and run off to find another exit, she saw a purple streak, which the dragon, moving much more quickly than its bulk would lead one to believe, intercepted with a punch. A wicked, deep voice said something she could not make out, but noticed its owner, standing atop the gate to the school grounds. Natsuko turned and ran as fast as she could to the other end of the hall, where there was a fire exit. Shoving it open, she now stood across the courtyard from the monster.
"Pai, what do I do?"
He wiggled the rest of the way out of her bag and held up the brooch. "Take this! Hold it up and say 'Precure Take Flight!'" Natsuko took the brooch with one shaking hand and put the bag down with the other. She took one step forward, taking deep, even breaths through her nose, swallowed and held the brooch high in the afternoon light.
"Precure Take Flight!"
999
The first rumbling did not phase Shun; even at 14, he was already a veteran when it came to earthquakes. What frightened him was the more powerful explosion which came next. There was a moment of collective silence and worried glances exchanged between students as the first screams from outside began to filter in. Somewhere, shouted "Monster!" in the distance. Shun was the first to move towards the door and peer out into the hallway. As he did, students from classrooms on the other side of the hallway began screaming and surging into the hallway en mass. There was chaos in the school. Shun's first thought was of his sister, and he immediately acted upon it, dashing from the room while he could still maneuver through the hall. He weaved through the crowd with agility only found in a dancer, achieving the stairs before most. The staff room was nearby and already vacated.
"Natsuko!" he shouted, but she was not there. Thinking she may have returned to their classroom, he did the same, though with more difficulty this time because he was now fighting the current.
"No, you have to evacuate!" A teacher grabbed his arm as he passed, but with a twirl, Shun dislodged himself and continued on, only to find the classroom just as empty as the staff room.
"Where would she have gone?" he said aloud, tensely. Shun's bag laid on his desk where he left it, but, "She took her bag. What does that mean?" The roof? He plunged back into the sea of bodies and made it to the stairs where the third years were descending, but their numbers made climbing the stairs against them almost impossible. He gave up on the main staircase and turned to try the one at the end of the south wing, keeping an eye out for his sister, but by then, the halls were clearing out. Shun took the stairs two at a time, all the way to the top, only to find the door to the roof locked tight. "Noooo!" While going back down, he jumped down most of a flight in haste and stumbled, nearly running into the wall, but absorbed the potential impact with his hands and carried on, more cautious. On the landing for the second floor, Shun could see students running through the courtyard through the large window at the end of the hall. If Natsuko was out there, he was wasting his time. Most were too far away for him to tell from looks, but he did not see anyone who moved like his sister. With a gut feeling that she was not out there, Shun took off at a full sprint down the hall once again.
Despite his athleticism, these repeated sprints down the length of the school were starting to wear on him and his breath was coming harder. He slowed at the other end of the hall before mounting the stairs and looked out the window on this side of the building. Someone was in the courtyard below him, standing instead of running.
"There!" he cried, between gasps of air. Natsuko raised her hand in the air and appeared to say something.
999
A purple silhouette filed with sparkling light in the shape of Natsuko twirled gracefully and bowed, placing her right hand over her heart. When she straightened up, the swan head brooch was attached to her chest. The figure raised her arms, which were bent at the elbows, bowed her head and cradled it while crouching down onto the balls of her feet as the image of a white egg appeared behind her. The purple background darkened and was pierced by miniscule beams of blue-white and yellow-white light. The swan head brooch shown brightly in the darkness and Natsuko performed a leap, throwing her head arms and head back as the egg shattered behind her. The brooch's light engulfed all briefly before fading while a Pretty Cure stepped forward.
"Two bright eyes in the darkness! The beak which leads the attack! Cure Albireo!"
999
"What just happened?" Cure Albireo said, looking around in befuddlement. She was now dressed in a light purple leotard and darker purple, flowing skirt that ended with a yellow accent frill below her knees. On her arms were bicep-length gloves of the same shade as the leotard, decorated with a small, yellow frill on the outside seam, matching rhinestones along side and decorative stitching on the hand. There were thin, unadorned shoes on her feet, also dark purple.
"Cure Albireo!" shouted Pai, reminding her of his presence. "The Chaos Dragon!"
"Uh, right." Cure Albireo's fear had been forgotten while she had been trying to make sense of her transformation and even now, back on track, it remained at bay. "Pai, where's the other Cure?"
Pai concentrated hard for a minute, facing different directions, but was unable to come up with anything. "There's too much Chaos Energy around. I can't sense them."
A roar physically shook the air causing Cure Albireo to shiver. She exchanged a wide-eyed glance with Pai, nodded and with slight apprehension, and walked around the corner of the building. The immense dragon she had seen from the front doors was shaking its head violently and thrashing about with its tail and arms, putting a large group of screaming students and teachers at risk.
"Here I go," Albireo said, swallowing, and took off at a run, much faster than she'd expected to. The power of Pretty Cure, she figured, as she approached the beast. It swung its tail blindly and Cure Albireo could see that the group of cowering children was in its direct path. She put on an extra boost of speed as the tail came down; Albireo raised her arms, and to her own amazement, caught it. Dust flew as the tail's momentum pushed her back a couple of meters before she had stopped its motion completely. Knowing how important balance is, Cure Albireo pushed the tail away and dashed in to sweep a leg out from underneath the behemoth with unexpected strength, causing the dragon to fall forward and crash to the ground in front of her.
"Cure Albireo! The Chaos Dragon!" Pai shouted, flying over and landing nearby. She looked up to the gate to see the figure bent over, rubbing its eyes. As she approached, the Chaos Dragon straightened up and turned towards her, which was when she realized it was not the same one as from the other day.
"There are more than one?" Cure Albireo and the Chaos Dragon shouted in both astonishment and unison.
"Who are you?" the long snouted Chaos Dragon growled.
"I'm Cure Albireo, and I'm not going to let you hurt my- these students!"
"Oh, I'm not going to hurt them, I just need their Chaos Energy," the Chaos Dragon said, mockingly. "The one I'm going to hurt is you!" Eyes glowing red, he hurled himself at Cure Albireo, who clenched her fists and ran to meet him.
999
Next episode:
"Hey, this is Natsuko Akiyama and… Uh, hey Shun."
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing? Heh heh."
"You're hiding something. Why are you sweating?"
"Because it's hot?"
"But you're never hot."
"Natsuko, the Chaos Dragon! What about the other Cure?"
"Shut up, Pai!"
"What is that thing?"
"Nothing! Next time on Northern Cross Pretty Cure! Please read it!"
"What's a Pretty Cure? Natsuko?"
999
Ending song: ganBALANCE de Dance, N.C.P.C. ver.