Chapter two: The Color of Retribution

It turned out; sneaking Clancy into the dorm wasn't hard. Sylvia was nowhere to be seen, so perhaps, Merle thought, her luck was back to being good. Clancy had eyed the building with a disinterested stare, but as soon as she was in the hall it morphed into a look of excitement. Her head swiveled like a dolls and she would give a smile to every student they passed. Finally, they reached Merle's room and with a sigh she collapsed onto her bed. Like this morning, she let all her emotions seep out and into the room.

"Your room… is small." Clancy remarked. Her footsteps sounded throughout the room as she roamed around. Merle looked up from the bed and eyed her with suspicion. She was standing by her desk and picked up wires and tools that were left out. She placed a pair of pliers down and turned to Merle. "You must have many questions, please feel free to ask away."

"What just happened?" The battle replayed in Merle's head; from transforming into a Pretty Cure to summoning a pencil to fight a child's drawing. A shiver ran through her body. Clancy gave a small laugh and leaned against the table.

"You just fought your first Dead-Color as Cure Aero." Her smile turned bitter. Idly, she ran her tan fingers over the red crystal around her neck… the Pigment? "I'll start at the beginning if that's okay." She looked up, a hopeful glint in her silver eyes. Merle gave another nod, watching the smile fade completely from her face. "I'm not from your planet. I'm from another world called the Land of Canvases."

"What?"

Clancy stilled at the outburst, but after a second she gave a stiff nod.

"I don't lie. What I'm telling you is the truth. I fled from there to this planet- your planet." Clancy's voice sounded thick. "Be-because my planet got destroyed." Her head hung low, blonde bangs covering her face. A brittle silence filled the room. Merle shifted on her bed, unsure as what to say. She shuffled her hands over her lap, waiting for Clancy to continue. Perhaps she should say something, but the thought of saying the wrong thing made her hold her tongue.

Finally, Clancy took another deep breath and raised her head. "Sorry. It's hard… to talk about." She wiped a hand across her eyes.

"Take your time, um… I'm here for you?" Merle tried to sound reassuring, but her voice fell flat. Nonetheless, Clancy gave a tight smile. She drummed her fingers across the table, still not talking about the incident. Her eyes flickered across the room till they landed on the window.

"I have a friend, but I lost them in the fight with the Dead-Color. They should be getting here soon." She informed Merle.

"What's a Pretty Cure?" Merle tried to steer the conversation back. She grabbed at the blue crystal around her neck. It felt cool and smooth, but oddly heavy for how small it was.

"A Pretty Cure is a legendary warrior who fights for good. They're the knights in shining armor who fight with honor and bravery." Clancy explained. "I'm Cure- Cure Vermillion." Her hand gingerly rubbed at her stone again. Her eyes were red rimmed and looked glassy. "Pretty Cure work in duos and teams and once you've found your partner…" Her voice trailed off. She sniffled and wiped at her eyes again. "You're my partner, the blue Pigment resonated with you." Clancy tried to force some cheer.

"What does that mean? How can a stone resonate with me?" Perhaps where Clancy was from that meant something different? Maybe rocks resonated with people and fought monsters on daily bases. Merle tried to wrap her head around it. She frowned, contemplating what the alien girls elusive words could mean.

"The Pigments are no ordinary stones." Clancy started off slowly. She seemed to be searching for the correct words, her mouth opened then shut; clearly unsatisfied with what was about to come out. "A Pigment is a crystallized form of emotion." She toyed with the hem of her shirt. "Pigments, no, the Land of Canvases watched over the Pigments and kept them in check." Clancy looked up, but her eyes didn't meet Merles. Instead, they bored into the wall behind her. It was unnerving, like a cat that looks barely behind your shoulder. Merle suppressed a shiver.

Before she could continue, something slammed into the window. Merle shot up from her bed. Clancy looked to the window. She was still, too still like a statue, and then all at once she seemed to relax. Her shoulders were still tense, but her chest rose and fell. Merle's eyes almost bulge out of their sockets. What? She can't form a coherent thought. A griffon floated at the window. It wasn't big like depicted in Greek statues or stories, but more like a plush doll. It was stark against the blue hue of the sky behind it. The griffon's eagle wings beat steadily behind the window pane. Their beady eyes blinked as their beak opened.

"Clancy! Open up!" It gave a barking order. One lions paw rose upward and with a single talon the griffon scratched at the glass.

"He-Hey!" Sylvia would kill Merle if she discovered the glass was scratched. Once, Merle had burned the carpet of her room and didn't bothering hiding it. When inspection came around, Sylvia had tore her a new one. The griffon pouted, if that was possible with a bird's beak and swayed back and forth. Clancy stiffly walked over and opened the latch. The beast shot in without a seconds notice. It circled along the ceiling of the room before settling on the edge of Merle's desk chair.

"Clancy, do you know how hard it was to find you?" The griffon demanded again. Clancy closed the window with a loud thump and turned to face it.

"Sorry, but the Dead-Color had to be defeated," was her clipped reply. The two of them knew each other? It dawned on Merle then that this must be 'the friend'. Amazing, an alien and a griffon in her room. She could almost laugh, this was absurd. The two would judge her for the outburst though, so Merle kept it inside. The griffon nodded then looked my way. After a moment of silence they gave a loud squawk.

"Who-Who are you?" They screeched as if seeing her for the first time. Their eyes locked onto the blue Pigment. They gave another strangled squawk. "The blue Pigment? Why are you wearing that?" The griffon floated from the chair and shot forward. Merle barely had time to move before talons sunk into her arm. A yelp of pain left her as she used her free hand to pry the creature off. Red pricked in tiny drops against her dark skin.

"Get off!" Her voice was strangled. "The rock resonated with me!" With a final shove of her hand she dislodged the griffon. This wasn't funny anymore.

"What? Impossible that's-"

"What are you doing, Grif?" Clancy scooped the griffon out of the air. They shrunk into her immediately, curling their back lion's legs into their stomach. Their beady eyes bored into Merle, then suddenly look down.

"I'm doing my job; protecting the Pigments." Grif didn't sound so sure. Merle looked down and pressed her fingers against the multitude of blood. It bubbled and dripped down her forearm; yikes. Clancy and Grif yelled at each other in the background, but Merle couldn't bring herself to care. She circled the two aliens who didn't seem to notice. They were engrossed in their argument. What mattered was cleaning her wounds.

She reached her desk and pulled open a drawer. She often cut her fingers on metal or burned the tips using tools. Merle was a little accident prone, not that she would admit so. She opened a bottle of disinfectant and proceeded to the bathroom. However, she didn't get far. Before she could even leave the room, someone tugged on her shirt sleeve.

"Merle," Clancy sounded strained. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. There's no excuse for my friends behavior and-"

"It's fine." It's not. "Just help me clean up." Merle looked away from the girl. Clancy grimly nodded and grabbed the disinfectant from her hands. Silently, the two set to work. Merle was shuffled to her seat, Clancy insisting she should clean it up since it was her mistake. Merle didn't really care; as long as the cuts were covered it'd be fine. She watched with idle eyes as the shorter girl wrapped Band-Aid after Band-Aid on.

"Why… don't you continue on?" Merle wrinkled her nose. The smell of blood was gross especially mixed with disinfectant. Clancy blinked confused. Then, her mouth formed an 'o' and she nodded.

"Where were we? The Land of Canvases protects the Pigments and keeps them in check?" She stopped bandaging the wounds. It seemed she was done. Clancy jerked her head in the direction of Grif. "They'll explain, won't you Grif." There was an edge to her voice. Grif gave a squeak and furiously nodded its head.

"You've explained what a Pretty Cure is?" a nod from the two of them. Grif coughed into their paw and sat straighter on Merle's bed. "I will start with the destruction of the Land of Canvases then." Starting with the heaviest news, Merle sighed. Clancy stilled, her fingers knotting the necklace. "The Land of Canvases provides many essentials to all worlds, mainly the Pigments that provide color and emotion. But, there are some who do not like that; they believe all color should be gone."

"Why? What would be the point?" Merle interrupted. A second later and she wanted to shove her foot in her mouth. They would get to that, why was she so impatient. But, that sounded stupid, at least to her. Colors were a part of the world; it wasn't like they could be erased. Why would someone want to do that anyways? Merle's lips pulled into a frown. If plants were gray scaled it would much harder for them to grow, wouldn't it? With all the green chlorophyll pigmentation gone it'd be harder to photosynthesize nutrients.

"Lord Monochrome wishes the whole universe to turn gray scaled so that he can rule over it. When a planet loses its color due to his power, the people there fall into despair making it easier to rule over." Grif informed. Just like Clancy, their eyes looked glassy.

"That happened to our home." Clancy interrupted quietly, her voice a hoarse whisper. Her fingers were wound into her shirt, pulling at hem threads that weren't there earlier in the conversation. Thin, blonde bangs shadowed her eyes. "Monochrome wiped out our home." The room was plunged into an uncomfortable silence. Merle looked down, what to say, what to do. She was drowning. How was she supposed to comfort an alien if she was out of her league in a regular conversation?

"Uh… How are you…? I mean… is there a way to get it back?" Merle stumbled over the words. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire.

"The Pigments! When we get all the Pigments back to their rightful home we can restore any gray scaled place." Grif nodded, wings fluttering excitedly.

"It's practically hopeless however; all the art from our home has been turned into Dead-Colors." Clancy cuts in. Her head rose, gray eyes dull and unfocused. "Besides, there are Monochrome's lackeys- Anneis and Tessur." Of course there had to be people following Lord Monochrome, it wouldn't make sense that he was doing this all by himself.

"Does that mean you're giving up?" Merle turned to Clancy. The girl came to life at once. Spinning on her foot, her hands dug into Merle's forearms.

"No! I will not back down from this fight!" Her eyes narrowed, her grip tightened. The wounds Grif caused are reopened with an intensity that made Merle bite her bottom lip. She leaned back from the smaller girl, seeking a way to get away. "Even if it's hopeless, that doesn't mean I will abandon my duty!"

Breathe; don't think about how close she is. Breathe Merle. She tried to calm herself. She couldn't take the pressure of talking to people; especially when they invaded her personal space. But, Clancy was so easy to read, unlike the others she wore her heart on her sleeve. Even if she was different, Merle's throat still tightened at how close she was.

"Merle…" Clancy pulled away. Her hands were still gripped tightly onto Merle's forearms, but not with the bone breaking strength she was using earlier. Merle gave an internal sigh of relief. Now if only she would step further back. "As a Pretty Cure and my partner I have to ask." Oh no. Oh no. Merle froze, she was going to ask something serious. "Will you help me defeat Monochrome and take back my home?"

Merle's head went blank, her mouth dry. Clancy offered a shaky, hopeful smile. Silence. More silence. Merle was forced to watch as the small smile faded off her face. Clancy finally let go of her forearms and let out a shaky laugh. Her fingers pulled at the unwound part of her shirt again. "Of course I can't expect you to answer right out of the blue, take your time." Even Merle could feel the disappointment rolling off the shorter girl. It assaulted her to the very core.

Before Merle can open her mouth, the world flickered gray. Like a wave crashing around the room, it plunged gray and then quickly returned to being colored. Merle steadied herself against her desk breathing heavily. Clancy's and Grif's heads shot up.

"A Dead-Color?"

"Two in one day?" Clancy sounded infinitely angrier.

"What- What was that?" Merle curled her trembling fingers against the desk.

"The creation of another Dead-Color."

"Only Pretty Cure can sense their birth by the waves they give off." Grif cut in. The griffon's wings snapped open as they took to the air. They head towards the window, opened the latch with their beak, and turned back to us. "I'll scout and see where it is, Clancy and…"

There was a pause of silence.

"…Merle." She supplied her name.

"Merle." The griffon repeated. "You transform and fight it." With that, Grif shot like a bullet into the setting sky. Their brown feathers glinted in the golden light making them look ethereal. She could have appreciated the sight more if the griffon wasn't just digging into her. But, more important things first. Merle's insides twisted at the thought of another one of those monsters. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Clancy head to the door. Her movements were stiff, her hands fists at her sides. Clancy looked battle ready.

Not a second later, a sharp ringing filled the room. The dinner bell! Crap! "We won't be able to leave." Merle turned to face Clancy fully. Clancy stopped at the door, an eyebrow was raised, but she still looked serious.

"We have to. Duty calls."

"Sylvia will stop us."

Clancy frowned and leaned against the door. She looked like she was waiting for a better answer. Merle's heart sank. She would have to fight one of those monsters. Steadily, her heart race increased till it was beating in her ears. Clancy had already beaten and weakened the Dead-Color before she had even arrived, would she be able to?

Did she even want to fight one of those?

She didn't have a duty to help this Land of Canvases, did she?

Yes, it sucked that it was destroyed, but she had no obligation to help. She sucked in a heavy breath and looked to Clancy guiltily. Could she read minds? Clancy was still leaning against the door with a frown. Merle looked down at her feet, shame making her cheeks go hot.

"You don't have to come," Clancy interrupted her thoughts. "You're having jitters." She pushed some blonde hair behind her ear and stepped forward. Gently, she reached and clasped a hand around Merle's forearm; the one hurt earlier. Her face was soft as she traced the bandages. Her fingers were like feathers brushing against Merle's skin. "I'm sincerely sorry for the way Grif attacked you." She turned the arm so the palm was facing the ceiling. "I'm sorry for the way I gripped your arm as well. I got… caught up in the moment." Her voice was barely above a whisper. Finally, she placed her hand in Merle's. She gave a squeeze to the now clasped hands. "You don't have to fight."

"I don't want to." Merle confessed. Her thoughts were occupied elsewhere, about how she said she couldn't follow rules and how she wanted to help. It was the adrenaline talking, not her. She just didn't want to die. Merle's heavy heart falls till she's sure its swimming around her stomach.

"That's fine." Clancy replied, letting go of her hand. "This wasn't your fight in the first place." She passed by Merle and crossed the room. The breeze from the open window blew hot against Merle's skin. The oranges and reds of the setting sun lit in bright, jagged lines across Clancy's skin. "I was being presumptuous by thinking you would even want this." Her nose crinkled. "A little impolite as well, but that doesn't excuse my behavior." A sigh of relief went through Merle, the thought that Clancy excused those horrid thoughts that never left her lips. But, if she had this power… shouldn't she use it? Merle looked up, but only caught the tail end of what Clancy was saying-

"-Pretty Cure! Primer and Gloss!" The zing signifying her transformation was sharp in the silence. Turning, Merle stared at Vermillion. The thick, red braid that dangled near the edge of her skirt fluttered in the wind. With a curt nod, she climbed out the window and leapt to the ground. A few seconds later and she heard a muted thud.

I don't know what to do. Mom's advice didn't anything to say about this. Personal health above others, right? No, that didn't sound right at all. Help yourself before you help others? Again, that didn't sound right at all. She scoured the edges of her brain, desperately trying to find anything to piece together anything that could begin to lead her in the right direction. Was there even a right direction?

"We are here to help others on this Earth," she voiced one of her mother's quotes. When in times of trouble she would seek out her mother, and when she wasn't there, and often that was, her quotes would suffice. To the best if her abilities, Merle tried to follow her, and by extension her quotes, and that had never led her wrong before.

Merle headed towards the window. The hot air kissed her skin. The setting sun sunk lower and lower behind the school building. Long, thick shadows covered the school grounds.

I don't have an obligation to help the Land of Canvases and I'm scared of those monsters. Night was a breath away. Already, the inky blackness was setting in.

But, seeing Vermillion bloody and beaten scares me more. Beyond the buildings a high cloud of dust rose and dissipated into the air.

I want to help, even though I'm scared, and I don't want Vermillion getting hurt like that again. That was where Vermillion had to be.

"Pretty Cure! Primer and Gloss!"

Aero leapt out the window. She landed with a roll and started off towards the fight. The world blurred as she ran. The ground beneath her feet thumped loudly with every step she took, quickly becoming a steady beat. She passed the grounds of the school, exiting from the gates. Yet, she wasn't out of breath. It was only her second time transforming and she could feel the electricity flowing through her veins. The trees and streets leading to the school bled into Main Street. The colors of the approaching night become that of a still, gray world. Immediately, Aero could see the Dead-Color and – "Vermillion!"

The red clad cure barely jumped back, dodging a crashing tentacle. She landed a couple feet away and looked to Aero. Her face brightened as a smile stretched across her face. "Vermillion I-" Aero wanted the words to come out right just this once. She wanted to explain how her heart ached and how she was scared, but wanted to help despite that. "I don't want to fight… I'm scared." Her fingers trembled in their gloves. "But, I don't want to see you hurt either." The words come out in a rush.

How could she articulate the fact that even though the two just met, she cared for her? That that was the first time that's happened in a long time? Maybe it was just basic human empathy shining through, but Aero really didn't want Vermillion hurt, even if that meant she, herself, was at risk.

"Oh, that's cute." Someone drawled out. Aero's head shot up to meet the gaze of a man. "Another thorn in our sides." He had gray hair, no his whole body was adorned in grays and blacks. His skin was an ashen tan with splotches of white spread across his skin, like the color was bleached out. The before mentioned hair was pulled back into a long ponytail that looped at the base of his neck.

"Tessur," Vermillion growled the name. One of Monochrome's followers if Aero remembered correctly. She wasn't expecting him to be so… human looking. Maybe more like a Dead-Color, a very large, artistic Dead-Color. The man gave a wave with a thin hand then pointed down at them. Literally, as he was sitting on top of a short, square building.

"I knew you would be drained after defeating Anneis' Dead-Color." He frowned. "But, the idiot didn't mention there were two of you now." He was talking more to himself than the two Cures. "Doesn't matter, Dead-Color kill them." At his words the Dead-Color launched forward. Both Cures dodged. The air cut against Aero's skin as she soared upward. A scream barely escaped her lips as she clearly launched herself over the buildings. What goes up my go down however, and Aero started to fall. Her skirt and crop top flutter, but defy normal physics by not flying up.

Vermillion landed first, her heels clacking against the pavement. Without waiting, she rushed forward. The Dead-Color this time looked like a large octopus. It flailed its gray tentacles against the street. Cracks spread with each beating. Vermillion dodged the first two by ducking and running. A third came down, but she flipped over it and landed a drop kick. Finally, Aero hit the cement with an oof! She stumbled backwards and felt pain jolt up her legs. If she was a normal person right now, she'd be dead.

"Aero! Help me!" Vermillion screamed. She spun and kicked another tentacle away. The whole tentacle was bigger than her. With a loud crash, it smacked into the nearest building. With a nod, Aero rushed forward. Her legs stumbled beneath her, brain still not fully caught up to the fact they move so fast now, and she pulled an arm back.

Aero had only been in a fight once. And even then, it wasn't really a fight. It was back in 8th grade when she punched another girl. It was over her tormenting some stray cat on campus. Of course, the other girl punched back. By that time a teacher was already tearing the two of them apart, and that was the end. The point of the anecdote was to show Aero's never been in a real fight.

Her fist connected with one of the thrashing tentacles. The force of the punch sent it reeling back. Vermillion stepped out of the way, barely dodging the incoming appendage. It continued onward. With a wet squelch, the tentacle smacked the monster in its own face. Aero gave a snort.

The amusement was short lived. The Dead-Color quickly recovered and raised two tentacles in an 'x' formation. Vermillion moved her arms to block, the tentacles came crashing down. She was smashed into the ground, her legs giving beneath her.

"Vermillion!" Aero dodged another incoming attack. It barely clipped her shoulder, but caught her off balanced and sent her skidding to the street. There was always another tentacle. The octopus Dead-Color utilized each one against the two Cures. Aero shot up and landed a poorly aimed kick to redirect one of the multiple appendages.

"Thanks, were not getting anywhere however," Vermillion pulled herself up. She pointed to the head of the monster. "We're going to do a double hit on the head next. Just follow my lead." Before Aero could argue, because what did a double hit even mean, Vermillion was running. She dodged all incoming attacks with the grace only a seasoned warrior could use. Before she could be left behind, Aero followed her.

Vermillion jumped up, so of course Aero followed. Both their feet landed against the bricks of the adjacent building. Aero shot upwards and slung a fist back. Vermillion faltered in the air and quickly descended. Aero didn't, heading straight for the mark.

"The Pigment that blazes within the heart! Pretty Cure! Vermillion Spiral!" The red ribbons shot out in every direction, tying the tentacles down. With those out of the way, Aero's fist connected with the side of the Dead-Color, sinking in with her force. The monster's head snapped to the right and connected with the opposite building. The walls caved in, bits of bricks raining down below. "Now! Aero!"

"The Pigment that tranquilizes the heart!" As she fell, Aero called the oversized pencil. "Pretty Cure! Aero Recode!" The bright blue of her code wrapped around the monster. With a discordant screech it became cleansed. Red color seeped into its skin as well as bright gold. Finally, with a burst of paint splattering against everything, Aero included, it disappeared. She landed with a shudder. One of her hands wiped at the dripping paint on her cheek.

"Hmm…" Tessur appeared where the Dead-Color once stood. His boots clacked against the quickly disappearing paint. "With a partner, Pretty Cure get stronger. I see…" He stroked at his chin with white fingers. The two Cures tensed. Vermillion slid into a battle ready position. Tessur's sharp eyes, brown now that Aero can see them clearer, shift over to her. A condescending smile slipped onto his sharp face.

"I'll leave you to your own," with a slight jump into the air, he shimmered and disappeared. With a heavy sigh, Aero's transformation pinged off in a flash of blue. She slipped to her knees, not caring that the gravel cut into the sensitive skin. The dark, gray sky above was now an inky black that shone with dim stars. With a flicker, the lights of the buildings beside her washed the street in dirty, yellow light.

"Come on, let's get you home." Clancy offered Merle her hand. With a grateful nod, she took it. Alas, her stomach chose to rumble loudly at that moment. Merle's cheeks heated up and she backed away from Clancy.

"I-I" did she even hear that? Merle prayed not, she'd make fun of her- ridicule her. Instead, Clancy broke out into a fit of laughter. Merle shrunk back, even more embarrassed.

"I'm hungry too. Want to get some dinner?" Clancy gave a tired grin. "We still have more to talk about."

"…Sure." Merle managed a smile.

Afterword: *lies on the ground* my eyes hurt from looking at the screen too long. Rip.

Leave a comment, review, constructive criticism, I would love to hear from y'all and would love to improve :)