PLEASE SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS
PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES
-CHAPTER START-
Realm PC-7
"…And that's basically it, up to now."
The explanation to Mana's parents and grandfather took a little while; the Cure Quartet (Mana, Rikka, Alice, Makoto), Sebastian, the four fairies, Ai, Ryūko, and the newly-purified Regina had done what they could to cover everything and make it all comprehensible. The Aida family were surprised by just how deep a mess their little girl had gotten caught up in, but there wasn't really anything that could be done at the moment, and they were amazed & proud of how much good Mana was doing.
"Senketsu and I are doing what we can to help the girls get stronger and more skilled without pushing them too hard" Ryūko said. "Still… I'm worried about this 'Cure Ace' girl."
Alice nodded. "She was ready to use lethal force against Regina, even after finding out she wasn't in control of herself; it was like she couldn't, or didn't want to, believe that a member of the 'enemy' could have a change of heart and find redemption."
"A magical girl who doesn't abide by mercy…" Mana's father mused. "That's a scary thought."
"And she was strong" Senketsu added. "Her power level was noticeably higher than these girls', perhaps even on Ryūko's level… well, Ryūko's level without using my chakra, anyway."
"I didn't sense any Darkness in her" Mana admitted. "It was Light, but…"
"The forces of light can sometimes get too hardcore…" Ryūko admitted. "Like that 'Eraqus' guy from Team Sora's world 'bout 11 or 12 years back, along with probably a few other people out there… We gotta be careful."
"Still," Rikka said, "with Regina on our side now, the enemy only has three heavy hitters left."
"…Five" Regina spoke up. "There are two more Selfish Generals you girls haven't met yet. There used to be seven in all, but two of them were killed when the Trump Kingdom fell. Or so I heard."
"Who are they?" Makoto asked.
"Leva and Gula. Leva is a kinda fancy-looking man, tall and skinny, and he's known for being viciously envious of anyone he perceives as being better than him in any way. Gula is a bit brute who loves to eat; he can even eat things that aren't food."
"…The Seven Sins" Senketsu spoke up. "Lust, Envy, Greed, Gluttony, Pride, Wrath, and Sloth…"
"…Ira has a temper problem, Mammo is greedy and petty, and Bel likes to laze about and delegate until circumstances force him to get off his butt and do things. You're right. How odd…"
"Even some of their names match" Sebastian spoke up. "Mammon, the demon of greed; Leviathan, the demon of envy; Belphegor, the demon of sloth…"
"Well, whatever" Ryūko said. "In any event, we gotta keep an eye out for these two other guys, especially if their king gets fed up with the usual trio's bungling and lets the other two have a try at us…"
"Whatever comes out way," Mana said, "I'm sure we can handle it! Though… Regina, if they try to come after you again, will you be able to protect yourself? You've lost your dark powers…"
"Not entirely" the blonde grinned. She concentrated, and her shadow darkened to pitch-black and began to move and wiggle independent of her. "It seems I have some natural talent for Shadow-type magic. I just gotta train to get a good handle on it…"
"The DDF has some Shadow-users" Ryūko pointed out. "Takane from Ala Alba's Earth, and the Nara Clan from the shinobi world… I think it's about time to show you all the 'archived footage' covering everything leading up to now; maybe from watching other shadow-technique users, Regina, you can get some ideas."
-Break-
A couple days later, the girls were helping Mana's family set up their stands at a neighborhood summer festival. It was also Makoto & Regina's first chance to enjoy such a thing, and they were definitely enjoying it; Regina, especially, had an adorably happy look on her face as Mana led her around, showing her things. Neither of them noticed a girl around 9 or 10 years old with long red-orange hair watching them with wary suspicion…
Of course, the fun didn't last forever. Two of Makoto's fans tried to get an autograph from her, but Davi (in human form as 'DB, MakoPi's manager') told them off, saying it was a private event. Unfortunately, the two fans' disappointment made them prime targets for a pair of yet-unmet Selfish Generals – Leva and Gula, going by Regina's earlier descriptions; the two of them made a pair of Jikochuu from the fans' Hearts, standing back and watching as the monsters attacked. The four Cures and Ryūko transformed as the civilians ran for safety, engaging the dark beasts in battle, but the Jikochuu pair's power and teamwork proved to be formidable.
Just when the monsters fired a combined blast of high-pressure ink and slicing giant 'paper' projectiles, a flash of red accompanied a shimmering red barrier forming in the attacks' path. When the dust faded, Cure Ace stood before them, ready to fight. She fired a sparkling flame burst at the two monsters, shoving them back but not doing much damage. The ink-Jikochuu growled and began to charge… but suddenly froze, groaning and struggling, its movements nearly frozen. Cure Ace and the others were surprised, and noticed its shadow darkened to pitch-black and extending over to…
"Kagemane capture success" Regina said with a grin.
The redeemed girl slowly raised her fist, and the Jikochuu growled as it was forced to do the same. Then, she jabbed her fist at her own cheek, stopping a couple centimeters from contact, and with the Jikochuu's proportionately bigger 'hands' it was forced to sock itself in the face. She then made a leg-sweep movement, and the sign-paper Jikochuu cried out in surprise as its comrade was made to trip it.
Unfortunately, the free Jikochuu took notice of the shadow connection, and slammed its fist down into the ground, breaking the earth and disrupting Regina's Kagemane link. The enraged ink-Jikochuu charged at Regina, but was blindsided as Ryūko's Pancham came in with a Brick Break to the side of the head, stunning it and giving Regina room to get out of the way. Meanwhile, a Flame Burst from Ryūko's Vulpix hit the distracted sign-Jikochuu in the face, leaving it staggering back.
Ryūko and Cure Heart went on the attack, the latter and Cure Ace double-teaming the sign-Jikochuu while Ryūko helped Regina with the ink-using one. The ink-Jikochuu fired a wave of the stuff at Ryūko, who smirked and wove hand-seals before releasing a Ryūka no Jutsu; the flames raced down the stream of dark-magic ink and engulfed the monster in an explosion that left it badly damaged, barely on its feet. Seeing a chance, Cure Ace turned and fired an Ace Shot at the Jikochuu, purifying it… and nearly catching Regina in the blast, too.
"Hey, watch it!" the blonde shouted. "What's the big idea?!"
Meanwhile, Cure Heart had managed to soften the sign-Jikochuu up enough that a Heart Shoot finished the monster off, purifying its Heart. With a disdainful snort, the observing Leva teleported out, Gula following close behind. Cure Ace made her exit soon after, only telling the Cures a vague "you must get stronger to face the challenges that lay ahead" before leaving the scene.
'That woman…' Ryūko thought, clenching her fist. 'Did she even care that she almost hit Regina, too?!'
"Everyone alright?" she asked aloud.
"A couple bumps & bruises," Cure Diamond replied, "but nothing major. Still, now it's confirmed we've got two more enemy leaders to worry about."
"And at least we know my shadow-bending magic works" Regina chimed in. "Shame the other Jikochuu figured out how to disrupt it…"
"You did good, kid" Ryūko said with a smile, petting the younger girl on the head.
"Eheheh… Thanks, onée-chan!"
-Break-
A few days after, Makoto's budding doubts over whether her singing even mattered anymore were brought to the surface when a strategy meeting was interrupted by Cure Ace casually appearing by an open window. She had then rather bluntly pointed out that the girls weren't strong enough to take on King Jikochuu, and had then accused Makoto of not giving her all in singing or in being a Pretty Cure. She had left before Ryūko could try to chew her out, but it was too late: with her doubts spurred on by Ace's words, Makoto announced that her next upcoming contest would be her last.
On the day of the concert, however, Ai-chan produced a Lovead that enabled Makoto to speak with Princess Marie-Ange, who not only told of how hearing Makoto's music gave her strength, but how she can clearly tell how much Makoto enjoys singing and how she shouldn't give up on it. Meanwhile, Leva created two Jikochuu – a microphone-themed one to handle Cures Heart, Diamond, & Rosetta, and a secondary one elsewhere to keep Ryūko & Regina busy. Just when the trio were in danger of being overcome, though, Cure Sword – her confidence restored – joined the fray, and with help from Cure Ace (using a purple variant of her Ace Shot to bind the Jikochuu in place) she vanquished the monster, driving Leva to retreat; Cure Diamond then moved to help finish off the other Jikochuu (which Ryūko & Regina had beaten but couldn't purify).
Not long after, Alice lost some faith in herself when her Rosetta Wall actually failed to withstand a Jikochuu's attack, with Cure Ace swooping in to finish the monster off before it could do too much more damage. Her butler Sebastian tried to use an artificial 'commune' (the term for the Cures' transformation tools) to aid his mistress, only for it to be stolen by Mammo, who used it to make herself look good for the people until she was exposed at an amusement park, where Cure Rosetta finally managed to overcome her hangups and bounce Mammo's attack right back at her, destroying the artificial 'commune'.
A couple days later, Rikka was wavering on whether she wanted to become a doctor or was just looking up to her mother when she made that decision long ago. But going to the beach in an attempt to clear her head led to an astonishing discovery…
-Break-
"Please step aside, Hishikawa Rikka. I will not ask again."
Cure Ace had her glittering red & gold weapon pointed at Rikka, or rather at the bewildered and concerned boy Rikka was standing in front of to protect: an amnesiac Ira.
"I… I will not!" Rikka shouted.
"The moment he regains his memories, he'll try to destroy you, regardless of how kind you have been to him. All those of the Selfish Kingdom are like that by nature. The only thing we can do is kill him before he remembers."
"If all Selfish Kingdom people are like that," Regina said as she took position slightly beside and in front of Rikka, "then how do you explain me?"
"…You won't fool me like you have them, dark one."
And then, everyone looked on with shocked horror as Cure Ace fired at Ira and Regina. Suddenly, a crimson blade batted the energy blast up and away, and Ryūko stood there, fixing an icy glare at Cure Ace.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Mana shouted at Cure Ace. "Regina's on our side!"
"I refuse to believe that!" Cure Ace snapped at her. "Even if she tries, inevitably her inner nature will win out and turn her upon you once more. The weight of her sins is too great. I have been waiting for the chance to save you girls from the threat she poses, and I was trying to find a way to be discreet about it, but it seems that I will have to follow my duty more overtly."
"Your duty?" Ryūko snarled softly. She began walking toward Cure Ace, sparkling red flashes accompanying her & Senketsu assuming combat mode. "You really think murdering allies of the Pretty Cures is your 'duty'? If Regina truly was still evil, the Keyblade would've struck her down! And without his memories, Ira is innocent! Do you know nothing of mercy?"
"A Pretty Cure cannot afford to be merciful or 'forgiving' toward enemies" Cure Ace replied as Ryūko stood a couple meters from her. "Our responsibility is to destroy the Selfish Kingdom. That adherence and devotion to our duty, vanquishing of our enemies, is the most important quality of a Pretty Cure."
"Wrong! …The most important thing for a Pretty Cure, for a warrior of justice, for any hero… is compassion! Protecting those who can't protect themselves, being kind and caring and considerate toward others, providing guidance to the less experienced heroes & heroines, helping the helpless, guiding the lost, stopping those with evil hearts from harming the innocent but also offering understanding, mercy, and forgiveness to those who truly wish to atone and change their ways! If you can't or won't understand that… then you aren't fit to be a Pretty Cure!-!"
There was a flash of movement and a deep, echoing sound, and the others stared in utter shock. Cure Ace's beautiful face was twisted with rage, glaring hatefully at Ryūko, whose head was tilted back and to the side a little, Ace's fist still pressed to her cheek. Letting out a soft growl, she ducked low and then hammered Cure Ace in the gut with a blow that sent the red-haired warrior skidding back, doubled over. The two of them glared at each other for several seconds, bodies seething with red auras.
Then, they charged in at each other. Ryūko and Cure Ace lashed out with mighty blows that clashed against each other, little shockwaves in the air from the released force. They caught each other's fists, struggling for a few seconds, and then broke free as Cure Ace went for a leaping spinning kick aimed at the side of Ryūko's head, which Ryūko ducked to avoid and responded with a jab aimed at Cure Ace's midsection, only for Ace to grab her arm and flip herself up and out of the way. The two girls leapt back and fired flame bursts at each other, the fireballs crashing into each other in a burst of embers and smoke. Neither of them missed a beat, charging right back into melee again.
The spectators watched in frightened awe, watching and sensing the two mighty powers clashing before them. Blasts of chi and magic filled the air as Ryūko and Cure Ace stepped it up a level, trying harder to overcome each other. One stray blast from Ace nearly grazed Ira, who cried out as the split-second close proximity caused a strange, hot and fluttery feeling in his chest… A heel-drop from Cure Ace created a sizable crater in the earth, but its intended target leapt clear and exhaled a fireball down at her. Ace fired a crimson heart-shaped blast up at the fireball, setting it off in a powerful explosion, and then brought her arms up to block Ryūko's attempt to come in from the side with a dashing punch. However, Ryūko used Ace's arm and upper body as leverage to flip herself up & over and nail Ace with a knee to the back of the head. Ace stumbled, but recovered in time to dodge Ryūko's follow-up strike and knock her back with a palm thrust to the midsection.
"Why do you insist so strongly on defending them?" Cure Ace asked as she struck a few blows at Ryūko's guard, to no avail. "Why would you try so hard to forgive those who do not deserve it?"
Ryūko shoved her back. "…I used to be… a cold, mean, selfish, vicious girl. I cared only about avenging my father, to hell with anything and anyone else. But… over the course of my quest for revenge and answers, I met people – good people, who showed me compassion, kindness, and patience just because they wanted to help me, and showed me how good it felt to do the same. As I fought and learned and lived, I came to understand people better. Some people who I'd fought against… I was able to forgive them, and in return they became some of my strongest allies and trusted comrades. Someone who was lost in the shadows managed to find her way out because I gave her a second chance… just as how some of those people gave me another chance when I lost my way.
"Compassion… Mercy… Forgiveness… Those things turned me from an angry, mistrustful, lonely girl into who I am today, gave me people I trust, people I love, people I'd do anything for! So someone who can't accept those things… is someone I can't stand!-!"
She dashed forward and landed a mighty punch to Cure Ace's face, knocking the white-clad warrior back and creating a mighty booming shockwave that blew a huge crater into the side of the riverbank wall behind her. Growling, Ace lashed out with a straight kick that nearly doubled Ryūko over, the shockwave flattening the grass behind her and sending a big splash through the water of the creek.
"These girls I've taken under my wing… Regina, who's become like a little sister to me… even our little amnesiac 'enemy' who's finally starting to see the light… I will protect them from any threat, including you!-!"
"If you would defend a member of the enemy's forces, then I am afraid I can never call you an ally! You can only be my foe!"
"The way you talk… pisses me the hell off!-!"
"That is fine with me!-!"
The two girls roared out as they charged in, and when their blows met in the middle, a sparkling light heralded a mighty explosion of power that blew the spectators back and off their feet. Embers and shockwaves flew as the two high-level warriors brawled, but it was gradually becoming clear that Cure Ace was being pushed back, faltering in the wake of Ryūko's assault fueled by protective fury.
Overcome with frustration, Cure Ace charged fiery magical power into her hand and released it point-blank, apparently engulfing Ryūko in a sparkling explosion. But after a few seconds, the red-&-black-clad heroine came rushing out of the smoke, accompanied by the characteristic whirling sound from the compressed, chaotically-rotating sphere of chakra held in her hand, the technique Naruto had taught her, the technique Cure Ace had no room or time to avoid:
"RASENGAN!-!"
The sphere of chakra was slammed into Cure Ace's midsection, grinding into her as Ryūko shoved it forward. Then, it detonated, and the concussive blast sent Ace spiraling back to slam into the riverbank wall, leaving a sizable crater. She slowly slid down, landing in a heap, weakly groaning and twitching. Red light rolled over her as her transformation came undone, revealing…
"A… A kid…?" Rikka gasped.
"She looks like she's only, like, 9 or 10 years old…" Mana murmured. "Her transformation comes with age-up magic?"
As the girl known as Aguri Madoka groaned weakly, trying to raise her head, the Mirror Lovead in Makoto's pocket flew up and out. Davi took her 'commune' form and installed it, forming into the communication mirror that floated over to in front of Aguri, who gasped weakly as Princess Marie-Ange's face appeared.
"P… Princess…" she said weakly. "I failed you…"
"Yes, you did," the princess' voice echoed, "but not in the way you think you did. Aguri… Surely, King Jikochuu must be defeated, and those with truly wicked hearts must be stopped, but some people who are lost in the Dark can be saved. Regina is already redeemed, rejected her father's influence and come to the Light, and it may be possible for the boy to follow her path. …Your duty is important, but without compassion, love… it has no meaning. You have refused to accept that people can change, that there are shades of grey in the world, that some battles can be won without fighting. …I am sorry, but… someone who does not understand and accept compassion, forgiveness, and redemption… cannot truly be a Pretty Cure."
The mirror went dark again. Then, Aguri's transformation purse disintegrated into motes of red light, as the girl stared in disbelieving, despairing horror. Even though she'd just been fighting them, the other girls couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity at the look on her face…
"Found you~, PreCure!"
Startled, everyone looked up at the bridge, where a familiar massive figure stood looking down at them, grinning with a mouthful of fangs.
"Gula!" Makoto shouted, as Davi floated back over to her.
The giant man chuckled, but then looked confused as he saw the boy amongst the girls.
"Ira! Whatcha doin' down there?!"
"Eh?" the amnesiac boy looked confused and worried. "Do I… know you?"
"…Ohohh… Lost your memory somehow, huh? Well, whatever. You're a pain in the ass, so I don't care if I hit you, too!"
He opened his mouth wide, charging and firing a purple blast of Darkness energy at the gang. As they scattered, Rikka tackled Ira out of the way, not noticing that the back of his head hit the grassy ground when they landed.
"Stay back!" she told him. "We'll take care of this. Regina, keep him safe!"
Though still leery about trusting the boy, even with his memories lost, Regina did as she was told, moving over and taking position near Ira as Rikka stepped forward with the others. Then, the boy stared in awe as shining lights engulfed the girls, revealing their transformed state. He brought a hand to his head, as images flashed through his brain…
Gula leapt down, almost crushing Cure Rosetta underfoot and nearly catching Cure Sword with his shark-like jaws. He dodged magic blasts from Cures Heart and Diamond, and then leapt to the side to avoid a falling slice from Ryūko and her Scissor Blade, conjuring thick metal plates strapped to his forearms to block her follow-up swings. Ryūko's Pokémon came out to join the fray, and Vulpix fired a Flame Burst. Gula grinned and ate the fire blast… and then his face went bright-red, steam coming out of his ears, as he dropped everything and sprinted over to the river, taking in huge gulps of water to douse the burning in his mouth.
"You're gonna pay for that, you little rodent…" he growled as he wiped his mouth.
He spat out another explosive blast of dark magic, forcing the heroines to scatter again. Charging, he brought his huge fists down like hammers in a narrowly-dodged attempt to flatten Heart & Rosetta, and then when Diamond & Sword tried to kick him from behind he reached back, grabbed them by the legs and banged the girls together like cymbals, tossing them away afterward. A barrage of punches & kicks from Ryūko and her Pancham pushed him back a little, but he soon rallied and sent them flying with a wide swinging blow.
As Gula pushed the Cures back and beat them around, leaving them groaning and trying to pick themselves up, he charged and fired an extra-large blast at them. Before they could react, however, Ira stepped forward… and, with a swing of his arm, swatted the blast up and away.
"What?" Cure Diamond stared. "H-How?"
"…I… have had it with you, you overgrown, arrogant walking garbage-disposal!" Ira shouted at Gula. "In fact? I've had it with all of you – Bel's lazy ass and creepy shades, Mammo's focusing more on primping herself up then doing her damn job, Leva's condescending asshattery and that stupid gaudy outfit of his! That's it! I'm done! I don't care about the stupid King and his stupid orders anymore! I don't care about trying to beat the PreCures over and over again anymore! I am recusing myself from this whole stupid war!-!"
The girls (especially Aguri) were thoroughly shocked, and Gula's shock soon gave way to eerily calm anger.
"So, you turn your back on us too, Ira? Just like Regina did?"
"I'm not about to get all buddy-buddy with the Cures like she has, but yeah. I'm out; I'm washing my hands of this whole affair, gonna settle down somewhere on this crazy rock full of crazy people, and do my own thing. To hell with you people; I'm fed up with all of it."
Gula snorted. "Then step aside, and at least lemme do what I came here for."
"…Sorry, but not gonna happen. Despite everything… Cure Diamond saved my life. I owe her. I don't like owing people favors. So, before I step outta this war, the last thing I'm gonna do in it… is see that debt repaid!"
Ira flared with power, a violet aura surging like a flame around him. He then threw both arms forward, firing a sizable wave of purple energy at Gula. The massive Selfish General leapt high to dodge it, only to be nailed by a fireball from Ryūko while he was in midair. He crashed back to the ground with a thud, snarled as he got to his feet… and let out a strangled gasp as he found he couldn't move, and soon had trouble breathing.
"Kage Kubi-Shibari no Jutsu" Regina announced. "Bit of trouble for me to nail this one down, but…"
"Shadow-manipulation magic, huh?" Ira gave Regina a genuinely curious and impressed look. "Sweet. But, uh, how long can ya hold him?"
With a roar, Gula burst free of the shadowy binds, charging at the gang like an angry bull.
"Not long enough, apparently! Move!"
The two defectors scattered, and Gula charged right into a Rosetta Reflection that Rosetta then angled upward with perfect timing, using his momentum to launch him into the air. While he was airborne, a Heart Shoot from Cure Heart hit him dead-center ("skeet-shooting!" Ira remarked with a laugh), and when he fell he landed with an earth-shaking crash. As he got to his feet, Cure Diamond released a barrage of ice blasts, and Gula grinned and gobbled them up… and then he doubled over, clutching his head as he was given a massive brain-freeze. Furious, fed up, and freezing, he teleported out.
As the dust settled, Ira turned to see Cure Diamond standing there. He fidgeted a little.
"Um… t… thanks…" he mumbled out. "For, y'know… savin' me and all that…"
After a moment, Cure Diamond smiled. "No problem."
"…Don't look at me like that" he averted his gaze, rubbing at the back of his head and wondering why his cheeks felt hot. He then turned to Regina. "So, uh… We cool?"
Regina looked unsure for a moment, but then she sighed and held out her fist. Ira returned the gesture, a peace agreement signed by a fist-bump.
"What will you do now?" Cure Heart asked.
"Don't really know. Maybe explore, see if there's anything interesting to see… and stay the hell away from this whole mess. Maybe with me gone, the old man will have to get off his ass and work more; that'll piss him off…"
"Goodbye then, Ira…" Diamond said. "It was… kinda nice while it lasted."
The boy blushed a little again. "R-Right… Maybe I'll see you girls again sometime…" he grinned "But probably not."
He made his exit, flash-stepping out.
"Man, today has been crazy" Ryūko said as she stretched. "Wonder what'll happen next?"
"Well," Senketsu spoke up, the others listening, "first, I do believe we should figure out what to do about her…"
He used one of his spikes to point at Aguri, who was still in shock from not only losing her Pretty Cure powers, but witnessing one of the Selfish Generals defect, recuse himself from the war, and aid the other Cures before leaving. So much that she thought she knew had been turned upside-down…
-Break-
The whole gang was gathered back at Mana's house; Raquel had suggested binding Aguri, but it was pointed out that without her Pretty Cure powers and with the emotional state she was in, that wasn't necessary.
"My name is… is Aguri – Madoka Aguri."
Ryūko sighed. "Kugimiya Madoka, Kaname Madoka, and now you, huh? 'Course, we got three 'Kaede's, too…"
The little girl glared. "Madoka is my last name. I'm tired of people getting that mixed up…"
"So, who exactly are you and where did you come from?" Makoto asked.
"For some reason, my memories are kinda fuzzy, but… I was defeated by a powerful Selfish General at some point in the past, and my partner was regressed into an infant…" She pointed at Ai-chan, to the Cures' shock. "My hopes were to find the other Cures – you girls – and do what I could to get you stronger, faster, better, more able to fight and defeat our enemy… as well as assist in a grand trial that the Pretty Cures must face…"
"Grand Trial?" Mana asked.
"…It doesn't matter now. I'm not a Cure anymore; the Princess herself relieved me of my duties… I just don't know what went wrong… I thought fulfilling my duty meant defeating the enemy, nothing more. I… I never thought anyone of the Selfish Kingdom could actually reject the Darkness, let alone two of them."
"Did you… not understand what compassion and forgiveness can achieve?" Alice asked. "Do you not have any friends, the kind of people you would learn those things from interacting with?"
Aguri shook her head. "All I have is my grandmother. I have not had time to 'make friends' during the course of my training, my duties…"
"Well, that explains it" Regina spoke up, startling Aguri. "Before I met Mana-chan and onée-chan and the others, I was a real bad egg. You didn't have anyone to teach you that kinda important stuff like I did."
"Maybe we can fix that" Mana proclaimed, standing. "Aguri-chan, maybe we could try being your friends? And we could try to help you make other friends, too?"
Ryūko was about to say something, but images of her older sister and the 'Elite Four' flashed through her mind, and so she held her tongue.
"Eh?" Aguri looked surprised. "R-Really? But… I don't really know how…"
"Isn't there a summer festival soon?" Rikka suggested.
"Eh? 'Summer festival'?" Regina looked puzzled. "What's that?"
"Oh, you two are gonna love it" Mana said with a grin. 'Also,' she discreetly texted to the girls, 'maybe I can meet with Aguri-chan's classmates, see what they think of her.'
-Break-
Aguri went home after that meeting. The next day, the girls accompanied Mana on a delivery of supplies to a kind old woman who would be hosting an outdoor tea ceremony soon… and were quite surprised to discover Aguri there as well; the old woman was her grandmother. The girls played along with keeping the old woman in the dark about what her granddaughter was… had been doing, and Aguri led them out back, first to show them some of what a tea ceremony entailed and then to further out to show them a beautiful stream within the forest behind her house. She'd left them there to go help her grandmother…
…And that had been when Leva & Gula pooled their powers to create an extra-large, extra-strong Jikochuu. The mighty beast had shrugged off the girls' attempts to attack it, and then had followed Gula in making a beeline for the Madoka household.
Now, as the powerless Aguri and her grandmother huddled together, the huge Jikochuu prepared to swat them like flies…
"Kage Shōheki!" {影牆壁}
A jet-black quarter-dome barrier formed, blocking the monster's strike. Aguri gasped as Regina, her identity disguised by a crude mask and magically altering her clothes' colors, stood firm in defense of her. The blonde gritted her teeth as the Jikochuu kept punching at her Shadow Barrier, which began to crack and give way, only for the Cures and Ryūko to show up just in time and push the monster back, leaving Regina to fall to her knees and let her barrier dispel, panting for breath.
"Focus, girls!" Ryūko called out to the PreCures. "Remember everything you've learned, from me and from your own experiences!"
"Right!" the four Cures chorused, shimmering auras of their respective colors surrounding them as they focused on their convictions, their courage, their compassion, their love… Cure Heart leapt onto the barbecue-themed Jikochuu's lighter arm, and tricked it into using its tong arm to snap its own lighter in two, removing one of its main weapons. Leva tried to intervene, but Cure Rosetta leapt over his slicing top-hat projectile and hit him with a drop kick to the gut that knocked him back, while a combined strike from Diamond and Sword sent Gula flying right into him.
A strike from Ryūko's Scissor Blade damaged the Jikochuu's lower legs, hindering its mobility. Then, the Cure Quartet combined their might, and a powered-up Lovely Force Arrow streaked out and crashed into the huge monster, enveloping it in pink light. When the flash faded, a purified 'Psyche' fluttered its wings and returned to its owner, as Leva & Gula – still arguing – teleported out.
As the aftermath rolled on, Aguri was still shocked that even after everything she'd done to her, Regina had actually saved her & her grandmother's life…
-Break-
The next day, Aguri was on a morning run, something she'd made a habit of even though she no longer had any real reason to train; Mana was with her, just to keep her company. Unfortunately, the newly-ex-Cure ended up pushing her little body too hard, and collapsed from exhaustion and overheating. Mana had quickly called the others, with Rikka relaying instructions on how to care for the stricken Aguri until she got there.
They were aided by Eru, a shy girl who turned out to be a classmate of Aguri's. She told them of how Aguri was mature, responsible, and respected, keeping order at school without making any real enemies in the process, but also never sought to actually befriend anyone her own age. After Aguri came to, Mana had convinced her to agree to come to the summer festival with them and Eru, to the quiet new girl's delight.
That night, Aguri and Eru hung out with the Cure Quartet and Regina, the latter of whom was in exuberant delight at her first ever summer festival. Over the course of the evening, Aguri learned how good it felt to spend time with friends, how everything looked and sounded and tasted better when experienced with Eru, as well as seeing more and more proof that Regina had indeed been redeemed and 'purified'.
Unfortunately, the fun couldn't last forever, being violently interrupted by another of Leva & Gula's combo Jikochuu. As Aguri and Eru ran, the summer festival-themed monster turned out to be enough to give the heroines some trouble, it's drum-like main body bouncing their attacks back while its myriad types of projectiles bashed them around. The Jikochuu managed to ensnare the four Cures with one hula-hoop bind, and Ryūko & Regina with another, and then Leva & Gula led it into the festival grounds.
"Well, look what we have here!" Leva announced gleefully as he looked down at the two girls. "Fancy meeting you here, Former Cure Ace…"
"A… Aguri-chan? What is he talking about?"
Gula chuckled. "Oi, brat. That girl you're clinging to… She used to be another of those transforming heroines. But because she didn't understand compassion and forgiveness, her powers were taken away from her!"
"I don't know why you're bothering to be with her" Leva grinned. "She's an oh-so-super-serious girl who's never given any thought to friendship, who thought of nothing but training and fighting, who responded to some of her enemies trying to defect and aid the Cures by trying to kill them! She was a heartless, merciless warrior who thought only of killing the enemy… and now, she's nothing."
Shocked, Eru turned to Aguri, just as the girl shook with a sob. "I… I'm sorry, Eru-chan… Before, I couldn't b… be your friend because I didn't care about… about anything outside my duties… and now, I can't… because…" She looked up, tears streaming down her despairing face "because I don't deserve to. I thought I was a warrior of justice, but… but I was just a loveless, heartless soldier with a heart of ice… I knew n… nothing of forgiveness, or compassion… and I don't deserve those things, either…"
There was silence. Then…
"If…. If that were still true… you wouldn't have come here… with me… I don't care what you've done, Aguri-chan. You protected me, back then… When those boys wouldn't stop teasing and bullying me about my hair… You saved me, and the words you told me gave me strength… Whatever you've done… I forgive you, Aguri-chan. Because you're my friend."
Aguri looked up at Eru, more tears building in my eyes.
"Ugh," Gula scoffed, "I just ate a lot, and you two are gonna make me throw it all up again! Jikochuu! Smash 'em into paste!"
As the huge monster swung its massive fist down at the two girls, Aguri suddenly shoved Eru back and away, pushing her to safety… and leaving herself with no way to get out in time. Eru watched in horror, seeing as the tearfully-smiling Aguri closed her eyes and braced for the end…
There was a brilliant red light, and the Jikochuu's fist was blown back, leaving it stumbling backwards and almost tipping over. Opening her eyes, Aguri was shocked as motes of light swirled around her, before coalescing into a familiar object she thought she'd never see again: the makeup purse-form magical item that was her transformation device. Realizing she'd been given a second chance, the chance to make things right, she felt filled with light, courage, and love. Eru and the enemies stared in shock as the young girl was enveloped in sparkling red light and swirling flames, magical power surging and flaring, which then parted to reveal…
"Trump card of love… Cure Ace!"
"What?!" Leva's jaw dropped. "She's back?!"
A shimmering red aura clung to the newly-reborn Cure Ace as she looked up at her foes with a stern glare. The Jikochuu swung again, but she calmly raised a hand and caught the blow, stopping it cold. It tried to fire a pair of giant pop-gun corks down at her, but she batted them away with lightning-fast movements of her free arm. Then, Ace leapt up and hit the super-Jikochuu in the chest with a mighty blow that sent it skyward, smacking into Leva & Gula on its way up and knocking them away. She then brought out her weapon, took aim, and…
"Ace Shot! Fire!-!"
The blast of rose-red energy shot up and engulfed the Jikochuu, a flash of red & pink going off like fireworks and then fading to reveal a purified 'Psyche' which then fluttered down to reunite with its person. As Leva and Gula retreated, the rest of the gang came in.
"So you finally got your head on straight, huh?" Ryūko said.
"I understand now…" Cure Ace spoke. "The strength and warmth that can come from friendship, compassion, and forgiveness…" Turning to Ryūko and Regina, she bowed deeply. "I apologize sincerely for raising my hand against the two of you in the past. I was wrong, narrow-minded and cold-hearted…"
Regina shook her head. "You were lost, just like I was, albeit in a different way…"
"Well…" Ryūko scratched her cheek. "Considerin' you seem to have learned your lesson, and rememberin' how pathetic you looked beforehand… I guess I can't really stay too mad at ya."
"You had already decided to pardon her before this, hadn't you, Ryūko?"
"S-Shut it, Senketsu!" the older girl went red. "Read the mood I'm tryin' to set, why dontcha?!"
The others couldn't help but laugh good-naturedly. Cure Ace then dispelled her transformation, gone back to being Aguri, and when she turned she was immediately pulled close into a hug by Eru. She returned the embrace, feeling wonderful warmth in her heart.
-CHAPTER END-