PLEASE SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS
PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES
-CHAPTER START-
Realm PC-7
The whole team scrambled to handle the situation, transforming and making for the waterfront. As the people in the city began to panic from the sight of King Jikochuu and the small arm of Jikochuu accompanying him drawing closer, the seven heroines took to the air, Ryūko already in Stage-1 Chakra Cloak mode. Suddenly, Bel and Mammo flew in to block their path.
"You're not getting to His Majesty" Bel said. "We'll stop you here."
"Heh" Ryūko smirked. "Just the two of you against all of us? You really think that'll work?"
"THEN PERHAPS I SHOULD MAKE IT A LITTLE LESS UNEVEN" King Jikochuu's voice rang out. "ARISE, SHADES OF THE FALLEN!"
Four swirling black portals appeared atop a nearby building, and four figures emerged – jet-black, with glowing purple eyes. The girls stared in shock as they beheld dark copies of Lust, Gouma, Leva, and Gula. Furthermore, they and the two living Selfish Generals were enveloped in wavering dark-purple auras, Darkness power flowing through them courtesy of their King.
Each of the six elite enemy units went for a Pretty Cure (Bel against Heart, Mammo against Rosetta, Shadow-Leva against Sword, Shadow-Lust against Diamond, Shadow-Gouma against Shade, and Shadow-Gula against Ace), while Ryūko was suddenly swamped by a pack of Jikochuu, keeping her from helping. Shadow-Gula came down at Cure Ace with an attempted double-fist hammer smash, and she barely dodged, the blow shattering the concrete where she'd just been standing. At the same time, Cure Diamond was on the defensive, frantically moving about to dodge the veritable hailstorm of energy blasts Shadow-Lust was firing at her.
Cure Shade gritted her teeth as the melee specialist that was Shadow-Gouma didn't give her room to fire any Light blasts from her Dragon Glaive; fortunately, she had natural talent at using the spear as a close-quarters weapon as well, managing to not only keep Shadow-Gouma at bay but also landing a few hits on her skilled opponent. Still, the duplicate of the deceased Selfish General kept coming. Not too far away, Cure Sword and Shadow-Leva were blasting away at each other, Makoto firing sword-shaped magic blasts while trying to avoid the razor-brimmed top hat that kept being flung at her.
Cures Heart & Rosetta had managed to bring their respective fights against Bel and Mammo close enough to each other to make it into a 2-on-2; Rosetta used her shield to block a dark energy blast from Bel that had been heading for Heart from behind, and Heart then fired a small pink blast to deflect Mammo's incoming whip before it could wrap around Rosetta's leg. Overhead, three vulture-type Jikochuu plummeted from the sky, trailing feathers and flames after being caught in the explosion of Ryūko's Katon: Gōkakyū.
Blasted back by a Diamond Shower attack, Shadow-Lust snarled as the glow of her eyes brightened, and then a massive swarm of dark-purple energy blasts phased in and shot right at Cure Diamond. Knowing she couldn't dodge that many, Rikka resorted to her newest trick, conjuring a wall of ice as a shield. She gritted her teeth as the blasts hammered at her defense, blowing divots in it and blasting off chips & chunks. Suddenly, she looked back over her shoulder just in time to see an extra-large blast circling around and coming at her from behind, with no room to maneuver and no time to dodge…
Another energy blast, of a lighter shade of purple, came in from below and to the side, slamming into Shadow-Lust's blast just before it could hit Cure Diamond and knocking it away. Then, a figure wrapped in a ragged beige cloak flew in and blindsided Shadow-Lust with a kick that sent her rocketing down into the side of a building. The other combatants on both sides turned to see the new interloper, who descended to the ground alongside Diamond. Turning toward Cure Diamond, the figure lowered their hood, revealing…
"I… Ira?!"
"Yo" the young former Selfish warrior grinned. "Guess what? After traveling around, seeing the sights, meeting people… I've decided I kinda like this ball of rock & water and the crazy people who live on it. And so, I'm gonna help you and your friends keep it in one piece."
After a moment, a big smile formed on Cure Diamond's face. "I see… I'm really glad that you've come to want to protect this world, that you've let that much Light into your Heart. I'm so glad… that you came back, Ira…"
The boy's eyes widened as he blushed, averting his gaze. "I-It's not like I could just sit this out. This planet's my home now, so I gotta do what I can for it…"
"Ira!" Bel roared out. "You dare show your face before the King, you traitor?!"
"Aw shuddup, old man! And to hell with your psycho 'king'!"
"You really think one more player for their team will make a big difference, brat?" Mammo said with a cocky grin.
In response, Ira made the same kind of expression back at her. "Probably not. Good thing I didn't come alone…"
Shadow-Gula tried to take advantage of the Cures being distracted by launching a surprise attack against Cure Rosetta… and then a giant of a man with brownish skin and crew-cut blonde hair dropped in from out of nowhere and caught Shadow-Gula's fist. With a roar, Gamagoori hammered the dark revenant-clone with a blow that sent it tumbling and crashing into a nearby building. Shadow-Leva took a blow to the back of the head from Sanageyama's boot, while a slash from Jakuzure's short-sword took Shadow-Lust's left arm off, and a round from an M6 Carnifex wielded by Inumuta blasted Mammo's whip right out of her hand. With a war-cry, Mako – in full Gokuseifuku regalia – came in with a heel-drop onto Shadow-Leva that hammered the revenant-shade into a sizable new crater, the dark copy coming apart into wisps of Darkness. Finally, a deep-blue Scissor Blade slashed through two Jikochuu, taking their heads off, its owner strolling up to Ryūko.
"Getting caught up in giant messes as usual, Ryūko?" she asked good-naturedly.
Ryūko let out a sigh and a grin. "What can I say? I just can't stay out of a good brawl. You know my luck, née-chan."
As the Cures gathered back together, Satsuki and her attendants joined Ryūko & Mako in doing the same. Now, 14 heroes stood ready to fight against King Jikochuu and his forces, to defend this city and its people.
"I know you're strong, Mako," Ryūko said, "but how did you do that with one kick?"
"Eheheh…" the shorter girl grinned. "Haruno Sakura-san has started teaching me stuff!"
"Devas!" Satsuki called out. "Get ready to go all-out!"
A chorus of affirmatives was her answer, as the quartet were enveloped in sparkling green, pink, blue and gold lights, followed by an electric-blue light engulfing Satsuki.
"Tsurugi no Sō: Ōgi Kaigan!" {剣の装: 奥義開眼}
"Kanade no Sō: Saishū Gakushō!" {奏の装: 最終楽章}
"Saguru no Sō: Shinri Kyumei!" {探の装: 真理究明}
"Shibari no Sō: Gashin Kaihō!" {真理究明: 我心開放}
"Jin'i Ittai: Kamui Junketsu!" {人衣一体: 神衣純潔}
The 'Elite Four' and their mistress stood strong, the latter's Kamui now more concealing than its original skimpy design, like Ryūko's. They, Mako, and Ryūko came together, striking a stunning pose and calling out:
"Honnōji Academy's Seven Devas, in attendance!-!" {本能寺学園七天王, ここに見参!-!}
"Wow~!" Cure Heart stared with gleeful awe. "So cool~!"
"Oh, come on!" Mammo shouted. "Where the hell did they all come from?!"
"…POINTLESS" King Jikochuu growled. "NO MATTER HOW MANY OF YOU THERE ARE, IT WON'T BE ENOUGH."
"We'll just see about that!" Cure Heart shouted back. "We're going to knock some sense into you, and protect this city, this world! I swear on my title as Cure Heart, my legacy as a Pretty Cure, and my position as Ōgai Academy Student Present that we! Will! Not! Lose!-!"
After several seconds of silence, a point where dramatic music would likely be echoing out…
"…Um, Mana?" Cure Diamond spoke up. "There are news helicopters and cameras recording all this. You just outed yourself to the entire city."
"…Eh? …Ehhh?!"
"And since everyone who knows you knows who's always hanging out with you…" Cure Sword started.
Cure Shade sighed. "Jeez. Cat's outta the bag now…"
A squadron of vulture-type Jikochuu and a troop of gorilla-type Jikochuu rallied and began to approach, with Bel and Mammo making ready to lead them.
"Alright…" Ryūko readied her blade, reactivating her Stage-1 Chakra Cloak. "Let's split into teams and handle this! Jakuzure, go with Mana! Gamagoori, with Alice! Mako, Ira, help Rikka! Sanageyama, you and Makoto carve 'em up! Inumuta, cover Aguri! Regina, née-chan, with me! Let's go!-!"
She sent out her Vulpix and Pangoro for some extra firepower, while Satsuki let out her own Pokémon partners: a Pawniard with blue coloration instead of red, blades sharp and bared, and a Froslass that already had Ice-type energy charged and ready. The whole group charged, splitting into their assigned groups, and explosions rang out as Jikochuu began to fall in droves.
A double-blast from Nonon's shoulder-mounted cannons crashed into a vulture-type that tried to divebomb Cure Heart, who returned the favor with a Heart Dynamite that caught three more of the attacking birds and purified them. A burst of light from Ai-chan shot up into the battlefield, split in two and infused into Ryūko & Satsuki's Scissor Blades, granting them the ability to purify Jikochuu, which they quickly put to good use with help from Cure Shade's glaive. Cure Sword and Sanageyama made mincemeat out of anything that got within range, while Cure Rosetta's shields and attack-reflections left Jikochuu wide open for Gamagoori's spike-whips and mighty fists to terminate. Ace Shots and electrified cable strikes knocked vultures out of the sky, and froze, blasted, and smashed everything in their way. And all the while, people all over the city were cheering the heroes on, giving them (especially the Cures) strength and will to keep moving forward.
The next major enemy to fall was Shadow-Lust, sliced in two vertically by Satsuki's Scissor Blade. The rest soon followed – Shadow-Gula's head was blown off by a point-blank shot from Jakuzure's cannons, and Ira hit Shadow-Gouma with a time-delayed blast that went off inside and blew the revenant-shade apart. Now only Bel and Mammo remained to fight for their King. Knocked back by a blow from Mako, landing beside Mammo, Bel groaned as he got back to his feet… and binds of solid Shadow magic formed around his legs, anchoring him in place. Looking up, he saw Cure Shade charging a great deal of Light magic into the Miracle Dragon Glaive, which was pointed right at him and Mammo. The blast fired, a roaring wave of Light racing towards him.
'He's strong enough to break the shadow-binds,' Regina thought, 'but not quickly enough to avoid being hit. Despite your laziness, Bel, you were always the rottenest, meanest of the Selfish Generals. Well now, you'll never be able to hurt anyone again!'
And then, something happened that nobody saw coming. Bel's free left arm lanced out, grabbed a surprised Mammo's wrist as she was about to leap away… and threw her forward, off her feet and right into the attack's path. Mammo barely had time to register an expression of shocked horror on her face before the blast from the Glaive engulfed her, a massive explosion of Light power obliterating her. Using the seconds that bought him, Bel broke free of the Shadow Bind and escaped, slipping away. The heroes were staring in shock at what had just happened; Ira, Regina, and Cure Heart looked horrified.
"Ma…mmo…?" Ira whispered, eyes wide as can be, face pale. Though shaken, Cure Diamond came over to try and steady him.
"H-How… How could he…?" Cure Heart whimpered. "His own teammate… His comrade…"
"That… That disgusting, traitorous coward!" Ryūko snarled, her eyes glowing with Senketsu's chakra. "How dare he?! She was his teammate! I haven't seen anyone do something so repugnant since… since…!"
"Since mother" Satsuki replied with a low, dangerous tone. "Throwing his comrade's life away to save his own hide… That man is rotten to the core."
"And now he's turned and ran with his tail between his legs," Gamagoori growled, "abandoning even his Master just to save himself."
"We'll track him down and take him out later" Jakuzure said. "Right now, we've got a much, much bigger fish to fry…"
"INDEED" King Jikochuu spoke up. "I WILL PUNISH BELPHEGOR FOR HIS COWARDICE AND HIS TREASON AGAINST MY LOYAL ENFORCER AT A LATER TIME… AFTER I'VE FINISHED WITH ALL OF YOU…"
In response, Cure Heart, Cure Ace, Cure Shade, and Ai flew up a few hundred feet, looking up at the towering behemoth.
"That's enough" Cure Heart spoke with a calm yet firm tone. "King Jikochuu… No… King of the Trump Kingdom!"
"THAT NAME MEANS NOTHING NOW! REGINA! WHAT RABBLE DARES TO JOIN YOU IN STANDING AGAINST ME?!"
"I…" Cure Ace spoke "am Cure Ace… and Regina & I come from the same source: the two of us are the reincarnations of the two halves of Marie-Ange's Heart! Ai-chan is her body, her essence reborn! You must stop this madness! Father!"
The beast's glowing red eyes widened. "AN…GE…?"
Then, a brilliant pink light began shining from within King Jikochuu's chest. The beast roared in pain, clutching at his heart.
"WHAT… WHAT IS THIS?! WHAT IS THIS LIGHT, THIS PAIN?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
"How could you have forgotten?" Cure Heart said. "That light, that warmth… that's love. The love you hold for your daughter, and your people."
"LOVE… LOVE IS MEANINGLESS! IT IS UNNECESSARY! I WILL DESTROY ALL OF THE 'LOVE' IN THIS WORLD!-!"
He swung his enormous fist at the girls… and, for a split-second, his body hesitated, giving them time to evade and get some distance. The enormous daemon groaned and snarled as his towering body shrank, down from his near-kilometer height to "only" about 110 meters. But his dark power was still enormous and virulent, and he roared as he charged a massive amount of dark power between his gaping, fanged jaws. Quickly, Cure Rosetta formed the biggest Rosetta Reflection she could, and everyone scrambled to get behind it. As the beam fired, she cried out from the incredible force shoving against her. The other Cures placed their hands on her back, trying to share their power, and it proved to be just enough; though the shield shattered, the beam was deflected up and away, decapitating the city's Clover Tower as it went.
"Papa is still in there!" Cure Shade announced. "He hasn't been completely lost to the Darkness yet!"
"She's right; we can reach him!" Cure Heart added. "I know we can!"
"But where is he?" Cure Sword asked.
"…Magical Lovely Pad! Show us where the true King lies!"
The pad's screen zoomed in on King Jikochuu's chest, delving inside to reveal that the inside was bigger than the outside somehow. It focused on a massive blackened Heart… and, embedded in the center of it, as if turned to stone, was the visage of the Trump Kingdom's King.
"Papa!" "Father!"
"He's inside…" Ira observed. "Wait, does that mean you girls are gonna try going in there?! That's way too dangerous!"
"We have to" Cure Heart replied. "If we're going to truly win this battle, we have to save the King!"
"But how will you get in there?" Sanageyama asked. "The only way I can think of is through his mouth – his huge, fang-lined, energy-beam-shooting mouth."
"That's our only option. We just have to find a way to get in. We need to make an opening…"
"I think we can help with that" Ryūko spoke up. "Senketsu, you ready?"
"I thought you'd never ask" the clothing-avatar replied. "Everyone, you may wish to get some distance!"
Everyone complied, and Ryūko roared out as crimson chakra flared around her. There was an enormous burst of smoke and light, and a low growl sounded from within the smoke cloud. Everyone watched in awe as the smoke cleared to reveal Senketsu in all his glory, an enormous black-&-red furred, 6-tailed fox with forepaws that were more 'hands' than 'paws', multicolored eyes glowing as he let out a roar of challenge.
"A TAILED BEAST?" King Jikochuu spoke with some astonishment. "HERE, TO CHALLENGE ME?"
"MY HOST AND I ARE ALLIES OF THE PRETTY CURES" Senketsu replied, as a transparent image of Ryūko appeared standing on his forehead. "WE STAND IN DEFENSE OF THIS WORLD! YOUR REIGN OF DESTRUCTION AND DARKNESS… ENDS HERE!"
The Bijū charged, dodging King Jikochuu's quick-fired energy blast and getting in close, hitting the giant with a right cross that sent him reeling, a thunderous shockwave racing through the area. King Jikochuu snarled as he regained his balance after staggering, and the two titans grappled, trying to gain enough leverage to unbalance or throw the other. One of Senketsu's long, thin, but deceptively strong tails came over and around, wrapped around King Jikochuu's arm and yanked him down into a rising knee-strike that rocked the titan back & up, and then hit the Tailed Beast hit his opponent in the chest with a palm-strike that launched him back.
King Jikochuu fired a blast of dark-purple energy from his mouth, but Senketsu leapt high into the air to dodge, and then rolled forward into a whirling wheel of shredding fire that crashed down into the evil giant, grinding and burning. Once his Kaenguruma attack's momentum was spent, Senketsu moved into a grapple, and then sank his fire-wreathed fangs into the monster's shoulder. King Jikochuu roared in pain and fury… and the six Cures and Ai took the opportunity given to them, flying in through his open mouth and delving into the dark-magic space within him. A squadron of vulture-type Jikochuu tried to follow them in, but a strike from one of Senketsu's massive tails sent them hurtling clear across the city.
Inside, a horde of Jikochuu standing in the team's way necessitated Diamond, Rosetta, & Sword staying back to handle them, leaving just Heart, Ace, Shade, and Ai-chan to progress further in. Soon, they reached the central chamber, and against the far wall was a massive black heart-shaped 'Psyche', with the petrified form of the King half-embedded into it. As they began to approach, however, a swarm of purplish humanoid figures emerged to bar their path.
"W-What the heck are these?" Cure Heart asked.
"We are Jikochuu Cells," one of them announced, "here to destroy the 'germs' invading our King's body."
"Who you callin' a germ?!" Cure Shade fired a blasé from her Dragon Glaive, obliterating several Jikochuu Cells. In response, about a dozen of them came together, merging and melding, taking the form of a giant, muscular, smoky-gray version. The beast shrugged off an Ace Shot, and then led its smaller fellows in bombarding the girls with a hailstorm of dark-purple energy blasts from all directions, too much for the girls to block or dodge. When the barrage cut off, the girls were left groaning, battered and beaten, barely staying in the air.
The compound Jikochuu Cell chuckled. "What did you girls think you could accomplish? Coming all the way in here, where the Darkness is strongest, did you actually think you could prevail? You will perish here, and our selfishness will enshroud this world!"
"Not yet…" Cure Heart straightened up. "We're not giving in yet! We're not giving up, ever! So long as our hearts beat, and breath remains in our bodies!"
"We came to save papa," Cure Shade gripped her weapon, "and we won't let anything stop us!"
The lead Jikochuu Cell laughed. "There's nothing left to save! Look at him! His soul is already gone!"
It fired a large beam of dark-purple energy at the girls… and then power suddenly flowed into and through Cure Heart, a wave of bright pink energy expanding out from her, nullifying the incoming attack, obliterating the lesser Jikochuu Cells and ripping the bigger one to shreds. At the same time, a voice rang out:
"Don't you… touch… my family…"
In the center of the massive grey heart, a spark of pink light shone forth, and then rapidly expanded out, turning the entire heart to a healthy sparkling pink. The petrified form of the King in the center began to move, eyes opening and hand twitching. Outside, as King Jikochuu got back up from being judo-thrown by Senketsu, he groaned and clutched at his chest, where brilliant pink light was shining forth.
Taking the opportunity, Cures Ace & Shade and Ai flew towards the heart. The lead Jikochuu Cell was trying to reform, growling and towering over Cure Heart with menace.
"Fools! You think you can 'save' him?! How could anyone forgive a man who was so selfish that he sacrificed his kingdom for his daughter's sake?!"
Suddenly, a flash of violet light sliced through the amorphous monster, tearing it to pieces.
"You're wrong" Cure Sword replied as she, Diamond, and Rosetta made themselves known. "Wanting to protect one's child… That isn't a selfish sin at all! You are the ones responsible for all the chaos and destruction, and now you're done!-!"
The trio who were once Princess Marie-Ange finally drew near, hands extended, and the King's hand came out to meet them, the shell around him beginning to crumble. They grabbed hold and pulled, and the 'stone' encasing the King shattered, the regal-looking man being pulled free. Outside, King Jikochuu let out an echoing roar of defiant but impotent fury as his body warped and compressed, and then with a giant heart-shaped pink flash he vanished, the sky overhead returning to its normal blue.
The people's cheers rang out across the city, knowing the PreCures had saved the day. Senketsu vanished, returning to immaterial form within Ryūko, who somewhat-unsteadily hovered down to the ground, panting for breath but with a grin on her face.
"I knew these girls were the type to do the impossible…" she said proudly.
"Pretty familiar, huh?" Satsuki asked as she came up to support her sister, the two of them watching as the Cures, Ai, and the freed King descended back to the ground. The royal man held Ace, Shade, and Ai close, tears of joy in his eyes and theirs. As the rest of the hero gang gathered around, more people came running: Mana's family, Rikka's parents, Alice's parents and Sebastian, and Aguri's adoptive grandmother.
"My little girl…" Rikka's mother held the girl tight. "I'm so proud of you… You and your friends have been fighting to protect us all, this whole time?"
"It was tough sometimes…" Cure Diamond admitted. "But… I've learned so much, experienced so much… so, I guess you could say it was worth it."
"Alice…" the rich girl's father said. "You've become so strong, so brave…"
"My strength comes from my friends" Cure Rosetta replied with a smile. "It always has."
"It's not over yet~!"
The joyful mood was suddenly interrupted, everyone looking up in shock to see Bel hovering overhead, holding in his hands a tiny blob of Darkness with a mean face on it.
"King Jikochuu… What a pitiful state you've been reduced to… But worry not; I shall put your power to good use, and bring this 'love'-infested world to ruin!"
Then, before anyone could stop him, he tossed the 'nugget' of dark power into his mouth and gulped it down. Then, evil power began to surge around him, his eyes visible glowing through his sunshades.
"Yes…" he hissed. "At long last, I'm Number One! I'm the King now!-!"
He laughed wickedly as the dark power surged around him… and then choked and stiffened as it turned back around and engulfed him. He struggled, startled and panicking, as the evil energy cocooned him, and then he vanished from sight as it became opaque, shifting and growing.
"He couldn't handle it…" Aguri's grandmother observed. "He got what he wanted, but it was too much for him. Serves him right…"
"Regardless," Inumuta replied, "he still may have just managed to screw us over…"
The mass soon achieved a defined form – a muscular daemon with dark-purple flesh, humanoid in shape, around eight feet tall, with two large dark-red wings, six arms, a long thick tail with a barbed tip, a face with glowing red eyes & jagged maw framed by red markings, and a second mouth on his gut. The Trump King trembled.
"That's…"
"What is it, father?" Cure Ace asked.
"The ancient evil defeated by Cure Empress, Cure Magician, and Cure Priestess 10 millennia ago, the entity responsible for corrupting me and spreading so much chaos and destruction… Proto-Jikochuu!"
"I see my reputation precedes me…" the daemon said with a fanged grin, middle arms folded. "Now, it is time to make this world – nay, the Universe – belong to me!"
"Damn it…" Ryūko snarled. "I can't really use Senketsu's chakra again yet. This ain't gonna be pretty…"
"The world isn't yours yet!" Cure Heart shouted. "Not as long as we're here to defend it!"
Proto-Jikochuu chuckled as he looked down at the Cures and the 'Seven Devas' (and Ira & Ai). "This is all the stands against me? This… motley crew of 'warriors'? Very well… You will all know pain and terror, when I rip your Hearts from your bodies!"
He fired a crackling blast of dark power at the heroes, and when they scattered to dodge the ensuing explosion he went for Cure Rosetta, his punch shattering her barrier nigh-instantly and sending her flying. When Ryūko came at him from the side he blocked her blade-strikes with the spikes on his forearms and then slashed at her with his claws, knocking her back and tearing big, bloody gashes that her internal Life Fibers worked quickly to mend. A combined blast from Cure Ace and Jakuzure did little damage, and Proto-Jikochuu returned fire with twin blasts of Darkness energy that sent the duo flying even though they dodged it, the near-miss enough to knock them about.
Proto-Jikochuu held his primary left hand high, and several damaged multi-story buildings lifted up into the air, to the hero group's shock. Then, he waved the hand down, and the buildings shot down toward the group, forcing them to evade desperately. One almost crushed Cure Heart, but a Holy Sword from Makoto bisected the incoming building, saving her leader, while Satsuki channeled power through her Scissor Blade and did the same to protect Mako and Ira (not Gamagoori, the 'local' Ira). Evading the giant projectiles, Cure Shade fired a blast from the Dragon Glaive at Proto-Jikochuu, who fired a shot from his belly-mouth that clashed against and then pierced right through the Glaive's energy wave, the backblast blowing Cure Shade back.
The Cure sextet tried to rally, grouping up and firing a Royal Lovely Straight Flush, but Proto-Jikochuu just crossed his arms and chuckled as the purifying Light energy washed over him to absolutely zero effect. Then, he moved faster than any of them could see, smashing all six girls down into the ground and making sizable craters. As Ira and Inumuta hurried to check on them, Gamagoori and Sanageyama tried to catch Proto-Jikochuu in a pincer move, but the daemon used just one of its three right hands to catch Gamagoori's blow while moving all three left arms lightning-fast to block and parry Sanageyama's flurry of blows. He then blasted both of them away, then grabbed hold of Jakuzure when he tried to divebomb her, spun her around and flung her down into the ground.
Cure Heart flew back up, engaging Proto-Jikochuu in a quick exchange of blows, but her overwhelmed her and then conjured a continuous barrage of red & black lighting-form Darkness energy. He grinned with wicked glee as she screamed, watching the Darkness begin to encroach on her Heart… and then let out a strangled cry as Ryūko's Scissor Blade slashed across his throat. Ryūko grabbed Cure Heart and flew her back down to the others, while Proto-Jikochuu clutched at his throat; the dark magic of his body was quickly working to mend the wound, and he glared down at the red & black heroine with hatred.
"Nothing's working" Jakuzure growled. "Damn it, we're hitting this guy with everything we've got and he's just ignoring it all!"
"Even all of us combined aren't enough to make him do much more than flinch…" Cure Diamond complained.
"…Wait a minute" Cure Shade said. "Combined… That's it! Diamond, Rosetta, Sword, Ace… Why don't we try transferring our power, everything we can spare, to Cure Heart? All of us attacking individually isn't much…"
"…But one person wielding all six of you girls' power levels combined might be a different story!" Mako concluded. "Worth a shot, right?"
The five Cures gathered around Cure Heart, who opened her heart and mind to them as they poured their magical Light power into her. Then, the Magical Lovely Pad, Ace's Eternal Golden Crown, and Shade's Miracle Dragon Glaive turned into golden light and flowed into Cure Heart as well. Heart was enveloped in a surging pink & gold aura as her costume changed – the pink lightened in shade, her skirt lengthened and gained more white to it, a glittering white cape formed on her, feathered golden wings sprouted from her heart-shaped brooch, and a golden crown appeared atop her head.
"Cure Heart: Parthenon Mode!"
The others stared in awe as they felt how outrageously high her power level had climbed. Proto-Jikochuu could feel it too, his jaw slightly dropped as he felt the urge to shield his eyes from the pure Light radiating from her. She flew up to meet him, looked at him with a challenging glare, and he charged, roaring out as he punched… and she casually caught his fist like nothing, the shockwave moving on past her to flatten a fallen building.
"You're not thinking things through" she told him. "Being selfish is about inconveniencing others for your own gain. But… If you rule everything, and get rid of everyone else, you can't be selfish because there'll be nobody else to inconvenience."
"S… Shut up! You little-"
Proto-Jikochuu tried to punch again, but Heart threw him down at the ground, sending him bouncing across the rubble before regaining his footing. He looked up, and she was already there; his quick attempt at a punch was countered by her own, and he was sent skidding back. Furious, he struck with a barrage of punches from all six arms, his limbs a blur, but Parthenon Heart dodged his blows, effortlessly moving so fast that she left afterimages. She flipped behind him, and when he quick-fired a Darkness blast she again seemed to phase away through sheer speed. He looked down to see her beneath him, a serene look on her face as her leg lifted and coiled…
The ensuing kick had such force behind it that Proto-Jikochuu broke the sound barrier on his way up, piercing through a cloud on the way, with Parthenon Heart in pursuit. By the time he finally regained control he was nearly 60,000 feet up, and barely had time to notice her coming before she hit him with a focused blast of Wind magic that sent him spinning.
'She's totally different from before!' he thought as he looked up, seeing her illuminated by Earth's Moon. Desperate and enraged, he fired a massive Darkness wave from his belly-mouth, and Parthenon Heart was swallowed up by it… and then Proto-Jikochuu's eyes widened as he saw her cutting straight through the attack with an incoming heel-drop kick. The impact sent him careening back down to the earth, crashing into the ocean just off the coast with such momentum that he 'lightly' hit the seabed.
After several seconds, Proto-Jikochuu emerged from beneath the waves with an enraged roar. He began to charge at her, flying low across the waves… and flew right into her hypercharged 'My Sweet Heart' blast, the pink heart-shaped energy enveloping him and stopping him cold. He groaned as he fought against the purifying energy.
"Yes…" he said. "History truly is repeating itself. As long as selfishness remains in the Hearts of humanity, I will revive. Over and over again!"
"…I know" Heart replied. "Even I have some selfish thoughts in my Heart."
"W… What?"
"I've had thoughts of running away from my problems, on wanting to rely on others when I'm feeling weak… But, that hardship, that pain, is what makes people stronger. And, even if I have a moment of weakness, my friends are by my side, always willing to help me. With them beside me… no matter what, I can always stand back up and keep going!"
Reaching his limit, Proto-Jikochuu finally succumbed to the overwhelming purification magic, being consumed and erased. The countless captive Hearts that had been giving him power were cleansed, fluttering their way through the still-present (and now self-stabilized) rift connecting this Realm and the Trump Kingdom's, to restore that land's people. The battle damage, darkened skies, and ravages of war caused to the Trump Kingdom and Oogai City were repaired and undone by a glittering light from the heavens.
As Parthenon Heart flew back to the others, she released the donated power, reverting to her normal state, the Golden Crown and Dragon Glaive returning to their respective wielders. She then de-transformed, exhausted but with a big elated grin on her face, as the other girls dispelled their Cure forms and group-hugged her, the DDF people looking on happily.
"Welp, all's well that ends well, I suppose" Sanageyama remarked. "Man, things got pretty crazy there for a while…"
Suddenly, the heroes felt a weak, Dark signature nearby. With a shimmer of air, Bel appeared, looking battered and exhausted. With a growl, he glared hatefully at the shocked heroes, holding out his hand and conjuring a serrated sword.
"Cure Heart…" he growled weakly. "You've ruined everything…"
The Cures began to reach for their Communes, only for Satsuki to hold out a hand. "I will deal with this" she said, brandishing her Scissor Blade. Bel charged, and Satsuki started off on the defense, calmly blocking and parrying his wild, rage-fueled swings & thrusts. She then pressed the attack, forcing him back and battering at his guard. Bel was drained after being possessed by Proto-Jikochuu and barely surviving the ensuing purification, and it was clear he was quickly being overwhelmed.
Finally, Bel made a mistake, trying to break off from Satsuki and fire a Darkness blast at Mana. Satsuki's Froslass, waiting on the sidelines, fired a Shadow Ball that intercepted the shot, while her Trainer then hit Bel's arm with enough force to break it and cancel the attack he'd been charging, and then rammed her Scissor Blade through his chest. Bel let out a strangled cry, trying to gasp at the blade buried in his torso, and then Satsuki yanked it out and kicked him down. The Selfish General went still, his body disintegrating into motes of Darkness, and Satsuki spat spitefully at where he'd fallen.
"And with that," she announced, "this whole mess is finally over and done with."
"That means it's time to celebrate!" Mana shouted. "We gotta put together a 'We Saved the World' party!"
"That does sound nice" Jonathan replied as he and the King walked up. "Though, do remember that this victory wasn't without cost…"
That sorta killed the mood amongst the group.
"Damn it…" Ira mumbled. "Mammo… I can't help but think… that if Regina and I changed, maybe she could've too. But because of Bel, we'll never know…"
"And… the Princess…" Makoto said softly, tears starting to build in her eyes.
Suddenly, motes of Light began to coalesce in front of the group. Jonathan, the King and the Cures gasped as the Light formed into a spectral image of Princess Marie-Ange, smiling warmly at them.
"An…" Jonathan said.
"P… Princess?" Makoto stared, eyes wide.
"Well done, PreCure…" the woman's spirit spoke to the group. "At long last, peace has been returned to our world and yours, thanks to your efforts. The Selfish Kingdom will never again pose a threat to harmony and freedom. However… I am sorry, but I am unable to return as I once was."
The King gasped, feeling the tears begin to build in his eyes, even as he held Regina & Aguri close.
"Aguri and Regina… Born from the two halves of my Heart, they have become complete individuals in their own right, their Hearts full of love and Light. For me to return, they and Ai-chan would have to cease to exist. I cannot do that to them, not when they have all that they do now. Their lives are their own now… Please, look after them, Father."
"But… But Princess!" Makoto cried out in a pleading voice, already shedding tears. "Please! I… Y-You're the closest thing I had to a mother! I went through so much to find you, to save you! I can't… I can't sing in a world without you!"
"Cure Sword…" Marie-Ange's specter caressed Makoto's tear-stained cheek. "My times with you were so joyful… But, you have so many other people who love you now. Let them be your strength. Don't let my death take your voice away from you. Share your beautiful song with the world. Ai-chan has my life essence within her, so in a way I will always be with you…"
The Princess' spirit then turned to her fiancé. "Jonathan… The times we spent together gave me more joy than I ever thought possible. Thank you, my love, for giving me such happiness. I'm so sorry it had to end this way…"
The man couldn't bring himself to speak, simply giving his lost love a nod.
Marie-Ange's form began to fade, motes of Light coming away from her. "Father… Jonathan… PreCure… Thank you… and goodbye…"
With that, the image of her spirit broke apart into motes of Light, shimmering and sparkling in the sunlight. Makoto fell to her knees sobbing, her teammates gathering around to comfort her.
-Break-
Things were still a little hectic in the aftermath, questions and explanations being passed about. At the moment, the Cure group and their supporters were gathered at Jonathan's shop.
"After we finish cleanup," Ryūko said, "we should get ready to make a little trip. We're supposed to meet up on a TSAB colony world with some of our people, including the other three PreCure teams being helped & recruited right now, as well as the three we already have come to welcome the new additions."
"Seven Pretty Cure teams…" Jonathan breathed out, still astonished at the idea.
The King, meanwhile, was lost in thought even as he sat between his daughters. Being told by the DDF of what sort of enemies they were up against, a rogue Keyblade Master and the evil bearer of the Triforce of Power, was a worrisome revelation. Still, there was a vast array of powerful and noble heroes ready to stand against them, with the Cures ready to help…
On the outskirts of the city, a man clad in a black cloak sighed as he brought up a checklist; a few names and titles were checked off, and he brought out a pen and crossed out 'Jikochuu'.
"So much for that idea…" Xigbar grumbled. "Again we show up plannin' to ask around for new recruits only to find they've already been taken out by the DDF and the local 'heroes'… Better move onto the next one. And maybe the boss-man will get to askin' that one lady if she wants to team up soon. What was her name again… Salem? Eh, whatever…"
Space warped as The Freeshooter teleported out.
-CHAPTER END-
And so ends Part 1 of the fic. Part 2, Happiness Charge, is next. The DDF representative being sent to help the Happiness Charge Cures is going to show up right after the events of Episode… 17 or 18, probably, which means I'll need time to watch up to that point, so there might be a wait before the next chapter.