Episode Seven: Illusions of Despair! Lonesome Yasu
Yui Fukuda did not sit down to eat dinner with her children very often. Her obligations as headmistress of Mirai Academy often kept her busy far into the evening, and by the time she came home, she was often too tired to do much at all. Yasu did not begrudge her mother for it. If anything, it made evenings like this, where Yui could make the time to have dinner with her and Haruki all the more precious.
As usual, Yui had arranged for a larger than usual meal, complete with Yasu and Haruki's favorites - including, of course, sweet apple curry. Yui sat on one side of the long, mahogany table in the Fukuda Manor's opulent dining room, Yasu and Haruki sat across from her.
(There was a chair next to Yui, which had not been moved from its spot for a good nine years now. A chair that still felt disconcerting in its emptiness. Yasu always tried not to look too hard at it.)
The conversation quickly drifted to the usual fare. Yui asked Yasu and Haruki about their academics, their club activities, and their plans for the future. Yasu usually savored the opportunity to speak at length with her mother. But tonight, she only gave half-hearted responses. Her mind was elsewhere at present. On the conversation she had with her teammates over lunch, to be more exact.
Yasu idly prodded at a pickled plum in her lunchbox with chopsticks. "Opening our hearts... that's the key to 'fully awakening'."
Hiroko nodded. "That was what Marina-san told me when I asked her about it. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a lot of details."
"Yeah." Jun and Kichu looked equally bummed out. "Marinyan got pretty upset when we told her about Cure Suzaku. She asked Hironyan and I to leave after that."
Izumi winced a bit. "I don't blame her, judging by what you told us, Jun." she said. "But! I think the 'powering up' part is pretty open and shut, at least. We all became Pretty Cure because we found the spirit for it, right? Opening our hearts shouldn't be hard at all!"
Hiroko and Jun seemed to share Izumi's enthusiasm. But Yasu couldn't manage such things at all. She found her eyes sliding to the floor.
"I don't think that's possible. Not for someone like me."
Everyone had moved to reassure her she was wrong. And Yasu wanted to believe them. But the fact remained that even now, she felt like there was a sheet of glass separating her and the others. And worse, she was the one who insisted on keeping it up. Part of her felt she had to. Part of her was still deeply afraid of being hurt again. Part of her was still deathly terrified of-
A faceless, gray, ring of students. A hail of accusatory whispers. And herself, breaking down in tears at the reminder of how little she was wanted around.
This is your fault, the adults and students alike said. If you didn't overreact, if you didn't make a scene, if you weren't so emotional, this wouldn't happen. Why are you like this, Fukuda-san? Why are you-
"Yasu, is everything alright?" Yui looked terribly concerned. "If you aren't feeling well, you don't have to-"
Yasu snapped back to reality... and immediately felt a sharp pang of guilt at the sight of her mother's obvious concern. She had done a poor job of hiding how troubled she was. That wasn't good. Yui dealt with so much on a daily basis - the last thing she needed was for Yasu to cause her needless stress.
So Yasu forced a smile she did not feel. "I'm fine, Mother. I just have a lot on my mind. That's all."
Yui seemed to buy that one, at least. Seemed to. "That is perfectly fair, even... recent events." And that was the closest Yui had come to acknowledging the Shade Kingdom's attacks on Kyoukai, at least for tonight. She ate in silence for a few moments before she added "By the way... I'm glad to see you making friends, Yasu. You've seemed much happier lately."
Yasu paused mid-bite. "Have I?"
It was true that being with Hiroko, Izumi, and Jun made her feel at ease. It was true that the way those three reached out to her, openly cared about her, and went out of their way to make sure she felt included made her wonder why she had contented herself with near-total isolation for this long. But that hadn't stopped her from holding back around them. It hadn't motivated her to tear down that sheet of glass. Not yet.
"Your eyes light right up whenever you talk about Tsubasa-san and the others, Sis." Haruki said. "And you guys get along super-well! You're like... a power quartet!" He laughed. "I'm a little jealous, honestly."
"I see." Yasu answered numbly. If anything, that just made her feel even worse about continuing to hold back. Teammates should trust each other, right? "I didn't realize it was that obvious."
Yui just smiled. "A mother never misses these things, Yasu. My children's happiness is my top priority, after all."
Yasu made a soft noise of acknowledgement, even as guilt wormed its way deeper and deeper into the pit of her stomach. She could see them all in her mind's eye - Izumi, Jun, and of course, Hiroko, reaching out towards her. And herself, unable to touch them, because of that sheet of glass. Because of that barrier she wanted to keep up, even knowing that...
"I've wanted to get to know you better for a while."
She wished she could grant Hiroko's wish in full. Had wished that since they had first truly gotten to know one another. But was such a thing even possible for someone like her? Yasu had difficulty believing that.
By the time the morning rolled around, Yasu had almost completely put the conversations from the other day out of her mind. Making sure her image was as spotless as possible (not a hair out of place, neck ribbon perfectly straight, uniform pristine white, skirt smooth), as she had for nine-odd years took up most of her concentration anyway.
As usual, a hush fell over Mirai Academy's student body as Yasu made her morning trek to the classroom building, and a hail of whispers followed in her wake. She understood why. Between her distinctive uniform and her elegant bearing, she always stood out in a crowd. She also understood that not everyone who stared was impressed with her.
("Fukuda? All she does is churn out good grades and do what she's told. She's like a robot!"
"I heard she doesn't like people. Or maybe she just thinks she's too good for the rest of us.")
Yasu did not react to any of the stares and whispers sent her way, nor did she react to the ones she was greeted with as she arrived in the high school wing's classroom 1-B. She hated it. She had earned it. She couldn't react to it. A reaction was ammunition.
As usual, nobody in 1-B went out of their way to greet Yasu... except Shun Siegel, who looked up from the conversation she was having with two other girls to offer Yasu a bright smile and a cheerful "Good morning, Fukuda-san!"
Shun had done that every morning since the start of this year. At first, Yasu wrote it off as pity. And then the other girl had started going out of her way to strike up conversations with her as well, around the time she had become Cure Byakko. It must have been because of her association with Izumi. Yasu doubted it was deeper than that.
At least the homeroom teacher of 1-B, Alan Bell, a tall man with deep olive skin and curly light brown hair, provided Yasu with a much-needed distraction from the thoughts that had been eating at her like acid.
"I'm happy to announce that a new friend will be joining our class today." he informed the teenagers seated before him before nodding in the direction of the classroom door. "Come on in, Aki-san."
A tall and muscular teenage boy with deeply tanned skin and messy blond hair entered... and the classroom immediately blew up with conversation. Transfer students were a rarity in Mirai to begin with, and this boy already made an impression between his build, his complete inability to tie his own tie, and how utterly lost he looked.
Alan wrote 'Masaru Aki' on the whiteboard behind Masaru, who was frozen up like a deer in headlights. The boy stared blankly at Alan, then the rest of 1-B (was it Yasu's imagination or had he recognized her?), then Alan again, sending a wave of quiet giggling through the classroom.
"Uh... what do I do again?" Masaru finally managed.
Alan looked nothing if not understanding. "Why don't you tell them a bit about yourself, Aki-san?"
That seemed to do the trick. "Ohhhh, okay! I can do that!" Masaru broke into a broad grin and waved at the class. "Hello! I'm Masaru Aki! I go to school here now! My favorite subjects are naps and lunch! Let's get along!"
Forget giggling - several students burst out laughing. Quite a few girls in 1-B looked thoroughly taken with this strange new transfer student. Yasu was able to pick out at least one comment along the lines of "endearingly stupid", a "oh my god, himbo alert", and a very delighted "we totally need to hang!" in the flurry of conversation from the girls around her.
Shun, who sat next to Yasu, looked thoroughly amused. "Oh man, Fukuda-san. Looks like I have competition."
"Maybe." Yasu did not look at Shun as she spoke. She was a bit too focused on Masaru, who looked her straight in the eyes as he took a seat. "Are you jealous?"
Shun laughed softly and shook her head. "Hardly. Honestly, good for Aki-san." She paused, noting Yasu's obvious distraction. "Is something wrong?"
Yasu pulled her eyes away from Masaru. Maybe it really was nothing. She was the one who chose to stand out. Maybe Masaru was drawn to that. She was the one who had the problem. Maybe.
"No. Everything is fine."
And maybe Yasu would have thoroughly convinced herself of that... had Haruki not texted her at just that moment about his class getting a weird transfer student - a very energetic girl who had proudly introduced herself as a witch to his class. And that text was followed by one from Naomi, who snarked about a new guy who had "phoned in his intro - as if he didn't want to be at Mirai at all!"
Everything was definitely not fine.
If Yasu was right, then the situation unfolding at Mirai Academy was, well, unfortunate. Kae didn't seem particularly bright, but the girl had still caused quite a bit of chaos around campus and Kyoukai proper during their first encounter, all in the name of making a strong Nikuina. She wasn't sure why her and her teammates were posing as students, if that was indeed what was going on, but it most likely spelled trouble for Mirai Academy. Again.
But... at least she had something else to focus on. Something that wasn't her own emotional inadequacy. In that sense, she was almost grateful to Kae, Yasu mused as she hurried her fellow Cures and Jun out into the stairwell near 3-1 and gave them a quick rundown of what she suspected was going on.
Hiroko blinked a few times. "That certainly does sound like Kae. So, all three of them are here, then?"
Yasu nodded. "I assume the 'Kuromori-san' in 3-A is Tobi. And Aki-san..." She frowned. "He went straight for me and started asking questions about... all of us once break started."
Thank goodness for Shun Siegel. The moment Masaru had started awkwardly interrogating Yasu, the teal-haired girl had swooped in, pulled him aside, and made a big show of introducing him to all the other girls in their class. Yasu had not missed the knowing wink that Shun had shot her as she had hurried out of 1-B and towards the junior high school wing.
"So, they're spying on us by pretending to be students?" Jun looked thoroughly confused and Kichu, who was poking out from her schoolbag seemed no less puzzled. "That doesn't make a lot of sense. It seems like too much trouble, especially with the barrier here."
"Yeah, well, Kae doesn't make a lot of sense." Izumi pointed out. "We're talking about some air-headed toku villain wannabe who... we could probably catch in the act if we hurry. She's not subtle."
Izumi immediately started off, and Jun took off right after her. Yasu moved to follow... right as Hiroko laid a hand on her shoulder.
"Yasu... about yesterday-"
Yasu just shook her head. "Don't worry about it." It was her issue. Her fault. She was the one keeping the wall of glass up, even now. "We need to hurry, Hiroko."
And Yasu took off without another word. Hiroko hesitated a moment, concern written all over her face before nodding and following after her upperclassman.
Truly, this was the most fun Kae Asjun Dama... or rather, Keiko Ninomiya had ever had in her thirteen years of life.
She wasn't sure what part of this spy gig she liked more - the cute school uniform she got to wear (she had added some extra frills to her blouse and skirt - you couldn't expect her to look ordinary), the attention she got when she made her introduction (all those stares and smiles when she introduced herself as a witch! And now they were calling her a 'chuuni'! Was that a high compliment in the human world? It seemed that way...), or the wonderful, wonderful discovery she had made.
Oh, sure, she wasn't in a class with a Pretty Cure. (If only she and Shahei had been a year older!) But. But! She was in class with a figure of great importance! A boy who was already taken by her magical charms! (Oh, she hadn't missed the sparkle in his eyes when she'd done her intro!) A prince named Haruki Fukuda!
Keiko had it all figured out. Step one (accomplished) - magic up some legal identities, infiltrate the school alongside her henchmen, and learn about Pretty Cure's weaknesses. Step two (in progress) - she would unleash the little... present Hinyu had so generously given her and Shahei. (Here, she idly felt for the little vial in her blazer pocket. Still there, thankfully!) And finally, step three (inevitable) - the Magnificent Trio would crush Pretty Cure once and for all!
But first, she had to track down Haruki. The poor little prince had gotten cold feet once she had started interrogating him about Pretty Cure and fled the classroom. But that was fine, Keiko told herself as she flitted around the second floor of the junior high wing. Witches had the advantage over princes. She had absorbed enough from Shahei's fantasy stories to understand that much.
"Run all you want, Haruki Fukuda." Keiko grinned. "There's no outfoxing a fearsome criminal gang leader!"
Her dark gold eyes lit up as she noticed a flash of red and white around the corner. Keiko peered around said corner to find... yes, that was definitely Haruki Fukuda grabbing a drink from the water fountain. She ducked behind the corner, a devious smile on her lips. Wonderful! Now, she just had to get close to him, strike up a conversation (if only she had prepared a fitting charm! Ah well), and oh, she could see it now!
The three members of Pretty Cure knelt on the ground, sorrowfully bowing their heads in defeat. And Kae stood above them, grinning triumphantly, as Haruki hung on her arm.
"Kae was just far too clever!" Seiryuu lamented. "Why did we think we ever had a chance against her!"
"We're nothing compared to her brilliance!" Genbu sobbed.
Byakko shed a single tear. "It seems... fate was never on our side."
"I'm so sorry, everyone!" Haruki said. "But Kae was just far too charming! I had to give her all the intel she needed!"
Kae burst into a noblewoman's laugh as she pointed triumphantly at the prone Pretty Cure. "That's right! You three never stood a chance of defeating me!"
"And that's what will happen!" Keiko chirped. "I call it... 'Operation: The Little Prince's Intel Will Help the Beautiful Witch Crush Pretty Cure!'"
Keiko started forward (surely that little surge of alarm from Shahei meant little)... and then someone caught her by the shoulder. She gave a loud squeak before turning around to find... that girl! The background character who turned out to be a Pretty Cure! And the other Pretty Cure! And that cat... girl... cat girl!
"Y-you!" Keiko sputtered as she pointed accusingly at the four teens... before immediately gathering herself and making a clumsy attempt at acting natural. "I- I mean! How do you do, fellow students! Lovely weather in Kyuikai today, huh?"
Hiroko and the others couldn't have looked less impressed with Keiko's attempt at deflection if they tried. Keiko could practically hear a chill wind blowing through the corridor as the four stared at her blankly.
Haruki had abandoned the water fountain and was staring in confusion at Keiko and the others. "Huh? Do you know Sis and her friends, Ninomiya-san?"
"You could say that." Yasu did not take her eyes off of Keiko as she spoke.
"C'mon, we all know it's you." Izumi told Keiko. "What kind of overly-complicated scheme are you pulling this time?"
Keiko just smirked. "I don't have to answer that~!" She pulled away from Yasu before starting after Haruki, who was already fleeing the area. "Wait up, Haru-san!"
Yasu immediately followed after her. "Leave Haruki alone and quit deflecting. Why are you here?"
Keiko paused in her tracks. For a moment, she considered attempting to play things off again or maybe just running away. And then she realized something - there were plenty of other students in the halls right now, and many of them were staring at her and Pretty Cure, clearly waiting for something to happen. A devious grin flitted across her face... and then she burst into tears.
"I just wanted to talk to Haru-san!" she sobbed. "Am I not allowed to do that?" Yasu opened her mouth to protest, and that just made Keiko wail louder. "I didn't think his big sister would be such a... such a huge jerk!"
Suddenly, most every student in the vicinity was focused on the Cures and Keiko. The color drained from Yasu's face, and her blood turned to ice as she felt multiple pairs of eyes on her, saw a ring of faceless gray figures converging on her, ready to tear into her for screwing up-
-and Hiroko immediately flew to her side, taking Yasu's hand in her own. That was the only thing keeping Yasu from spiraling any further than she already was.
Several students flew to Keiko's side and proceeded to fuss over her. One girl was gently patting Keiko on the back, as another girl offered her a handkerchief.
"I'm so sorry, Ninomiya-san." the girl who had given Keiko her handkerchief said as Keiko dabbed her eyes. "I knew Fukuda-san was cold, but... wow."
"I'm surprised at you, Fukuda-san." said the girl patting Keiko's back. "Bullying an underclassman like this? You really have no shame."
Izumi placed herself in front of the stunned Yasu. "That's bullshit!" she protested. "Yasu didn't do anything! Don't fall for Ninomiya's crocodile tears!"
Jun joined Izumi. "That's right! Nyasu is a good person! Don't call her cold!"
But nobody seemed to notice or care. Intellectually, Hiroko understood why. From the outside, it really did look like a bunch of upperclassmen ganging up on a thirteen-year-old. And she knew that Yasu had a less than positive reputation among a good chunk of Mirai's student body. But it didn't make it any less upsetting.
Hiroko gave Yasu's hand a gentle squeeze, and Yasu squeezed it right back. She was so grateful to Hiroko for standing by her and Izumi and Jun for sticking up for her, even if Keiko seemed to have the crowd on her side. But that support also made her feel worse, in a sense.
Look at how much they do for you! Look at how much they're willing to give! And you give nothing in return. Selfish girl.
Distantly, Yasu registered the bell ringing. Most everyone around them took off towards their classrooms. Keiko was still being fussed over and comforted, and Yasu did not miss the snatches of comments about her. The ice princess. The unfeeling doll. The girl who had chosen to lock away her heart. The girl who was still afraid to undo that lock, despite what it was clearly costing her.
"I'm so sorry." Hiroko gave Yasu's hand another squeeze as she spoke. "This wasn't your fault."
Yasu just shook her head. "There's no need to apologize, Hiroko."
It was very much much her fault in a sense, after all.
Yasu did not meet her teammates at the gazebo for lunch. Instead, she decided to use her lunch break to sneak around the outside of Mirai Academy, trying to keep tabs on the Trio. She had lost her appetite, and besides… she was the daughter of the headmistress. She had a duty to attend to any threats to the school. Even if those threats weren't… really doing anything that would require action. Yet.
Masaru had seemed content to hang out with his new fangirls… and Shun. (Was she trying to palm her admirers off onto him? It wouldn't surprise her.) When she had last seen him, he, Shun, and several of Shun's fangirls were seated at a lunch table as Shun excitedly rambled at him about new motorcycle models she had her eye on.
Keiko had apparently continued to be… odd, but outside of pelting Haruki's classmates with strange questions, running her mouth about her magic prowess, and attempting to get into a ventilation shaft at one point, she'd been… pretty much harmless, if Haruki was to be believed.
And the other guy… 'Shouta', from Yasu's understanding? "A total killjoy! But Kurono-kun seems to like him for some reason. Maybe Kuromori-san has cryptid vibes?" Thus spoke Naomi Hikawa.
The anxious, self-loathing part of Yasu's mind was almost convinced that she was being needlessly paranoid. That perhaps Kae and friends really were minding her own business, and she just had...
"...a rotten attitude, Fukuda!" huffed a girl with long, curly black hair pulled into pigtails, one of the several students who had backed the young girl into a corner of her fourth-grade classroom. "I went out of my way to get you that nice little gift, and you pitch a fit for no reason!"
"It's your fault we lost the relay race!" another girl said. "You're lucky Motoko-chan is speaking to you at all!"
Yasu couldn't answer. She was sobbing too hard, and the knowledge that crying made people hate her more just made her want to cry harder. Crybaby Fukuda, who always made things about her. Weak, useless Fukuda who had volunteered for the relay race, only for her weak constitution to betray her.
"I'm sorry!" she finally managed to sputter out. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry…."
"'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!'" Motoko spat back, before turning to the rest of her classmates. "Hey, everybody! I think Fukuda's broken!" The class burst into laughter. "No wonder she keeps screwing up!"
Yasu was saved from any further harassment by the sound of the teacher approaching the classroom. Her classmates went scattering back to their desks, and Yasu was left to trudge back to her own desk. Motoko had placed a vase of flowers on it.
Such a gesture would have been very fitting and appropriate… for a dead girl.
Yasu bit her lip as she continued to search the perimeter of Mirai, around the outdoor dining area. It was stupid to care about such things now. Yui had pulled her out of the school in the end, and Yasu had quietly locked her heart away. If she could not be strong, she could at least keep people from wanting to hurt her.
(But what had that cost in the end? It was a wonder Hiroko and the others put up with Mirai's Ice Princess.)
She was saved from any further introspection by what sounded very much like an argument, not far from the cafeteria building. She wasted no time in bee-lining towards it, trying to keep as low a profile as possible. At least she could be useful this way.
And some time before Yasu had begun sleuthing out her activities over lunch, Keiko Ninomiya had finally figured out how to accomplish her very important mission! Getting into the ventilation shaft and using Mirai Academy's air conditioning to spread her little gift about had been a no-go, alas. But. But! There was another way to make sure that everyone in Mirai Academy tasted eternal despair! The school's famous fresh-baked bread!
This was perfect, Keiko mused as she stared up at the second-story window of the rear of the cafeteria building before glancing down at the small vial she had been given, which was filled with a powder-like substance that faintly pulsed with a sickly reddish-black light. She had it all worked out! She'd sneak in through there, drop down into the kitchens below (where this famous bread was regularly made, as poor, naive little Haruki had explained to her), get to the bread dough, and then!
There were colorless, despair stricken Mirai students scattered all around campus, as far as the eye could see. The three members of Pretty Cure knelt on the ground, sorrowfully bowing their heads in defeat. And Kae stood above them, grinning triumphantly.
"I can't believe she turned our fresh-baked bread against us!" Seiryuu lamented. "Kae is way too clever!"
"Now all of Mirai Academy is in eternal despair!" Genbu sobbed.
Byakko shed a single tear. "It seems… we are nothing compared to her strategic genius."
Kae burst into a noblewoman's laugh as she pointed triumphantly at the prone Pretty Cure. "That's right, Pretty Cure! You were a million years too early to stop me!"
"And that is what will happen!" Keiko chirped. "I call it… Operation: Oh My, The Beautiful Witch Has Turned the Bread Into a Harbinger of Despair!"
And now to act! All she had to do was... yeah no, there was no way she could reach that window. Not with her own magic, anyway.
Keiko furtively glanced about the area, and then "Um… Shahei? I'm sorry to do this, but could you take over? I'm kind of not that great at levitation."
She could feel Shahei hesitating in the back of her mind. Keiko already felt bad for asking - Shahei hated people, she hated being out in public, and she had been adamant about never showing her face on Earth from the moment Hinyu had taken the Trio under his employ. For a moment, she was afraid she'd upset her sister by overstepping. But then…
If you think it's necessary, then fine. Shahei responded. But we're switching right back afterward.
Keiko beamed. "Thanks, Shahei! You're the best!" she chirped as she undid her crown braid. She'd have to find a way to make it up to her twin later, she mused as she grabbed her head, preparing to twist it around. "Okay! Three, two-"
And then someone grabbed her by the shoulder.
Keiko let out a loud squeak before spinning around and swinging right at-
-Shouta Kuromori, who narrowly evaded Keiko's wildly aimed punch. "What in the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Keiko responded with a blank stare. "Is that some kind of trick question? Obviously, Shahei and I are executing our master plan!"
"Right, right, the master plan you two told Kooyoo and I nothing about." Shouta deadpanned. "I stay up all night cleaning the latest mess you guys made of our flat, I have to waste my time 'gathering intel' from a bunch of annoying teenagers in a world that doesn't want us here, and now you're off on your own doing hell knows what!"
"Hey now, you didn't clean all of it!" Keiko chirped nonchalantly. "Did you forget about that mountain of dishes in the sink?" She turned away from the visibly fuming Shouta and withdrew the vial from her pocket once more. "Now, if you excuse me-"
The color drained straight from Shouta's face. He knew what that was. He knew too damn well what that was.
"I'm sorry. Once someone is exposed to that pollen, it's over for them."
He immediately lunged for the vial. Keiko promptly yanked it away from him.
"Hinyu-sama gave this to us!" she snapped. "You don't get to have it!"
He had given her this assignment over tea, as usual. This was the latest of several private teatimes the twins had with the king's very own majordomo - they were his favorites, after all.
"I wish I could do this myself… but unfortunately, Pretty Cure left me in bad shape. They really are merciless." Hinyu smiled warmly at Kae. "But I can count on you two, can't I?" He passed Kae the vial as he spoke. "You're such mature, reliable girls."
Kae beamed. "Of course, Hinyu-sama! We'd do anything for you!"
Shouta made another unsuccessful grab for the vial. "Do you even know what that is?!" he snapped. "It's used to-"
"Put a human in eternal despair, right?" Judging by Keiko's tone, she did not understand the gravity of what this meant. "I know! But it's okay - we can go far bigger than what Hinyu-sama assumed! If I put this in the bread dough, hundreds of people will-"
Shouta didn't respond. His eyes were on someone behind Keiko, someone who had just stepped out from behind a nearby tree... an obviously less than impressed Yasu Fukuda.
"You're tampering with the bread? I didn't think you were that thoughtless."
Keiko froze up as Yasu revealed herself... and her jaw dropped as Hiroko, Izumi, and Jun joined her. How long had she been watching? And when had she summoned the others? Ugh, these hero types were the worst!
"Y-you understand nothing!" Keiko finally managed after finding her voice. "I have to do this for- argh!" She stomped a foot in frustration. "Forget it! Pretty Cure! Can't you at least wait until our villain plot's underway?!"
"We're here to protect the people of Kyoukai." Hiroko said. "There's no way we were going to sit back and let you get away with this, Kae!"
And as Keiko moved to protest again, the gears in Shouta's mind rapidly clicked into place. The pollen would throw one person into eternal despair, but Kae was determined to... right. This could be workable. That geezer wouldn't give the twins any trouble if there was at least an attempt... right? And if you diluted the effects, then maybe...
This time, Shouta easily snatched the vial out of Keiko's hand. "Leave this to me, Boss." he whispered. "I have a much better idea." And then he was gone in a flash of dark gray light and a burst of feathers.
Before Pretty Cure could say or do anything further, a wave of frantic conversation suddenly sounded in the distance. Keiko gave the group one last self-satisfied grin before she too vanished in a burst of sparkling violet light.
When Pretty Cure and Jun followed the commotion to its source, they found a crowd of Mirai students assembled inthe outdoor dining area. Some were chatting among themselves, others had their smartphones out and were taking pictures, but all were focused on the figure balanced atop the academy's clock tower.
Yasu couldn't see the figure in question clearly from this distance, but she could definitely tell they were tall, thin, and sported a pair of wings. Her hand instinctively flew to her Puricell as she narrowed her eyes. Her fellow Cures were no less cautious.
"A tengu!" Masami Kurono was snapping picture after picture. "A real tengu! Oh my god, Paranormal Weekly, eat your heart out."
Emi stared wide-eyed at the sight before her. "That's not one of those invaders, is it? Where's Pretty Cure?"
Kou patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Emichi! They'll be here! And if not, I'll protect you!"
Jun and Kichu were both on high alert. "I don't like this at all, Hironyan." she whispered.
Hironyan nodded. "We'll definitely stop whatever they're trying to do. I promise."
And as this went on, Tobi got in one last mental prayer as he gazed down upon Mirai Academy from his lofty perch. Please, please let this work... or not work, rather. And please let it be enough for the geezer anyway. That money had made all the difference in the world to his mother and his siblings.
Tobi took a deep breath before withdrawing his sword from its sheath and unfolding it into a metal-bladed fan in a fluid motion. He used the fan to summon an enormous gust of wind and uncorked the vial with his free hand, tossing its contents into the gale he had summoned. Thousands upon thousands of red-black spores were carried on this gale, raining down all over Mirai Academy like a twisted parody of snow.
Keiko watched with a smug grin as the students around her got a taste of the little gift Hinyu had so graciously entrusted her and Shahei with. Most did not visibly react, but some, such as... whatshername, the stoic glasses princess began to cough as they inhaled the spores. The lack of reaction meant little - they would all succumb soon enough! And then... and then-!
The three members of Pretty Cure knelt on the ground, sorrowfully bowing their heads in defeat. And Kae stood above them, grinning triumphantly. Hinyu stood beside her, beaming proudly.
"We never saw this brilliant attack coming!" Seiryuu lamented. "How could we have ever underestimated Kae?"
"She was able to crush us so easily!" Genbu sobbed.
Byakko shed a single tear. "It seems… the Shade Kingdom was always destined to triumph."
Kae burst into a noblewoman's laugh as she pointed triumphantly at the prone Pretty Cure. "That's right, Pretty Cure! Your defeat was written in the stars!"
As Kae gloated, Hinyu gently patted her on the head. "Oh, Kae. I'm so proud of you." He looked and sounded every bit like a proud parent. "Without you and Shahei, we never would have succeeded."
Kae looked up, her eyes sparkling. "Hinyu-sama… thank you so much!"
"And that's what will happen!" Keiko chirped. "I call it Operation: Look, the Beautiful Witch Has Earned Hinyu-sama's Eternal Gratitude and Respect!"
Another girl was staring at Keiko in confusion. "Huh? Did you say something, Ninomiya-chan?"
Keiko waved it off. "Oh, n-no! It was nothing! Just… talking to myself!"
A few moments passed. Keiko frowned slightly as she realized... it was nothing. As in, absolutely nothing was happening. Nobody was succumbing to despair or crying out or so much as coughing anymore... and with Tobi having vanished from the top of the clock tower, people were losing interest and wandering off.
Keiko's eyebrow twitched. Hinyu wouldn't have given them a gift that didn't work... right? He valued the Asjun sisters a lot more than that... didn't he?
Yasu frowned. She was not going to let down her guard, not yet, but that was strangely anticlimactic. Her head hurt a little, she mused as she massaged her temples, but otherwise?
Jun was looking at her with concern. "Nyasu? Are you feeling alright?"
And then a nearby girl burst into laughter. "Are you seriously asking Fukuda-san that?" she sniffed. "She doesn't have feelings to worry about."
Yasu's blood froze in her veins as she realized that multiple Mirai students were glaring at her. She stepped back without thinking, which seemed to embolden them more.
"That's right." another girl agreed. "Fukuda doesn't care about Tsubasa-san or her friends at all! A real friend would actually open up to them!"
Yasu opened her mouth to protest, but nothing was coming out. Her heart was pounding harder and harder in her chest, and it was becoming more and more difficult to breathe.
And none of her friends were saying anything in her defense. Why would they? Why should they? She hadn't earned it at all!
No... Hiroko and the others were nowhere to be seen. They had left her alone, as most every other student in the vicinity loomed over her, their forms blurring into a faceless gray mass as they hurled insult after insult her way.
"Such a heartless girl." "Barely better than a robot." "What a cold person." "I feel sorry for her family."
Yasu staggered back further. Her head was starting to swim, but she couldn't react, reactions were ammunition-
"Do you think you're better than us?" "Did you think anyone would ever want an unfeeling doll like you?"
She crumpled to her knees. Her chest felt so tight, but if she gave in, everyone would definitely-
"Pathetic! You're so pathetic, Fukuda!" "Why don't you do us all a favor and disappear?"
Hiroko was beside herself with worry. Yasu had started having a panic attack in front of everyone, seemingly completely unprompted. Not a single person in the vicinity had said a word to her, and if they were staring at Yasu now, it was because they were concerned for the cerise-haired girl, who hardly seemed to notice.
Yasu didn't seemed to register anything in her immediate surroundings. No, she seemed to be reacting to something that wasn't there. No matter what Hiroko, Izumi, or Jun did, she seemed completely unable to notice them. Intellectually, Hiroko knew that those spores had something to do with it, but frankly, she didn't care about the why at present. Not when Yasu was hurting like this!
Yasu crumpled to her knees, and Hiroko immediately flew to her side. "Yasu!" She moved to help her up. "It's okay! I'm here! I'm here now, so please-!"
-and Yasu slapped her hand away.
Hiroko's cry of protest died in her throat as Yasu looked up at her. Her eyes were completely devoid of light. She didn't seem to be looking at Hiroko at all.
Yasu staggered to her feet on her own. "Please..." She swayed on her feet a bit as she backed away another two paces, her eyes wide. "Please leave me alone!"
And Yasu turned and fled. She did not make it far. Her energy was already spent, and she collapsed and lost consciousness a few paces in,sending a wave of panic through the crowd. Izumi and Jun immediately moved to help.
"Can someone help me get her to the infirmary?" Izumi called to the crowd.
Shun immediately stepped forward. She gave Izumi a quick nod of acknowledgment before carefully maneuvering the unconscious Yasu into a standing position and moving to carry her on her back. Judging by how calmly and efficiently she did this, it was something she had a lot of experience with. Moments later, she departed, with Izumi and Jun remaining close by.
Hiroko wasted no time in following the others. There was no way she could leave Yasu alone. Everything else, from returning to class to chasing the Trio down and demanding an explanation came second.
Keiko watched the proceedings with an unreadable expression on her face before turning away. Not like she cared about what had just happened. Villains never cared if heroes got caught in their evil plan. That was stupid. Her evil plan hadn't worked properly, and Hinyu might be upset with them. That was the only thing that mattered, thank you very much.
The clock tower bell began to chime. Keiko moved to leave along with her fellow second-year junior high school students… and Shouta immediately grabbed her by the arm.
"We're leaving, Kae."
Keiko struggled against his grip. "No, we're not! I need to keep tabs on them!" Her classmates were leaving her behind! She had to catch up with them! For... for intel reasons! "And I need to get back to class! Next period is-!"
"Don't be stupid!" Shouta snapped. "Our cover's pretty much blown. And that barrier is still a thing! Kooyoo and I aren't as resilient as you are, Kae."
Keiko just scowled and continued to struggle... until she felt her limbs suddenly seize up and Shahei's presence grow far stronger in her mind.
"Give it up, Kae." Her sister's tone was very firm and decisively un-Shahei like. Then, so was grabbing control of their body like this. "We don't belong here, and we don't need them. We never will."
The fight immediately went out of Keiko, as she felt Shahei cede control of her body. "Right." Her voice was solemn and very un-Kae like. "We only need each other." She forced a smile as Shouta let go of her arm. "Y-yeah! We can come back later! Maybe the pollen just needs time to work!"
"Maybe." Shouta couldn't seem to make eye contact with Keiko as he spoke. "We can worry about that later. Let's find Kooyoo and get out of here."
As the day marched onward, more and more students began to succumb to the influence of the spores. No one had a reaction even a fraction as strong as Yasu's had been, but many of Hiroko's classmates were lethargic and complaining of headaches and some occasionally seemed to react to things that were not there.
Getting an explanation out of Kae and friends seemed to be off the table. The Trio had disappeared from campus in more ways than one. Shun had seemed confused when Izumi brought up the transfer student that had been hanging out with her, and Haruki had only the vaguest recollections of a 'Keiko Ninomiya'. Whatever magic had allowed them to infiltrate Mirai had apparently allowed them to vanish just as easily.
Pretty Cure needed to figure out what was going on, and soon. Hiroko understood that. But Yasu's well-being continued to take up most of her focus. She, Izumi, and Jun had kept a vigil by Yasu's side after she had been transported to the infirmary, but…
Hiroko had been sitting next to Yasu the entire time, gently holding her upperclassman's hand in her own. When Yasu's eyes slowly flickered open, she allowed herself to feel genuinely hopeful. Izumi and Jun, who stood nearby, had been no different.
And then Yasu had sat up and looked at the group… and Hiroko's heart sank into her chest. Her fellow Cure seemed to see her teammates, at least, but the light had not returned to her eyes, and her expression was blank and completely devoid of emotion.
"Oh. Why are you still here?" Her voice was lethargic and hollow sounding. "Forget about me. I was never worthy of being your teammate."
Yasu seemed to hesitate for a moment before snatching her hand away from Hiroko and turning away from the group. Nothing Hiroko and the others had told Yasu after that had received a response. It was as if Yasu could not hear them… or perhaps as if something was keeping her from hearing them.
In the end, some of the Fukuda estate's staff had escorted Yasu home. They understood the whole incident as Yasu having a bad panic attack and overtaxing herself to the point of collapse. They seemed to act like she would be able to recover from these things with enough bed rest.
But Hiroko knew that wasn't what was going on. That pollen… it had seemed to be cut from the same cloth as those seeds that created the Nikuina. Monsters that drove most everyone around them into despair so overwhelming that it was nigh-impossible to do much of anything.
The three of them had become Pretty Cure because they had been able to push through that despair and draw upon their inner power. But something like this… didn't seem like it could be powered through.
Or maybe it couldn't be powered through alone. That was a long shot, based on little more than Hiroko's own observations, but there was a time she thought getting to speak to Yasu for more than a moment had been a long shot as well. She had to try.
"I'm going to visit Yasu." Hiroko told Izumi and Jun as class let out for the day. "There's no way I can leave her alone like this."
"Yeah - I'm seriously worried about her." Izumi frowned, looking around 3-1. A few students were acting even more lethargic and detached than before. How bad would this get? "There's no way we can leave this alone either. Especially since those three will probably return to the scene of the crime."
"I could stay with you, Izunyan!" Jun said. She and Kichu, who was peering out from her school bag, looked no less concerned than Izumi did. "I can't really fight, but-"
Izumi just grinned. "Hey, support's support, Jun. Sounds like a plan!" Then, to Hiroko "Is that alright with you? You're the one who's closest to Yasu anyway - I'm sure you can get through to her."
Hiroko would try. That was all she could do in the end, she told herself as she approached the Fukuda estate, a look of determination on her face. There was much she did not understand about Yasu, and she could not force her to accept the hand she offered her. She didn't know if her feelings would even be enough to overcome the effects that pollen had on her fellow Cure. But…
I have to try. Because you're important to me. Because I want to understand your heart. Wait for me, Yasu!
Yasu Fukuda felt as if she was trapped inside her own head.
She sat slumped against the door of her bedroom like an abandoned doll. Her eyes, no longer framed by her glasses, remained devoid of light, her body felt far too heavy to move, and her thoughts felt muddled and disconnected.
The shades looming above her made it even more difficult to concentrate - vaguely humanoid figures that radiated contempt as they whispered words of hatred into her mind.
There's no point in trying anymore. You weren't meant to have friends. You were meant to be alone.
Don't bother worrying about those three. They're happy you're gone. They never needed you.
Some small part of Yasu wanted to protest their words. Hiroko… Izumi… Jun… they wouldn't just leave her. Even when she had tried to chase them off (she had to, that chorus of invasive thoughts in her mind had told her, she had to), none of them had left her side until her household staff had arrived.
But… another part of her couldn't believe that. Or wouldn't allow her to believe it, rather. This was her punishment for keeping up that wall of glass, that side of Yasu insisted. They were bound to tire of her eventually, weren't they? This was always inevitable.
Heat pricked at the corners of Yasu's eyes. "That's right… this is how it's meant to be."
You understand. Remain here, Yasu. This is the only place someone like you belongs.
"The only place…" Yasu echoed. She could feel herself sinking deeper and deeper into a mire of despair. "The only place I…"
Flashes of memory. Hiroko offering her support and understanding. Izumi standing up for her. Jun showering her with affection. They wanted her around. They were happy she was around. They-
Yasu winced and drew in a sharp breath as she struggled to hold onto those images, even in the face of the shades whispering further words of derision into her mind. It was a losing battle. She knew it was. The part of her that insisted, even now, that her days of being wanted were behind her was so loud.
Soon enough… soon enough she would sink completely into that mire, and that would be it. There would be no coming b-
"Yasu?"
Yasu's eyes widened as something caught in her chest. That was Hiroko, wasn't it? Right outside her door. Hiroko, whose comfort had rejected, because she had to reject it, she had no right to do otherwise, had still come all this way to-
-laugh at you, she's come to laugh at you. Don't bother listening to her. Remain where it's safe.
Yasu opened her mouth to protest, to call out to Hiroko, to do something, but no words would come out. Nothing would, past a quiet sob. She felt far too weak and the despair around her felt far too heavy.
Hiroko, who was leaning up against the other side of Yasu's bedroom door, was not deterred. If Yasu told her to leave, she would leave. As it was… that small indication that Yasu was there to hear her words was enough.
"I won't make you come out if you don't want to." she said. "But can I talk to you a bit? Would that be alright?"
That was enough to make Yasu find the willpower to stay afloat, if only a little. Even that was a struggle. Even now, the louder part was telling her to just give up. Yasu still fought it. She had to, that small part of her insisted. For Hiroko.
"You know… there's a voice in my head." Hiroko continued. "It tells me I cheated my way into Mirai. That I'm not good enough to be your friend. That I'll never find a goal of my own." She tightened a fist as heat surged in her chest. "It's a liar, Yasu. And if you hear anything like that, it's a liar too!"
That small, hopeful part of Yasu grew stronger as Hiroko spoke. The shades around her… they were that voice made real, weren't they? The voice that replayed every ill word her bullies, her former teachers, her classmates had said or that she imagined they would say. The voice that told her she was right to shut away-
She's lying, she's lying, don't listen to her, she's lying-
"I have trouble believing that sometimes, Yasu. Some days are far harder than others. But then I look around at you guys, and I remind myself I'm worth it. Just like you are!"
Yasu gritted her teeth and forced herself to her feet. It felt even more difficult than it had back then, back when she had first awakened as Cure Byakko. She had to brace against the wall just to keep herself up, and the shades were screaming at her the entire time. But… but-!
Hiroko took a deep breath before continuing. "I've been drawn to you from the start, Yasu. You're a really admirable person!"
Yasu reached for the doorknob, even as every inch of her body fought her, even as the voices in her mind continued to scream at her to stop, to give it up, that she wasn't allowed to even try for anything better-
"And it isn't impossible for you to open your heart! You have been doing it, little by little! Every day, I get to know you a bit more, and I'm so grateful for that!"
Yasu felt her eyes beginning to water. "Hiroko…"
Hiroko felt a surge of volition at the sound of Yasu's voice. "It's okay to take your time. It's scary to try and change. And if you stumble, we'll be there to catch you!"
Yasu could see it in her mind's eye as she struggled to open the door. The wall of glass she kept up between herself and her teammates. The one that kept her safe from any further emotional hurt but emotionally distanced from her friends. She stared it down, even as her mind kept screaming at her, even as her body kept fighting her-
"You don't have to be alone anymore, Yasu! I promise!"
-and Yasu swung at that wall of glass she had created for herself, as hard as she possibly could.
The glass shattered into thousands of pieces. The shades in her head screamed in unison and then fell silent.
And Yasu Fukuda burst out of her bedchamber and into Hiroko Tsubasa's arms. Warmth flowed back into her body as Hiroko held her close. Yasu couldn't stop crying. She made no effort to stop herself. It was okay. She was allowed to be vulnerable like this, right? It was okay.
"I'm here now, Yasu." Hiroko said quietly. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."
"Hiroko…" Distantly, Yasu realized that her head was clear, and the mire of despair that had threatened to pull her under was gone. "I'm glad you're here."
Yasu would have been content to remain like this for a long time, and something told her Hiroko was no different. Even if it was as friends… something like this was more than she could have ever asked for. But then, Hiroko's phone had gone off, forcing her to gently disengage from Yasu's embrace.
Hiroko's eyes widened as she read the text. "It's Izumi. She says everyone on campus suddenly collapsed." She hesitated, clearly worried about Yasu's current condition. "I'm sorry, I need to-"
Yasu just smiled and shook her head. "We'll go, Hiroko. I can't let my precious friends fight alone."
When Hiroko and Yasu arrived in front of Mirai Academy's classroom building, the entire campus was deathly quiet. Neither Cure felt the need to ask why. Every single person in the vicinity laid unconscious, the color slowly draining away from their bodies. Distantly, Yasu wondered if she had looked like that.
Moments later, Izumi and Jun hurried towards the pair. Both girls looked beyond delighted to see Yasu back on her feet. Kichu, who was riding on Jun's shoulder, seemed to more than echo the pair's sentiments.
"Nyasu!" Before Yasu had the chance to react, Jun pulled her into a tight hug. "You're okay! I'm glad!"
Izumi nodded. "Glad you're back, Yasu! It just rules all!" She gave a fist pump before adding "But how did you…?"
Yasu just smiled. "Hiroko helped me realize something. That's all."
Hiroko felt a bit of heat rush to her chest. "I wanted to let you know my true feelings. I'm glad I was able to help." And then, to Izumi. "So, everyone passed out like this at once?"
Izumi nodded. "Looks like that pollen stuff got to everybody after all. Dunno how to fix it, unless-" She paused, having clearly sensed the same thing that her teammates and Kichu, who was squeaking up a storm, had sensed. "You three! Come on out! I know you're there!"
And right on cue, the Magnificent Trio leapt down from their perch atop the classroom building and touched down in front of Pretty Cure. Kae's solid gold eyes shined with mirth as she broke into a noblewoman's laugh.
"Ohohohoho! You're too late, Pretty Cure! Your school and your teammate have been plunged into eternal despair! How can you fight the Magnificent Trio with just-" The wind went out of her sails as she realized that Yasu was, in fact, right there. "-two… people?" She gaped at Yasu for a moment before pointing accusingly at her. "You! How dare you come back like this! Eternal despair is eternal, damn it!"
Kooyoo looked very confused by this turn of events and seemed to need a moment to puzzle out what had just happened. Tobi, meanwhile, had proceeded to become very interested in the clouds in the sky.
Yasu remained unmoved. "Is it, now?" she deadpanned as she readied her Puricell. Then, to Hiroko and Izumi. "Everyone!"
Hiroko and Izumi nodded and readied their Puricells in turn, as Jun hurried off to a safe place with Kichu.
"Pretty Cure, Spirit Unleash!"
"Soaring blue star! Cure Seiryuu!"
"Rushing black star! Cure Genbu!"
"Shimmering white star! Cure Byakko!"
"Three shining stars, lighting the path to the future!" The three Cures struck a group pose as they spoke in unison. "We are Pretty Cure!"
Kae was even more upset now. "Y-you! You!" She stomped a foot indignantly. "First you… you cheat somehow, and now you steal our intro! You're all the worst!"
Tobi was thoroughly unsympathetic. "Yeah, and you stole our intro from Space Team Cross-3, Kae. Cry us a river." He sighed heavily before raising a fist glowing with red-black energy. "Anyway. Appear! Nikuina!"
Kooyoo snapped to attention and followed suit. "Cast the world!"
Kae eagerly finished it up. "Into despaaaaaaiiiiiir!"
A nearby tree, trashcan, and lamppost began to glow with reddish black light. All three objects uprooted themselves before converging and shifting form into the three components of another robot-like Nikuina, which once again assembled itself piece by piece. This one had an arm cannon made from a trashcan, a cast-iron body with glowing red eyes, and a tree-like arm with razor-sharp leaves sprouting down its length.
The Trio appeared atop the Nikuina in a burst of colorful light as both it and Pretty Cure sprang into action. It aimed its arm cannon at the Cures, attempting to flatten its opponents with blasts of foul-smelling garbage, fired with enough force to leave craters in its wake.
Pretty Cure dodged and evaded what Seiryuu and Genbu could not blast away and what Byakko could not deflect. Unfortunately, the Nikuina's onslaught was harsh enough and rapid enough that getting close without getting struck was a dicey prospect… for now, anyway.
Kae seemed very pleased with herself. "Behold the might of Great Academia King!" she crowed. "The latest from the genius chuuni girl who brings eternal despair!"
Tobi looked ready to say something, either about Kae's new choice of title, her insistence on naming the Nikuina again, or both, before he apparently thought better of it and looked away.
Kooyoo, meanwhile, was still lost in thought. "If eternal despair is eternal, then how 'come that white Cure is-?" He fell silent once he noticed the death glare Kae shot his way. "I mean, get them, Boss!"
"You're way too proud of yourself, Kae!" Genbu said as she blasted away another garbage salvo. Thankfully, the Nikuina seemed to be running out of ammo. "Do you realize how much suffering you caused Yasu?"
Byakko expertly deflected another salvo. "How dare you three deceive Mirai's students! They put your trust in you, and this is how you repay them!"
Seiryuu nimbly dodged yet another salvo. "Your classmates cared about you, Kae - I saw that!" The Nikuina's attacks were growing more sluggish and infrequent. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before it ran out of juice completely. "Did that mean nothing to you?"
For a moment, Kae looked genuinely rattled by Seiryuu's question. "Did it…?" And then, that moment passed just as quickly as it had arrived. "Of course it didn't! Why would I care about humans?!" she huffed indignantly. "We needed intel, and I had a plan to carry out! That's all!"
The Nikuina aimed its cannon at Pretty Cure… only for a puff of dust to escape. That was the Cures' cue to strike. Byakko spearheaded the charge as Seiryuu and Genbu brought up the rear.
"You really are a selfish girl." Byakko leapt forward, catching the Nikuina across the chest with a kick charged with sparkling white light. It stumbled backward, allowing Seiryuu and Genbu to move in and pelt it with elementally charged blows. "But… I have to thank you."
The Nikuina reeled backward, forcing the Trio to fight to maintain their balance as the three Cures touched down in front of it. Byakko extended a hand glowing with sparkling white light in its direction.
"If it wasn't for you... I would have never realized something important!"
Byakko fired a laser of sparkling white energy from her palm straight at the Nikuina, which had narrowly regained its footing… right as Kae narrowed her eyes and immediately pulled a paper charm from one of her overlong sleeves. She tossed the charm up into the air, a split-second before Byakko's laser connected.
The charm dissolved in a burst of violet light, as the Nikuina began to glow all over. The moment Byakko's laser did connect… it bounced right off the Nikuina and straight towards Pretty Cure. Worse, it seemed to be coming back at double intensity.
The white Cure froze up in alarm, forcing Seiryuu and Genbu to pull her away from the blast, which tore a huge gouge in the ground behind them.
"See, I realized something too!" Kae chirped. "Not so fun when it's you, is it?"
Tobi was looking increasingly bored. "Congratulations, Kae. Can we wrap this up already?"
"Are you okay, Byakko?" Seiryuu asked as the three touched down a few yards away.
Byakko nodded. "Seiryuu… Genbu… thank you."
Genbu just grinned. "We'll always have your back, Byakko!"
The Cures only had a moment to catch their breath before the Nikuina aimed its tree arm towards them, firing a narrow and far more focused salvo of razor-sharp leaves. Byakko immediately leapt in front of Seiryuu and Genbu, shield at the ready. Time to do what she did best.
"Don't worry about me!" she told her teammates. "I'll hold it off!"
Seiryuu and Genbu hesitated before nodding and charging towards the Nikuina. As her teammates engaged the Nikuina in direct combat, Byakko gritted her teeth, putting every last bit of spirit power she had into maintaining her shield. It was already beginning to crack, but if she focused on holding the line, then-
-it still would not be enough. Suddenly, Byakko's shield shattered into pieces, sending her flying backward. She collapsed to her knees, temporarily stunned by the blow.
"Byakko!" Seiryuu cried in alarm.
Seiryuu's momentary distraction gave the Nikuina a chance to strike. It easily smacked her and Genbu aside with its cannon arm, leaving them to hit the ground heavily,
Kae was positively radiant at this point. "So, this is how it ends, Pretty Cure! And all because you were too worried about each other! What an exploitable weakness!"
And at that moment, something surged inside Byakko.
"And what's wrong with that? You're the one who took advantage of it."
The white Cure's chest brooch was beginning to glow faintly as she shakily hauled herself to her feet. Jun's eyes widened as she and Kichu watched from their hiding spot behind a nearby tree. "That's-!"
"I thought it was my fault people hurt me. Because I was sensitive. Because I cared too much." Byakko's brooch began to shine more steadily as she spoke. "I thought locking away my heart would fix that. But..." Her brooch blazed with white light as her eyes shined resolutely. "I was wrong! And I won't be ashamed of those parts of myself anymore! Because I'm not alone anymore!"
The Nikuina charged toward Byakko. She did not budge, even as it swung a fist toward her.
She didn't have to. There was a flash of white light, and the Nikuina was forced backward. An orb of white light emerged from Byakko's brooch before resolving into a rapier with a silver-white blade, a white grip, and a heart-shaped violet pommel.
Jun emerged from her hiding spot. "You did it, Byakko! That's one of Pretty Cure's Spirit Arms!"
Seiryuu, who had barely pulled herself up off the ground, smiled proudly as she beheld her fellow Cure. "I knew you could do it, Yasu."
Byakko reached out and took hold of the rapier - the White Fleuret, her mind told her. A surge of power flowed into her body as the bells of the school clock tower began to chime. As of now, she was reborn. And she would change, even if it was little by little. There were people to catch her when she fell this time.
Kae was absolutely beside herself. "Is that really a mid-series upgrade?! On our second encounter?" She indignantly turned to the very confused Kooyoo and then the very nonplussed Tobi. "They're cheating, guys! They're cheating!"
Byakko began to blaze with spirit power as she raised the White Fleuret in the air. "Pretty Cure!" A blizzard of white moonflower petals and white sparks danced and swirled about her as an immense curtain of white energy swords took shape behind her. "White Rain!"
Byakko pointed the White Fleuret at the Nikuina, and the enormous hail of energy swords flew straight towards it. The Trio teleported away a safe distance as the energy swords struck the Nikuina from all sides, turning it into a veritable pincushion.
The white Cure turned away, giving a nonchalant hair flip as the Nikuina exploded in an enormous, heart-shaped burst of sparkling white light. When the light cleared, nothing remained of the Nikuina, past a fallen trash can, a tree and a lamppost, now back in their proper places, and three shriveled pieces of a Wrath Seed pod.
As the damage to the surroundings reverted itself, Byakko found herself swaying on her feet again. Her teammates wasted no time in rushing to her side as she lost her transformation. Once again, Seiryuu caught her in her arms. This time, Yasu felt no need to protest.
Kae looked from what remained of her Great Academia King, to her teammates, to Pretty Cure. For a moment, she looked like she was about to throw another temper tantrum... and then she quickly recovered and burst into yet another noblewoman's laugh.
"Ohohohoho! Pretty Cure! You may have won the battle, but I won the war!" She gestured at the people surrounding them. "Even if her despair wasn't eternal, theirs is! They'll definitely never-!"
Seiryuu just smiled politely. "Are you sure? They seem just fine to me."
Indeed, the students around the vicinity were regaining their color. Some of them were even stirring a bit. None of them seemed any different than the usual victims of a Nikuina attack.
Kae's jaw worked, but nothing would come out. She seemed truly lost for words.
"Maybe you spread it too thin, Boss?" Kooyoo suggested. "That was an awfully small vial."
Kae seemed ready to protest… and then she noticed how Tobi was conspicuously avoiding eye contact with his teammates. You could see the gears gradually clicking into place in the aqua-haired girl's head, as a look of utter distress slowly crept onto her face, before-
"We're going."
And with that said, Kae slammed her staff onto the ground, and the Trio vanished in a burst of sparkling violet light.
Yasu did not notice. She had fallen fast asleep, Hiroko noted as she and Izumi released their transformations. But this time, her upperclassman looked very peaceful and content. Without thinking, Hiroko gently moved a stray strand of hair out of the sleeping Yasu's face.
"I hope you have pleasant dreams." she told her fellow Cure. "You've earned them."
"You sabotaged me!"
Kae was pointing accusingly at Tobi, who was leaning up against the wall of the Trio's shared flat, idly fanning himself. Said flat had definitely seen better days - there was a dishearteningly large mountain of dirty dishes piled in the sink, numerous books, manga volumes, and toys were strewn around, and the place was otherwise in dire need of a good cleaning.
Tobi looked completely nonplussed. "You were about to pour that stuff in the bread dough, Kae. You were going to sabotage yourself. I was just more efficient about it."
Kooyoo, who had been weight-training in another corner of the room, paused mid-dumbbell lift. "Guys, please don't fight-"
Kae didn't seem to hear. "Y-yeah, well! You should have warned me, Tobi! You knew what it did! Let me guess, you knew it had to be used on one person too, didn't you?"
"Yes, I did! And I didn't want that on your conscience! Do you realize what that geezer asked you to do?"
Kae stomped a foot indignantly. "Quit talking about Hinyu-sama like he's old! And quit treating me like a child!"
Tobi closed his fan with a sharp snap. "Thirty-four is old. And thirteen is very much a child!"
Before Kae could say anything in response, Kooyoo hurried over and parked himself between the pair. "No more fighting! We're all friends!" The tension between Tobi and Kae… did not go down any. If anything, it was going up. "I know! Let's talk about the fun stuff we did at school! I got fifteen girlfriends, and I met a really nice girl! She taught me about motorcycles and auto racing and this thing called the Indy 500 and-"
"That's nice, Kooyoo." Tobi deadpanned. "We had no business there in the first place. It was a colossal waste of time. Just like every other plan of yours, Kae." A pause, then. "Hey, Shahei - back me up here." She was more rational than Kae, and the twins always listened to each other. "Are you really okay with this?"
Kae paused, tilting her head to listen to Shahei's answer... before assuming her sister's usual vapid smile and answering with "'People who keep their blood pressure down live longer, happier lives.'" in a pitch-perfect impression of Shahei's wispy monotone. "'Minding your own business helps a lot." And then, in her usual tone. "That's what she said~."
Tobi was silent for a moment… and then he hissed in annoyance and started towards the front door.
Kae went right after him. "And where do you think you're going?"
"Back home. To be with my family." Tobi did not look at Kae or Kooyoo as he spoke. "The paycheck I've been sending Mom and the siblings isn't worth this."
Kooyoo hurried after Tobi and grabbed his arm. "But Tobi! We're your family too, aren't we?"
That actually seemed to make Tobi hesitate a little. When he spoke, his demanor was noticeably softer. "Kooyoo, listen-"
And then Kae piped up with "Yeah! We need you, Tobi. The dishes-"
Tobi's demeanor immediately hardened again. He pulled away from Kooyoo and shot a glare at Kae. "You know what, Kae? Do your own damn dishes. Or, I don't know, find a henchman who'll do them for you, no thanks needed! Hell, make one! You're smart enough to do that, right?"
Kae tightened her fists. "You know what? Maybe I will! I don't need you! I can have someone who does whatever I-"
Tobi was already out the door before she finished her sentence. Moments later, Kooyoo burst out of the flat, still calling out after Tobi. Kae turned away, huffing indignantly. He'd get over it. Hell, she was already over it! What had she been doing, keeping a grouch like him around? She could do far better.
"Can I take over now? "
Kae made a soft noise of acknowledgement at Shahei's request before grabbing her head and twisting it around. Shahei took a moment to brush her hair out of her face before retreating to their bedchamber to work. Healing charms were always in demand, and nobody was better at them than her.
"This is where we belong, Kae." Shahei told her sister as she headed to the work desk that took up one end of the twins' small bedroom. Paper, ink, and numerous magical components littered its surface. "We have no place in that world. We never did."
"Of course, Shahei." Kae replied. "As long as we have each other, it's okay! And we'll always have each other."
Part of her still felt a strange twinge of longing for Mirai Academy. Hopefully, Shahei didn't pick up on that.
When Yasu Fukuda made her morning trek to school the next day, she felt a bit lighter somehow. The worry about what her classmates would think of her was still very much there, especially in light of yesterday. But… it wasn't as intense as before.
People were staring and whispering, as usual. Yasu wouldn't pretend that had magically stopped bothering her either. It would be a long time before it did. Just like it would be a long time before she was able to express herself as freely as she would like to. And that was alright, wasn't it? It was like Hiroko had told her herself - even if she changed little by little, it was still enough. She had to keep telling herself that. Especially because...
"Yasu! There you are!"
Hiroko, Izumi, and Jun were waiting for her near the side of her usual path to school. Yasu had insisted she was fine making the trek alone before. She hadn't wanted to impose on them. She hadn't felt like she deserved to impose on them, really. But now…
Yasu offered the group a small but genuine smile. "Good morning, everyone."
"Good morning!" Hiroko answered Yasu's smile with a bright one of her own as her upperclassman hurried to join them. "Let's make this another wonderful day!"
And with that said, Yasu Fukuda set off alongside her friends, towards a new future.