Episode Eleven: Echoes of Mother! The Spirit of Kyoukai!
The evening air was pleasantly warm and comforting as Jun exited Mirai Academy's classroom building alongside Naomi Hikawa and Kaori Takenaka, who had agreed to escort her back to the junior high dorms. It was a wonderful feeling, and the beautiful pastel hues of the evening sky and soft sound of chirping crickets only enhanced it further.
Mirai Academy… no, all Kyoukai really was a beautiful place, strikingly different from but just as gorgeous as the Hallowed Wellspring. Jun wanted to do whatever she could to… support Pretty Cure as they fought to protect it.
"You're such a sweetheart, Inoue-san!" Naomi suddenly reached out and ruffled Jun's hair, jolting her back to attention. "If it wasn't for you, my wife and I would have spent all eternity navigating those files."
Kaori sighed. "Nao-chan, I think you're exaggerating a bit." She smiled warmly at Jun, who was trying to hide her disappointment once Naomi stopped petting her head. "We really are grateful for the help, though. Have you considered joining the student council, Inoue-san? You do have a talent for it."
Jun blinked in surprise. "Do you really think so? I mean… I did kind of sometimes handle paperwork back… overseas, but…" But it wasn't an option, and she knew it. "I'll definitely think about it!"
And if she had been a normal human girl, Jun would have done more than just think about it. But her time in Kyoukai was temporary, and her enrollment in Mirai was merely a means to an end. Even if she really did like playing at being a schoolgirl, she was a mentor and ally to Pretty Cure before all else, and…
…she didn't feel like that was enough, even now, even after she had become much surer of her place within the team. Jun still wanted to do more for Pretty Cure. Maybe she couldn't be a leader like Clio had been, but… she still wanted to be useful to Hiroko and the others. More than she was now.
But wishing and hoping wouldn't do anything on its own, and Jun knew that painfully well. If it worked, she would have her hands on the Ouryuu crystal by now.
Kaori hummed thoughtfully as the trio drew closer to the junior high dorms. "It's so peaceful tonight… I wonder if we'll run into Ghost-san. I do want to meet her."
Jun paused in her tracks, inclining her head curiously. "Ghost-san?" She was glad Hiroko was busy caring for Kichu and not around to hear this… and equally thankful for the distraction from her current train of thought. "Is Mirai Academy haunted?"
"All of Kyoukai is!" Kaori beamed radiantly, clasping her hands together. "She only started showing up the other day, and only a few people around Kyoukai have seen her. But! Kurono-san has been tracking down all of them. He made one of those maps - you know, with the lines? It's very interesting."
Naomi could not look less enthused about the current topic. "Um… Kaori-chan, with how things have been around Kyoukai, maybe we shouldn't mess with any… with… any…"
The violet-haired girl suddenly trailed off into silence as her gaze drifted towards… something nearby. Kaori inclined her head curiously.
"Hm? Nao-chan? Is something wrong?"
Naomi just tapped Kaori on the shoulder before wordlessly gesturing in the direction of Mirai Academy's duck pond. Kaori and Jun glanced towards the pond in question… and Jun immediately felt her heart leap right into her throat.
There was a translucent figure standing on the surface of the pond and emitting a soft golden glow, drawing the curious attention of the handful of ducks in the vicinity. She had no discernible facial features, but Jun could vaguely make out long, wavy hair, topped with twin buns much like her own.
Wait… it couldn't possibly be…
The figure suddenly looked up at the group… before vanishing from view and reappearing directly in front of the three girls. Naomi squeaked in alarm, Jun stared wide-eyed, and Kaori… offered a polite curtsy.
"Good evening to you, Ghost-san!" Kaori beamed cheerfully at the specter. "What brings you out here?"
Alas, Kaori did not get a response, let alone much in the way of acknowledgement. Instead, the figure drifted closer towards Jun, who felt her heart beat even more quickly. There was no mistaking it up close, between the apparition's appearance and the… familiar feeling of the aura she gave off.
"Mama?"
Without thinking, Jun reached towards the golden apparition. And the apparition reached right back… only to abruptly flicker out of existence the second Jun's fingertips brushed against her form.
Jun stared at the empty air before her. Kaori was lamenting 'Ghost-san's' quick exit, and Naomi was prodding Jun about what she had just said. She could hardly hear either girl over the pounding of her own heart and the swirling static of her own thoughts.
Clio was gone. Clio had sacrificed herself in a way that… should have made this impossible. But...
Mama... were you really able to come back?
The Fukuda estate looked particularly lovely this afternoon. The dining room was decorated in elegant shades of violet and silver, complete with an elaborate floral centerpiece, featuring pink stargazer lilies, white carnations, and violet zinnias, and a beautiful silver and white floral tablecloth. Servants flitted to and fro, making sure everything was prepared for this evening.
"Father's birthday is this week." Yasu had explained to her friends a few days back. "Mother… doesn't like being alone on days like this, so she'll be hosting a family dinner. You're all welcome to come along."
Keitaro Fukuda had been gone for nine long years, but his absence was still felt by both of his children and especially by his wife, who had been very close to him. Turning what would have otherwise been a bitter reminder of another year without her husband into a time of togetherness had been very good for Yui, and Yasu would not deny that it had helped her quite a bit as well.
Jun understood. There were days when Clio's absence hurt more than others. Days where the idea of being alone with her thoughts was unbearable. And this was turning into one of these days, frankly.
She had not told her teammates about her encounter with Clio's ghost (if that was really what she had seen) yet. She had to speak up eventually - this was Pretty Cure's business, and they knew there was a ghost thanks to Kou running his mouth about her all morning. But…
…well, now didn't seem like the right time. She hadn't even properly processed it herself anyway.
There was nothing that Hiroko, Yasu, or Jun could really help with - the staff had everything covered, and it sounded like Haruki was handling what they hadn't gotten to. And Izumi wasn't here yet - she was still at the Yoshimoto-Siegel residence, both to bring Shun her classwork and to make sure her friend was recovering from her recent ordeal.
So, that left Yasu with some time to give her friends a whirlwind tour of the Fukuda estate - and a crash course on who Keitaro Fukuda had been - before Izumi arrived and everyone went dress shopping.
Jun should have enjoyed herself. The Fukuda estate was absolutely gorgeous, and Jun hadn't had the chance to explore it properly. Kichu, who was perched on her shoulder, was definitely having the time of his little life right now. But she...
"Father practically lived here some days." Yasu informed her friends as she led them around the Fukuda estate's large, elaborate library. "Do you see that reading grotto? He had that set up for Haruki and me. Sometimes, he'd even read to us - you should have heard him acting out all the parts."
(Yasu had so many happy memories of her father to share with everyone. Jun should have been happy for her. So why did she feel so rotten right now.)
"And this was Father's study." Yasu proudly showed off the warmly decorated and cozy-looking room in question. "I used to sit over there" Here, she gestured to a plush-looking armchair in the corner of the room "and draw while he was busy doing work. And look."
Yasu directed her friends' attention to the numerous drawings pinned on the cork board above Keitaro's old oak desk, along with the framed watercolor paintings on the walls. It was all obviously created by a young child… and her father had displayed it all with obvious pride.
"Father never stopped encouraging me to improve." Yasu explained. "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have become an artist." She smiled fondly at the memory. "I hope I'm still making him proud."
(It meant a lot for Yasu to share something so personal. Why couldn't Jun appreciate that? Why did her heart hurt so much?)
"And speaking of art, I need to show you our gallery." Yasu eagerly ushered them up the Fukuda estate's long, elaborate staircase, which had an equally fancy-looking chair lift installed at the bottom. "Father really loved to collect art - he even did some paintings of his own. Big cats - especially tigers - were one of his favorite subjects." She laughed softly. "Funny how that worked out."
(Sure, last night might have reopened some raw wounds for Jun, but! That was that, and this was this . It had absolutely nothing to do with her!)
And Jun would have let her thoughts about her late-night Clio encounter and all that entailed keep swirling around in her mind as Yasu led them around the Fukuda estate's museum-like art gallery, mingling with the strange malaise building up inside her… had Hiroko not gently tapped her on the shoulder.
"Jun, are you doing alright?" Hiroko asked quietly. "You look like something's bothering you."
Jun hesitated… before shaking her head. "I'm… really not." A deep breath, then "Hironyan, Nyasu, there's something I really need to talk to you about."
The three reconvened in the middle of the gallery. Jun looked around, making sure there were no prying ears in the vicinity… and then everything spilled out at once, from her encounter with Clio to her fending off Naomi's well-intentioned hail of questions to her getting a map of the ghost sightings from Masami.
Hiroko blinked several times in the wake of Jun's breathless confession. "Wait, the ghost everyone has been talking about is Clio-san?"
Jun lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry. I meant to tell you earlier, but…" She looked aside briefly. "I mean, I'm not even sure what I saw was Mama."
"You aren't being a bother." Yasu said. "Pretty Cure's duties come first. And what do you mean by that?"
"Mama gave up her existence to restore the central sealing stone - she's basically part of it now." Jun explained. "So, she's gone, but not 'leave a ghost' gone, because she's still here, but not as…" She sighed heavily and shook her head. "I'm sorry, guys, I'm not explaining this well at all."
"No, I think I understand." Yasu said. "But… it doesn't sound like we can take this at face value."
Jun faltered a bit. "Yeah. We really can't put anything past the Shade Kingdom." Getting her hopes up otherwise would be foolish, wouldn't it? One last moment with or even a proper goodbye to Clio wasn't something she could wish into existence either. "They do know all about Mama, so…"
Kichu gently nuzzled Jun's face. "Chuu…"
Hiroko patted Jun on the shoulder. "Even so, we can't leave this alone. If it really is Clio-san's ghost, then… maybe she's trying to reach out to us. There has to be a reason she'd show up now, right?"
Yasu nodded. "Our shopping trip can wait. The first priority should be-"
"Um… would it be okay if I looked into this myself? On my own? Just for a bit?" The words had sort of leapt out of Jun's mouth before she could think about them properly, and the obvious worry on Hiroko and Yasu's faces stung a bit. But… "I'll be careful, I… just don't want you guys to wait for me, okay?"
For a moment, Hiroko seemed ready to protest. It quickly passed. "I understand. But if anything happens-"
"You guys will definitely be the first to know. We're a team, after all." Jun beamed and flashed a peace sign. "So… don't worry too much, okay?"
And then Jun was gone. Hiroko frowned a bit as the blue-haired girl vanished from view.
"There's still something she wasn't telling us." she said quietly. "I didn't want to pressure her, but…"
Yasu simply reached out and gave Hiroko's hand a gentle squeeze. She said nothing herself, but the pensive look on her face spoke volumes.
Tamakushi absolutely adored the Dark Triumvirate's strategy meetings. Extracting despair from humans and ferreting out any… troublemakers among the Shade Kingdom's populace might have been fun, but nothing was spicer than the inevitable fallout that ensued every time the three of them (plus Seimono's temperamental and easily offended partner, can't forget them) had to be in a room together.
She happily drank in the tension brewing in the air as she comfortably reclined in her seat at the sizable round table in the center of of the Shade Palace's war room. Seimono's quiet disapproval of her and Hinyu's every action, Hinyu's seething contempt for everyone else in the room, Kamryou's fear and hatred of anything and everything that so much as looked at Seimono funny… ah, it didn't get better than this!
"So, even now, there are pockets of rebellious activity across the Shade Kingdom." Hinyu was trying to sound cool, collected, and most importantly, completely in charge as he spoke. It was not working. "And the vermin just happen to scatter every time you sniff out their location, Tamakushi."
Tamakushi leaned forward a bit. "I hope you're not blaming me for this mess, Hinyu dear." she purred. "I hate letting His Majesty down every bit as much as his most loyal majordomo does."
The corner of Hinyu's lip twitched involuntarily. "Or perhaps His Grace is quicker to forgive your failures. We both know that you-"
"-are not as entertaining to tear into." Tamakushi promptly retorted… before shifting into a perfect copy of Hinyu and launching into a pitch-perfect, hand-wringing "My most sincere apologies, Your Grace! I'll fix this immediately! I swear! Please calm yourself!" She smirked, still wearing Hinyu's form. "His Majesty says one cross word and you crumble like a stale cake. How could anyone resist?"
Tamakushi did not miss the quiet sigh her performance drew out of Seimono, who sat a few chairs over, let alone the way Kamryou, who was glued to Seimono's side as usual, bristled in agitation. It was almost as delectable as the heat pouring off Hinyu in waves, she mused as she shifted back to her true form.
"Deflecting, I see." Hinyu sneered. "Are you implying the vermin have an advantage we don't? Are they somehow able to divine your approach, Tamakushi?"
Tamakushi made a soft noise of acknowledgment. "That isn't out of the question. Actually, it's downright likely." She idly pushed a stray lock of hair behind one ear as she spoke. "This has happened too regularly to be mere coincidence. If they had a clairvoyant on their side, it would explain a fair amount."
Hinyu curled his lip disdainfully. "Speculation gets us nowhere. His Grace demands results." And soon. It was a wonder he had made it through that latest outburst of Kagemera's intact. "And where are we? Pretty Cure has powered up, the barrier is still being rebuilt, and that damned rebellion still exists!"
As Hinyu ranted, the temperature around him spiked ever higher, and the phantom outlines of his three tails flickered behind him. Tamakushi would have loved to give him one last push (maybe by pointing out how Pretty Cure had powered up mostly because of his band of idiot children) and watch the fireworks-
-but Seimono, who had not said a word this entire meeting, beat her to it. "All a rebellion needs is one person, Hinyu. Crushing all dissent is impossible, even for His Majesty."
Hinyu was silent for a moment or two, his eyes flitting from the (superficially) impassive Seimono to Kamryou, who was already trembling with barely repressed fury, and back again-
-and then he burst out laughing. "Oh, that's rich, coming from someone like yourself." He stood up and leaned forward, eyes glinting with cold malice. "Anyone can be broken with enough force. You, of all people, should know that better than anyone else, Seimono."
Seimono said nothing… to Hinyu, anyway. He whispered something to Kamryou, likely trying to calm them down before they did something regrettable. And that just emboldened Hinyu further.
"Every man has his price, don't they, Seimono? We all know you did." God, this was worth the condescending laugh his performance drew from Tamakushi, who was watching the whole exchange like a woman enjoying a day at the theater. "If one of King Shirotaku's loyal hounds can be broken, th-"
Before Hinyu could finish that sentence, Kamryou launched themselves at his face like an angry cat - far too quickly for Seimono to have any hope of intervening.
Hinyu narrowly managed to leap out of the way of the furious cloth wraith. Kamryou was left to spring at empty air as Hinyu sent a blast of white-hot fire at them from his palm-
-which would have handily incinerated its target, had Seimono not pulled Kamryou out of the way a half-second beforehand. A bit of flame grazed Seimono's arm, leaving visible scorch marks. The rest ate an immense chunk of the wood-paneled wall behind him, which crumbled into a pile of white ash.
"Oh no." Hinyu drawled condescendingly. "Look what you made me do."
Kamryou was shaking like a leaf, and Hinyu's words just made it worse. "Seimono-sama, you…" They drew in a shaky gasp as they noticed their partner's burned arm. "You're hurt, I… Seimono-sama, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"I have endured far worse." Seimono pointedly ignored Hinyu as he moved to comfort his partner. "I'm just glad you're alright, Kamryou."
Hinyu narrowed his eyes. "You know, you only have yourself to blame, Seimono." No acknowledgment, still. Ah well. Kamryou couldn't get lucky twice. "It pains me to say it, but if you can't control your partner, I may end up having to-"
"THAT'S ENOUGH, HINYU!"
It was rare to see Seimono raise his voice, let alone roar like that, loudly enough to make the walls tremble, Tamakushi jump a bit and Hinyu's words instantly dry up in his throat. Seimono radiated quiet fury as he stared down at Hinyu, leveraging the good foot and a half of height he had over the other man.
"You are His Majesty's majordomo, not a schoolyard bully. Act like it." Before Hinyu could say a word in response, Seimono had taken his place at the table once more. Kamryou clung tightly to him like a limpet, clearly too shaken to try pulling anything else. "Now. Where were we?"
Tamakushi sighed. Well, so much for the free entertainment, she mused bitterly as a visibly shaken Hinyu staggered back to his place at the table. Back to business, then.
"If we cannot flush out all the vermin, then you'll have to break the ones you do catch, darling Hinyu." Tamakushi fixed Seimono with an icy stare - no small feat for a woman without facial features. "And for once, he's right. You are a testament to how doable that is, Seimono."
Seimono said nothing in response, but he did falter ever so slightly. That was enough for now.
Hinyu narrowed his eyes. "And why do you assume I will be the one dealing with them, Tamakushi?"
"We all know how little His Majesty trusts Seimono with these things. And as for myself-" Tamakushi produced a pulsing Wrath Seed pod in her hand, seemingly out of thin air. "I'll be busy dealing with Pretty Cure. We both know why His Majesty passed you over this time."
And with that said, Tamakushi swept out of the room, leaving the other two legs of the Dark Triumvirate, plus Kamryou alone. Hinyu snarled quietly, digging his claws into the table as he watched her go.
"So, that's how it is." he muttered. "So be it. The people within these palace walls know respect. The people outside these walls will learn it as well." Then, to Seimono "I shall relish proving you wrong."
No one present noticed the multitude of blinking black eyes that suddenly surfaced on the wall behind them, keenly observing all present for a few moments before vanishing just as quickly.
Jun was jealous of Yasu.
The realization hit her like an avalanche the moment she put enough distance between Pretty Cure and herself. She was genuinely jealous of one of her friends. Not only because Yasu had clear memories of Keichiro, while Jun only had scraps and fragments of Clio, but because… well…
Jun heaved a quiet sigh as she leaned up against Kyoukai's central sealing stone. Sure, she had been having good luck finding people who had seen Clio's ghost, and her luck seemed to improve the closer she got to the town square. But none of them had been able to tell her very much.
And once she tracked Clio - if that was Clio - down, what then? Was she ready to even think about that?
"You know what, Kichu?" Jun said quietly as she watched people milling about the town square. "Maybe it'd be easier it wasn't Mama."
Kichu poked his head out from Jun's schoolbag and regarded her curiously. "Chuu?"
Jun smiled sadly. "Nyasu had nothing but good things to say about her dad. It sounds like she respected him a lot." She shook head head. "But I'm different. A part of me is still angry at Mama for leaving. And another part is still really jealous of her." She glanced down at Kichu. "I'm not a very good person, am I?"
Kichu huffed indignantly, puffing his cheeks out a bit. "Chuuu! Chu chu chuuu!"
"Okay, okay!" Jun scritched Kichu behind the ears. He eagerly leaned into the attention. "Maybe I'm being a little hard on myself." Just a little. "Besides… it's like the head priest says, right? I'm almost an adult, and that means-"
Before Jun could finish that sentence, the sound of approaching footsteps reached her sensitive ears. She fell silent, listening keenly as the owner of said footsteps paused on the other side of the central sealing stone, humming thoughtfully before knocking gently on it, pausing, trying one more time, and then-
"Nothing, huh? Well, it was worth a try."
Jun drew in a breath. She definitely recognized that voice… and so did Kichu, who leapt out of her school bag, and bolted towards the other side of the sealing stone before Jun realized what he was about to do. Jun gave a squeak of alarm and chased after Kichu to find-
-Haruki Fukuda, who was crouched down on the ground and curiously regarding Kichu. The mouse spirit was staring up at him with equally curious pink eyes. Neither of them seemed to have noticed Jun yet.
"Oh hey… Kichu, right?" Haruki cracked a smile as the mouse spirit squeaked in the affirmative. "What are you doing all the way out here? You didn't get lost again, did you?" He frowned sternly in response to Kichu's nonchalant squeaking. "Sheesh… you can't keep doing that! Inoue-san will be worried sick!"
Haruki moved to gently scoop up Kichu… who instead bolted up his arm and began affectionately nuzzling his face. The red-haired boy burst out giggling despite himself.
"Hey, that tickles!" Haruki protested, which only seemed to encourage Kichu more.
Jun couldn't help but burst out giggling herself. "I guess Kichu really likes you, Harunyan!"
Haruki looked up… and went slightly pink. "Oh! Inoue-san!" He hurried to his feet. "I found your, uh, little brother? I hope you weren't looking for him too long."
Jun just smiled. "Don't worry - he didn't go far at all!" She offered an arm to Kichu, who gave Haruki one last nuzzle before resuming his perch on Jun's shoulder. "So, what are you doing out here, Harunyan? Weren't you helping with… you know, the dinner party?"
"Well, I was making sure all the orders for tonight will be ready, yeah." Haruki said. "But I got done a little earlier than I expected, so I was…" He looked aside. "It sounds a little weird, honestly…"
"What kind of weird?" Jun regarded Haruki curiously. "Weird like me, or the Shade Kingdom, or the ghost everyone's been seeing, or-?"
"N-no! I mean weird like…" Haruki took a moment to flail around for the right word. "So, that ghost- Hikawa-san was telling me about her, and how you… thought it was your mom? And I remembered what you said about her before, and I thought I should help-" He faltered a bit. "I told you it sounded weird."
Jun was quiet for a moment… before pulling Haruki into a hug and gently headbutting him - a normal gesture from a cat that looked a bit strange coming from a human-looking girl.
"You're a good person, Harunyan." Jun said softly once she released Haruki from the hug. "I don't think it's weird at all. I really appreciate it, actually."
Haruki heaved a sigh of relief. "Ah, okay. I just… well, you know what today is. And I kept thinking… if I saw Dad's spirit wandering around Kyoukai, I'd want other people to help investigate." A pause, then "Just getting to say goodbye would be nice, you know?"
"I feel the same way." Jun hoped the twinge of bitterness she felt at the mention of Keichiro hadn't been noticeable. Sure, Haruki had seen her at her lowest, but did her need to see her at her most selfish? A pause, then "So, do you want to team up, then? I'm no Detective Hironyan, but… we have to try, right?"
"Are you sure?" Haruki asked. "Weren't you going to go dress shopping with Sis and her friends? This can always wait until later."
Jun shook her head. "It's okay - everyone knows exactly where I am. I've been keeping them updated and everything." She smiled. "Besides - the warrior needs a priest to protect him, right?"
"I can't argue with that." Haruki hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe we could throw in a ranger, fighter, and paladin too - this really seems like a job for a full party." His eyes lit up. "Hey, if Tsubasa-san and the others get finished early, then maybe we can all team up!"
Kichu nodded in agreement. "Chu chuuu!"
"I'd be up for that if they would!" It would be the more responsible option anyway, Jun told herself. She couldn't rule out Shade Kingdom involvement… and Pretty Cure could do much more to protect Haruki than she could. She… would cross that bridge when she got to it. "Are you ready, Harunyan?"
Until then… it wasn't like she was completely helpless. Jun could manage well enough if she had to, Ouryuu crystal or none. She would never let a repeat of before happen. Ever, ever.
Haruki pumped a fist. "Of course! Let's progress this quest, Inoue-san!"
And with that said, the red-haired boy, the blue-haired girl, and the white mouse set off together, in search of news of the ghost haunting Kyoukai.
Hiroko really had been looking forward to the group's trip to Luminous Dress Up. Just getting to browse their selection was always a joy, even if most of it was far out of her price range. And better yet, Yasu would be buying party dresses for her and Jun. Even now, that didn't feel quite real.
Izumi wasn't going to be left out either - Yasu had brought along a special surprise for her to try on. Hiroko had been eagerly waiting for Izumi to receive her gift, which currently sat in a bag draped over Yasu's arm, ever since her upperclassman had consulted her about it earlier this week.
But… right now, it was difficult to be too enthusiastic about dress shopping, Hiroko mused as she half-heartedly browsed the store's jewelry counter. Not in light of this current situation.
Jun was at least safe for now - Pretty Cure had the running text updates on their phones to prove it. And Hiroko understood why Jun had gone off on her own. Even now, the cat spirit seemed to dislike dragging people into her business, especially where her mother was concerned.
But it didn't make Hiroko any less worried, as much as she wanted to give Jun her space. The idea of her friend getting captured again sent a chill down her spine, and while the idea of dealing with a ghost was equally chilling… the ghost of a former Cure was not something Pretty Cure could not ignore.
She knew Yasu, who was at the front counter purchasing the dresses everyone had chosen (the same ones everyone had tried on back then, at that), felt the same way, as did Izumi, who had been doing agitated laps around Luminous Dress Up and was now standing a few feet away, cycling through stretching exercises.
Hiroko's phone went off. Another text from Jun.
found a trail, Hironyan! making progress! don't worry! still fine!
Hiroko heaved a quiet sigh as she texted a quick reply back. "Jun… I wish you'd tell me what's going on."
Izumi looked up mid-thigh stretch. "Maybe she's worried about being a bother. You know, since..." She gestured vaguely. "I'm the last person who should judge her for that, but man… "
Hiroko nodded. "I didn't want to push too hard, but… something was clearly bothering her." Besides the obvious, anyway. Hiroko couldn't imagine how it felt to lose a parent, let alone be confronted by their ghost (?) ten years on. "Maybe investigating Clio-san will help. We have to try."
An awkward silence lingered in the air between the Cures before Hiroko added "So… how is Siegel-san doing?"
Izumi froze in place. She had gone hot pink at the mere mention of Shun, and she seemed to grow even pinker as she spoke.
"Oh, Sieg-kun? We're… she's fine! More than fine! I-I mean!" Izumi looked around shiftily and lowered her voice half a step. "She's in good spirits, but she doesn't remember a lot about her time as Kasoku. And she's still a little weak. She said she was 'running at eighty percent' when I dropped by today."
"I don't blame her… Siegel-san really was put through a lot." And that was putting it lightly. Hiroko wasn't sure how she would have handled… all of that. Especially the 'almost dying' bit. "Should I make more congee? She told me the last batch helped a lot."
Izumi shook her head. "Sieg-kun's aiming to return to school tomorrow. I don't think you have to worry."
Kimiko and Hayate were doing enough worrying for five Hirokos, from what Izumi had seen. Neither woman had been at all happy with Shun's stubborn insistence on getting back to her regular school life as quickly as possible, leaving Izumi to excuse herself before the ensuing family argument.
"I see… I really hope she doesn't force herself." And Hiroko would have dropped that line of questioning there, had something not occurred to her. "What about-" Her eyes flitted about. "Does she remember-"
Izumi went hot pink. "Oh, yeah… she does. I asked. We haven't talked about… um, us, like… seriously, but…" She took a deep breath before placing both hands on Hiroko's shoulders and looking into her eyes. "Hiroko. Sieg-kun feels the same way. It's love! It really is love!"
Hiroko immediately pulled Izumi into a hug. "Izumi! I'm so happy for you!" She had meant to ask if Shun remembered they were Pretty Cure… but this was worth knowing too, right? "I know everything will work out for you two." she told Izumi as she released her from the hug. "I'm cheering for you."
Izumi beamed. "Thanks, Hiroko! You're the best!" She keenly watched Yasu, who had finished purchasing the dresses, as she spoke. Maybe she was reading a bit too far into the way Yasu's gaze lingered on Hiroko as she approached the pair, but… "I'm cheering for you too!"
Hiroko blinked in confusion. "H-huh? What do you mean by-?"
"Hm? Is everything alright?"
Yasu was standing behind Hiroko, purchases in hand, regarding both her teammates curiously. Hiroko immediately felt a surge of heat rising to her face.
"Oh no! No… I'm fine." That came out a bit too high-pitched for Hiroko's liking. "It sounds like Jun is pretty close by. We should be able to catch up easily, after… well, you know."
Yasu nodded. "This shouldn't take long." She handed the bag she had been carrying to Izumi. "You can try this on in the fitting room. I hope you like it."
Izumi eagerly accepted the bag. "Oh man, I've been waiting for this! Thanks, Yasu!"
"I don't deserve all the credit." Yasu said. "I commissioned this, but the design was all Hiroko."
Now it was Hiroko's turn to go hot pink. "Right… I tried to design something you'd like. I hope it's okay."
"Hey, no need to be shy, Hiroko!" Izumi pumped a fist. "I know it'll just rule all!"
Izumi eagerly disappeared into the fitting room. Hiroko couldn't help but smile at the delighted shout the blond let out as she opened the bag… even if it was a bit loud. And then, to Yasu
"I hope this is okay." Hiroko said quietly. "I know this is a difficult time for you and your family, Yasu. I feel a little bad being so casual."
"Don't." Yasu said. "This means a lot to me, Hiroko. Last year, I was mostly alone with my thoughts." She smiled gently. "This is better. For myself, Haru, and Mother."
Hiroko said nothing in response. She simply nodded before reaching out for Yasu's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. The pair remained where they were for a moment… before a flash of movement outside the storefront window caught Yasu's eye.
There was Jun, who was too busy talking to a passing-by stranger to notice Yasu… and Haruki, who appeared to be helping Jun. Haruki, who had been attacked the first time he'd gone off like this.
Izumi emerged from the fitting room, proudly decked out in her new outfit - a perfectly tailored light gray suit, complete with a pale pink dress shirt, a pink waistcoat, and a pink hyacinth-print tie. Hiroko felt her heart leap into her throat at the sight. The blond looked positively radiant right now.
"So? Do I look great, or do I look great?" Izumi was grinning from ear to ear. "Man, I feel a little weird about wearing pants, but… this feels right. I totally-" She blinked. "Uh… Yasu? Something wrong?"
Yasu nodded. "We need to catch up with Jun. As soon as possible." She retrieved her smartphone. "I'll have someone pick up our outfits. "I can't let Haruki be hurt again."
"We won't let it happen. I promise." Hiroko said. Just leaving Jun alone for this long had been dicey, but a civilian like Haruki… there was no way.
"Hell no, we won't!" Izumi said. "Don't worry, Yasu - we've got this covered!"
Investigating together with Haruki really was nice, at least at first. He was quickly becoming another one of Jun's favorite people - he was funny, he was really nice, and he knew… well, not as much about her as Pretty Cure did, but enough for Jun to be relaxed around him.
And most importantly… she and Haruki had a fair amount in common. More than Jun had initially assumed, at that. He might not have understood everything she was going through - and never really would, but...
"To be honest… I always feel a little awkward about today." Haruki told Jun as they left the crepe shop, hot off speaking to a helpful elderly employee who had approached them with information. "I was pretty young when Dad died. So, when Sis and Mom talk about him…"
"...you feel left out, right?" Jun smiled sadly. "I think I get it. It felt like everyone in the Wellspring knew Mama better than I did."
Besides… maybe things would work out, Jun kept telling herself as she and Haruki advanced along their investigation. It seemed like each person that approached the pair had a bit more to say about Clio's ghost than the next. Maybe a miracle had happened, and she could at least have that goodbye.
And then Kichu began to look around and squeak nervously as the pair took off in the direction of the large, dilapidated building on the far end of the shopping district, the one Jun understood to be Kyoukai City's former library, which had shuttered eight years back. Something was wrong.
Something was very wrong, Jun realized as she suddenly came to a stop. Their search had been going far too smoothly, hadn't it? On top of that, numerous people in the area near the old library had seemed oddly lethargic, too much to simply be coincidence. And… now that she thought about it...
"Harunyan… the people who helped us out… they were all approaching us, right?"
"Huh?" Haruki blinked. "You know… I think they were. That was a little strange."
Jun shook her head. "It's really strange." She scratched Kichu behind the ears, trying to calm the mouse spirit down. "Kichu thinks so too, so…" She bit her lip. "I was about to do it again, wasn't I?" If she let Haruki get hurt on her watch again… "The priest should support the warrior, right?"
"And you are!" Haruki said. "I know you'd spend your MP on heals and buffs, not death spells." At Jun's blank stare, he clarified "You're doing great, Inoue-san, really!"
"I'm trying…" As if Jun could really do that much. "But I feel like I've already screwed up. And if I'm right… if the Shade Kingdom is messing with us… I won't be able to protect you properly."
Haruki shook his head. "That's not true! You have magic, right? And you're Pretty Cure's friend! Or… let's see if Tsubasa-san and the others are finished, then we'll go as a group! I know how important this is to you, Inoue-san, so…"
Jun nodded. "You're right, Harunyan." It meant a lot to him too, in a sense, didn't it? She looked back down at the Clio sighting map on her smartphone. "There has to be something to this, right?"
"Hm? Something to what?"
Jun and Haruki looked up to find a petite, bespectacled woman with indigo hair - the one who had tipped off Pretty Cure toward the Trio's whereabouts way back when. Jun couldn't quite put a name to the face, but this was definitely one of Clio's girls. That she definitely remembered.
"Oh, uh…" Jun hesitated. Would it really be okay to blab this woman's secret identity in front of a civilian? "Harunyan, this is a bit…"
"Does this have to do with Pretty Cure?" Haruki asked. At Jun's hesitant nod, he added "Um… would it be a huge problem if I stayed? I promise, I won't tell anyone! On my honor as a Fukuda! Is that okay, Ms-?"
The woman burst out giggling. "You're a really earnest guy, aren't you? And it's Gotou. Rie Gotou!" she chirped. "You're Fukuda-kun, right? You're pretty popular at the library - I've only worked there a week, but I've heard a ton of good things about you from the other librarians."
Haruki went beet red. "Oh… I know I'm in there a lot, but… I-I mean! Gotou-san, are you-?"
"A Pretty Cure? You bet!" Rie beamed proudly. "Well… a former one, anyway. That torch has been passed." For a moment, Rie looked a bit awkward. It quickly passed. "So! How can I help you kids?"
Jun and Haruki glanced at one another before Jun stepped forward.
"Have you heard about the ghost sightings around Kyoukai?" Jun paused uncomfortably. "Ma- Clio's ghost, I mean. Harunyan and I were trying to investigate - we have a map of sightings and everything, but…" She shook her head. "I don't know. Something feels off."
Kichu poked his head out of Jun's school bag. "Chuu…" he huffed in agreement.
Rie's smile faded a bit. "Ah yeah… Clio-san. Yuyu saw her from a distance. Mari said she was pretty broken up about it. They were close, you know? Like… practically family, really." She was quiet for a moment before adding "Could I see your phone for a sec? I want to check something."
Jun numbly handed over her phone to Rie. She was too floored by the woman's 'practically family' comment to muster a response. Was that why Yurika had been so cold to her back then?
Rie let out a low whistle as she examined the map. "Oh yeah, there's definitely a pattern here!" She motioned Jun and Haruki over. "Clio loved all these places! See, there's her favorite crepe shop, and then the old library, and oh man, Mirai's duck pond? She said it was the best place for a patch of sun."
"Oh…" Jun's mouth felt horribly dry all of a sudden. "I never heard about any of this."
"That's fair - you were still pretty young." Rie looked a bit uncomfortable as she returned Jun's phone, but only for a moment. "I'd be happy to share stories when you have the time! We all loved your mom, Muse - and I'm sure she'd want you to hear about all this."
Jun felt something horrible flare up within her. Rie meant nothing bad. It wasn't her fault that she had those memories of Clio, any more than Yasu was at fault for having more memories of her dad. Jun understood that. But right now, she didn't exactly care.
Right now, all she could do was reel at the unfairness of it all. Rie and the others had all these happy memories of Clio, while she only had a few scraps. Yurika had formed a bond with Clio, one she seemed to resent Jun over, while she, her own daughter, hardly remembered what their relationship had been like. And all of them… all of them got to be with Clio in her final moments, while she… all she was left was…
Jun was not aware of how much she had been trembling until she felt Haruki's hand gently grasp hold of hers. The feel of his touch jolted her back to reality, where Rie was looking at her with concern.
"Muse… are you alright? I'm sorry if I overstepped-"
Jun shook her head. "It's fine… really." No, it really wasn't. "Um, nice talking to you, Gotou-san." She stepped back a few paces before tugging on Haruki's sleeve. "Harunyan, c'mon… we should go."
Haruki nodded. "Good call. See you, Gotou-san!"
Rie politely waved goodbye before disappearing into the crowd, leaving Jun and Haruki to take off… and narrowly miss colliding directly with a visibly tense Yasu, who was standing a few yards away, alongside Hiroko and Izumi.
"Oh, Sis! Everyone! Am I glad to see you!" Haruki didn't seem to notice how tense Yasu was. "Inoue-san and I were going ghost-hunting, and things started feeling dicey, so we agreed it'd be better if it wasn't just the two of us, and-"
"You're right." There was a noticeable edge in Yasu's voice. "Haruki. Please go home."
Haruki blinked several times, staring at Yasu in confusion. Jun felt her heart sink at the sight. She wished she could have clarified why herself, but it wasn't her information to share. And now she'd just set the stage for Haruki to get his feelings hurt, hadn't she?
"Yasu's right, Haruki-san." Hiroko smiled apologetically. "This… probably isn't something you should be involved with. Don't worry - the four of us will be alright."
Haruki looked more lost by the moment. "But why?" He moved a bit closer to Jun. "Inoue-san is my friend too! Why can't I keep helping her? I… I know I messed up last time, but! There's strength in numbers, right? If those Shade people show up-"
"-you could get hurt, and Yasu doesn't want that." Izumi said. "None of us do."
"Yeah, well, I don't want Sis or… or anyone else to get hurt either!" Haruki shot back. "Why can you guys help Inoue-san, but I can't?" And then, to Yasu "And what are you hiding from me, Sis? I promise - whatever it is, I won't tell!"
Yasu bristled visibly. "Haruki. This is not your business. Stay out of it."
Jun kind of wanted to curl up into a ball of shame at this point. "Harunyan… I think you should listen to Nyasu"
Haruki answered Jun with a numb nod. Then… that was the end of it. If Jun said he needed to go, he needed to go. Nothing else needed to be said. But the ball of indignant anger building in his chest-
"You know what? I bet you'd be acting a lot differently if Dad was the one who showed up, Yasu."
-leapt out of his mouth before he could give it much thought. Haruki instantly regretted it. The look of genuine hurt written plainly on Yasu's face, coupled with the realization of what he'd just said stung infinitely more than being rebuffed had.
For a moment, a heavy silence hung over the five teens. Even Kichu seemed unable to muster so much as a squeak.
And then an errant gust of wind suddenly blew towards the group, nearly knocking them off of their feet. And when it settled...
...Clio's ghost was standing a few years away. She stared at the group of teenagers for a moment before nodding towards Jun and beckoning in the direction of the old library.
And then Clio's ghost slowly drifted off in the same direction. And something inside Jun's heart burst.
"Mama!"
Suddenly, nothing else mattered, outside of catching up with Clio. Not her worries about what she'd actually say to her mother, not the fact that this very well could be a trap set by the Shade Kingdom, not Kichu's squeaks of protest, not Pretty Cure or Haruki.
Clio was the priority. Jun had to see her mother. She had to see her. Had to. Had to-
-come to a sliding stop outside of the modest, old-fashioned, and visibly dilapidated building that was the old library… a half-second before a visibly frantic Haruki narrowly missed careening into her.
"Harunyan… you shouldn't follow me." Jun tightened a fist. "I… I shouldn't have gotten you involved in the first place. Please - I don't wanna worry Nyasu even more."
"I think running off on your own would worry Sis even more." Haruki cast a glance towards the old library. "You probably need a full adventuring party for that place, Inoue-san. It looks haun-"
And suddenly, the doors of the old library swung open on their own as a low, rumbling roar emanated from the depths of the building.
The color drained from Haruki's face. "-ted?"
Pretty Cure caught up with Haruki and Jun a moment later… but whatever Hiroko said to the pair was drowned out by another low roar from the old library, this one much louder than before.
The roar did not stop - it only grew in intensity and volume, as Haruki felt himself being picked up off the ground by some unseen force. Looking around revealed his sister and her friends were in the same boat.
He didn't have any time to scream before the group was sucked inside.
Jun was brought jolting back to her senses by Kichu tugging insistently on her blazer sleeve… and the smell of stagnant air and musty paper assaulting her sensitive nose. She sat up from her sprawled position on the floor with a jolt, scooping Kichu up into her arms
Her surroundings were barely lit and heavy with dust. As Jun blinked several times, adjusting her eyes to the dim lighting, she was met with a sea of abandoned books, a forest of broken-down bookshelves… and the sight of her friends, who were scattered around the massive library foyer and trying to gather themselves.
"Hironyan! Everyone!" Jun darted from person to person as Kichu squeaked up a frantic storm from his perch on her shoulder. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? I can-"
Izumi shook her head. "Eh, I've had worse." She frowned. "Man, though. I knew this place was creepy, but not-"
"-that it was haunted?" Hiroko was visibly on edge, even as she helped Haruki to his feet. She took a deep breath. "It… couldn't be that, right?" Oh, sure, there was Clio, but…
"Um, it's fine if it is, Tsubasa-san!" Haruki said. "I can take on any ghosts! The ones from the beginning of the year weren't that scary."
Haruki was going out of his way to avoid looking directly at Yasu, Jun noted. Yasu, who was pulling at the front doors of the old library, which held fast, no matter how much the cerise-haired girl struggled to get them open.
"They're stuck." Yasu's voice was level, but her trembling shoulders told a different story. "We're trapped."
Izumi just grinned. "Hey, Yasu, no worries - that's why I'm here!" She strode proudly towards the doors, as Yasu stepped aside, and gave them a hard kick. The doors held fast, no matter how hard Izumi battered them. "Okay. We have some worries."
Jun felt her heart sink. "Then… it really was a trick." She staggered back a pace… before dropping into a bow of apology. "Everyone, I'm sorry! I just… I wanted to figure out what happened to Mom, and then… Nyasu, I… I was being selfish, so I left, and then… Harunyan, if I hadn't asked you to help-!"
Hiroko shook her head. "Jun. It isn't your fault that this happened. And we will find a way out of here, alright? We have to tr-"
And then another low roar sounded throughout the old library, shaking its very foundations. The old library, which was steadily growing larger and larger, as its walls began to pulse with life.
Suddenly, Haruki began to wobble on his feet, as the color steadily began to drain from his body. His eyes widened in realization - and Yasu gasped in alarm.
"Haruki!"
Yasu instinctively dove towards her brother… but it was too late. Suddenly, a mass of writhing black cables - what had once been the electrical wiring - snaked down from the ceiling and snared Haruki.
Jun was immediately at attention. "No! Leave him alone!"
Maybe Yasu wasn't fast enough, but perhaps Jun could be. The girl sprang towards the retreating mass of cables, shifting into her spirit form mid-leap. Muse and Kichu leapt at the cables, teeth bared and in Muse's case, claws at the ready… only for the cables to easily snare them too, in the space of a second.
The cables retreated towards the top floor with lightning speed, leaving the stunned Cures behind. There was no time for any of them to process what had happened. The forest of abandoned bookshelves began to shake, and the scattered, now overlarge books began to glow with red-black light…
...before the three Cures found themselves swarmed on all sides by an army of human-sized constructs made of printed paper, with glowing red eyes. An army of small Nikuina, all of which seemed bent on preventing the trio from ascending the library's spiral staircase and rescuing their comrades.
Hiroko took a deep breath as the horde of paper soldiers advanced towards her and her friends. Being surrounded by this many Nikuina all at once was terrifying. She couldn't deny that. But if she had to punch through all of them to save Muse, Kichu, and Haruki… then there was only one course of action.
She readied her Puricell. "Everyone! Are you ready?"
Yasu and Izumi readied theirs in turn and nodded.
"Pretty Cure! Spirit Unleash!"
The three Cures transformed in a burst of light… and the massive tsunami of Nikuina soldiers attempted to rush them down. The trio glanced at one another, nodded, and summoned their Spirit Arms in a flash of light.
Seiryuu blasted her way through the paper army. She cut a massive swathe through a good portion of the horde with a throw of her Azure Wings, shredded more into mere paper scraps with blue cyclones of spirit power, and blew still more into the path of Genbu and Byakko's attacks.
Genbu pummeled her way through the Nikuina horde, nailing those in melee range with water-charged punches and kicks that tore through them like, well, wet paper. Those who weren't in melee range were lashed and sent flying into the air with her Black Ribbon, allowing Seiryuu and Byakko to snipe them.
Byakko elegantly danced and wove through the crowd of Nikuina, gracefully dispatching any who drew too close with an energy-charged attack from her White Fleuret and burning those who were in sniping range to cinders with spirit power, in between deflecting attacks aimed at her teammates with her shields.
Their opponents weren't going to make this easy for them. The paper army might have been weak and easily dispatched, but its ranks, while steadily thinning, remained massive, and its determination to prevent Pretty Cure from ascending the stairs and rescuing their friends.
The old library… the library Nikuina wasn't helping either. Its floorboards rippled and surged like a sea of hardwood, nearly unbalancing Pretty Cure multiple times, it flung the paintings and decor on its walls at its opponents, and each foundation-shaking roar it let out unsettled the three Cures to the core. All of them knew what that meant and furthermore, what taking too long to defeat this Nikuina would mean.
But Pretty Cure wouldn't allow themselves to lose heart, no matter what happened, no matter how insurmountable this situation looked. They would triumph, and they would save their friends. They had to try.
There weren't any old books scattered around the upstairs portion of the library Nikuina, just abandoned bookshelves, stacks upon stacks of cardboard boxes, and dusty desks and chairs. The musty smell was not as bad here - and Muse's sensitive nose was very grateful for that.
There was even lighting... in the form of a large morass of pulsing black plant matter, which hung down from the ceiling, casting a faint red-black glow as it spread a network of roots through the room. Was that the Nikuina's heart? Even if she was free, Muse wouldn't have been able to do a thing to it, but…
As it was, she was trapped, held fast against one of the walls by a writhing mass of electrical cables. Struggling did little against her binds, and biting and clawing at them only made them hold her tighter.
She wasn't the only one trapped. Kichu was bound up against a wall partition across from her, helplessly squeaking as he gnawed frantically at his binds, and Haruki… was bound up right next to him, completely drained of color and barely conscious. And once again, Muse was helpless to do anything about it.
The sounds of fighting downstairs - Pretty Cure, who would certainly do anything to save the three of them - buoyed Muse's heart a bit… but even successive roar the Nikuina emitted brought it sinking back down. How much could a Nikuina possessing a building eat? She didn't want to know.
Muse hung her head. Wishing she could do something didn't make it true. Wishing to see Clio again, despite everything, had put her friends in this mess, hadn't it? But…
...before Muse could finish that thought, a soft golden glow illuminated the area near her, all but drowning out the sickly red-black glow of the Nikuina's heart, before Clio's spirit manifested before her. She looked more complete now - a translucent, golden version of the mother Muse remembered.
All of Muse's doubts melted away. This was her mother, come to save her and her friends. It had to be.
"Mama…" Muse's eyes welled with tears of happiness. All the worries about what she'd even say to Clio… just didn't seem to matter in the face of her happiness. "It really is you. I knew it!"
"My little Muse… I missed you too." Clio smiled sadly. "I'm sorry we had to meet again like this."
"It's okay… it's okay." Muse's tears were flowing freely now. She let it happen. "You can help us, right, Mama? Starting with them… Kichu is… he's super important, and Harunyan is just an ordinary human! I don't want them to suffer like this."
Clio did not respond. For a moment, Muse worried that her mother's ghost hadn't heard her, or that she was about to vanish again. But then she leaned forward and gently clasped one side of Muse's face with a disconcertingly cold hand.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Muse. There's a lesson you need to learn." Her tone was as warm and gentle as ever, and it just made everything more jarring. "You can't protect anyone. I took that option from you. And this happened because you forgot that."
Muse stared at Clio in shock. Did her mother really think… no. No, she wouldn't! The Clio she remembered, if only dimly, would have never said such cruel things. Intellectually, Muse understood that. But it didn't make it hurt any less.
"You aren't…" Muse's chest felt tight, and her bindings weren't helping. "You aren't her. You can't be her."
"Oh? And why are you so certain of that?" Clio's touch felt even colder now. "You were so desperate to believe in me before… enough to march your friends towards their graves. And now you turn on me?"
Neither Muse nor Clio noticed as Haruki gradually fought his way to consciousness. It was an uphill battle just to open his eyelids a crack, and just raising his head a little was agonizing. His head was full of fog, and his heart was telling him that this was hopeless. He should give up now. Nobody would save him.
But… some part of Haruki refused to listen. If he gave up on himself, he would hurt Yasu more than he already had. His sister, his friends, especially Jun… he had to do what he could to help them. After all-
"If… the hero gives up… the world suffers." Haruki muttered as he forced himself to open his eyes.
Jun… Muse was trapped right across from him, and it looked like the ghost they had been chasing was accosting her. Was that really the ghost of Muse's mother? The stuff coming out of her mouth was...
"Oh, Muse." Clio caressed Muse's face as the cat spirit sobbed quietly. "Your friends are going to die - and we're going to rip a nice little hole in that barrier. All because you couldn't let go of Mommy." She smirked. "At least your desperation fed my Wrath Seed well. You did something right."
And Haruki felt something well up within him. Anger? No, there was something else there too. Something he couldn't quite name.
"Shut up…" he muttered weakly.
Clio didn't seem to hear him. "Now… I think I'll deal with your mouse friend first." She stepped back, laughing, as her facial features slid off her face, before Tamakushi resumed her true form. "I've been curious about him for a while now. He isn't just a spirit, is he?"
"You can't!" Muse lunged forward… only for her bindings to snap her back. "Leave him alone!"
"Or what?" Tamakushi replied archly. "How is he important, child? Would losing him… hinder something?"
Muse couldn't manage a response… but the look of terror in her eyes was confirmation enough for Tamakushi, who summoned her naginata.
"Perhaps I'll spare you after all, Muse." Tamakushi stalked towards Kichu, angling the tip of her naginata blade towards the little mouse, who began squeaking in distress. "If losing him is that significant… you deserve to live with that for the rest of your days."
"Shut. Up." Haruki hissed; a bit louder.
Tamakushi definitely heard him this time. She made a soft noise of confusion as she regarded the boy… who suddenly found himself with her naginata blade aimed at his chest instead.
"Oh? Do you have something to say, boy?"
For a moment, Haruki couldn't manage the words, between the fog in his head and the terrifying faceless woman, the one from the assembly, standing before him. But then that strange feeling began to build up further within him, like sparks from kindling igniting into a fire.
"I said… SHUT UP!" Haruki snapped. "Leave my friends alone!"
Muse let out a gasp of surprise. The color was steadily flowing back into Haruki's body… and the boy was surrounded by a visible aura of red spirit power. Said aura only lasted a few seconds before flickering and dying… but the sight had been enough to make Tamakushi falter for a moment-
-leaving her wide open to a blast of sparkling white energy, which caught her across the shoulder. Tamakushi sidestepped a second blast, right as Cure Byakko leapt at her, White Fleuret at the ready. Suddenly, Tamakushi was forced on the defensive. The two wove about the room as Byakko furiously rained down attacks on Tamakushi, in between deflecting the faceless woman's return blows with her shield.
"You! Will not! Hurt! My brother!" Byakko was visibly furious in a way Byakko seldom was as she threw everything she had at Tamakushi.
But while he was nothing but grateful to the white Cure, and her fighting skills were impressive, Haruki was hung up on something else about her. Something she had just said.
"...Sis?"
And before he could puzzle out the implications of that, Cure Genbu was at Haruki's side, pulling his and Kichu's bindings away, as Seiryuu cut through Muse's bindings with one wind-charged sweep of her hand.
"Everyone!" Muse couldn't help but smile as she dropped to the ground, despite everything. "You're okay!"
Seiryuu nodded. "We couldn't let ourselves give up. No matter how hard it was." And indeed, she and her teammates did look a bit worn down and roughed up. But her silver eyes still glinted with determination as she stared down the Nikuina's heart. "And we won't leave things like this."
Seiryuu readied the Azure Wings… right as Tamakushi found an opening in Byakko's guard and sent the white Cure flying into a nearby wall with a sweeping kick.
Before Seiryuu could rush to Byakko's aid, more electrical wiring burst out of the walls and pinned the white Cure to it. Tamakushi burst out laughing as everyone else was ensared and pinned against the walls a half-second later - first Seiryuu and Genbu, then Muse and the others.
"Did you really think it'd be that easy?" Tamakushi sneered. "Didn't I tell you before, Pretty Cure? You were merely deferring your execution."
The temperature dropped as Tamakushi readied her naginata... and then the center of the room was lit up by a column of soft golden light.
Muse felt her breath catch a bit. A flowering vine made of golden light was rapidly snaking around the Nikuina's heart. Its foundations shook as it roared in pain, the roars growing steadily louder as the vine grew.
Tamakushi stared at the sight in stunned disbelief. "There's no way… His Majesty ensured it… there's no way-!"
The vine kept growing around the Nikuina's heart until it was almost completely covered, its light growing steadily more intense... until it dissipated in an immense heart-shaped burst of golden light and a flurry of yellow dahlia petals. At the same time, the cables binding Pretty Cure and their allies vanished, allowing their former captives to harmlessly drop to the floor.
The foundations shook one last time as the old library returned to its original dimensions. Soon, all that remained of the Nikuina was a spent Wrath Seed pod and a few motes of light.
"Chuuu!" Kichu squeaked approvingly as he began to glow a soft shade of violet.
Tamakushi let out a derisive "tch" at the sight before vanishing in a burst of foxfire.
Pretty Cure and their allies barely managed to make it outside of the old library… and then Haruki's legs had gone out from under him.
"I'm sorry, guys." he said as Izumi helped him up. "I just feel really tired all of a sudden."
"It's cool, Haru." Izumi affectionately ruffled the boy's hair over his protests. "I think we're all beat."
And so, the group decided to spend a while recuperating outside the old library. Izumi did stretches, Hiroko sat towards the bottom of the stairs, next to Jun, who seemed to be deep in thought as she petted Kichu, and Haruki, who was sitting further up the stairs, tried to think of what to say to Hiroko.
(God… cute, smart, and a certified magical warrior? She really was amazing. How did you confess to someone like that?)
Haruki was so focused on that question (plus the question of how to handle… any of this Pretty Cure business) hat he hardly noticed when Yasu sat down next to him. And when he did… the shame from earlier came rushing right back.
"Oh, uh… Sis. Hi."
"Hello." Yasu looked at him with concern. "Are you feeling alright?"
Haruki nodded. "Yeah, I'm better now. Just… have a lot to think about." The pair were quiet for some time before he spoke again. "Um… I'm really sorry about what I said back there. About… you and Dad." His gaze traveled to his shoes. "I was way out of line. It doesn't matter how mad I was."
"You were." Yasu was blunt as always. "But I'm not angry at you, Haruki. I know you regret it."
Haruki nodded. "Dad wouldn't want us to fight. He wanted us to look out for each other. I remember that. I mean… I don't… obviously, I can't do as much as you, but-"
"Your support is appreciated." Yasu said. "Just… try to stay out of danger next time."
Jun wasn't sure how she would get her thoughts to settle before the party this evening, especially after that display. She had never seen Cure Ouryuu's powers in action, but she definitely knew what she had seen. But the only person who could have possibly wielded those powers was...
"She really was there, wasn't she, Hironyan?" Jun said quietly. "I wasn't wrong."
She felt tears pricking at the corner of her eyes and a dull ache in her chest. Hiroko gently laying her hand over Jun's own didn't make either of those things go away, but they did help.
And then Kichu began squeaking up a storm, as most everyone around Jun stopped what they were doing. The blue-haired girl let out a gasp of alarm as the column of sparkling gold light appeared before her once more.
Jun scrambled to her feet, allowing Kichu to run up her shoulder, as the column of light resolved into the same faceless, Clio-shaped shade she had seen not too long ago.
And this time, Jun had no reason to doubt who she was.
Jun stepped towards Clio, only to hesitate, clearly fearful of her spirit vanishing again. This did not happen. Instead, Clio wordlessly drifted towards her daughter before gently taking her hand in her own. Her touch was warm and made Jun feel instinctively at ease.
If pure, unfiltered love felt like something… then this was definitely it. There was no need for words here.
Jun felt Clio gently press something into her hand before regarding her daughter for a moment, as if she wanted to say something. And then she was gone again, leaving Jun behind once more.
For a moment, Jun remained where she was. She hardly noticed Kichu nuzzling her face or how her friends were at her side. But finally, she opened her hand.
Her breath stopped for a moment. There was a golden fragment of crystal sitting on her palm. It pulsed faintly with energy, and if Jun squinted, she could almost see flower petals dancing within it.
And Jun broke down sobbing once more, this time into tears of happiness.
Wishing wouldn't bring her mother or the Ouryuu crystal back. But one had reached out from beyond death to bring part of the other back to her. And Jun didn't need to ask why she had. Or what she needed to do about the rest. The answer to that was as plain as day.
"Mama… I'll take it from here. I promise."
The dinner party at the Fukuda estate went wonderfully. The food was top-class, and Jun had a marvelous time, from the excellent meal she shared with everyone to the party games they played afterward.
Everyone looked great too, of course. Jun felt super cute and charming in her new party dress, and Hiroko and Yasu looked no less gorgeous in theirs. And of course, she couldn't forget Izumi, who cut a dapper figure in her new suit, or Haruki, who looked very handsome in his white and powder blue tuxedo. Even Kichu got a spiffy little gold bowtie to wear - a bonus present Yasu had picked up.
Yes, tonight was wonderful… but it didn't cancel out everything Jun had been through today. Eventually, trying to put all of that out of her mind became too much, and she had to step out onto the porch outside.
The night air was gentle and sweet, and Jun and Kichu had a beautiful view of the ornate gardens outside the Fukuda estate. It wasn't enough to ease Jun's mind completely, but it helped.
"Are you alright?"
Jun turned to find Yasu standing nearby. She looked a bit worried - which spoke volumes.
"Oh, Nyasu, I…" Jun shook her head. "No. I still… I don't know. I should feel better, but…"
Yasu took her place by Jun. "You're fine. You've been through a lot."
Jun made a soft noise of acknowledgement. The two girls stood there in silence for some time before she spoke again.
"You know… it sounds like you and your dad were really close, Nyasu. You had nothing but good things to say about him." She smiled sadly. "I really was jealous. I… don't always feel that way about Mama. Part of me is angry at her for leaving. Her girls got to know her better than I did."
For a moment, Yasu said nothing in response. And then "Jun. It's normal to be angry."
"Really?" said Jun. "Even if it's been years? Even if… Mama did it for a good reason, so..."
"She did. But you still lost your mother." Yasu stared up at the night sky. "Father knew he didn't have long. He was very sick during our last year together. When he died... I knew he wasn't suffering anymore. But it still hurt. And I was still angry at him for leaving me alone."
Yasu was trying to remain stoic - but Jun didn't miss how the older girl's voice caught. She wordlessly placed her hand over Yasu's own.
"I was even jealous of Haruki for a while. I thought he was having an easier time, since he didn't remember Father like I did." Yasu said. "I didn't realize that he was hurting too. Not at first."
Jun nodded as Kichu gently bumped her face with his nose. She remembered her and Haruki's earlier conversation far too well. And she knew how fortunate she was to have a chance the Fukuda siblings might never get.
"Nyasu... if you got to see your dad again, do you know what you'd say to him?"
Yasu shook her head. "I don't know if I ever will." As she spoke, the sound of soft waltz music carried outside from indoors. "All I know is this. Father wanted me to make friends, and he wanted his family to do well, even after he was gone. So… I'd like to think he'd be happy."
Jun was quite for a moment or two… before hugging Yasu with Kichu throwing in a few nuzzles for good measure. Yasu returned the favor by patting Jun on the head and scritching Kichu behind the ears.
"Thank you so much, Nyasu." Jun said as the two parted from the hug. "I'm glad we're friends."
And before either girl could say anything further, the doors to the porch suddenly opened, and Haruki stepped outside halfway.
"Hey, Sis, Jun? Mom's giving out free slow dancing lessons, and she was wondering if-"
"We'd like to participate? Of course." Yasu swept past Haruki before her brother could get in a word edgewise… and a moment later, Jun heard "Hiroko? Would you like a dance partner?"
Haruki looked incredibly awkward for a moment. Then he managed an equally awkward "So… um… Inoue-san, do you want to-"
"Jun is just fine, Harunyan. You're an official Pretty Cure supporter, after all." She bounded up to the red-haired boy and grabbed hold of his hand. "And I'd love to dance with you! Let's go!"
"Chu chuuu!" Kichu squeaked in excited agreement.
As Jun led Haruki back into the Fukuda estate, the lighting caught a new detail on her choker - a piece of golden crystal, neatly inset into its center.
And in the Shade Palace, a young teenage boy with skin the color and texture of old parchment, short and lank ink black hair, and equally ink-black eyes peppering his body, sighed as he gave the rest of the Ouryuu crystal a good polish before returning it to its glass display case in the royal treasure room.
It had not been easy, earning the right to so much as touch the Ouryuu crystal. It was one of King Kagemera's most prized possessions, and the greatest war trophy he owned. It had taken more blood, sweat, and tears than the boy was even comfortable thinking about.
And in a few days, Hachime was going to ruin all every last drop of goodwill Kagemera had for him.
That slimy red-headed bastard had been wrong, Hachime mused as he was escorted out of the treasure room. The people within these walls were not cowed. That rebellion Kagemera was so afraid of, so determined to smoke out, was much closer than he would have ever thought possible.
Hopefully, he would remain oblivious. Hachime planned to be long gone. It was the others he was worried about. This plan was careful, but it wasn't foolproof.
The fear made part of Hachime want to reconsider this whole thing. Hope kept him going. It kept all of them going. Hope that Pretty Cure would triumph. Hope that Kagemera's farce of a regime would finally crumble. Hope their leader, wherever she was hiding now, if she spoke true about herself, would reign again.
Hachime stared up at the ceiling as he retired for the night. Resting a few pairs of his eyes helped, but... overall, it was going to be another sleepless night.
How in the world did she do it? How in the world had she endured for twenty-five years, despite everything? Hachime wished he could ask her. Could her divination tell her what he was up to? Would she know that she had succeeded in his mission? Hachime hoped so. He hoped so with every fiber of his being.
Watch me, Lady Soyokaze. I swear I'll make you proud!