Episode Sixteen: Five Hearts as One! Suzaku and Ouryuu!
For most people in Kyoukai City, the next morning was the start of a day like any other. By the time morning arrived, the monster attacks that had rocked Mirai Academy's summer festival mostly felt like a bad dream, just as they always did. And the bad dreams of last night were best forgotten in favor of the beautiful day lying ahead.
Not that everyone could put what had happened out of their mind. Even now, some people in Kyoukai were plagued by a strange sense of malaise and an unexplained feeling of impending doom. Most could not explain why that was if you asked them, only that something felt amiss.
Most could not. The four women who had once called themselves Pretty Cure did not have that luxury.
Kimiko Yoshimoto sat propped up in her bed, too weakened from her show of force at the summer festival to even stand on her own. Shun sat by her sister's side, refusing to let go of Kimi's hand. Neither of them said a word, not about what the Shade Kingdom could do with a being like Kichu, not about what they would unleash on Pretty Cure (on her girlfriend, who she could do little for), not about the steadily buzzing aura of energy that surrounded Kimi even now or the threads of silver in her hair.
There was no need. Kimi already knew, and that aside, she disliked idle talk, as much as some venting would have smoothed Shun's tangled mess of nerves. Action was the only thing that mattered, and neither of the Yoshimoto-Siegel sisters were capable of it. Not in the way Pretty Cure would surely need.
Marina Ishii did her best to smile and laugh and pretend everything was normal as she flitted about the Ishii household, consoling Takeru after he had fallen and scraped his knee, in between putting on Mayu's favorite princess movie for the third time in a row today and listening as Kou excitedly recounted his and Emi's brush with one of the festival Nikuina before going on about his growing suspicions that Jun Inoue was a werecat. None of her siblings seemed to realize anything was wrong.
Good. It was bad enough that the current team of Pretty Cure had to shoulder most of this burden. The idea of making her family take it on too was unacceptable. There was a reason Marina had always kept her siblings and her parents out of her double life. They didn't deserve to carry anything like this around.
Rie Gotou had been awakened by an obviously distressed Mochi pawing at her and meowing in agitation. He only grew louder and more insistent as she prepared to leave for work and hindered her every step of the way until she left her apartment. Rie was beginning to wonder if she should have listened to her cat. She usually gave her all as a librarian, but today, her ability to focus was completely shot. Her fellow librarians and many patrons kept asking her what was wrong. Rie wished she could have told them.
Instead, she just kept her head down as her thoughts looped around and around in her mind. Could she have done more back then? Could she be doing more now? Should she have gone with Yurika back then? Should she walk out the door and track down Pretty Cure now? Rie was clueless as usual.
Yurika Himura had vanished from her bed by the time the sun rose. Susumu and Shinobu shouldn't have been surprised. Yurika had seemed so much warmer, so much kinder, so much more like her old self last night, after months of emotional withdrawal. The three Himura siblings had enjoyed some late-night snacks over board games, just like old times, killed time together watching a movie or two, and stayed up talking late into the night. It was wonderful. It also should have been seen as what it was - a clear red flag.
All Susumu and Shinobu were left with now was a terse note - don't come looking for me - and a cold sense of dread. Shinobu broke down crying at the sight. Susumu held his younger sibling close as they sobbed brokenly against his chest. He didn't know what else to do.
And as the four women who had once protected Kyoukai handled the calm before the storm in their own way, a threat from beyond the veil turned its hungry gaze on the city. As the citizens of Kyoukai carried on, mostly oblivious, the ruler of the Shade Kingdom and his majordomo spoke of their victory over Pretty Cure in certain terms. The key to victory was now in their hands. What chances did their enemies have?
And deep within Kyoukai's central sealing stone, a presence began to stir. If anyone had paused to regard said sealing stone, they might have seen a few yellow dahlia petals drifting about before vanishing like evaporating raindrops.
Muse…
Muse's ears twitched as she heard someone calling out to her, felt herself being insistently nudged awake. She made a soft noise of protest and curled up more tightly than before. She wanted to keep sleeping. She didn't want to wake up, not into this reality. She didn't want to think. It all hurt too much.
Muse! Please wake up!
She was being nudged, more insistently this time. No, someone was trying to nuzzle her awake, and the moment that realization hit, Muse's fatigued brain put a name to the voice calling out to her, and her eyes flew open as she jolted to her feet.
"Mama?"
No response. There was nobody here in this forest clearing but her. If Clio had been present in spirit, she was gone now. Muse couldn't feel her presence anymore. She was truly alone.
The northern sealing stone loomed over her. Muse had emerged through a gate right around here, a seeming eternity ago, back when all of this had started. It was supposed to be a one-way trip, at least until peace had been secured. The Hallowed Wellspring wanted to keep its borders air-tight, lest the Shade Kingdom slip through the cracks, and that meant heavily restricting travel to and from other worlds.
That hadn't stopped Muse from desperately trying to open a portal back to her home in the dead of night, futilely trying over and over until exhaustion and hunger sent her plunging into unconsciousness again.
It had been an incredibly stupid move in hindsight. Even at her best, Muse would've been too weak to open up a portal, something that took her own father a fair amount of effort. And if she had made it home, Iris and his fellow Wellspring elders would certainly ensure she had hell to pay. Muse had done worse than just fail in her mission, after all. She had handed the enemy an advantage.
She just… didn't know what else to do anymore. It wasn't like she had anything to go back to on Earth.
'Jun Inoue' was gone. Muse had erased her as Hiroko slept before stealing off into the night. She had not allowed herself to look back as she left the junior high dorms behind. If she did that, she would start wanting to stay, and she no longer had the right. She'd remind herself of that until it stuck.
Muse's stomach growled loudly as she set out, keeping an eye open for anything that looked like food. She hadn't eaten since last evening, and she had just made herself hungrier trying to draw on spirit power she didn't have. Once she had scrounged up breakfast, she could think about what to… what to…
A wave of dizziness hit Muse as her legs collapsed from underneath her. She let out a soft cry of frustration as a tear slowly trickled down her nose.
"What am I supposed to do now?"
She was answered by the sound of a twig being snapped underfoot… and the smell of cigarette smoke assailing her sensitive nose before Yurika Himura drew near. The black-haired woman said nothing, simply scooping Muse up in her arms before setting off towards a nearby trail.
The view from the forest outcropping that Yurika had brought Jun to was truly beautiful, and the energy bar that Yurika had given her was… well, it wasn't good by any means (actually, it was unpleasantly dry and chalky), but it helped a lot. Already, Jun felt much stronger and far more clear-headed.
Yurika stood a few yards away, working on another cigarette as Jun sat nearby, trying to get every last crumb out of the energy bar wrapper. The black-haired woman had not said a word the entire time, not until Jun realized the wrapper was well and truly empty and stuffed it in one of her skirtalls' pockets.
"Better now?" Yurika ground her finished cigarette under her heel as she spoke.
Jun jumped a bit. She had forgotten Yurika was there. "Y-yeah! Yeah! A lot better. Thank you, Yurinyan."
"I go here to clear my head. I wasn't trying to find you." Yurika went for another cigarette before thinking better of it. "I'm sure your friends are, though. Knowing them, they're all worried sick."
Jun just stared at Yurika for a moment before pulling her knees to her chest and turning away. She couldn't see Yurika's face. But she could feel the unimpressed look the latter shot her way.
"Are you just going to abandon them? At a time like this?"
"I'll only make things worse." Jun's eyes were watering, and her voice was already beginning to crack. She let it happen. "There's no point in-"
Jun had been expecting the heavy sigh those words earned her. She wasn't expecting Yurika to walk over and extend a hand to her. Jun hesitated before allowing Yurika to help her to her feet. She reeked of smoke, and she was obviously running on fumes, but her presence was reassuring all the same.
"Muse. Don't give up on yourself. Don't give up on them." Yurika was clearly disused to comforting people, but she was at least trying. "They need you. Kichu needs you. And-"
Yurika looked away. She couldn't finish the rest of her sentence. It wasn't something she wanted to lay on Jun's shoulders, especially with what she was planning to do. She'd troubled this girl enough.
I don't want you to end up like me.
For a moment, Jun was silent… and then she broke down sobbing and threw herself against Yurika, clinging to the other woman for dear life. It stung a bit, really. This was Clio's daughter. In a perfect world, Yurika would have promised to look out for her, since Clio could not. She would have stayed.
But in a perfect world, Clio would still be here, and Yurika…
"I have nothing to say to you. Clean up your own mess."
…was who she was. An adult who had seen nothing wrong with lashing out a child in the heat of the moment, simply because of who she wasn't. Perhaps it was better this way.
Yurika allowed Jun to cling to her for a few moments more before gently pushing her away and moving to leave. She could not hesitate any longer. Not when the Shade Kingdom would surely strike soon. Not when that last moment of hesitation had cost everyone so much.
"Then live, Yurinyan. Please live."
"I'll try, Muse. That's all I can promise."
Something told her that trying was no longer possible. In another world, in another time, it could have been. In another world, maybe she could have brought herself to listen, to put her desire to stay over her fear and guilt over handing down her sword? But now? Yurika had left herself with no other options.
"You're enough, Muse." Yurika said as she swept past Jun. "No matter what anyone says." No matter what she had said. "Remember that."
Yurika did not look to see if Jun was following her. Yurika was not Jun's keeper nor was she her decision-maker. Yurika was a soldier. And a good soldier kept their eyes fixed forward, right until the end.
Yurika was right - Hiroko and the others were worried sick about Muse. They had been ever since Hiroko had texted Izumi and Yasu about Muse's sudden disappearance. By the time the sun peeked over the horizon, Pretty Cure had assembled in Mirai's central courtyard, in front of the fountain of Minerva.
Well, Pretty Cure and Haruki had. He had insisted on following Yasu the moment he keyed into what had happened to Muse, and nothing was going to deter him from helping them find her.
"I know it's dangerous, okay? But I can't just sit back and do nothing!" he said. "It's my fault she ran away in the first place."
Yasu had been ready to object, and Izumi had jumped in to argue that no, it was her fault for taking Tamakushi's bait so easily, and then Hiroko had put her foot down and pointed out that arguing or playing the blame game was wasting precious time that could have been spent looking for Muse.
The clock was ticking even now. There was no way the Shade Kingdom would hold back for long, and the thought of Muse getting caught alone was… Hiroko didn't want to think about it.
"She has to be somewhere in Kyoukai." Hiroko insisted. "It takes a lot of spirit power to open up a portal to the Hallowed Wellspring. Muse isn't strong enough to do it on her own. I asked her about that once."
"Plus… would she want to go back?" Izumi was cycling through standing stretches as she spoke. "Her superiors seem like serious hardasses. Not the kind of people she'd wanna face, after… this."
Yasu nodded. "I think we can rule out that possibility."
"Then it's decided - we'll split up and search for Muse." Hiroko said. "Would it be alright if I covered Mirai Academy? Muse was my roommate, so I'm familiar with her favorite places."
"That would be better with two people." Yasu nodded to her brother. "Haruki. You can help Hiroko, right?"
Haruki went slightly pink. "S-sure! Sure, I don't mind at all!" He quickly gathered himself. "I know a lot of people on campus. Maybe they've seen her around?"
"You and Muse are close too, right?" Hiroko asked. "I'm sure you'd be able to reach her, Haruki." Assuming they found her. Assuming she was actually hiding nearby. "We have to try."
People around campus still remembered 'Jun Inoue', even if not everyone Hiroko and Haruki spoke to remembered that Jun had attended Mirai Academy. Unfortunately, nobody had actually seen her since Mirai's summer festival. And there was no trace of Muse around campus either.
"Maybe Sis or Izumi had better luck." Haruki said as the two hurried to Kyoukai's central square to regroup with the others. "Or maybe she's just trailing us. You know, like she did back then?"
"I'd like to hope so." Hiroko doubted that was the case. She would keep that to herself. It felt cruel to dash Haruki's hopes. "I hope she turns up soon. I'm not sure how much time we have left."
Hiroko could already feel her hair beginning to stand on end. The Shade Kingdom would come calling soon enough. And no matter how hard she tried to stay hopeful, her brain kept flashing back to the first time their enemies had caught Muse alone.
When Hiroko and Haruki met at Kyouaki's central square, which was still relatively unpopulated at this hour, they were met with a discouraged-looking Izumi, a downcast Yasu, and no sign of Muse.
Izumi shook her head sadly. "I tried as hard as I could, but no dice. Nobody in the shopping district saw her either."
"She wasn't at the library either." Yasu said. "Gotou-san offered to assist us, but…"
A look of understanding passed between the three Cures. There was no need to involve Rie, let alone any of their other seniors. Those four had done more than enough. Especially Yurika, who had seemingly dropped off the face of the planet overnight, from what Izumi had heard.
Hiroko pressed two fingers to her temple. "There has to be something we're missing." But what? The clock was ticking, and she was drawing blanks. "There has to be somewhere Muse would-"
She was not able to finish that sentence.
A large pillar of red-black light violently erupted from the middle of Kyoukai's central square. The four teens were thrown backward several yards by the sheer force of the impact. Hiroko could hear screams of panic cutting through the air as she landed hard on her stomach, knocking the wind straight out of her lungs. As Hiroko and her teammates struggled to their feet, those screams cut off as the sky grew dark.
A massive shadow fell over the group. Haruki, who was already beginning to lose his color, let out a soft gasp of horror at sight before him. Pretty Cure was no less horrified.
A towering tree-like Nikuina loomed over the group. Its pitch-black body was long and sinewy, with thousands of writhing roots at its base. Its torso was vaguely humanoid, with a pulsing cage of branches for a chest, disportionately long arms terminating in gnarled hands the size of large cars, and a skull-like head with a jagged mouth and glowing red eyes. A crown of shiny black thorns sat atop its head, and a mantle of spiky-looking red-black foliage bedecked its shoulders and flowed down its back.
And nothing about the Nikuina itself was even a fraction as chilling as the object suspended within its hollow chest. Even from this distance, Pretty Cure could recognize the red-black sphere that Kichu had been entrapped in. Even here, the little mouse could be seen, suspended half-conscious in his prison.
Something instantly snapped inside Hiroko. Her body moved on its own as she readied her Puricell. She did not notice her teammates following her lead. She did not notice Haruki dragging himself to a safe hiding spot. She did not notice anything but Kichu.
"Pretty Cure! Spirit Unleash!"
The Nikuina let out a thunderous roar as it extended its arms outward and splayed its massive hands forth. The sky above it grew stormy and grayer still as massive, jagged-looking mouths opened across the length of its palms and began to devour ribbons of sealing energy from the air at a terrifyingly fast rate.
And Cure Seiryuu let out a roar of her own before shooting towards it like a blue meteor.
The Nikuina stopped draining sealing energy from the air the moment it noticed the glowing blue figure hurtling towards it. It balled its immense hands into fists and whipped its overlong arms towards Cure Seiryuu like massive flails. Cure Byakko instantly intercepted one of its fists with her shield, and Cure Genbu knocked its other arm aside with a powerful water-infused leaping kick.
Seiryuu now had a clear path to the Nikuina's chest. She channeled every drop of spirit power that she could spare into her arms as she tried to punch and slice her way through the writhing cage of branches that surrounded Kichu's prison. She wouldn't let the Shade Kingdom use him like this! She-
-let out a piercing scream as a burst of red-black energy surged forth from the sphere surrounding Kichu and engulfed her, sending waves of burning pain through her body. Kichu arched his little back in pain and silently cried out as his prison pulsed like a beating heart as Seiryuu was flung backward.
"Seiryuu!"
Cure Byakko managed to snatch her teammate out of the air, right as the Nikuina swung another massive fist towards her. The white Cure threw up another shield, which shattered on impact.
Byakko and Seiryuu were sent careening into the side of a nearby building before crumpling to the ground. The Nikuina trained its red-eyed gaze on the pair as it prepared to crush them... and Cure Genbu sprang towards it.
"The hell you will!"
Genbu lashed her Black Ribbon around the Nikuina's arm, holding it in place. The black Cure grinned triumphantly as she tightened her hold on its arm while charging up an attack with her free hand. Byakko seized the opportunity to help Seiryuu to her feet…
…and as Seiryuu was helped up, she noticed the way the spiky foliage forming the Nikuina's mantle had begun to stand on end. Every last leaf was pointed in Genbu's direction.
"Genbu, move!"
Genbu instantly disengaged from the Nikuina. She was not fast enough. A gale of razor-sharp red-black leaves shot from the Nikuina's mantle and towards the black Cure. Genbu was sent flying into the air as the razor leaves buffeted her body before crashing into the ground, leaving a small crater in her wake.
The sky above only seemed to grow stormier and more tumultuous as Seiryuu pushed through the pain shooting through her body even now and scrambled to Genbu's side. Byakko was right ahead of her. Genbu was in one piece, if visibly banged up. But…
"We've gotta bust him out." Genbu said through gritted teeth as Seiryuu and Byakko helped her up. "Maybe it'll be easier to beat up after that."
Byakko nodded grimly. "Kichu will suffer if we don't. We saw what happened to Muse."
Seiryuu felt her stomach twist at the mention of Muse. Muse, who had been used as a living battery by Hinyu once before. Muse, who surely blamed herself for Kichu being condemned to a fate like this, enough to try and erase herself from their lives. That made saving Kichu that much more urgent.
Once again, Haruki had managed to fight the influence of a Nikuina and cling onto consciousness. And once again, Haruki could do very little for his sister... for his friends... and most of all, for Muse.
His hands trembled as he watched the battle play out before him. The air was growing uncomfortably cold and unpleasantly thin as more sealing energy was drained away, and the surroundings grew steadily grayer and bleaker. Did Muse know what was happening? Was she safe? Where had she gone?
"Jun..."
Visions of the blue-haired girl flooded into his mind. The first time Jun had really opened up to him. Her starry-eyed awe over little things he took for granted like playing a game of kickball or riding a roller coaster. How happy she had been when she had finally regained her crystal. Jun's smile, Jun's laugh, the way Jun always called his name, how delighted she was by his mere existence.
How broken she had looked in the end, after her worst nightmare had been realized. All because he hadn't recognized the danger lurking beside him until it was far too late.
A tear of frustration rolled down Haruki's nose and splashed onto the pavement. "I'm so sorry, Jun."
Powers didn't make a hero. Character made a hero. It was a nice ideal, but right now, it felt hollow and meaningless. What good were ideals when they didn't let you save others? How could he be content with his own lack of powers when it meant sitting here uselessly while his friends got hurt?
For a moment, Haruki swore he felt a hand on his shoulder, heard someone whispering in his ear, encouraging him to stay strong and hold his head up. And then everything took a turn for the worse.
Cure Seiryuu had not been prepared for what the Nikuina would throw at her. But perhaps the three of them would be. That was Pretty Cure's thinking as the three of them fought their way towards the cage containing Kichu. Together, the three of them could do this. Together, they could still save the day.
And then the Nikuina's entire body flared up with red-black energy. Cure Seiryuu, Cure Genbu, and Cure Byakko were thrown backward on impact, as if the three had run straight into a high-voltage fence.
The atmosphere grew more tumultuous still as the sphere containing Kichu began to pulse. This time, the little mouse's cries were loud enough to be heard from his magical prison, as ribbons of energy were sucked away from him and straight towards the Nikuina. Every last scratch vanished from the Nikuina, which grew a bit rougher-looking, as glowing red-black circles appeared around its wrists.
A burst of malicious laughter cut through the air, which had suddenly grown uncomfortably warm.
"Amazing, isn't it? To think, you were carrying around something like this."
Hinyu stood some yards away. He looked very proud of himself as he coolly regarded Pretty Cure before drinking in the sight of the Nikuina, which had slipped into a strange state of torpor. The sight made a fireball rise in Cure Seiryuu's chest. Before anyone could stop her, she had flung herself at Hinyu.
Hinyu effortlessly caught Seiryuu's fist in one hand. He smirked as he met her eyes, which blazed with cold fury. "Is it not obvious? Your stupidity knows no bounds, Cure Seiryuu!" His face twisted into an unnaturally wide smile. "That's why it came to this. Because you were too dim to listen to reason!"
Seiryuu abruptly disengaged from Hinyu before throwing a wildly aimed cyclone of spirit power his way. He effortlessly sidestepped her attack before countering with a burst of hot flame. Seiryuu would have been fried on the spot, had Byakko not shoved her out of the way.
Pretty Cure quickly regrouped and stared down Hinyu, who raised a hand. The other remained alight with white-hot fire, which he was clearly itching for an excuse to use.
"Do you really want to waste your energy on me? Are you not worried about your little pet?" Hinyu's voice dripped heavily with contempt as he spoke. "You don't know what it really is, do you?"
"He's a goddamn baby, you heartless bastard!" Only the very real threat of incineration was keeping Genbu from hauling off and slugging Hinyu right there.
Hinyu was thoroughly nonplussed. "Of course you don't know. Children never understand the true value of things." He vanished in a burst of flame before reappearing, now perfectly balanced atop one of the many writhing branches that formed the Nikuina's chest. "This thing is a perpetual energy source. No matter how much you drain from it, it still persists. Surely even you understand what that means."
Seiryuu felt her breath catch. She understood exactly what that meant. Just like she understood that the man in front of her was beyond redemption, if such a thing had ever been possible for scum like him.
"It won't work." Seiryuu couldn't hide the tremor in her voice as she spoke. "We're not letting you use Kichu, and we're not letting Kagemera have his way! I don't care what you have to say about it!"
Hinyu burst into hysterical laughter at the mention of Kagemera's name. "Do you really think-?!" His facial features were beginning to warp, and the phantom outlines of his three tails were twitching eagerly behind him. "Oh well. What does it matter? You'll be gone soon anyway!"
There was a loud cracking sound as the Nikuina's massive hands broke off at its wrists and dropped heavily to the ground below.
Two new hands were already growing out of the resulting stumps… and its discarded hands were growing into new Nikuina. In a matter of seconds, the original was joined by two smaller carbon copies, which wasted no time in rushing Pretty Cure.
As Pretty Cure was forced onto the defensive, the main Nikuina roared back to life and began to batten down on sealing energy once more. Hinyu watched the whole thing unfold with perverse delight.
"Fight as much as you want, Pretty Cure!" he called. "Fell them to your hearts' content! There's plenty more where this came from!"
The air already felt so much lighter, so much easier to exist in. And even now, the gray sky that Nikuina always brought with them was spreading further and further outward, like a ripple in a pond. Soon, all of Kyoukai would be plunged into despair, and the Nikuina would be that much stronger for it.
Haruki let out a pained gasp as the remaining color left his body and the weight of despair crashed down on top of him. No matter how hard they fought, Pretty Cure would lose eventually, right? And then the Shade Kingdom would conquer this world. It was all pointless, so very pointless...
As the battle raged on, Kichu's eyes flickered open just a crack. It took everything he had just to do that. He was so tired, and he hurt all over, worse than he had earlier, when that horrible man kept 'running tests' on him, while he couldn't do anything to fight back, and he hardly understood where he was now but…
…he knew Pretty Cure was in danger. He understood the awful man was using him to hurt Pretty Cure, just like he'd used Big Sis back then, back when Kichu had been naughty and wandered off.
Big Sis!
Kichu couldn't see her. He saw Pretty Cure fighting to save him, and he saw Haru, who had gone gray and limp, and he saw the awful man, but no Big Sis! Where was she? Did something happen? He didn't understand. He didn't want to keep hurting like this! He needed his big sister!
Kichu's body surged with energy as his eyes flew open… and then he began to wail inconsolably.
Jun couldn't stop trembling as she watched the storm clouds churning over Kyoukai's central square, as a wave of gray swept over the city. Mirai Academy… the shopping district… the library… everything was quickly being eclipsed by a haze of despair. Soon, all of Kyoukai would succumb.
She should have helped them. She shouldn't have been standing here on the outskirts of Kyoukai, letting this happen. But she couldn't make herself move, despite everything. Despite what Yurika had told her. Despite knowing what the consequences would be. Despite part of her wanting to help Pretty Cure.
This was it. This was what her carelessness had caused. This was why she had to vanish. This-
Someone was crying out for her.
Jun's eyes widened in shock as she realized what she was hearing. Or, well, not hearing exactly. It was like someone had called out directly to her heart. No, not someone. Kichu . Her baby brother was calling out to her. He sounded so scared and alone. He needed her. Despite everything, he wanted his big sister.
Even from this distance, Jun could see lights of blue, dark violet, and white darting around in the air. Even at this distance, Jun could tell those lights were already faltering. And once they fell, nobody would be left to protect Kichu, and the Shade Kingdom would be free to keep on hurting him, all because she… because she…
"Don't give up on yourself. Don't give up on them."
Jun's hand flew to her crystal as her eyes welled with tears. There was nothing she could do. There was nothing she deserved to do. It was her fault that Pretty Cure was in a losing battle. It was her fault that Kichu was suffering like this.
"You're enough, Muse. No matter what anyone says."
But she couldn't bring herself to look away. Especially not now, now that she knew how distraught Kichu was, how desperate he was to see her. She was still his big sister, wasn't she? She still wanted to be. She still… she still wanted…
"If you just throw yourself away, 'cause you think you have to, they'll carry it around with them forever."
Jun dropped her gaze, digging her nails into her palms as her tears splashed onto the ground below. She was doing that right now, wasn't she? It was the same thing she had chastised Yurika for. Casting herself aside because it was what she "deserved". Would Clio have wanted something like this for her?
No, she wouldn't have. Even if her time with her mother had been short, Jun knew this to be true.
"She said she'd never, ever leave! She promised!"
Clio hadn't been lying back then. Jun was sure of that now. Her mother hadn't wanted to go. She hadn't wanted to leave her beloved daughter, her husband, her friends… everyone she had ever held dear behind. But in the end, her hand had been forced. In the end, it had been her future or the world's.
Jun didn't have to make that choice. Yurika didn't have to make that choice. No one did. No one would have to.
Her eyes blazed with determination as her head snapped up. She wouldn't let it come to that!
Jun charged forward, shifting into cat form as she ran. Even now, part of her was telling her to stop, that it was futile, that there was nothing a stupid, careless girl like herself could really do. Muse ignored it as best as she could. She had to keep looking ahead, despite her failure. She had to try, despite the odds.
She wanted to enjoy Hiroko's cooking again. She wanted to play at the arcade with Izumi once more. She wanted to attend another fancy party at Yasu's house. She wanted to go on another adventure with Haruki. She wanted Shun to teach her how to ride a bike. She wanted to hold Kichu close and never let go.
She wanted to enjoy a shining tomorrow with everyone!
The Ouryuu crystal began to glow softly as Muse picked up her pace. She hardly noticed that or anything else, from the thunderous roars echoing in the distance and shaking the ground below her to the way the air around her grew stormier and more tumultuous by the moment.
Nothing else mattered. Nothing past being there for her friends, no matter what. Nothing past rescuing her baby brother. Nothing was going to slow her down. Nothing was going to make her falter. Not now.
"Kichu… please wait for me! I'll definitely save you!"
The sky above Kyoukai City had grown gray and overcast. Storm clouds swirled about as the thunderous roaring of Nikuina intermingled with the sound of the howling wind.
Kyoukai was eerily silent otherwise. No birds sang, and no cicadas buzzed. Every building and every street was strewn with colorless people who had collapsed where they stood, too burdened by the weight of despair to bring themselves to move. Only a few specks of color remained in this gray landscape.
Kimiko Yoshimoto, who had kicked her sister out of her room some time ago, slept feverishly, crying out futilely for her long-gone fiance as sweat beaded on her brow.
Shun Siegel stood in front of the Yoshimoto estate, the wind ruffling her short teal hair as she watched the gray clouds churning overhead and fervently prayed for the safety of Izumi and the others.
Marina Ishii tried to keep a brave face, as if there was anyone left to be bothered by her crying, as she sat cross-legged on the floor of the Ishii residence, holding an unconscious Mayu and Takeru close.
Rie Gotou frantically paced around the Kyoukai Public Library, picking up fallen books, straightening up people who had fallen in an awkward position, and trying not to think too hard, lest she lose her head.
Yurika Himura took one last look at her Puricell (and this had to be the last time - she knew her body better than anyone else did) and soldiered on, steeling herself for the battle ahead.
And Pretty Cure continued to give it their all as they fought, just as they always had. Unfortunately, it was becoming clear that this time, their all was not going to be remotely enough.
The copies that spawned from the Nikuina did not share its regenerative abilities and went down fairly easily. But there did not seem to be any limit to the number that it could create. Each time Pretty Cure felled one, two more seemed to spring up in its place… and all of the copies seemed intent on keeping the three from getting anywhere near the main Nikuina.
The main Nikuina continued to feed on Kichu, eagerly sapping more and more energy away from his little body. Kichu's cries had died down to mere whimpers now, and he was trembling in pain and exhaustion. The whole thing was clearly taking a terrible toll on him, infinite energy source or none. But the Nikuina still refused to let him go.
Hinyu looked beyond delighted at it all. The Hallowed Wellspring's creation was proving quite useful indeed! And to think, he'd written it off as a backwater place full of vapid, human-appeasing pacifists. Perhaps he could make proper use of the spirits there, once he had ascended to the throne.
And on top of that, Pretty Cure was putting on quite a show! My, there was something almost charming about how hard they were trying.
Cure Seiryuu used her Azure Wings to lop off the arm of a Nikuina copy that had been attempting to flatten Genbu. The Azure Wings kept flying forward, slicing through two more copies as Seiryuu blasted a copy that had lunged towards her aside with a cyclone of wind fired from her palm.
Cure Genbu used her Black Ribbon to lash the copy that Seiryuu had dealt with the torso, before throwing it over her shoulder, leaving it to crash heavily onto the ground behind her. Another copy sprang up in front of her and received a spirit power-charged beatdown from its trouble.
The copy that Genbu had felled tried to come after the black Cure, only for Cure Byakko to elegantly skewer it from behind with a spirit power-infused thrust of her White Fleuret. Two more copies rushed her from either side - she deflected one with her shield while driving off the other with a forceful backhand.
The three fought with such ferocity for three idiot children in a hopeless situation. But they could not go on forever. Already, the Cures were showing signs of exhaustion. Eventually, they would burn themselves out. It would be just like before, ten years ago. And this time, there would be no Clio to bail them out.
"Keep going, Pretty Cure." Hinyu sneered. "Have as much as you please! It'll be your loss in the end."
He'd dispose of them eventually. But for now, he was content to sit back and watch the show. After everything he had endured, after all the hard work he had put in, he deserved some free entertainment.
Hinyu was not the only one watching the battle playing out in the heart of Kyoukai. Tamakushi was perched atop a nearby building, watching everything unfold with the air of a woman enjoying a day at the theater. It was a shame that Kagemera could not witness this for himself. But she would recount every last moment for him with relish. She could at least offer that much.
Cure Seiryuu managed to break through the copies blocking her path and sprang towards the main Nikuina. Hinyu instantly intercepted her. The two briefly clashed in mid-air before Hinyu drove a fist into Seiryuu's stomach and kicked her towards the waiting horde of Nikuina copies.
"Oh, nicely done, Hinyu dear." Tamakushi drawled. "The children you leech off really came through."
Seimono and Kamryou stood on the outer edges of the central square. Seimono remained hollow-eyed and expressionless as he watched Pretty Cure's uphill struggle against the Nikuinam, and Kamryou shook like a leaf as they clung to their partner for dear life. As the battle carried onward and the wind grew more turbulent and intense, they clung that much more tightly to Seimono.
Cure Genbu attempted to rescue Seiryuu from the crowd of Nikuina copies pummeling her. Every copy that got in her way was greeted with a blast of high-pressure water or a rapid-fire beatdown… until one finally broke through her guard, grabbed her by the leg, and flung her hard into the blue Cure.
"Seimono-sama… is this it?" And if it was, would Kagemera leave the two of them alone? Kamryou was no longer so confident. "Is this how it ends?"
Seimono did not respond. Part of him wanted to tell Kamryou this wasn't how it should have ended, to rail against the cruelty this battle was founded on. But did a man like himself really have the right?
"If you had a scrap of honor, you wouldn't serve that monster! You're nothing but a self-serving coward!"
No. No, he did not. Seimono was complicit in this, in every atrocity King Kagemera had wrought for the past twenty-five years. If he was an honorable man, he would take the field right now and put a stop to this. If he was an honorable man, he would have chosen death over servitude back then.
His clinging to life had benefited no one. Soyokaze had still died. Had Kamryou not been who they were, they would no longer be here. He no longer deserved to speak of honor, if he ever had.
"What happens next is up to them."
Those were the only words Seimono could manage. The only words that he merited saying. Anything else would be hollow and meaningless, coming from a coward like himself.
The Magnificent Trio was watching the ensuing fight from their perch atop another nearby building. Kae A. Dama took it all in with an oddly somber expression. She should have been happy right now. Hinyu had Pretty Cure on the ropes, and it was all thanks to her and Shahei. Soon, those three would be defeated, and the Shade Kingdom would triumph. Was this not what all fearsome criminal gang leaders strove for?
Kae's aqua hair twitched dispiritedly as she watched Cure Byakko desperately try to protect her teammates, only for her shields to rapidly crumble under the force of the Nikuina copies' onslaught. Hinyu laughed uproariously at the sight. The mouse, the one the twins had agreed to kidnap without a thought, cried out in pain, loudly and pitifully enough that even she could hear it from where she stood.
Kae bit her lip as she looked away from the increasingly one-sided battle unfolding before her. No, she wasn't happy right now. Not even remotely. All she felt was a deep sense of shame.
Kooyoo, who had spent the past while desperately trying to focus on anything but the fight playing out in front of him, looked over at Kae. "Boss… you don't like this either, do you?"
Tobi, who was beginning to look a bit green, snapped his fan shut. "Kae. Let's just go. There's no point in us being here." he said. "I'm a bit worried about Mom anyway. You two are free to come with. She wouldn't mind-"
Kae stomped a foot in protest. "N-no! We can't! We have to support Hinyu-sama! He... asked us to, so..."
Kae's expression faltered as she remembered the thin smile and the half-hearted pat on the head that Hinyu had given her... had given the two of them after Kae had presented Shahei's charm to him. The two of them had finally done something right, he said. He was actually proud of them for once, he said. He wanted them to be there, to personally witness his victory over Pretty Cure, he said.
A few weeks ago, Kae would have been over the moon hearing all that. But it had all felt so empty compared to that small, simple show of affection from Hayate Yoshimoto back then. Not just empty. It didn't feel half as real. Did Hinyu even care about the two of them?
"The most important thing is pleasing Hinyu-sama… isn't it? This is what we wanted… right?"
"Does it matter, dear sister?" Shahei replied. "This was the safest choice. I don't regret it at all."
In the end, Pretty Cure wasn't able to hold out. The throng of Nikuina copies quickly closed in on and the three, who were too worn down to defend themselves against the ensuing onslaught. In a matter of moments, the three were beaten down and sent flying by their opponents.
Cure Seiryuu let out a sharp gasp as she, Genbu, and Byakko hit the ground one after the others. Their uniforms were tattered and dingy, and their spirit power had faded to a mere smolder.
The Nikuina continued to feed on Kichu as visible hairline cracks appeared in the surroundings. The air had grown horribly thin and the Shade Kingdom's influence was overwhelming. And the three of them, the only people who could stop it, were on the cusp of burning out completely.
Cure Byakko was desperately feeling for Seiryuu's hand. The blue Cure took it without hesitation, intertwining her fingers with the white Cure's, even as a quiet sob escaped her throat.
Cure Genbu was trying with all her might to get up. "Damn it!" she hissed as she managed to stand, only for her legs to buckle right underneath her. "This can't be how it ends! It just… can't!"
Byakko felt her heart sink as she realized Pretty Cure was in Haruki's line of sight. Her little brother had lost his color, but he was still very much conscious, if just barely. His gaze was dull and glassy, but the look of heartbreak in his eyes was unmistakable. She had let him down. Him and the rest of Kyoukai.
"I'm sorry, Haruki." Tears rolled down Byakko's face as she forced herself to look away. "I'm so sorry."
Several shadows fell over the group - yet more Nikuina copies. A voice - Hinyu's - cut through the air.
"Kill them."
Before any of the copies could make their move, a rain of red arrows struck them from above. Each arrow neatly found its mark in its target, and each target went up in flames on impact. In a matter of seconds, every single Nikuina copy had been reduced to a pile of fine ash.
Hinyu's lip curled in fury as he realized what had just happened. The red-haired man let out an animalistic snarl as he leapt forth from his perch, shifting into fox form midway-
-and getting sent flying as a streak of red slammed hard into him from midair, connecting in an explosion of flame and a flurry of red lily petals. The overlarge three-tailed fox let out a pained yelp as he crashed hard onto the ground below, moments before his adversary touched down nearby.
It was Cure Suzaku. The red Cure was positively alight with spirit power as she faced down Hinyu. Her orange hair shimmered like a brilliant flame, the red aura surrounding her body shined like the sun, and her eyes burned with fiery resolve. She had become the very embodiment of a raging inferno.
Cure Seiryuu felt her heart sink as she realized what Suzaku was doing. A flame that burned this intensely would soon go out. Suzaku must have known that. And it was too late to stop her.
The arrival of Cure Suzaku was enough to bring a bit of Haruki's color back. Maybe… maybe there was hope after all. Maybe there was hope after all. Maybe Pretty Cure would be able to win this after all.
"Yurika-san…"
"Muse told me about what you did. You're a brave boy, Haru-kun."
"I don't know if I'd call myself brave for that. I had to help Madoka-san and Jun, no matter what. That's all."
Suzaku looked back at Haruki. He too felt his heart sink as his eyes met hers. He remembered that look of sad resignation from back then, back when he had run into her before the summer festival.
"And that's what makes a hero, isn't it? I wish I could still believe that."
And then Suzaku took off. Something told Haruki she did not intend to come back.
Hinyu gritted his teeth as he struggled to get back on his paws. "Nikuina!" he barked. "Take her… all of them down! I don't care how! Just do it!"
The main Nikuina roared thunderously in response. The sphere entrapping Kichu began to glow more intensely than before as it drained more and more energy from the little mouse spirit. Kichu cried out as a second pair of arms sprouted from the Nikuina, which began to produce copies of itself at a terrifying rate.
Cure Suzaku was ready for all of them. She rained arrows of flame upon the battlefield, immolating opponent after opponent. Those that avoided her arrows had no luck against the red Cure. She easily evaded each attempted strike before answering it with a fire-infused strike of her own. Red sparkles trailed behind her, and red lily petals swirled about her as she poured everything she had into her fight.
Suzaku shot a quick glance towards her juniors. "Stand up, Pretty Cure! You have an opening! Use it!"
Cure Seiryuu didn't need to ask what Suzaku meant. She had observed it herself. The Nikuina could actively fight them, or it could spawn copies of itself. It could not do both. And if Suzaku had it occupied, then-
"We have to try!"
Seiryuu drove a fist into the ground as she forced herself to her feet, despite every inch of her body screaming at her to stop. She could feel Genbu and Byakko tightly grasping her hands and bracing themselves against her as they too forced themselves to get back up.
Pretty Cure dashed full-tilt towards the Nikuina. Even now, Seiryuu could feel her energy levels bottoming out and her transformation steadily flaking away. If they didn't do this quickly, then it really was over.
But she couldn't just give up. She had to have faith in herself. She had to have faith in her friends. She wouldn't have made it this far if she hadn't. None of them would have!
Cure Suzaku did not have much time left. It was taking everything she had just to keep up this level of momentum. Soon, her spirit power would run completely dry, and her body, which had been forced far past its limits, would give out on her. And when that happened, that would be it for her.
She had been alright with that once. Or she had at least convinced herself she would be. She had chosen this path. She would never abandon it, consequences be damned. She wasn't like her teammates.
But now, even as she threw every last drop of energy into her final battle, Cure Suzaku… Yurika Himura found herself consumed with regret. She didn't want to leave like this. She wanted to spend more time with her siblings. She wanted to mend bridges with her teammates. She wanted to make it work with Marina this time. She wanted to return to her job, to everything that made her happy. She wanted to live.
Not that she had a choice in the matter. Not anymore.
Clio… is this how you felt towards the end? To be consumed with this many regrets…
Something came hurtling towards her - Hinyu, who had flung himself in Suzaku's direction like a wild beast. The red Cure effortlessly parried his attack before countering with a flaming kick. She did not earn herself any breathing room. The Nikuina copies kept coming, as Hinyu doubled back on her.
Tears stung the corners of Suzaku's eyes as she pushed herself to keep going, no matter how much it hurt, no matter how much it took out of her. She had to. For the sake of everyone's shining future.
…I wish I'd understood it before. Before it came to this. Before I had to give up tomorrow.
Something beat Pretty Cure to the main Nikuina. A golden shooting star, which cut a brilliant streak through the sky as it soared in an arc through the air before colliding with the Nikuina.
No. Not a shooting star. Seiryuu's eyes welled with tears of relief as she recognized the small figure clinging to the side of the Nikuina's upper torso for dear life, despite its best attempts to throw her off.
"MUSE!"
Muse met Seiryuu's gaze. "Hironyan…" Her voice caught as she spoke. "Everyone, I'm-"
The Nikuina's upper set of arms shot towards Muse… or tried to. Seiryuu and Byakko sprang forth and held one back, while Genbu held back the other one with the help of her Black Ribbon.
"We'll talk later!" Genbu said through gritted teeth. "He needs you, Muse!"
Muse nodded before making her way towards Kichu. She did not tear her eyes away from him as she nimbly clambered up the Nikina, her crystal continuing to glow softly as she continued her ascent. She would make this right. For Kichu's sake, for her friends' sake, for the world's sake. No matter what.
She leapt into the air, shifting into human form as she touched down on one of the outer branches of the Nikuina's chest. She could see him trapped within - battered, exhausted, but very much alive.
"Kichu!" Jun cried. "Please wake up! I'm here now! Your big sister is here!"
Kichu stirred fitfully… but he did not wake up. Jun wasn't even sure if he had heard her. She lunged towards him without thinking, and the Nikuina answered with a surge of red-black energy, which crackled like electricity as it suffused her form.
Jun screamed in pain as the energy traveled through every inch of her body… but she did not let go.
"Kichu!" Another burst of energy was flung her way. Jun let out a pained whimper as more waves of agony shot through her. She was visibly singed, and her eyes had lost a bit of their luster. But she still refused to let go. "I love you, Kichu! I want to see tomorrow with you! So please! Wake up, Kichu!"
For a moment, nothing happened. And then Kichu's eyes suddenly flickered open. For a moment, his eyes were glossy and unfocused… and then they regained their sparkle as he recognized the girl in front of her. He stared at Jun in awe… and began to glow as he flung himself against the walls of his prison.
It hurt to do that. It hurt worse than anything Kichu had endured. But if he just gave up, Big Sis would get hurt even worse than she was now! Everyone… everyone would be hurt a lot! So he'd! Keep! Going!
The sphere containing Kichu cracked just a bit… and the Nikuina retaliated with another surge of energy.
Jun wasn't able to endure this one. A gasp of pain escaped her throat, and the light in her eyes faded to a dull glimmer as she lost her grip on the Nikuina and went plummeting to the ground below.
The shock caused Pretty Cure's grip on the Nikuina's arms to falter. It wasted no time in smacking them aside. Their transformations faded moments after they hit the ground.
Cure Suzaku screamed in agony as her flame of life finally reached its limit, and the strength began to ebb from her body as the light faded from her eyes. Hinyu eagerly moved in to finish her off.
Haruki watched it all in horror. Time seemed to freeze for him as he realized what had happened. What was about to happen. There was no one left to turn things around now… no one who could…
"It had to be you, right?"
No, that wasn't right. There was someone. There was him.
That was right. It was like before. Even if he wasn't the best person for the job, even if he didn't have any special powers or talents, he had to step forth and act. That was what heroes did!
"The hero has to step up at times like this!"
An aura of red spirit power surrounded Haruki as he dashed towards Jun and caught her in his arms. The golden priestess had to succeed in her quest, and her knight had to help her get there, no matter what!
The Nikuina swung another massive fist towards Haruki and Jun. He let out a cry of alarm and pulled Jun out of the way. Or he at least tried to. Unfortunately, he would not be fast enough.
Hinyu prepared to finish off Cure Suzaku. Hiroko and her teammates laid prone, battered and on the edge of unconsciousness. The shadow of the Nikuina's fist fell over Haruki and Jun.
And a handful of yellow dahlia petals swirled through the air as a voice rang out loud and clear in everyone's mind.
"I won't allow this!"
The Ouryuu carving on the central sealing stone began to blaze with golden light, light that rapidly built in intensity and scope as it swept over the entirety of Kyoukai's central square.
And then all faded to white.
When Jun opened her eyes, she found herself suspended in a void of shimmering gold. Her body no longer ached, and a quick look down at herself revealed that the wounds she had sustained trying to rescue Kichu had vanished. In fact, she felt more at ease than she had in a long time.
All of her other allies were here as well - Hiroko, Izumi, Yasu, Haruki, and Haruki. All of them were also completely unscathed. For a moment, Jun found herself wondering if they had failed and this was the afterlife. But that didn't seem right. Ghosts couldn't feel it when they pinched themselves… could they?
If she squinted, she could see Kyoukai's war-torn central square lying beyond the shimmering sphere of gold surrounding everyone. Hinyu, the Nikuina… they were all frozen in place. Perhaps time didn't mean anything here. And Yurika was clearly familiar with this place. It was written all over her face.
"Just like before… exactly like before." Yurika had never looked so hopeful. "It can't be…"
Hiroko let out a soft gasp as a figure formed from the surrounding aether. "That's-!"
An angelic-looking woman clad in flowing robes of white and gold had appeared before the group. Hiroko had never seen her before. But she and her teammates knew exactly who she was. The top parts of her wavy, waist-length black hair were tied into a pair of familiar cat ear buns, and she had the same kind blue eyes and warm smile as Jun.
And the moment Jun met her eyes, she forgot about everything else.
"MAMA!"
For a moment, Jun wondered if this was all too good to be true, if she would pass through Clio the moment she tried to hug her. But this did not happen. Jun found herself being pulled into her mother's warm embrace, felt Clio holding her tight. Just like before, the last time Jun had seen her alive.
The floodgates on Jun's heart burst wide open. Her tears flowed freely as she leaned into her mother's embrace. This was real. Despite everything, Clio was real. After ten long years, her mother was by her side once more, her mother was there to hold her once again, and yet…
"Oh, Muse. I wish I could hold you forever. Just like this."
Jun did not miss the hint of strain in her mother's voice, nor the way her hands trembled as she spoke.
"But you can't, right?" Jun's eyes were shining with tears as mother and daughter parted from their embrace. She had to fight to keep herself together. "You can't stay."
Clio nodded sadly. "This took everything I had. Soon, I'll return to the aether. Just as I should have long ago." she said. "I won't be able to return. But you will all have tomorrow. That's enough for me."
Yurika started towards Clio. "Don't talk like that!" she snapped. "You don't want to do this, do you?! You didn't want to do it the first time!" She looked away, clenching her fists. "If we'd just fought a bit harder-!"
"That's enough, Yurika-chan!" Clio's tone was firm but kind. "I never once blamed any of you."
Yurika looked utterly stunned. "Clio…"
"I do have regrets." Clio continued. "I wanted to return to my homeworld. To my family. I wanted to see my little girl grow up. I wanted to be there for you four, as your mentor and your friend." She smiled tearfully. "I'm grateful for the time we did get to spend together. And I'm glad you all lived. Will keep living."
"I'm not…" Yurika's own eyes were welling with tears. "I wasn't worth-"
Clio pulled Yurika into a tight hug. "You've fought long enough, brave hero." She gently stroked Yurika's hair as she held the sobbing woman close. "You can rest now, Yurika-chan. It's okay. I promise, it's okay."
Yurika said nothing as she and Clio parted from what she knew would be their final hug. She was sobbing too hard to manage any words. But finally, she managed to gather herself enough to address Haruki.
"Haru-kun. The road ahead is going to be harsh." For a moment, Yurika was as hard and steely as she had ever been, but she quickly softened. "Hold onto that idealism of yours. Your friends will thank you."
Haruki's eyes widened as he realized what Yurika was saying. "Yurika-san…" He nodded firmly. "I will! I promise! I'm a hero after all!"
Yurika just smiled as she reached into her pocket and tossed something Haruki's way - a red spherical crystal, with flames dancing within. The moment the red-haired boy caught it, it shifted into the form of a red and orange Puricell. His Puricell.
Clio was already growing transparent. Jun could feel her surroundings beginning to fray a bit as well.
"Mama… I wish you didn't have to go." Jun had given up on even trying to stay strong.
"You'll be alright, Muse." Clio gently ruffled Jun's hair as she spoke. "You've grown up into a fine young woman. And you've met so many wonderful people, people who love you very much." As she spoke, she nodded to Hiroko and the others, who had taken their place by Jun's side. "I can rest easy, knowing that."
"That's right!" Haruki said without thinking. "She's our beloved teammate! I'll… we'll all take very good care of her, m-ma'am!"
Clio laughed playfully. "Oh, I'm sure you will, young man. You're her knight, aren't you?"
Haruki went beet red - and earned a playful elbow in the side from Izumi, as Jun sighed heavily.
"Sheesh, Mama…" Jun was laughing a bit, despite herself. "You're just as bad as Papa is!"
Clio had gone completely transparent by this point. She gently kissed Jun's forehead as she briefly pressed a hand to her Ouryuu crystal. "Muse… you remember what I told you back then, don't you?"
"You'll always be there for me." Jun said. "Somehow, some way."
"Somehow, some way." Clio echoed. "When you find a warm patch of sunlight to stretch out in, when a gentle breeze ruffles your hair, when you stop to play in a rain shower, when you gaze up at the starry night sky… look for me, and I'll be there. That's my promise to you."
As Clio's form slowly began to flake away, the now-intact Ouryuu crystal emerged from Jun's choker and hovered before her. As Jun watched in awe, it took the form of a gold and navy blue Puricell.
Jun met Clio's eyes one last time as she reached out for her Puricell. Clio answered with a reassuring smile and a firm nod. And Jun took a deep breath before grabbing hold of her new future.
The light surrounding Jun and the others grew intense enough to be blinding. Jun couldn't see, hear or feel anything. Not in a physical sense. But she could feel her mother's love, more intensely than she ever had before. And she could hear Clio's voice ringing out clearly in her mind.
"I love you Muse. More than anything in this world. I know you have a bright future ahead of you."
"I love you too, Mama. I always will. Thank you for everything."
Jun would not say goodbye. Even if their time together in the living world had been short, even if this was the last time they would ever speak, goodbye just didn't feel right. This was enough.
Only a few seconds had passed in the outside world. From Hinyu's perspective, he had been on the cusp of victory one moment, and a moment later, Pretty Cure had vanished in a burst of light, and he was lying prone on the ground. His body suddenly felt heavy. Just getting back on his paws was an effort.
And suddenly, a beam of sunlight broke through the churning storm clouds above, bringing color and life to a once dead and gray battlefield as it shined down upon Pretty Cure. All five of them.
Cure Seiryuu, Cure Genbu, and Cure Byakko were back on their feet and good as new. Their two new companions looked no less radiant.
The first addition had vivid red eyes and short and spiky red-orange hair that flared out sharply at the ends. He wore a frilled red beret with a heart-shaped orange ornament, red heart-shaped earrings, and a red choker with an orange flame charm.
He was clad in a red tailcoat with orange trim, feathered edges, and a flared orange chest bow with a heart-shaped red crystal clasp, worn over a frilly light red shirt with winglike shoulder pads and puffy dark red shorts. His gloves were wrist-length and light red, with flared red trim and orange heart-shaped ornaments on the backs of the hands, and he wore shin-length dark red lace-up boots with orange trim.
The second new arrival had bright blue eyes and full, wavy cornflower blue hair that grew out past her waist, with the top parts tied into horn-like twin buns with golden ribbons. She wore a wreath-like golden tiara with a flower-shaped dark blue gemstone at its center, gold heart-shaped earrings, and a gold choker.
She was clad in a a gold vest with frilly dark gold trim, a scale-print dark blue chest ribbon with a heart-shaped gold crystal clasp, and a large dark gold ribbon in the back, worn over a light gold dress with puffy sleeves and a full skirt worn over a frilly layered petticoat and dark blue tights. Her gloves were light gold and elbow-length, with gold scale-print trim and dark blue heart-shaped ornaments on the backs of the hands, and she wore golden Mary Janes with dark blue floral ornaments.
The world roared back into focus for the five members of Pretty Cure. Their eyes shined resolutely and as each of them struck a pose.
"Soaring blue star! Cure Seiryuu!"
"Rushing black star! Cure Genbu!"
"Shimmering white star! Cure Byakko!"
"Burning red star! Cure Suzaku!'
"Healing gold star! Cure Ouryuu!"
"Five shining stars, lighting the path to the future!" A flurry of multicolored petals - blue delphiniums, violet hyacinths, white moonflowers, red sunflowers, and yellow daisies, swirled about Pretty Cure, who spoke in unison as they struck a group pose. "We are Pretty Cure!"
Hinyu gaped uncomprehendingly at the sight. "How… how did you-?!" His face twisted into a snarl as he tried to charge towards the five. Tried to. His legs went out from under him the moment he tried to move, and his body loudly protested as he tried to get back up. "Damn it… Nikuina! Eliminate them!"
The Nikuina immediately flung itself towards Pretty Cure. Its movements were a bit more sluggish now, a bit less coordinated, but it was no less ferocious. Razor leaves shot forth from its mantle and rained down upon the group as it attempted to crush the Cures with its lower pair of arms, all while preparing to spawn more copies of itself with its upper pair of arms.
Pretty Cure instantly scattered. Cure Genbu and Cure Byakko focused on holding back each of the Nikuina's lower fists, while Cure Seriyuu focused on eliminating the hail of razor leaves with her spirit power before they could touch her teammates.
For a moment, Cure Suzaku seemed unsure of what to do himself. And then he tried to leap out of the way of several incoming projectiles and ended up high into the air. As he flailed a bit in mid-air, more projectiles came flying towards his face. He instinctively flung out a hand, and a spiral of flame shot forth from his palm, immolating them instantly. His eyes widened as he found a perch on a streetlight.
"I did that." Suzaku whispered rapturously. He was tearing up a bit despite himself. "I… I really-!"
He sprang forth, throwing himself into burning up whatever the Nikuina threw at him and Seiryuu. This wasn't a JRPG. Suzaku knew that. If he got too sloppy or careless, Jun and the others would pay dearly for it. But this still felt like a fantasy made real. This still felt wonderful, almost too good to be true.
Seiryuu briefly met Suzaku's eyes as they fought, and the red Cure felt his heart soar. He really was part of the team. And the two of them were going to Kaswoosh and Kasizzle the heck out of these projectiles.
Thank you so much, Yurika-san. You won't regret passing me your sword - I promise!
Tamakushi laughed bitterly as she watched what was supposed to be the instrument of King Kagemera's victory quickly crumble at Pretty Cure's hands. She took no pleasure in watching his plans go up in smoke. But she did take pleasure in seeing Hinyu brought low. She could at least have that.
"Oh well, Hinyu dear." she drawled. "You took the credit. I'm sure you'll happily take the blame as well."
As for herself… Kagemera deserved to know about this new development as soon as possible. Let Hinyu ram his head against the wall fighting a losing battle. She would help Kagemera find another path towards his inevitable ascent. Her mind was alight with possibilities as she vanished in a burst of light blue foxfire.
Cure Ouryuu took advantage of the opening her teammates had given her and dashed towards the Nikuina. As she drew close, she created two seeds of golden light in her palms before leaping into the air and throwing them at each of the Nikuina's upper arms. The seeds struck true, growing into vines of golden light on contact and lashing around the Nikuina's wrists.
The Nikuina could no longer shed its hands, keeping it from spawning further copies. It roared in agitation before trying to sap more energy from Kichu. That didn't work either. In fact, it seemed to cause it pain.
Ouryuu felt her heart soar as she realized why. Kichu was blazing radiantly with spirit power as he threw himself at the sphere he was entrapped in over and over. Said sphere was badly cracked now, and a little bit of Kichu's spirit power was steadily leaking from said crack, irritating the Nikuina further.
The gold Cure charged forth, steeling herself as she ascended the Nikuina's massive length. This time, she would make it. This time, she and Kichu would make sure everyone saw tomorrow!
Seimono had nothing to say about Pretty Cure's sudden rise from the ashes. He simply lingered for a moment or so, stoic as ever, before moving to leave. Kamryou trailed worriedly after their partner.
"Seimono-sama… this could be bad. Really bad. We should-"
Seimono kept forging ahead. "There's nothing for us to do. Not today. This isn't our fight."
Seimono's tone was devoid of emotion. But Kamryou had not missed the small spark that had returned to their partner's eyes or the slight hint of a smile that had surfaced on his lips. They didn't understand. Nothing about this was good or even fair. But this seemed to please Seimono. Somehow. And they had no complaints about that. They missed his smile a great deal.
Kamryou cuddled close to Seimono's side as the two continued on their way. He placed a protective arm around their shoulder as the pair vanished in a burst of gold dust.
The Nikuina's mantle was now stripped bare of foliage. Seiryuu and Suzaku had made it exhaust everything it had. It was left to try and flatten Ouryuu with its upper set of fists - or it would have, had Seiryuu and Suzaku not instantly intercepted them and held them back with their massive strength.
Ouryuu mentally fired off her thanks to Hiroko and Haruki… to all of her precious friends as she launched herself in Kichu's direction. Now was the moment of truth!
Watch me, Mama! This beautiful world, this brilliant tomorrow… I'll protect it with my radiant soul!
Kae needed a while to process what had just happened. Her jaw dropped as her brain finally caught up with her eyes. "W-wait! Five of them?! FIVE?! That's-!" She stomped a foot indignantly as her hair twitched and writhed in agitation. "That's not fair! Ugh, now our symmetry is ruined!"
Kooyoo patted Kae on the shoulder. "It's okay, Boss! We can just recruit more people and become a Magnificent Quintet! Three plus two is the way to go anyway, right?"
Tobi looked decidedly unamused. "My hands are full enough with you three. And that twit you dragged in is enough of a headache. Let's never, big guy." He heaved a heavy sigh as he watched Pretty Cure prepare to take down the Nikuina. "Sheesh, what a pain. But…" His tone softened just a bit. "You know what? I'm glad they're in one piece."
"So am I." Kae said without thinking… before catching herself, flushing a bit, and crossing her arms defensively. "N-not like I care about them or anything, obviously!" she huffed. "They're simply the only opponents worthy of the Magnificent Trio! Wouldn't you agree, Shahei~?"
Her sister answered with dead silence. Dead silence and an ice-cold sense of dread.
Kae's smile faded. She said nothing as she withdrew her staff from one of her overlong sleeves before vanishing in a burst of violet sparkles. Kooyoo and Tobi exchanged glances before following her lead.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Cure Ouryuu flew towards Kichu. The pair's eyes locked for a moment, a moment where Ouryu felt as if her heart was about to beat out of her chest. And then Kichu exploded into a tiny supernova of spirit power.
"CHUUUUUUUUUUU!"
The sphere of dark energy shattered as Kichu burst forth from his prison in an explosion of spirit power and flew towards Ouryuu. The gold Cure touched down gracefully on the ground below, Kichu perched on her shoulder, as the Nikuina, whose chest was blown wide open, slumped onto the ground.
Cure Ouryuu stepped forth. "Suzaku!"
Cure Suzaku's eyes lit up as he followed suit. "Right! Finisher time!" He didn't need to ask for further instruction - he already knew exactly what to do.
Suzaku began to glow with red energy as he focused his spirit power. "Pretty Cure!" Orbs of flame danced about him, and red sunflower petals swirled around him as he flung his palms, which glowed with red light, towards the Nikuina. "Scarlet Inferno!"
Ouryuu began to glow with golden energy. "Pretty Cure!" Orbs of light bobbed about Ouryuu, and yellow daisy petals swirled around her as she flung her palms out, and a gigantic golden daisy manifested in front of her. "Golden Flourish!"
A whirling vortex of flame shot forth from Suzaku's palms. A massive laser of sparkling golden light erupted from the center of the daisy Ouryuu had summoned. Both attacks connected in a shining inferno of red and gold and an explosion of red and yellow petals.
The Nikuina let out one final, earth-shaking roar before it finally dissolved into ash, leaving nothing behind save an enormous shower of light particles.
Hinyu's fur stood on end and his tails twitched with fury as he watched his Nikuina fall apart, taking his dreams of an early victory with it. The sight of color returning to the area, that mouse absorbing more spirit power, Pretty Cure celebrating their victory… it had never been so viscerally revolting.
"Damn you, damn you, damn you!" Hinyu was shaking all over with exertion and rage as he forced himself to his feet. "This is only a temporary setback! Your end will come, Pretty Cure!"
Hinyu vanished in a burst of white-hot flame. No one noticed his departure.
For most people in Kyoukai City, today was not particularly remarkable. It was remarkably easy for most to rationalize away this latest Nikuina attack or to push it out of their minds altogether. For better or worse, the people of Kyoukai had grown used to the Shade Kingdom's attacks on their hometown. They did not know how disastrous this one could have been. For most, it was fast becoming yet another bad dream.
Not everyone felt that way. Some found themselves deeply relieved that the disaster their brain had braced for had not come to pass, even if they still weren't sure what that disaster was supposed to be. And some knew exactly what had happened today and how lucky everyone was to have tomorrow.
Kimiko Yoshimoto stirred to find Hayate at her bedside, dabbing her forehead with a cool rag. The sight of her grandmother's face broke Kimi out of her feverish haze. She sat bolt upright in bed, pulled Hayate into a hug, and began to weep openly. It was not something she would have done normally. Kimi loathed shedding tears in front of anyone, even her own family. But these were not normal times.
Shun Siegel had spent the past while huddled in front of the Yoshimoto estate, deep in the pits of anxiety. And then her heart lifted as the color returned to the sky, life returned to her surroundings, and her phone had suddenly gone off with a text from Izumi - a selfie of her visibly exhausted-looking girlfriend, who was tiredly flashing a peace sign to the camera, paired with a single message - just saved the world xoxo
Marina Ishii had her hands full yet again as Mayu and Takeru tore around the house pretending to be Pretty Cure, as Mayu's favorite princess movie ran in the background for the fourth time today. She followed after them like a worried mother hen, she begged them to be careful, she complained at Kou for putting this idea into the pair's heads. She had never felt happier or more content with her life.
Rie Gotou had gone home early, once she was certain that the library patrons would be alright. She was in no state to perform her job as a librarian today, and she and her boss knew it. She was now back home, sighing in exasperation as she toweled off Mochi, who had fallen into the toilet after trying to drink from it. Again. He was lucky he was so cute. She was lucky that this was now the most of her worries.
Yurika Himura was safe and sound in bed, sleeping more peacefully than she had in many years. Neither Shinobu nor Susumu had any idea how she had ended up there. Her bedroom had been completely empty only a few seconds beforehand. Even she couldn't have snuck back into the house that quickly. Neither of them were going to question it too hard. She was safe. She was alive. That was what mattered.
And in the central square of Kyoukai, the five members of Pretty Cure sat at the base of the central sealing stone, watching the clouds drifting overhead. Hiroko was tiredly resting her head on Yasu's lap, Izumi was half-asleep as she leaned against Haruki, and Muse was curled up on Haruki's lap, as Kichu slept soundly beside her. The sky above her had never looked so lovely, and the air around her had never felt so comfortable.
Clio had given her life to protect this beautiful world. Muse would do her utmost to protect it in her stead. Not because she was Clio's daughter. Because she was a member of Pretty Cure and an older sister to Kichu. Because she was herself.
Muse could feel her eyelids growing heavy. She did not fight it. Soon, she would have to be vigilant once more. In her heart, she knew this was only the start of things to come. But for now, she could let herself breathe. For now, all was well.