Episode Twenty-Three: Friendship's Supernova! The Trio's Finale!

It was a beautiful day, or what sufficed for one in the Shade Kingdom, and Tobi was finally headed back to his flat (his very own flat!), groceries in hand.

He hummed softly as worked his way through a crowd of spirits and down the shopping street. This was less food than he would've liked, but it was something. It'd be enough to tide him over while he sought out proper work, anyway. He had no business asking his mother for more support, not when his flat had ripped a large chunk out of her finances, and definitely not when she still had four other mouths to feed.

And yeah, it was a stressful prospect, finding employment in this economy, under this regime, but hey, Tobi was stubborn as hell and very on top of things for a sixteen-year-old. He'd find something with enough effort, he told himself as he slipped into a nearby alleyway - a perfect shortcut.

Hm, maybe he could take in Taka and Hakucho in a year or two. His place was big enough to squeeze in three people, and that'd take even more of a burden off of-

"You! Turn around! Slowly."

Tobi froze. Something hard and blunt was jabbing into his back, a bit too close to his wings for his liking, and a presence was lurking behind him. And yet, he couldn't find himself to feel anything but vaguely annoyed. Bit hard to be nervous when your assailant sounded like a squeaky-voiced little girl.

And yeah, okay, people in this part of the Shade Kingdom had a bit more grit, but Tobi had years of fencing training. He could take even the toughest child in a fight.

Because this was a squeaky-voiced little girl he was dealing with, Tobi noted as he wearily "complied" with her demand - a tiny little thing who was angling a staff almost as tall as she was in his direction. She had a friend too - a much taller teenage boy who looked utterly lost at the moment.

"Your money and your food!" the girl barked. "Hand them over! NOW!"

Tobi stared at the girl. The girl stared right back, drawing herself up to her full height, which wasn't much of an accomplishment. The boy kept looking from Tobi to his friend and back, still utterly lost. And then-

"Nah."

-Tobi turned and kept walking. No point in indulging these two, let alone attempting to fight them off. He'd just end up embarrassing himself.

The girl shrieked in frustration before running out in front of Tobi and jabbing her staff towards his face.

"Fool! You value your life, don't you?!" Gods, she had an impressive set of lungs for such a small girl. Tobi already felt a headache coming on. "Money! Food! Right now! Or! Or we'll… we'll definitely…"

Tobi coolly pushed the girl's staff aside. "You'll definitely what?"

The girl stomped her foot in agitation. "I'll fry you with my magic! And then Kooyoo here will beat you up!"

The boy, Kooyoo, looked horrified. "I don't wanna beat anybody up, Kae!" he protested. "Especially not him! He looks like he'd break if I hit him too hard."

Tobi bristled. "Excuse me?! I'm not some fragile little-!" He mentally smacked himself. What happened to not embarrassing himself here? Deep breaths, Tobi. Don't stoop to their level. "Look. I hate to be rude, but I can't play with you two. There are things I need to be doing right now. Actually important things."

And now it was Kooyoo's turn to cut off Tobi's exit. "This is important for us too!" he said. "So uh, can we have some money? Please?"

Tobi facepalmed. Yeah, there was no point even saying anything here.

"Can you kids please screw off to your parents and-"

Both Kae and Kooyoo looked like he'd personally punched them in the gut. Tobi's heart dropped as he realized his mistake. Stupid, stupid, stupid, not everyone was as fortunate as him, especially not here!

Kooyoo's stomach let out a loud rumble, and Kae's joined in right afterward. Now that Tobi got a good look at the pair, they clearly hadn't eaten in a bit. They… they'd been serious, hadn't they?

"I see how it is." Kae dismissed her staff with a wave of her hand. "C'mon Kooyoo. Maybe we'll have better luck next time."

"Wait!" Tobi called after the pair. "There's no need for that!" As the two turned to regard him in confusion, he added "I should have enough to feed three people here."

Kae regarded him warily. "Oh, now you wanna give us food?"

"Yeah?" Tobi said. "You two are clearly hungry. And your mugging technique is…" He sighed and shook his head. "If this is your survival plan, you're both screwed."

And now Kae was leaning up into his face. "Hey! Are you implying we're stupid?!"

"I'm saying it." Tobi retorted archly. "You're both pathetic excuses for thieves."

Kooyoo had to jump in and restrain Kae before she could try and deck Tobi. "Hey, calm down!" he told his companion, who was struggling in his arms like an angry cat. "He's here to help, aren't you, Mister?"

"'Tobi' is fine. I'm not that much older than you." He frowned a bit. "Hey… where do you two live?"

Kae and Kooyoo exchanged uncomfortable glances. Damn it. That was answer enough.

"Why don't you crash at my place for a bit?" Tobi offered. "You have nowhere else to go, right?"

Kae and Kooyoo looked beyond delighted at the offer. Their joy didn't fade a bit as the pair followed Tobi out of the alleyway and in the direction of the cramped residential street her lived on.

"Ohohoho! We've secured a meal and a home! What a grand success!" Kae sounded very accomplished for a girl who hadn't accomplished a thing. "We're the century's greatest criminals, dear Kooyoo~!"

"Thank you, Tobi-san!" Kooyoo said. "We'll definitely pay you back!" And then, to Kae "Do you think he'll have room for a gym? I want my own set of weights."

"H-hey, wait a second! I said 'crash at my place for a bit' not 'live with me forever'!" Tobi protested. "I'm not made of money, damn it! I can't afford to support two other people!"

" Three other people." said Kae, who hadn't seemed to register anything else Tobi had said.

Tobi's jaw dropped. "There's another kid with you?!"

"Yup! My sister! She's always with me!" Kae grinned proudly. "We're the world's closest set of twins~!" Her eyes lit up as she noticed the residences up ahead. "Kooyoo! Look, look! I wonder which one's ours?"

"Wait for me, Kae!" Kooyoo called as he hurried after the small girl, who had already run ahead.

Tobi buried his face in his hands. Great, just great. Two days into moving out, and he'd already put his foot in it. Him and his stupid marshmallow of a heart.

Well… he could salvage this eventually, right? Give these two (three?) a night, and maybe his words would sink in! And then… he'd think of somewhere for them to go. Not like he'd just throw them back out onto the streets.

Someone up ahead was hollering about two hooligans trying to beat down his door. Tobi swore under his breath before hurrying after his (temporary!) charges before they could try and break into a flat that wasn't th- his. Yeah, he couldn't live with these two forever. He was exhausted already just dealing with this.

It was a quiet evening in the Shade Kingdom, and Tobi felt his heart pounding in his chest as he sprinted back to the Trio's flat, Kooyoo following close at his heels.

He had been horribly nervous all day - about the twins' behavior, about that circle Shahei was setting up, about the safety of his family here and back home - but he'd at least been able to keep it to a reasonable level as he and Kooyoo helped Washi smuggle what she could out of her house. Everyone he loved was likely in terrible danger - the worst thing he could do right now was lose his head over it.

But then he and Kooyoo started the trek back home and the feeling of something being very wrong slammed into him like a lead weight. He didn't have to tell Kooyoo - the other boy had sensed it too.

That feeling only grew worse as the pair arrived in front of the flat. The front door was partly open, and the smell of something vaguely sulfuric was leaking from within… as was the sound of Kae's broken sobbing, and that was enough to get Kooyoo to practically rip the door off its hinges as Tobi burst inside.

Tobi couldn't remember the next few seconds. When he snapped back to reality, Kooyoo had scooped Shahei up in his arms, and Tobi had grabbed Hinyu from behind and was holding his sword to his throat.

"Of course kidnapping's not above you." Tobi snarled. "I knew you were a slimy bastard, but holy hell."

Hinyu didn't seem at all bothered by the clear threat to his life. He actually looked amused that one of his pet plebeians was threatening him, which just infuriated Tobi further.

"Oh? I didn't know you despised your family this much, Tobi." Hinyu laughed softly. "Ah well. The Tree will appreciate a few extra sacrifices, if that's the route you've chosen."

Tobi didn't let go of Hinyu or lower his sword… but he did falter. His sword hand was trembling badly, Hinyu noted with amusement. This boy didn't have it in him at all. Just like his father hadn't.

"Shahei! Are you okay?" Kooyoo asked the dead-eyed girl in his arms… before doing a double take was he noticed the sobbing girl on the floor. " Kae?! How 'come you're over there and Shahei's-"

Shahei drove a sharp elbow into Kooyoo's gut, cutting him off mid-sentence and causing him to fumble his grasp on her. As Shahei neatly dropped to the ground, feet-first, Kae looked up… just in time to see the white-hot flame steadily building in Hinyu's right palm.

"Tobi! Look out!"

Tobi just managed to let go of Hinyu and leap out of the way before he could be deep-fried on the spot, leaving Hinyu's flames to instead vaporize a good chunk of the kitchen countertops behind him.

Hinyu looked rather annoyed by the whole thing. He sighed heavily, brushing the front of his suit and muttering about the 'filth' here, as Shahei flew to his side, looking up at him worriedly.

"Are you alright, Hinyu-sama? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Hinyu didn't acknowledge Shahei. "This grime will never come out. Damn it all."

"Shahei, what are you doing?" Kooyoo started towards Shahei, who readied her staff again as she placed herself defensively in front of Hinyu. "Since when are you and him friends?"

Kae shook her head as Tobi helped her to her feet. "That's not it… that can't be it!" She looked pleadingly at her sister. "I'm right, aren't I? You don't want to do this, Shahei! You're not that kind of person!"

Shahei didn't react at all. She just kept smiling vacantly. Hinyu, meanwhile, seemed utterly amused.

"What are you talking about? Shahei did this entirely of her own will." He managed to sound so very reasonable , which made things even worse. "Aren't you the one who pushed her away in the first place?"

"Shut up!" Kae snapped. "You have no right to say that stuff! Not after you… after you.." She was starting to tremble now, and her voice was cracking. If her brothers hadn't been at her side, she would've cracked completely. "If you wanna hit someone so badly, I'm right here! Leave Shahei alone!'

Hinyu burst out laughing. "I see! So that's the line you draw, Kae! Not my allegiances. Not what I asked you to do. No, it's because I lost my temper once or twice."

Kooyoo's fur stood on end as he balled his hands into fists, and Tobi's wings flared out as he went for his sword. Both boys would have thrown themselves at Hinyu right there, had it not been for the flame building in the palm of his hand… and the look on his face. He wanted the two of them to attack him.

"Tell me, Kae." Hinyu continued. "Who was it who threw herself at my feet? Who was it who willingly hurt multiple people on my behalf?" He put an arm around Shahei's shoulders and pulled her roughly to his side, drawing a quiet gasp from the girl. "And who was it who encouraged her sister to serve me?"

Kae couldn't bring herself to meet Hinyu's eyes anymore. "You were the first adult who wanted us. I thought you'd love us too, if we worked hard enough. But that wasn't love. It never was."

Hinyu regarded her incredulously. "You thought I'd reward you with love? You're as selfish as you are idiotic." His voice was dripping with repulsion. "You have no right to preach to me about-"

A bolt of sparkling violet magic shot past Hinyu's face, narrowly grazing his cheek. Kae's shoulders shook with rage as she tearfully stared Hinyu down, violet sparks dancing between the fingers of one extended hand. Hinyu actually looked mildly shocked that she'd fought back, let alone managed to graze him.

"You're right. I am selfish! And stupid and slow and… and… any other horrible thing you think about me!" Kae snapped. "Because I willingly served a monster like you!"

Hinyu did nothing to retaliate, verbally or otherwise. He simply reached into the pocket of his suit jacket with his free hand before tossing something towards Kae, who instinctively caught it.

It was a partly-germinated Wrath Seed pod, just like the one he'd had her test back then. But this one was even more ominous-looking, between its markedly larger size, the sickly red-black light it steadily pulsed with, the unusual warmth it gave off, and the thorns that grew from its sprouting tendrils.

"See? I'm a generous monster, Kae." Hinyu said. "I'm giving you one last chance to redeem yourself."

Shahei's smiling mask slipped. "Hinyu-sama, you promised that-!"

Hinyu silenced her with a reproachful glare before returning his attention to the Trio.

"Twenty-four hours. That should be enough time to eliminate Pretty Cure, correct?" He nodded to the Wrath Seed pod. "If this isn't used before then, it will sprout on its own. I wouldn't recommend trying to destroy or dispose of it either. The results won't be pretty either way. I've seen to that."

Tobi was clearly inches from attacking Hinyu at this point. "You smug piece of shit!"

Hinyu was back to seeming unbothered. "If you fail to comply, and my little gift doesn't finish you three off, I'll gladly step in. And frankly, after that stunt, Tobi, I won't be content to stop there. So I'd suggest getting to work."

Kae felt sick as she stared down at the pulsing Wrath Seed in her palm. She should have known this was where it'd lead someday. This was how villains like her always ended up. This was how Beauty General Lilith had met her end. Betrayed by the man she served loyally. Of course it'd be the same for her.

"Hinyu… you know I can't control this properly."

Hinyu smirked. "Oh, Kae. I am well aware. "

And then he and Shahei vanished in a burst of white-hot flame, leaving Kae to sob against Kooyoo's chest as Tobi tightened a fist and swallowed back tears of his own. He had no right to cry. Not when this whole thing had happened because of his own miserable failures. What kind of big brother was he?

Shun sighed heavily as she laid on her bed and stared up at the ceiling, hugging her kirin plush closely to her chest. The more she thought about the Asjun twins and their situation, the worse she felt. And she couldn't stop thinking about them, no matter how hard she tried. It was eating at her like acid at this point.

"You never had to understand! I made sure you wouldn't!"

"I didn't want you to get hurt again… I didn't know…"

Kae… Shahei… she'd known the two of them were working for an utter scumbag for a while now. Hell, she'd seen how Hinyu spoke to them. And… well, Hinyu clearly had no problem using physical violence to make a point. Shun had experienced that herself, and she wasn't that much older than the twins. Factor in Kae's words to her sister, back at the gardens, and Shahei's utter fear of upsetting him…

…and the answer was painfully clear. If they didn't get the twins away from Hinyu, and soon, the consequences would likely be dire. But…

Jun shook her head. "I'm sorry, Shunyan. Nobody in the Wellspring knows how to get into the Shade Kingdom. They closed their doors to us a long time ago."

"And even if we could get in, we'd be waltzing into enemy territory." Hiroko added. "I don't think that should stop us. But it would complicate things, especially since Kagemera would have the advantage."

Hiroko was right, of course. Shun's five days in the Shade Kingdom had given her a good picture of its situation, from the Nikuina-sprouting tree that spread roots throughout the kingdom, to a king who seemed to have eyes and ears everywhere, to citizens who were alternately terrified of or desperate to appease a tyrant who was very good at making people who crossed him disappear. A trip there couldn't be handled lightly.

But Shun would rather waltz into enemy territory than just sit back, wait, and hope. And that's how she had ended up having to lay down in the first place, despite her normal bedtime being a ways off.

Normally, Shun would have been more willing to clean Kyoukai Cross Station with her tongue than consider becoming Kasoku again. But she could have - theoretically - found a way back to the Shade Kingdom as a spirit, and she'd be durable and strong enough to be useful too. Besides, her transformation into a spirit had ultimately been all her, right? She'd just done it unconsciously.

Unfortunately, heading to the Yoshimoto estate's training hall and flexing her spirit power until she figured out how to do it consciously turned out to be a royally stupid plan. Kimiko, who had found Shun halfway passed out on the training hall floor, eyes red-gold and hair streaked silver-green, had wasted no time in telling her that, and Shun really had no room to argue.

"Shun, please use your brain." Kimi told her younger sister as she guided her out of the training hall. "If I can't control this" Here, she'd gestured, to her hair, which was more silver than green at this point, and her eyes, which had developed noticeable dark gold flecks, "what makes you think you could?"

And even if she'd succeeded , Kimi had added, what if she'd ended up stuck that way? Shun couldn't argue with that either, not when her eyes had just returned to their normal slate gray a few minutes ago, and not when the silvery streaks in her hair had yet to completely vanish.

A rhythmic knock - Kimi, who always knocked like that - sounded outside Shun's bedroom door. She pulled herself to a sitting position… and bit back a wave of dizziness. Hopefully, she'd sleep this off.

"Shun?" Kimi asked from the other side of the door. "Are you still awake?"

"Yeah." Shun would have gotten up to meet her had she been less light-headed. "You can come in."

Kimi stepped inside. She was carrying two mugs with her - hot spiced cider, one of Shun's personal favorite drinks. Shun eagerly accepted one mug as Kimi sat down next to her with the other.

"Feeling better?" Kimi asked between sips of cider. "You had me worried for a bit." She playfully prodded her younger sister's shoulder. "You're far too young to go gray, Shun."

"And you aren't?" Shun playfully retorted. "Man, I hope it's back to normal by tomorrow. School's back in session soon." She took a long sip of her own mug of cider. It did help quite a bit. "Sorry about that. I just…" She looked over at Kimi. "It was hard on you when I vanished, wasn't it?"

Kimi laughed softly. "That's putting it lightly. I was devastated, Shun. If it hadn't been for Grandma, I would have landed myself in the hospital again." She stared down into her mug. "I felt like a failure as an older sister. Just like you probably do." She smiled sadly. "It's one of the worst feelings in the world, isn't it?"

"Izumi told you, didn't she?" Shun asked. "About how I see those two."

"I've been curious about them for a while." Kimi said. "Mother did say 'you four' in that dream of yours, didn't she? And they don't operate by the same rules as most spirits, do they?"

Shun nodded absently. Kae… or rather, the twins hadn't faded (the 'normal' reaction, per Jun) when Kichu bit them, and Kae's eyes had gone the exact same shade of gray as her own for a moment. Those two could apparently exist freely on Earth too, despite apparently being fairly weak as far as spirits went.

But was Kimi seriously implying that-?

"And you know, I didn't think much of it back then." Kimi added. "But Mother had been feeling sick for a while before she vanished. And any hypothetical child of hers would be about thirteen by now."

…ah. She was. And while the Shun of a few months ago would have been skeptical, the Shun of now was already mentally adding this to the 'this may as well happen' pile. Of course she had secret long-lost sisters to go with her secret royal lineage and secret half-spirit bloodline. Why wouldn't she?

"That makes a certain amount of sense" Shun would mull over the implications later. It didn't feel fair to discuss this without the twins present anyway. "Either way, we need to save them, and soon. If we wait-!"

Kimi laid a firm hand on Shun's shoulder. "I know. But that doesn't mean you need to push yourself, Shun. It's like Grandma told me back then - you can't care for others if you don't care for yourself."

Shun wanted to protest… but between how leaden her body felt right now and how light-headed she still was, she knew better than to try. This was what she got for being an idiot, huh?

"I guess you're right."

"You 'guess'?" Kimi gave her hair a haughty little flip. "Oh, Shun. I'm always right, and we both know it." She gave her sister a quick kiss on the forehead as she rose to her feet. "Please get some rest, okay? We can discuss this further tomorrow."

Shun was ready for bed not long after that. She drifted off to sleep with one hand clutched around the Kirin crystal, just as she had every night since it had first come into her possession.

"Then, I entrust this star to you. May it shine again someday."

If only she knew how to bring back its light. It wasn't like she didn't want it enough. It wasn't like there weren't people she desperately wanted to protect. It wasn't as if she didn't understand what it meant to fight. It wasn't like she enjoyed feeling useless, not to her girlfriend and not to her sister… or sisters (?)

If only she'd had that power back then. Maybe things could have been different. Maybe Kae and Shahei could have been safe and sound here. Maybe a miracle would happen soon, and she could do something for them then. Shun was desperate enough to pray for one at this point.

At least she was too exhausted to dream that night. Small mercies.

This new dress itched.

It was such a small, meaningless thing to fixate on, compared to everything else. But if Shahei Asjun focused too hard on anything else, she would collapse on herself completely. So the dress it was.

It had been waiting for her when she had been guided to her chamber within the Shade Palace. Of course it had been. What good was a doll if you couldn't dress her up in pretty clothes? And it was pretty. It was red and black with short, puffy sleeves, a frilly chest bow, and a full mid-length skirt over layers of petticoats. It had a rose motif, from the rose vine pattern on the skirt edge to the chest bow's rose clasp.

She hated it.

The red and black worn by that man, by the faceless woman standing off to the side in the shadows of the audience chamber, and by the massive figure sitting half-slumped on the throne did not suit her. Her new elbow-length gloves felt restrictive compared to her old overlong sleeves. And she was certain that she'd already given herself a run in her black tights when she'd been made to genuflect before the Shade King.

"Do not fail me, Shahei." King Kagemera's voice was terribly weak and his breathing was horribly ragged. This was not a man long for this world. "Your youth will not spare you the consequences."

Why would she expect it to? When had she last been a child, young or not?

"There's no need for concern, Your Grace." Hinyu, playing the yes-man role, as if there was any point to that now. "Shahei is as obedient as she is bright. She knows better than to squander this privilege."

This was no privilege. This was a punishment. This was what she deserved for even thinking to trust Hinyu, for leaving her sister to die, for letting her fear and hatred guide her hand. This was the only place a vile and self-centered witch like herself deserved to end up. She would not let herself forget that.

"I hear and obey, Your Majesty." Her expression was vapid, her tone was mechanical, and they all ate it up, because it was what they wanted. Adults were all the same. "You can expect great things from me."

Shahei resisted the urge to pull at her collar or mess with her gloves as she rose to her feet. She swallowed the desire to react at all as Hinyu approached her, no doubt to whisk her off and give her marching orders… only for Tamakushi to cut off his approach with a spectral naginata angled at his chest.

"I'll look after our new arrival." The way Tamakushi spoke, the way she regarded Hinyu… she clearly did not fear him at all. Shahei couldn't help but feel envious. "You have no way with children."

The look Hinyu shot Shahei sent ice into her veins. But nevertheless, he stood down.

"I'll leave her to you, then." Hinyu was trying to sound polite. He shouldn't have bothered. The contempt he held for Tamakushi was painfully obvious. "I'd be better off attending to His Grace, wouldn't I? "

Kagemera was slumped over in his throne, completely unconscious, his chest rising and falling erratically as he drew gasping breaths. The sight of it made Shahei's stomach twist (when the King was finally gone, then who…?) and made Tamakushi hesitate…

…but only for a moment before she grabbed hold of Shahei's wrist and half-pulled, half-escorted the girl out of the audience chamber without another word.

Hinyu exhaled slowly as he watched the pair depart. This he could excuse for now. Let Tamakushi try and get in his way. Let her try and poison his puppet against him. It didn't matter. Everything had been lined up perfectly, and nothing would stop the pieces from falling into place. Ah, who had divine favor now?

His hand idly went to his collar. It itched horribly under there. How fortunate that Kagemera was too weak to try and maul him now. It'd be unfortunate for that to be exposed before he was ready, wouldn't it?

Ah, Kagemera. Hinyu smirked as he watched the Shade King's fitful slumber. You could only infuse so much hatred into something before it started hating you back. And you had to be very careful about who you trusted with the vessel you poured hate into. That walking corpse on the throne was soon to learn both those lessons, in the most agonizing manner possible. It was only a matter of time now.

Kae had spent the past couple of hours acting like the past couple of months hadn't happened. She flounced, she whined, she stomped her feet, she moaned about how much Pretty Cure pissed her off, she went on and on about how this new plan would crush her sworn enemies for sure. If you didn't know her well, it'd be easy to assume that she'd somehow bounced back from everything that had gone down.

But Tobi did know Kae very well. She hadn't bounced back at all. She was at her very lowest. And he knew exactly who was to blame for her current state. For everyone's current situation, really.

Hinyu's last present to the Trio now sat in the center of the flat's main area, surrounded by an impromptu warding circle that Kae had set up. None of the Trio dared go near it, not after its tendrils had unexpectedly snared Kae's wrist before trying to drain her energy, and not after Kooyoo had panicked and thrown it out the window in response, only for it to reappear in front of him, twice as large and twice as noxious-feeling.

It was growing steadily larger still, too, and the energy it was giving off… it didn't matter if they used it for its intended purpose, kept trying to destroy it, or left it alone, did it? Either way, they were all screwed. Either way, Hinyu won. And either way, Tobi had let down his adoptive siblings in the worst way possible.

"Alright, alright! Stop giving me that look! You three can stay, alright?" Tobi was trying desperately to look utterly annoyed and not at all moved by the younger freeloaders in front of him. He wasn't doing a good job. "But you're both gonna have to pull your weight. I'm not making enough for four people."

"Tobi!" Kooyoo pulled Tobi into a tight bear hug. "I knew you cared!" He didn't seem to notice Tobi's frantic attempts to free himself. "And don't worry! I can pull lots and lots of weight!"

Kae joined in with a running tackle-hug. "Oh, Tobi - you're the best~!" she chirped. "Almost as good as Shahei and me!" She grinned proudly. "And our magic can pull plenty of weight too, you know~!"

"N-not what I meant…" Tobi wheezed as Kooyoo finally let him go. He crossed his arms as he looked aside. "Don't get it twisted, alright? I'm only doing this because you're clearly hopeless without me."

Kae wasn't buying it, and neither was Kooyoo. Of course they'd seen through him. Of course they had.

"Sure, Tobi. Whatever you say~" Kae said. "So, when's lunch? We're starving, you know!"

And two years later, this was how it ended, and it was all his fault. Because he'd stood back and told himself this is how it is, and as long as we get our paycheck over and over despite every obvious sign of danger, despite his promise to look after them. He was an awful excuse for a big brother, especially where the twins were concerned. Kae and Shahei were only thirteen, damn it! What had he been thinking?!

Kooyoo had set up an impromptu futon on the twins' bedroom floor. He was out cold and snoring at a volume that would have distrubed anyone not used to it. Tobi made no attempt to sneak around for his sake. There was no point. That guy could have slept through the apocalypse.

And Kae? Kae was clad in her frilly violet nightgown, but she hadn't made it to her bed, even at this late hour. She was instead hunched over at her desk, drifting in and out of consciousness. She had clearly been hard at work until the last moment, painting charms and carving sigils into pieces of the plastic model kits Kooyoo had bought for her, and the fruits of her efforts were scattered all over her desk.

"Did Hinyu really think he could thwart this century's greatest genius? What utter foolishness!" Kae had told her brothers earlier. "With our combined spirit power and a proper vessel, we'll be able to control this Nikuina and effortlessly crush Pretty Cure without breaking a single sweat! Oh, I can hardly wait~!"

Tobi hadn't bought Kae's enthusiasm then, and he didn't buy it now, not when the ink of her charms was smeared with teardrops and not when her eyes were red-rimmed, swollen, and wet with tears. It shouldn't have been like this, he told himself as he helped her up and towards the bed. It wasn't fair to her. To them.

"'m not done…" Kae muttered as Tobi placed her in bed. It felt strange and uncomfortable, not having to accommodate Shahei's existence. He could only imagine how Kae felt. "Lemme work…"

Tobi began tucking Kae in. "It's past midnight, and you need more sleep than I do." Responsible words from an irresponsible waste of an older brother. "You can finish in the morning."

Kae looked distinctly uncomfortable at the thought of tomorrow. "I guess…" Her eyelids were clearly growing heavy, despite her valiant attempts to fight sleep. "Hey, Tobi… can I tell you a secret?"

Tobi nodded. "My lips are sealed."

"I don't want them gone. Maybe I never did." Kae said quietly. "Villains need heroes, right?"

"You're no villain, Kae." Tobi said. "You're a kid playing a game. We all were, really."

Kae didn't fight him on this at all. That spoke volumes on its own. "We should've chosen something else." She smiled sadly. "I wish I could've played with them again. Maybe then… maybe then, we could…"

Her exhaustion overcame her before she could finish that sentence. Tobi took a moment to make sure she was tucked in properly before glancing towards Kooyoo, hurrying out of the room, and returning with an extra blanket for him as well. He didn't stir at all when Tobi draped it over him. Of course he didn't.

Tobi remained in the doorway for a moment, watching his adoptive siblings sleep peacefully. He couldn't take back his mistakes. But he could at least do something now. He could at least give them tomorrow.

"It was fun, you two. Sorry it has to end like this."

He hesitated before gingerly shutting the door behind him. He didn't want to just leave without a proper goodbye. But if those two realized what he was planning, they'd raise hell, and he'd crumple like wet tissue paper. This was how it had to be. He'd tell himself that over and over until it finally stuck.

It was another morning in Kyoukai, and Kimiko Yoshimoto couldn't help but feel uneasy.

She had been unusually sensitive to shifts in the air since the incident with Kazu three years back, and that sensitivity had only grown as her… condition worsened and her humanity steadily faded away. And right now, there was something very odious brewing on the horizon. Kimi could feel it all around her.

It was still fairly early in the day. Few people were out and about as she cut through the shopping district, en route to the Ishii residence, and the area was still fairly quiet, save for the rustling of wind in the trees and the persistent chattering of crows. Kimi had seen quite a few out and about. How very odd.

She stifled a yawn. Sleep had eluded her last night, after her conversation with Shun. Try as she might, her brain had refused to let go of her little theory about the twins, and what that represented.

Yozora Yoshimoto… Kimi had not seen her mother in thirteen years, but she still treasured her memories of her. She had been a flighty woman, her mind seemed elsewhere half the time, and looking back, she'd been a little too eager to offload her parental duties onto her husband or her adoptive mother. Looking back, Yozora was one of those people who had stumbled into parenthood without any real interest in it.

But despite that, Kimi had nothing but love and respect for Yozora. Her mother had taught her how to read tea leaves, how to work with a needle and thread, how to tend a garden, and how to tell time by reading the stars in the night sky. She had always been there when Kimi needed a shoulder to cry on or a listening ear. She hadn't been the best parent, but she had been one of Kimi's best friends growing up.

And yet, Kimi mused as she made her way down the still-empty street, knowing what she knew now…

…she wasn't sure if she'd ever really known Yozora. Even now, she couldn't quite reconcile the woman in her memories with the woman Yozora Yoshimoto actually was. A woman who had carried around a burden far heavier than most could comprehend for thirteen long years, a woman who had ultimately turned her back on her Earth family because that burden had become too much to ignore…

…a woman who may have been carrying two more lives when she'd fled back to the Shade Kingdom, two lives that could be in a great deal of danger right now, two lives Kimi should have helped far earlier.

She banished those thoughts with a shake of her head. Kazu had left her with enough 'could haves' and 'should haves' for a century. She didn't need to add more to the pile. Not yet. She needed to consult with Marina and see if they could find a solution. They had to try, as dear little HIroko often said. But first…

…Kimi suddenly came to a stop in the middle of the street, heaving a sigh of annoyance.

"It's rude to stalk people, young man. What would your mother say?"

At first, she received nothing in the way of a response - just empty silence, punctuated by the distant rustling of wings and the noisy cawing of crows. And then she felt a prickle on the back of her neck and instinctively wheeled around to face an unusually pale and tense-looking Shouta Kuromori.

"So you did notice." he groused bitterly. "You're more perceptive than you look."

Kimi just smiled. "Why, thank you." There was a hungry, desperate look in Shouta's eyes, she noted.. And since he was an older brother to the twins… this wasn't at all good. "Listen. We need to talk about-"

Her words died out as she noticed the sword angled at her chest. Ah. So that's what this was.

"I don't wanna hear it." Shouta snarled. His sword hand was trembling again, and he wasn't making eye contact with Kimi, even as he held her at swordpoint. "You're coming with me, Yoshimoto-san."

Kimi didn't even attempt to put up a fight. She simply nodded dutifully and raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. If this boy wanted to play hostage-taking criminal, well, she could indulge him for now.

"It's okay. You can put the sword away, Kuromori-san. I'd hate for you to get in trouble."

Shouta hesitantly met Kimi's eyes. Once he seemed certain she wasn't going to make any sudden moves, he did just that. For a moment, it looked like he was actually reconsidering his actions…

…and then his expression hardened and he lunged forward, grabbing Kimi by the wrist. She put up no resistance as the pair vanished in a burst of dark gray light and a flurry of black feathers.

Something was terribly wrong.

The realization hit Hiroko out of nowhere like a speeding truck, even before Kichu had suddenly burst out crying, right as Hiroko and Jun's phones went off in unison with a text from Kimiko Yoshimoto… or rather, from someone using her phone. A summons to battle, directed at the five members of Pretty Cure.

The prize was Kimi's continued safety. The penalty was easy to guess. The sender was unknown.

Hiroko and Jun were running out the door right afterward. Kichu, who was now perched on Jun's shoulder in mouse form, was whimpering and trembling all over for a reason. And that aside, Kimi wouldn't joke about this. The woman was a shameless troll, but she had actual standards.

As for the responsible party… if Hiroko was right, then maybe they had another chance to save those two.

Izumi came barreling around the corner, right as Hiroko and Jun burst out of their shared dorm. The blond just managed to stop herself from colliding into Hiroko. She looked thoroughly strung out right now.

"Izunyan!" Jun exclaimed. "Did you get the text about-"

"-the hostage situation at the park? Damn right I did." Izumi was already hurrying on ahead at top speed, down the hallway and down the stairs, forcing Hiroko and Jun to keep pace with her… and ignore the admonitions not to run in the dorms by the nearby supervisor. "I bet anything Futaba's behind this."

"So, we're on the same page there." Hiroko said. "It didn't sound like she was done with us."

"And obviously, she'd know what Ninomiya knows, since they like, share a body." Izumi said. "She seems to really like poking at people's weak points too."

"So she kidnapped Kiminyan, so she could hurt Shunyan?" Jun asked.

Izumi nodded. "Sieg-kun put it together before I did. She's already gone ahead of us."

Hiroko felt her heart sink as the three of them approached the school gates, where the Fukuda siblings were waiting. Even from this distance, she could see gray skies over Kyoukai's public park. Even a human like herself could feel the wrongness in the air from here, and it was worse for Jun and Kichu.

Yasu did not let go of Hiroko's hand as the five hurried in the direction of the park. Her expression was noticeably tense, and her grip on her partner's hand kept tightening.

"Yasu? Are you alright?" Hiroko asked.

"I hope we get it right this time." Yasu didn't elaborate. She didn't have to. Hiroko knew exactly what she meant. All of them did.

Hiroko gave her girlfriend's hand a quick squeeze. "We'll definitely save them. We have to try!"

Haruki, meanwhile, kept his eyes fixed ahead on the storm brewing over the park as the group drew closer and closer. He was worried about Kimi, of course. Everyone was. Even if she was a pretty tough lady, she was still very frail. And if this really was Shiori's doing, that was more reason to hurry.

But Haruki was every bit as worried about Shiori and Keiko. Even if those two had caused a great deal of pain, even if Shiori had come very close to doing away with them, nothing they had done merited being robbed of a future. Even if they couldn't be friends, they still deserved love and support.

Jun's eyes briefly met his, as a look of understanding passed between the two. They'd put everything into getting this right, no matter what. That was what heroes did, after all.

The situation in Kyoukai's public park was as bad as Pretty Cure imagined it would be. The surroundings were completely devoid of signs of life and littered with unmoving gray bodies. The air was stale, and the sense of wrongness here was almost suffocating. The Shade Kingdom had clearly come calling, but…

…was Shahei really behind this? The victims weren't bound by vines this time, and there was no trace of petals on the wind, nor even the slightest whiff of roses in the air. On the other…

Jun looked around worriedly as the group worked their way farther in. "I don't sense a Nikuina anywhere."

Izumi was no less worried. "I haven't seen Sieg-kun either." She bit her lip. "You guys don't think that-"

Haruki was distracted by something else. "Guys? Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

He hurried off ahead of the group, coming to a stop right on the edges of the park's central courtyard. He was staring in bafflement at the thing responsible… and so was the rest of the team once they caught up.

It was a grotesquely bloated Wrath Seed, easily the size of a small child. The thing had taken root in the middle of the courtyard. It glowed with a sickly red-black light as it pulsed and twitched like a beating heart. As it continued to pulse, the air around it grew staler still, and a network of thorny black tendrils spread further and further out from it. They almost covered the entire courtyard at this point.

"That's just a seed, isn't it?" Haruki said. "How is it already affecting everyone?"

"I'm not sure." Hiroko said. "But we can't just leave it to-"

"Actually, you should leave it. You'll get hurt if you don't." a familiar voice said. "Or so he told me."

Pretty Cure turned in unison to find Kimiko Yoshimoto, who was bound to a tree near the courtyard by a long, dark gray strip of cloth. Whoever had bound her hadn't done a good job. Even a frail woman like Kimi could have wriggled free without trying. And yet, she made absolutely no attempt to free herself.

Kichu hadn't noticed, though. The mouse spirit squeaked in worry before leaping off Jun's shoulder and scurrying to undo Kimi's bonds. She just smiled and shook her head as he started pulling at the knot.

"That won't be necessary." she told Kichu, who stared up at her confusedly. "I'm not really done here."

"The hell do you mean by that?!" Izumi demanded. "What about Sieg-kun? She was supposed to get here before us! What happened to being worried about her, Kimi?!"

"I want to trust the young man for now." Kimi continued to sound far too casual for a woman in a hostage situation. "He swore he came alone, and I'd be very disappointed if he was lying. I do hope he wasn't."

There was a flash of dark gray light and a flurry of black feathers, and suddenly, Tobi appeared before the group. He looked exhausted, frazzled, and utterly disheveled, from his badly-ruffled wings to his robe, which was now sans its sash, leaving it to hang open awkwardly over his undershirt.

"For the fiftieth time, I don't want a thing to do with that twit! My business is solely with them!"

On 'them' Tobi angled his sword at Pretty Cure. He was trying to look like an intimidating villain and not a teenage boy who was terribly out of his depth. It wasn't working.

"Tobi?" Hiroko felt more lost by the moment. So it hadn't been Shahei at all? "Where's Kae and Kooyoo?"

"Who the hell cares?!" Tobi was shaking like a leaf, and nobody had missed the way his voice cracked. "I have this!" He indicated the strange Wrath Seed. "That should be enough to take you out!"

Kimi sighed heavily. "Oh, Kuromori-san. You're really not interested in talking it out, are you?"

Tobi kept his focus on Pretty Cure. "Why would I be?" He narrowed his eyes. "Tch. None of you have any idea what you're dealing with."

"I thought I did." Kimi continued to be unmoved. "You really seemed like a reasonable young man, outside of that silly rivalry with Shun. But I guess even I can be wrong about things once in a while."

Tobi just rolled his eyes before dropping into a combat stance. "Pretty Cure! This ends today! I've been soft on you five for way too - Yoshimoto-san what are you doing?!"

Kimi had casually freed herself from her bonds, with a little 'help' from an accomplished-looking Kichu. Tobi was left to gape at the pair as his sash fell to the ground and Kichu scurried back to Jun.

"Hm? Do you actually need your glasses, Kuromori-san?" The utterly exhausted look Tobi sent Kimi's way emboldened her more. "If you're not going to listen, I'm not going to be your hostage anymore." She shook her head. "You do want a boyfriend, right? Today's men prefer partners who communicate their-"

"I told you already, I'm not here for dating advice!" Tobi had forgotten about Pretty Cure, who were left to watch half-awkwardly and half-cautiously as he got in Kimi's face. "If you have any sense at all-!"

Kimi didn't bat an eye, even as Tobi made another sad-looking attempt to threaten her with his sword. She just casually held his sash out to him. He sheathed his sword, snatched it out of her hand, made a half-hearted show of putting it back on, and rose a hand glowing with red-black energy into the air-

-before letting out a hiss of alarm as several bolts of sparkling violet light shot towards his feet, shattering his focus and forcing him to leap several yards of the way. He didn't quite stick the landing. That was fine. Kooyoo was there to steady him.

"I can't believe you, Tobi!" A furious Kae was hurrying towards him, and Shun was following right at her heels. "Ugh, if we'd gotten here any later-!"

Izumi had never looked so relieved. "Sieg-kun!"

Shun smiled apologetically at Izumi. "Sorry I'm late." she said. "I ran into these two on the way here, and-"

And now it was Shun's turn to have Tobi in her face. "You! You led them to me, didn't you?!"

Shun gently pushed Tobi away from her. "They led me here." Kae was standing at Shun's side. Neither of them looked amused by Tobi's accusation. "The foreboding gray sky was a bit of a giveaway too." Her tone grew more somber. "They told me everything, Tobi. And we're not letting you go through with this."

"Do you think I did all that work last night for fun?!" Kae snapped. "That thing needs the right vessel! I only told you that five hundred times last night!" She stomped her foot. "What were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking of you!" Tobi snapped right back, as Kooyoo joined Kae and Shun. "Who promised to look out for you guys? Who's the adult here? And who… who let you three get in this mess?!" His voice was cracking badly, and his eyes were welling with tears. "Mom… the rest of my siblings… I already made sure they'd be safe. I'm gonna make sure you guys are safe too. Even if that means I don't get a future."

For a moment, all was silent. For a moment, Tobi found himself teetering between tearing his siblings a new one for following him or just going for it already. And then Kooyoo laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, uh, Tob?" he said quietly. "I think you're confused. I'm the stupid one, remember?"

Tobi gaped. "Wh-what? That isn't-!" He glanced over at his sister. "Kae! You understand, don't you?!

Kae didn't look at all impressed with him. "Stupid."

Shun looked even less impressed. "Stupid."

"Very stupid." Kimi agreed.

Tobi's feathers puffed out in agitation. "I didn't ask you two!"

"Triple deluxe stupid." Izumi added.

Kichu sighed and nodded. "Chuchu."

And now Tobi just looked like he was ready to implode. "I asked you two even less! " He buried his face in his hands. "Kae, Kooyoo… you just had to make this difficult, didn't you?"

"Like we wouldn't follow you!" Kae huffed. "You're always all 'mrrgrrgrr' when we do stuff on our own, and now you're acting like it's the Magnificent Uno. What gives?!"

"Yeah!" Kooyoo said. "What happened to 'you've gotta pull your weight', huh? Let us pull our weight, Tobi! I can pull a ton now! Why do you think I work out?"

Tobi was utterly lost for words for a second. And then he broke down into tearful, defeated laughter. "You two… every time I put my foot down... you knew I'd choke this time too." He wiped his eyes on his sleeve as he continued to cry-laugh. "I'm a damn sap."

The sound of something rustling and pulsing cut through the air, disrupting the Trio's heartfelt moment. The three froze at the sight of the strange Wrath Seed, which was growing even now, before exchanging tense glances. Hinyu's threat was still hanging over their heads. The three of them understood that painfully well.

Shun had clearly picked up on that tension. "You guys… nobody has to sacrifice themselves. I know what you told me about that thing, Kae. I know exactly what that asshole wants. But if we work together, we can take care of it, right?"

"We're all friends here, aren't we?" Hiroko added. "There's no need for us to fight."

Kae seemed to be genuinely considering the offer for a moment. And then she summoned her staff and slammed it on the ground. The Trio vanished in a sparkling burst of violet light, before appearing on the other end of the courtyard, across from Pretty Cure. Kae burst into another shrill noblewoman's laugh.

"Ohohoho! You're as foolish as ever, Pretty Cure! Like we'd back down from a challenge!"

Haruki looked more lost than anyone combined. "What are you saying, Kae? Didn't you-?" His eyes widened in realization. "It's Shahei, isn't it? Just like before, back at the beach! I know she's scared, but-"

Kae's expression darkened. "Shahei isn't here anymore." And before anyone could ask her to elaborate, she swung back into Dramatic Villainess Mode. "Listen, Pretty Cure!" She angled her staff at the group. "This has nothing to do with that man or my sister! This is about our rivalry! A rivalry that ends today!"

Hiroko and her teammates readied their Puricells. "If that's really what you want, then fine." Something didn't feel right here, she mused as Shun and Kimi scrambled to a safe place. Especially with that mention of sacrifices. But the opportunity to avoid a fight had clearly passed. "Let's settle this!"

"Pretty Cure! Spirit Unleash!"

"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 swirled about Pretty Cure as they struck a group pose. "We are Pretty Cure!"

Kae grinned. "Our turn! The brilliant magic maiden! Kae A. Dama!"

"The mighty unbreakable strongman! R. Kooyoo!"

"The elegant high-speed swordsman! P. Tobi!"

"Three hearts as one, treading the path of chaos!" Three sparkling columns of spirit power - dark red, violet, and dark gray - surged up behind the Trio as they struck their own group pose. This time, the three were in perfect sync. "We are the Magnificent Trio!"

Kae threw something in the direction of the strange Wrath Seed - a cobbled-together mecha model, covered in a variety of magic sigils. "Appear! Nikuina! Cast the world into despair!"

A column of red-black energy violently exploded upward from the Wrath Seed, engulfing the figurine and causing a shockwave of energy to ripple outward, forcing Pretty Cure to brace themselves. When the energy dissipated, a titanic Nikuina was looming over the group.

It was a humanoid mecha - a super robot made of black and red iron, with magic sigils carved all over its body, Its body was kitted out with a glorious-looking armory, from a shiny, V-shaped red chestplate to shoulder-mounted missile launches, to fists shaped like spiked wrecking balls, and it was far taller and broader than any other Nikuina summoned by the Trio, who were balance atop its shoulders and head.

It was also giving off a downright foreboding aura, one that made Cure Seiryuu's stomach twist. This thing was dangerous. She could feel it in her bones. She wanted nothing more than to beg the Trio to get away from the thing. But she doubted any of them would listen. Just what had happened?

"Behold! Great Demon King!" Even Kae sounded a little shakier now, despite her attempt to keep up the villainess act. She clearly sensed the threat this thing posed too. "Look upon its majesty and despair!"

The Nikuina let out an earth-shaking roar before attacking Pretty Cure. It was incredibly fast for something so large and bulky. The ground crumbled beneath its feet as it tore towards its opponents with the force and speed of a bullet brain. Its massive, hammer-like fists left afterimages in the air as it threw rapid-fire punches at the five Cures. And it easily evaded many of its opponents' return blows.

Cure Byakko threw herself into mitigating the Nikuina's attacks by throwing up shield after shield. But her shields easily broke under the force of its blows, and she wasn't fast enough to mitigate all the damage. Her four teammates and Byakko herself found themselves getting smacked around by the Nikuina.

And it hit hard. It was difficult for any of the Cures to easily rebound from the crushing blows the Nikuina sent their way. Cure Ouryuu helped where she could, but the Golden Harp's healing powers needed time and breathing room to work properly, and the Nikuina was not giving anyone either.

The Nikuina didn't even seem to notice the blows Pretty Cure did manage to get in. Every blow, every hit from their Spirit Arms, every blast of spirit power… it easily shrugged them off. And every time it did, the sigils on its body glowed more brightly, and it seemed to grow stronger and more durable still.

Genbu gritted her teeth as she narrowly avoided another blow from the Nikuina. "Damn… those three are actually serious about beating us."

Seiryuu just pulled Genbu out of the way of another attack. "I wouldn't be so sure." she said. "Not after what we learned." And not after what had happened with Shahei. "I don't think they chose this."

"Come on, Pretty Cure! Take us down already!" Kae sniped as Pretty Cure and the Nikuina continued to trade blows. "Why are you holding back, huh? It's not like we're friends or anything! I'll prove it!"

The Nikuina's chest plate began to glow. Seiryuu's eyes widened in alarm as she realized its chest plate wasn't just getting steadily brighter - it was rapidly building up heat.

"Look out!"

Pretty Cure went scattering, right as a massive, red-hot, V-shaped laser shot forth from the Nikuina's chest. Everything in front of the Nikuina was burnt to a crisp or reduced to a smoldering pile of white ash. The air around it was shimmering from the sheer level of heat its attack had generated.

"See?" Kae was trying a bit too hard to seem unbothered as Pretty Cure caught their breath. "A friend wouldn't do that , would they? So come on and finish this already!"

Before Pretty Cure could properly recover, the Nikuina had gone back on the offensive. It spun its fists around it like a tornado, keeping its opponents from getting too close. It fired barrage after barrage of homing missiles from its shoulders, forcing Seiryuu and Suzaku to focus on sniping them out of the air. It easily resisted Ouryuu and Genbu's attempts to restrain it and shattered Byakko's shields.

As the Nikuina fought, the sigils on its body grew brighter still. And the brighter the sigils grew, the more uneasy the Trio looked. It seemed to be hitting Kae the hardest. The girl looked downright queasy.

"Kae… we can just try to lose, right?" Kooyoo asked. "I think we're gonna lose control again soon."

The sigils were beginning to pulse steadily now, just like the strange Wrath Seed they had come from. And then they began to slowly leak red-black energy. Something was very wrong here.

"Kae! Forget the 'last hurrah' garbage, alright?" Tobi snapped. "This isn't gonna work!"

The Nikuina was glowing red-black all over now. Its body was beginning to radiate an uncomfortable amount of heat as the sigils on its body leaked uncontrollably, and its entire form began to pulse.

"It's too late now." Kae sounded very unlike herself. "So this is what Hinyu wanted."

She'd been such an idiot. Of course it'd be worse than a Nikuina she couldn't control. Of course she couldn't goad Pretty Cure into disposing of this one. All the sigils in the world wouldn't have helped.

"Kae… everyone, what's wrong?" Suzaku asked. "Please, tell us what's going on!"

None of the Trio had a chance to respond before the Nikuina's body began to blaze red-black and the sigils covering its form evaporated completely. And then black vines suddenly erupted from its shoulders and head, lashing around the three and binding them in place.

Or that's what would have happened, had Kae not teleported Kooyoo and Tobi off the Nikuina. They appeared near Pretty Cure in a burst of violet sparkles, as she was wrapped up in its vines.

"Everyone! Please get out of here" Kae cried. "If you don't… if you don't, you'll…"

Kae broke down sobbing before she could finish that sentence. She didn't have to finish it. More and more energy was building up in the Nikuina's body by the moment. Eventually, that energy hit a peak, and when it did, it was going to escape. Violently. This wasn't a Nikuina. This was a massive time bomb.

No wonder Hinyu had made something like this for them, Kae mused bitterly. Something like this could easily take out them and Pretty Cure. And he'd known how desperate the three of them would get. Of course he had.

This was it. This was the end result of all her stupid, self-centered, childish actions. And since all of it was her fault, she was the only one who deserved to be punished. It didn't matter how she felt about it.

But Pretty Cure didn't seem keen on letting that happen. Neither did her brothers. They all stayed. They all threw themselves into trying to get at Kae and free her from her creation's clutches. The malevolent energy building up around the Nikuina made it difficult for them to get too close. But they still tried.

"Are you guys listening?!" Kae snapped. "Leave already! You'll die if you stay here!"

"And you'll die if we leave!" Tobi snapped right back. The mere act of remaining near the Nikuina was causing him and everyone else visible pain. It was a wonder he could stay aloft as he tried to push back against the Nikuina's growing aura. "What happened to not throwing your life away, Kae?!"

Kae looked away from Tobi. "It's different with me." She began to glow faintly with violet spirit power. "It's okay. I'll keep it from hurting anyone else when it blows up. I can at least do that, right?"

"Stop it, Kae!" Suzaku said. "You don't know what you're saying!"

"YES I DO!" Kae hung her head. "I chose to work for Hinyu! I got my brothers and Shahei caught up in this! And…" Her tears were evaporating in the Nikuina's heat. "Shahei was hurting so much, and I didn't even notice! I should've known better than anyone! And instead… instead, I…"

It all stung so much in hindsight. Her obliviousness to Shahei's meetings with Hinyu. Her pushing for their separation. Her failure to recognize that the body they shared was being hurt again. She was such a fool.

"I promised I wouldn't let her get hurt again! I promised! And I let it happen. I let Hinyu take her from me!"

"So, you're just going to leave Shahei all alone? Do you think that won't hurt her?"

Shun was standing at the feet of the Nikuina. Kimi was by her side. Neither sister could join the fray properly, but Shun already had her Kirin crystal ready, and Kimi's hands were glowing softly with blue spirit power. They were clearly willing to try if it came to that.

"Kae, knock this off!" Kimi said. "You don't want this for Shahei or your brothers! We don't want this!"

"And why do you care?" Kae didn't even look at Shun or Kimi. "It's not like you're my sisters!" She sniffled miserably. "After everything I've done…"

"...you're just gonna run away?" Genbu said through gritted teeth. She was quickly wearing down. Everyone was. "That's not the hard-headed Ninomiya I know!"

That was enough to make Kae look up. She didn't have a response to that one.

"Keinyan… even if you messed up, you still have yourself." Ouryuu said. "And as long as you have yourself, you can try and do better!"

The gears in Seiryuu's head were rapidly turning even now. She glanced from Shun to Byakko and then to Kae. It was a long shot, but she had to try. Anything was better than letting Kae die.

"Kae… you don't have to do this!" Seiryuu said. "We should be able to contain the blast on our own! You don't have to give up your future! And we don't want you too! We want to spend the future with you, Kae!" She was tearing up a bit herself. "We'll get you out of this, okay? We have to try!"

Kae met Seiryuu's eyes. She and her fellow Cures, her brothers, the Yoshimoto-Siegel sisters… they all believed in her, didn't they? They would rather risk themselves for a girl like her than just leave her to her fate. And even if part of Kae still didn't feel like she deserved it…

…it wasn't like she could turn back time. It wasn't like she could erase everything she'd done. All she could do was move forward. And that selfish part of her wanted to move forward with everyone else. She wanted to do better. She wanted to see Shahei again. She wanted to see tomorrow.

"Promise?"

It was okay, wasn't it? She could still afford to be a little selfish, right?

"Of course."

Cure Seiryuu's words were enough for Kae. She was going to believe in Pretty Cure with all her heart, she told herself as she channeled her spirit power. She was going to live, she told herself as her body began to glow brighter and brighter with a sparkling violet aura. She was going to keep living, no matter what!

Every bit of Kae's spirit power flared up around her. She had become a brilliant violet candle, breaking through a morass of smoldering, black-red miasma. And although her spirit power was weak compared to the power the Nikuina emanated even now, it was enough to give the others a small opening.

And an opening was all that Pretty Cure needed.

In a matter of seconds, Kae's bindings had been shredded to ribbons by Seiryuu's wind and Suzaku's fire, before Ouryuu's vines pulled her away from the Nikuina. Kae felt spots dancing in the corners of her vision as the gold Cure carried her far from the Nikuina and to the base of a tree on the sidelines. She felt a comforting warmth flowing into her body as Ouryuu pressed a glowing hand to her chest.

"It's okay, Keinyan." How strange, to have someone from the Hallowed Wellspring comfort her like this. Like they'd always been friends. "We'll make sure you're all safe. I promise."

Kae was too spent, physically and emotionally, to string together a response. But she did at least manage a smile before the spots completely overwhelmed her vision, and she slipped into unconsciousness.

The Nikuina did not move on its own. It remained in one place, shuddering and jerking as the energy in its body continued to build up. They had to do something to neutralize the incoming explosion before it was too late. Hopefully, Seiryuu's plan, which she had quickly laid out to the rest of the group, would work.

First, they had to contain the blast. That was where Byakko and Shun came in. Neither girl had used their shields in such a manner, especially one so large. But they had to try, no matter what. The pair joined hands, their spirit power flaring up around them as they focused their powers on the Nikuina.

It actually worked. Slowly but surely, a shimmering teal bubble formed around the Nikuina, followed by an extra layer of metallic shields. But could they keep this up? Byakko could already feel her concentration fraying, and Shun looked like she was a few steps from keeling over.

And then two other people stepped in - Kimi joined Byakko's side, while Tobi took his place by Shun. Kimi glowed with blue spirit power as she supported Byakko, and Tobi glowed dark gray as he supported Shun. And suddenly, maintaining the barriers around the Nikuina became much easier for both girls.

With the Nikuina secured, now came the second step - getting it away from everyone. Seiryuu, Genbu, and Suzaku blazed blue, dark violet, and red as they zipped towards the Nikuina. They were joined by Kooyoo, who blazed dark red as he fell in with the three Cures. He definitely understood this assignment.

The four's attacks connected in a flurry of blue, violet, and red petals and an explosion of dark red sparks as they punted the sphere encasing the Nikuina upward at full force. The sheer force of their combined strength sent the sphere rocketing higher and higher into the air, until it had almost vanished from view.

And that was where the Nikuina finally exploded.

The sphere of spirit power shined with the light of a thousand red-black suns as all the pent-up energy that had been building within the Nikuina finally made its escape. It was too brilliant to look at directly, and even from this distance, the group could feel the heat it was giving off.

And then the sphere itself broke apart, dissolving into a sky-spanning shower of teal, white, and dark red sparks, which lingered in the sky for several moments before vanishing completely. They looked almost like victory fireworks.

Pretty Cure's transformations faded as the sky above them returned to its natural color, and the damage to the area began to reverse itself. Shun and Kimi crumpled to their knees as the strain of using a high level of spirit power finally caught up to both sisters. Tobi and Kooyoo had to take a moment to catch their breath as well - but only for a moment before both boys scrambled over to where Jun and Kae were.

They weren't quite out of the woods yet. Both Kooyoo and Tobi were painfully aware of that. But for now, they'd just enjoy the sweet feeling of victory and the promise of tomorrow.

It took some time for Keiko to regain consciousness. Even now, as she and her brothers took a stroll around the park, she was paler than usual and occasionally stumbled a bit, forcing Masaru or Shouta to steady her. She waved it off every time. They knew better. The three of them had endured a lot, physically and emotionally, but Keiko had gotten the brunt of it. It would be a while before she recovered.

Even Keiko knew she needed more rest. But she wanted to stay awake, just a bit longer. She knew exactly what her brothers were planning, even if they hadn't said anything. She wasn't that stupid.

"You're going to leave me behind, aren't you?"

Masaru and Shouta said nothing after Keiko stopped in her tracks and threw that accusation at them. They didn't have to. Keiko was dead-on. Their expressions gave that away.

"Obviously, I get it." she continued. "It's not like we can just go back home. And it's not like I don't have a place to stay in Kyuikai. But… ugh, do you think I'll accept this?! Can't you try and stay here?"

Masaru frowned. "I can't pull any weight if I go all ghosty, Keiko. You know that."

"It's not like we have nowhere to go either." Shouta added. "Bit peeved about having to go underground, but if Dad had connections, I may as well use them. Mom and the rest are already there, sounds like."

"So take me along too!" Keiko balled her fists. "I have to make up for what I did!"

Shouta shook his head. "You can help Pretty Cure here, can't you?" He raised a hand before Keiko could protest. "I'm not hearing any arguments. I can't put my little sister in more needless danger."

"We want you to be safe, Keiko." Masaru was trying to sound as stern as Shouta. It wasn't working. Keiko could hear his heart breaking. "And if you can be safe on Earth, you should be safe on Earth."

Keiko sniffled a bit as she nodded. It wasn't like she didn't get her brothers' reasoning. It wasn't like she didn't understand how royally stupid waltzing back into the Shade Kingdom would be. She got it. But…

…it didn't stop her from throwing herself towards Shouta and clinging to him for dear life. It didn't stop her from sobbing inconsolably as Masaru joined in the hug. It didn't make her less reluctant to let them go.

Pretty Cure and the Yoshimoto-Siegel sisters were waiting nearby, once Keiko finally brought herself to part from the hug. The reassuring hand Shun laid on Keiko's shoulder did help, if only a bit.

Shouta fixed Shun with a glare. "Siegel-san."

Shun answered him with a smile "Don't worry, Kuromori-san, Aki-san." She shook her head. "Shouta, Masaru. We'll take good care of Keiko. I promise."

"Good. Because if you don't, I will personally come over in the middle of the night and turn your entire gods-damned house upside down while you sleep. Have fun cleaning that up, Shun." Shouta huffed.

Masaru didn't look amused. "Shouta… I think it's time to stop being mad at her."

Shouta crossed his arms defensively. "Like it's that easy! We're heated rivals, Masaru!"

"If you say so, Shouta." Shun sighed.

Shouta would have tried to throw down with Shun right there, had his siblings' reproachful glares not forced him to back down. Right, right. Now was not the time to fight Keiko's… cousin? Was he right? Even now, the two sort of resembled each other. Probably best not to think about it too hard.

Keiko wiped her eyes. "I'm not gonna say goodbye, you two. We'll see each other again soon. We all will."

A look of solemn understanding passed between the Trio. They were all painfully aware of the yawning, Shahei-shaped void that seemed to linger between them even now. They couldn't just leave it be.

Jun stepped forward. "Masanyan… Shounyan… it won't stay like this. We'll all be able to live under the same sky someday. I'll make sure of it!"

That got a genuine smile out of Shouta. "I'll look forward to that, Jun."

Masaru moved to teleport the pair away, before Shouta stopped him, shook his head, and did the honors. The two vanished in a burst of dark gray light and a flurry of black feathers. Keiko stared after the empty space the pair had occupied for a moment… and then her knees buckled out from under her.

Shun scooped the unconscious Keiko up in her arms before she could hit the ground. A look of understanding flitted between her and Kimiko, who was already calling up Hayate. There was no need to say anything further. Not right now.

Keiko already had a room set aside for her in the Yoshimoto estate, courtesy of Hayate. She did not stir as Shun got her tucked into bed. But she didn't exactly look at ease, even as she slept. Would anyone, after going through all that? Even the little she had let Shun in on had been far too much for a girl her age.

"Shun-chan, you really should get some rest." Hayate told her. "You don't look so well yourself."

"I will." Hayate was right. Kimi was already out cold, and Shun could feel her head beginning to spin again. This was going to keep being an issue until her crystal was fixed, wasn't it? "Just give me a sec."

She didn't know what it was like to work for someone like Hinyu or to grow up without anyone or to spend your life sharing your mind and body with someone just like you, only to have that suddenly ripped away, but she did know what it was like to be a thirteen-year-old girl displaced from somewhere familiar. She had wanted to leave Germany for Japan, and she'd still found herself in tears her first night here.

It took a little bit before she found a plush from her collection that seemed to suit Keiko - a plump little magenta-colored pheasant. It'd helped back then, to hold onto something. It seemed to help Keiko too. She at least seemed a bit more at ease as she cuddled the plush close. She could keep it.

When Shun finally came to, Keiko and Kimi were still out cold, and while she wasn't one hundred percent herself, she didn't feel right just lying here. Well, she'd bought those new model kits for a reason.

Shun had been at her desk for a while, plugging away at a scale model Ferrari in between back and forth texts with Izumi when she became aware of someone staring at her - Keiko, who was holding her new plush close to her chest as she lingered in the doorway, looking as if she might burn up if she entered.

"You can come in." Shun said. "I don't mind."

Keiko entered the room tentatively before proceeding to look around. Something about her seemed different, Shun noted. It went beyond the way she was carrying herself. Maybe it was her eyes. Shun wouldn't say anything, but she swore they looked a bit more gray than gold now.

"You like models too?" Keiko was regarding Shun's current project with interest.

Shun nodded. "I'm a little obsessed, if you can't tell. Glad to hear we've got that in common."

"Well, I'm very obsessed." Keiko said, as if this was a contest now. "I prefer robots myself, but I suppose your cars are cool." Her eyes lit up. "That's right! You're into the… the thing, aren't you? The race! The big race Masaru kept talking about, when we spied on you guys?"

"You mean Formula One?" Shun had abandoned the model and was sitting backwards on her chair and regarding Keiko. "Making it there's been a dream of mine for years." She laughed. "Masaru got a whole earful, and I had more ready to go. Once I start talking about motor sports, I really can't stop."

Keiko had perched herself on Shun's bed. "You too, huh? You're not bad at all, Shun~" She hummed thoughtfully. "Oh! Have you heard of High-Speed Thunderforce Squad? That one's racing-themed!"

"I don't think I have." Shun had never been particularly interested in those kinds of things. Didn't matter. "I'd love to hear about it, if you have a second."

That was all the permission Keiko needed. Shun listened attentively as the younger girl began excitedly infodumping about what was surely one entry on a very long list of mecha series that Shun had never once heard of. She didn't entirely get what Keiko was talking about, any more than Izumi always understood Shun's excited rambling about the world of motor vehicles. That had never been an issue.

"I don't have to get it." Izumi had told her once. "I just love seeing you happy, Sieg-kun."

And the sentiment held here as well. If this made Keiko happy, then that was what mattered. And after everything that was behind her and given everything that lay ahead of her, Keiko deserved a bit of happiness. Shun was certain of that much.

Shahei was well and truly alone.

She had been aware of this for some time, ever since she had first come to after the ritual and found herself alone in her own head for the first time in thirteen years. But it hadn't truly sunk in until the faceless woman, Tamakushi, escorted her back to her chambers. They were so much larger and fancier than the tiny room she had shared with her sister. She wanted that room back. She wanted Kae back.

"We are comrades at best. Do not expect me to look after you." Tamakushi had coolly informed her. "Regardless. If that man gives you any further trouble, it will be addressed."

And then she was gone, and Shahei was left alone in her too-large gilded cage. She remained where she was, hands folded in front of her as she sat on the edge of her too-large bed. She wasn't sure how long she remained like that. It could have been hours. It could have been minutes. She didn't know. This chamber didn't have windows. Nothing was barring her from leaving it, but...

...she didn't dare. She couldn't bring herself to. Not when Hinyu was somewherebbeyond these doors.

If Kae was here, she would have been royally annoyed with Shahei right now. Not every lower-class girl got to freely poke around the Shade Palace! Why shouldn't they at least go exploring? But Kae was gone now. It didn't matter if she had lived or not, did it? Either way, her sister was lost to her. And it would remain that way, for Kae's own good.

At some point, Shahei ended up lying down and curling up on her side. This bed was way too large and far too plush. She would have done anything for her old one.

The light in her eyes dimmed just a bit more as she stared at the doors to her chamber. Eventually, someone would step through them. If she was fortunate, it would be one of the palace servants. If she was less fortunate, it would be Hinyu, here to give his new puppet her marching orders.

"I understand, of course." She couldn't stand how voice echoed in this chamber, even at this volume. "I understand."

What else was left for her now?