Chapter 5: Interrogation

Rikka felt tired when she reached her house early in the evening. She and the girls had had a hard time with the mouse Jikochu (which corresponded with her theory that a stronger selfish desire would make a more feral monster.) She was almost upset with Cure Ace that she hadn't intervened, but the girl had warned them that she wouldn't always be around to help them. Thankfully, Rikka and her friends always had each other's backs; otherwise, she and Raquel wouldn't get out of these dangerous situations.

But she didn't think about that anymore as she saw a light coming from the windows of the living room. She had been the happiest coming home these days, as she could see both of her parents every evening. She unlocked the front door and entered the hallway, where she put on her froggy slippers and called out, 'I'm home!'

'Rikka!' she heard her father's muffled cry, but it sounded like a cry for help.

'Papa?' Rikka yelped and rushed into the corridor from the side. In the right passageway, she saw the man curled up on the ground next to the cupboard where the telephone was.

'Papa, what's wrong?!' Rikka cried and dropped to her knees next to him in panic.

The man had his arms around his stomach, and his face was scrunched with pain. 'I have stomach cramps,' he breathed out, wincing. 'I can't stand up.'

'Have you called the ambulance?' Rikka asked promptly, seeing the receiver on the ground.

After her father confirmed it, she needed to know more to help him. 'Where does it hurt?'

The man placed one hand below his chest and the other on his right side. Rikka's eyes widened with apprehension; there could be something wrong with his liver or kidney.

'My stomach started to hurt a few hours ago. I thought it wasn't serious but then the cramps started,' the man said weakly.

Rikka was stumped; she didn't know what to do in this case, but she had to be of some assistance.

'Don't worry, papa. I'll help you.' She wanted to lift him up and help him walk over to the living room, but he shook his head.

'No no, we'll wait for them.

'Then I'll bring you some painkillers,' Rikka offered, turning on her heel, and headed toward the cupboard where they kept pharmaceuticals. In a minute, she was back with a glass of water and a pill. She helped her father sit up and knelt down next to him, watching him take the medication. Of course, it wouldn't take effect immediately.

'Thank you.' The man with purple curls gave her a small smile. 'Now I see why you want to be a doctor.' This didn't help ease Rikka's worry, though. She felt helpless; they had to wait for real doctors to arrive.

'You never did tell us what convinced you,' her father said with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

Rikka blinked in surprise. Oh yeah, she had told her parents that what had happened that day was a secret. She couldn't tell her father everything now. But at that moment, she felt like talking to him might make him feel a little better.

'Well... Recently, I treated one person myself,' she said after a bit of hesitation.

This made the man even more curious. 'Really? Who?'

Rikka tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled softly. 'One boy who I found injured on the beach. I brought him here and treated his wounds, and-'

Suddenly, they heard the blaring of the ambulance car growing louder.

'Oh, the ambulance!' Rikka jumped to her feet and hurried outside to open the gate for them and explain the situation.

The following procedures were nothing Rikka wasn't familiar with. However, this was the first time she was the one answering the paramedic's questions. After examining her father, the man in blue confirmed that the problem was serious and had the staff carry Mr. Hishikawa outside on a stretcher. While they were placing him in the car and talking to both family members, the house was left empty.

But not for long.

With a swish, a short figure appeared in the middle of the living room in a fighting stance. The boy glanced around to make sure he was alone and let his fists drop. He had seen Rikka- Cure Diamond outside, and while he didn't know what was going on, he expected her to come inside. When he took a better look at the place, memories came flooding in — pleasant memories. There was the sofa where he had sat before, and the table at the back where he had eaten. Why had the meal that Rikka had made him tasted so good?

Stay focused! he reproved himself, shaking his head. He decided to take the stairs to the second floor, where he lay down next to the wooden railing. This way, he'd be able to observe the living room. He didn't want to attack the girl directly, but he had to separate her from the fairy.

...

Once Rikka was back inside and had closed the door behind her, Raquel flew out of the pocket of her knee-length pants.

'Rikka, what happened to your father~quel?' he inquired with worry, floating next to her.

'I don't know,' the girl replied, her features clouded with sadness.

She ambled back to the living room and Raquel quietly followed her. 'He's probably caught some illness on his way back to Japan,' she said as she walked out of the corridor. She sat down on the grey sofa opposite the TV, with a low table in front of it.

'Oh... I'm sorry~quel,' the fairy said as he landed next to her. He wished there was something he could do for her.

Rikka sighed, slouching over her clasped hands. At least she had Raquel to confide in. 'It's not the first time this has happened. It's also partly my motivation for wanting to be a doctor,' she said, managing a faint smile.

Raquel put his paw on her thigh to express his support. The girl kept thinking about what illness her father could have had. She'll probably find out from her mother when she comes back. Her thoughts wandered back to her recent discovery about Ira.

'I wish I could have taken Ira to a real doctor, too,' she said regretfully, surprising Raquel. 'They could have recognized the pattern and given him proper treatment.'

Meanwhile, Ira, who had wanted to know why Rikka looked so sad, was listening in on their conversation.

She... still thinks about me? He was completely stunned. He thought she didn't care anymore; it made him even more uneasy about what he was about to do.

She's gonna hate you for this, the other voice reminded him.

Ira clenched his jaw and tried to block it out. I need her to hate me.

The blue fairy looked up at his friend and objected, 'But that would have been too dangerous~quel!'

Rikka smiled sadly and shifted her gaze. 'I know.'

In that moment, Raquel pricked his ears as he heard a swish behind the couch.

'Did you hear something~quel?' Without waiting for an answer, he flew over the backrest of the sofa and looked down.

Before Rikka could react, two hands grabbed Raquel and a boy hopped on the headrest, making a long leap from there. He landed in the top left corner of the room, almost below the staircase, keeping his distance from her. Rikka gasped and quickly stood up, meeting his gaze.

'Where is the princess?' the boy demanded, holding Raquel by the neck with one hand.

'Ira?! Rikka yelped but he just shouted her down.

'Where have you hidden her!'

The girl paled with shock as she tried to process the situation. Her eyes darted from Ira's angry expression to Raquel who was struggling to break free. He was there... to make them reveal the princess' location? No... She didn't want to believe it.

'Run~quel!' the fairy cried.

'Stop!' Rikka shouted at the boy when she found words. 'What are you doing?'

'Just tell me and nobody has to get hurt!' Ira raised his voice, his eyes fixed on her movement.

Rikka's breath stopped as she gaped at him in disbelief. This was the old Ira, or rather, the real Ira. The "nice Ira" was just a mirage, and the real one only cared about himself. She knew it was a risk to have taken him to her house, and she probably should have seen this coming but... she had still thought-

'What? But we- We saved your life!' she cried, the feeling of betrayal burning in her chest. 'Did that mean nothing to you?'

The boy opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He tried to ignore these words but they still stung like salt in the wound. He expected shock, fear, anger... but that look of disappointment on Rikka's face made him waver. After a moment, he sighed in defeat. He couldn't act like he was there voluntarily; he had to tell it like it was.

'Listen, I need you to tell me!'

'Why?' Rikka urged him to explain.

'Cause I have to prove I'm not a traitor!' the boy finally snapped in frustration.

This caught the girl off guard. Ira's expression and voice both implied that he was being genuine. Was he in trouble since he had been seen with them by Gula?

'A traitor?' she said in a softer voice. 'Why do you have to prove that?'

'To save my skin, obviously!' Ira proclaimed. It was embarrassing to admit it, but she had to understand that he had no other option!

'Is the Selfish King threatening you?' Rikka took a careful step forward.

This made Ira realize that he'd just made himself look vulnerable. What was he thinking, telling this to her? He couldn't let her think that he cared about her opinion of him, nor that he could be reasoned with.

'I... Don't get off topic and tell me already!' He showed the girl his other fist to discourage her from trying anything.

Rikka's jaw clenched; for a moment, she had thought she could get through to him. Thankfully, Jonathan had kept the princess' location a secret from them. She knew she wouldn't be able to hold her tongue if worse came to the worst.

'It's pointless~quel!' Raquel finally spoke up in defiance. 'We don't know where she is~quel!'

Ira brought the small fairy closer to his face, making him gulp in apprehension. 'Oh yeah?'

'Enough!'

Ira looked at the girl with astonishment, recognizing Cure Diamond's authority in her voice. She stood with her fists clenched by her side and glared at him fiercely. But then, she let out a sigh and let her arms drop in defeat.

'Okay, I'll show you how to get to her.'

'What?!' Raquel squeaked when Rikka made a few steps in their direction with her hands raised.

Ira quickly stopped her by holding Raquel in front of him. 'No! If you step closer, you'll both get hurt!' It sounded more like a warning than a threat.

Until now, Rikka had thought there was a small chance that she could transform. But there was no going back now. All she wanted was to help Raquel escape.

She took her Cure Lovead out of her pocket and said, 'Take me with you, but let Raquel go.' Then she threw the golden token behind her, and they heard it tingle on the floor.

'No! No!' Raquel cried frantically as Rikka carefully trod forward, having Ira shocked and less on age.

Before the boy knew it, she broke into a run and made a jump at him. He instinctively caught the fist aimed at his face, but not the one aimed at his stomach. It didn't make him drop Raquel, but at least he let go of Rikka's fist. Her hands instantly reached for the fairy and pushed Ira's fingers apart. But just as she freed him, Ira caught him with his other hand. In a fit of panic, he threw him against the wall across the room, where he fell to the ground next to the corridor.

'Raquel!' Rikka cried and wanted to run to him, only for Ira to grab her arm and make her fall on her bottom.

'He's just unconcious,' he said with irritation; couldn't she see the fairy breathing?

Rikka got up and tried to run again, but this time, Ira leapt and toppled her over. He pinned her wrists to the ground and put his knees around her hips. He had lashed out because he had wanted to stop Rikka from attacking him. But now, he only had her to interrogate...

'You said you'd tell me, so do it!' he demanded, or rather pleaded. Couldn't this girl just be selfish for once? Why would she risk her life for the princess?

'Just stop!' Rikka cried, trying to move her hands with no success.

I wouldn't tell you, even if I knew, was what she thought, but even an outspoken girl like her couldn't say it. This was all too much. She struggled to move but she was scared of Ira's inhumane strength; his punches could be fatal...

It's all my fault. If I hadn't been so naive-! The thought of that made her want to cry.

Surprising himself, Ira did stop as that voice inside his head became impossible to block out anymore. The memory of Rikka shielding him from Cure Ace flashed before him. If she hadn't done that, he'd already be dead, and now he was proving to her that he wasn't worth it... Moreover, she still hadn't told him that she hated him.

'Why did you even help me?' he choked out the question that had been tormenting him ever since his memory came back.

Rikka's mouth was dry and her heart beat fast, but Ira's question surprised her. 'Because you needed it!' she answered without hesitation, letting her emotions out. 'I never wanted to be enemies!'

Ira was struck dumb by these claims. He couldn't begin to comprehend it when Rikka added in a weak voice, 'Do you really not care?'

All went quiet as Ira's lower lip dropped and his face stiffened. Rikka just now realized what she'd done; if Ira says no, it will crush all hope she had been holding onto. She searched his yellow eyes for any trace of the "nice Ira" from before. He just couldn't be completely gone...

The boy spaced out for a moment as Rikka's question resonated in his mind. Did he care about what? About her help? About- her? He stared into those deep blue eyes as if they could give him an answer. They were so pure; so pure it hurt but also drove him in. So did her strong spirit, and frankly everything about her... Just for that moment, he didn't want to be enemies either.

Rikka was confused by this shift in the air and tried to read Ira's mind. Then, as if he snapped back to reality, the boy jerked back with his cheeks flushed.

'...no, no!' he mumbled, shaking his head, and shut his eyes.

What are you thinking! He mentally slapped himself.

He opened his eyes but had to shift his gaze from Rikka. He hated that she made him feel like this (whatever this was)! Although he had always wanted to punish Cure Diamond for all the times she had got in his way, he found he didn't have the courage to. He tried to convince himself that he hated her. But he didn't see her only as his rival anymore, she was his savior, too!

Are you really gonna hurt the first person who's ever cared about you? the other voice said, only it wasn't just a voice anymore. It was like an invisible force holding him back. All Ira knew was that if he stays in this position any longer, he's gonna lose his mind!

Rikka opted to stay quiet until Ira turned to look at her. Suddenly, he let go of her right arm, curled his hand into a fist and drew it back with a loud groan. Rikka immediately shoved her hand in front of her face and shut her eyes to brace the blow-

But it never came. Instead, Ira rammed his fist into the floor next to her head, making a hole in it.

'You stupid girl!' His voice cracked, and he let go of her other hand, pulling back. His head was bowed, so his hair covered his eyes as he trebled. When he lifted his gaze, his face was scrunched with frustration, and his eyes were welling up.

'This is all your fault!' He cried out in a strained voice, and just like that, he disappeared before her eyes.

Rikka had no idea what just happened; she only heard her loud heartbeat. She stopped shielding her face and lifted her head to look around. When she didn't see Ira anywhere in the room, she let out the breath she'd been holding. Was he actually gone?

'Rikka!' she heard Raquel's call behind her. She quickly lifted herself to a sitting position and turned around to see Raquel flying towards her. She only crawled a few steps before she caught him in her arms and brought him close.

'Raquel, are you okay?' she asked with a worried expression.

The fairy squeezed the fabric of her blue blouse as if his life depended on it. 'Yeah, what about you~quel?' he uttered, almost crying.

Rikka's lips formed a soft smile. She was so glad to see that he was okay. 'I'm fine. It's alright now,' she assured him and creased his head.

Raquel was still confused and jittery as he let go of her and looked around. 'What happened? Where's Ira~quel?'

Rikka didn't really have the answers, but she tried to calm him (and herself) down. 'Don't worry, he's gone.' Her emotions were a jumbled mess of relief and sadness as she thought about Ira's actions.

'I guess... he didn't want to hurt me,' she said, looking back at the hole in the floor. She would have to come up with some kind of excuse for that.

Raquel furrowed his brow and turned to her with glossy eyes, 'I told you to run~quel!'

The girl was visibly against it. She admired his selflessness, but he was a child and she felt responsibility for him.

'I could never leave you, Raquel!'

The fairy stared at her, then he couldn't hold back tears anymore and went for another hug. 'Rikka, you're too kind~quel' he sniffed at her chest.

The girl put her hand on his back, but she still felt regretful. Was this what kindness got her?

'I'm sorry I put you in danger.'

Just then, they heard a familiar voice call out from the hallway, 'I'm home!'

It was Rikka's mother. Rikka stood up, and Raquel popped into his commune form before the girl hid him in her pocket.

'Mama?' Rikka said as she exited the living room. She switched the lights on in the corridor, and there, she met a woman with hair as dark as hers, wearing glasses and a grey cardigan.

'Rikka?' the woman said with concern when she saw the girl's expression.

Rikka was at a loss for words; she wanted her mother's arms to shield her from everything that had happened. She was used to life-threatening situations as a pretty cure, but she hadn't expected this at all. She needed somebody to comfort her, too.

'Mama,' she uttered, and without adding anything, she went and embraced the woman. Ryoko, who only got word of her husband's hospitalization, put her arms around her daughter with a knowing look.

'Oh, honey. It'll be okay,' she said as reassuringly as she could and brought the girl closer. She stayed with her like that, trying to soothe her, but she had no idea about Rikka's inner struggle.

...

In a darkened blind alley, the silhouette of a boy appeared out of thin air. Kneeling on the ground with his eyes shut, he felt the cool night air around him. Ira took in the silence; the voice inside his head had finally gone quiet, and he felt relief for just a second.

Then he opened his eyes, and reality hit him.

Wait, no, what am I doing?! He thought, holding his head in dismay. I have to go back! I have to... But he couldn't go back now. They'd be ready for him; it wouldn't get him anywhere.

Just a moment ago, he had Rikka at his mercy, and yet... he couldn't make her reveal anything! No, not Rikka; this was Cure Diamond, his enemy! So what happened?

She- She did something to me,' he tried to justify his retreat somehow. If I had hurt her, it would have hurt me! However, this explanation just led to more confusion.

How exactly could that hurt you? he asked himself.

When Ira thought about it, he realized that he didn't know how, he just knew it. That was when the truth hit him like a train. He let his enemy, a pretty cure, a theat to the Selfish King, go. And that could only mean...

'No!' he shouted into the darkness as he stood up with his fists clenched. I'm not a traitor, I'm not! He had to believe that to keep sane. But if he had failed to prove that to himself, how could anyone else believe him?

Why didn't I at least take her Cure Lovead? he realized then and slapped his forehead. Even though he had been told to leave the pretty cures to Leva and Gula, they probably wouldn't complain. But then again, even if he had taken it and went to show it to them, he couldn't just say he'd found it.

They'd ask me about her, if she's alive... and I'd be back where I started. He wanted to kick something but he just slumped into a squat and buried his face in his hands.

Maybe I could try again, he thought with naive hope. The problem was, he could still see the girl's face before him; and those eyes, so blue that he could drown in them. He was angry at her for not telling him, but also at himself because he was so weak around her. He couldn't go back because he couldn't even look at her after this!

He let out a loud groan and punched the ground with both hands. He wished things would just go back to the way they were. If he can't make himself not care, how else will he find the princess? Kneeling like that with conflicting thoughts tormenting him, his anger was turning into despair.

Then suddenly, he remembered what he had told Gula earlier.

'I could pretend to have memory loss to get closer to them. To learn where the princess is!'

Ira lifted his head and thought about his own made-up statement. Of course they wouldn't trust me, but maybe...

An idea started forming in his head — the kind of idea that could easily blow up in his face. Nevertheless, anything seemed better than attacking Rikka and Raquel right now, and maybe it could even protect him from Leva and Gula for a while. He wasn't sure if he could pull it off, but at least he had hope. Unfortunately, he didn't even know where he could get the necessary supplies. He put his hand to his chin in thought.

Marmo! he thought with a glint of hope in his eyes. Marmo could know more about this.

Then he remembered how he had assured Gula that Marmo was the real traitor... Hopefully they haven't found her yet. Hopefully for him, of course. He would go look for her first thing in the morning.