Faeland, a colorful land distant to the universe of humans!
Fairies, pixies, mermaids, elves and other creatures lived there!
Among them were legendary warriors, destined to save the land!
ONWARD! EPIC PRECURE!
CHAPTER 2
Here Comes Cure Paladin!
The Wave of Calmness!
The previous day, Senki defeated a Dungeonborg for the first time and received a new PreCoin.
Afterwards, she collapsed.
Matilda, her appointed knight and the Precure of water and calmness, along with Pixie Ichigo and Pixie Ringo, escorted the princess to Hotaru's shop, where Senki recovered.
Then, Hotaru told Senki about her success with the bunny figurines, and how Senki's advice worked perfectly.
That night, Matilda, Hotaru and the pixies discussed Senki's powers.
Meanwhile, the princess stared at the PreCoin that she recovered from the Black Dice.
"Wow. It is so pretty..."
It was an orange-colored token with a fork and knife engraved in it.
"How is it possible for Princess Senki to have such reaction to Fairy Energy -gogo?" Asked Ichigo.
"It must have been due to the early usage of Max Power." Said Matilda. "Not only did this power use her strength and erased her memories, but it seems her Fairy Energy was affected as well."
"So that's why she had troubles saying her name?" Asked Hotaru, who sat at the table after finishing her work for the day. "This Max Power you talk about, is it THAT strong to affect whoever uses it unpreparedly?"
Matilda nodded. "We will need to collect as much Fae Dust from the Faeflower as we can. Its power can help her recharge her Fairy Energy and hopefully recover her memories.
When the Faeflower chooses the next Precure leader, it forms a bond by sharing a first portion of Fae Dust with its user. Once she begins using Fae Dust to transform and summon her wings, the bond is sealed, and it can never be torn or broken."
"I see." Hotaru put a hand on her chin. "This Faeflower and Senki-san are connected, right? So, why don't you head back to Faeland right away?"
"We can, but we also need to gather the remaining six Precures." Matilda looked away. "The power of all nine Precures is essential to save Faeland. And now it seems the Outlaws are targeting Everspring Town as well.
Those Outlaws have just begun using objects from this world to summon Dungeonborgs to achieve their goal. The more Dungeonborgs they bring forth, the more Dungeon Energy they gather to unseal Tengoku and his powers."
She remembered what occurred prior to Senki's transformation.
"Also... Tengoku desires Fairy Energy. The Pirate attempted to take it from Senki.
And if Tengoku finds the Faeflower..."
"It would mean the end for Faeland?" Hotaru asked.
"Unfortunately, yes." Matilda bowed her head down with furrowed eyebrows.
"I realized something..." Senki spoke.
"Huh?" Everyone else payed attention to her.
She held the PreCoin up in her hand.
"When I defeated that Dungeonborg, its gem shattered, and inside it was this."
Ichigo flew close to Senki to inspect the token. "A new PreCoin -gogo!"
Ringo looked at the token closely as well. "What does this one do -gogo?"
GRRRRRRRRRR!
Their stomachs rumbled, and both pixies landed on the table, sitting down and sighing tiredly.
"We're hungry -gogo."
"This PreCoin has a fork and knife." Matilda looked at it closely, a hand on her chin, before turning to Senki. "Princess, why do you not try using the Treasure Pact and rolling the dice?
Instead of the Venture PreCoin, insert this one in the slot below the dice."
Senki nodded. "Okay!"
Unlocking the Pact, Senki inserted the PreCoin in the slot.
"Dice Roll! Food Up!"
The dice began to shimmer an orange light. Hotaru and Matilda blinked.
"Food Up?" They said together.
"Yes!" Holding the Pact out, Senki was ready to roll the dice. "This will give Ichigo and Ringo a succulent meal!"
Then she rolled the dice, and the light grew.
A sphere of light grew like a bubblegum and flew out of the Pact with a pop! Landing softly on the table, it faded, revealing a silver platter full of fresh fruits and vegetables!
"Wow!"
The pixies' eyes immediately glimmered.
"Thank you for the meal -gogo!"
The two tiny creatures began to eat! Munching away at the fruits and veggies, they hummed happily.
"It is so delicious -gogo!" Ringo's eyes sparkled.
"I am naming it the Food Up PreCoin -gogo!" Said Ichigo as she munched on a broccoli floret.
"Hey!" Senki slammed her hands on the table. "I named it first!"
Hotaru and Matilda stared at each other, then laughed.
"It seems that even pixies from another world enjoy the same foods that we humans eat." Smiled Hotaru.
"And!" Ichigo pointed a finger up. "In Faeland we have some of the same fruits that you humans enjoy!
For example, strawberries and apples!"
"Really? So, is this Faeland place similar to our world?" Hotaru asked with utmost curiosity.
"Not at all!" Said Ringo, who held a cauliflower floret in his hands. "While there are ordinary people in Faeland, most of the islands are inhabited by magical creatures!"
"One of those islands is the home of knights." Smiled Matilda. "Where I was raised."
"How amazing!" Replied Hotaru with a smile. "Being a knight must be so hard!"
Matilda looked down at her hands.
"It was... but I pressed straight on towards my goal."
FLASHBACK...
In Faeland was an island, home of its ordinary population. Among them was a knight army, which consisted of brave men and women, there were also trainees and knight apprentices who would lead said army in the future.
Child Matilda trained alongside her counterparts in hands-only combat. She excelled in martial arts, archery, and bo staff training.
After each training, the young child would then visit a beach nearby to stare at the oceans.
"Like the Princess, I, too, dreamed of seeing the world with my own eyes. To live an adventure of a lifetime beyond the horizon."
One sunset, the child wrote a wish on a paper and put it in a glass bottle, then gently dropped it in the water, allowing the moving waves to take the bottle deep into the sea.
"So, I reflected my dreams onto the sea, my tranquil place, and made a wish.
The sea took my message, and then, one day..."
After her 14th birthday, Matilda returned to the beach, and was surprised to find shimmering objects by the shore, so she walked to take a closer look, kneeling down before the items.
"...a Treasure Pact, Treasure Key and a PreCoin appeared before me by the seashore."
END OF FLASHBACK...
"So that is how you became Cure Paladin?" Asked Senki."
Matilda smiled. "Yes. It was my own dream of adventure beyond that island that brought forth my powers.
From that moment on, I began training harder every day. Always returning to my tranquil place to reflect after each training. And when trouble arose, the people of the island had Cure Paladin's power on their side. I have fought the Pirate and his Dungeonborgs numerous times, even before Princess Senki's ceremony."
Senki listened with utmost interest as Matilda continued.
"I was able to restore the peace of the island and wished to protect the rest. So afterwards, I joined Pixie Kingdom's Royal Army to work under the guidance of the Faelandian King and Queen." She would then stare at Senki. "That is when I met the Princess."
"Eh?!" Senki flailed her arms. "And you were a Precure for so long?! I did not know that!"
A gentle chuckle escaped the knight. "Eheh. I am sorry, Princess. Even with your memories, I never explained this to you."
But Senki smiled big. "That is okay!"
Matilda raised an eyebrow. "Eh?"
"Even if I do not remember you, I am sure that you were just as strong as you are now, Matilda-san!
No, I am not just sure of it, I know it!"
She recalled the battle at Everspring Park, admiring Matilda's super strength.
"Back at the place where we fought the Dungeonborg, you were incredibly strong! You did not hesitate, neither did you waver! You were amazing, Matilda-san!"
"Princess..." Matilda blinked.
Drip...
"Huh?"
Drip, drip, drip...
"What is that?" Senki turned her attention towards the source of the gentle noise, the window nearest to them.
"What's what?" Hotaru looked over at Senki as she approached the window.
Senki, who rested her hands on the glass window, looked around curiously.
"Huh...?"
"Ah!" Hotaru smiled. "It's nothing major, just the..."
"FALLING DROPLETS!"
Quick as a flash, Senki ran out of the room and darted downstairs.
"I must see them up close!"
"Wait, Princess Senki!" Matilda quickly stood up. "You cannot go out there like this!"
But the fairy princess didn't listen, she just ran outside.
"Princess!" She called, but then turned to Hotaru. "Hotaru-san, do you have an umbrella?"
Listening to her, Hotaru nodded. "Yes!"
...
"Wooooow! So much falling droplets! This is so epic epic!"
Senki was out enjoying the rain. But instead of watching on a spot with a roof... she was drenching herself in the rain.
Matilda and Hotaru quickly went outside, opening the umbrella for Senki to shield herself from the rain.
"Princess!" Matilda called as she approached. "You must get out of the rain!"
Senki turned to her. "But it is so nice and chilly! It is epic ep- gah..."
A sudden dizziness brought Senki to her knees. This alerted the girls. Matilda held Senki in her arms, and Hotaru retrieved another umbrella and ran towards the two.
"Senki-san!"
Senki breathed heavily, her cheeks turned red with a fever. She was ill.
"Matilda-san, what's going on?" Hotaru asked desperately, turning her gaze to the knight, then back down to the fairy princess.
"Why do I feel...?" Senki breathed and fainted in Matilda's arms.
"Princess..." The other shook her, but Senki was already unconscious. "Princess Senki!"
"Let's go back inside, quickly!" Said Hotaru, who helped carry Senki back to her house.
...
The princess was set down on the bed and covered in warm blankets. Hotaru produced a cold cloth to put on her head to reduce the fever.
"Mama and Papa always told me to be prepared for anything, so we have this here."
While Matilda prepared tea, Hotaru retrieved a first-aid kit and brought it to the bedside table, taking out a thermometer.
When the device beeped, Hotaru looked at the temperature and frowned. The Pixie Twins sat by the bed, concerned for their princess.
"As I thought." Hotaru sighed worriedly. "It seems Senki-san caught a cold."
Matilda frowned. "I tried to warn her."
"Huh?" Hotaru stared at her.
Matilda set the tea down on the bedside table and sat on a chair next to the bed where Senki was.
"Faelandian fairies like Princess Senki cannot touch water. It weakens their power of flight.
And now Princess Senki has less Fairy Energy..."
Ichigo and Ringo bowed their heads down. "Gogo..."
Hotaru turned to Matilda. "Well, let's go back to Faeland and gather enough Fae Dust!"
Matilda nodded, turning to the pixies. "Ichigo. Ringo."
The pixies nodded.
"Yes! -gogo!" Said Ichigo.
"We'll be sure to bring enough Fae Dust -gogo." Said Ringo.
The two activated the Fae Pad using the Fae Dust at their disposal, tapping on the screen twice to summon a Fae Portal.
"Be careful, you two." Matilda smiled gently.
"Do not worry! We'll be back in no time -gogo!"
The pixies entered the Fae Portal before it disappeared into sparkles.
...
There was someone else out in the rain.
It was the Pirate, who did not seem to mind each and every droplet that fell unto him.
"The Fairy Energy I sense is somewhat faint.
Hmph."
Adjusting the singular plume in his tricorn, the Pirate focused his eyes on the small shop.
"While it may be a disadvantage, it would mean one less Precure to worry about.
With Cure Venture out of the battlefield, I will be one step ahead of fulfilling my mission."
Icy eyes shining even in the midst of the dark weather, a large grin grew from one cheek to another.
"I will defeat you now, Cure Paladin.
And the Princess will be brought before Tengoku-sama!"
LATER...
The rain stopped that afternoon, and the sun revealed itself from behind the clouds.
"Nngh..."
Senki's sight cleared, and she found herself in the bed. She felt tired and feverish, turning her sight to look around.
Matilda saw her wake and walked towards her with a teacup in hand.
"Ah, Princess, you are awake."
The tired princess looked at her. "Matilda-san?"
The knight served the tea on the cup. "You are back at the house. Rest plenty, you caught a cold out in the rain earlier."
She then offered the tea for Senki to drink, carefully letting her take a few sips before withdrawing to let her breathe.
"What is a 'cold'?" Senki asked.
"A cold is an illness. Do not worry, with proper rest and medicine you will be back to your usual self."
Senki looked around. "Where is Hotaru-san?"
"She is at work right now." Matilda sat down on the chair. "Do not fret, Princess. Everything will be fine."
Opening a bottle, Matilda served a spoonful of liquid and offered it to the princess.
"Here, drink this."
Without hesitation, Senki drank the liquid on the spoon, only to cough and scoff afterwards, expressing utter disgust.
"Pwah! What IS this?! It is so GROSS!" She exclaimed.
"It's medicine for your cold, Senki-san!"
Hotaru arrived upstairs, hanging the apron on the hanger in the corner.
"Hotaru-san?" Matilda stood to greet her.
"Don't worry, I'm off work early! I've made all preparations for the shop's expansion and am currently waiting for the engineers to arrive! So, until then I'll be here to lend a helping hand!"
She turned to Senki, who was still disgusted at the medicine, and her expression softened.
"Senki-san, you need to take the medicine to feel better. It may taste a little bad, but it'll help you lots."
Senki sighed and laid down on her back.
"Awwwgh. Why did the droplets do this to me-? Ngh..."
"Princess!"
Matilda stood by her side, eyes staring at the other's resting figure in concern. Senki clutched her head a bit before calming down.
"It hurts..." She winced.
The other quickly retrieved a cold patch to place on her forehead. "Do not worry about it. Just rest."
Senki nodded and closed her eyes to sleep.
...
The Fae Portal opened by the entrance of Pixie Kingdom Castle, Faeland, and the Pixie Twins made haste to the throne room.
Pacing the large, empty halls, was the Faelandian Queen, whose sight was turned to her feet, her heels echoing and resonating in the castle's halls.
Icy green eyes were full of tears, just by the mere thought of her princess gone missing after sealing their sworn enemy...
"Princess Senki... my dear daughter...
...just where could you be now?"
The Queen continued her pace towards the throne room to sit and think. But the more she thought, the more anxious she became.
"Now it is you and my King who are missing... I only wish that the Precures find the two of you safe and sound..."
It was then when the doors opened, and the Pixie Twins stepped inside.
"Queen Faelia -gogo!" Both scurried towards her, which surprised the Queen.
"Ichigo! Ringo!" The Queen stood from her throne. "Please tell me the Princess has been located!"
"Yes! Princess Senki is safe, in a planet called Earth -gogo!" Said Ichigo.
"Royal Knight Matilda is with her -gogo." Said Ringo. "But we are afraid she is ill, Your Majesty!"
"My daughter? Ill?" The Queen gasped.
Stopping by the wall that was right behind the throne, the Queen knocked on the wall in front of her three times. After a moment or two, the wall moved forth and then slid to the left, revealing a stairway that went downwards.
"Follow me."
The pixies followed the monarch as she walked down the steps to a secret room. The door opened, and a sacred light was revealed.
"Gogo...?"
It was a small garden, abundant with flowers and vines, and resting in the middle was the unique one, the Faeflower.
"The Faeflower -gogo!" Ichigo's and Ringo's eyes widened.
Gently touching its petals, the Queen spoke.
"The Faeflower needed a safe place after Senki sealed Tengoku's power away, so I built this room to keep it nearest to me."
The Faeflower gently lit up in a warm light. It was as if it could recognize the Queen, and then, sparkles streamed down its petals as dewdrops would fall from a leaf.
With a pouch in hand, the Queen collected the sparkling magic, enough to fill the whole pouch.
"Senki will need plentiful Fae Dust in the world she is right now. There are no other flowers that can produce it, and her Fairy Energy Recharge power has yet to awaken."
Carefully tying the pouch, she gave it to the pixies before summoning her magic powers to retrieve one more item.
A bracelet with a flower identical to the Faeflower. It was similar to a bracelet watch.
"Give this to Princess Senki. With this, and the required amount of Fae Dust, she can use Fairy Recharge Power to recover her Fairy Energy faster.
On her own, she is able to recharge Fairy Energy, but since its malfunction after using Max Power, this power has been disabled.
Hopefully this can also be an aid to her illness.
Ichigo, Ringo, it is your mission to teach her this power. Surely she will know how it works. I have faith that she will remember."
"You can count on us -gogo!" Ichigo saluted the Queen with a smile.
"We will report everything through the Fae Pad -gogo!" Said Ringo.
Queen Faelia nodded with a gentle smile. "I entrust you with the wellbeing of our Princess. As the Royal Pixie Twins, it is your duty."
But then, her expression changed, and she turned sad.
"My own Fairy Energy cannot sense the power of all nine Precures just yet. I need you to make haste to find them."
"Yes -gogo!" The pixies nodded.
Using the Fae Pad and the Fae Dust they carried, Ichigo and Ringo opened another Fae Portal to Earth, carrying with them the Fae Brace and the Fae Dust in the pouch for Princess Senki.
The Queen bid her farewells before turning back to the Faeflower. Its light faded away.
"I have high hopes for Princess Senki.
One day, when her Fairy Energy stabilizes, she, too, will be able to sense the power of all nine Precures."
Closing her eyes, Queen Faelia clasped her hands in prayer.
"Princess Senki... please remember..."
SOMEWHERE IN FAELAND...
In a much darker room, a lone figure rested behind a crystallized cage.
It was the seal that Senki casted to save Faeland. And inside the cage was her enemy.
Tengoku.
"Cure Venture..."
His eye sparked red, and a toothy grin widened from cheek to cheek, sharp fangs appearing on each corner of his mouth.
"... so you have returned."
He seemed to be holding something in his clutched fist, as it glimmered a soft, golden light.
Tengoku's laugh echoed across the entire chamber. It was so horrifying that whoever fell asleep nearby would wake with a scream.
LATER, AT EVERSPRING COLLECTIBLES SHOP...
There was a knock at the entrance door, and Hotaru quickly went to open the door.
"Yes! The engineers are here!" Hotaru beamed with excitement.
Matilda, who heard her from upstairs, perked up.
"Huh?"
"What is it, Matilda-san?" Asked Senki.
"I guess the shop expansion is about to begin." The knight smiled.
"Really?!" Senki's smile widened. "I am so happy for Hotaru-san! She is so close to achieving her dream!"
"I am as well." Matilda replied, then turned to Senki. "Princess, do you remember your dreams?"
"Eh?" Senki raised an eyebrow at the other's question. "My dreams?"
Matilda nodded. "You have kept many dreams since you earned your wings when you were a small child."
"Huh." Senki put a hand on her chin pensively.
Matilda turned her gaze to the other. "It is okay if you do not remember at the moment. As I said before, I do not expect you to remember things right away, but there has to be something that could perhaps help you remember."
"Something that could help me remember..."
Senki repeated those last few words, thinking and thinking and thinking so hard, but nothing popped to the top of her mind. She sighed and looked away.
"...nothing."
Matilda frowned a tad and sighed. She knew it would take a while for Senki to recover her memories. But to her it seemed like ages.
Senki was like the little sister she wished to have. She was constantly caring for her when the King and Queen were occupied with their royal duties across Faeland.
She reminisced the moment she and Senki played in the gardens of Pixie Kingdom Castle. The joy between the two overflowed.
"Matilda-san... Matilda-san?" Senki called.
"Eh?" Matilda seemed adrift in thought before Senki called her, and blinked.
"Are you okay?" The princess tilted her head.
Blinking again, Matilda nodded. "Yes. I am fine."
Standing up, she bowed before the princess. "Please continue resting, Princess. I will see if Hotaru-san needs help with the expansion."
"Okay. Please be careful!"
Matilda nodded. She extended the drapes and tucked the princess in the blanket before closing the door, allowing the young monarch to rest for the day.
...
"Good day, Miss!" Said the builder in charge. "We're here for a reconstruction and business expansion! Is this the Everspring Collectibles Shop?"
"It is!" Hotaru smiled and opened the door for the workers to enter, signing several papers in a clipboard with such hurriedness. She was so eager to start working. "Please, come in, come in!"
While Hotaru quickly removed the shop's items to place in boxes and put away, the chief builder and his workers assembled their tools on a table, first taking every measurement of every wall, floor and ceiling, to start with the redesigning and expansion of the shop according to Hotaru's request.
It was a few minutes in and work started! Hotaru requested that the old bookshelves be taken off and have one rebuilt in an entire wall with plentiful divisions to place some of the collectibles.
So the workers did exactly that! Using the required tools, they took out the old, dusty shelves from the walls, among other things that Hotaru wanted removed, and used Hotaru's designs as well as the shop's blueprints to start rebuilding.
The noises of the drills, hammers and other tools filled the room as Matilda walked downstairs to meet with Hotaru. She could not help but smile and feel proud of Hotaru's achievements.
"I see the expansion has begun." She said.
"I know!" Hotaru scurried towards Matilda with a big smile! "It's exciting, right?! Shop expansion, here we go!"
There was eagerness in Hotaru's voice.
"After this, I'll contact Mom and Dad and request more items to sell! That, and we'll have plenty of space for many more things! Which also means I'll get the chance to meet with other suppliers!"
"What else are you planning to add to the shop?" Matilda asked, curious.
"Well, I had this idea to add a section with board and card games. Oh! And there's this popular shop called Pretty Holic Store that sells lots of cute cosmetics, but it's about, um... two or three cities out of town. Soooo, I'll contact a supplier from said store to bring some of its cute items to Everspring Town!" She nodded in affirmation. "Yup! I'll start there!"
A warm smile grew in Matilda's face. "I do not know about said store, since I am not from this world, but I am certain that the people here will love it."
Hotaru placed her hands on her hips, grinning with confidence!
"I've no doubt they will!"
A CRASH nearby interrupted the conversation of the two. It turned out one of the old bookshelves was tearing apart!
The workers were trying to hold it in place to try disassembling it bit by bit, but the bookshelf was about to go down.
"Ah! Please let me help!" Exclaimed Hotaru, and ran to help them.
Matilda observed the other. She was almost about to step forth to help with her own strength, but stopped when Hotaru lifted the ENTIRE bookshelf with her two hands and moved it aside.
Matilda's jaw dropped at the scene. The workers were impressed as well!
"Huuuuuh?" They all watched as the woman moved the old, crumbling bookshelf aside, placing it by the entrance with a loud THUMP.
The bookshelf itself tore to pieces.
Hotaru wiped the dust off her hands afterwards. "Whew!"
"Hotaru-san..." Matilda thought. "...how did she get such exceptional strength?"
"Feel free to grab yourself a snack, Matilda-san!" Hotaru smiled as she passed by her to help the workers. "It's on the house!"
But the knight was still in a shock, her eyes widening and her mind still as blank. She was speechless.
"Uh..."
...
Later on, plastic curtains were placed over most of the shop. Each had a sign that said, 'WORK IN PROGRESS, DO NOT PASS!'.
"Good work today, folks!" Hotaru said with a big smile. "Please come back tomorrow to continue the expansion!"
The chief builder and his workers nodded and left to go home, and Hotaru closed the door behind her.
"Okay!" Hotaru clapped her hands. "Work's all done for today! How about some pizza?"
"I thought you only ordered said food on a specific day." Matilda said, her sentence was slow, she was still impressed by the other's strength.
"We'll make an exception today!" Hotaru rested an arm behind the other's neck. "As a way to celebrate the shop's expansion, we'll fill our stomachs with delicious pizza!
By the way, how's Senki-san doing?"
"She is resting at the moment." Responded Matilda, who turned her gaze upstairs. "I hope the noises here did not disturb her."
"Why don't we go check on her?" Asked Hotaru.
"Right, but we must be silent. The Princess' sleep must not be disturbed.
When a fairy lies to sleep on a flower and it encloses into a flower bud, no one outside should touch or poke the bud, for a fairy's sleep shall be interrupted, and the fairy will be upset."
"You sure know a lot about your people, don't you?" Said Hotaru.
The other gave a nod. "Yes. My adventures across Faeland gave me some ounce of wisdom, but not as much as my friend Reina."
"Reina? Who's that?" Hotaru asked.
"She is the daughter of the chief of the Faelandian Royal Assembly, and the princess' advisor. She is known to be one of the wisest people in Faeland. Her family has a long history of wisdom and magic."
"Magic?" Hotaru blinked, then scratched her head. "Well, now that you bring this to my attention, well...
...my family always said I'm special in some way."
"Of course you are." Matilda smiled. "A hard-working saleswoman who has achieved a greater goal. I look forward to seeing the expansion of your shop soon."
"Well, not just that." The other scratched her head a little more, looking away.
"Eh?" Matilda raised an eyebrow.
Hotaru hesitated. She already knew about the Precures, Dungeonborgs and Faeland, but she thought about her words very carefully.
"Well..." Hotaru took a deep breath, and with a clenched fist, finally found the bravery to speak out loud. "...Matilda-san, I'm actually a-!"
The door upstairs opened, and out walked a sleepy Senki, whose blanket hung from her shoulder.
"Matilda-san? Hotaru-san?" She called, her voice quiet and calm.
"Princess Senki!" Matilda rushed upstairs to help the princess, letting the blanket fall on her shoulders and cover her to prevent her cold from worsening. Then, she rested a hand on her forehead. "You are still warm. Let us get you back to the bed. Hotaru-san will order pizza today."
"But I want to see the shop's expansion!" Senki replied, a bit annoyed.
"Oh my..." Hotaru walked upstairs to meet with Senki. "...it seems her sleep has been disrupted. My apologies, Princess." She bowed down. "Please do not be upset, the expansion is not complete yet. This entire shop is under reconstruction, no new items yet."
"Hotaru-san." Senki blinked, then smiled softly. "It is okay."
Hotaru smiled in relief. Hearing Faeland's stories through Matilda's words, she was afraid that the fairy princess would turn away upset.
"Eheh..." She chuckled.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
"Eh?" The three turned to face the door.
"Is it a customer?" Asked the sleepy Senki.
"The shop is closed." Said Hotaru. "Maybe it's one of the workers. Perhaps they forgot something?"
The saleswoman walked to the door with a key to unlock it, then opened it.
At the entrance stood a male in a worker's uniform.
"Ah! You're one of the builders, right?" Hotaru smiled. "Was there something we forgot during our time at work?"
"Indeed!" The individual spoke with a most formal voice. His sparkling icy irises staring at the other. "A second inspection of sorts, I believe? In order for this shop to grow, workers are required to do an inspection after the first inspection!"
"A second inspection?" Senki blinked.
The male pointed a finger up, exclaiming. "That is right, little pri-! Ehm... ahem!" He cleared his throat, then continued, a large grin in his face. "That is right, little lady! We builders want to ensure that everything is safe! So! If you three young ladies do not mind, I will start working right away!"
He hastily invited himself into the shop and looked around.
But Matilda sensed a strange aura in him.
"Hotaru-san." She whispered. "Are you sure he is one of the builders?"
Hotaru glanced at the knight. "I'm sure. Why do you ask?"
"His uniform is quite different. Almost as if he belonged to a different team."
Matilda squinted.
"Not only that, but his manners are strange. And, he did not give a document for you to sign."
Hotaru blinked. "You are right.
Wait, perhaps he's new? Maybe he forgot."
Matilda kept a close eye on the male, squinting a little more and crossing her arms.
The worker moved one of the plastic curtains aside to look at the work in progress. It was where the large bookshelf was being constructed.
"Okay. Now, to further investigate..." He muttered before attempting to climb the bookshelf.
Hotaru hurried towards him.
"HEY! Stop right there!"
"EEEK!" He gasped and was about to fall on his back, but Hotaru arrived on time and held him to prevent him from hitting the floor.
"Such strength..." He muttered quietly before recomposing himself, flinching upon looking at Hotaru, who was very serious.
"It's dangerous to trespass unfinished work! That's why we don't touch anything!" She exclaimed strictly.
"Eek!" The worked gasped again, then bowed. "My apologies, young lady!"
"Hotaru-san is right.." Senki stepped forth towards Hotaru and the worker. "If you fall you might get yourself hurt, mister. Please be careful."
The male listened to her and sighed aggravatedly.
"Fine, then. I suppose the inspection is done."
The worker turned to walk to the door. The three girls watched as he did so.
"That quick, huh?" Hotaru blinked.
"You did not take a look at the other walls to check if they are safe." Said Matilda, putting a hand on her chin and squinting again.
"No need!" Again, the worker pointed a single finger up. "It is just about time I head back! I did not find any Fae- ahem!" He cleared his throat once more and continued. "No... fragile or risky areas were found! The shop is completely safe!"
Looking ahead, Senki noticed an item nearby. It was shiny black and small in size.
"Oh no! The worker forgot something!" She exclaimed and hurried to pick the item, then ran outside to catch up with the worker and return the item.
"Princess! Wait!" Matilda held out a hand to stop her, but Senki was quick, so she ran after her.
"Mister!" She called out loud, panting heavily. Her feet were slowing down bit by bit. "You... forgot... ngh!"
Her body felt numb, and she was about to collapse. The worker looked back and saw the girl about to fall, making haste to pick her up in his arms.
"Whoa there!"
"Senki-san!" Hotaru and Matilda ran towards her, concern in their faces as the other gently set her down on the ground.
Poor Senki was breathing heavier and heavier, her cheeks turned deep red from the fever.
There was immense worry in Matilda's eyes. "She is about to collapse again!"
Hotaru felt her forehead. "Not good. We must take her to the hospital, quickly!"
"In that case, please let me help." Said the worker, who was somewhat nonchalant despite the situation, standing up and carrying Senki in his arms.
"Worker!" Matilda glared at him. "Do you not have other duties to tend to?"
"Oh, of course! But right now, her health is important, is it not?" He glared down at Senki, then back at the other two. "Let me take her to the hospital. You two go home and rest."
Matilda hesitated, she found little trust in the worker, he looked very suspicious.
She could recognize those icy eyes of his. That, and on his yellow builder's hat rested a lone feather.
"We can take care of her..."
Matilda shot an intense, angry glare at him.
"...Pirate!"
"Pirate?!" Hotaru looked at her.
The worker grinned.
"Heheheh... it seems my disguise was not enough to convince you, Cure Paladin?"
Hotaru gasped. "No way! You're THE Pirate who attacked at Everspring Park!
How DARE you deceive us?!"
With clenched fists, Hotaru angrily charged at the Pirate, who merely pushed her aside with a dark magic shockwave after a failed attempt to set Senki free from his grasp.
"Aah!"
She hit a wall and fell, clutching her arm.
"Hotaru-san!"
"How strong and defiant, that little friend of yours." The Pirate scoffed. "Although I am not surprised. After all, that is the way of the Vigor Clan."
Matilda was filled with questions about Hotaru, but shook her head and went to her aid.
"Hotaru-san?" She rested a hand on the other's shoulder.
"This is nothing..." Hotaru winced.
"Stay down. I will get you and Princess Senki to the hospital."
"That is not happening, my dear knight!" Said the Pirate, whose power made Senki float in midair and stay floating.
She fell unconscious. Matilda's pupils shrank.
"For now I have the source of Fairy Energy itself. And she will be the key to unsealing my master!"
Clutching the Black Dice in his hand, it shone a red light.
"Starting Point! Dungeon Energy, emerge!
Go, Dungeonborg!"
He threw the dice at nothing more and nothing less than Hotaru's own collectibles shop. Encrusting itself in the middle, its power brought to life another monster.
"DUNGEONBORG!"
Hotaru's eyes filled with tears.
"My... shop!"
She watched in horror as the Dungeonborg slowly stomped towards her and her friends.
"Dungeonborg!" Called the Pirate. "Take the Princess' Fairy Energy! NOW!"
"Dungeonborg..."
The Black Dice in its chest shone, and the aura around Senki grew. Unable to move, the ill princess woke with a groan. The Fairy Energy left her body as sparkles of colorful magic.
The Black Dice absorbed Senki's entire Fairy Energy, shimmering gloomy colors after.
The Pirate cackled, setting the ill princess free once all of her Fairy Energy was stolen, and she fell to the ground once more.
"Princess!" Matilda ran to help her up.
"Yes! YES!" The Pirate screeched. "I HAVE GATHERED ALL OF HER FAIRY ENERGY! TENGOKU-SAMA WILL BE FREED BEFORE I KNOW IT!"
"We will not let you -gogo!"
In the nick of time, a Fae Portal opened behind the Dungeonborg, and a blast of magic struck it from the back. It was enough to bring it down to the soil.
Taking the opportunity, the pixies used the Fae Pad to take the stolen Fairy Energy back.
"Fae Pad! Recover the Fairy Energy -gogo!" Ringo chanted.
A beam was shot at the monster, and instantly, the colorful magic flew out of the Dungeonborg's Black Dice and into the pad.
"Fairy Energy recovered -gogo!" Ichigo said with a thumbs up.
"Booooorg..." The monster's eye spun.
"What?!" The Pirate himself was astounded.
Hotaru and Matilda's eyes grew big. The ones who arrived were Pixie Ichigo and Pixie Ringo, who collected the Fae Dust and brought the Fae Brace for Senki to use.
"Ichigo! Ringo!" Both exclaimed.
"Sorry for taking so long -gogo!" Said Ringo.
"We have what Princess Senki needs -gogo!" Said Ichigo.
The Pixies hurried to Senki's side, and placed the bracelet on her left wrist. Almost immediately, a light emitted from it, and the pixies nodded to each other.
Picking a handful of Fae Dust each, the Pixie Twins tossed it up to the air, allowing it to fall down onto Senki.
"Fairy Energy, Recharge -gogo!" They chanted together.
The dust gently touched Senki, and a pink aura covered her. She twitched and started to wake.
"Ngh..."
"Princess?" Matilda looked down at her worriedly.
"...Matilda-san?" Senki's tired eyes glanced up at the knight.
"GRRRRR! HOW DID YOU EVEN GET MORE FAIRY ENERGY?!" The Pirate threw a tantrum, stomping his feet, smoke signs appearing on top of his head, like a bull would blow its nose.
The Princess slowly stood, pair of light brown irises staring at their enemy behind tired irises.
She took a step forward, holding out her Treasure Pact, Treasure Key and PreCoin.
"Princess, what are you doing?!" Matilda ran to her side. "We must get you to the hospital!"
"No." Senki clenched her teeth. "I cannot... let you do this alone!"
In a sparkly pink background, Senki's attire became a shiny pink gown, and her headband magically disappeared.
"Treasure Pact, Unlock!" She chanted before using the Treasure Key to open the Treasure Pact.
Then, she placed the Venture PreCoin in the slot below the D20 dice.
"Venture!"
The dice shone a pink light.
"Precure! Dice Roll Start!"
After rolling the dice, a number 1 appeared in magical light.
In a quick transformation, Senki, now Cure Venture, landed on her feet to face the Pirate.
"Spirit of adventure, Cure Venture!" She posed before sparks of magic bursted, then, she stretched her hand out in front of her.
"Let the epic adventures begi- ngh!"
But her cold nearly brought her to her knees. Her cheeks turned red with a fever again.
"Cure Venture!" Matilda yelled.
"Get her, Dungeonborg!" The Pirate commanded.
"DUNGEONBORG!"
The monster stomped towards her, but Cure Venture did not back away. Instead, she leapt at it with a strong fist.
"It is GAME ON!" She declared before launching a strong punch at the monster, the force of it sending it flying backwards.
All Hotaru could do was watch as her own shop and home was possessed by the power of Dungeon Energy.
"Ngh!" Senki fell on her knees after landing, breathing heavily again.
Matilda saw this and ran to help her.
"Senki!"
"What is the matter, little princess?" The Pirate asked mockingly. "Are you low on strength? Hm?"
Turning to Matilda, he shot a sphere of Dungeon Energy in front of her, bringing up a dusty fog to blind her sight.
"Aaah!"
Gasping, Senki slowly got back up.
"Get... away... from... Matilda-san!"
Her hands began to glow, and magic swirled around them. She darted towards Matilda, stopping in front of her.
"Protect! Epic Venture Shield!"
With an arm in front of her, Senki summoned a large, glowing pink force field that was reminiscent of a knight's shield.
"DUNGEONBORG!"
Opening its mouth, the Dungeonborg shot spheres of dark magic at them, but Venture's shield deflected its attacks.
"Her powers continue to awaken." The Pirate muttered, a hand on his chin.
He saw Venture's struggle to keep the shield from breaking. There were visible cracks on it, and the more attacks it deflected, the more damage it sustained. This made the Pirate grin.
"But at this rate..."
"DUNGEONBORG!"
The monster fired a much larger sphere at the force field, causing it to break.
"Aah!"
Both girls were pushed back from the impact. Matilda held Venture in a protective embrace, keeping her from hitting the soil.
Sitting up, she looked down at her friend, shaking her by the shoulders to wake her.
Cure Venture fell unconscious once more.
"Cure Venture... Cure Venture!"
"Heh. Even if you got your precious Fairy Energy back, you are still weak." The Pirate shrugged. "What is the point, then?
Give up, Cure Venture."
There was a fire in Matilda's heart when she heard such words. Scooping the princess in her arms, she set her down next to Hotaru, who watched over her, then confronted her arch nemesis.
"How can you say such things?" Matilda's voice broke.
"How can you be so heartless?!"
"Tch." The Pirate scoffed.
The knight took out her own Treasure Pact, Key and PreCoin.
"Prepare yourself, Pirate, for your opponent will be me!"
In a sparkly blue background, Matilda's outfit transformed into a shiny blue gown.
"Treasure Pact! Unlock!"
Opening the Pact with the Key, she placed the Paladin PreCoin in the slot.
"Paladin!"
The dice above shone a blue light.
"Precure! Dice Roll Start!"
Rolling the dice, a number 2 appeared in magical light.
Sparkling waters magically emerged from the Pact, surrounding her arms to form the gauntlets, her feet to form the greaves, and her body to form the uniform. A magical light formed a chest bow and a golden brooch with the team's insignia. Her navy-blue hair turned light blue and so did her eyes. and a delicate golden headband with a sapphire oval shaped gemstone rested atop her head, then the rest of her accessories magically appeared.
And lastly, she placed the Treasure Pact on her belt, and the Pact was covered in a pouch.
"Wave of calmness, Cure Paladin!" When she posed, a splash of magic bursted.
She pointed a single finger ahead.
"Bathe yourself in deep tranquility!"
The Pirate laughed louder, and louder.
"HAHAHAHA! Cure Paladin! I have longed for this moment! DUNGEONBORG!"
"Dungeon..." The monster transformed its hands into sharp claws that spun very fast.
"...BORG!"
It threw its right hand first, then the left. Both spinning claws left a trail behind them.
Cure Paladin summoned droplets of water to form a magic staff. And with two swift movements of the staff, she deflected the Dungeonborg's attack.
Each corner of the staff grabbed the spinning claws, and Paladin counterattack by sending them back to the monster with a powerful spin.
"Haaaaa!"
"B-BORG!"
The monster was struck with its own hands, and fell back.
"Whaaaaat?!" The Pirate's knuckles turned white. "Tch! WHY you, little knight?! Why do you not just give up?!"
Cure Paladin's cape flew in the wind. Another rain was coming as thunder rumbled in the sky.
A droplet fell onto her cheek. She gasped.
"Cure Paladin!" Hotaru called. "The rain!
Let me take Senki-san to the hospital! You take my shop back, okay?"
"Hotaru-san! Can you take the Princess to the hospital?"
Hotaru carefully stood on her feet, albeit wincing in pain.
"Hotaru-san, are you sure?" Matilda was concerned for the other.
"I can! Don't worry about me, I'll be fine!"
With her mysterious strength, Hotaru carried Senki over her good shoulder and ran away from the battlefield as fast as she could.
The Pixie Twins stayed nearby, in case Matilda needed the support.
Matilda smiled. "Please, be careful, Hotaru-san."
Then, she turned to her enemy again, her expression changing.
"Fine, then." The Pirate's eyebrows furrowed. "I suppose this will be a one-on-one game!
Get up, Dungeonborg!"
The monster's eyes glowed, and with a leap, stood on its feet.
"Dungeon... BORG!"
The Pirate squinted and hissed. "Finish her."
Matilda stood on a battle stance, making the water staff disappear.
The rain intensified.
"DUNGEONBORG!"
The monster ran at her, making its sharp claws for hands spin again. When it got close enough, it threw its claws to the ground.
SMASH!
Cure Paladin avoided its attack by jumping up to the air.
"Haaaaa!"
With a front flip, she kicked the monster down, and it splatted to the soil, but it recomposed itself and stood back up as Paladin landed on her feet.
"WHAT IN DUNGEON ISLAND IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" The Pirate had already lost his temper. "GET HER NOW!"
"Dungeonborg!"
But before the monster could attack, Matilda unlocked the Treasure Pact with the Key, inserting the Paladin PreCoin in the slot below the dice.
"Dice Roll! Paladin!"
Then, she extended her hands to her sides and used her powers to stop the raindrops in place.
"Spread out!"
She raised her hand, prepared to strike.
"Precure Paladin Shower!"
Extending her hand forward, the floating droplets were shot at the monster, striking the Black Dice in its chest.
The monster was surrounded in a bubble.
"Finisher! Plus 100 Points!"
The bubble exploded, and the Dungeonborg disappeared. Its Black Dice shattered, revealing a shimmering white PreCoin.
The token fell to the ground and bounced with a ding towards Cure Paladin, who caught it in her hand.
"Session complete!"
The Pirate, furious, pulled on his hair.
"GRAAAAAAAH! CURSE YOU, CURE PALADIN!"
He disappeared in a dark portal.
The area surrounding her repaired itself magically.
"Cure Paladin!" Ichigo and Ringo flew towards her for a hug. Matilda hugged them back.
"Great job -gogo! Now Hotaru-san got her shop back -gogo!" Ringo smiled.
"Yes." Matilda nodded. "Let us go to the hospital."
Matilda's form turned back to normal.
LATER THAT DAY...
Hotaru had a cast in her arm. It turned out she fractured a bone when the Pirate attacked, but the doctor said she would make a good bone recovery.
Matilda entered the hospital right when Hotaru walked out of the infirmary. She did not wince or showed any signs of pain. Such was her exceptional strength.
"Matilda-san!" She noticed the other walking in and approached.
"Hotaru-san!" The knight's eyes widened when she looked at the cast in her arm, and frowned. "I am sorry. This is my all fault.
I should not have gotten you involved. I should have stopped the Princess before she became ill."
Hotaru rested a hand on the other's shoulder.
"Hey, it's okay!" Hotaru smiled and looked down at her injured arm. "This cast? It's nothing, truly! The doctor says I'll be fine!"
"Yes, but I am worried now. You will need assistance for your shop and its expansion!" Matilda said with concern.
"Hey, there's one more thing that we didn't discuss, but we'll talk about it later." Hotaru's face turned sad. "I haven't heard word from the doctors about Senki-san, though. I'm worried about her."
"Friends of Hanaoka-san?"
A female doctor stepped in. She was tall and had bright green hair.
"Yes!" Matilda and Hotaru responded.
"Hanaoka-san is awake and stable. Follow me, please."
"Ah!" Hotaru smiled big, clasping her hands together. "What a relief!" She turned to Matilda and grabbed her arm. "Let's go, Matilda-san!"
The doctor led the two to Senki's room, sliding the door open for them to enter.
"Hanaoka-san, your friends are here-
Huh?"
"EPIC EPIC!"
The doctor was surprised to see Senki flying around the room, but she was overjoyed to see her back to normal.
"I feel so great! I could fly outside all day!"
"Ahem!" The doctor cleared her throat. "Princess Senki, Your Highness."
"Eh?" The girls, who waited behind, turned their eyes to the doctor, little question marks appearing over their heads.
"Huh?" Senki landed on her feet. "Ah! Doctor! Can I go home? I feel epic epic right now!"
The princess happily hopped in place.
"You can." Replied the doctor. "Your cold is no more, and your results turned out great. It seems your Fairy Energy is fully recharged."
Senki lifted her arm to take a closer look at the bracelet in her wrist, noticing it.
"Wait... what is this?"
"Queen Faelia sent this Fae Brace to you. It was an item of my design to help you recover Fairy Energy, with a power called Fairy Energy Recharge." The doctor explained.
"I thought, since your powers were growing, you would not need to use it, so I gave it to the Queen. But after its malfunction caused by the early usage of Max Power, you will need to train this power once more."
"Fairy Energy Recharge?" Senki blinked.
The doctor nodded. "That is correct.
Well, Your Highness, your friends are here to see you."
"Princess Senki!" Matilda smiled, and so did Hotaru.
Senki's eyes filled with tears of joy upon seeing her friends. "Everyone!"
Quickly, the princess flew towards the two for a big group hug!
"Hotaru-san! Matilda-san! I am so happy you are here!" She whimpered, and cried, a river of tears streaming down her eyes. "Waaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Hotaru patter her back softly. "Eheh! Calm down, Senki-san. It's okay!"
Matilda withdrew from the embrace, turning to the doctor.
"Thank you for your service, Doctor." She smiled.
"Anytime, young knight!" The doctor responded with a smile and a wink.
"Eh?" Matilda blinked.
Moving some strands of her hair back, the doctor revealed her very own pointy ears.
She was Faelandian.
"I am actually glad you girls made it here on time. Queen Faelia assigned me to be hers and her friends' health carer."
She stared at Hotaru.
"Your friend Hotaru has a special strength. She did not flinch one bit during the procedure!"
"Yes." Matilda responded. "I still wonder how she got such strength."
Turning back to the doctor, Matilda had a question...
"Doctor, is there a quicker way for the Princess to recover her memories?"
The doctor saddened. "I am afraid her level of amnesia is severe, given she has used Max Power too early."
The two watched as Senki and Hotaru exchanged words.
"I will be doing several tests to help improve her memory, multiple appointments will be scheduled for her.
My advice is, continue guiding the Princess throughout this adventure in the meantime. Yes, she will make new memories, and she might not remember things right away.
But I have hope, hope that she will recover her lost memories when the time comes."
Matilda nodded. "Thank you, Doctor."
The three girls soon left the hospital and returned to Hotaru's house. While the shop itself was in the midst of reconstruction, the girls enjoyed a succulent pizza and shared their stories of the day.
Senki was so happy, but inside, she wondered what her dreams truly were.