The Waxing Light of the Moon

Bloom felt herself being shoved away, and even though she quickly got to her feet, she just wasn’t fast enough- but she was quick enough to watch her dearest friend get skewered in front of her. For a moment, flashes of the past float before Bloom’s eyes, all the times when they had failed to save Michiru and her sister. For a moment it’s almost too much-

and then Moop screams.

"I won’t let you!" The words tore from her mouth, and before she really processed what she was doing, Bloom had closed the distance between her and Michiru, breaking apart the vines that ensnared her with a chop of her arm, glittering magic trailing after her arm. Catching the bloody girl in her arms, she held her tight, before looking up at Pine with fearsome eyes.

"Not again! I won’t let this happen again!" She cried out, lifting a hand into the air. She could feel her magic power filling her up- and although this would be the first time she had ever attacked by herself, somehow she already knew what to say.

And it was true, Bloom’s power wasn’t up to par with her own- but she felt the tingling on her skin, an unpleasant sensation crawling up her body- and then she remembered.

Bloom drew her power from the spirits of plants and flowers- in many ways, her power, though drastically weaker, was Northa’s antithesis. Spreading her hands in front of her, Pine summoned a shield to protect her, and while Bloom’s power broke against it, it sent a noxious feeling through her body.

Narrowing her eyes, Pine took a step back, jumping towards the edge of the roof they were standing on. Her gaze flickered away for a moment- hearing something that they couldn’t. “Very well.” Pine said after a moment, cold eyes looking down at the two. “My orders have changed. You’re in luck, Cure Bloom.”

Still, it was enough to make Michiru stir briefly, eyelids twitching, though the redhead didn't wake - Moop sighed in relief. If he could at least keep Michiru there, then...]

"H-hang on, mupu! We'll get you better, mupu!"

And she hadn’t removed her eyes from the prize either. If anything now would be the perfect time to strike.

"Oh." Pine stood straight up, the pain from her injuries already dying down. “I can’t let you say things like that.”

She knows what she has to do.

She turns to Bloom - ]

"...take care of Moop, all right?"

[ - and shoves the Cure out of the way as hard as she can and there's a bright burst of light as Michiru and Moop become separate once again.

The light fades. Michiru floats there, a tearful, apologetic smile on her face - and vines having skewered straight through her, staining her outfit a deep crimson. The smile remains for another moment - just before Michiru's body finally gives out and she faints.

Moop opens his eyes. The first thing he sees is Michiru - and the small fairy lets out a desolate scream as the vines consume the badly injured girl, Michiru getting pulled in toward Pine.]

"DON'T TAKE MICHIRU AWAY, MUPU!"

And in spite of the searing pain the burning injury to her stomach sent through her body, Pine still managed to grin at Bright, a wicked edge to it. “No, I am Cure Pine.” She said- and it didn’t seem so much that she was being insistent on keeping anything up, rather her words carried another meaning. Even with a blast of that magnitude, the vines were already at work, sewing her up- and she knew that was a luxury that Bright did not have.

She had feared the worst, and had transformed instantly and had gone after the source of the evil power, managing to arrive just in time to help Bright from obtaining further injury- but not soon enough, she thought.

"You’re…" Bloom opened her mouth a little, recognizing the attacker to her great surprise. “Cure Pine!?”

...and then she's caught by a pair of arms and the attack is warded off by a shield.]

"...Saki...?"

[Her voice is feeble and it's clear she's taken a beating. It takes a moment for Bright to right herself and though she's able to float, she holds her abdomen, grimacing in pain. At Bloom's shock, however, Bright shakes her head.]

"No. That is not Cure Pine. She may have hid it from others, but she can't hide it from me."

[She floats in front of her teammate and dear friend, red eyes alight with fury as she looks across at the abomination called Cure Pine.]

She barely notices when Pine seizes her arm, the not quite Cure still shaken and in utmost disbelief - it isn't until there's a sudden, sharp pain in her stomach that she snaps back to the present.

Face contorted in pain, she still manages a furious look - and then uses her free arm to press her palm against Pine's stomach.]

"You are not Cure Pine, you monster."

[Bright's entire form shines with energy - and then there's an explosion of light that erupts from the palm of her hand. Point blank range - but even Bright knew she'd be caught up in the blast too.

For a moment, the light seared at her Pine’s skin, but she gritted her teeth, a tiny network of vines emerging from her skin and seemingly sewing up her wounds, leaving her as if they had never been there in the first place. Lady Northa had blessed her with so many useful abilities- and even without this ability, with Pine’s endurance alone, she could handle something like this.

She knows. Or at the very least, she has an extremely good idea.

There's a different kind of fury on Bright's face, one that makes her eyes glow the eerie red they had been once upon a time.]

"What are you?"

[It comes out like a snarl. In an instant, she's jettisoning toward Pine, aiming a flurry of punches at the so called Cure.]

"What are you?!"

As Bright launched her attack, Pine held up her own Pine Flute, firing another Healing Prayer at it. The dark energy almost seemed to consume the bright light, breaking it into pieces. Sensing Bright’s attack from above, Pine didn’t have quite enough time to counterattack or to properly dodge it- and instead put up a block, lifting her free arm above her head, blocking the burnt of the impact.

She had backflipped away as soon as her attack met the block - but in the midst of her flip, Pine's vines shot out, ensnaring one of her ankles. Bright cried out in pain as the vines held fast, keeping her in place, but as she swung her arms forward and righted herself the best she could, there was a smirk on her face.]

"O, Light!"

"I’ve come here today to extend an invitation to you." She said, smiling still, extending one of her hands. “Lady Northa would like to see you. You will come with me, won’t you?”

There was no such thing as an evil Precure. Precure were legendary warriors of light, love and happiness - to see their status being tainted by this only disgusts her. She stares at Pine, face hardened into a glare.]

"I'm afraid I will have to decline your offer."

[But she has to know whether she's right or not. If she can get close enough, she should be able to feel it - whether it's a person clouded by darkness like Amaya...or perhaps someone more like her.]

"O, Light!"

Earlier that morning, Northa had sent out orders for her- to capture the former Dark Fall general and current Precure, Michiru Kiryuu. She had accepted the mission, and went right away to the town without hesitation. If she recalled correctly, Cure Bright’s powers as a Precure weren’t quite a strong as the others- not that it mattered anyways. Even if it was the strongest Precure, Pine could surely defeat her easily.

It would have been fun to play around a bit before commencing to capture Michiru- but Northa’s orders had been clear. Holding what appeared to be a warped version of her Pine Flute in one hand, Pine stood on a building across from Michiru’s residence, and raised it up.

"Precure Healing Prayer!"

Moop cried out in alarm - just before he had felt it too.

Pine's attack hurtled straight into the humble apartment complex and created a cloud of dust and debris everywhere - that was blasted back with a powerful surge of bright light aimed straight at Pine.

High above the wreckage, Michiru Bright floated, unharmed. She surveyed her surroundings, searching for the source of the energy - but when she pinpointed it, confusion clouded her features.]

Maybe it was karma.

"Uh— Pretty Cure?" she repeats, sounding baffled and regarding Michiru with confusion. Is that some fancy term for cosplayer or something? That’s mostly what people mistake her for in this outfit.

[Eh? She got it wrong? And she was so sure too...]

"The Pretty Cure are legendary warriors that protect this world. Their outfits are very ornate, I assumed you must be one of them."

"I can sense great strength from you, which led into that thinking as well."

…still, the minute she’d heard Moop was asleep in the basket, she was kind of afraid something like this had happened…* “I-It’s okay, M-Michiru! Y-You can have that one, a-and if you want, I c-c-can help you make more later.” *she lowers her hand, smile looking more ‘natural’ and less ‘I am laughing at you.’* “If they took s-so long…then I c-can help you next time, so it’ll be easier, a-and won’t take as long!

"M-mupu! That tickles, Amaya-chan, mupu!"

[The little yellow fairy yelps and laughs for a few moments, then gets the pointed realization that Michiru is staring at him quite sternly.]

"I-I really am sorry, mupu..."

[Michiru "hmph's" and turns her nose up.] "For eating all my hard work, you don't get dessert tonight!"

[Moop looks horrified, tears welling up in his eyes.]

But she mustn’t dwell on that. Michiru’s here, and she’s been a-okay this whole time! Amaya’s eyes widen a little at the invitation, and the basket, and she suddenly blushes as she stands a little straighter* “S-S-Sure! That’d be fun!” *she smiles again, adjusting her grip on her own items*

"I let Moop sleep inside the basket."

[Finding a good spot, the young girl pulls out a blanket from inside the basket and spreads it out, taking a seat and smiling at the refreshing sea breeze.]

"I was able to use the bread at Panpaka Pan for sandwiches - it really does taste better when it's on homemade bread! And I made some chocolate coronets and sliced up some watermelon..."

[Michiru takes the various things out as she explains it to Amaya, before she pauses, confused. Where were the coronets...?

In reply, Moop lazily floats on out, belly bulging and chocolate all over his little face.]

"Ah, that was really tasty, mupu~"

[Michiru scowls and puffs her cheeks out.]

"M-Moop, those weren't for you!"

[Moop shiftily looks away.]

"I-I did leave one for you, mupu!"

[Michiru heaves a heartbroken sigh.]

The girl always did know when to put on her poker face.

Instead, she smiles all the more, taking a moment to note the other girl's attire.]

"The pleasure is all mine, Skyla-san. It's an honor to meet another Pretty Cure such as yourself."