Chapter Text
One by one the stars went out, snuffed out by a darkness so thick that it seemed so close to smothering even the lights far beneath the starless sky, fires howling as Nozomi could do nothing but watch. The Palmier Kingdom was all aflame, its burning houses a thousand torches in the dark, but even those fires began to dim as the utter blackness of the sky drank all the colors from the world. Then the blazes, too, faded away gradually as the buildings began to collapse, leaving only ruins behind, and a funereal silence.
A sickening smell of ash and smoke went deep into Nozomi's nose when she breathed, until she could feel nothing else. Far away, she still heard the fire crackling, mocking her for her failure. The exhaustion made the fairy on her hands seem so heavy, but she could not leave Coco behind. He was the only fairy she had found in the ruins of the kingdom. Unconscious, hurt, close to death. But, for now, alive.
She looked up again, hoping to see a flimsy sparkle, a star that dared defy the darkness, but the sky was now only a canvas where too much black ink had spilled, and, powerless to do anything but watch it engulf everything in its path, Cure Dream chose to turn the other way, and began to run.
From what, she did not know, but she could hear something chasing after her. Heavy footsteps that boomed behind her followed as she ran across the barren land, through clouds of brown dust. Under her feet was only dry, fissured stone, without the slightest sign that there had ever been a living thing there. But Nozomi knew that just one day ago, this place had been a forest of lush greens, of tall trees and birds that dwelled there, a place of uninterrupted sounds, the buzzing of insects and the rush of water. Just one week before, she and Komachi had been there together, on their way to the Palmier Kingdom. Now no trace remained of the long dirt roads she walked with Komachi. The others could not come; Rin was needed at the Trump Kingdom, Lemonade at Majorland, and Aqua had been given a secret mission from Cure Mirage, one she couldn't even share with her friends. Nozomi wondered where they were now, and hoped they had better luck than Komachi.
Mint had stayed behind so that Dream could escape with the prince of the Palmier Kingdom. Reluctantly, Nozomi left her behind, but now she wished she hadn't. She should have stayed there to fight. But now, she knew, it was too late to turn back. She had to find the other Precure, wherever they were. If there were any of them left. Something had to remain of the Red Rose, something had to, something always had. Only this hope urged her forward, the hope of finding someone who would know what to do.
Nozomi didn't dare to look behind her, to see what horrors pursued her. Nightmare was behind her, she knew, but it wasn't only Nightmare that attacked the Palmier Kingdom this time. Under the night's veil, someone had opened the gates for Nightmare, for Eternal, for the Desert Apostles. Why they were suddenly working together, no one could tell, but it seemed to be like this all over the world. They had gotten messages from Cures Marine, Sword, White and Muse, all of them asking for help, all of them attacked by many enemies all at once. As the hours passed by and Dream and Mint tried to keep the invaders at bay, the news they got from other lands became worse.
The Heart Tree has burned down. Verone Academy has fallen. We lost contact with Cure Tender. The Trump Kingdom lies in ruins. Send help, please. Please…
There was no help coming, even Nozomi could tell, not for her, and not for anyone, no heroic rescue at the last minute. Everywhere they lost, and as they lost, the stars went out as one by one the Starlight Flames were extinguished. One by one the realms fell. One by one the voices were silenced and the reports she received came to frightful halts.
Nozomi ran through the night with no stars to guide her. She did not know where she was going, and only followed the wind, for lack of better guidance. Soon, she could not hear her pursuers anymore, and silence fell over the world. Coco hadn't awakened yet, and the little strength Nozomi had left was beginning to fail her, as she could barely hold on to the small fairy. Still, Nozomi did not give up, and kept him close until the night was done.
The sun rose red, a bleeding wound in the sky, as nightmarish as the starless sky had been. Sunlight brought no comfort nor solace, burning so brightly as to hurt Nozomi's eyes. Hungry and weary, she sat down, for a moment, to rest, gently placing the unconscious fairy on the ground next to her. Hours before, her legs hurt, but now she didn't even feel them anymore. She knew that pain was, if nothing else, a sign of life; numbness the herald of death. Only her belly rumbled and ached, its emptiness almost too uncomfortable to bear. Her mouth was dry and her lips were cracked, painful to the touch. On instinct, she reached for her bag, but she didn't have it.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. In her haste she had forgotten to take it with her. Her waterskin was there, and some food as well. She always forgot things like this, but this time she was not fortunate enough to have someone undo her folly. Usually Rin would call her empty-headed then give her some of her food, but Rin wasn't here. Instead, she would starve. What great fortune, to escape the destruction of the Palmier Kingdom, only to die anyways, a slow death in fear and confusion. Her fist hit the ground in anger at herself and at the world, her knuckles cracking. The pain returned then, her arms quaking, but she didn't find the strength to scream.
Nozomi poked at the fairy's furry belly, to no reaction. She could feel his heart beating quick, but otherwise he showed no sign of life. He too would hunger when he woke up, she realized. Well, if he woke up. That was an increasingly unlikely prospect. Still, if he woke, Nozomi had no idea how she would feed him, when she had no idea how to find any food for herself.
She looked around, and saw little but lifeless rock, cliffs like spears pointing at empty skies. The earth itself had been torn apart, its surface cut to shreds and rearranged randomly. Far away, she saw mountains rising high, then suddenly disappearing into dark abysses. The landscape was cut by the course of empty rivers where nothing flowed, sinkholes that lead to nowhere and did not seem to have an end, everything colored a dull grey.
By far the worst blight in the world, however, was that huge tower looming over everything. It seemed taller than any mountain, high enough to cut through the thin, flimsy clouds. From atop it, Nozomi had no doubt that one could see for countless miles. From where she stood, she could see hundreds of little black dots on the walls, windows to Nightmare's office. This building wasn't there just yesterday. Now it consumed the landscapes of the Palmier Kingdom like a parasite.
She hadn't forgotten her Farspeak Mirror, at least. She gazed upon it, seeing only her own face. Her index ran across the silver surface, drawing magical runes as she attempted to contact any Precure that might answer, but none did. Rouge was the first she reached out to, but all Nozomi got in response was silence. That too was the answer she got from Lemonade, from Aqua. The Precure from Majorland didn't answer either, or the ones from the Phoenix Tower, and the Land of Fountains was silent was well. Had they too been conquered? Nozomi didn't want to think so, but what else could she believe? White light shone upon her, a light revealing emptiness, until it was gone; the very magic that created the Mirror was fading, dying as the stars were consumed. Soon, no matter what Nozomi tried, the Mirror only showed her own face.
She considered throwing it aside in frustration, picturing shards of glass raining over the ground. Instead, sighing, she picked up Coco's limp body again. She could feel his breath when she put him close to her face, but no matter how much she tried to awaken him, he didn't. But she could not abandon him, so she went on her way, not knowing where to go, knowing onl that she couldn't stop moving.
Warm winds blew as the ardent sun scorched her back. Nozomi glimpsed at it for a second, but the light blinded her. Quickly she learned to avoid the red sun, to walk in the shadow. That did little to spare her the infernal heat, but at least she could see what was ahead of her, for what little good that did her.
Dream wondered where she was. She couldn't tell by looking at her surroundings; this land was broken beyond recognition. She was going north, she thought, but had no way to be sure. If she really was headed north, then she was probably at the Montblanc Kingdom's borders now, though they did not look at all like it. No, she thought, it wasn't right. There would be many towns along the way if I really was headed north. Unless they were all gone…
Then again, that would be completely unlike Nightmare. They didn't destroy, they dominated, enslaving those who lived on lands they controlled. This couldn't be the road north, Nozomi decided. South, then, to the Bavarois Kingdom? Did it even matter anymore? Everything was gone, it seemed, with even the stars robbed from them.
She kept walking, even when the pain returned and was almost too much tobear. She had to find someone, she could not give up. So long as she tried to look for survivors, for other Precure, they hadn't lost yet. If she gave in to exhaustion, to despair, and let herself fall and wait for hunger to take her, then the Precure were truly defeated. As far as Nozomi knew, she could very well be the last of the Pretty Cure, the last light still shining, so she had to fight even harder. One last defiance.
Nozomi crossed through narrow paths between the rocks, through pitch black caves that she had no way of knowing would lead her anywhere. The world was buried in mournful silence broken only by the sound of her footsteps on the lifeless earth and, sometimes, when it was very quiet, Coco's pained breathing. His chest rose and lowered slowly, his strained body trying its best to stay alive. He wouldn't last much longer. He was close to her chest now as she gave him all her warmth, and she could feel his wheezing, his effort to breathe, but Nozomi did not know what to do. Inori was the one who always took care of sick fairies, and Karenalso kenw how to nurse them to good health when they fell ill, but Nozomi couldn't even begin to imagine what to do. If this poor fairy died in her arms… Just the thought made her want to cry, but somehow she didn't. She couldn't.
When the sun set, Nozomi almost missed it, blinding as it was. At least during the day she could still see. The last night she had her magic's light to help her know where she walked, but now even that that was too much of a strain on her body. She hardly had the strength to keep moving, so where would she find power to use magic? It was a miracle that she hadn't been found by any enemies, because if she had, she doubted she would be able to fight back. Did they know she was still alive? Even if they did, maybe they decided it was too much effort to hunt her down. She would succumb to thirst soon enough, after all. Why waste your time on the dead?
No, not dead, not yet. That would mean she gave up, and that was just unacceptable. This would not be the first time the Precure found themselves in a dire, hopeless situation, but if they had ever given up the fight all those times, then Nozomi wouldn't even be there. The world would have ended long ago, but time and time again the Precure found hope where it seemed like there wasn't any. Nozomi would just have to do the same, somehow. Somehow…
In the dark, all she had to guide her was the wind blowing against stone, and even that wasn't much help. Nozomi extended her hand to feel the rocks around her, walking slowly and carefully, always making sure that there was solid ground under her before she put her foot down. To fall on a hole she didn't see would be too humiliating, and she didn't think she had the strength to get up if that happened.
Far away, she heard a sound, she thought. Nozomi focused on it, to try and tell what it was, but it was too distant. It might not even be there, actually. Maybe her hearing was beginning to go, maybe she was mad from thirst and hunger… But what choice did she have? She couldn't think of any better options, so she followed the faint noise until she could hear more clearly.
It sounded like water flowing. Am I so certain that it is water? She prayed she was right, and kept going, stone brushing against her face as her path narrowed more and more, until she had to squeeze between the rocks to get past. The sound was louder now, and for once, Nozomi felt some relief. She might just survive after all. The fairy in her arms, though… Well, no use worrying about that just now. First she had to reach the water.
Light, she thought, and a small pink star shone on the tip of her finger. It was not much, but it was enough for her to see what was just in front of her. Tall and thick trunks, leaves that would cover the stars in the sky, if there were any. It felt as if there was still life in this place. Now it was not dry rock that touched her face, but big leaves caressing her as she walked. Nozomi tried to remember what forest this could be, but she was too weak to recall, the world too distant from the blur of her mind.
Nozomi felt as if her last strengths were leaving her, the light in her heart growing dimmer by the second. She could only see what was directly before her, and her body felt as if it was being torn apart from every side. Pain grabbed her legs, her arms, her head, and pulled them all at the same time. Dream knew she had no more life in her but this last desperate struggle, so if she was wrong, if her last hope failed her and she couldn't find any water, that would be the end. But no, it couldn't be the end, the sound was so close now, she could hear it clearly, she could almost smell fresh water in the air. That made her even thirstier, even as she thought her craving couldn't possibly be any greater.
When the lake appeared in front of her, Nozomi fell to her knees, and almost threw herself on its waters. Instead she put Coco atop a pile of soft leaves, and scooped out as much water as her hands could hold, and buried her face in it. Most of the water she didn't even drink, and instead Nozomi just felt it against her dry skin. She had almost forgotten how it felt. Cool and refreshing, a gentle breeze's kiss. On the surface of the lake were leaves that had fallen from the canopy, but Nozomi easily avoided them. She drank until she was satisfied, and then drank even more. She still hungered, but it was easier to survive on an empty stomach than on a dehydrated body. Karen had taught her that, and Nozomi never forgot the things that Karen said. Not when Karen repeated them often enough.
Nozomi splashed some drops of water on Coco's face, hoping that might awaken him, but it was in vain. She opened his tiny mouth and gently gave him some to drink. She feared he might choke, but he didn't. His breathing relaxed, too, and he didn't look like he was at death's door anymore. Nozomi smiled again, finally. At least something didn't go wrong.
She laid down next to him, resting her head on fallen foliage. After everything she had been through, it felt like a greater comfort than any she had ever known. The light that shone on her hand went out, and she closed her eyes. Odd, she thought for a moment before the darkness of sleep took her. It feels so cold.
The night was dark, but Reika's eyes had gotten used to it. Not enough that she could see her path clearly, of course, but at least she wasn't tripping on vines. It had been one day since the stars went out, closer to two days now, yet it felt like a lifetime had passed since they last shone.
She hadn't found anyone yet, though perhaps that was for the best. When she escaped Märchenland's capital, both Nightmare and the Bad End Kingdom gave chase, putting some of their best hunters on her trail. So far Beauty had managed to outrun them, had even found a temporary shelter, but if her pursuers located her, she did not know if she'd be able to fight them off.
Most importantly, though, was finding another living Precure. Reika knew there was no way she'd be the only survivor. No, that made no sense. Moonlight still lived, she was sure of that, and Mirage as well. They always seemed unbeatable, and Reika could just not believe that they'd be caught unaware. They would never let the Precure fall. They were still there, Reika only had to find them.
And find herself as well, of course. She had fled to the west, to the other fairy kingdoms. Most likely, she was in the Doughnut Kingdom now, or, at least, close to it. She had found a village on her way, but when she tried to talk to its inhabitants, she saw their faces hidden by masks, and they simply ignored her. They were fairies, most of them, but some humans lived there as well, but they too were masked, silent. At once Reika recognized it as Nightmare's work, and that was when she understood that it was not just Märchenland that had fallen. It was the whole world. Only that could explain the death of the stars, too; they shone because of the Starlight Flames, sacred relics of an era long gone by. So long as the Starlight Flames were alight, the stars would burn as well.
But now the skies were dark, and the stars were all dead. Darkness had fallen over the world, and Reika could just barely see her surroundings. A forest, large and dense. There were supposed to be all sorts of critters here, she had read about the fauna of the Doughnut Kingdom, but all she saw were spiders. There was no sound of life, no chirping of birds, nothing but water calmly flowing in the distance. Reika's waterskin was almost empty, she remembered. She should fill it.
Oddly, she felt at peace when she sat next to the lake. Tiny leaves were blown against her face, but Reika only brushed them away. The scent of water filled the air, a pleasant smell. She touched the surface of the lake with the tip of her fingers, and suddenly felt cold. Where she touched, the water began to freeze. She took out her fingers, and the ice melted immediately, but the breeze grew colder. She felt a strange presence; someone was nearby.
"Who is it?" She tried not to sound scared, but it was hard to; she was too used to fighting with her companions, and though she did not doubt her own skills, Reika did not want to fight alone.
There was no answer, no sound but the water, the flowing river that fed this lake. Maybe it was just her imagination… No, she knew, there was someone here. Reika looked around, and saw no one. She took careful steps, scanning her surroundings, until she stumbled on something on the ground. Before she looked at it, Reika poked it with the tip of her boot, and heard whining. It was a girl's voice.
"Who are you?" She asked, then approached to take a better look. In the dark, it was hard to tell her face, but it was definitely a girl, sleeping atop leaves. Reika asked again, but she didn't answer. She didn't know who she was, and for some reason she had a fairy with her. Reika tried to wake it up, but the fairy seemed unconscious. Why? Reika knew that Nightmare's employees were interested in fairies, and even before the kingdoms fell, they frequently kidnapped its denizens, so often that she could not help but suspect a person with an unconscious fairy.
But she didn't seem like a threat. She seemed almost like a Precure in the dark. This girl seemed exhausted, and her fairy seemed hurt. They needed help. Reika had little food for herself, and she didn't even know who this girl was, but if she was a Precure, then she definitely had to help her.
Reika picked her up, then the fairy, and carried them home. It was a bit heavy, but in the dark, she walked slowly anyways, so it made no matter. What mattered was that there were more Precure, that their hopes were not yet dead. Yes, that mattered more than anything else. That made all the pain and burdens go away.
Nozomi opened her eyes, and could not recognize where she was. She jumped out of bed, startled, hands closed into fists, certain that someone had kidnapped her, and was going to hurt her and Coco. Instead she saw a blue-haired girl sitting on a chair next to her bed, smiling gently, and she felt so embarrassed, and sat down again.
"Thank goodness," the girl said, her eyes meeting Nozomi's. They were a dark blue, and looked almost cold, but her smile was so warm. She felt trustworthy. "I thought you weren't going to wake up. You must have been really tired, no?"
"Y-Yes," Nozomi said, still confused. She looked around, and saw a small room with a single bed. Suddenly she felt guilty; this girl must not have slept so that she could take care of Nozomi. "Thank you for helping me and my… My friend."
"You're quite welcome," she said, eyes like winter, lips like summer. Not a harsh winter of blizzards and sorrow but a pleasant one, perfect to make oneself cozy under heavy blankets, and have hot chocolate with friends. Even that seemed like such a distant memory to Nozomi now.
There was a small oven on a corner of the room, some wood right next to it. It wasn't just a room, Nozomi understood. This was the entire house. Awfully small… She wondered where she was. A painting hung on the wall, too small for Nozomi to tell what it was.
"I'm sorry if I'm being rude," Nozomi said, "but who are you?"
"I'm Reika Aoki," she said, and didn't seem to take any offense. "Cure Beauty."
Nozomi jumped up again, in shock. Reika was taken aback by that, and moved a little bit away from Nozomi.
"Sorry!" Nozomi said. "Didn't mean to startle you. It's just… You're a Precure! Like me! I didn't know if I'd be able to find any, I was almost thinking I was the last Precure, but… I'm not! You're here!"
"Calm down, please," she said, and Nozomi obeyed with difficulty, restraining her enthusiasm. "So you are a Precure, like I thought… Who are you, though?"
"I'm Nozomi Yumehara, Cure Dream. And you're Cure Beauty! I heard about you! You fought with Moonlight, didn't you?"
"I did, once."
"What a honor… You must be so strong if you fought by her side…"
"You flatter me. Moonlight did most of the fighting, I was there only to provide some support," Reika gestured as if asking to drop the subject. "Anyways, I found you two passed out near the lake, and I brought you here. I found this house abandoned two nights ago, so I thought it'd be alright if I took shelter here. It does not appear that its previous inhabitant might return anytime soon. As for you, though you look a little bit skinny, you're fine, I think. No fever, no profound wounds. It was a great relief. Your fairy, however, hasn't awakened yet."
"Coco…" Nozomi had promised to protect him when she was sent to the Palmier Kingdom for her duty, but clearly she failed. Nuts was gone as well, and knowing what Nightmare did to any fairies it captured, she couldn't imagine a fate that was not horrifying.
"It's odd, though," Reika said. "I put some food in his mouth, and he ate it normally. He drank water, too, and he's breathing normally, but still he won't open his eyes. Whatever ails him is likely something of magical nature. I don't know what is his affliction, nor do I know what to do."
"I don't know either," Nozomi admitted. "But at least he's not in urgent danger, is he? He is alive, and doing all that it takes to remain so..."
"Alive, yes. I suppose we should be grateful we can say that about him. Still, we'll need to take care of him to make sure nothing happens. And I have no idea how to wake him up. Magic binds fairies to the land, to the world, but it is now scarred... I wonder if that might be the cause..."
Reika guided Nozomi to a small wooden table, where Coco rested. It didn't seem like there was anything wrong with him now. He just looked like he was asleep.
"Beauty," Nozomi approached her, whispering, though she did not know why, "what about the other Precure? Is there any word of them?"
"My companions were at Märchenland when it was attacked," she said. "Well, most of them. Happy, Sunny and March were there with me, but Peace's presence was requested at Verone Academy just one week ago. I don't know if she ever reached it, though."
"W-Where are they now?" Nozomi asked, dreading the answer.
"I don't know," Reika said, pained. "I hope they managed to flee as well. Prince Pop helped us escape the palace, but we were separated from one another in the aftermath. Happy had Princess Candy with her, too, and I pray they are safe. But other than that, I do not know."
"And the Cures from other lands?"
"I was hoping to find them," Reika said. "But I didn't have the time to search yet. I found you only by chance."
"I tried to contact the others, but no one answered. The Heart Tree burned down, and Verone Academy was destroyed," upon hearing those words, Reika's eyes began to water, though she immediately tried to conceal her feelings from Nozomi, to no success. "The Trump Kingdom was attacked as well. That's all I know, as I heard nothing after that, and had to flee for my own life, besides."
"So my fears were all true… The entire world was attacked," she said, and sat down next to Nozomi. Her eyes were dull, but she seemed about to break down. "Everywhere... Everywhere the Precure held power, everywhere brought the direst of news. If the Red Rose fell, and the Phoenix Tower with it, then... Then what do we do? Can we even do anything?"
"Of course we can!" Nozomi declared as she grabbed Reika's hands. "We're Precure, aren't we? We can't give up. Not now, nor ever."
"But how-"
"We are still alive, aren't we? We're weak, we're hurt, we're broken, but we're alive, and I'm sure the other Cures are alive as well. Maybe we can't talk to them yet, because their lights have gone out, like the stars in the sky, but I know they're there. They're not gone, they're just not shining right now."
"You're probably right," Reika sighed. "I'm sorry. I did not mean to despair. It's just been hard on me, and I've never fought alone. I'm still not sure about what I should do."
"It's alright," Nozomi smiled. "I don't know either. So we can figure it out together."
Reika nodded, and got up, thoughtful. She opened the door and walked outside, and Nozomi followed her.
"This is still our world, isn't it?" Reika said, looking in the distance. "Broken, but not dead... " Suddenly, she turned to Nozomi, and looked deep into her eyes. "More than any time before, we the Precure will need to stick together. I don't know where the others are, but maybe the two of us can find them. I don't like to ask for help, but I can't do it on my own, so I need you to fight with me."
"There's no shame in that," Nozomi said. "I can't do it on my own either. That's why the Precure all fight together, no?"
"You're right," she giggled.
"Well, then, it's decided!" Nozomi declared. "Let's fight together, and find the other Precure, until we can fix our world. I don't know how, but we'll think of something, right?"
"We will," she said, determined. "Somehow we'll make the stars shine again."