Precure Academy: Stardust' Story Ep 16

Precure Academy: Stardust' Story

Episode 16: Clashing Elements, Clashing Hearts! Repel The Terror Of The Black Mask!

Ryu walked at a brisk pace through the halls of the school, following close
behind his friend Flopi, who was in front and not even bothering to look
back to see if he was keeping up,"Yo Flopi, why exactly does Sensei want to
see us in her office?"

You'll find out when we get there." The spectacles-wearing girl replied, still
not bothering to look back at him. She seemed to be all about business right
now which worried the young man a bit. Although to be fair, while she did have
friends now and people who cared about her, she still tended to be all business
with little room for chatter.

But he had to ask anyways since he got the feeling something wasn't right,"Er..are
you feeling ok?"

"I feel fine, now please, no more questions." She answered with a bit of
authority in her voice now which only rose his suspicions even furthur. He offered
a glance over to her fairy who spread his tiny hands in a "your guess is as good as
mine" gesture.

After several minutes of walking, and another minute of climbing stairs, the small
group arrived at the door to Ariadna's office. Ryu knocked a couple times,"Sensei?
It's Flopi and Ryu."

They heard her voice from behind said door,"Ah yes, come on in, you two." The
duo did as instructed and found their teacher standing by the window, gaze facing
outwards, as if keeping an eye out for...well, whatever it was.

She finally stopped and turned toward them,"I'm glad you two could make it.
Please, have a seat."

Ryu did as he was told,"Sensei. I don't mean to be rude but..why exactly were the
two of us called here?" He really didn't, it's only that today had left him very exhausted  so he would've really liked to get whatever it was done and out of the way so he could enjoy the rest of the night in peace.

Flopi though didn't look too pleased by how straight to the point he was being,"You
need to learn to be more devoted to your duty instead of thinking about yourself.."
The black-haired boy turned his head sharply in her direction but she immediately
looked away.

Ariadna didn't appear too fazed by this, than again she was a teacher and likely was
use to seeing this kind of behavior from her students. Instead of snapping at them
like most teachers would, she simply tapped her pen on the table loudly,"Eh hm? If
I maybe allowed the chance to explain?"

Sure enough, the duo stopped and sat up straight,"Thank you," She set aside her
pen,"I apologize for calling you in at such a late hour, but there's a matter that's come
up we need to discuss."

For a moment, Ryu's brow showed signs of sweating, he knew the only reason
a person ever got called to the office was cause they'd screwed up,"Er..Sensei..did I do anything
wrong? If I did, I'll take full responsibility, I'll work so it doesn't happen ag-"

But before he could continue his nerve-wracked tirade, his teacher held up a
hand for silence,"You aren't in trouble,Ryu. I simply felt that, considering your
experiences at our school up till now, and your closeness to Miss X, you'd be a
good choice to help us with this problem."

After hearing those words, Ryu visibly relaxed and wiped his brow,"Phew..that's
a relief..what do you need help with, Sensei?" He was suddenly all chipper again,
a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Ariadna but she knew better than to harp on it right
now.

"Yes, well, I've been speaking with Flopi and I brought up the idea that it might be
time she found her partners and made her own Precure team..but.." At this, she
locked a critical eye on the girl, as if expecting Ryu to put the rest together himself.

Flopi though only frowned and met her gaze,"Ariadna-sensei. We've had this
conversation before, and my answer is the same as it was back then. I don't need
a team nor do I want one."

The woman massaged her temples in frustration before turning her eye on her
other student,"Ryu..you know her better than most people do..try and convince
her this is for the best."

Ryu nodded and looked to his fellow Cure,"Flopi..I really do think this will help
you alot. I mean, look at what you've done so far. You've worked great with me,
Emerald and the others on more than one occasion, remember?"

Flopi's cheeks burned red from embarassment as she avoided looking at
his face,"T-That's different. Circumstances forced us to work together.."

"Now you're just making up excuses," Ariadna cut in with a sigh,"I heard the
story from Suki-san. She told me how well you did with your fellow Cures
when you were trapped in that amusement park." There was a hint of pride
in her voice.

Hearing this made Flopi's face turn an even darker shade of red, almost like
a cherry,"Working with friends is one thing..but working with a team of my own
is a whole different matter. Even a single screw-up or careless act can cost
you.." Space only facepalmed at his partner's stubborness.

"I won't argue with that logic," Ryu admitted as he tried to reason with
her,"Granted I don't have one of my own but I don't believe it's that big a
leap from just working with friends to having an actual team."

Space jumped in with his two cents,"Yes. When you're part of a team you
compliment each other's strengths and cover for one another's weaknesses."

"After all, being strong doesn't always mean being the best at everything-ia,"
All eyes were now on Tia who had a timid look on her face,"It's what my daddy
taught me. Sometimes, to be strong all you need to do is be willing to ask for
help-ia. You don't have to carry everything by yourself."

"Wise words, Tia." Ariadna complimented with a nod of her head.

Flopi however didn't seem entirely convinced,"..I wish I could believe you
guys, I really do. But..I'm just not ready to take that big a step." She shook
her head in denial.

Her battle sensei shook her head right back at her,"Personally, I think you
are ready. You simply haven't realized it yet," She looked to Ryu,"What do
you think, Mr Maxwell? Is she ready?"

Ryu wasn't use to being asked for his input on important matters like
this, but X was his friend, so the least he could do was be honest with
how he felt,"I..think she's ready for this. Besides, we can use all the
help we can get."

"So what you're saying is I'm not strong enough, is that it?" Flopi growled
out with a hint of malice in her voice. Before he could object, she stopped
him,"Actually, don't answer that. I already know what you're gonna say,"

"Flopi.." Space murmured helplessly as he watched her get up.

"I'm done discussing this topic. If you guys still care how I feel, you won't
bring this up anymore.." Without waiting for an answer, she stormed out
the door, slamming it shut behind her.

Ryu stared at the door sadly, feeling like a failure,"Sorry Sensei.."

The blond woman let out a sigh,"Don't be sorry,Ryu. You did what you
could for her," She pulled out some papers from her drawer and began
sorting them,"Some nuts are simply harder to crack than others."

"What are we gonna do-ia?" Tia asked with unease in her voice.

"Continue trying to convince her, if you want," Ariadna offered as she
began writing on a piece of paper,"But for me, I feel it's time I took
matters into my own hands. Space, if you please?" The little piggy
nodded and whispered into her ear. She nodded as she wrote down
what he said.

Both Ryu and Tia shared a surprised look on their faces,"What do
you mean, you're taking matters into your own hands?" asked the
former.

His teacher stayed focus on her work but still replied,"I wouldn't do
this if I had any other option. I only hope she eventually realizes this is for
her own good." As she worked, Space glanced at the two, a look of guilt
in his eyes of what he was planning.

At that moment, Ryu heard a yawn coming from Tia and so he scooped
her up,"Well, if you don't need me anymore..I'll be going. See you later,Sensei."

He headed for the door but before he closed it, the young man caught
the sight of two carrier pigeons flying out the window and into the
midnight sky...

------------------------------

Morning came for the students of Precure Academy. Another day of
studies and forging relationships had begun. However, for Mana, who
was on her way to class, she was only thinking of the black-haired kid
who'd helped her.

"I really hope he didn't do anything wrong,guys." She muttered aloud
to her fairy tones who were flying with her. Ever since they had merged,
she couldn't shake this feeling of closeness she felt to him.

Major landed on her shoulder,"Why do you think he'd be in trouble-miri?"
Her partner shook her head,"It's just..well, from what I know, most people
don't get called to the office unless something bad has happened, or they've
broken some sort of rule.."

Minor landed on her other shoulder,"Well, he does dress in attire like a
rebel's..but he seems really nice too..although that Flopi girl didn't look
too happy when she came to the door..hrrmm.."

"If only I could see him again.." Mana said with a wishful sigh, she than
spotted someone standing under the shade of a tree, their back turned
to her,"What the?" On closer inspection, she could make out who it was.
"It's Ryu!" She called out to him while running,"Ryu!"

"Eh?" He turned and seemed caught off-guard by her presence,"Oh! Sorry
Mana, say um, sorry about running out on you last night, had some business
to take care of."

Mana simply giggled and shrugged off his apology,"It's fine, don't fret about
it. Are you ok though? Ya look troubled."

Ryu folded his arms and leaned against the tree,"Huh..that obvious,eh? Fine.."
He set about explaining what had occurred the other night between him, Flopi
and their teacher.

The violet-haired gal listened intently, nodding all the while,"I see. Sounds
to me like Flopi is simply scared, or maybe she doesn't feel like she deserves a
team."

This surprised both the dragon boy and his fairy, as they'd never considered
that second one,"What makes you say that?"

Mana explained,"Think about what you've told me so far. Flopi was betrayed by
those she once saw as her teammates, and ever since she's been cold and aloof,
sometimes even harsh, to others, even if they were people who showed her kindness."
"She pushed them away out of fear of being abandoned again."

Ryu was seeing her point now,"So, you're saying now that she has real friends
she feels remorse for how she acted in the past?"

"I'm not totally certain but It's a strong possibility,yes." confirmed his cat
friend with a nod.

"Ah geez.." The boy grunted while scratching his noggin,"Now I feel dumb for
not thinking of that possibility myself."

But Mana would have none of that self-loathing,"Don't beat yourself up,Ryu.
You can't be expected to think of everything." She gave him a reassuring pat
on the shoulder.

Ryu didn't look too convinced but he appreciated the gesture,"Thanks, Mana,"
He scooped up his bag,"We should probaubly get going, class is starting soon."

She agreed and walked with him to the entrance of the school. But as they
readied for class, the boy knew that Flopi needed help and soon..otherwise,
there was no telling what would come of her.

Also, he had this weird sinking feeling in his gut. The kind that made you
feel like something very bad was coming..and there was nothing you could
do to stop it.

The only thing you could do..was prepare for its arrival as best as you were
able to...
----------------------------------------
It was nearing noon hour and most people in the city were busy going
about their daily lives. The frequent monster attacks and weird occurances
did little to dissuade the masses from continuing normal routines.

One particular figure observed all this from their perch on the edge of a
tall building. Cardinal observed the humans going about and scoffed,"Disqusting,
these putrid humans. How they've managed to survive as a race up till this point escapes
even me,"

Even though a mask covered most of the top half of his face, one could
clearly see his mouth twisted in a look of distaste. How these humans
sickened him, acting like they were the masters of all they saw around
them, when there were forces out there that could wipe them out in a
instant if they so choose.

"That day is coming.." The masked man murmured ominously to himself
before something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention,"Hmm?"

He spotted what appeared to be two girls walking together down the
street, bags slung over their shoulders and dragging luggage cases behind
them. They were chatting to each other but Cardinal could hardly make
out what they were saying.

The only thing he could make out was some sort of uniform they both
wore, like something one would wear at a private school. He didn't pay
it any heed though.

For now, his objective was destroying that nuisance dragon boy. He would
prove to all that he was worthy of being the leader of Lord Phoenix's three
lieutenants,"Nobody said I couldn't have some fun along the way though.."

Cardinal grinned evilly as he turned and vanished in a whirlwind of black
feathers, off to start the first stage of his plan.

One of the two girls looked up to where he had been and rose an eyebrow.
"Yo Runa, you ok?" asked the other gal.

The person known as Runa shook her head,"I'm fine. Let's just keep
moving." She walked onward, her friend following not far behind.
-------------------------------------
Flopi was sitting by herself at one of the tables in the cafeteria, eating
her sandwich. Although her state looked calm and composed, her mind
was a whole different matter.

Although she wouldn't admit it, she knew she needed her own team, heck,
to be frank, a part of her even liked the thought of having one. Of course,
there was still that fear of being abandoned but it wasn't nearly as strong
as it once was thanks to her new friends.

No, that wasn't the problem, the problem was...actually she couldn't
tell what it was. She knew there was something holding her back, it's just
she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

"Hey Flopi," Ryu greeted as he took a seat a respectable distance from
her and took a bite out of his wrap,"Hope ya don't mind I take a seat here."

She glanced up at him, and nodded, a bit relieved to see him,"It's ok,I
don't mind." The two sat in silence for a while, chewing their food and
not saying anything. Both felt the desire to speak yet were unsure of
what to say.

Somebody had to break the moment soon though, Ryu figured it might
as well be him, but so did Flopi, and as if by some cosmic hand, they
both said at the same time,"So, what are your plans for the afternoon?"

At realizing what they did, both blushed and faced away from each
other,"Ermm...you go first." The girl with the half-eaten sandwich insisted.

"Right.." Ryu cleared his throat before speaking,"Well, I was thinking of
hanging out downtown at the mall later. Of course, if you..got plans of
your own, I can go by myself."

The way he said that only made Flopi feel even more guilty,"He's still upset
about the way I acted last night.." She assumed in her head,"I can't really
blame him either,"

She felt a need to make up although she wouldn't admit it outloud,"Actually,
I got nothing better to do so I suppose I'll go with you."

"Yippee!" Tia danced about with Space,"Flopi's coming with us! Yay! Let's
have fun together as friends!" The pig fairy oinked happily in agreement.

Flopi managed to smile a little at seeing her friends happy. She turned
to Ryu only to see him smiling as well, she didn't want to admit it
out in the open but..he looked really nice wearing a smile.

"He really should do it more often.." She thought in her head
before turning and heading for the door.

"Shall we get going than?" The gal replied, swallowing her last
bite of sandwich before looking back at him.

He nodded and followed her out, their fairies tailing from
behind...
--------------------------
The mall was abuzz with the sound of happy shoppers
going about their business. Kazuko sighed as she lugged
several bags along in her hands,"Aya, don't ya think we've
bought enough?"

Aya was looking around, eyes in wonder, jaw hanging out
at all the sales,"Oh come on, Kazuko! Just a couple more
stores!" She pointed,"Look! That one's having a sale on
hats! Half Off only for today! We gotta get some!"

"You go get some if you want," The dark-haired girl took
a seat and sighed,"I think I'll sit here for a bit."

Her partner only shrugged,"Suit yourself. More hats
for me than!" She skipped off toward the store, leaving
the other gal to shake her head in dismay.

Storm poked her head out of one of the bags,"I swear,
Kazuko. If it were anybody else who offered to help carry
these bags, Aya would've had them run ragged ages ago."

"No argument here," groaned Kazuko in agreement
as she laid back and watched the movement of the
clouds through the stain glass ceiling,"..Strange."

Storm hopped on over to her friend's shoulder
and tilted her head,"What is?"

The dark-haired girl kept her eyes to the ceiling
as she spoke,"It's quiet...too quiet. The kind of quiet
where Anything can happen.."

Her fairy had to hold back a chuckle,"That sounds
like something Aya would say. You sure she ain't starting
to rub off on you?"

For a moment, Kazuko pondered that idea over.
Could she really be imagining things? She shook her
head,"Maybe you're right,Storm. Perhaps I'm worrying
too much."

"As always," Storm remarked with a small smirk,"You
need to learn to relax more, you know that? And stop
pulling all-nighters on your homework."

The brainy gal blushed and looked away,"I-I can't help
it if I wanna stay on top of my studies.." Just than, she
caught sight of a familiar face,"What?"

Squinting, she was able to make out who it was,"It's
Ryu..and he's with Flopi." She watched them going into
a music store.

"Hey, maybe they're on a date?" teased Storm, but at
seeing the frown on her partner's face, she relented,"Sorry,
I'll stop now."

Over with Ryu he was listening to a song on some
headphones for a few moments before offering them
to his friend,"Want a listen?"

Flopi said nothing, but she did take a moment to listen
before handing it back,"It's..alright, I suppose." From the
look in her eyes, she was obviously not too interested.

Ryu blinked at this but than smiled and snapped his
fingers,"I know! Let's get some ice cream. Sure, we might
be spoiling ourselves but who cares? We're worth it,right?"

"Ryu.." At hearing the somber way she said that, he
stopped himself,"I..I'm sorry but I can't do this." She
barged past him and headed out of the store.

"Flopi!" He called out as he followed behind.

"Don't follow me!" She snapped, turning her head
back for a moment, causing him to halt. It was a struggle
simply to hold her composure while angry.

"Flopi..just tell me what's wrong and I can help
you!" He pleaded, not liking where this was going.

But the gal kept the stoic look on her face,"No. I
don't need your help..neither do I deserve it." She
turned and headed for the door.

Ryu knew he had to ask before it was too late,"You're
feeling remorseful, aren't you?" That froze the girl in
her tracks.

He had a feeling he might kick himself for this later but
knew it was now or never,"You finally made some real
friends, ones who won't betray you and whom you can trust.."

"And now, you feel ashamed for losing faith in others...am
I wrong in saying that?"

Flopi was quiet for a couple seconds than hung her head
before looking to him,"..No..you're not. It's just..why?"

"Why, what?" Ryu asked, curious.

"Why you? Of all the people who wanted to become MY
friend..why you?" She shook her head,"After the way I
treated you..the way I stomped on the very idea of having
a team.."

"After all I've done..all the times I pushed others away..there's
no way I'm deserving of my own team." Flopi turned away in
shame.

Ryu knew his friend wasn't the kind who was able to
express herself easily, so seeing her in such a frantic state
stabbed at his heart quite a bit.

It was Space's turn to cut in. He tugged on her shirt,"Flopi.
Don't be like that. Yes, you said some mean things in the
past, and gave a few people the cold shoulder, but you had
your reasons."

"Reasons or not, that doesn't justify what I've done," Flopi
marched on toward the exit,"I need to be alone for a bit."

"Flopi, wait!" Kazuko called out, now deciding to get
involved..only to watch Flopi unable to push the doors
open,"What the?"

"Come on, you stupid door!" The brown-haired girl gave
a swift kick but it still didn't budge.

Ryu didn't like the looks of this. It was then he noticed
Tia shivering from inside his collar,"Tia?"

"Scary...Ryu..something really, really scary is coming-ia."
She was shivering which was both weird and discomforting,
as Tia only did that when facing something that posed a
very serious threat.

"Get away from the doors!" Kazuko suddenly shouted as
she caught sight of what looked like a black cloud coming
at the doors.

Ryu saw it as well and grabbed Flopi's hand, pulling her
away just in time. The doors exploded open as swarms of
black crows flew inside.

The area around them suddenly got very dark and
dreary,"What is with all the crows?!" Aya exclaimed
upon coming out of the store.

Kazuko said nothing, only watched as they formed
together in a black mass which quickly took on a
humanoid form. At seeing who it was, her eyes
widened,"No..it's you.."

The figure, dressed in a flowing black robe of
sorts and with feathers stuck in a crown of black
spikes on his head, had his back turned to them.
He spoke in a calm, controlled manner,"It's been
a while..hasn't it, Wing Precure?"

With a twirl, and  a flick of his cloak, he turned to face
them, a black  mask in the shape of a bird's beak covering his
face.

An aura of dark power burst forth from his body.
Ryu felt a semblance of uncertainty creep up in
him, but Aya and Kazuko stood their ground.
The boy knew he needed to ask,"Aya..Kazuko..who
is this guy?"

"Ryu.." Aya murmured, keeping her glare at the
bird man,"You remember that time we told you
Dark Phoenix had three lieutenants,right?"

He nodded and than it hit him,"Wait..you're saying
that guy is number three?" A bead of sweat rolled down
his face.

"Yes." came Kazuko's blunt response,"His name is
Cardinal..and out of Phoenix's goons..he's the worst
of all."

"You humble me with your flattery," Cardinal said
cheerfully as he did a sweeping bow, before raising
her gaze to see Ryu,"Ah...so you're the one.."

He vanished in a flurry of feathers and reappeared
right in front of his face, forcing him to step back.
"You're the Dragon Child...Cure Stardust, I presume?"

Aya actually went and swung her fist at him, forcing
the man to teleport away,"Leave him out of this!
Your fight is with us, remember?!"

Ryu could hardly believe what was happening in
front of him. Sure, these two got serious when the
moment demanded it, but to see Aya with such an
angry, even...vengeful expression, unnerved him.

Cardinal reformed, sitting on the edge of a
railing, watching them calmly,"While that is true,
my target isn't you today. It's the boy. So, if you kindly move
aside.."

"Forget it," Kazuko snapped, standing in front of
the dragon boy like a shield,"If you want him, you'll
need to go through us."

"Flopi, take Ryu and find somewhere safe. Look after
him till we're done here." Aya ordered in a no-nonsense
tone as she rose her wrist device and transformed
along with Kazuko.

But Ryu objected,"Wait! Let me stay and fight with
you! I can help!"

"No, you can't," Raven shot back,"Cardinal's not like
Crow and Shiki. He's cold, ruthless...he's on a totally
different level than anyone you've faced before.."

"I'm sorry to say this, but your current strength ain't
nearly enough to stand against him," Dove admitted
sadly before turning to face their foe,"Now go!"

Flopi said nothing, only took his hand and ran for
it, dragging Ryu along, despite his protests,"Fools,"
Cardinal remarked with a sigh as he reappeared
before the duo,
"You couldn't best me in straight combat before...what
makes you think this time will be any different?"

"Two reasons: One, me AND Dove's powers have grown
since our last encounter.." Raven started.

"And Two. We've picked up a few new tricks since that
time," Dove finished before holding up her fists in a
boxing stance,"Now, put up your dukes!"

Cardinal smirked,"Oh? Than let's see how much you've
really evolved, shall we?" He vanished in a ripple of
feathers.

The duo whirled around and held up their hands, stopping
his fist in its tracks. The force though, caused the area
around to splinter and throw rocks and dirt about.

Their foe only jumped back and began hurling balls of
dark energy at them. Raven pulled out her sword and
began hacking them up, the split fragments hitting the
ground around them, causing small explosions.

Dove leaped out of the smoke created and began
raining light arrows down on him. Cardinal's hand
suddenly moved like a blur in front of him, and when
it stopped, the blond was shocked to see all her
arrows had been caught.

The bird man suddenly disappeared again and
reappeared in front of Aya, shoving a ball of
negative energy into her chest. The resulting
blast knocked her out of the air, crying in pain.

"Dove!" Raven caught her friend and leaped
away to avoid yet another ball of energy which
created a small crater where it hit.

She let her friend down, only to be shoved
aside as Cardinal slammed a palm into Dove's
chest, the force of which sent her flying.

Raven snarled and leaped toward him, going
into a roundhouse kick, but her foe used his
forearm to block it than grasped her leg by
the ankle,"What?"

"Raven!" Dove came flying back in and thrust
a glowing fist at Cardinal, only for him to stop
it with the palm of his hand,"Oh, come on.."

Cardinal flew up high into the air before coming
down with them and slamming both girls into the
ground hard, the impact shaking the entire area
and creating two giant pillars of debris and smoke
The fiend floated up high, admiring his work,"..Heh,
so much for thinking they'd be a challenge this time.."

He turned to go after the others...only to stop,"Hmm?"
Two flashes of light came from within the smoke.

He called up a barrier around him as shots of black
and white energy flew at him. The shots hit with a lot
of power, enough to make him cringe slightly.

"What the.." He watched the two fly up out of the
smoke, wielding the Weaponized forms of their
fairies,"So that's the new power the reports spoke of?"

"That's right!" Dove cried defiantly as she pointed
hers,"Now beat it before we show you what our friends
can REALLY do..when they're motivated, of course."

Raven could only facepalm at this. Cardinal though,
simply grinned,"Interesting..quite interesting indeed.
In that case.." He flared up his power once again.

"Let's start Round 2!" Beneath his mask he wore a
sick grin. The girls readied themselves, they needed
to win, they just had to...

----------------------------

"O-Oy! Let me go already!" Ryu growled as he finally
yanked his arm free from Flopi's grasp. The sound of
explosions nearly caused the two to fall over,"Agh! Guys!"

"Don't go!" His fellow Cure begged, worried for his
safety,"Dove and Raven can take care of themselves.
Let's just hide here in the food court until they finish."

The black-haired boy bared his teeth in frustration
at not being able to help,"That Cardinal guy..something's
definitely not right about him...I can feel it.."

"I'll say, your hand's trembling," Flopi mentioned while
pointing to his hand which was indeed trembling. He
clenched it with his other hand to stop it,"And you got
drops of sweat on you,"

She than stated the obvious,"..You're scared,aren't you?"

Ryu looked her in that stoic face of hers,"No need to
lie to me. To be honest...I'm pretty scared myself."

Realizing there was no point in hiding it like she said,
he calmly nodded,"..I am scared..but not for the reason
you're thinking.."

She looked up to him as he walked a little ways from
her,"..Aya and Kazuko...they risked their very lives to
save me when I was afflicted with the poison from Dualia's
monster..and I haven't done squat to pay them back."

"Ryu.." Flopi listened as he went on.

"Those two..including Tia..they're the kind of friends
who only come along once in a blue moon, at best. The
kind who can't be replaced.." He inspected the Star Mantle
fondly,"I..want to return those feelings..somehow."

His friend felt touched by his words, of course she
asked,"And? What about me?"

At this, he only grinned,"Don't worry..you're in that
grouping too." Seeing him grin, made her blush a little.

Just than, they heard an unfamiliar voice,"Come on,Blau!
I heard them over this way!" Another voice called back,"Wait
for me, Ross!"

Two unknown Cures than ran by them. Ryu didn't
recognize either, although he did notice they had
similar designs in their outfits to X's. He didn't notice
the heated glare Flopi sent after them.

"Wait!" He called out,"It's too dangerous!" But his
words went unheeded as they ran onward. He turned
to his friend,"Looks like we got our reason to join
in now."

Flopi seemed to finally realize there was no stopping
him, so she gave a relunctant sigh,"Fine..but we're not
getting involved unless the girls are in a tight pinch,got
that?"

He agreed, the two transformed and ran off to join
the fight...
----------------------------
Both Dove and Raven had their hands full with Cardinal,
flying through the mall while twirling and swerving to
avoid his destructive energy blasts. Dove turned and
let fly a couple rounds from her own weapon.

The bird man simply swatted them aside with his
forearm. Raven did an air break and let herself
fly backwards until she was behind him,"Try this!"

She charged up and fired off her blaster at point-blank
range, the attack actually connected and knocked him
back,"Now, Dove!"

"Wing Blaster, Fire!" It was Dove's turn to power up
and let fly a round of homing lasers. The shots hit home,
creating a cloud of smoke,"Yes!"

The two landed together, breathing heavily,"That had
to have done something.." Raven growled while watching
the cloud dissipate.

However, when it cleared, they were shocked to see
Cardinal had been virtually untouched, and was brushing
off some dust on his arms,"Not bad at all, I must admit, that
was actually a good effort."

"Not even a scratch!" Dove stomped her boot into the
ground.

"There's still one thing we can try.." Raven reminded as
she and Dove charged up their blasters,"Precure Heavenly
Burst!" The beam of black and white energy flew forth.

Their foe watched as the bird approached him,"Oh? That's
an impressive amount of power you have..but.." He called
up a swirling mass of negative energy,"That won't stop me!"

He hurled the attack as it jumped in size massively and
collided with their attack. Both girls stared in horror as
the attack literally Devoured the beam and slammed into
them.

The resulting explosion rattled the mall's foundations.
When it settled, both girls lied sprawled amongst the
rubble, covered in bruises and barely able to move.

Cardinal looked them over,"..This is the end.."
He rose his hand as yet another swirling mass of
energy formed,"Farewell, Wing Precure.."

But before that, a new voice proclaimed,"Hold it
right there!" Phoenix's head lieutenant stopped his
attack and turned to see two new Cures standing
together facing him,"Hmm? And who might you be?"

"Cure Blaugrane's my name." stated the first one.

"And I'm Cure Rossoneri, now step away from those
two or be ready to face our wrath." the other one
added before both assumed a fighting stance.

Cardinal, instead of being intimidated, merely
tilted his head, smirking,"Oh ho. So you want to
play heroes, do ya? In that case.." He rose a hand
up,"Allow me to give you a children..a painful lesson
on reality!"

"It's us who will be teaching you!" called out Stardust
as she flew in and around Cardinal, generating her
cyclone attack,"Precure Dragonic Twister!" The bright
silver flames lit up the gloomy mall.

X rose up her sword as it crackled with electricity,"Precure
Lightning Strike!" She swung it and fired out a crackling
bolt of electricity. It struck the cyclone and got wrapped
up in it before an explosion went off.

Stardust landed with her comrade and ran over to where
the others lied,"Guys! Hang on, we'll get you out of here."

Dove managed to force open an eye,"S-Stardust..go. Don't
worry about us..just get away from here. Cardinal's too
powerful.."

"Don't say that!" He snapped while removing the debris,"I
am NOT abandoning you! I told you before, I'm not someone
who leaves their friends behind."

"If Stardust ain't leaving, neither am I," X remarked while
helping her fellow cure Raven up,"We can still win this if
we all pull together."

"So sorry to break up the moment.." Everyone stopped and
turned, seeing Cardinal there AGAIN mostly untouched after
the combined assault,"But I think we had a fight going on."

"You amateurs best leave this bloke to us than.." Blaugrane
commented while stepping forward,"If you want a job done
right, you need to do it yourself."

"Blaugrane.." X growled while scowling at her.

Cardinal frowned,"On second thought..you people are
starting to bore me..so.." He took off before anyone could
react and rammed a swirling ball of dark energy into Stardust's
chest.

She had no time to react..it came too fast...the explosion was
so strong, it scattered the Cures every which way, screaming.

-------------------------------

"Ughh..oh my head.." X sat up, groaning but then gasped
at seeing Stardust being held by the throat by Cardinal,"No!"

"Pathetic...you were barely worth my time.." He sighed
before grasping the Mantle tightly,"But while I got you.."

"No! No-ia!" Tia screamed as Cardinal actually managed to
extract her from the device and encase her in a crystal orb.
The villain then chucked his enemy aside in a heap.

"Tia!" Stardust cried out in worry, not believing what was
happening.

The bird man only grinned at his hostage,"It's because of
you that your friend is such a nuisance...I think I'll hang onto
you..as a souveneir of my victory."

"Let her go!" X roared as she charged forward, only to
be elbowed aside by Blaugrane,"Hey! Stay out of this!"
Blaugrane only scoffed,"No, YOU stay back! Besides, I thought
you wanted to stay a lone wolf."

X shoved back,"I have my reasons for saving her..now stand
down and let me do my job!" The two continued to glare at
each other.

Stardust hobbled weakly to her feet and began walking,"Let
her go..please.." She was weakened and tired but still needed
to push on,"Take me instead.."

Cardinal rose an eyebrow, surprised,"I see..so you still have
the strength to stand.." He threw a glance at Tia,"Your concern
for the little one is that great, you'd put your life on the line?"

"Of course!" She snapped before coughing.

As the other girls argued, Cardinal looked at the defenseless
Wing Cures, than grinned,"In that case..." He waved his hand
and trapped the two in dark orbs,"Come find me..let's see
just how strong your dedication really is.."

A dark portal opened beneath him and he vanished
through it with his hostages.

Stardust wandered toward the portal only for Flopi to
finally notice and stop him,"What do you think you're doing?"

Ryu gave her a blank stare,"I'm going after my friends."

"Not in that condition, and without Tia you can't access
your full power," Flopi reminded,"We need back-up, a
plan, he's too strong for us."

Blaugrane actually laughed,"The great and powerful
Cure X actually wants to ASK for help from others?"
She shook her head,"Pinch me, cause I got to be dreaming."

Rosso did as instructed,"Ouch! It was figurative!"
She quickly mumbled an apology.

Stardust turned back to the portal,"X, we don't know
how long we have until this portal closes," There was a
hint of desperation in her voice,"I don't care how strong
Cardinal is, or that I'm not at full power..I need to save
them."

"If you go in, there's no guarantee you'll come back
out!" Flopi argued, why did her friend have to be so
bloody stubborn?

Ryu huffed,"Do you really think I care? Whether it's a
friend or a teammate makes little difference. If they're in
trouble, I have a responsibility to stick by them and we'll
see each other through!"

She glanced at Flopi one more time,"..I know you're
scared of having a team..but you can't let it hold you back,
if you give into it before you even try..you've already lost."
Stardust than leapt in without a good-bye.

Flopi watched him go,"..Stardust.." She wasn't sure what
to make of his words for a second.

Rosso waltzed over beside her,"..So..what you wanna do
now?"

X watched the portal for a moment than sighed,"What do
ya think I'm gonna do?" She started walking toward it than
stopped and turned back, tilting her head,"Well?"

Both other Cures shared a surprised face,"Huh?"

The lightning Cure rolled her eyes,"You guys coming or
not?"

"You..want us..to help?" Blaugrane stated while wearing
a "are you serious" face,"..Ok, who are you and what've you
done with X?"

"Guys, this is serious!" She growled, getting their attention.
"Look, I know I've rubbed a lot of people the wrong way with
my attitude, especially you guys..and for that, I'm sorry.."

She shook her head,"But this is different..that girl..she's my
friend..out of so many people she didn't simply want to be
teammates..she wanted to be my friend.."

"And I..I can never be grateful enough for that..that's why,
I ask you.." She looked them In the eye,"Please. This one
time, lend me your strength."

Blaugrane blinked repeatedly, to see X express so much raw
emotion was almost unheard of, and a huge shock for both
her and Rosso.

They looked to each other and nodded,"You want it, you
got it."

X smiled and turned away,"Don't think this changes
anything..but thanks anyway."

The trio than leaped in after their fellow warrior...
-------------------------------

Stardust found herself walking through a vast sea of
blackness, the floor felt like water and rippled like it
yet she could walk on it. The sky above was a Very gloomy
grey, not like the Neutral grey that represented herself.

"Tia! Dove! Raven!" She called out to the empty realm.
"If you can hear me, answer!"

She winced a little as she walked but kept going,"Gotta
hang in there..so hard to tell where I'm going without
any sort of flame.."

Just than, a ball of fire appeared and she was suddenly
warmer,"Oh, much better..thank you."

"You're very welcome," She stopped and turned,
seeing X, Blaugrane, and Rossoneri together,"Guys..you
came?"

Flopi folded her arms,"Well, duh! Of course we came.
Dove and Raven are my comrades too, remember?"

"So you're the kid who got stone cold X to come out
of her shell,eh?" Blau remarked on seeing her up close.
"Well, anybody who can do that is alright in my book."

Stardust tilted her head,"Um..not that I ain't happy
to see you..but who are those two?"

"This is Cures Rossoneri, and Cure Blaugrane..they're
my..sisters in arms you could say." Flopi blushed at those
words, as did the other two.

Ryu managed to smile too,"Ah..finally accepting that
being on a team ain't all bad, eh?" The others giggled
at his comment.

Flopi puffed out her cheeks,"Hrmm..l-let's just find
the others and get out of here,ok?"

Stardust agreed and the quartet were on their
way. They walked for quite some time, calling out
in every direction for some sign of the girls.

Finally, a reply came,"Stardust!" Hearing Tia's voice
caused adrenaline to shoot through the boy's
veins and he ran onward with the others.

"Tia!" He called out. She cried back,"No! Stay away!
Don't come!" But her warning went unheeded as they
kept following until, in the distance, they spotted two
figures.

"Dove! Raven!" Flopi cried happily,"They must've got
away from Cardinal!" The group approached the two
with high hopes...

..But as they got closer, it became evident something
wasn't right. The two were simply...standing there,
motionless...like statues. They were facing away as
well.

"Um..guys..do you notice anything..off about them?"
Rosso mentioned hesitantly, even stopping in place.

Stardust, not being a complete moron, stopped
upon getting close enough,"Err..guys.." He reached
out to touch them..

Only to have them turn around, revealing they were
wearing beak masks just like Cardinal's! The sight was
enough to make everyone recoil in shock.

Behind them floated the crystal orb with Tia trapped
inside,"You need to run! Cardinal put some weird mask
on them and now they're not themselves!"

"Not themselves?" Ryu wondered aloud as he suddenly
felt a hard punch to his stomach, the force of which
launched her back into her friends,"R-Raven!"

Her friend said nothing, only lunging at her. The group
moved out of the way, only to be cut off by a rain of
arrows from Dove's bow.

"O-Oy!" Flopi exclaimed angrily,"You two. Snap out
of it already! Don't you recognize us?"

"..." There was no reply, only another attack, as they
both leaped forward. The group was forced to flip
away from them.

"They're not listening!" Rosso shouted, avoiding a
thrusting punch from the white Cure.

"Yeah, I kinda figured that out." Blau swiftly dodged
and evaded Raven's fists but received a sharp kick to
the ribs for her troubles.

Stardust could only shake her head at this, but than
turned and ran toward the crystal..only for a bolt of
black lightning to block her way,"Grr..Cardinal!"

Said being was leaning against the crystal, grinning.
"Ah, you came, wonderful. Do you like what I've done?
Personally, I think it's an improvement."

"What HAVE you done?!" She demanded angrily.

He shrugged,"Nothing much. I've simply bestowed the
Masks of Sorrow on them."

That shook her up,"Masks...of Sorrow?"

The man's grin only grew,"Correct...when worn, the
masks transform the wearer into a lifeless puppet which
I can control however I see fit..and the best part?" His
grin became disturbing,"They're still conscious..and aware
of Everything."

Stardust trembled at hearing those words,"No..you..you.."
Her hands shook before she clenched them and bared her
teeth,"You heartless monster!" She screamed and ran
toward him so fast, even he was surprised.

That split second was all it took to deck him in the jaw.
"How dare you use my friends for your own personal gain?!"

For a couple moments, Cardinal said nothing, than a frown
replaced his smirk,"That..was a very foolish thing to do,girl."

He snatched her up by the neck and called down a bolt of
black lightning. The volts coursed through the girl and after
about ten painful seconds, he tossed her to the ground with
her friends.

X climbed to her feet, breathing heavily,"Guys..we need to
do something..we have to save Tia."

"If you want to save her so badly.." Cardinal gestured to
his minions,"You need only defeat those two..and I will
return her safe and sound."

As if today weren't surprising enough,"Y-You gotta be
kidding me.." Stardust grumbled as she was helped to
her feet,"To save Tia..we need to defeat Dove and Raven?"

"That's what I said," The bird man folded his arms,"Consider
it a test of just how dedicated you really are to the princess,"
He tilted his head,"That is, unless you don't WANT her to
see her family again."

Ryu steadied himself,"You're right, I do want Tia to see her
family again..but not like this."

"Hmm?" Cardinal once more rose an eyebrow as both his
servants started walking toward their target.

"The princess trusted me with this mission..she put Her life
in My hands," Stardust clenched her hands tightly,"We both
want to bring her home back, but...to sacrifice the friends
we make along the way is too cruel a price!"

"Life is cruelty, girl," Cardinal replied,"Those with power
are the only ones who benefit. The strong are those who
toss aside the weak and stand on their own."

"No, it's not," Flopi stated as she stepped up,"I once thought
the same way as you. That I could toss aside others and be
fine on my own...but now I know that's not the way to
true strength,"

She looked fondly to Ryu and than to the others,"True
strength comes from lending a hand to the weak..trusting
in both yourself and others..to acknowledge fear but be
willing to face it head on."

"What nonsense are you spewing?" Cardinal snarled, but
noticed his minions weren't moving,"Huh?"

"It's only nonsense to you, not to us," Stardust argued
back,"To us, it's fact. It's how we been able to keep on
fighting, because we trust in each other, we have each
other's backs when things go south."

"Oh, quit it with your friendship talk!" Cardinal roared,
losing his patience,"Dove, Raven, crush them!" The two
moved forward but almost seemed to be..struggling.
"What?"

"They're resisting-ia!" Tia cheered,"Your words are
getting through to them, guys!"

"Right.." Flopi took Raven's hand,"Remember Raven.
Remember how much you loved my drawings. Recall
how happy you made me."

"You too, Dove.." Stardust took her hand,"You and
Raven risked your lives to save me before. Even when
it was against Gaia, you showed her what it meant to
be truly strong,"

"And I..I never got the chance to say this..but you made
me very proud that day.."

The two stood there, not talking or moving..and than a
tear leaked from Dove's mask..and a small crack formed.
Same for Raven's.

This did not make Cardinal happy,"NO! That..that's not
possible!" He fired a black bolt from his hand..only for
Flopi to counter with one of her own,"You worms.."
Stardust grasped Dove's mask as Flopi did for Raven.

"That's it. Fight it! Don't let this bird-brain get the better
of you!" He pulled with all his might.

"Remember who you are!" X tugged with all her
might,"You're Cure Dove and Cure Raven! You're the
Wing Precure!"

"Let my pawns go!" Cardinal flew toward them..only
for a wall of fire to block his way,"No! Not when I was
so close.."

"Do it guys!" Rosso ordered as she kept up the wall,"Break
those stupid masks!"

The duo tugged and tugged, suddenly..Ryu's Precure power
flared up..it was only brief and not very strong..but it was
enough to melt the edges of the mask. Flopi did the same.

And with one last tug...the masks broke off. Stardust fell
on her back, as did Flopi. Their friends went the other way.
Cardinal could only stare in disbelief,"The Masks of Sorrow..they've
been...broken?"

"Oww...my head.." Aya grumbled as she awoke back to
normal. She than felt on her face,"M-My face..oh wow, my
face is back to normal!"

"Same here.." Kazuko sat up and looked around. She than
spotted the others,"Oh no, Ryu! Flopi!" She crawled over
beside their bodies.

"Flopi?!" Rossoneri and Blaugrane had to take a moment
to make sure they weren't hearing things.

Sure enough, Flopi groaned and rose up, back in her
human form, as did Ryu,"Oh man...you still here,Ryu?"
"Ask me again after the world stops spinning.." The boy
groaned as he sat up out of the muck.

Tia saw Cardinal was distracted, his magic weakening
without the masks, so she shone with light and broke
free,"Yay! Ryu, you did it!" She clung to him, crying tears
of happiness.

Aya smiled at them,"Guess that makes twice now you
saved us.." A coughing came from near them,"Oh..and I
guess we owe Flopi and her friends too."

Air and Storm, who'd been trapped in their devices,
popped up and bowed,"You've all done a truly great
thing here today, thank you."

The group all smiled to one another, happy to be
back together.

"WHY?!" They all snapped to attention and turned
to face Cardinal who looked like he was about to pop
a blood vessel,"Why were you able to come back from
the depths of sorrow?! My plan shouldn't have gone
awry like this!"

Aya gave him a look that bordered on pity,"I won't lie,
that was a pretty smart plan you had..but you made one
costly mistake."

"You did what everyone else did.." Kazuko narrowed
her eyes,"You underestimated the determination of our
friends..and the strength of the ties we share."

"Pretty dumb of you to do that." Flopi commented with
a smirk at him.

However, just as he looked like he was about to pop,
he suddenly went calm..eerily calm infact. He than
started to chuckle, unnerving the group.

"Hmhm...how interesting indeed. To think there were
others capable of breaking the hold the Masks carry.
Perhaps you ARE a genuine threat to us, after all,"

"Tell me though.." He rose his hand up,"After all you
been through..can you muster the strength to defeat
THIS?" A beam shot up into the clouds, carrying with
it several of the Queen's Feathers.

A massive caw went out as the sky rumbled and became
even darker in tone. From it descended a massive crow
with two heads and four wings, with blood red rubies
for eyes. It roared and the force of it sent them all on
their backs.

"Ryu..can you stand?" Kazuko grunted as she got
up along with Aya.

He chuckled,"Of course..who you think I am?" He
hobbled to his feet one last time,"Now's when we
show our true power..right guys?"

They all signaled in agreement than whipped out
their devices and transformed. Stardust stacked her
hand on Dove and Raven's.

Flopi's weapon, along with Rosso's and Blau's, shone
brightly. They then crossed their weapons, causing the
energy to build up.

The crow monster charged energy in it's mouths
and readied to fire.

"Pretty Cure Heaven's Fury!" The first trio let loose
a beam of energy in the form of a dragon bird.

"Precure Triple Storm!" The second trio let fly a trinity
of elemental cyclones, fire, dark wind, and electricity.

The crow fired out its beam and the two sides collided
with explosive might. Neither gave the other an inch. It
was at a stalemate.

Stardust looked to X, who nodded right back. As long as
they stood together, there was nothing they could not
overcome.

The magic sensed their emotions and grew in power.
The two trios attacks pushed harder and harder until
at last, they smashed into their target, completely
vapourizing it, and lighting up the entire realm...
----------------------------

When the light settled, they were all back in the
now-restored mall, safe and sound.

"We're..back?" Stardust wondered aloud while
looking about.

"I think we are,yep." Dove confirmed upon seeing
her leftover shopping bags."Yup, we're back."

"Good, now where's that bird dude so I can have
my shot at him?" Blaugrane asked while slamming a
fist into her palm.

Ryu took a gander around, but didn't see him,"I'm not
sure he's even here anymore."

"I guess that last attack of ours scared him off,"
said Dove with hope in her voice,"At least, I hope he's
gone."

"He'll be back for us eventually..remember that."
Raven reminded, ever the buzz kill.

"Sounds to me like you got some history with this
fella?" quipped Rossoneri suspiciously.

"Kid, you have no idea..and it's probaubly better
you don't." Dove commented in return.

Ryu had to ask,"Hey..will you guys..be alright?"
Raven nodded,"We'll be fine. We simply need some
rest..maybe some food too..oh yeah.." Both her and
Dove hugged their friend tightly.

"We can't thank you enough for back there.." Aya
said, holding back tears.

He smiled and held them back,"It's fine..you saved
me before, so now we're even."

"Having friends means being willing to stand by
them no matter what, and asking nothing but their
trust and friendship in return.."

Flopi remarked as she watched them,"Being with you
all has taught me that." Just than, flashes of light came
behind her, she turned and who she saw made her jaw
drop,"No way..Chiara..Runa?"

"Looks like we ran out of power.." Runa turned to Flopi.
"It..really is you..ain't it?"

"Yeah..it's me,Flopi.." The spectacles-wearing girl hugged
her dear friends tightly,"..I've missed you two so much!"

"Us too!" They sobbed and hugged back as tightly.
Ryu and the girls could only stand there watching the
scene before them,"Ermm...you guys got any idea what's
going on?"

They only grinned,"I think some old friends just got
reunited." Dove proclaimed with a nod.

Flopi turned and smiled at the others,"Guys. These are
my friends from my old high school. Runa and Chiara."
The two waved politely,"So um..what brings you guys
here?"

"We were asked to come by a Miss Ariadna," Runa
explained, scratching her head,"Though I'll be honest,
I never expected you would be Cure X, of all people."

Space popped out, looking down,"I'm really sorry,
Flopi. I was the one who let Sensei know about them,
so they could come here."

"So that's what he was doing.." Ryu wondered to
himself.

Flopi's face showed no reaction at first,"You mean
you did all this for me?" He nodded..only to be suddenly
glomped by her,"Thank you..I'm so glad to have a
friend like you."

Ryu than clapped his hands together,"Ok guys!
Let's get back to my place for some milk and cookies."

She felt the toll of the day taking its toll on her.
Raven and Dove looped their arms around her,"Come
on, we'll give you a lift home."

With that, the group left the mall without incident
and headed onward home to the academy..
----------------------------

Cardinal stood in what seemed like an observation
room of the Citadel. Out through the window one
could see all sorts of planets and stars but he was
not interested in any of them.

No, what intrigued him was the events within the
magic distortion he had created,"Hmmm..."

Shiki and Crow suddenly warped in,"You're back,"
started the former,"And judging by the look on your
face, your little trip out didn't go too well."

"On the contrary," He corrected,"It went better
than even I had expected," The trio's leader looked
to them,"I am now one step closer to understanding
what exactly is it that powers these Precure,"

"And once I do understand, I'll be able to create an
effective counter for that power.."

"So basically we gotta sit around, letting our butts
keep being whooped, losing feathers, until you can
find said counter?" Crow shook her head,"Forget it,
I'm doing things my way."

She warped on out, causing Cardinal to sigh,"That
girl...one must understand the beast, Before it can
be slain. I'm sure you agree, Shiki."

"I do," She nodded,"So, how did it go?"

Cardinal dissipated the distortion,"The boy is a stubborn
oaf, I'll give him that much. Even when faced with the
choice of the princess or his friends, his resolve didn't
falter,"

"He even managed to escape the sea of pure sorrow I
threw him into."

Shiki looked out at the stars,"..It seems we have our
work cut out for us than. I best go make plans of my
own." With a flourish of feathers, she was gone.

Cardinal called up the distortion one more time,"Enjoy
your hollow victory while it lasts, Stardust..for this is
only the beginning.."

Wearing a smirk on his face, he turned and left the room...

-------------------------------
The group sat around the table, munching on treats
and goodies while chatting it up. Good times all around,
especially for Flopi who looked happier than she had
been in a long time.

Ryu sat by the balcony, Tia sitting in his lap as he
stroked her,"Another eventful day, eh Tia?"

"Yup," She replied before lowering her ears,"..The bad
man's gonna come back, ain't he?"

"If he does, I'll beat him up for you again," He replied
in a determined tone, causing her to look up,"Nobody's
breaking us apart. Not Twilight, Dark Phoenix, Gaia...nobody,
you remember that,ok?"

"And the next time he shows up, we'll face him
together," Kazuko came over to him with Aya,"Besides,
we can use all the help we can get facing someone as
ruthless as Cardinal."

"Yup!" Aya clasped her hands together,"Say, I know the
proper reward for you!" Before he could object, she went
on,"Until you find your own team like Flopi did, you're the
Unofficial THIRD Member of the Wing Precure! Congrats!"

Ryu looked to Kazuko for advice only to see her roll
her eyes,"Just let her do what she wants."

He nodded and went out onto the balcony,"It's not going
to get any easier, is it guys?"

"I'm pretty sure it's not," Flopi admitted, waltzing up
beside him,"But we'll face it together."

Ryu than asked one more question,"So...you changed your
mind on having a team of your own?"

Flopi looked over to the others and grinned,"A little..I guess
it does have its benefits."

The group watched the stars, wondering what tomorrow
would bring...
--------------------------------

Next Time On Precure Academy:
Ryu: Huh...why is it so hard to get this thing to work?
Suki: Ryu, you shouldn't push yourself so hard.
Ryu: Sorry Sensei, just really wanna get stronger..
Suki: Find a future worth striving for, and maybe you will.
Tia: Ooh, pretty hair clip..
Ryu: Oh miss, you dropped your..huh?
Wing: Oh! Erm..hi...
Ryu: What's going on here?
Wing: I'll tell you..but only if you help me with something..

Next Episode: Journey To A New World! The Bright Flower, Cure Shine!