Shattered Skies: The Morning Lights

CHAPTER 11: Ahead and Behind

Chapter 11: Ahead and Behind

-VERTEX THREE: 8.333882^5-

Kibougahana

Simultaneously

Pain... intense, searing pain raced through Cure Blossom's body like rivers of molten lava. The twin slashes of crimson energy from Dark Precure's Tact didn't dissipate when they struck her, as they had when they fought her before. They clung to her, burning like brands, making it impossible to focus, to-

Moonlight was behind her in an instant, delivering a savage kick to her spine followed by a contemptuous chop to the back of her neck. For the second time in as many minutes, her feet left the ground. After a few heart-stopping seconds of uncontrolled flight, she crashed into the side of one of Market Square Pavilion's rolling hills, leaving an impression inches deep in the turf and topsoil. The crimson slashes stuck to her all the while... the impact with the ground hurt, yes, but those slashes were so much worse...

The pain of fighting Moonlight, though, not sparring or mock-battling, but actually fighting for her life against her teammate and trusted friend... that pain was worse than either of them. It's not her fault. The words floated once more through the blaze of agony threatening to consume her thoughts. It's not her fault. This was a spell, or a curse, or brainwashing, or something. There was no way the Yuri she knew was attacking her of her own will. No way...

If Moonlight wasn't in control of herself, there was no reason to hold back. No reason not to fight her with everything she had. Blast it, it was her duty to her friend to stop her, defeat her, and turn her back to normal.

So why couldn't she do it?

Moonlight came to stand over her, ghastly white, her colors muted, her eyes filled with pale fire. In silence, she jabbed the pointed end of her Moon Tact against Blossom's chest, between the burning slashes.

"Moonlight..." Blossom spoke in a desperate whisper, hoping against hope that there was some part of her dear friend listening. "Yuri-san, don't..."

Moonlight said nothing. Light gathered in the jewel at the Tact's end, casting eerie, flickering shadows over her face...

"Hyaaah!" A streak of yellow and orange motion slammed into Moonlight's side with a bone-crushing impact, forcing her to withdraw. Sunshine cringed from the recoil, but she held her ground, standing over Blossom as a human shield. A muscle complained in her upper arm; a shoulder check like that was hardly an orthodox judo technique, more appropriate for an American football field. Now she knew why they wore all that padding. Her grandfather most likely would not have approved, but at least it worked...

"Marine Shoot!" Cool water cascaded over Blossom, finally extinguishing Dark Precure's energy. A hand grasped hers, pulling her upright. "You okay?" said Marine, battered but still alive. The battle was draining even Marine's nigh-limitless stores of energy. Fighting Dark Precure before had been grueling enough, but now it was more akin to fighting a steel wall. A steel wall that fought back, and that somehow recruited another wall that looked just like her teammate, but was every bit as ruthless and deadly as her old foe.

"N-no," said Blossom. She took a second to lean on her friend for support, just a second to-

"Heads up! Sunflower Aegis!" The call came from Sunshine. A golden dome enclosed the three as she raised her weapon, an instant before a huge violet orb of sizzling energy crashed into it like a meteor.

Blossom and Marine ran to help, putting their hands on Sunshine's shoulders to share their power... The strain was shared as well; all three felt sweat break out on their brows and muscles cramp as the sphere bore down, and the shield dipped inward, threatening to collapse. Sunshine gritted her teeth, dug in her heels, and pushed back. This just didn't make sense, Precure attacks only worked on monsters and bad guys, not people... Marine had once been hit by one of Blossom's finishers during a fight with a Desertrian, and she said it felt downright pleasant, so how could-