Timeline Crisis?! Working with the Past Cures?! We'll fight Again and Again!! #3

Chapter 9: Losing

The trail they were following seemed to be endless. Mist and gray dust constantly obscured their vision from all angles. Katana coughed.
This time Ninja was not in the mood to capture the image of a ghost on her camera. She had more important things to do. She felt the warm metal against her palm. The Precure Quartet Key led the way, surely there was no reason to be be afraid of getting lost.

Arrow and Armor took out any stray Rumors and Kowaremashita in their path, they weren't as strong as the ones they had taken out as a group.
"They weren't here when we fell from the sky only about two hours ago...." Spear commented. "Jikan-Senshi has interfered with space time too much." she gritted her teeth.

"Not for long." Ninja spoke. "The key is picking something up. It's buzzing...."
She was correct. The key jittered from side to side, burning Ninja's fingers. She quickly tossed it back and forth like a hot potato.
"What are you even doing?" Serpent asked incredulously. "Looks fun."

"This," Ninja puffed. "Is not," she wheezed. "Fun!" she squealed. Bushi appeared by her side and caught the key, it too, burned his little paw hands. "Ouch-shi! Why is it stinging-shi?!"

"Because the key has detected something, obviously." Ashigaru spoke, appearing on Spear's shoulder. "The keys aren't meant for timeline traveling. It strains them." she blinked and shook her head. "I wonder...." she cocked her head to the side. "How....I know that...."

Dynasty noticed a shadow dart by. She turned around, sword raised. "Everyone. We're not alone....."
The girls quickly stiffened as the shadow darted by, cackling. It didn't help how misty the area was, they could only see a few feet in front of them. The key would not stop buzzing and stinging even as Ninja put it in her pocket.

The shadow continued to dart back and forth. The only sound between the cures and the shadow was the sound of creaking footsteps. Then the sound stopped.
Each girl and furry held their breath, waiting for a pounce or leap. Nothing happened.

Ninja felt her heart pounding deep inside her chest, she tried to sense the shadow. Sweat fell from her brow, trying to control her breathing. Ninja matched it with the other's silent breathing. Meanwhile Serpent and Katana looked left to right, side to side, even up and down. Nothing. It was just as silent as when they first arrived.

After another second, Dynasty spoke. "I saw it. I really did...." the others nodded in agreement.
"What....was it?" Spear asked, her voice echoed in the still gray and misty air and bounced back. What...was it?

Arrow instantly perked up. "An echo!"
"Yeah...." Katana said, Arrow shook her head. "Echoes can be heard in small spaces with hard walls, like wells, or where there are lots of hard surfaces all around. We're reaching our destination!"

"I just hope we don't run into that thing...." Spear and Ninja replied in sync to the others with a hint of worry in their voices.

Let's just say, they will. Soon.
The shadow had camouflaged. It was in fact a photocopied image, watching and waiting with a human look to it, sharp canine teeth, and a marionette puppet body. It also had black pits that were considered eyes. With those eyes it looked down upon the group of cures, pondering. Her azure color elflock ponytail slapping against her neck.

They trudged on. Further and further into the unknown, before Dynasty and Ninja knew it the mist and grayness in the air was fading. Then nothing remained.
At first, the slight was so overwhelming. After being in such gray and fog for so long no one was used to the incoming glow of the sun falling on the ground below, or their faces.

Hints of clouds filled the sky and the sound of of splashing water from a nearby ravine filled Arrow's ears. The water was always so calm and collected, focused even, no matter where she was. Out of pure instinct she ran her fingers across the ravine, taking in the feel against her hand. It set her at ease. Spear took a long gulp of air, letting the oxygen fill her lungs. Ashigaru also took a deep breath, her eyes sparkled. "So fresh-garu. Almost like home-garu..."