[video]

[fightbymoonlight]

[The video opens on a desert. For a moment it almost seems normal. Just an ordinary desert, nothing strange about it...

...until the feed zooms in. Everywhere, there are ruined buildings, half-sunk into the sand. The few structures that have managed to stay above ground are damaged beyond repair.

Far off in the background are huge, monstrous figures are visible. Every so often they fire off lasers, destroying what little there is left.

Aside from the monsters, there is no live left. No plants, no animals... And definitely no people.

Well... no people, except for Yuri.

The feed zooms in again, now focused on Yuri. She’s leaning against what once was an apartment building. She's nothing like her normal self, but who can blame her? Her eyes are wide and she’s incredibly pale. If it wasn’t for the fact that she’s shaking, you might even think she was dead. But she’s alive. So that’s... something.]

Comments

[oceanicbutterfly]

[This scene feels different to Karen than the other various horrors she's seen. She can't quite put her finger on the reason for it.]

...Tsukikage-san?

[fightbymoonlight]

[For a moment, Yuri doesn't do anything. Then she realizes that she didn't imagine anything, and there really is someone talking to her. She goes to respond, but she's still very out of it.]

I... Minazuki-san?

[oceanicbutterfly]

What happened?

[fightbymoonlight]

...the Desert Apostles attacked.

Well, they'd been attacking already anyway, but the Precure handled things. This time... their leader attacked... He turned the whole world into a desert.

1/2

[oceanicbutterfly]

And you were left behind. I see.

2/2

[oceanicbutterfly]

Wait, you said Precure?

Re: 2/2

[fightbymoonlight]

Yes... There were two Precure that fought against the Desert Messengers.

[oceanicbutterfly]

...I see. I wasn't aware they existed in other worlds. [Psst. Karen. They don't. This is a virus.]

Do you need someone to... er... remove you?

[fightbymoonlight]

I... yes, I think so. I don't think there's anyone else left here, so... there's little point in staying, I guess.

[oceanicbutterfly]

All right. I'll be over soon.

[fightbymoonlight]

Okay... Thank you.

[Yuri's just going to... well, stay put, basically. Nothing else to do for her but wait. Deserts aren't very interesting.]

[oceanicbutterfly]

[What about huge doors that appear out of nowhere? Are those interesting?]

[fightbymoonlight]

[They most certainly are. So much so that Yuri actually stops looking sad for a moment because she's kind of busy going 'what'. She goes over to poke the doors to make sure she's not just hallucinating.]

[oceanicbutterfly]

[Hopefully her reflexes aren't too slow, because that door's about to open at her, revealing a Karen.]

[fightbymoonlight]

[Her reflexes aren't quite as good as normal, what with the stress and the horrible desert heat, but Yuri manages to step back just in time. Close one, though.]

Ah... hello.

[...yeah, okay, the door thing is still weird as hell.]

[oceanicbutterfly]

[And wow, it really is ridiculously hot.]

Hello. ...ah. Come on in?

[Yeah, she wasn't planning on wasting much time here anyway, and with the heat she's about one delay away from "for fuck's sake hurry up" mode.]

[fightbymoonlight]

Right.

[Get out of the desert first, politeness later. Yuri quickly moves through the door and- oh god temperature shift, was it seriously that hot there? Damn.

Yuri takes a deep breath once she's safely out of the desert. It's not quite relief, as she's still too shaken up for that, but it's close enough for now.]

[oceanicbutterfly]

[Karen ensures the door is properly shut and de-existed--this particular bad end and Cure Rose Garden seem like they'd be an extremely bad combination--then turns back to Yuri.]

Are you all right? Physically, I mean. It's a bit of a walk.

[fightbymoonlight]

[Yuri takes a second to try to regain at least some of her composure. She isn't one for big emotional outbursts, after all.]

Yes, physically I should be just fine. I'm more resilient than I look.

[Walking's good. It takes her mind off of things just a bit.]

[oceanicbutterfly]

[Composed people who avoid emotional outbursts are awesome. Especially if they're magical girls.]

Then, let's go. There's no point in just waiting around down here.

[So Karen leads her off in the right direction, which is rather easy since there's only one direction to go (upstairs).]

[fightbymoonlight]

Right. Lead the way.

[Yuri follows and it's only now that she actually looks around. Things looked normal enough. She's not really sure what she expected from worldhopping, but somehow she figured things would be weirder.

Instead it's just slightly awkward. Huh.]

So this is your house then?

[oceanicbutterfly]

Er, not quite yet.

[Because at the top of the steps, past a big door, there are... roses. Roses everywhere forever. Oh, and another big door.]

[fightbymoonlight]

[Well this is... unexpected. The roses are nice, but what is it with this place and doors, holy shit.]

Ah... It's beautiful.

[pikapikapikarin]

Yuri-san? What's going on?

[Yayoi... kind of remembers this. Kind of. The feeling of cold crystal, the bitter heat... it was like a phantom sensation on the tip of her memory.]

[fightbymoonlight]

[Yuri hesitates before answering Yayoi. She can't even believe what's happening herself, let alone where to start explaining it to someone else.]

Yayoi-san... I... The leader of the Desert Apostles... Dune... He attacked and...

[Her voice gets shakier the more she speaks. She takes a deep breath and does her best to steady herself]

And now... everything's like this.

[pikapikapikarin]

Oh no...

[Yayoi starts to shake a little, holding herself. What was going on? The world wasn't like this now...]

Is there anything I can do to help?

[fightbymoonlight]

I... I don't think there's anything anyone can do.

[The fact that Yayoi is alright and therefore this shouldn't be possible hasn't occurred to Yuri yet.]

Even the Precure couldn't... [Yuri closes her eyes and shudders at the memory.] They... didn't even stand a chance.

[pikapikapikarin]

Oh no.... this is terrible.

[An enemy the Precure couldn't handle? It seemed unreal to be honest.]

[fightbymoonlight]

Yes... it is...

[Yuri looks down at the ground, seeming... ashamed, almost.]

I should have prevented this.

[pikapikapikarin]

Huh? What do you mean, Yuri?

[fightbymoonlight]

[Yuri startles a bit. She hadn't even realized she said that last part out loud.]

I... It's nothing, I just...

[Yuri is torn. She's so used to keeping secrets... But is there even a point to secrets anymore?

Eventually she settles for falling silent.]

[pikapikapikarin]

Yuri I'm worried. What's wrong?

[fightbymoonlight]

Everything's wrong! This shouldn't have ever happened, I...

[Though Yuri is... less than calm right now, she manages to throw a lock on her post.]

[Locked]

I should have prevented this, because this world was my responsibility before it was Cure Blossom and Cure Marine's.

[pikapikapikarin]

[locked]

!!!!

Y-yuri you... you are a Precure?

[fightbymoonlight]

[Locked]

No, I'm not.

...but I used to be.

[pikapikapikarin]

O-oh. I see.

[That was... distressing to be honest. And Yayoi was feeling horrible now.]

I'm sorry.

[fightbymoonlight]

[Locked]

Don't be. It was my own mistakes that led me to lose my powers. I was foolish and arrogant.

...and now the whole world's paid the price for it.

[pikapikapikarin]

[locked]

There isn't anything I can do, is there? I mean, I could possibly find a way or something...

[fightbymoonlight]

[Locked]

I really don't know. I don't think there's a way to fix any of this...

[pikapikapikarin]

[locked]

I'm sorry... I wish I could do something.

[fightbymoonlight]

[Locked]

It's alright, Yayoi-san... Minazuki-san will be picking me up.

...but thank you, anyway.

[pikapikapikarin]

[locked]

Okay. Stay safe.