Pretty Cure Next Generation: Episode 1: The Return Of The Legendary Pretty Cure!

The air was getting warmer and warmer every week as the sun kept rising higher and higher in the middle of May. A teenage girl rolled down the window pane for it was too hot for her to breathe inside the car. She wore light clothes; a knee-height white shirt over a blue dress. She looked out, amazed what a pretty view it was to move to another country. Yet, she felt like a stranger, unlike her mother who had born in America, she felt excited to be home again. The girl thought of transfer to new school was stressful, she was always nervous to meet the new kids, but not afraid to stand up for the new class like at her home country.

She looked down at her short feet, covered with her white shoe matched to the dress she wore. She felt like a stone was inside her stomach, sinking. She tried to gulp it down, but it was useless. Her mother noticed her stress; she turned to her and started the conversations between them.

"Nervous?" her first word of saying.

Her daughter could only nod for reply as yes. Her mother kept smiling at her daughter's behavior, for she reminded of her when she entered the first year of middle school. The girl kept staring blankly out the window after the conversation; she hoped it would last until they arrive. Her smile faded, though, as she looked at her daughter and thought of her problem of social able to other people. She didn't give hope because she was sure that the school she'd transferring to, she defiantly will make friends.

A bird, separated from its group, flew around in the early morning and sat down in the nearest tree it could find, near a familiar block. Two blocks up from the bird, there was a woman in her thirties making breakfast for her family, cooking and placing plates on the table for four. She looked at the clock above the table ticking the seconds away, worried that her daughter would be late for school.

"Katie! Wake up already." she yelled trying to reach her kids' bedroom.

Her younger daughter had just woke up minutes ago and left for school. The woman had used to think that when her eldest daughter grows she would become active when she wakes up, but she became lazier and lazier instead.

A minute went, and no one came out. Groaning about her daughter's laziness, she walked towards her room and knocked frantically on the door. "Katie! Get up already!"

"Why are you yelling so early in the morning, honey?" Her husband walked towards her with his toothbrush still in his mouth. His eyes were half-closed; it seemed that he had recently been shaving and he smelled good, which, by his wife's point of view, made him attractive. As a car salesman, he must be well groomed and wear formal dress as he sits by a desk with heaps of paperwork in front of him and answering phone calls. Sometimes, he brings a new car home over the weekends and returns them on Monday. His wife, however, takes care of cleaning, cooking and the kids, which she wasn't very good at it, but her husband helps her during his day off. He has noticed that she usually goes to get her hair cut short on Saturdays to keep her hairstyle from when she was fourteen. Her daughter had the same style, only shorter and with her father's dark brown hair.

The silence broke as they heard a groan coming from a room. "I don't wanna," the girl's voice said, still groaning over her parents disturbing her beauty sleep. Her mother rolled her eyes.

"Katie, don't make me come in there and drag you out."

"Make me." Katie said, challenging her.

"You come out there, right now, young lady!" she exclaimed while banging on the door.

"Honey, calm down, please." the man said. She sighed, giving up on her daughter.

"Man, it's such a pain to drag her outta her room all morning." Natalie complained as she crossed her arms.

"Now you know how your parents felt like." Fergie joked, as he smiled.

"What are you trying to tell me?" she said irritatedly.

The man stuck his tongue out. "Anyhow, Natalie, the reunion is almost at the corner. Feel excited? "

"Not really. I mean it's great to see everyone again, but somehow I feel nervous." She pouted. "Must be because of all the fan girls you had back in the old days." Fergie grinned and laughed at the same time, making Natalie irritated again to recall that memory.

Natalie drifted out to her memories when she was fourteen. Junior High was the greatest thing that ever happened to her, except for homework and tests. The reason why she even got up in the morning was to meet all her friends, both hang out and playing lacrosse and after school snack. By that time, everyone looked up to her, most of the girls, sneaking a letter into her shoe locker once in every month and encourage her when she played lacrosse. She recalls the smiley faces of Rina, Shana, and Hilda and… Hannah.

She felt comfortable and safe around Hannah by that time, when they were Pretty Cure and normal junior high students. She always laughed at Natalie's silliness or smiled proudly over her reaction whenever she received chocolate parfait or other food. Or even when Natalie had a fight with Mepple, Hannah always gave an expression of good mood. She was the only person who had understood her feelings or her problems, though they had nothing in common. Last time when they saw each other was when Natalie said goodbye to her when she finally made a decision over going to France with her parents. They haven't contact each other since. As the reunion was coming, she was both excited and stressed to see Hannah and the others again. They were able then to act childish, sharing memories of the past and tell how their life is with the family. She smiled again and shed little tears.

"Honey?" Fergie asked worried as he noticed she shed tears.

"I'm okay." She lied, wiping her tearful face. She hated to do that, but she did not want to let him know that she feel sad.

Without noticing, Fergie took her hands, with both his hands, and gazed at her, making her blush. "Darling…" He said and smiled. "Tell me if something's wrong, you know you can trust me, okay?" she nodded for a yes.

"I love you." He then said. She smiled with him and replied with the same three words, only to add one word.

"I love you too." Her heart was bumping; she was getting all excited over that word so she sighed heavily but romantically.

"Do you really have to be all lovely-dovely outside my room?" their daughter, who stuck her head out the door, interrupted them.

Fergie released his hands quickly of Natalie. "A-a-anyway, Katie do you have your judo uniform?" Katie nodded.

"Okay, hurry up you'll get late." She said, as if nothing happened seconds ago. Katie rolled her eyes.

"I'm leaving!" with that, she closed the door behind her and left. Her parents sighed in relief as their daughter left. Natalie entered her daughter's bedroom to find chocolates, pocky packs and snacks packing on the floor since the weekend. "Oh, Katie…." Natalie spoke as she sighed over her daughter.

Katie ran. She ran as fast as she could to make in time for train. Looking at the cars passing by her, made her run even more like racing them. As she arrived at the train station, she stopped and gasped for air but the noise of takeoff interrupted her. During her trip on train, she kept looking at her watch to see if she was getting late. Fifteen minutes later, she got out of train and began to speed up again. She looked at the time, swearing while running and catching her breath at the same time. "I can't believe this." She said to herself, while looking at her watch. Her bag bumped on her several times on her hip, which was driving her crazy, but tried to ignore it. Her hair was a mess, but decided to fix it when she had arrived. Her hands oscillated aside repeatedly.

She stopped for a minute to catch her breath. She noticed that a girl, with shoulders length blonde hair and green eyes, was holding a map and seemed very confused and lost. Along with her was an older woman, obviously her mother, because they almost looked the same except the woman wore glasses. She approached to them, fixing her messing hair and asked gently. "Excuse me? Is something wrong?" The older woman turned towards her and returned a gently replied as well.

"Well, yes. We are in quite situation here, you see, we're looking for a school whose name I forgot but we were told it was right across Baker street. Do happen to know where it is?"

"Yeah, you take a left turn when you pass three blocks and then make right turn where the traffic light is. As you reach down the Owen Street you see the school towards you. It's not far from where we are standing if you drive there but by foot you'd probably be late for cla-" She stopped as she recalled that she was getting late for classes.

"Oh, crap! I'm late!" she shouted all of sudden. "Don't worry; since you've been such a help I guess we can owe you a ride."

"Alright!" Katie jumped happily. "What a strike of luck!"

"Don't you mean 'stroke of luck?" The older woman corrected her. The girl sat on the passenger seat behind and Katie joined her. "So what's your name?" She asked during fasten her seat belt. "I'm Sohpie Whitehouse. It's nice to meet you." She bowed politely, yet stressful to social that girl. "And this is my mo-"

"Just call me Miss Whitehouse, it's easier that way." She cut her off. "Geez, mom, don't cut me off." Sophie scolded. "I'm Katie Fergison. It's nice to meet you too." Miss. Whitehouse looked at Katie strangely, as if she had known that last name before. She couldn't recall, so she stepped on the throttle.

She asked a ton about her homeland such as traditional annual holiday, food and the city. Sophie replied patiently her questions.

"Me and my mother just transferred from France. She wanted to move back to her old neighborhood where she lived when she was a kid."

"Oh, that explains the accent." Katie smiled.

Sophie nodded. "I can't wait until my day off at school. I really wanna go to the museum, learning English better at the library and read books and the exhibit of the history of America. I can't wait" Sophie clapped her hands with excitement. Katie's smile became wider while Sophie's eyes sparkled. Sophie came back to sense, making an embarrassed reaction of her behavior. "I'm sorry, I just lost myself." She bowed again.

Katie smiled awkwardly as she replied: "It's okay, really. If I'd to move to strange country, I'd be excited to taste new food."

"Is that what you always think of?" Sophie giggled.

"Back when I was at your girls' age, I was in this school along my best friend." Miss Whitehouse told. "I was the president of the science club. My friend was the lacrosse team's captain. Ah, those were the days..." Sophie smiled proudly at her mother.

"Ah, here we are." Miss Whitehouse said while parking the car on the side of the street.

Katie ran like crazy towards the school. "Thank you for the ride!" she called behind her. Miss. Whitehouse and Sophie just giggled at the girl actions. Miss Whitehouse was about to take a turn when she noticed a street sign 'Baker street'.

"Everyone, before we start our homeroom, let me introduce you to the new transfer student, Sophie Whitehouse. Please make her feel like among us," Rina introduced Sophie to her students. Before walking towards her seat, which was behind Katie, Sophie bowed gently in front of the class. Katie gave a surprised and excited reaction, knowing she had a chance to befriend her. In front of Katie sat her best friend, Rachel Taylor. She gave her friend a victory sign for sitting near the new student. Katie replied a victory peace to her friend.

After classes, Katie wandered alone around the school with her lunch box in her hands, along with a backpack on her back. Her practice was going to start after twenty minutes, so she headed straight to the dojo.

'That Sophie, she's an interest person. I'm sure we'll be best of friends sometimes. I just know it…' she smiled at herself over her ridiculous moment.

A girl, her teammates and acquaintance, who came to watch, followed her for lacrosse practice.

There stood everyone from her class, both boys and girls. She really hated when everyone was around her all the time. She always got a love letters, too. Almost every day, she finds a letter from her locker. She never could understand why she never gets a letter from boys. The time had just flied by and only one minute, according to the Captain of the lacrosse team, left. The Captain gave the ball to the girl who was nearest her. She kept the ball, dodging every move until giving the ball to Saki. Shizuka passed by that time and caught her eyes on the game. Everyone cheered her on, girls yelling her name or screaming 'You're the best!!' or from the boys, 'We love you!. She really couldn't concentrate on her training, having them hanging around her.

"Sally, shoot!" The Captain yelled. Somehow, she caught her eye on Naomi and a wide smile brought on her face.

Finally, getting the concentrate back to the game, and on last seconds left, Sally took the chance and shoot. The ball went in, the fans screamed enthusiastic and triumphantly. The girl waved her hands to her fans, which made them scream happily or faint as she wiped her sweaty face with towel. She got compliments from her teammates, a high five, or a clapped on the back. She smiled as she placed her towel on her brown hair. She raised her fist in the air as she yelled cheerfully, her teammates laughing with her. She's so cheerful and energetic.' Sophie thought and smiled. She heard another noise coming from the gym. She smiled at the young girl for the last time and ran to the gym. Sally caught on eye with her blue eyes on Sophie who headed towards the gym where her sister was practicing.

People were lined up and sitting in seiza (1) waiting for their turn to wrestle their opponents. People wore all kind of colors of belts; yellow, green, orange, blue, brown, but most of them wore white. People moaned as they were thrown on the floor, on their back or on their side. The captain always yelled 'hajime' every time when new wrestle is or 'matte' when the time was over. As Sophie came in, she saw Katie in middle of wrestling. She stood still, with her arms down, towards her opponent. She wore green belt and white jacket with no socks. Sophie was scared of her serious expression; it was like she didn't know her anymore. As the man yelled 'hajime' she bowed, like the other did and danced around him. Sophie was confused, but began to understand as Katie threw the opponent down and the man yelled 'matte'. Katie threw her hands up for victory.

"You were amazing, Katie." Sophie encouraged as she met Katie after the training and added a smile. She pulled back as she noticed she made a fool of herself.

"You were watching?" Sophie nodded shyly.

"Hey, I was thinking, if you're not busy or something, if we could hang out together sometimes?" Sophie's reaction was like a bullet through her chest. For the first time, someone asked to hang out with her. However, she felt like she wasn't ready. She looked at Katie's innocent smiling face, while trying to reply. She just wanted to make Katie acquaintance, not that she didn't like her. "I'm sorry, I'm busy." She lied with a gently smile.

"Oh." Katie replied disappointed.

Sophie widened eyes but added a fake smile before she spoke. "Well, then. Bye." With that, she ran away. Katie stood still, confused. "She was just trying to be nice and I turned her down." Sophie spoke to herself, feeling guilty. They didn't talk to each other for the rest of the classes. Katie tried her best to get close to Sophie and communicate with her and ask repeatedly, but she kept ignoring her and making excuses. In the end, Katie walked home alone.

Sophie waited for her mother's car to arrive.

She looked around her where the kids were walking home together like best friends. 'Maybe I was too hard on Katie' she thought. By the sound of car horn, Sophie came back to her sense. She looked straight where her mother waved to her from the car. She quickly entered the car. Miss. Whitehouse looked at the reflection of Sophie on the back mirror. "How was first day of school?" she asked.

"It was….fun" she hesitated. Miss. Whitehouse looked at her daughter in the passenger seat.

"Did you have a fight with Katie?" Sophie shock her head as a no.

"I-I- just….I'm just little tired." She lied. Still, she wondered how her mother knew what happened between them. Knowing her daughter, she knew she wasn't telling the truth. She just turned back to the wheels and did not talk about it for the rest of the trip. 'I shouldn't have turned that offer down. I'm so stupid.' Sophie thought. By time, they arrived to their home. stopping at parking lot, Sophie took her school bag and helped the groceries in the house. She held two white bags with her school bag on her back. She didn't turn her back to her mom to show the sadness on her face to make her worry. Thinking back what Katie said, she gave up hope of them being friends since she didn't want to.

"Sophie, you go ahead, I'm gonna put some cents on the parking meter." She didn't even listen. She had regretted to be too hard on Katie. Approaching to the doors, she saw a cell phone lying by her door. "Mom, there's a cell phone by the door. Is it yours?" Sophie called, and waited for her answer.

"No. Maybe someone dropped it. Are you sure it's a cell phone, honey?"

"Well, it does look like it." Picking it up, she entered the house, directly to her room.

"I can't believe this!" Katie yelling careless as her voice echoed around the neighborhood for a few seconds.

"Dammit, maybe I went too quickly for her. I should talk to her tomorrow to understand things. Mmmmm, but how…? Maybe I should invite her to my house. Nah, I don't think that she'll like my family. I should at least befriend her; I mean I do like h-"she got cut off by some shooting stars who just passed by her a second ago. She put her hands together to make a wish. "I wish I was thin and eat chocolate and please let me have a boyfriend this year." She looked up at the sky, looking for the shooting star. She half-opened her eyes, as she saw something coming at her. Before the thing could hit her, she dodged in time. The thing shot up, short from the ground and it followed with gold cards flying around. Katie opened her eyes and stood up as she saw it land and smoke came out. She carefully approaches it to poke it, with a stick she picked up, to see if it was dangerous or not.

"Meppo!" the head creature cried as he opened up like a cell phone sandwich. The little creature looked around, his eyes caught on Katie who was shivering like a leaf. It wasn't very rear to bump on an alien or another person from another world, but for the creature, it was. "Wh-wh-wh-who are you?" she stammered. The thing changed itself to a stuffed animal. "I am the chosen hero of Garden of the Light, Meppo-mepo!"

"Yeah, and I'm the queen of England." Katie muttered sarcastic. "You were saying something-mepo?"

"Why did you come here, anyway?" Katie asked, changing the subject.

"I fell from my homeland, Garden of Light-mepo, separated from my beloved-mepo." He said worried.

"Garden of Light? Never heard of it…." Katie uttered. "Of course not-mepo. No humans, except for the legendary warriors know that."

"And who are these legendary warriors?"

Mepple ignored the question, turning from Katie.

"I can sense it-mepo!"

"Sense what?" Katie asked as she raised her head up. Meppo changed back to cell phone and jumped on Katie's palm.

"I'll lead the way, you navigate-mepo."

"Since when did I become your chauffeur?" she asked insulted.

"Hurry up-mepo!" he exclaimed inpatient. Meppo pointed out the directions and explained what his business was here on earth. She climbed over a fence where a dangerous bulldog barked; she passed by a garden where couples were having a romantic time before Katie came and interrupted. She then walked across the street where there was no street lamp. After almost being hit by a car, Katie reached to her destination and ran as Meppo navigated.

To Katie's surprise, the directions that Meppo pointed leaded them to the park. She kinda knew that the creature was sensing evil but it looked very peaceful.

"Katie?" A familiar voice called behind her. Kazumi had recognized that voice anywhere. As she turned around, she saw Sophie running towards her along with the same creature as her but only pink. As Sophie approached her, Katie quickly asked.

"You too?" Sophie nodded.

"I found her lying by my door. She probably land there, but I'm not sure."

"It's here-mepo!" Meppo yelled. At the exact time when Meppo yelled, a creepy looking person appeared out of nowhere in front of them. "Come forward, Zakenna!" he cried aloud. The people around disappeared as hundreds of trees around the park came alive, within five seconds. Katie and Sophie froze, not knowing what to do. "Transform-yopi" Sophiea's creature cried. "How the hell are we supposed to do that?" Katie yelled.

"Slice the card on us."

"Cards?" Katie asked confused, but realized within seconds as she looked at Meppo. "Oh, you mean the ones that you brought with?"

"Yes, now hurry-mepo!" So they did.

They held hands together without noticing.

Dual Aurora Wave!

"Hey, wait a minute. What am I saying?" Katie asked herself. First, on Katie, a black costume spread completely through her body, her legs, and her arms. Then a pink bow appeared between her neck and chest. The same happened to Sophie, only with a white costume. Her hair was tied ponytail above her head and Kazumi's hair was a little longer than normal. After the transformations, they landed softly on the ground; saying.

Emissary of light, Cure Black

Emissary of light, Cure White

We are Pretty Cure!

Servants of the dark power

Return to the darkness from which you came from!

"What in the….What's going on?" Black asked herself, waiting for White to answer, as she looked at her costume and at White. The creepy person gritted his teeth while swearing at the girls.

"Dammit." He made his chance, as his opponents were busy finding the answer of this situation. Luckily, they dodged the attack, but did not have a control of the balance in the air. Smoothly landing on the ground again, White jumped above him to attack first. Behind her, Black joined her and punched him low, while White punched high. One Zakenna tree pushed White aside, landing wounded on the ground. "White!" Black exclaimed. The man suddenly had bombs in his hands and threw it towards White, but Black managed to save her. He continued to throw bombs but they managed to dodge it.

She started to attack again; both with her feet and arms, but the enemy blocked it with his arms crossed. With all her might, Black tried to wound him just a little bit, but it was useless. It was as if he had a stone in his chest. White tried to approach them, but Zakenna kept her away. The person got an opening on Black, so he made his chance by hitting her hard on her stomach, making her fall down.

"Black!" White yelled. Black raised her head up, noticing that the people had disappeared since the guy came. "Use the Marble Screw-mepo." Mepple said when Black painfully stood up. "How?" she asked while holding the pain in her stomach.

"Hold hands-yopi" Yoppi instructed. At first, it made them embarrassed, but they didn't have any other options.

"Black thunder!"

"White thunder!" White and black thunder struck on their hands as they hold it above their heads.

"Our beautiful souls" White spoke

"Shall crush your evil heart." Black finished. They squished the hands tightly as they continued.

"Pretty Cure Marble Screw!" the thunder increased, that destroyed the Zakennas and shattered into small stars. The person dodged it and cursed, peeved while he yelled to the two girls. "I shall remember this! I am called Bakugeki! Remember this name, Pretty Cure!" Afterwards, he disappeared into thin air.

"Who are these?" White asked as the small stars was passing by until they disappeared.

They turned back to normal middle school girls. Everything was quieter, now that the person was gone. Katie and Sophie found a spot, to talk privacy to Meppo and Yoppi without making the people freak out. When they turned into stuffed animals, Katie instantly asked.

"Now, what the heck was all that?"

"You two are the chosen legendary warriors, Pretty Cure-mepo." Meppo explained.

"Pretty Cure?" Katie mimicked. "The legendary warriors? That you mentioned earlier?" Yoppi nodded.

"Now that you have been chosen as Pretty Cure, we will fight together against the darkness-yopi."

"And we are at your care-mepo!"

"What! Ahhhh, I can't believe this!" Katie exclaimed.