1. Aimi's Assailant

Episode 1 - Aimi's Assailant
Characters: 
 * Aimi/CureOpal
 * Kimura/Cure Eternal
 * Mori/Cure Titanium
 * Hana/Cure Tulip
 * Himura/Cure Scarlett
 * Queen Waru/Maia Imposter/Aimi's mother Imposter
 * Itazura

Settings: 
 * Osaka Institute
 * Hoshi Mechanics
 * Aimi's House

 Episode



Mori, Hana, Aimi, Kimura and Himura were walking down the ever-so-chatty halls of the Osaka Academic Institute, when suddenly music started blaring out of the corridor’s speakers. Everyone stopped talking. The music quickly softened – but only so a girl’s voice could be heard over the constant, electronic beat. ‘Do you want someone who can get what we want? Well, Maia can. Vote for Maia Wang as treasurer. A vote for Maia is a vote for freedom.’

The speaker cut off, and the students went back to talking over the top of each other.

‘A vote for Maia is a vote for freedom,’ Aimi mimicked childishly in a high-pitched voice. ‘More like a vote for Maia’s new summer wardrobe. She’s just going to blow it all on parties and designer handbags.’

‘You know what? Mori should run. She’s honest, good at budgeting and isn’t spoilt rotten,’ said Hana.

‘Mind you, she does have a good idea. Imagine what awesome surfboard I could get with that amount of cash!’

‘Aimi!’

‘Sorry.’

‘People! I have an important announcement! ‘declared Mori. ‘I am going to run for treasurer!’

The group whooped and cheered.

‘You’re sure to win, Mori. Everyone knows Maia won’t keep her hands off the money, but they know you always do the right thing,’ said Himura.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘To the library!’ shouted Kimura. ‘We have a campaign to prepare!’

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center">*

<p class="MsoNormal">Maia walked into the girls’ amenities. She fumbled around her handbag until she grasped her diamond embellished ring, finally placing it on her ring finger that belonged to her devilish right hand. ‘''Once I get voted for treasurer, I will be able to have enough money to get the Orb of Nature off the Pretty Cures’ hands. Then I will be able to rule Earth and Arachnidia'',’ Maia thought greedily. She pressed the pendant dangling from her necklace and instantly turned into her true form – the hideous Queen Waru: ruler of the evil Arachnidia kingdom. Queen Waru snapped her fingers and her faithful servant Itazura suddenly materialised out of nowhere.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Your Highness, Your Eternalness, Your Gracefulness, You-‘

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Enough attempts of flattery, Itazura. You know it does not charm me.’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘My apologies, Your Majesty.’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Now stop grovelling at my feet and get off the floor, you snivelling buffoon.’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Of course, mistress.’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘I want you to hire the most ruthless assassin you can find in Arachnidia,’ said Waru in her usual sinister voice. ‘You are only to pay him 13 gold coins or less, I don’t want my money wasted. I want one hired by sunset, I cannot let those Pretty Cures get in my way.’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Yes, mistress.’

<p class="MsoNormal">The spider-like figure disappeared in a wisp of smoke.

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center">*

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Now if you would turn to page seventy thr- ‘

<p class="MsoNormal">The cures’ math teacher was cut off by screaming as the roof’s fire system went off, spraying the students with water.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘How am I supposed to revise now? My books are soaked,’ shrieked Himura, barely audible over the ringing fire alarm.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Well, at least we don’t have to do trig anymore. Hey! Now we can have a half day! Who’s up for a trip to McDonalds on me?’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Aimi!’ they group yelled as they evacuated the building.

<p class="MsoNormal">The class immediately lined up in single file and the roll was taken.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Look,’ said Kimura as she pointed to the horizon. ‘No smoke.’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘If there’s no smoke then there can’t be a fire,’ Hana said firmly.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Then why did the sprinklers go off?’ asked Himura curiously.

<p class="MsoNormal">There was silence.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Someone pressed the fire emergency button in the cafeteria,’ Mori growled.

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center">*

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center">That afternoon after school at Hoshi Mechanics…

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Darlin’, can you please pass me those side cutters?’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Which ones are those again?’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘The pliers with the jaggered edges, Ai- Ai- Ai- what’s your Japanese name? I just forget it. Ugh, you know what? I’ll just call you kids by your real names, Stephanie. That’s your real name and that’s what I’m going to call you. It’s just too confusing otherwise.’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘So, straight edges?’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Forget it, I’ll get your brother to do it. Ben!’

<p class="MsoNormal">Aimi’s eleven year old brother walked through the door.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Wha?’ he moaned.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Aimi forgot what tools are what so you need to help me.’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Cool. I’ll print out my treasurer campaign posters.’

<p class="MsoNormal">Aimi walked across the street to her house. She climbed up the stairs, turned left and entered her bedroom. She instantly froze, and let out a large scream. There was a thick, gooey, deep red liquid on her bedroom floor. Aimi, dazed and very dizzy, dropped to the floor and the world blackened out.

<p class="MsoNormal">Aimi felt a hand gently stroke her head. ‘It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s all fine,’ a voice said. Her eyes fluttered open. Aimi’s mother stood kneeled on the floor besides Aimi.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘There’s blood on the floor. We have to call the police,’ Aimi finally said.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘What are you talking about, Aimi?’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘On the carpet, there’s blood. Right next to my bed.’

<p class="MsoNormal">Aimi’s mother, Annaliese, started chuckling to herself.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Is that why you fainted? Oh, sweetheart. That’s just tomato sauce. I can smell it from here. Your brother probably put it there.’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Ben,’ Aimi growled, gritting her teeth.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Hang on; aren’t you supposed to be out?’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘When did I say that?’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘This morning,’ Aimi said suspiciously.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Don’t be silly, you’re probably still a bit dazed. Now, why don’t you go and sniff the tomato sauce?’

<p class="MsoNormal">Aimi got on her hands and knees and started crawling over to the red blob that had stained the carpet. Then, there was a large crack. Aimi instantly turned around, to find Queen Waru in her mother’s place.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Your Upmost Dumb-Arse –ness.’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘I wouldn’t be laughing if I were you,’ said the creature with spider legs as she pulled out a knife with a long blade.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Wow, that sure is a creepy crawley.’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Enough!!!’ Queen Waru shrieked. ‘Your smart-aleck remarks are irritating me!’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Gee, who’d o’ thought?’ said Aimi with a load of sarcasm.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘I had sent Itazura to find me the best assassin he could to kill you, but of course, he found someone that couldn’t be as ruthless as the court jester if he tried. So now I have to do it myself!’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Not so fast!’ said Cure Eternal as she and Cures Scarlett, Titanium and Tulip flitted into Aimi’s bedroom.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Aimi! Necklace!’ shouted Cure Scarlett, and Aimi pressed the cherry-blossom charm that was hanging from the chain around her neck. She could feel a tingling sensation as her hair grew longer, as her hair and eyes changed color, as her freckles disappeared from her arms and legs, and how her usual shorts and t-shirt and runners changed into a puffy, pink dress and high heels.

<p class="MsoNormal">Cure Opal got off the floor and threw her arms in the direction of Queen Waru, hoping to petrify her for good, but the Spider Queen deflected her attack with her shield of Victory. Then, Cure Tulip shot vines out of her sleeves. The vines tangled themselves around the shield on Queen Waru’s arm and retracted back to Tulip, taking the shield with them. Cure Tulip then held it in the direction of Cure Titanium, who yawned in boredom and lazily pointed her finger at the shield. A bright red laser shot out of her finger and the shield was a heap of melted metal on the floor. Cure Scarlett shrunk herself, grabbed three of Tulip’s vines and tied them around Queen Waru.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Hey! Watch it!’ shouted Cure Tulip.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you!’ replied Scarlett.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Not you! Waru! She’s trying to shake them loose.’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘That won’t happen. That’s a hangman’s noose around her neck. If she tries to do anything to get them off the noose will get tighter.’

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Neat!’ said an impressed Cure Eternal.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Scout’s honour!’ Cure Scarlett said in a bright voice as she saluted with pride.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘Cure Opal, would you like to do the honours?’ asked Eternal.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘It would be my absolute privilege,’ said Opal in a posh accent, which was then followed by a curtsy. Cure Opal turned around and shot her hands at Queen Waru, who then turned to stone. Cure Scarlett then undid all the knots in five seconds, and turned back into her original size.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘She should switch back into her normal form in a few hours because she’s not human,’ Opal declared.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘That shouldn’t be a problem,’ said Cure Eternal as she grabbed on to the stone figure. There was a flash and then Cure Eternal and the Spider Queen vanished.

<p class="MsoNormal">The remaining four cures pressed there cherry blossom pendant and returned to being Himura, Mori, Hana and Aimi.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘So, how are you going to clean your room before your father gets back?’ asked Mori.

<p class="MsoNormal">‘I’ll just unhook a couple of wires on a car he just finished, or remove the radiator. That’ll take him a couple of hours. I normally do that anyway when I have to clean my room,’ replied Aimi, and all four of them began laughing hysterically.