[Tokusatsu Themes]

The Natura Couleur. The team that had been forcibly blessed by the Light of Equilibre. Erasing their negative traits and gradually turning them into little more than a set of heroes that didn't have anything wrong with them. A team that had been forced to confront their demons thanks to their predecessor exorcising the evil Light that blinded them. A team that now stood together stronger than before, even if some were forced to come to terms with the awful things they had once done.

"Akane." Eguchi Aoi, Natura Bleu, spoke up after taking a gentle sip from the tea that she had painstakingly tried to perfect thanks to her maid's specific instructions. "You said that you had convinced Couleur to join us. I hope she'll be coming, because if she shows up late when either of those two decide to strike..."

"She'll be here. I'm sure she's just getting ready." Araya Akane, Natura Rouge, replied with a bright smile. "You should've seen her when I finally made her open her eyes. She was actually really cute when she finally tried to take control for herself. In a good way, not the kind of way where she wanted to do everything on her own." She laughed a bit, blushing as she remembered that cute face. She... Maybe she should've stolen a kiss to see what she'd be like covered with a bright shade of red.

"How long can it take for somebody like her to get ready? If she's who I got my smarts from, before I figured out how to do this on my own, then she should know how to get ready quickly." Kido Mana, Natura Vert, yawned a bit as she leaned across their shared table. "Can't we just get this over with? Kick Lumiere's ass, tell her to get lost, then get back to doing what we do best?" She was impatient. Part of her bratty nature shining through.

"I don't think that'd work." Shirai Kohana, Natura Blanc, said with a bit of a somber smile. "If we really could've done that, this wouldn't be a problem. But given what Akane told us, there's a good chance she's got some sort of backup plan. Something that she's put inside us to try and burn us alive, just like what happened with Akane during her fight." She rationalized, before slowly looking towards the black-haired girl sitting at the other end of the table. "I wouldn't... I wouldn't want to see any of you hurt after what I've done."

Sakurai Kiko, Natura Noir, nodded a bit. "I agree with Kohana. The less we end up hurting ourselves because we wanted to try and strike Lumiere before we're ready, the better." She said, squeezing her shoulder slightly. She still wasn't over what the girl had done to her when they weren't like this. But she had given the girl a chance. And until the moment she slipped up, she would trust her to keep her half of their agreement.

Akane slowly laughed as she felt the tension starting to settle in. "Come on, Shiro. Aren't you going to show up? I don't want you to show up right before we fight, because then we won't get a chance to bond with you..." She muttered under her breath as she turned towards the door leading out into the world. Before she then realized, wait, the door was probably locked and didn't respond to-

The door opened, and a young girl slowly stepped inside. A girl that barely looked a little bit older than the ones sitting around the table. But despite being close to one another age wise, she definitely didn't look like any of them. Whether it was due to her curly red locks reaching down to her shoulders, or the shoulderless white t-shirt that was resting against her chest, or the incredibly short skirt that might be showing off a bit too much, or the incredibly long striped socks that made up for the fact that her thighs were out in the open.

"Sorry I'm late." Shima Shiro, formerly Natura Couleur, smiled as she stepped inside, her multi-colored single strands perking up as she closed the door behind her. "I just wanted to pick out a new outfit. Something that really brought out the 'Myriad Colors' that Akane suggested to me." She chimed cheerfully. A stark contrast to how dour she had been when she ripped the Lights from their chests and tried to be their executioner.

Aoi dropped her cup, though quick thinking on her part allowed her to use her water-based powers to stop the cup from spilling even a single droplet. "N-Natura Couleur. A-A pleasure to meet you, without our blades being pointed at each other's throats." The blue-haired girl said, though she couldn't stop her natural shock from pouring through while she spoke. This was the girl that had stripped away her Conviction..?

Mana let her face slam against the table. While Aoi had been able to maintain some amount of dignity when she saw the girly true self of the one that had stripped them bare... Mana was not at all able to process how somebody like her could be the source of her Ingenuity. "How in the world is she smarter than me..?" She muttered, the steam pouring out of her head as she genuinely didn't understand. She'd have to let this process through her mind a little longer...

Kohana blushed as she saw the girl. She was... Oh, she was actually incredibly cute. More so than she was. Maybe she should... No, no, bad thoughts. Bad envious thoughts. She should be happy that somebody was this cute. Because that meant that they had taken good care of themselves and made an effort to display their best aspects to the world. She could stand to learn a thing or two from her.

Kiko blushed just like her friend had. Okay, she was way too cute. She'd... Did she know any tricks on how to style her hair like that? Maybe a couple of ribbons like the ones she had at the ends of her hair would do nicely. Maybe even just tips on how to brush as much hair as she did, she still hadn't figured out how to deal with the knots that formed whenever she got tied up in fighting.

"You're just in time, Shiro!" Akane grinned, all while blushing. Well, that certainly explained why the girl looked as cute as she did. She was a cute girl at heart. Which only made the way that Lumiere had hurt her stand out that much more. She had managed to twist somebody as pure as her into a berserker driven by her powers. If that didn't spur on her friends to try and fight alongside her despite their former differences, then she didn't know what would. "Mind if you introduce yourself? I only said so much, because I wanted you to do the honors."

Shiro nodded and bowed gently before her red-headed friend. "Good to meet you all. I am Shima Shiro. You may know me as the original Natura Couleur, the one that stood before you and tried to deter you from this path. But... Well, Akane helped me see the light. And thus, I've given you back that name. It fits our team much better, don't you think?" She chimed, trying to sound as approachable as possible. "As for my new name... I hope you'll be happy to fight alongside Natura Arc-En-Ciel. Arc will do if you don't want to say a mouthful every time." The new heroine concluded, bowing slightly towards the rest of the table. Hoping that they would accept her as one of their own...

There was a bit of silence. She had totally anticipated that. She honestly couldn't imagine that they would easily accept her. Not after what she had done to all of them. So much so that she quickly stood right back up and held her hands close to her chest. "I-I mean... I-I've done so much to you all that I'm sure you have reasons to hold a grudge against me. A-Akane's one thing, but-"

"We'll gladly have you." Aoi said, after finally composing herself and finishing her cup of tea. "Is there any kind of tea that you like? I can try and see if I can't brew some for you. Mami's left me quite a few bags of tea, and I'm sure you might enjoy at least one flavor." She chimed, showing as much courtesy towards this young girl as she did towards the others.

Mana slowly pulled herself off the table as she glared at the girl. "Listen. You're teaching me your secret. How you got that smart. Then I'll teach you what it means to win. I've got plenty of games for you to choose from, as long as you keep your end of the bargain." She accepted her in her own way. Like the brat that she was. But she was probably serious too, which was the worst part...

"Of course we'll accept you, Shiro. You... You helped me a lot by opening my eyes." Kohana said, a hand against her chest. "Even if I wanted to remain ignorant of my misdeeds, you forced me to confront them. And I will do everything I can to make sure I never repeat them. If you can be here to make sure of that, then I'd be more than happy. But you don't need to, you've already done so much."

Kiko nodded as well. "Hey, you can use the same sort of powers that we can, right? I'd love to see how far I can push my own strength. Not just for the sake of testing my limits, but to make sure that I can protect others." She said... Before laughing a bit. "Okay, I'd be lying if it wasn't mostly because I just wanted somebody strong to fight against. Akane's not around all day!" She loosened up around the new girl. Because of what she had done to try and help them, she deserved that kind of teasing.

A few tears slowly started to pour down Shiro's cheeks. She... She really didn't anticipate this kind of acceptance from the girls that she had hurt. Why were they this open after what she had done? She tried to save them by hurting them, and... They had managed to move past it. And not only accept themselves, but accept her as well. "I... I'm not sure what I can say..." She muttered, a bright blush of pure relief on her cheeks.

"Thank you would be a good start." Akane grinned, getting up from her chair as she patted the girl on the back. "Welcome aboard, Natura Arc." She made it sound as official as possible, while smiling like a big dumb idiot. It was a strange sort of juxtapositioning, but considering the kind of girl that Akane was, it really caused her courage and her positivity to shine through.

A round of applause followed as Akane not only took her seat once more, but Mana quietly used her wind powers to blow a chair into the room, letting Shiro have one of her own. Thus five became six, and the hour of the final battle started to approach bit by bit. They didn't have long before they'd end up fighting, but...

Kohana put her hand on her heart, before clearing her throat a bit. "Shiro... I-If you don't mind me asking, could you... Could you go into how you ended up joining Lumiere? It seems like you were hurting when you purged her Light from us. It's okay if you don't want to tell your story, I just..."

"I was all alone." Shiro said as plainly as she could, wrapping her arms around her a bit. "Then she came to me. She told me that she could be by my side. As long as I promised to try and help the city. And she certainly did that. I got to see different sides of her. The kind side. The merciful side. And I thought she was the best friend that I ever could've wished for." She genuinely sounded like she had been touched by something divine. "...And then I met somebody who had been touched by Tenebris, the Darkness that slithered through the city. I thought I could talk sense into her. And it seemed like she had started to see the light...

Shiro's grip on her sides tightened. "She was swallowed by Lumiere's Light the second she started showing signs of weakness. Not just because she had been corrupted by Tenebris, but because the Light of Equilibre did not want to share me with anybody else. She had grown envious of a simple human girl. That was why she got rid of her. That's why she started to strain our relationship."

"I got to see the worst parts of her. How vengeful she was. How much she loathed everyone that wasn't her or her chosen. How little she cared for the city's inhabitants and more of the city as a whole. She wanted to control it. She didn't want to see it flourish and be independent. It was hers. Hers and hers alone. Just like I was supposed to be. I couldn't take it, which was why I broke away..." Shiro's voice grew strained, as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. "And what did I get? Burned from the inside, thanks to the Light that she wanted to punish me with." That sad tone grew weary as she sighed, looking up at her allies. "And here I am now. With people that truly care. At least, that's what it sounds like. I'm... I'm sorry if I sound a little worried, even after you've accepted me with open arms."

Akane patted her newest ally on the back. And her friends all nodded, even Mana. They completely understood. "We'll give her a taste of what she deserves. Both for trying to control this city, and for hurting you so much. You have my word." She sounded just as pleasant as when she was talking casually. But now her Courage was pouring through. Because she was determined to help out somebody that desperately needed it.

"Thank you, Akane... Everyone..." Shiro smiled. And she closed her eyes, as she made one silent prayer before the hour of their final fight approached.

She prayed for her friends' safety... And for the heart of her former friend to be saved, so that she could once again see the better parts of her...

—

The time had come. That destined hour. The time when both the Darkness and the Light would descend upon them and try to challenge them for the fate of this city. The fate of the lives that were manipulated by the two of them. Individually, they were already a threat. But now that they were both going to descend... There was no telling if the six of them were going to be enough.

Akane looked to her friends. The determined Aoi. The understanding Mana. The redeeming Kohana. The strong Kiko. And Shiro, the girl who had spurred this development. They were all here besides her. All here to fight alongside her. It didn't matter if she had fear inside her heart. Because that fear would be quelled by the fire burning around her heart, keeping her courageous in the face of this impending battle.

"NATURA COULEUR!"

As the six heroines steeled themselves, a beam of bright light shot down through the darkened skies. A beam of light that should've parted those clouds and brought forth the sun. But instead the light vanished, leaving behind a single existence that now stood before the six that had once served her. Six individuals that dared fight back against her influence. Six girls that didn't understand what they were standing up to. The Light of Order that brought nothing but peace to this city, that's what they would dare to stand up against. Those fools. They should've just given themselves to her orders and accept the peace she blessed them with.

Lumiere closed her eyes as the light around her flickered and dissolved into mere sparks, scoffing as her shadow extended. "I do not need your help. I do not welcome it. And yet you've decided to make your move as well?" She muttered, paying no attention to the girls in front of her.

"We're two sides of the same coin, Lumiere." Tenebris, the Darkness of Chaos, emerged from the shadow her Light cast. "Of course I'd show up. You've never been able to get rid of me, and you won't be getting rid of me now." The wicked woman with nothing but her hair covering her form laughed, especially as she glared towards the six girls that had gotten in her way. "And neither will you girls, you've earned a front row seat to complete and utter devastation! I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY!"

Just as quickly as the light that had pierced through the clouds by its lonesome had disappeared, a veil of darkness wrapped around the roof of the Natura building. Leaving the six isolated with nobody but their two greatest enemies. A woman devoid of empathy who wanted to steer the city in the 'proper path', and a woman who represented everything wrong with following one's own desires and how that path could be twisted for nothing but pain. These were the women that had tampered with their paths. These were the women that deserved to be felled, for the sake of everyone else in the city. If they did not stop them now, there was no guarantee that people like them wouldn't be lured in and abused again...

"Ready, everyone?" Akane asked as she looked to the five that stood by her side. She didn't need to ask, but she wanted to hear them. She wanted to hear the feelings they shared.

"Always." Aoi stated, letting her fingers slide across her arm as a small wave poured down her body. "They've trampled on the people I keep dear. For that, they'll pay."

"Duh." Mana uttered her usual bratty opinion, grinning as winds started to swirl around her body. "They've screwed with us more than I'd like. And now it's time to pay for it!"

"As long as you are." Kohana said, a soft smile on her face as the light of her gentle heart poured out. "We'll make them see. That's the only path forward."

"Yeah!" Kiko cried out as she punched her knuckles together, a burst of darkness covering them both. "They've caused us enough pain, time to see them both grit those teeth!"

"No." Shiro disagreed, before letting a small smile rest on her lips as the colored bangs in her hair softly glowed. "But even if I'm not ready, I have you all here with me. You've accepted me, now it's time to respond to that kindness with my strength, Akane."

Akane grinned from ear to ear as she pointed at both the Light and Dark that had tried to manipulate them, flames surrounding her form. "Lumiere! Tenebris! You're not leaving this place alive, and you won't hurt another soul ever again! We, Natura Couleur, promise that from the bottom of our hearts!"

Lumiere did not budge. Not in the face of this combined will. Not in the face of anything. "I believe you misunderstand your current situation." The Light of Equilibre spoke softly, as a ray of light started to flow forth from her body. "You may have been able to make my power your own. BUT IT IS STILL ONLY THAT! MY POWER! I WILL RIP IT FROM YOUR CHESTS AND ENSURE THAT MY NEXT GOLDEN SOLDIER WILL NEVER DISOBEY HER ORDERS!" That soft-spoken voice grew enraged within seconds, the light growing stronger as it burned away at everything around it. Her calm and composed nature had been completely washed away by her own hubris and her own inability to accept anything that didn't follow her vision.

Tenebris laughed as her hair fully wrapped around her body, before it tightened and tore itself apart, revealing her body now being covered in a black bodysuit and armor not unlike the one covering her direct opposite. "You've heard the control freak! And today's a very special day, because I'll be taking those bodies once she's stripped them dry of all that light in you! I'LL BE DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU SIX AS ETERNAL PUPPETS POURING MY DESIRES THROUGH THIS ROTTEN CITY!" She shouted, the darkness pouring out of her as it melded with the light by her side. Two direct opposites, working together for the first time in a long while...

Even as they were faced with this, the six did not falter. Instead, they stood their ground as their respective elements raged around them. They were ready for this. They were ready!

"NATURALIZE!"

"Come forth, Waves of Determination!" Aoi shouted as the waters coating her arms consumed her, forming a momentary bubble that burst open and let the soft rain pour down on her armored and transformed form. "Natura Bleu, Eguchi Aoi!"

"Rage on, Winds of Understanding!" Mana cried out as the winds wrapped around her to the point of forming a sphere of razor-sharp winds, only to have them cut apart by her daggers as she revealed her armored form. "Natura Vert, Kido Mana!"

"Pour forth, Light of Redemption!" Kohana let her prayer leave her lips as that light pouring from her heart consumed her completely, only to sink back towards her hands as her armored form became apparent. "Natura Blanc, Shirai Kohana!"

"Burst open, Strength within Darkness!" Kiko screamed as the darkness from her fist burst across her body, sinking into her veins as she let out a trembling roar. All before that body-swallowing darkness shattered to reveal her dress-like armor. "Natura Noir, Sakurai Kiko!"

Shiro reached towards her chest, pulling out a single multi-colored blade. The same blade that she had used to carve open her new friends and extract their light... "Fill their eyes, Myriad Colors!" Before grabbing the handle with both her hands and splitting the blade in two as the colors of her blades consumed her and formed a prismatic version of her allies' armor. No longer would she fight alone. Now she fought with her friends! "Natura Arc, Shima Shiro!"

"Light up, Flames of Courage!" Akane cried out as the flames swallowed her whole, an inferno raging forth as it tried to consume her completely. Only for her to slash through the flames and reveal her armored form, her flaming red locks blowing in the wind while her grin reached from ear to ear. "Natura Rouge! Araya Akane!"

Fire. Water. Wind. Light. Darkness. And the Rainbow that stretched across their shared destiny. Together as one, the six girls took a single step towards the conclusion.

"United for the sake of Equilibre! United not as soldiers, but as allies! Natura Couleur!" The six cried out in unison, as that single step turned into a full-on run towards the two that wanted to destroy this beautiful city with their own malicious wishes!

"Futile!" Lumiere shouted as she held her hand in front of her, her light coalescing into several small orbs that immediately began to shoot beams towards them. "You will not survive! You will FALL!" She wasn't holding back. She was going to do everything in her power to make sure that these six would be left empty so she could return to her golden plan!

Vert grinned as she saw those beams coming. "You won't hit us if you try something like that! VERT VISAGE!" And like she had done many times before, the wind-aligned heroine called upon a fog that obscured her fellow allies, allowing her to multiply infinitely as clones upon clones formed within that fog.

Though it didn't last. Just as quickly as she had pulled out her trump card, she felt a shiver run down her spine, and a claw working its way across her back. Courtesy of Tenebris, who had emerged from the ground behind her. "I've gotten used to that trick of yours, Vert. Shame it's no good if I've got a shadow to pop out of." The Darkness of Equilibre said, her arm having turned into a monster of a weapon just like it had the last times she fought.

Vert trembled as she felt that pain in her back. But she grinned. Good. Everything was going according to plan. "Akane! Aoi!" She shouted, all as she turned towards the Darkness with her daggers in hand.

"Rouge Cross!" "Bleu Wave!"

Tenebris grinned as she dissolved into fragments of Darkness just as a beam of heat and violent waves poured towards her. She didn't plan on getting caught in an attack any time soon. Not when she still had the advantage of superior mobility. As long as her other half was busy firing off all these bloody lasers that were lighting up the battlefield, she could keep popping out of the shadows it cast. Especially as she could split in two and pop out from behind both Rouge and Bleu at the same time-

The second she popped out of those shadows, she didn't see those girls. But rather, she saw two copies of Natura Arc, who grinned down at her as their illusion faded.

"Remember, Tenebris. Their powers are with me. But their powers are their own as well." Both of the copies spoke at the same time, as they jammed their blades into their shadows and let their control over Darkness pin Tenebris, if only for a moment. "NOW!"

The fog cleared away, as the Vert that had originally been struck by Tenebris disappeared as well. It had been a clone. The plan had been set so far in advance that they were more than ready for something that their dark enemy could pull out of her bag of tricks. No matter what she'd do, they were ready for her.

"You two are damn heavy, can't you lose some weight?!" Vert shouted as she held Rouge and Bleu by their wrists, her wind powers keeping her afloat. She needed to use hers instead of her allies', because if they used theirs then they would be detected.

"I'll pay for your next game, Mana." Bleu said, giving her shorter friend a thumbs up. "Akane, now!"

Rouge laughed as she let her powers rage on, sending her on a crash course down towards the bound Darkness, her flames consuming her to the point where she was little more than a silhouette within the fire. "ROUGE METEOR!"

"BLEUNAMI!" Bleu shouted as well, swinging from her ally's hand as she turned into a crashing wave, stretching far as she descended upon the other bound Darkness. If one of them could hit, then it didn't matter if the other did. These attacks would be more than strong enough to deliver a powerful blow to that vile thing!

Tenebris grit her teeth as she watched those two heroines crash down towards her. But it wouldn't last, as those frustrated teeth turned into a wild grin as more lasers poured through the sky. Took that light-filled bitch long enough.

"FALL, NATURA!" Lumiere shouted as her onslaught grew even stronger, every beam growing bigger and bigger as she kept on firing them with no end in sight. As long as she had energy within her, she would keep firing. As long as they were still standing, they would be the target of her all-consuming anger!

Vert grit her teeth as she dispelled her powers slightly, letting her fall alongside her allies. "Never tried this before, hope it works! WHIRLVERT!" She shouted, letting her winds flow through her and start spinning around her, letting them grow stronger and stronger with every passing moment.

While they weren't nearly strong enough to send her allies off course, the beams were being adjusted due to the thickness of the winds. Which meant that they were being sent off course and flung into the darkness that surrounded the roof instead of making impact when their strike mattered most!

"Take this, Tenebris! Try to stop me now!" "Let these waters swallow you, Darkness of Equilibre!"

Tenebris' grin widened further. Even as those two had gotten close enough to possibly slam into her. This feeling inside her heart, this chaos that the battlefield brought. It was exactly what she had been craving since the moment she signed up for this deal. She knew that she'd face something intense. And this was exactly what she had wanted!

Which was why she barely flinched as the two girls slammed straight into her. In fact, their attacks were swallowed by the darkness within seconds of making impact, with Tenebris laughing more as that energy within her started to burst right back out. "HAVE A TASTE OF YOUR OWN MEDICINE, GIRLS!"

A powerful beam burst forth from both Tenebris' mouths, aiming to consume them both within the sheer destruction pouring out. There was no place for them to run. No place for them to hide. And she relished in the sight of the two being blown back courtesy of the sheer potency of her powers..!

"Kohana, now!" Right up until Arc cried out and whipped clashed her swords together, causing a powerful wind to burst out from both copies of her blades. The winds slammed against one another, forming a hole in the air. A hole that allowed her ally to spring forth from her current location!

Blanc was smiling as she leapt out of these clashing whirlwinds. She had been dodging beams alongside Noir before, but now she had her chance. "BLANC INTEGRATION!" She shouted, extending her arms and allowing her light to spread out, beaming straight through her two allies...

Who then disappeared, all while her white hair took upon two shades. Blue, and Red. To go with the black that had already sunk in...

Lumiere twitched. Her light wasn't supposed to be freely shared like this. It was hers! HERS! "RELINQUISH YOUR LIGHT AND BE PURGED FROM THIS CITY!" The enraged Light of Equilibre shouted as a beam poured forth from her body. Not a myriad of beams, but a proper beam that was fired straight towards the girl that had absorbed all of her allies.

A beam that shattered the moment it seemed like it would make impact, as Noir's arm stuck out of Blanc and the muscled girl slammed through it completely. "YOU'RE NOT HURTING HER WHEN I HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT, YOU CONTROL FREAK!" The black-haired heroine shouted as she used that momentum to fly towards the woman that tried to break them all.

All as Arc emerged on her back, blades in hand as she used the same technique that Tenebris had. She was adept in her control over her powers after all. "Together, Kiko!" She shouted, spreading her blades far out. "COULEURFUL IGNITION!"

The prismatic glow from her blades spread out as far as it possibly could, coating her dark-aligned ally in flames with the exact same flowing colors. All as they both crashed down towards the Light that had hounded them!

"YOU PESTS!" Lumiere shouted as her hand was held aloft still, forming several walls of pure light. Walls that layered on top of one another to protect them, resulting in the two heroines smashing through only a few of them before they were knocked right back.

And from the shadow that was cast by their fall, Tenebris emerged again, her body sharpened further as she jumped up towards them, with all the intent in the world to cut straight through them. Only to be stopped prematurely by a combined blast of water and fire, courtesy of Blanc who still had two of her allies integrated, forcing the Darkness back as the heroes regrouped once more.

"So that didn't work!" Vert grit her teeth a bit as she rubbed her body. Sending those lasers off course was more than enough to hurt her, due to the nature of her winds. "Any bright ideas? I'm running out, so you better have some!"

Blanc trembled as her light spread out, letting Rouge and Bleu back out of her body fully healed due to her power. "I've got... O-One..." She panted, jittering as she looked down at her friends. "Hope you're both okay, Aoi, Akane..."

"Better than ever. Gotta say, didn't think you'd be able to do that, Kohana! It's like you were healing me into your body, and..." Rouge said, before shaking her head. "Nah, no time to dwell on how ya did it. More important to focus on that plan. Lemme hear!"

Bleu nodded as well, bringing forth her blade as she wrapped it around her green-haired ally to let her heal from her waters. "We're listening, Kohana."

Blanc took a deep breath, before turning to Noir with a soft yet worried smile. "Kiko. I need your power one more time. Yours too, Mana. Would you trust me?"

Kiko grinned. "You're asking me. It's better than when you were trying to make me think you were the only one I needed." The black-haired girl dusted herself off after that last impact. "Shiro, cover us. You've got real good control over your powers, and the variety's helping out a lot!"

"Actually..." Kohana said, smiling softly as she came towards their newest ally. "Shiro. I'd like for you and Akane to concentrate your powers as much as possible. You're both so strong, you're the last piece we need in this." She said, kindly bowing towards her redheaded ally. "Please, Shiro..."

Arc smiled as she let her blades dissolve into colors. "I'll do what you say, Kohana. I trust you." The redheaded predecessor said as she started to gather her powers within the palms of her hands. "You heard her, Akane!"

"Way ahead of you!" Rouge shouted as she gathered her flames as well, grinning as she felt the intense flames already burning away at her armor. She knew this feeling well. The feeling of using herself as fuel for an attack. But this wasn't desperation. This was the courage to see this plan carried out.

Bleu took a deep breath as she waved her hands through the air, drawing two blades formed from her waves. "I'll defend them until they're ready. I trust your judgment, Kohana." She said, standing in front of her friends with everything ready to defend them. Until her very last breath!

Blanc nodded, looking at the displeased Vert and the confident Noir as she took a deep breath. "BLANC INTEGRATION!" She shouted as her light started spreading, consuming both of her allies as she healed them to the point where they became a part of her body, adding their colors to her bed of white hair.

Right as another beam of pure light headed straight for them, courtesy of the Light of Equilibre. And riding along the shadow it cast was Darkness of Equilibre, who swam through the shade like a shark ready to tear through its prey. A terrifying duet for sure, one that would put an end to their plan in one fell swoop should they manage to stop these two girls from charging.

"BLEU MIRROR!" Bleu shouted as she spun both of her blades around and turned them into water while they were spinning, forming two perfect water mirrors that split the beam in twain as they deflected it two opposing directions. Leaving the beam incapable of meeting its mark!

But Tenebris was still there, diving out of the shadow with her fangs and her claws and every single part of her body covered in blades. "YOU'RE MINE!" She shouted, heading past the blue-colored heroine as she aimed for the most vulnerable members...

Right until she had a fist bury straight into her face. Courtesy of the girl that should be healing everyone. Blanc was taking advantage of the strength pouring through her due to Noir being integrated into her, and instead of stopping with just a simple punch, she let the winds from Vert carry her forward.

"INSOLENT MAGGOT! GIVE ME THAT LIGHT, IT'S NOT YOURS!" Lumiere shouted as she saw Blanc rapidly blasting towards her, firing more and more beams. Each of them the same size as the last. She wasn't about to let them win. She wasn't about to give them any quarter. She would wipe them from the face of this city! SHE WOULD WIPE THEM FROM THE FACE OF THIS PLANE OF EXISTENCE!

Blanc grit her teeth as she flew faster and faster, dragging Tenebris with her in the process. The light pouring out around her was canceling out the shadows cast by being so bright no shadow would ever be cast, preventing her from disappearing. But even then, she couldn't tank that many beams. Even with Noir's toughness, even with her own healing, getting hit by so many of those wild beams would-

Her eyes widened for a split second as a set of flames swallowed the beams about to slam straight into her. They had... No, they didn't disobey her orders. She knew why they had used their powers now.

"GO, KOHANA!" Rouge shouted as she continued burning away. Her suit was charring, even as she started running after her friend.

Arc panted as the colors were draining from her body. Firing off that blast of flames to cancel out that light was draining her reserves more than it already did. The cost of having to use everything for this final strike. But she could still pull more power from her body. For the sake of the plan!

Tenebris laughed as she was being dragged along. So this was the Light that they wanted to protect. It was just as impulsive as her. This teamwork, this wild emotion... It was all something that went against both her own way of looking at the world, as well as the worldview of her other self. But still, she wasn't about to give up. Even if Lumiere was a static bitch who didn't know how to vary up her approach, she wasn't going to be caught losing when she was this close to winning.

"HOW ABOUT I INTEGRATE MYSELF, HMM? SURELY YOU'VE GOT ENOUGH SPACE IN THERE FOR MO-"

She didn't get the chance to sink in. Not before a splash of water surrounded Blanc's body, courtesy of Bleu dashing forward as well. She said it herself, she'd defend them. She meant everyone, not just the two that utilized fire...

"Clever girl..." Tenebris laughed, her body cracking bit by bit as that fist dug further into her face. All as she kept on crashing towards the Light that served as her other half!

"UNACCEPTABLE! UNACCEPTABLE! YOU'RE ALL INSIGNIFICANT, YOU ALL STAND AGAINST MY WORLD! YOU ALL STAND AGAINST WHAT I WISH FOR THIS WORLD! DISAPPEAR AND BE SWALLOWED BY MY LIGHT!" Lumiere had gone well and truly crazy, especially as her light started to explode from her body. The beams were intensifying, and so were the protections around her. She was well aware of what would happen if Tenebris touched her. This was the last thing she'd allow!

Unfortunately, this time her shields wouldn't hold. Not as Bleu jumped past her white-clad ally, carried by the winds that swirled around Blanc and allowed her to boost forward. "WAVES OF DETERMINATION, FLOW FORTH AND BREAK OPEN A PATH FOR MY FRIENDS!" She shouted as her body turned into waves... No, not waves. It turned into blades, each stretching out and forming a sharp wave of pure sharp metal, crashing straight through the walls that had been set up by the Light of Equilibre. She wouldn't be able to defend herself this time.

Blanc shouted as she jetted forth one more time. "Thank you, Kiko! Mana!" She shouted, her power running out at the critical moment sending both of them spiraling out of her body. But by that point she was left with the last few sparks. The last little embers. "Light of Redemption! Shine on these two, and bring their sins into the open!"

Her body shined one last time, shooting the light through Tenebris as it carried her forward the final few inches. Forcing her to slam against Lumiere, knocking the static Light off balance for just a few precious seconds. The seconds that Blanc had been waiting for. "Akane! Shiro! NOW!"

Standing on opposing sides, Rouge and Arc were both on the verge of being utterly consumed by their powers. But this was the moment they needed, as both of them held their arms out and let their energy reach out as far as it could.

"Lumiere! Tenebris! With these Myriad Colors, I hope to see the better parts of you both once again!" Arc shouted as the energy reached all the way out to the tips of her blades, her body turning pure white as she had sucked out all her color for this final attack!

"I started this, Lumiere! And I'll put an end to it!" Rouge shouted, the flames having completely consumed her body. At any moment, she'd turn to ash. But she wouldn't pass. Not when victory was right there. "Shiro! WITH ME"

"ROUGE CROSS!"

Two identical beams of pure flame poured forth. Flames that slammed straight into the backs of the Light and the Darkness. Flames that melted them and let their cries of agony echo forth. Flames that were filled with the will that would repair and protect this city. Flames of the Present, and Flames of the Past... Smashing together to form the Flames of the Future.

"NO! I REFUSE! THIS ISN'T WHAT I WANT! NO! MY CITY! MY ORDER! NATURA COULEEEEEUUUURRR!" Lumiere shouted in anger and in frustration and in sheer despair as she was melting away, pouring onto the Darkness...

"Oh, give it a rest! Let them keep an eye on things, we're both history! You've always been so lame, so static! Let's just live a little and see where this takes us!" Tenebris laughed as she wrapped her arms around the Light, losing her form as she melted more and more. "Natura Couleur! You've done well! Just watch out, because there's always danger around every corner!"

With the Darkness of Equilibre' laugh echoing out, the beams exploded and let a flame pierce through not only the dark dome that had covered the roof, but the clouds that ominously hung above. Revealing the evening sky, the sun about to set while the moon hung up above...

Akane coughed as her transformation was undone at that moment, her body on the verge of breaking down. But the flame of her courage was keeping her standing, a grin on her face as she slowly stood back up as the ashes of her own ability poured off.

"It's over..." Shiro muttered, her own transformation shattering alongside her Myriad Colors as her color slowly returned. If she had been all by herself, she wouldn't have been able to stand still. This was only possible because of the ones that had aided her. The ones that thought she was worth it all...

The flame kept on burning, as Kiko walked over and picked up her fallen friend. Pecking Kohana on the cheek as the two smiled at one another. The plan had worked out, and they had been victorious.

"Can't believe Kohana figured out a better plan than I could've..." Mana muttered as she dusted herself off, walking over to Aoi as she offered a hand to the girl that had just reformed from the blades that flowed with determination.

Aoi softly smiled. "All the more reason for you to keep improving, Mana." The blue-haired heroine said with a gentle tone, slowly standing up as they all gathered around the flame that was fueled by the Light and Darkness of Equilibre...

Natura Couleur gathered before the flame, as it slowly but surely died down. Revealing a single girl, who instead of being split down the middle with either aesthetic, had white and black peppered across her body. Even her hair was a mess of both colors, strands of both woven together as she slowly became aware of the world around her...

The new girl felt her heart aching, as she became critically aware of what she was made from. The Light and the Dark had melted together, and this new existence, this new matured existence that looked older than every girl that had fought together to lead to her birth, put her hands on her heart and trembled. Because she felt the weight of everything that they had done.

But instead of being forced to wallow in her sins, she saw a hand. Then another. Then four more. Each of them reaching out, each of them smiling as they offered help. Even though her components had done so much to hurt them...

"Why..?" The new girl, who seemed so lost, muttered as she looked up at Akane. The girl that had ultimately caused all of this to transpire. The girl that had made everything come to such a happy conclusion.

Akane just smiled. "Because even they need a chance at redemption." She said, wise words for a girl who had been manipulated by them both. "But enough about them, you're not them, you're you." She continued, as that smile turned into a grin. The grin of somebody that had made a brand new friend.

"Happy Birthday, Éclipse."

Thus, the trials and tribulations of Natura Couleur were brought to an end. They had overcome their own problems. They had managed to redeem their predecessor, the Light and the Dark, and bring a chance to live happily to a brand new life. A new chapter would begin soon thereafter, with many more challenges in store for them.

But that was a story for another day...