2015-02-22 - Seismic Sentiments
| Title: Seismic Sentiments | |
|---|---|
| Summary: Having had enough of interruptions in her quest for the Jewel Seeds, Fate prepares a challenge for all her enemies at once. It goes very well until it doesn't. | |
| Who: Fate Testarossa, Nanoha Takamachi, Ren Aizawa, Endo Naoki, Lera Camry, Mai Tokiha, Fuu Hououji, Sakura Kinomoto, Cute Wolf Tsukiko | |
| Where: Yamanote High City | |
| OOC - IC Date: 29 May 2014 - 02/22/2015 | |
<Pose Tracker> Fate Testarossa [None] has posed.
The overcast sky left the Tokyo skyline blanketed in dappled moonlight and warning lights, blinking crimson to ward any low flying aircraft away. It is the witching hour, a time when most people are abed, or heading in that direction, the perfect time for magic to be conducted without notice.
The arcane power of the ritual magic brought to bear here was anything but clandestine, the clouds growing thick enough to smother out the moon entirely. The storm then came at her call, the sky flashing with light, a static pulse thrumming permeating the air, before celestial bolts fell from the heavens, accompanied by thunderclaps that rattled the windows of even the tallest skyscrapers.
The storm's intensity appeared to build upon itself, rather than ever actually stopping. The challenge within the storm is as unmistakable as the swelling of energy. A beacon that would lead them all to her. Power that would activate more of what she sought. Power that would gather those who had sealed the others right to her.
And while words of power sprang from her lips, weaving together the storm's energy like a conductor to create a symphony of violence, it was barely on her mind. 'I am the sole offspring of the Great Mage, Precia Testarossa. Nothing is impossible for me.' Her partner, gleaming gold, and sleek obsidian metal remained silent throughout the ritual, reflecting the storm's light off his axe blade. In many ways, this was fitting, for him to be a reflection of his mistress. But was that all there was to his thoughts?
Whatever those thoughts might be, they're interrupted as the pulse of the storm was joined by the pulsing of a gem that reflected the heart's desires. Energy bleeds out from it chaotically, a column of blinding cerulean light penetrating the heavens as it rose to hover from a sewer grate, just above the streets that lay all but abandoned by the people partaking in Tokyo's night life who sought shelter.
<It answers you when you cry sir.> Bardiche's words seemed to bely his usual laconic nature. Fate doesn't reply to him for a few seconds, as she turns to face the direction of the Lost Logia, "Don't be absurd Bardiche. I never cry." <Yes sir. Sealing Form.>
As his head retracted and shifted to resemble a spearhead, she shifts him in her grip to take careful aim towards the gem at the center of the gleaming column. Magic gathered at the tip of his spearhead. <Spark Smasher.> A hand thumbed a trigger on his haft. "Fire." A gleaming blast of gold and violet lances out, intending to suppress the Jewel Seed.
<Pose Tracker> Nanoha Takamachi [Infinity Institute (4)] has posed.
There was nothing natural about anything going on, and that much was blatantly obvious. Despite the terribly late time of night, not everyone is dead asleep.
The building storm means someone, also attuned to the fluctuations of power and energy of the Jewel Seeds is very much awake, in search of the mounting power and cause of someone attempting to also tend to one, rousing from its slumbering state. And to stop it before it can do so.
Nanoha Takamachi is, as of yet, entirely unaware of Fate Testatrossa's presence. The small, red-haired, girl is perched on a building some distance away, her own Device in hand, fingers curled around the rifle grip of the spear shaped stave in her hand as the flare of pink wings of light flutter and expand, resting her finger lightly on the trigger.
But in truth, she's been getting sloppy.
<WE ARE NOT ALONE.>
"Eh?!" Too late. Her finger depresses the trigger, and a column of bright pink light lances forth from the opposite direction, and in a violent eruptive force, pink and gold meet, two unyielding blazes of opposing energies slamming together in searing corona of light focused dead center on the Jewel Seed. And the Lost Logia reacts accordingly when met with such unabashed, overwhelming, supreme violence.
Naturally it quiets the hell down and locks into Sealed state. For the moment.
"... O-oh..."
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Looking up at the stormy sky, Mai Tokiha curses every meteorologist she can think of. The forecast for tonight was clear skies, fairly warm - basically an evening with no need for jacket or umbrella. But now, with those looming clouds and thundercracks...
It's been a long day, as so many of them are. Classes - particularly after an exciting afternoon of cooking the day before - were difficult enough to keep track of. A diner shift after that...well, if nothing else, she has a newfound appreciation for (and newfound ability to criticize) what's going on in the kitchen there. Still, hours of serving customers who just refused to leave...
This time of year, work is supposed to finish near sunset. Things being this dark already is practically an affront.
Through Tokyo's night, Mai moves quickly. That thundering, raging storm - every flash of lightning has her cringing in anticipation of the raging rain. Every resounding boom not followed by a downpour is a mercy...but after the fifth or sixth crash, suspicion begins to awaken. It should be pouring rain by now, right?
The light catches her attention - something shining, just a few blocks away, and rising every moment. Something brilliant, either source or target of the recurring lightning bolts...that's not normal weather. Maybe the meteorologists weren't completely wrong, after all? Mai shakes her head - she's getting distracted. A long day followed by a longer night...but she owes it to herself to find out what's going on. If it's an Orphan, or some new monstrous enemy of all that's right and good...she might need to act, right?
She rounds a corner just in time to see brilliant pink slam into blazing gold, some mysterious gem the focal point of the destructive force...and it's all she can do to stare. What is even going on?
<Pose Tracker> Sakura Kinomoto [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.
Crashes in the sky were strong enough to shake the foundation of the Kinomoto home. Initially, Keroberos grants it attention under consideration a Clow Card had been triggered by Shadow's recent presence and Sakura's growing magical strength. The Thunder? The Storm? Internally, he curses Clow for making cards so similar that it was difficult to tease them apart, particularly in this weakened form. If only Firey and Earthy had surfaced, at least then, he can offer some kind of assistance rather than relying on her for everything. But as it continued, he becomes more certain it is not the work of a Clow Card-but something else.
He has not yet let Sakura in on the Magic Association. It is not time for her to be aware of the organization, but he still has obligations-those of which include acting on behalf of the Magic Association, and perhaps, unfairly, guiding Sakura on the path. It is on that note he encourages her to come and explore along with him as to the source of the powerful storm.
Donning a thick rain jacket and rubber boots, Sakura has her key already turned into sealing wand. From her desk, she collects the several cards under her domain, including the newly obtained Shadow. Her fingers specifically grab The Fly card, throwing it in front of her and allowing the head of the bird to extend into a large pair of wings-almost too large for her room, as it is crashes a few items off her desk. While she saddles herself onto the wand, she struggles with even opening her window. Each time she comes close to opening it, the winds force it back shut. A more magically sensitive individual might take it as an omen, but Sakura is naïve to such things. Instead, she eventually forces her strength to open the window long enough for herself and Keroberos to fly out, eventually hovering over the same scene Mai had come across.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
A comfy bed is just what's needed for a tired Ren. She's all snug beneath the covers, phone in hand as she texts back and forth with Endo. The dinner plans with him and his mother are finalized, and Ren can't help but feel excited. And nervous. Will Miss Naoki like her? Endo seems to think so, even saying how much his mother wants to meet her. At least that's reassuring enough to put away /some/ of her worries...
Sending a final text bidding Endo goodnight she turns over to place her phone on the nightstand and clicks off the lamp light, getting comfortable before shutting her eyes and drifting off to dreamland...
...Or at least that's what would have happened had Souverain Heraut not chimed aloud suddenly -- <YOUR MAJESTY. ANOMALY DETECTED. IT IS DEFINITELY A JEWEL SEED.>
Ah. Yes. She /did/ instruct Heraut to actively scan for abonormalities like that hadn't she? Ren's eyes fly open as she bolts upright in bed. "What?!"
Heraut responds. <OTHER MAGES ARE IN THE VICINITY.> Of course! Stumbling out of bed Ren grabs the silver ring that is her device's standby form (and her phone too just in case) before she heads downstairs. On the way to the front door she grabs her coat and umbrella, slides on her shoes, and runs outside into the storm -- pajamas and all.
With Heraut acting as a GPS it doesn't take her too long to arrive on the scene. She may have texted Lera and Endo on the way, too. And she was going to contact Nanoha too if the little redhead hadn't already been there -- as demonstrated by the familiar pink beam of light that slams into the equally familiar gold one. Which of course means Fate is here too. Uh oh. Ren feels the anxiety mounting within her, but nevertheless transforms and takes to the air to hover in a fashon similar to Sakura the Cardcaptor.
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
That much energy DOES tend to draw attention, even from those who aren't mages by nature or particularly by training - although in Fuu's case, the way that power spike causes the clouds to gather and the storm to swell also gets her attention just by how it warps the winds as well.
She's also been living in Tokyo long enough to know that at certain times of year, you just don't trust the meteorologists to get everything right, so she had her umbrella with her on this evening's errands. As the light show begins in the skies overhead, though, she ducks into an alcove and digs in a pocket for her glove-jewel; she's probably going to have to get soaked to investigate what's going on.
At least her armor and her weapons won't be in danger of rusting.
"Belief becomes power ... winds, guide me!" Fuu chants, and her umbrella vanishes into the jewel on her glove just before the tornado effect of her transformation enfolds her, changing her uniform's color to green and conjuring her boots, bracer, and breastplate. The stormy conditions may play hell with her archery, but she already has her doubts that a sword is going to do much good; she goes unarmed for the moment, heading out to rendezvous (somewhat unexpectedly) with Mai.
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
Lera Camry has gotten used to patrolling at this late hour. Sometimes, dangers to the world simply don't care about her sleep schedule. She stands atop the corner of a four story building, looking down a street, until she sees the flash of light from Fate's fired shot -- and then the opne from Nanoha, gold and pink light slamming into one another. Her eyes widen for a moment. "Sky, is that..."
<I think so. We better hurry.>
Setsuna's fortune comes back to her; she would have to help someone, and soon, or that help wouldn't copme when it was needed. It sticks in her mind, now, and feels like a cold vice around her heart when she thinks of it. Her lips purse, before she leaps off the side of the building. She falls a few feet.
Then there is a ring of gold and orange light bursting from her feet, and she fires off like a shot into the air. A trail of zig-zagging lines of burnt orange light cuts through the sky, her hair flying out behind her, as she sees the sealed Jewel Seed between the two beams -- and who fired them. Her eyes widen, then narrow.
<Another Jewel Seed. Be careful!>
COMBAT: Lera Camry transforms into Barrier Jacket!
<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
<AWAKEN.>
The reverberations of Endo's intelligent device inside his brain were enough to raise him from his stupor several minutes earlier. It only took a casual glance out the window to see what all the fuss was about. He decided it was probably something he should look at. The messages on his phone, dropped on the floor and being vainly vacuumed at by the house Cocorobo, inform him that it's a good idea.
He's gotten good at moving through the city. The device dangling behind him announces Endos presence, a purple spark that flashes between tall buildings. He's attracted to light, much like a moth. Each crash and sound makes him grit his teeth, but he presses on, eyes focusing on the point of the two lights colliding ahead. The next leap changes his direction, sending him toward whatever that was.
<Pose Tracker> Cute Wolf Tsukiko [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.
Nighttime is usually a good time for magical girls to make their patrols, a fact that Tsukiko frequently makes the most of. Normally she'd make an exception for horrible weather, but something about it just doesn't seem right. None of her canine friends had mentioned a shift in the weather, so why would there be a storm like this?
As the wolfgirl bounds across Tokyo to check in on the various packs of strays, the storm intensifies, forcing her to be more careful with her footing. "Don't worry, I'll do my best to stay safe," she tells a worried group of strays. "Make sure you stay safe, too."
As she dashes along, leaping between the ground and some of the lower roofs, Tsukiko warily watches the skies. There is /something/ causing the storm, but what? And for what purpose? She crosses a roof to a corner with a good view--
--just in time to watch the two beams collide in the stormy sky.
The wolfgirl yelps and blinks her eyes to clear the afterimages. Looking around, she spots several familiar magical girls. On the positive side, it's good to have friends around when there's trouble.
On the negative side, this storm might need all of them to fight it...
<Pose Tracker> Fate Testarossa [None] has posed.
While sealed, the Jewel Seed still hardly seems inert, floating just a few feet above the street. The pulse of life within it slows, though every so often those bright hearts attuned to magic could feel it. Could hear it. Chiming as ominous distant ringing, not in the ears, but in ones' thoughts.
It is Raising Heart that tips Nanoha off to the presence of Fate, but in contrast, the words from Fate's lips are immediately. "She's here." <Yes sir. Confirmed.>
In a way, she sounds vaguely disappointed, but that feeling is dissonant. Wasn't her purpose to gather everyone with the Lost Logia here? Doesn't this work to her advantage? And yet, the feeling remained, even as she glided down to hover just above street level, the fluttering of her windswept cape enveloping her.
Bardiche is swept into an aggressive thrust, towards the crowd. She recognizes many, even if she can't place names to all of them. Despite being diminutive, she stands up so tall, to all of them, her words threatening despite the odds. "Many of you followed my magic here tonight, ignorant of my purpose. I will give those who did this one chance to leave." A pregnant pause lingers through the air. "My enemies are only those who have laid claim to the Jewel Seeds."
Her scarlet eyes flicker from the girl with Raising Heart, to Magical Cheeseburger Propane-chan, to Ren and Endo. Even if she's not really speaking to them, the threat is unmistakable, she considers them her enemies. She won't be allowing any of them to leave, if she has her way. "If you choose to stay-"
Her hand flexes on Bardiche's haft, as she looks up towards the girl riding on the wand, whom she knew from the school grounds, then down at the Magic Knight, Tsukiko and Mai, before her voice takes on a cold and threatening tone, seeming uncaring of the odds. Without her directing it, the storm has begun to wane, and yet lightning still flashes, illuminating the sky and punctuating her final words. "-then I will show none of you any mercy."
Readying herself for the mental focus she'd need to even stand a chance of taking on so many, she spins Bardiche in a stylish flourish, spinning him back into a ready position behind her. His head shifts forward, as a jagged blade of golden mana erupts from his head. <Scythe Form.>
COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has fully healed herself. She is now ready to take on 8 opponents!
<Pose Tracker> Cute Wolf Tsukiko [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.
Tsukiko narrows her eyes. While she herself hasn't been collecting Jewel Seeds, she's still friends with some of those who are, and she doesn't take kindly to them being threatened. Add the threats to the other magical girls, plus the fear that this storm has caused to the dogs of the city...
She is not a happy wolfgirl.
"Let's do our best!" she calls to the others, especially the ones closest to her. "As long as we work together, I know we can win!"
COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has used Encourage the Pack on Endo Naoki. COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has used Encourage the Pack on Fuu Hououji. COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has used Encourage the Pack on Sakura Kinomoto. COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fuu Hououji accepts Cute Wolf Tsukiko's Encourage the Pack, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Fuu Hououji is Cheered! COMBAT: Sakura Kinomoto accepts Cute Wolf Tsukiko's Encourage the Pack, taking 0 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Thrum. Thrum. Thrum. Mai has never seen a Jewel Seed before - never been caught up in the recurring battles for the mystic gems. Even so - even though it doesn't resonate like the World Tree's plight did, there's enough arcane dissonance to the Logia's presence that the mark she bears burns in response to its presence. This close, even Mai can't ignore this outright..
There's another presence here, though - less spiritual, more physical. A blonde girl in black, wielding a staff - no, a scythe of lightning. Mai's eyes widen as she looks to the girl's face in a near-panic...but there are too many differences. Not the same. So it's just /another/ blonde girl with mysterious, possibly malevolent intentions.
She's been addressed - whatever else is going on here, she absolutely falls in the category of those ignorant. A single step back, as she's given pause at the girl's offer. She doesn't know what in the world is going on here - what the stakes are, who's fighting for what causes. This really doesn't feel like her fight - by all rights, she should take the chance. Turn around, leave, go make supper. But...
Mai's gaze flickers to the hovering, barely-tamed gem. Rests on it a moment, before she takes a long breath....and closes her eyes, lowering her hands to her sides. Outstretched, her stance wide. This isn't a fight whose stakes she knows, but with something that strange, that dissonant here...
Flames blossom. Flickering, hesitant - but growing in heat and conviction. Swirling around Mai, enveloping her for a moment before finding their focal points. Four rings of gold set with jade emerge from the fire - hovering in place around her wrists and ankles without touching.
Mai's eyes open again, her attention flickering to the others arriving - some she's seen fighting for righteous causes, others she barely knows at all. Still....her gaze comes to rest on the girl in black, meeting her challenge directly. "You're right - I don't know what your purpose. But I'm not leaving that readily - the last time I let someone like you do what they wanted to something like this without questioning her, it /didn't go well/. This time, I'm not leaving something this wrong-feeling before figuring out what in the world is going on."
COMBAT: Mai Tokiha transforms into Mai-HiME! COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has used You Look Similar on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has finished attacking. COMBAT: Endo Naoki accepts Cute Wolf Tsukiko's Encourage the Pack, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Endo Naoki is Cheered! COMBAT: Fate Testarossa narrowly braces Mai Tokiha's You Look Similar, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
As Fate lays out her intentions, Ren listens. As always it all comes back to the Jewel Seeds. And now that she has one sealed away within her own device the threat Fate poses to her has increased tenfold. But she can't afford to buckle under the pressure and give in to the sad little mage girl's demands. Nanoha hasn't. Lera hasn't. Endo hasn't. They've all stood together against her -- just like they were going to do tonight. Fate is not to be underestimated, though. Ren's eyes briefly move down to everyone else that has been gathered -- Tsukiko, Mai, Fuu, and Sakura. Do they all know what they've truly gotten themselves into?
Tsukiko's encouraging words however break through the air, and Ren feels touched the wolf girl is ready to face the danger head on. Strength in numbers is a truly wondrous thing. The others begin to bear arms against their mutual opponent, and Ren follows suit, the stately scepter-device seeming to radiate within her grasp. "You didn't put up a barrier." Ren notes, addressing Fate directly. "Do you really want to cause this much trouble?"
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
Lera comes to a stop, looking back over her shoulder for a moment; she spots Mai and Sakura, the former already joining the fray. Her lips part and she considers what to say for a moment, before she nods. "The Jewel Seed's dangerous if it gets out of control," she says to Sakura. "It could--I mean, there's a danger that if it gets out of control, bad things will happen. And Fate... she's not gonna hold back."
Then she looks at Fate. Her expression becomes a little more distant, as she tries -- and fails -- to keep her hesitation off her face. Setsuna's words hover in the back of her mind.
"I can't do that, Fate!" she calls out, as she holds up her free hand. A magical circle flashes into existence behind her, as orange-red lightning crackles up the length of the energy sword clutched in her other hand. A ball of plasma forms off her outstretched hand, then fires off, shooting towards Fate.
She glances at Ren quickly; the question's one she has, but she'll let Ren's asking stand for her.
COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Plasma Ball on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
The Magic Knight of Wind is actually taken aback by the young girl's challenge, and by the situation as a whole. "Wait ... that storm was your doing?" she asks Fate. "Risking so much damage for a ..." She trails off, observing that her allies are already shifting fully to a combat footing.
It's a relief that the storm is starting to let up, but it isn't over yet - and if the storm had been much worse, the risk to civilian life and limb would have been genuine. The Wind Knight looks around at her allies, particularly at young Nanoha ...
And she lets out a breath, shaking her head. "I'm in the dark about what's going on here, but you risked a great deal for that 'Jewel Seed'." Lera's brief comment on that note is very well-timed, and the Wind Knight smiles briefly, nodding thanks to Lera before shifting her focus back to the blonde little girl. "Threatening the rest of us like that isn't a particularly wise idea, either. We're going to have to have more words with you than that, so - please try not to take this too personally, but we do have a city we've pledged to protect."
She brings her left arm up before calling out, "Winds of Admonishment!" and conjuring a controlled whirlwind, trying to manifest it about Fate Testarossa and bind her in place, standing or floating. At the very least the winds should help restrict her movements - unless the young magical girl of murky purpose is fast enough to actually dodge out of the whirlwind before it can fully form, or to counter it by other means.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Winds of Admonishment on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa perfectly counters Lera Camry's Plasma Ball, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter! Fate Testarossa's Reverse ability activates! Fate Testarossa's Tactician ability activates! COMBAT: Fate Testarossa's counterattack, Photon Lancer: Multishot, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Lera Camry! COMBAT: Fate Testarossa narrowly counters Fuu Hououji's Winds of Admonishment, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji is Psyched! Fate Testarossa's Reverse ability activates! Fate Testarossa's Tactician ability activates! Cripple and Trap applied to Fate Testarossa! COMBAT: Fate Testarossa's counterattack, Photon Lancer: Multishot, partially gets through, doing 9 Fatigue damage to Fuu Hououji!
<Pose Tracker> Sakura Kinomoto [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.
It is sobering to see someone whom you thought of as a friend suddenly threaten you. Sakura is taken aback for a few seconds before Cute Wolf Tsukiko's words reach her, in which case, she shakes her head and comes back to the fray. "I don't know what a Jewel Seed is," she says softly, "and I don't really have any interest in it, but I do know that putting people in danger over this is not okay!" It is on that note she begins to circle around the fray before eventually descending next to Cute Wolf Tsukiko, leaping off the wand before pointing it towards Fate.
"Kero-chan, do you know anything about Jewel Seeds?" she looks to the beast, fluttering over her shoulder. He is quiet for a few seconds before examining the scene in front of them. "They're some kinda magic device, but these were definitely not somethin' Clow Reed ever experienced. Whatever it is is some pretty strong stuff, especially if it was shakin' yer' house from so far away. There's definitely no barrier either. Stay on guard, Sakura-chan until we can figure out a little bit more!"
COMBAT: Sakura Kinomoto has used Kero-chan Check! on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Sakura Kinomoto has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa fails to brace Sakura Kinomoto's Kero-chan Check!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Sakura Kinomoto is Psyched! Analysis performed by Sakura Kinomoto!
<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
Endo alights upon a nearby building, touching down and coming to a skipping halt at the edge. Digging his sword in saves him from going toppling over the edge, it's something he's been practicing. The boy's eyes skitter across the assembled group of magical girls, and then settle on Fate. He's not really sure he wants to fight her. Not as much because he's seen what she can do, which is scary, but more because he's not really sure beating up Fate is the right thing to do.
The cries of encouragement from the wolf girl make him draw in a big puff of air, and he calls: "Hey! I can't just give you this! I don't want to fight, but I can't let you take it. Do you really think you can do this?" It's kind of bravado, and kind of a genuine question. "Really, why would you be like this."
He doesn't, however, throw down. Not when there's a chance she might listen.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Why are you like this? on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Endo Naoki has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa narrowly braces Endo Naoki's Why are you like this?, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Fate Testarossa is Quipped!
Nori Ankou has left. Nori Ankou has arrived. Nori Ankou has disconnected. Nori Ankou has connected.
<Pose Tracker> Nanoha Takamachi [Infinity Institute (4)] has posed.
Something says this night isn't going to be so simple. And despite Nanoha's normally brutal training regimen hardening her body and stamina, she is instantly so very, very, tired when the telltale golden blitz can mean only one thing-- one person is here as well.
Raising Hear pops open twin-pronged ports, and Master and Device seem to both sigh in unison as the staff vents a hissing cloud of steam with a mechanical buzz. Already the AI within that spherical ruby is extending herself to maximize situational awareness for her wielder for the conflict that will no doubt begin anew.
<MASTER. NEW CONTACTS.> She announces, which means the two certainly aren't alone. <FOUR CONFIRMED FRIENDLIES.> Raising Heart adds helpfully, informing Nanoha of Ren, Lera, Endo, and Tsukiko. <SEVERAL UNCONFIRMED. WILL YOU ACT?> Added
Of course she'll act, that much is obvious as blue eyes half-lid and survey the surrounding streets and buildings. Quietly she curses herself at the lack of a Barrier, putting the city- putting both property and people in danger.
Nanoha can no longer tell if she's upset, distressed, or angry, after so many encounters with Fate, the other girl normally taking much more consideration than this for the surroundings. But also... Every time she meets this girl, all she can see are thos terribly sad eyes, so full of a soul crushing loneliness- and yet all she does is push others away.
Nanoha's gauntlet creaks audibly as her fingers curl around Raisinf Heart, far tighter than normal. <... MY MASTER?>
Boots click down on street level as she stares up at the blonde in a long moment of perfect silence. She's barely even paying attention to the Jewel Seed, her vision tunnels in on the blonde, as she starts approaching. A slow, steady, inexorable pace forward, that says Fate seems to be a higher priority for the small mage in white, over the newly sealed Jewel Seed, on a course that says nothing short of 'Fate Testarossa I am coming for you'.
"Ah... We always keep meeting like this, don't we?" Whispered over the click of her heels. "I'm sorry, Fate. I'm not here for mercy."
COMBAT: Nanoha Takamachi has used White Devil Walk on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Nanoha Takamachi has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa narrowly braces Nanoha Takamachi's White Devil Walk, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Fate Testarossa is Taunted!
<Pose Tracker> Fate Testarossa [None] has posed.
"Your best won't be enough." Fate says to Tsukiko coldly, her words carrying the weight of certainty. As flames blossom about Mai, Fate doesn't have to wonder what sort of mage she is. As Mai speaks to her, her words trying to reach her like passionate flames stretching towards the heavens. Her words strike down like lightning bolts to meet her. "You are making a mistake. You should have gone home to the people who care about you. Now I can't guarantee that you will."
Ren on the other hand, is one she knows, one she has fought. As she speaks towards Fate, Fate seems non-plussed, replying just as confidently, "Because then I would ensnare those who are here by circumstance. If you are so concerned, then why don't you raise one, and trap all of you inside one with /me/?"
Kero-chan, being the perfect advisor on all affairs mage related, would likely be able to figure out that Fate was a Midchildan mage, and certainly not possessed by any sort of dark power. Her elemental affinity appears to be quite obviously lightning.
Lost Logia is a term that he might know, even if he's unaware of the Jewel Seeds, referring to any relic of a civilization that grew to be so advanced in magic that it collapsed upon itself in an apocalyptic manner. Fate however, replies mostly to Sakura's words, stating succinctly, "Some things are important enough."
Endo's words cause Fate to flinch, though its nearly imperceptible, the diminutive mage batting an eye as she processes them, before replying without explaining. "You wouldn't understand."
And yet is it the advance of her rival that catches her eyes. Fate watches the White Devil step forward, and is unnerved by it, even if she barely shows it outwardly. It's only a little gasp of breath, that's barely perceptible unless you're right beside her, a look in her eyes, that quickly hardens as she tries to steel her nerves for what is to come. Scarlet eyes meet her form, as she finally replies cooly, "So dishonest, even now."
She has no further time to speak though, as both Lera and the Magic Knight of Wind are on the move, attacking with orbs of searing plasma and binding winds. While the girl is initially buffeted about, Bardiche reacts immediately, four giant orbs of violet ball lightning forming. <Photon Lancer> "Multishot. Fire!"
The plasma is intercepted moments before it strikes Fate, an blast wave resonating through the air that she shields her eyes against with a single arm. The remainder of the orbs are launched towards the Magic Knight, intent on disrupting her concentration.
Though the girl strains to keep herself level in the air with the whirlwind about her, her skills as an aerial mage eventually come through, leveling off even as the whirlwind continues to swirl about her. She hovers in the air, still, steady, and with aggressive intent. "My turn."
<Bind Break> Bardiche chimes, as a pulse of energy tries to disperse Fuu's winds. At the same time, a block of phantasmal energy seems to shimmer into being, a yellow cube of mana solidifying to try to latch onto one of Sakura's legs. <Lightning Bind>
Fate then moves forward, as sleek as a lightning bolt, her speed only increasing as Bardiche chimes, <Blitz Action> Blurring in and out, so quickly that its difficult to follow her with one's eyes, she slices into Lera and Fuu so quickly with Bardiche that Bardiche only has time to call out once. <Scythe Slash>
She then hard stops in mid-air, her off-hand hand jutting out, as a golden rune forms at her palm. <Spark Edge> Slivers of electricity like tiny blades shower Endo, Tsukiko, and Ren, washing over each of them.
COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Making a Mistake on Mai Tokiha. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Dishonesty on Nanoha Takamachi. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Lightning Bind: Reversal on Sakura Kinomoto. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Scythe Slash on Fuu Hououji. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Scythe Slash on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Spark Edge on Endo Naoki. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Spark Edge on Cute Wolf Tsukiko. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Spark Edge on Ren Aizawa. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fuu Hououji fails to dodge Fate Testarossa's Scythe Slash, taking 16 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Mai Tokiha narrowly braces Fate Testarossa's Making a Mistake, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Mai Tokiha is Quipped! Mai Tokiha's Block ability activates! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa narrowly braces Fate Testarossa's Spark Edge, taking 3 Fatigue damage! Ren Aizawa's Block ability activates! Ren Aizawa's Parry ability activates! Diversion and Stagger applied to Ren Aizawa! COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko fails to brace Fate Testarossa's Spark Edge, taking 11 Fatigue damage! Diversion applied to Cute Wolf Tsukiko! COMBAT: Lera Camry narrowly counters Fate Testarossa's Scythe Slash, taking 18 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Lera Camry's Reverse ability activates! Lera Camry's Tactician ability activates! COMBAT: Lera Camry's counterattack, Sentinel Cross, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Fate Testarossa! COMBAT: Endo Naoki perfectly counters Fate Testarossa's Spark Edge, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter! Endo Naoki's Reverse ability activates! COMBAT: Endo Naoki's counterattack, Asteroid Rush, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Fate Testarossa! COMBAT: Sakura Kinomoto narrowly braces Fate Testarossa's Lightning Bind: Reversal, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Trap applied to Sakura Kinomoto! Bind Break! All of Fate Testarossa's debuffs are cleared! COMBAT: Nanoha Takamachi narrowly braces Fate Testarossa's Dishonesty, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Nanoha Takamachi's Block ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
It's an eternally recurrent worry - and Mai's stance shows it. She doesn't know the stakes - and maybe the lightning mage is right. Maybe she should have just kept going home, rather than involving herself in another battle not her own. And yet...hackles raise at the mage's comment. "That's...not your place to decide. And it's because I care about them that I can't just leave this kind of thing alone!"
There aren't a whole lot of explanations forthcoming, but she catches Lera's comment. What kind of 'control' is this gem in? And...what kind of disaster might happen if it's disrupted? She doesn't know - this isn't one of the monsters she's fought. The only enemy here looks like she should be a child - she can't go all out against someone like that, can she?
(That girl responsible for the problem at the world tree looked like this, her darker thoughts whisper - would she hold back against her, should they meet again?)
...and while indecision wars within her, the scythe-wielding girl is attacking everyone else. Yet another case of not knowing the full situation - but nonetheless, it's time for her to act. Eyes narrowing, Mai spurs her Element to life - perhaps not the casual ease of flight some of the other mages here demonstrate, but the spinning flames allow her to take to the skies all the same.
"Whatever you might think is important enough...you're threatening innocent people with this. Threatening...whatever that gem thing does." Brilliant crimson, blazing bright - a small inferno in Mai's wake, growing as she ascends to close with Fate. "You expect me to just ignore something like this?!" Flames crash together before her - some heat, but more dazzling, blazing firelight to herald the HiME's true entry into the battle.
COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has used Devoted Scintillation on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
The plasma ball is shorn apart by the Photon Lancer, the bright flash briefly interspersed between Lera ad Fate. She turns her head quickly, glancing at Nanoha, and grits her teeth together. She knows it runs deeper with those two, before she turns on a foot, and then shoots off to the side, as Fate comes at her. She sees her rushing in, a bolt of golden light blitzing about the battle field, and draws a sharp breath.
<Duel Form!>
Her broadsword splits in twain, becoming a pair of single-edged bronze swords wreathed in that telltale red-orange energy. She swings the weapons up, crossing them, as the energy scythe comes slashing down at her.
<Sentinel Cross.>
The scythe slams into the crossed swords -- and lightning leaps between them, the impact enough to push Lera back hard. She hits the side of a building, shooting spiderweb cracks out through the second floor window, and then Fate is off again. "Ren-san! Endo-san!" she yells. "You've got incoming!"
Then she kicks off the window. The cracked glass shatters behind her as she shoots into the air -- and then another ring of light bursts out from her her feet, as she becomes a quick-moving blur of light. She lowers her shoulder, in an effort to try to check Fate in the side. "You don't wanna do this, do you?" she asks. "Are--are you getting desperate?"
COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Line Burst on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa narrowly counters Mai Tokiha's Devoted Scintillation, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Fate Testarossa's Reverse ability activates! Fate Testarossa's Tactician ability activates! Blind and Cripple applied to Fate Testarossa! COMBAT: Fate Testarossa's counterattack, Scythe Slash, partially gets through, doing 10 Fatigue damage to Mai Tokiha! COMBAT: Fate Testarossa narrowly dodges Lera Camry's Line Burst, taking 15 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry is Psyched! Fate Testarossa's Fade ability activates! Fate Testarossa's Flash ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
A fight like this can get messy and out of hand really quick. Ren is aware of the innocents who could be caught up in this, eyes falling to the streets below. Perhaps the rain has gotten most of them off the streets and to safety. Fate's words that follow sink in, too. Embarassingly enough Ren has little experience when it comes to erecting barriers. Shaking her head she resigns herself to keeping her magic solely focused on the tiny blonde girl and nothing else. Thankfully she's been working with Heraut on keeping the amount of collateral damage to a minimum. And now is as good of a time to put all that training to use.
Fate is done talking for now, perhaps prompted by the attacks upon her -- and the calm address she receives from Nanoha who walks with extreme purpose. Lightning comes crashing Ren's way, forcing her to erect a barrier that just barely shields her. A thunderclap is formed by the impact, the mage gritting her teeth as the resonance alone shakes her core. But despite this she retains enough resolve to call forth the necessary calculations for a magical retort to Fate's assault.
<SEEKER...> A Midchildan circle made of blazing gold appears behind her, and from it emerges several equally golden motes of light that begin to spin intensely. "...BARRAGE!" She shouts, thrusting a hand out which has the effect of sending the balls of light streaking forward, twisting and bending through the air as they head for the lightning-focused mage.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used Seeker Barrage on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Cute Wolf Tsukiko [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.
The cascade of sparks singes Tsukiko's fur in spots as the wolfgirl tries to weather the assault without luck. "Looks like you're pretty fast," she replies, her grin somewhat interrupted with a wince from the zapping attack.
"But it takes more than just that to be strong," she continues. "It takes being able to trust your friends, knowing that a group is more powerful than just a collection of individuals." Tsukiko's words, while partially a form of defiance against Fate, also serve to encourage to wolfgirl. They /will/ win!
COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has used Bark! on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
"Yeah, I don't understand." Endo seems almost upset about it. He'd probably be stamping his foot, if he didn't have other things to worry about.
<KNIGHT.>
"Yeah, I know." He speaks first to the Device, his head turning to Nanoha, the other device users, and the others he's seen before. "I see!" He calls. Because he does. He sees lightning. Coming for him.
<THIS IS YOUR ENEMY.>
"You think I don't know?" There's a split second of hesitation in how to respond, and then he reacts. The sword in his hand is raised, point toward Fate, purple runes spinning in the air around it. Then, he leaps. Right through the shards of electricity, teeth gritting tight as they scrape and flake off the barrier around him. The momentum takes him straight toward Fate, the boy's weapon spinning around in mid-flight, preparing for the strike.
<RADIAL VELOCITY.> He spins like a top, bringing the weapon around in a sweeping, two-handed slash toward the other mage.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Radial Velocity on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Endo Naoki has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Sakura Kinomoto [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.
Her leg is enclosed in the solidified mana; attempting to move it results in failure. Her hands keep tight on the sealing wand while she looks back at Fate, her eyes softening. "Fate-chan, why are you doing this? Is this because of someone else?"
Sakura is ignorant of any problems may have had with others, though based on the appearance of others and the words from them, a more complete picture is beginning to form. However, Sakura cannot allow this to go forward and attempt to damage the city or anyone else around them.
Obtaining a card from her pocket, she draws the card to face outwards before throwing it in front of herself, "Create a binding chain!" Her wand spins in her hand as she draws the bird-head down onto the card as a magical circle glows underneath, causing a gust of yellow wind to circle around her. From the card, a blow wind rises as an anthropogenic wind woman forms before seeking out towards Fate in an attempt to bind. "WINDY!"
COMBAT: Fate Testarossa narrowly braces Ren Aizawa's Seeker Barrage, taking 17 Fatigue damage! Exhausted applied to Fate Testarossa! COMBAT: Sakura Kinomoto has used Clever Distraction on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Sakura Kinomoto has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa narrowly counters Cute Wolf Tsukiko's Bark!, taking 3 Fatigue damage! Cute Wolf Tsukiko is Psyched! Fate Testarossa's Reverse ability activates! Fate Testarossa's Tactician ability activates! Exhausted applied to Fate Testarossa! COMBAT: Fate Testarossa's counterattack, Photon Lancer: Multishot, partially gets through, doing 11 Fatigue damage to Cute Wolf Tsukiko! COMBAT: Fate Testarossa perfectly dodges Endo Naoki's Radial Velocity, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! Fate Testarossa's Fade ability activates! Fate Testarossa's Flash ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
The Magic Knight of Wind dives to one side, trying to get out of the path of the flying orbs; several of them clip her, knocking her into a less-controlled tumble, but she comes out of it relatively intact, just a little rumpled-looking. It doesn't appear to have actually disrupted her concentration, either; perhaps she's been practicing maintaining a spell despite adverse circumstances. Or maybe her willpower is just that good.
Either way, the Wind Knight rises fully back to her feet. She looks to Tsukiko briefly, nodding thankfully in belated appreciation for her encouragement, then turns her attention back to Fate as twin streaks of light erupt from the glove-jewel. One streak of green-tinted light curves around to strike the Wind Knight's back and materializing into a quiver full of arrows; the other swirls around to her left hand, becoming her bow, and she quickly nocks an arrow from the former to the string of the latter, drawing it back. "Are you going to give us the choice of *not* hurting you?" she calls out. "Because if you truly intend to kill us, certainly you know we'll defend ourselves!"
The arrow does NOT fly; Fuu is trusting her words to deliver enough of an impact at the moment, but she's tracking Fate and ready to loose her shaft if necessary.
COMBAT: Fate Testarossa narrowly counters Sakura Kinomoto's Clever Distraction, taking 2 Fatigue damage! Fate Testarossa's Reverse ability activates! Fate Testarossa's Tactician ability activates! Diversion, Exhausted, Stagger, and Tangle applied to Fate Testarossa! COMBAT: Fate Testarossa's counterattack, Defenser, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Sakura Kinomoto! COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Gentle Chiding on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa narrowly dodges Fuu Hououji's Gentle Chiding, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Fate Testarossa is Quipped! Fate Testarossa's Fade ability activates! Fate Testarossa's Flash ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Nanoha Takamachi [Infinity Institute (4)] has posed.
Already magic and spells are flying in every direction, and Nanoha has yet to take aim. Oh no, her battle with Fate is on another scale for a whole moment, there, when the mage in white finally comes to a halt. Though normally expressive and bright, the truth is, when it comes to her feelings, Nanoha Takamachi is an expert dissembler. Years of practiced lie upon lie, upon lie around her family and friends, in regards to how she feels, allowing her to briefly, remain holding to her stoic expression. But inside. Fte's words are like a knife. Cutting and deep; extroardinarily wounding in a precise, almost surgical blow to the gut, when blue eyes meet scarlet. "I'm not smiling now, am I?" It's true. She's not, as pink wings of light form at her ankles. And just like that, she's at a bullet's pace, suddenly following in Endo's wake and on a course for the tiny blonde in an almost singleminded determination. When it comes to the Jewel Seed, her trust in her friends that have already shown up is full on implicit; and that might be why she focuses so little upon it. When the knight swings in from one side, she's suddenly on the other, an improvised pincer as Raisinf Heart's gem glows as the redhead baseball bats the delicate Device at Fate from the opposing direction.
COMBAT: Nanoha Takamachi has used Flash Impact on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Nanoha Takamachi has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa fails to brace Nanoha Takamachi's Flash Impact, taking 19 Fatigue damage! Stun applied to Fate Testarossa!
<Pose Tracker> Fate Testarossa [None] has posed.
The Jewel Seed's pulse quickens almost imperceptibly, the seal upon it holding, but only tenuously given the amount of magic being brought to bear.
As Mai ascends to meet Fate, Fate descends to meet Mai, streaking down like quicksilver. Her scythe cleaves through the blinding intensity of the flames, which then wash over her barrier jacket, raising spots in her vision and wisps of smoke. The blade of the scythe proves quite tangible as it strikes her Magatama element, raising more sparks. "Am I? How do you do know?" She whispers, though it comes out as a hiss while locked against her, like the flames that her barrier jacket is trying to put out.
They don't stay clashed long, as Lera's burst of light fires towards her back. At first it looks like its going to hit, but then Fate blurs away from being locked up against Mai, cape sizzling from the energy. "Don't pretend like you know how I feel. Desperate? Why would I be desperate? Nothing is impossible for me." She parrots, words which aren't her own, modified to bolster her confidence in light of the pitched battle.
When she reappears , Ren's barrage is on her, and she raises a hand, waves of golden energy from her auto-protection spells springing up to defend against her barrage. They crash against her, bowling her backwards in mid-air, but they hold, only barely.
As Tsukiko barks her defiance at her, Fate twirls Bardiche and orbs of lightning fall upon her, the aria ringing throughout the air. "I know what strength is." She turns to face Endo, as his blade descends, she soars through the air so fast, that he cleaves through the after-image left by her absence. As she reappears, she's panting a little from the effort of moving so quickly for such extended periods of time, but despite the gasping breaths she still gets out, "I /am/ strength." Her bloodline was strength. Even now her mother was giving her strength.
Sakura strikes with a binding chain, and Fate tries to stand steadfast against it. A runic defense springing into her palm. But the defense from the front proves almost fruitless when the winds twirl around to buffet against her, the wispy form of Windy moving to flow around her, and bind her. Grimacing from her carelessness, Fate states to Sakura, "No, this is what about what I want. I'm certain of it." And what she wanted was to grant her mother's wish. Thus wasn't it actually about someone else?
Fuu's words cut deep, as truly she didn't want to hurt anyone. But she was willing to, as proven by when she starts moving again, finding it more difficult given the bonds of Sakura's magic. "I gave you a choice. You made yours. Don't try to place responsibility on my shoulders." It certainly is her responsibility though, isn't it? Its then that Nanoha speaks, and Fate could only agree with her words.
She has no time to reply though, as with Windy holding her in place, Nanoha's flash move takes her off-guard. Trying to parry the strike of Raising Heart with Bardiche at the last moment, the strike of Raising Heart as a bat hits right through her defenses, hitting her right in the solar plexus. The air leaves her suddenly, as she's thrown to the side of the street, right into the side of the building where a tiny crater forms. It takes her a moment to recompose herself, but not long, as she floats back into the battle as before.
"Enough of this. You're my enemies. I don't answer to any of you!" Another pulse of energy from Bardiche tries to drive Windy away, while a cube of mana simultaneously tries to latch down on one of Mai's arms. Recognizing her as an aerial mage, and one whose capabilities she's uncertain of, she tries to hamper her maneuverability. She's on the move then, strafing to the side to try to strike at Ren's flanks with a cleaving slash from Bardiche before descending to street level to do the same to Tsukiko. <Scythe Slash.>
<Arc Saber> Twirling in an arc, Bardiche's scythe blade suddenly detaches and is launched towards Nanoha, moving serpentine as it tries to maneuever around Lera, and Sakura as well, attempting to box several of the aerial mages in. "Saber explode." Violet lightning fills the area, before the blade erupts into a massive explosion. Its only then that she offers her rejoinder to Nanoha, "It's a good thing you aren't smiling. You shouldn't be."
COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Lightning Bind: Reversal on Mai Tokiha. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used You made your choice. on Fuu Hououji. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Scythe Slash on Cute Wolf Tsukiko. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Scythe Slash on Ren Aizawa. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Arc Saber on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Arc Saber on Nanoha Takamachi. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Arc Saber on Sakura Kinomoto. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Catching her Breath on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko narrowly dodges Fate Testarossa's Scythe Slash, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Cute Wolf Tsukiko's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Fate Testarossa accepts Fate Testarossa's Catching her Breath, taking 0 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Sakura Kinomoto fails to dodge Fate Testarossa's Arc Saber, taking 29 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Fuu Hououji narrowly counters Fate Testarossa's You made your choice., taking 0 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji is Quipped! COMBAT: Fuu Hououji's counterattack, Trick Arrow Shot, partially gets through, doing 10 Fatigue damage to Fate Testarossa! COMBAT: Mai Tokiha narrowly dodges Fate Testarossa's Lightning Bind: Reversal, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Trap applied to Mai Tokiha! Bind Break! All of Fate Testarossa's debuffs are cleared! COMBAT: Lera Camry narrowly dodges Fate Testarossa's Arc Saber, taking 11 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry's Fade ability activates! Lera Camry's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Nanoha Takamachi fails to dodge Fate Testarossa's Arc Saber, taking 26 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa fails to dodge Fate Testarossa's Scythe Slash, taking 19 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
"I know what you said before!" Lera answers, though there is desperation in her tone; there might be a little projecting there. "And fighting all of these people, like this... this a bigger risk than you've ever taken before!"
She yanks to a stop, doing a tight midair spin to turn and look towards Mai for a moment. She sucks a gasp in, before she shakes her head, and then she looks back at Fate. She sees the arc of light swinging in; her gold-brown eyes widen as she bolts to the side, just barely scraping by before the blade of light catches her. It brushes the side of her green jacket, the energy constructed garment flashing and having a tear briefly torn into it.
Something else is different, too, she thinks. Something colder about Fate's demeanor -- except, no, she thinks. She has grown colder as they fought. She narrows her eyes, before bolts off back towards Fate. She swings her left sword back as she rises up; a magical circle flashes in the air above her, and Lera shoots through it.
<Rapid Skyfall!>
She comes dropping downward after that; the left sword swings down, as she comes at Fate. A trail of red-orange is left in the blade's wake -- and a third, as she swings the right up in a diagonal. She concludes with a quick thrust of the left sword at the other mage's midsection.
COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Rapid Skyfall on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa perfectly counters Lera Camry's Rapid Skyfall, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter! Fate Testarossa's Reverse ability activates! Fate Testarossa's Tactician ability activates! COMBAT: Fate Testarossa's counterattack, Scythe Slash, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Lera Camry!
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
The Wind Knight's arrow flies as Fate states her reply; she's read the air currents as well as she can, along with Fate's movements, and the arrow flies true. "Then I'm sorry that we'll have to be rough with you," she states, pulling out another arrow. "Because I'm not -"
The arrow is shoved back into her quiver as she sees the lightning wrapping around Mai, and the Magic Knight of Wind takes a moment to survey her other allies' status. About half of them seem to be in varying amounts of distress; it looks like Mai-san is already trying to fight her way back out of it, so the Wind Knight turns her attention to others in similar need. "Winds of Healing!" she calls out, directing the restorative breezes to enfold Sakura, the Cute Wolf, and Ren Aizawa; the gently sparkling winds should soothe their pain and help to relieve the injuries which were hindering them from fighting at full performance.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Winds of Healing on Sakura Kinomoto. COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Winds of Healing on Cute Wolf Tsukiko. COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Winds of Healing on Ren Aizawa. COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking. COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko accepts Fuu Hououji's Winds of Healing, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Cute Wolf Tsukiko's debuffs are cleared! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa accepts Fuu Hououji's Winds of Healing, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Ren Aizawa's debuffs are cleared! COMBAT: Sakura Kinomoto accepts Fuu Hououji's Winds of Healing, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Sakura Kinomoto's debuffs are cleared!
<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
Endo missed. He's surprised at just how fast Fate is, the boy tumbling in the air, coming down on a nearby building. At least Nanoha and Lera got their hits in. Endo's grip on his Device shifts, hands tugging it free from the rooftop it embedded into on landing.
"Look out!" He yells that down when Fate descends toward Tsukiko, watching the girl with the scythe flash through the air, colliding with Mai, moving like a blur through the rest. He doesn't stop for long either. That warning he shouted, it might not just be about Fate.
Because Endo is coming down too. Very fast. He descends like a shooting star, sword raised overhead to strike at Fate once again.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Blueshift on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Endo Naoki has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa narrowly dodges Endo Naoki's Blueshift, taking 18 Fatigue damage! Fate Testarossa's Fade ability activates! Fate Testarossa's Flash ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Mai's flames, blazing bright, part cleanly before the incoming scythe blade - and it's all she can do to put her bracelets between her and the crackling golden edge. Just the presence of that weapon is painful, forcing her to grit her teeth as Fate starts ranting. "Well, that's kind of the problem when you don't say anything about what you're planning - the rest of us have to assume the worst!"
The engagement - brief though it is - breaks off, and Mai claims a bit of distance. As young as that girl is, she's good with that strange weapon - and it seems like half the combatants here seem to know her personally. Another sign she might be out of her element here - is this some mind-controlled ally of theirs, or a bitter enemy from past battles, or...
Mai's heart resonates with the pulse of the Jewel Seed, and she glances toward it in alarm. It's not a fatal distraction - but still enough of one that she isn't quite able to fully escape the mystic trap. Perhaps not locked in place, but enough bindings tangled her rings that she can't move quite as quickly. She grimaces, unable to do anything as the golden-haired girl continues to do her level best to strike down the others...
...and yet, Mai still hesitates to go all out. It's a human enemy, and for all that she's a reminder of...that other one...
The scythe blade explodes with a roar of thunder, and Mai nearly screams in frustration. "You keep talking about being strong - what do you think that kind of power's for?! Just cool off already!" The flames that answer her will don't entirely match her words - but when the inferno blazes in the night sky, it does so in the form of a wall. Something to try to put a halt to this girl's endless charges, or at least slow her down a bit.
<Pose Tracker> Sakura Kinomoto [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.
Caught like a mouse in a trap, Sakura finds herself reeling from the magical attack; it is sharp as lightning tends to be and she finds herself howling in pain while skidding across the ground, her knees skinned and clearly there is some injury to her appearance, small tributaries of thin blood running down her leg. Though she wore rubber, it did not cover her entire body and that which is not covered is quick to feel it. Using her wand, she lifts herself from the ground with a dismayed look. "Fate-chan."
Sakura is a kind girl. She is often oblivious to the affections of others towards herself. She is naïve to the experience of being harmed by others (except in battle, as she is coming to experience more and more upon becoming a magical girl). However, there is one thing Sakura is not, and that is a bad listener. Fate may not recognize her as the Cardcaptor, but she recognizes her as Fate Testarossa, the sad girl with the red eyes who was home schooled, wanting to learn cheerleading, and liked parfaits (but only to make others feel better). Even if she was not really, Fate saved her at one point and she fully intends to repay the favor.
"After this, maybe you can come over for dinner with my dad and big brother." While she does not give her identity outright, she hopes it is enough to get through. Even Keroberos is shocked at her decision, but he remains quiet and waiting to see her next reaction.
When Fuu's winds reach her, she smiles at the Magic Knight of Wind, "Thank you, Green Knight-san! You are always very helpful!" The second wind is freeing to her, and the wand swings down again, towards Fate's direction. "I don't know if this is something to help your mom, but I will do what I can to help you."
"Windy! Create a gust of wind!"
COMBAT: Sakura Kinomoto has used Gone with the Windy on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Sakura Kinomoto has finished attacking. COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has used Infernal Embrace on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Cute Wolf Tsukiko [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.
Tsukiko doesn't get much warning of Fate's attack, but the strike on Ren gives the wolfgirl enough time -- barely -- to react, diving backwards into a roll with a mighty leap. Tumbling back to her feet, Tsukiko is soothed by the healing winds sent by Fuu.
"Thanks!" the wolfgirl calls back, then turns and glares at Fate. "Talking's not getting anywhere, is it?" Tsukiko growls. "And you're so confident in your strength that you're not listening to the rest of us?
"/Fine./"
Tsukiko leaps forward, launching forward to bounce feet-first off of Fate and across the battlefield. "We'll just have to show you the strength we have!" the wolfgirl yells defiantly.
COMBAT: Fate Testarossa narrowly braces Mai Tokiha's Infernal Embrace, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Diversion and Trap applied to Fate Testarossa! COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has used Overrun Bounce on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa narrowly dodges Sakura Kinomoto's Gone with the Windy, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Fate Testarossa's Fade ability activates! Fate Testarossa's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Fate Testarossa perfectly counters Cute Wolf Tsukiko's Overrun Bounce, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter! Fate Testarossa's Reverse ability activates! Fate Testarossa's Tactician ability activates! COMBAT: Fate Testarossa's counterattack, Scythe Slash, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Cute Wolf Tsukiko!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Ren, for the record, doesn't address Fate. Not with words, anyway. She's sure talking to the girl won't lead to a sudden breakthrough. It hasn't in the past, and it certainly won't work here and now. She's come to cope with it. The dislike she's had in the past for the blonde mage girl is all but gone now. Instead it's been replaced by weariness. How long would they be forced to do this song and dance with her? Nanoha was resilient enough to do it indefinitely -- that much was certain. Ren stills for a moment as the realization of the tiny redhead being locked in a never-ending struggle with Fate hits her -- with the friendship and understanding Nanoha so desperately wants never being granted.
It's cruel.
The slash delivered by Bardiche is unavoidable. Ren feels it cleave into her side, hissing as she's propelled backwards from the hit, hand clutching the wound beneath the torn piece of her barrier jacket. Though thankfully Fuu is on the case, and in the next moment the healing winds reach Ren, helping her feel much better. Invigorated, even. "Thanks...!" She shouts in Fuu's direction, tightening the one-handed grip she has on her device. Taking a moment to survey the actions of her allies she then decides on what to do next. Raising a single gloved hand into the air above her, Ren concentrates as a runic circle appears beneath her feet, spinning and brimming with effulgent energies. Within the next instant a rhombus-shaped object arises from the shining circle, growing and solidifying while simultaneously turning slowly end-over-end. It comes to a rest in front of her, all dazzling and bright.
And then she clenches her outstretched hand into a fist, and a beam lances out from the golden rhombus with a high-pithced screech. She does this several more times, aiming each shot precisely at Fate's person as she herself moves through the air, ensuring each hit will come from a different position.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used Regal Crasher on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa narrowly dodges Ren Aizawa's Regal Crasher, taking 25 Fatigue damage! Fate Testarossa's Fade ability activates! Fate Testarossa's Flash ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Nanoha Takamachi [Infinity Institute (4)] has posed.
In her haste and own personal distresses, Nanoha can't register the stirring of the seed. Her focus is solely on the conflict at hand- a conflict deeper than spells and violence, a conflict deeper than words, but rather it is one of completely clashing wills.
And Nanoha's is faltering.
A crack in that hastily erected wall forms when Fate twists the blade. A verbal sledgehammer that hits Nanoha mere seconds before the gleaming golden buzz-saw of that flung scythe blade. The eruption of a sudden bout of an Arc Saber explosion tosses Nanoha away like a ragdoll, resulting in a Nanoha-shaped crater formed in the concrete of the nearest building wall.
But she peels herself out of it, ignoring the throbbing ache of her whole body, or the trickle of a small cut on her forehead.
And then Sakura up and invites Fate to dinner.
If anything it's more the sheer confusion that deflates Nanoha, making both the girl's assault, and her mental processes slowly grind down to a halt in the stare to follow. Still, she simply doesn't sti still, darting over and clutching at her arm, Nanoha flexes her fingers.
This definitely has something to do with Fate's mother, it always does, doesn't it?
"Ah... Just how do you know her?"
Nanoha's heat has cooled somewhat- which is probably for the best right this second. <MASTER PLEASE REMAIN VIGILANT.> Raising Heart chimes at something- SOMETHING- Nanoha is clearly not paying attention about.
Hint: It was started right at the start of this pose.
COMBAT: Nanoha Takamachi has used Catch Breath on Nanoha Takamachi. COMBAT: Nanoha Takamachi has finished attacking. COMBAT: Nanoha Takamachi accepts Nanoha Takamachi's Catch Breath, taking 0 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Fate Testarossa [None] has posed.
The Magic Knight's arrow skitters off her auto-protection spells, and while Fate winces, she marks it for later. Lera is an incredible swordswoman and mage adventurer. Her swordplay is absolutely perfect as she descends, one strike after the other. Fate strains herself to bring Bardiche to bear, descending downwards to match herwhile simultaneously spinning to parry the first strike with the beard, hooking it around to raise it high, before spinning around to strike his scythe head against the second strike, the air filling with red-orange sparks.
The third strike, Fate has to bring his haft in the way, as Lera's blade bites down into him, before jerking him sideways to catch the last and knock it wide before it would be thrusted into her barrier jacket. "Or maybe I've just improved enough to surpass you all." It was mostly bluster, but her display at least seemed to back it up. Yet the effort of doing so was visible, her tiny chest heaving with exertion.
Which is when Endo comes at her back, descending like a shooting star. Her neck turns, scarlet eyes meeting his for just a moment, before she shifts again, his blade almost cleaving right through her barrier jacket. As it stands, she manages to ascend diagonally upwards to shoot past him, part of the fabric of her cape fluttering to the ground as the blade only narrowly misses.
Mai's words take her off guard, and she almost states, 'To make the person I love happy.' But she doesn't, catching herself before they leave her lips, the hesitation costs her though. The flames wash over her, boxing her into her current position, the infernal heat causing her to cough and her eyes to water. "Cool off." She repeats, deadpan, like she finds the wording humorous in light of Mai's response.
Fate then hears Sakura just as Windy hits her head on, a gust of wind that she tries to zip around, but doesn't quite succeed, the gale force winds bowling her head over heels, and for a moment glares daggers at her, before the invitation processes, before the words about her /mother/ processes.
Recognition Inhibition completely prevents her from making that logical connection, but she knows in that moment that- "You... Who are you?" Some of the heat of her aggression leaves her, as she does in fact cool off, "If you know that much then... you know I can't. I have someone I have to go back to. You can't-"
She turns then as she catches a blur in her vision a sweeping strike as Tsukiko leaps into the air driving into Bardiche's haft and pushing Fate backwards, "I told you, it won't be enough." She shoves outwards, trying to send her away, though without force enough to harm.
Ren fires at Fate, and she moves through the air swiftly, bobbing and weaving and even performing an aerial turn around a nearby building before rising again, cresting over the top of the building. Fate proves herself a skilled dancer in this endless waltz over the Lost Logia.
Not so endless though, the pulses of the Jewel Seed are becoming stronger, the seal is weakening, and Fate decides to take a calculated risk, "Now I will show you exactly how strong I am." Bringing up Bardiche in front of her face, she spins him around parallel to the ground, holding him with both hands, a titanic golden rune forming at her feet spinning in concentric circles. "Arcus, Cultus, Aegeas!" <Photon Lancer.> "Phalanx Shift."
All of a sudden, orbs of gold form in the sky, countless in number, on either side of her. Like some classical general surrounded by a legion of ball lightning soldiers, she stares pointedly at one person in the crowd in particular, her gaze searing into the tiny master of Raising Heart. Bardiche is raised, then cleaves downward at her clarion call, "Fire!"
All of them lance down, descending upon the Mahou Shoujo, mages, and knight like an artillery barrage that rocks the street and buildings around them. Concrete shatters and steel melts, windows are blasted apart as she attempts to catch as many within it as she can.
Through the haze of smoke in the aftermath, Fate streaks down, palm extended towards the Jewel Seed. Bardiche held easily in an attempt to intercept anyone that stops her. She has calculated the risks, and decided to go straight for the goal. A small stepping stone on the way to her real goal. At the forefront of her thoughts she selflessly tells herself that she wants to see her mother happy, that she wants to see her smile again. That she wants to grant her wish. But that's not entirely it, is it.
Deep within her heart, she's a lonely, desperate, and broken child, but a child all the same. The reality is, 'I want her to return to being the kind mother she used to be! I want her to acknowledge how much I love her! I want her to show me how much she loves me again! I want her to have time for me again!' As Fate streaks closer and closer, the Jewel Seed pulses, resonating with the emotions buried inside of her...
COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Photon Lancer: Phalanx Shift on Mai Tokiha. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Photon Lancer: Phalanx Shift on Sakura Kinomoto. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Photon Lancer: Phalanx Shift on Nanoha Takamachi. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Photon Lancer: Phalanx Shift on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Photon Lancer: Phalanx Shift on Endo Naoki. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Photon Lancer: Phalanx Shift on Ren Aizawa. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Photon Lancer: Phalanx Shift on Fuu Hououji. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has used Photon Lancer: Phalanx Shift on Cute Wolf Tsukiko. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko fails to brace Fate Testarossa's Photon Lancer: Phalanx Shift, taking 49 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Fuu Hououji narrowly braces Fate Testarossa's Photon Lancer: Phalanx Shift, taking 26 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Nanoha Takamachi fails to counter Fate Testarossa's Photon Lancer: Phalanx Shift, taking 88 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Nanoha Takamachi is unable to keep fighting! COMBAT: Nanoha Takamachi's counterattack, Round Shield, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Fate Testarossa! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa narrowly braces Fate Testarossa's Photon Lancer: Phalanx Shift, taking 13 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Ren Aizawa's Block ability activates! Ren Aizawa's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Sakura Kinomoto fails to counter Fate Testarossa's Photon Lancer: Phalanx Shift, taking 66 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Sakura Kinomoto's counterattack, Gone with the Windy, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Fate Testarossa! COMBAT: Lera Camry fails to dodge Fate Testarossa's Photon Lancer: Phalanx Shift, taking 39 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Endo Naoki perfectly braces Fate Testarossa's Photon Lancer: Phalanx Shift, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Brace! Endo Naoki's Parry ability activates!
Huh? (Type "help" for help.)
COMBAT: Mai Tokiha narrowly counters Fate Testarossa's Photon Lancer: Phalanx Shift, taking 11 Fatigue damage! Mai Tokiha's Reverse ability activates! Mai Tokiha's Tactician ability activates! COMBAT: Mai Tokiha's counterattack, Flare Shroud, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Fate Testarossa!
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
Soaring Sky and Bardiche have clashed many times before, and every time, Lera can't say exactly how it will go; training and experience are often well-matched, and the blades meet with rapid flashes of sparks and crackles of lightning. Her eyes widen for a moment, though, as she has her third strike slammed aside, and that leaves her momentarily vulnerable--
--and then Endo is there, grabbing Fate's attention. Lera does a quick jump backward in midair, looking at her fellow mage (well, knight, really). She nods once at him, before she takes a deep breath.
Sakura's invitation gets through better than any strike. It leaves her wondering, too, who the Cardcaptor is. She turns to look at the magical girl, before she looks down at the Jewel Seed. The pulses are stronger; she notices, and so does her Device. <We better get in there!> Soaring Sky says. If that keeps up...>
"Right!" Lera yells. "I--gyaah!"
The lances of golden light come raining down, and two of them strike into Lera, slashing into her Barrier Jacket. Each leaves a bright red flash when it hits, exploding with golden light when it hits. She slows for a moment -- but then she sees Fate reaching out for the Jewel Seed. She grits her teeth, extending her hand out, and bolts forward.
"Ren-san! Endo-san! Nanoha!" she calls out to the ones she's worked with before on this "Try to get it--or stop her!"
A wish flickers through her mind, as the ring of light bursts out from her feet. 'Just let me be able to help,' she thinks. 'Let me be able to help someone. So Mom's safe of me.'
Her jaw clinches, wind tearing at her hair and coat, as she dives down at the Seed like a shooting star. 'So she's still proud of me.'
COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Desperate Dive on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Cute Wolf Tsukiko [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.
Tsukiko does a backflip from her clash with Fate, leaping backwards from the fray. Before the wolfgirl can recover, the magical bombardment catches her by surprise, buffeting her around from the explosions.
With her ears ringing and her eyes dazzled, all she can notice is Fate diving for the Jewel Seed. "Not if I can help it!" the wolfgirl yells as she darts forward, trying to interpose herself between Fate and the Jewel Seed.
For a brief moment, Tsukiko wishes her great-grandfather Yuuki could see her, using the Lycan Locket and her family's faint touch of lycanthropy to stand up for what's right, and that he would be glad to see both used for good.
COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has used Herd the Quarry on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa fails to brace Cute Wolf Tsukiko's Herd the Quarry, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Trap applied to Fate Testarossa!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
The pulse of the Jewel Seed is felt by Ren. It has been the entire fight to be honest, but she's done her best to ignore it, focusing on disarming Fate in the least destructive way possible. She keeps lasering her despite the artful dodges, trying to keep the heat on her long enough to create an opening for the others. But each shot zaps away at her mana until it is no longer viable to keep the spell going. She lets it drop, panting with exhaustion as sweat beads upon her forehead. She can only hope that the constant aerial maneuvering Fate has been doing is tiring her out, too.
Though of course the blonde mage isn't tuckered out enough not to retaliate. The sheer mass of the spell is enough to cause Ren's eyes to widen. Yeah, she's seen this before. A barrier goes up courtesy of Heraut just as the shards of lightning is rained down upon them all. Ren is jostled around violently, until her shield cracks, then breaks completely, knocking her back into a nearby building. So much for not casuing any collateral damage...
After pulling herself free she refocuses on the battlefield. Through her slightly blurred vision she's able to spot Fate -- streaking for the jewel seed. Lera's shout reaches her ringing ears, and with a shared look at Endo she zips off, scepter transforming itself into its rapier form along the way.
'I just want everyone to be happy! No more fighting over things! Just happiness!'
Once Ren's close enough she brings her rapier down to slash at Fate.
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
It's actually a small relief to Fuu that her arrow DOESN'T sink into Fate's body, instead being intercepted by some kind of defensive field - an automatically-triggered barrier of some kind? Hopefully that's something only certain human mages can do; there are enemies that the Wind Knight wouldn't want to see wielding that kind of protection.
The Magic Knight's relief is short-lived, though, as massed beams of magic begin cascading from the sky. "Winds of Protection!" she calls out hurriedly, hunkering down to cover herself with the hastily-conjured wind barrier. She isn't able to protect anyone else in the same way, though, and her eyes narrow behind her glasses as she sees Nanoha and Sakura getting hammered HARD by the bombardment spell. Her own share of it is enough to make her wince; some of the impacts against her own hasty shield are enough to punch through and knock her around as it is.
When the Wind Knight looks up again, she sees Fate diving for the Jewel Seed, Given what's already happened so far in relation to that little thing, she's not particularly inclined to let the blonde girl just take it - but neither is she prepared to put an arrow through Fate to stop her from doing so.
Fortunately, she has other choices.
"Winds of Admonishment!!" shouts the Magic Knight of Wind, raising her left arm again - bow temporarily shifted to her *right* hand - and calling upon her own element, trying to ensnare Fate in another controlled, confining cyclone. She has too many people she wants to protect, friends in this world and allies in others ... including a certain native of one world, a roguish swordsman whom she really wants to see again.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used My Sword Goes Slash on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa narrowly dodges Ren Aizawa's My Sword Goes Slash, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Ren Aizawa is Psyched! Fate Testarossa's Fade ability activates! Fate Testarossa's Flash ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Sakura Kinomoto [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.
She is just about to answer Fate's question before the lightning strikes, and it rolls deep. Her entire body jolts, and there is a tiny, hair-raising scream filling the air. Even Windy's attack to shield fails, and her body falls almost limp onto the floor.
Keroberos reaches out but is largely helpless in current form, and never has he been so angry at Firey and Earthy for not being present. If Sakura had them-well, maybe she would be in a better position.
When the rubble clears and she is able to regain her focus, she finally catches onto Nanoha's question. "Fate-chan?" Sakura is almost as confused for a second, but she manages to catch on despite being exhausted and slightly winded. "She is my friend." There is a few second pause, "Even if she isn't acting like it right now, we're friends." Her lips curl up in a very weak smile. Slowly, she is able to pull herself up.
Windy is a gentle card. Even though she prefers remaining gentle, she cannot continue to allow potential damage like this. Her hand takes hold of the newest card in her arsenal, flipping the face of it outward, displaying the image of the reaper-like figure. Weakly, she begins to summon The Shadow.
"Create a binding barrier!" her sealing wand touches the front of the card, using the last of her magic to attempt to seal the area around Fate to prevent obtaining the Jewel Seed-whatever it may be. "SHADOW!"
/Maybe another time, we can have parfaits together, and you can meet my dad and big brother, and then we can go shopping with Tomoyo-chan./
COMBAT: FINISHER! Sakura Kinomoto has used Overwhelming Power on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Sakura Kinomoto has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa fails to dodge Sakura Kinomoto's Finisher, Overwhelming Power, taking 99 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
The juxtaposition of words and flames is more than bizarre; even as her magical ignitions burn at the bindings, Mai winces. "Just - keep this up and someone's probably going to..." She trails off as Fate continues to fight off upwards of half a dozen enemies, at once. Appealing to her self-preservation might not be the angle to try, here.
Already silenced by that realization, Mai's jaw drops at the revelation of what kind of mage this is - the sky between them filled with points of light. This - she's using this kind of attack in the middle of a city? What kind of maniac is this girl?!
Light shines - and Mai, slowed by the bindings, thrusts her hands in front of her. "Not so fast!" Blazing crimson light shines in a barrier, shielding not only her but part of the building behind her. Gold crashes against crimson over and over, bolt after bolt slamming into the wall, each impact eliciting a wince...but when the storm clears, Mai can breath easily - she's still standing.
But not too easily, because not everyone else is. The mage in white is down, and with rare exception it seems like the attack took the wind out of everyone's sails. Either ravaged or distracted, the tone of the battle has shifted...and it's shifting again, as the golden-haired girl rushes for the gem that's caused all this.
This isn't her fight. The thought runs through Mai's head over and over as she rushes to intercept. This shouldn't be her fight, but...if she lets this go, it could be just like with that fake princess. She has to do the right thing, here - to be where she needs to be, to do her duty, to keep disaster from occurring again. She can't make the wrong choice yet /again/.
Regrets and duty and desperation burn hot, blazing in time to the Jewel Seed's pulsing, as Mai hurtles herself in like a meteor to try to block Fate directly. No elegance, no real flame, just a rushing force gilded in gold and jade.
COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has used Binding Ember on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa fails to dodge Mai Tokiha's Binding Ember, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Exhausted applied to Fate Testarossa!
<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
Endo's eyes follow Fate as he comes to ground and she goes up, catching for a second on the fluttering remains of what he'd caught of her barrier jacket. The boy's teeth clench together, the grip on his weapon faltering for a second, and then becoming firm again. A nod for Lera, and he'd up in in the air after her if he didn't spot what she was doing next.
He's seen what those orbs do. "Stern-" This time he doesn't try to cut through it. The sword is planted in front of him like a wall, and he braces behind it. It's a good idea. <BARRIER.> He can feel the energy of the lightning burning across his barrier jacket as it crashes into the street around him, lurid purple-black light flaring, a huge rush of steam escaping the device from the effort. When it's over he's gasping for breath, his neck spinning around to find his allies. He nods at Ren, makes a brief check of the others, and then his attention is drawn toward the seed.
Up again. Endo ascends, bouncing up the side of a building in grand leaps, hot on Fate's trail, at the opposite of Ren. He goes barreling for the girl in attempt to keep her from the others as they move for the jewel seed.
He could protect everyone else while they got the seed. Like a hero would. Like someone his father would be proud of. If only he were there to see.
"I'm sorry." He says it when he's close enough to Fate to take a swing.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Blueshift on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Endo Naoki has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa narrowly braces Endo Naoki's Blueshift, taking 16 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Winds of Admonishment on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa narrowly dodges Fuu Hououji's Winds of Admonishment, taking 13 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji is Psyched! Fate Testarossa's Fade ability activates! Fate Testarossa's Flash ability activates! Cripple and Trap applied to Fate Testarossa!
<Pose Tracker> Nanoha Takamachi [Infinity Institute (4)] has posed.
Friend?
It's such a simple, easy, answer from Sakura, and Nanoha almost completely balks. Her stare turns into a look of mixed abject confusion, bewilderment, disbelief, and pain. And it's long enough for her to completely miss the practical alarm klaxons Raising Heart telepathically blares in her head. Nanoha is only brought back to the real world once again when the first bolt of golden light streaks by, missinf her face by inches- when Lera calls her name- when the first bullet of energy punches her clean in the chestplate. Whatever was on her mind before is replaced with the quick realization that she should not let herself space out. But it's one that comes too late.
Try as she might to hastily erect a circular shield, a run of pink glowing light spreads from her hands; it shatters almost immediately under the assault, and the battering hail brings the child low. Every jarring impact sends her in a tumble, with an occasional cry of pain, before finally she comes to a sprawl on the cratered pavement.
It's like those scenes in every war movie. Slowly regaining consciousness to dust and debris flying, muffled voices and an irritating ringing in the ears while a battle rages all around.
And the Jewel Seed is right there, close by. With the blonde on a direct course for it.
Fate... That girl with the sad, lonely eyes. That girl who Nanoha's thoughts always circle back around to in a singular, constant, pining wish.
'I want to see her smile...'.
It's amazing Nanoha can even stand after a battering like that. Her Barrier Jacket is shredded, she's bruised to all hell, and is currently no doubt in a whole new universe of pain. But she pushes herself up in a stagger. If she can just get to the Jewel Seed...
Every step is a wobble, of jelly legs as she hoists Raising Heart up to try and make the steal before Fate can, reaching out...
<Pose Tracker> Fate Testarossa [None] has posed.
Let it never be said that Fate Testarossa took her eye off the prize. Even as Tsukiko darts at her, and Fate is knocked off course, she takes the rough blow, working through the pain, just narrowly weaving around Ren's sword slash.
Mai tries to block her path, and Fate tries to dodge it, taking a rough blow against her burning orb-like barrier, and skittering off it, only to try to work through her exhaustion, and move beneath her.
Endo's sword strikes downward, as Fate swings Bardiche upward, sparks skitter off, as the parrying scythe slows his blade, before it continues its descent, striking against her auto protection spells, and through it. Part of her barrier jacket parts, allowing him a shallow cut.
Which is when The Shadow latches down upon her from all sides, a smothering, binding barrier that she can't avoid. And Fate struggles against the legacy of Clow Reed, as shadows crawl up and down her entire form, and block her further progression. For a split second, it looked like it was the end of her struggle, caught on all sides, until.
"Thunder..." It sounds muted, inside of her shadowy seal. "...Rageu!"
Lightning strikes downward from above, on all sides, burning through her shadowy binding, and scattering bolts upon /herself/ just to try to make it a little further. Even if Sakura were her friend, Fate certainly wasn't acting like she reciprocated the sentiments.
She makes it all the way to the Jewel Seed, pulsing with life, as she clashes down upon it, Bardiche meeting Raising Heart just centimeters above it.
Her scarlet eyes go wide with shock as she sees the state Nanoha is in, the indomitable spirit which must have brought her to it as well. For a moment, all is still as Bardiche rings upon Raising Heart's form.
And then like a tuning fork, the Jewel Seed responds, ringing as well, resonating with the emotions of everyone who is here.
'I want her to return to being the kind mother she used to be!'
'Let me be able to help someone. So Mom's safe of me. So she's proud of me.'
Tsukiko wishes her Great Grand-father were here, to show her how proud he is.
'I just want everyone to be happy!'
Fuu wishes to protect her friends, to see others again.
'Maybe another time we can have parfaits together-' Wishing that she would meet her family, her friends.'
'I can't make the wrong choice again!'
Endo wants to be a hero, someone his father could be proud of, if he were here to see.
'I want to see her smile.'
It wants to grant the myriad of wishes to all of them, but it can't. Not alone, perhaps not even with many Jewel Seeds. Yet it still tries, resonating with each of their hearts, torn in so many directions, too many directions, releasing its energy to try to fulfill their innermost desires.
And then it overloads, the energy fueling pouring outward to be released explosively into this dimension. Bardiche and Raising Heart nearly shatter outright from it, as both their mistresses are cast backwards cracks forming all over both of them.
It doesn't stop there, one pulse after another like a heart beating far too rapidly, the dimensional energy bleeds out, vibrating over the district with the force of a an earthquake that would easily measure on the higher end of the richter scale. This is no earthly quake though, simply seismic in nature, instead it can be felt through this dimension to the next.
...And it shows no sign of stopping.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Fate Testarossa has used Thunder Rage on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fate Testarossa accepts Fate Testarossa's Finisher, Thunder Rage, taking 72 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname transforms into Jewel Seed! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has fully healed herself. She is now ready to take on 9 opponents! COMBAT: FINISHER! Madoka Kaname has used JEWEL SEED EXPLOSION! on Lera Camry. COMBAT: FINISHER! Madoka Kaname has used JEWEL SEED EXPLOSION! on Cute Wolf Tsukiko. COMBAT: FINISHER! Madoka Kaname has used JEWEL SEED EXPLOSION! on Ren Aizawa. COMBAT: FINISHER! Madoka Kaname has used JEWEL SEED EXPLOSION! on Fuu Hououji. COMBAT: FINISHER! Madoka Kaname has used JEWEL SEED EXPLOSION! on Sakura Kinomoto. COMBAT: FINISHER! Madoka Kaname has used JEWEL SEED EXPLOSION! on Mai Tokiha. COMBAT: FINISHER! Madoka Kaname has used JEWEL SEED EXPLOSION! on Endo Naoki. COMBAT: FINISHER! Madoka Kaname has used JEWEL SEED EXPLOSION! on Fate Testarossa. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has finished attacking. COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko fails to dodge Madoka Kaname's Finisher, JEWEL SEED EXPLOSION!, taking 98 Fatigue damage! Cute Wolf Tsukiko is unable to keep fighting! COMBAT: Fate Testarossa narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's Finisher, JEWEL SEED EXPLOSION!, taking 76 Fatigue damage! Fate Testarossa's Fade ability activates! Fate Testarossa's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Sakura Kinomoto narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's Finisher, JEWEL SEED EXPLOSION!, taking 42 Fatigue damage! Sakura Kinomoto is unable to keep fighting! Sakura Kinomoto's Fade ability activates! Sakura Kinomoto's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Mai Tokiha fails to brace Madoka Kaname's Finisher, JEWEL SEED EXPLOSION!, taking 98 Fatigue damage! Mai Tokiha is unable to keep fighting! COMBAT: Lera Camry accepts Lera Camry's Desperate Dive, taking 0 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Lera Camry narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's Finisher, JEWEL SEED EXPLOSION!, taking 60 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry is unable to keep fighting! Lera Camry's Fade ability activates! Lera Camry's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Fuu Hououji narrowly counters Madoka Kaname's Finisher, JEWEL SEED EXPLOSION!, taking 70 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji is unable to keep fighting! COMBAT: FINISHER! Fuu Hououji's counterattack, Emerald Cyclone: Full, partially gets through, doing 13 Fatigue damage to Madoka Kaname! COMBAT: Endo Naoki fails to brace Madoka Kaname's Finisher, JEWEL SEED EXPLOSION!, taking 107 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa fails to counter Madoka Kaname's Finisher, JEWEL SEED EXPLOSION!, taking 88 Fatigue damage! Ren Aizawa is unable to keep fighting! COMBAT: FINISHER! Ren Aizawa's counterattack, Gemlight Fusillade, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Madoka Kaname! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname transforms into Madoka Kaname!
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
There is a brilliant flash of light from the Jewel Seed, as the energy pooled into it suddenly explodes outward. Lera flies down at it, until she sees the start of the shockwave. It catches Nanoha and Fate first -- and there's a moment where she contemplates trying to grab one of them, both of them, and get out -- but then she realizes that she will never make it in time. The girl snaps to a stop, staring down at the dimensional energy rolling towards her.
Sky's voice crackles with panic. <GET OUT OF THERE!>
She starts to heed his words. Then she does some quick math in her head; the shockwave is coming too fast for her to do anything about it, and no quick turn will let her escape it. Besides, she saw the way Bardiche and Raising Heart took the blast; it makes her stomach lurch, to think of that happening to Sky. "I'm sorry, Sky," she says, quietly. "Keep the jacket up as long as you can and--"
<No! Stop it! Don't-->
Lera slams the two swords together as she shoots up, cresting with the rising tide of energy. They lock together -- and then she throws her Device as hard as she can, sending it spinning away from the dimensional distortion. The plasma-wreathed sword slams into the concrete side of a parking garage, and Lera goes dropping down.
She hits the blast of energy, and it rips into the Barrier Jacket. Energy crackles and burns around around her; Lera lets out a yell, but any words that came with it are lost. Her fingers stretch out and she reaches.
And tries to grasp.
And then everything is much, much too bright.
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Choices. Not knowing how the Jewel Seed worked, Mai had focused her attention on the mage trying to do...something with it. Perhaps the right choice - trying to keep her from striking down everyone else in the battle like some vicious grim reaper. So - she tried to stop the golden-haired girl. Threw herself into the fray to try to hold her back.
A moment's delay. Enough that when the opponent finally reached the Jewel Seed...she was just slow enough that the mage in white struck it at the same time. A resonance, a broken seal, an awakening...
Familiarity, in some strange sense - that feeling of another power trying to do everything, and burning out. A warning, perhaps, in some strange twisted way - and another message delivered to Mai in a more direct fashion.
She overreached, and shouldn't have gotten herself involved.
The Jewel Seed detonates - space itself trembling with the sheer force of the mystic might brought to bear. Mai is struck full on by the blast, sent hurtling away from the riotous calamity, tumbling helplessly towards the ground....and then, fire. A blaze precedes any impact, flames scorching the pavement, some unseen guardian doing its part to save the HiME. The ground is marked with a burnt spiral, and at its heart a baffled Mai raises her head to the calamity.
...this is bigger than some girl. Bigger than some gem. It's like the entire ward is trembling with terrible fury, power unleashed she can't comprehend...and Mai has no idea what could fix this. More to the point...fear. Fear for her loved ones, unaware of this rising storm. Whatever else happens here - whatever else befalls the world - they have to come first.
Mai raises her head, staring for a long moment at the golden-haired girl in black...and then, jaw set, tears her gaze away. Staggering, but breaking into an awkward run, she heads for the bridge to Southern Cross Island.
This isn't her fight.
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
The Wind Knight's eyes go wide as the surge of power erupts from the destabilizing Jewel Seed - whether it's the Seed itself going unstable or simply the prior sealing spells reaching their limit, she doesn't know, and what she DOES know doesn't come close to explaining what's going on. All she knows is that a massive, MASSIVE amount of raw, uncontrolled energy is erupting, threatening Yamanote with devastation and unlikely to stop there.
"EMERALD CYCLONE!!" shouts the green-clad Magic Knight of Wind, unleashing her most powerful attack in an effort to bore through the shockwaves of power with her own attack, and maybe to knock the Jewel Seed back into quiescence. It means that she isn't protecting herself more directly, just trusting her wind magic to protect herself and the others by diverting some of the energy ...
But while she manages to pierce through with some of her attack spell, it's simply too much energy for her to match, and the magical (is it really magic?) cascade from the Jewel Seed overwhelms her, forcing the Wind Knight to her knees, her bow and quiver disappearing back into her glove-jewel as she clasps her hands over her ears, eyes squeezed shut against the impossible forces being unleashed above her.
A Magic Knight's strength is founded in the power of her will ... but as determined as Fuu is, her will still isn't strong enough to overcome this kind of raw power.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Ren did not even consider the fact that everyone rushing towards the Jewel Seed with wishes on their minds would cause something not-so-nice to happen. And it's too late once she's up close and personal with the overloading bit of Lost Logia. Her eyes widen, and her mouth falls open into a gasp.
<YOUR MAJESTY! THE JEWEL SEED IS->
"Heraut! Help me contain it!"
<I DO NOT THINK->
"Please!"
<...AS YOU WISH.>
If there's a chance... she has to try. She won't be able to live with herself otherwise. Hoisting her device up she pours her everything into the spell. Behind her globules of light wink into existence, as does the familiar runic circle beneath her feet, spinning at an accelerated rate. It has to be quick. It has to be fast. It has to be powerful.
"Gemlight Fusillade!" Ren yells, prompting the globules to condense themselves into a giant rotating wall -- an impromptu shield, even -- just as the jewel seed explosion transpires. The idea is for the attack to soak up the entirety of the eruption. It's a noble effort...
...But ultimately a futile one. The wall buckles and bends. Ren doesn't even get to make a face of horror when it is completely broken through, and she is subsequently caught in the direct line of fire. In the next few moments she's very aware of several things.
Her barrier jacket burning into near nothingness.
The intense heat the singes her hair and stiffles her breathing so thoroughly.
Souverain Heraut weathering the storm... until a hairline crack forms down the center of the rapier's blade.
And finally... the fact that she /tried/. So very hard.
Her body is hurled head over heels through the air, heading.... somewhere.
<Pose Tracker> Cute Wolf Tsukiko [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.
As Fate goes past Tsukiko, the wolfgirl starts accelerating, preparing to launch herself forward to (Silver Wolf) Tackle the lightning-throwing mage--
And then the Jewel Seed unleashes its explosive energy.
The resonant shockwave halts Tsukiko in her tracks with the first pulse; the second one drops her to her knees. The wolfgirl forces herself to move, her would-be speed shifted into slowly moving one foot after the other through pure determination. She's not sure why she keeps moving, other than an ominous feeling that if she stops, she won't be able to resume moving until it's too late.
"N-nanoha..." the wolfgirl says, her voice barely a whisper. Her friend probably has at least some sort of idea of what can be done. One faltering step after another, Tsukiko walks towards Nanoha.
<Pose Tracker> Sakura Kinomoto [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.
The explosion is enough to send Sakura scattering; Shadow is little help in protecting its master and even Keroberos is sent reeling in the blast. Though the Guardian Beast is weak, he still manages to grab the Cardcaptor with his canines and prevent true harm from becoming the Mistress of the Clow. After gently dropping her on the ground, the sealing wand returns back to a key around her neck and any magical ability is released. Even The Shadow card returns to the form of a card and returns back to her hand, nestled between her fingers.
"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!" the beast calls out, worried about the young girl. "C'mon, Sakura!" A tiny paw pats at the side of her face, trying to be like one of those cool guys that is able to wake someone up.
Kero-chan's attempt is far from a complete failure. The exhausted Cardcaptor, back into her normal form opens a glassy green eye, taking in the sight of all the damage. Her head is bruised and there are scratches all up and down her body. Her coat is ruined and torn.
"Fate-chan," she pauses between heavy breathing and a small tear welling in her eyes, her nostrils filling with liquid, "I'm so sorry. I wish I had been a better friend to you and then maybe you wouldn't have been hurt like this." It is a statement mired in naivety and ignorance.
"Please forgive me." With that, she closes her eyes as the cascades down her cheek.
Keroberos, however, is dutifully doing his best to carry the Cardcaptor and bring her home, away from the fray to collect herself.
<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
Endo wasn't a hero. He knows what when he feels the first ripples of energy escaping from the jewel seed, and he has only a second to realize what's coming next. It's not really enough, the warning that Fallen Stern gives him in its ugly, synthesized voice drowned out by the roar of energy from the jewel seed.
"Ren!" He only gets a second to watch her and Lera go for the seed. Then he's falling. Like before, a shooting star headed back to earth. The Device he's got in his hand is burning with light, the matte black metal cracking and steaming from taking the impact of the explosion. It isn't much help with the ground, and the debris that come after it.
Somewhere under the concrete the light from Fallen Stern still pulses, dim and weakened, but functional nonetheless. Like Endo. And neither of them will be digging themselves out with any great speed.
<Pose Tracker> Nanoha Takamachi [Infinity Institute (4)] has posed.
In the one, glorious, victorious instant that Nanoha manages to raise Raising Heart higher in trembling fingers, no sooner than the Device makes contact with the Jewel Seed, it is met. The resounding contact of metal clashing against metal echoes as gold meets black, staff to axe. Bardiche and Raising Heart jam together in a forceful blow, the Jewel Seed trapped between them for one fateful instant. Before a horrendous CRACK sounds off.
In a sudden instant of lucid clarity, the pain flooding Nanoha's body washes away as she realizes just what happened. Blue eyes widen, almost horrified at the sudden spiderwebbing cracks suffusing her staff, and out of concern for her Device- her teacher and companion- Nanoha yanks Raising Heart back.
It's funny how perception works... In that blinding instant the Jewel Seed erupts, everything seems to grind to a halt again, hanging motionless before Nanoha's eyes.
And then all she can see is light...
A blinding flare of white-blue- that doesn't dim even in the slightest when she tries to shield her eyes with her hand. The next thing Nanoha registers is the night sky. She's staring straight up at it from the center of a crater, breath panting and ragged, Barrier Jacket in a tattered wreck. Somehow, through the ringing in her ears, she barely catches Tsukiko's whisper, just as she closes her eyes. "We have to, get the others." You know. Collect the injured, dig out Endo... Escape before the authorities arrive. But first.
Nanoha Takamachi is going to lay down for a little while.
<Pose Tracker> Fate Testarossa [None] has posed.
The first pulse of the Jewel Seed strikes Fate Testarossa head on, a look of absolute horror on her face. She can't truly avoid the concussive wave, but she can roll with it. She does so instinctually, allowing herself to be battered and buffeted backwards. Pain searing throughout her entire body, pain in multiple dimensions, on levels she could barely even comprehend despite her arcane knowledge.
When she lands in a pile of rubble that was once part of a building, she looks up in a daze, vision blurring, seeing the results of just the initial devastation as Yamanote shudders, the nearest buildings crumbling outright which is only going to increase with every passing moment.
She then looks down at Bardiche, hand rising shakily to get a better look at him.
He was her most precious gift from Linith, her partner. He had always been there for her in his own way. "I'm so sorry Bardiche, return."
And yet Bardiche knows exactly what she's thinking the two more linked than even she would like to admit. <Sir. You can't.> "I have to." She looks down at him, then barks out brokenly, eyes glistening and on the verge of tears, "Return!"
He hesitates only for a moment, before he returns to his golden triangle form, in standby on the back of her hand. She had no time for tears, no time for guilt. These feelings are suppressed just as surely as if she had placed a seal on her own heart.
Her legs don't feel like they have the strength to stand, and so she uses her magic to raise herself up, floating in the air. The next pulse comes, and as it flings her away, Fate shrieks, before digging deep into the reserves she didn't know she had to ignore the increasing pain. She surges forward, almost as quick as a literal bolt of lightning, hand extended, trying to make it before the Jewel Seed pulses again.
Her hand clamps down atop Lera's just as Lera reaches the seed. And yet, she doesn't pry it away, she just places her hand over the other Midchildan mage's, her knees coming to rest upon the ground. Then her other, the two Midchildan mages holding onto the center of the dimensional quake as if their lives depended upon it. And they do. Just like so many others.
A golden runic circle, smaller than the one from before, that caused destruction to rain down upon them forms beneath at her knees, emanating outwards, as the Jewel Seed quakes in their hands.
"Seal!"
The Jewel Sheed shudders, and she squeezes out blood from her palms, as it rattles within her hands. She is trying to suppress her emotions, trying to suppress the seed with the magic she has left.
And it doesn't work, still resonating with all of their hearts. And she feels all of it, not their wishes perhaps, but the myriad of emotions that caused the seed to erupt. So instead, she changes her strategy. She stops suppressing all the emotions, she allows all of her guilt over this happening to flood out. She allows her love of her mother, her desire to see her again to come forth.
"Seal!"
The Jewel Seed shudders again, Fate's feelings, her desires not enough to quiet the quavering Lost Logia. And so she digs deeper, to the feelings she holds for everyone on this world, to earnest desire to stop this destruction, to save this world from the destruction she just caused.
For Nanoha, whom had once sacrificed so much to eat birthday cake with her, who sacrifices so much only to insist upon her happiness, upon her smile. For Sakura, who wants so badly to be her friend, for Fate to meet her family. For Ren, whose caring for her kouhai, Nanoha touched Fate's heart. For Lera, whom Fate wanted to reunite with her mother, whose own troubles with her mother had felt like a blow to Fate's own soul. For her desire that the two work out their problems. For Endo, who had once been kind to her in a park, during an embarrassing moment. For Ikiko, who had once done her a kindness. To all the brave souls who were here, contesting the Jewel Seed with her. She had treated them so coldly, she would not seek their forgiveness for what happened here today. But she would save them, protect them, if she could.
"PLEASE STOP!"
Her final scream carries all the weight of the emotions she didn't allow herself to feel outwardly on her mission. The Jewel Seed feels all of these emotions from Fate. It feels Lera's earnest desire to stop it, to save her friends and Soaring Sky, and somehow against all odds it begins to quiet, as it realizes the only way to fulfill both of their wishes. Is to stop. It seals itself, growing quiet and inert in Fate's now mangled hands.
Fate only murmurs two words before she vanishes in a Dimensional Transfer spell, leaving Lera right there.
"I'm sorry."
And like the seed, she suppresses those sentiments that everyone had caused her to feel during her time on Earth, to focus on the mission, to focus on what, and who is truly most important to her. But she won't forget.
How could she ever?
The destruction to Yamanote repairs itself in the aftermath, but even if those wounds to property were healed... some wounds just ran too deep.
