2015-11-08 - Youma On A Plane!
| Title: Youma On A Plane! | |
|---|---|
| Summary: As the Sister Schools wait to board for Okinawa, disaster strikes: The first planes are in the air, but a shadowy presence threatens them. Can the protectors of Tokyo save their younger classmates? | |
| Who: Lera Camry, Takeo Akamizu, Ren Aizawa, Kuniko Saito, Fuu Hououji, Steven Universe, Hikaru Shidou, Usagi Tsukino, Makoto Kino, Nanoha Takamachi, Garnet, Chitose Shiratori | |
| Where: Haneda Airport, Skies over Japan | |
| OOC - IC Date: Sep 06 2014 - 11/08/2015 | |
<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
PREVIOUSLY ON BATTLE FANTASIA
The Sister School-booked flights to Okinawa are departing in sequence, all from the same gate, the better to keep the students together. And the first flight has been delayed for three long hours.
The first students, who would have boarded this flight, are also the youngest: kindergardeners and first-graders. They do not take the delay gracefully. Many faces do impressions of roasted tomatoes, screwing up tight with unhappiness. Others begin to flee their keepers, in the hopes of alleviating boredom and hunger by exploring the airport.
Fortunately, the day is saved thanks to the intervention of older students' patience and generosity; the little kids wind up amused, and in some cases, fed, successfully extorting sweets out of their elder peers.
In the end, they board their plane in an orderly fashion and launch joyously into the sky...
NOW
Invisible to the veiled eye but all too visible to magical girls and their ilk, a shadow crosses the sun above the airplane... and descends towards it with a hideous screech so loud it threatens to shatter the very air.
It's hard to see from a distance what is going on, but the sense of danger is up close and personal, talons of rage and despair enclosing the heart from all sides. An evil feeling by any metric, it's more than obvious to everyone that if they don't act immediately, that plane may well go down -- with no one ever the wiser about why or how so many innocent lives were lost.
Given that it is already many thousand feet in the air, however, there the a minor matter of catching up with it...
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
Lera Camry is gritting her teeth as she flies up into the air. She has a firm grip on the girl in her arms; she worked with Poissonier Kuniko a few times, now, and she owes her a lot for her help over the years. She feels perfectly comfortable helping her -- but she never feels entirely comfortable carrying someone into the air, at the speed of (quite literally) a jet plane. She glances at her, then she looks straight up.
"Kuniko-san!" she cries out. "When we get close enough, I'm going to put you up on the wing! Let's see if we can get a good look at that thing!"
< I don't like the look of it!> Soaring Sky chimes. <Or the sound!>
The orange-haired girl shoots up into the heavens, blitzing through a low-hanging cloud. The white, fluffy cloud disperses around her -- and appears to be impaled by a stream of red-orange light -- before Lera flies up to the plane. She lets Kuniko down, carefully, on the wing. Wind whips around them and the jet turbine spins, making a furious noise.
COMBAT: Lera Camry transforms into Barrier Jacket Perihelion!
<Pose Tracker> Takeo Akamizu [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Takeo HAD been keeping a group of kindergartners stave off the boredom by allowing them to pet Merlin, the Rabbit trying very hard not to glower or speak angerly. Or speak at all, since that would blow his cover. It si sweet vengence for Takeo for ... Well for Takoe it's jsut revenge for Merlin being Merlin. He smiles smugly and folds his arms in pleased quiessence.
Once the kids go, he takes Merlin and plops the rabbit on to his shoulder. "Did you enjoy your playtime little Merlin Bunny?" He asks as he bops Merlin on the nose.
The Rabbit is silent and glares. "The one named Kana was most... I enjoyed having my ears rubbed. It relaxed me, but I will not forget this Lancelot." The rabbit says darkly.
Takeo grins and moves to watch the plane take off. He watches it ascend and folds his arms over his chest. It won't be long until he's in the sky too, and that... Kind of makes him happy. Right up until he sees the shape roaring and diving toward the plane.
"Get outside Lancelot!" Merlin says in bunny horror.
Not wasting anytime, Lancelot runs toward one of the airport's many exits, shouldering the door open with a grunt, as he clears the space. Merlin hops off hsi shoulder, as he grabs his medallion. Then pauses. "Merlin. I cna't fly!"
Merlin puts his front paws together and seperates them producing ... a Tiny adorable wand. He waves it and speaks in a long forgotton language. "You can now! Transform!"
There is a sharp nod. "On it!" He holds the Medallion to the heavens and calls out: "I SWEAR TO UPHOLD PEACE! JSUTICE! TO DEFEND ALL WHO ARE NEED!"
Lightning slams down form the sky, over and over again. Each strikign Takeo in rapid succession, and each bolt of lightning forming into a piece of armor. As the blue cloak billows out, he holds a hand to the side with his eyes closed, and a bolt of lightning is snatched form the air. The Azure light coalescing into bright white light, that with a flash becomes Arondight.
He flourishes the blade and looks sky ward. Then jumps, extending a hand, and landing on his face. "OW!" He looks to Merlin who is holding his face in his adorable paws.
"You have to say "Fly," and THEN jump you moron."
Grumbling, Lancelot gets to his feet. "Fly!" He calls and then jumps, soaring up toward the shape and speeds he finds... Kind of cool!
COMBAT: Takeo Akamizu transforms into Lancelot!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
When the trip to Okinawa was first announced, Ren couldn't help but think someone had finally decided to answer her prayers for more vacation time. What were the odds! The days leading up to the time of their departure was filled with lots and lots of rushing around in an attempt to make sure she had everything she needed.
...And she /still/ forgot to pack sunscreen!
At first she panicked, but then relaxed once she realized there would be several duty free shops within the airport she could hit up to grab whatever last minute items she needed. Of course, she hadn't counted on the fact that the first flight out would be delayed, leading to a gaggle of upset elementary school students going wild with frustration, with /that/ leading to her having to play impromptu "kid wrangler" along with her fellow older students. So by the time the kids were all roped in and shuffled onto the plane, Ren was pretty beat, though still determined to get her sunscreen!
...That is, until something decided to appear out of nowhere and go for the very plane the children were on at the moment.
<Approaching the aircraft!> Heraut so helpfully chimes, Ren soaring through the air not too far behind Lera (who's helpfully carrying Kuniko). What on Earth could that thing be?! She wisely keeps her guard up, lips pursed and brows furrowed as the distance between her and the plane-in-peril shortens considerably with each passing moment.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa transforms into Barrier Jacket!
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
YOU WILL BELIEVE... A Cook can Fly.
Kuniko was baffled at the mere idea for a moment, but the practical problem of a plane load full of kindergarteners - some of whom she'd only recently given 'real' candy, the kind you can savor - perishing in horrible fire during a school trip overwhelms such oddities. After throwing a few things on the stove to start simmering, Kuniko spread outher arms. "Take me up," she says.
And so they went.
In flight, the Poissonier's main attention other than the fact that she's FLYING THOUSANDS OF METERS ABOVE THE COLD, RELENTLESS SURFACE OF JAPAN and the SLIGHTLY LESS RELENTLESS BUT SIGNIFICANTLY COLDER SURFACE OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN, has been on the peculiar boiling in some of her pots. The issue is much less than she might have expected, but it's enough that Lera heard some clatter as she got out a stove-top pressure cooker. Just in case.
"Got it," she answers Lera as she's lowered down. She spreads her arms, squatting, prepared to have to cling desperately to the aluminium - and is pleased, and shocked, when she finds that the non-slip soles of her crew boots are living up to their advertising. She even takes a step forwards, and other than having to push a little - she doesn't go flying!
(She also attached her cap with several hairpins. Some things are important.)
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito transforms into Poissonnier Kuniko!
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
"That's going to be quite the challenge, isn't it?" Fuu observes, pulling her glove-jewel on and consigning her backtack (including her lately-acquired Ho-Oh plushie) to its sorcerous storage. The longer she delays, the further the plane is going to get from Haneda Airport - and the more chance the youma will have to wreak havoc on the plane and/or its passengers. There's no time to think this through at length or eliminate dangerous variables.
"Hikaru-san, transform and please stay as close as you can," she asks her red-haired companion with a smile. And then, without further explanation: "Belief becomes power ..."
She's going to have to act, and trust the instincts of her heart to push her in the right direction.
"... Winds, guide me!!"
The accustomed whirlwind forms around her, school uniform shifting to green, socks and shoes dissolving to reform into boots, and the remainder of her Magic Knight armor materializing around her body as its magic strengthens the fabric beneath it. Rather than allowing that wind to dissipate, though, Fuu latches on with her will -
And dials the whirlwind *up* instead of down. She and Hikaru should be safe enough from turbulence within the eye of the whirlwind; that just leaves the small yet critical matter of trying to steer.
In a way, it's sort of a familiar task; she's used tailwinds to assist her leaps when traversing the city or trying to dodge the attacks of monsters. This, however, is far more than just a tailwind: as the whirlwind itself does abate, the wind propelling the two Magic Knights through the sky is still gale-force - and the Wind Knight has to control it enough to avoid upsetting the airplane's flight on her approach. Anime makes it look so easy, like *every* magical girl can fly at will ... maybe the Magic Knights will get there eventually as well. For now, the Wind Knight settles for trying to come in above the plane, and then dipping enough to deposit the Fire Knight safely atop the fuselage before she makes her own 'landing' on top of the airliner.
Those who are especially sensitive to magic at work might notice that the Wind Knight still has a faint spell effect wrapped around her even when she seems to have landed. It doesn't stop her from sizing up the monster, debating which of her attack options will be most useful; archery seems ill-advised under these conditions ...
<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [None] has posed.
"Why couldn't I have just rode on Lion to this place...!"
Steven, as it turns out, is not much of a fan of flying in an airplane. Sure, a Gem drop-pod or a big monster, but for whatever reason, airplanes are out. It looks safe as anything else. Planes almost never crash. But something about getting that high up is just... daunting! "Good thing nothing else can bother us on a plane, right?"
And then a terrible screech echoes out, and a shadow crosses the sun and plane Steven is looking at from the gate. "Oh man oh man oh man oh man!" Steven begins to panic. "I knew this would happen when we got here! It is like trouble follows us!"
Steven quickly scampers out of his seat by the gate, and after putting his cheeseburger backpack on, quickly locates Garnet. "Garnet, we gotta do something! Thats a big bird thingy. It is outside! I swear!" he says in a pained whispering voice. "We need to get outside!" The small boy wodner quickly locates a door and goes out. "Look, others are going to go help the plane!" But how is little old him going to get up there? The only thing he can turn into is a ball of cats.
"Maybe one of the others can help us get up there?" he asks as he conjures a gorgeous rose colored shield into being.
COMBAT: Steven Universe transforms into Steven Quartz Universe!
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
With her companion beside her and things going downhill all of a sudden, albeit somewhat expectedly, Hikaru nods to Fuu a little, while reaching for her glove-jewel. "I've got it, Fuu-chan. Don't worry, we'll take care of this!" She slips on her glove-jewel and says, "Belief becomes power..."
The flames appear around her.
"Flames guide me!"
The fire appears around Hikaru, replacing her uniform with her Magic Knight attire, her shoes and socks turning into boots, and her sword at the ready. Once all things are taken care of, the Fire Knight is unsurprised to find that she's being carried by the Wind Knight's magic. "Well casted!" She says with a slight smirk. "Even without our third partner, I'm sure the two of us can handle this together!"
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou transforms into Magic Knight of Fire!
<Pose Tracker> Usagi Tsukino [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
A fabulous flight attendant, twintails floating like streamers out of her navy blue pillbox hat is dragging along an embarrassed looking girl behind her by hand as she runs down the length of the terminal in heels which she was nearly tripping over given her speed. "Gangway! Coming through! Clear the way!"
An employee nearby who is unfortunate enough to be pushing an empty wheelchair suffers by virtue of the fact that he passed by, the whirlwind of enthusiasm that was the stewardess letting go of her hand long enough to grab the wheelchair out of theirs. The baffled individual is interrupted by the breathless shout of, "Priority boarding! She has a medical condition!" "Well so does... nevermind."
... Even though their plane wasn't even remotely ready to start boarding yet. Over her shoulder was a bag full of things she thought her mortified friend might need. Bottles of water, MP3 player with soothing music, sleeping mask, plushies...
She was looking through it as if taking inventory as the wheelchair was thrust out to her. "Have a seat Mako-chan! Come on don't be shy! You're in my care today. Its my duty and privilege to see to the needs of the passengers! And you're my extra special passenger!" She even gave a crisp salute, of what she imagined to be military.
But even as she does, rows upon rows of nearby glass have a shadow pass over them, and something in Usagi's shoulder twitches, as her head turns and she sees the danger. "All those kids..." She murmurs, horror and shock in her tone, before she gives Makoto a nervous look.
And yet this was the worst time, Makoto Kino being on an airplane was rough enough of a personal battle for her to fight, fighting on top of one? Something else entirely. She lets go of the wheelchair... turns to the other girl and raises her hands on her shoulders delicately... determination in her voice, "Just wait here Mako-chan. You're always so brave for my sake. Today it's my turn to be brave and... work twice as hard for your sake!"
And before a response could be given, this courageous flight attendant was already running, towards the employee exit, and as she descended down stairs outside... "Moon Crystal Power - Make Up!" Twirling ribbons, and a flash of feathered wings adorn her for battle as she bursts outside, eyes already skyward, hand clutched around a cute rod.
She'd only done this once, and leapt into space. That was a bit too far for right now! Right now she had the task of gauging a leap that would propel her upwards and forwards a few thousand feet up and possibly a kilometer or five forward.
COMBAT: Usagi Tsukino transforms into Sailor Moon!
<Pose Tracker> Makoto Kino [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Makoto Kino, dragged along by the hand by her dear friend Usagi Tsukino, would stand out even in other circumstances. Tall enough in her Juuban Middle uniform to be a beacon for those worried they're at the wrong gate, she /really/ stands out as a mysterious flight attendant (yes, actually Usagi) rushes her through the terminal.
"Usagi-chan!" Makoto starts to complain, red-faced, but has to focus more in the moment on keeping her balance--something that, luckily, she's actually pretty good at. ...But then they /stop/, and--
Green eyes stares down at the wheelchair, and then up at Usagi-the-flight-attendant again. "Usagi-chan, I don't..." But it's hard to actually turn her /down/, seeing that look in her friend's eyes. She starts to say something else--
But she sees the shadow pass over, too. She sees the nervous look Usagi gives her, and in that moment she has one of her own, her embarrassment mingling with fear and a certain sureness about what was going to happen.
"...It had to be..."
'Today it's my turn to be brave and... work twice as hard for your sake!'
Surprised, the taller girl finds that her friend is gone before she even finishes looking in that direction. But she can /hear/ even over the crowd anyway. Makoto closes her eyes, and takes a breath.
Leaving the wheelchair behind, she bolts, sprinting after Usagi, hitting the stairs with her transformation pen already in hand. "Jupiter Star Power - Make Up!"
Sailor Jupiter leaps off of the stairs, crackling electricity, afterimages lingering much like her voice echoes. Regardless, she's adorned for battle by the time she touches down in a crouch, standing again to look up with her jaw set. "Sailor Moon," she says in a clipped voice, "I'll get us up there. Hang on!"
Jupiter takes Sailor Moon's hand and lifts her other one--and around them crackles a green sphere, as they rise quickly through the air towards the plane looming ahead.
...She keeps her eyes forward, on the shadow to which they're heading.
COMBAT: Makoto Kino transforms into Sailor Jupiter!
<Pose Tracker> Nanoha Takamachi [Infinity Institute (4)] has posed.
Earlier:
So dealing with small excitable children can be draining. Unless you have the energy of a small child as well. Nanoha Takamachi sure doesn't seem too tuckered out after the whopping three hour delay keeping EVERYONE busy, she's still as chipper as ever- and even has a new pink stuffed elephant. Though she looks a little lost in her thoughts.
<HEARTFUL ELEPHANT? REALLY?>
<<Well. The elephant is a regal and majestic creature, Raising Heart.>>
<NO I MEAN THE NAME.>
<<Oh that I had to think of something on the fly.>>
Whatever the Device was going to reply with next is cut off.
<SIGNAL INBOUND! WARNING!>
"Wh-"
Then it hits her. To look up and see that shadow in the skies- the terrible sensations of roiling misery and gloom it brings with it, clamping down like a vice on the heart. It is perhaps a good thing that it would happen today- when the doubtless myriad and many magical warriors that attend all three sister schools would be present to step up, but that by no means makes the situation any less dire.
There are -children- on that plene.
"Raising Heart- SET UP!"
It was all the command her Device needed, once Nanoha had a private moment to transform-- still she somehow ended up with a passanger...
FAST FORWARDING JUST A LITTLE BIT
"Ummm! Please hold on tight, I don't want to drop you!" That's said to the... Boy in her arms. Nanoha is not used to passengers, but she's not going to actively complain about it as long as Steven doesn't squirm or wriggle free as she flies hard and fast, trailing pink light in her wake.
<Pose Tracker> Garnet [None] has posed.
"Don't even think about it Steven." Garnet warns sternly and looks down at the eager little Steven. "Even if you got up there, what happens if you fall? You can't fly, and I might not be able to catch you!" "No. No airplane adventures today." "Now stay here. I will take care of this and we'll be on our way before you know it."
Garnet pauses for a moment, and focuses her mind on the cosmos, summoning her fearsome armored gauntlets! She crouches, takes a long deep breath, and leaps into the air! Soaring thousands of feet in the air, as soon as she reaches the crest of her leap, she shapeshifts a pair of bird's wings from her back, and rides the updrafts and her continued momentum to the plane, and guides herself down onto one of the wings.
COMBAT: Garnet transforms into Garnet's Got Gauntlets!
<Pose Tracker> Chitose Shiratori [Infinity Institute (U)] has posed.
It was probably a great thing that Chitose wasn't slated to be on the plane with the kids that she promised prizes and presents to, for she had no real idea exactly what to say when the children saw through her ruse. So Chitose practices the greatest of traditions, the holiday known as 'it's not my problem anymore', parked on a seat reading a book.
But when three hours pass, Chitose decides to check in on her partner, looking up and back behind her. "Are you done with that analyzing?"
No response from Omen.
"Or was that just an excuse to avoid helping me with the children?"
Still no response.
After a few moments, she sighs. "All right, suit your--"
<Look up.>
Immediately, Chitose looks up, scanning the area. This takes more than a few moments before she realizes what her Device was getting at. A shadow streaks across the sky, something that she could tell wasn't natural or even good. What purpose would something like that gain from attacking children?
Chitose slides off her seat and walks outside, taking White Omen off her hair. "I suppose we must do as we must." With that, Chitose transforms into her Barrier Jacket. Even before the light fades she gets a running start and takes off, flying as fast as she can towards the plane and the shadow.
Even though she is flying towards the evil presence, Chitose takes a moment to sigh and mutter. "This is still better than being in that group of kids."
COMBAT: Chitose Shiratori transforms into Barrier Jacket!
<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
This high above the world, even late summer air is cold. And it's streaming past at extraordinary rates, ripping tears from delicate eyes and bringing a whole new meaning to the term 'windswept hair.' Magical girls are more than tough enough to endure this, but it's still a deeply strange experience. Even regular aerial combat doesn't take place at such sustained speeds.
Standing on the whitewashed wings of the plane, in comparison, is surprisingly normal-feeling. It's not like a lamppost precisely; in some sense it's easier, because it's so much wider. On the other hand, if you slip and fall it's a very, very long way down.
There's a long moment of relative silence, for some definitions of silence that include being quite near a jet engine wafting beautiful trails through the sky. Whatever was thought to be threatening the plane is nowhere to be found. Maybe this was a false alarm. Maybe everything is all right.
Maybe it's flying directly out of the blinding sun, straight at the plane and the girls protecting it.
Maybe it's got two sets of wings -- one made out of feathers, each one as sharp as a razor's blade, the other batlike, smooth and swooping.
Maybe it has a set of /arms/ in between the wings, for six backbound limbs total. Maybe the arms are both shaggy with pinfeathers and scaled with jewels.
Maybe a pair legs with talons, too, talons that gleam with a metallic shine subtly unlike any recognizable substance of Earth.
Maybe its head is, by surface area, about eight-tenths GAPING MAW to two-tenths 'space for eyes, of which there are eight, all of them narrowed to tiny slits'.
And everything is red, dripping red, ghastly red. There are so many distinct shades of the color in such a tight density that looking straight at the beast is rather like gazing at a Magic Eye... other images surface slowly and nebulously, then disappear in an eyeblink, replaced by new patterns.
The energy gathering in its half-closed mouth is red, too. It leaks out in sizzling streamers, crackles in discharge arcs.
Then it explodes. The oncoming wave of heat and pain threatens to engulf everyone and everything--!
COMBAT: Madoka Kaname transforms into The Vermillion Beast! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has fully healed herself. She is now ready to take on 12 opponents! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Red Rain on Nanoha Takamachi. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Red Rain on Sailor Moon. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Red Rain on Steven Universe. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Red Rain on Sailor Jupiter. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Red Rain on Fuu Hououji. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Red Rain on Kuniko Saito. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Red Rain on Ren Aizawa. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Red Rain on Lancelot. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Red Rain on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Red Rain on Chitose Shiratori. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Red Rain on Garnet. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has finished attacking. COMBAT: Lera Camry narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's Red Rain, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry's Fade ability activates! Lera Camry's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Sailor Moon narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's Red Rain, taking 15 Fatigue damage! Sailor Moon's Fade ability activates! Sailor Moon's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Red Rain, taking 13 Fatigue damage! Sailor Jupiter's Block ability activates! Sailor Jupiter's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Garnet narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's Red Rain, taking 30 Fatigue damage! Garnet's Fade ability activates! Garnet's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Lancelot perfectly dodges Madoka Kaname's Red Rain, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Collateral Damage on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Red Rain on Hikaru Shidou. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has finished attacking. COMBAT: Kuniko Saito fails to dodge Madoka Kaname's Red Rain, taking 37 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa fails to brace Madoka Kaname's Red Rain, taking 41 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Lera Camry narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Collateral Damage, taking 5 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Chitose Shiratori narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's Red Rain, taking 21 Fatigue damage! Chitose Shiratori's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou fails to dodge Madoka Kaname's Red Rain, taking 42 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Fuu Hououji narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's Red Rain, taking 32 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji's Fade ability activates! Fuu Hououji's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Nanoha Takamachi fails to dodge Madoka Kaname's Red Rain, taking 44 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Steven Universe fails to brace Madoka Kaname's Red Rain, taking 45 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
<Here it comes!> Soaring Sky chimes, as the magical girls take to the skies. Lera sucks a breath in -- glancing first at Kuniko, then at Nanoha, and finally at Ren -- before she makes a thumbs-up and aims it at the last one. "We gotta make sure it doesn't get through, it's--"
A monster.
Lera stares at the multi-limbed, flying monster, with its terrible sets of eyes staring at them. Then, streamers of red come rushing in towards all of them. Lera hisses, her breath catching in her throat; then she does a sharp barrel roll around the first, ducks under the second, and shoots above the third. Each leaves a blackened near-miss along the green coat and black trousers. She grits her teeth, before she rolls downward.
"Sky! Those shots are--" Lera calls out.
<Pretend you're me!> Broken Ground chimes from Lera's gauntleted wrist, the little brown-yellow gem at the center flashing. Soaring Sky calls out: <Protection!>
A barrier of red light erupts in front of two of the streamers, flying at the side of the plane. Lera turns her head to look at it -- by happenstance, it's at the window seat that Mina is at. Lera looks at the little girl, then grins as the blasts of light disperse over Sky's hastily created barrier. She makes a thumbs-up at her.
Lera turns, then, back towards the monster and its large mouth. She sucks a breath in -- then /blitzes/ forward, leaving a sharp line of red-orange light in her wake. She slashes for the creature's side as she goes tearing past it, her blade leaving a trail of light in its wake.
COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Line Burst on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname fails to dodge Lera Camry's Line Burst, taking 22 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Sailor Moon didn't really expect for Jupiter to come after her. She'd begun to glow with this aura of vibrant pink, celestial light that would propel her when... "Jupiter-chan!" She's all too glad to take her hand. And then her other hand clasps over hers as well, her eyes shining with admiration. She knew how hard this had to be for her. But then they were off.
"You can fly!?" Was her first comment after the awe wore off of soaring through the air within a bubble of her power. She squeezes her hand even tighter, for support, "I'll never stop being amazed by how incredible you are Jupiter." She murmurs earnestly, as her eyes face forward, taking stock of the creature flying overhead. They levitate on the port side wing, the pair silhouetted against the sunlight, the occasional fluffy cloud giving it an ethereal feel to the experience of believing her hair was in a wind tunnel.
It's shockingly easy to stand on the wing, but she doesn't consider that. Instead she keeps a hand on Jupiter's. Her other hand, holding the Cutie Moon Rod, she puts up to her brow, in an impromptu V, grinning at the kids as if in reassurance that Sailor Moon has this handled. In fact she was about to give her trademark pose and speech when...
An incoming wave of heat threatens to consume her from the soles of her boots to the tips of her odangos. She ducks into a roll, rolling towards the cabin as if intending to spare the kids the worst of it. At least up here the little ones couldn't hear her shriek, like the other Magical Girls could.
Her skin reddened, her Fuku blackened in some parts, wisps of smoke rising off of it as they disperse, left behind within the atmosphere almost instantly. She wipes a hand across her eyes as if tears had sprung up while she was coming up on one knee with a hand down. No time for speeches and more poses today. Not if she wanted to save these children. Not if she wanted to spare Jupiter some added trauma.
Fierce determination and worry and fear in equal measure, as she gave Jupiter a last look to make certain she was holding up alright up here, hair flapping behind her wildly. She places her other hand to her tiara. Radiance shines, appearing like silver moonlight shimmering over a crest of a horizon of clouds. A simple fling of the wrist, and she spent it spinning towards the creature, soaring through the sky itself to punctuate the air. "We're definitely going to save these kids!" Is her cry to try to rally the others she recognizes up here against this monster. It's all she feels she needs. It's all she feels /they/ need.
COMBAT: Sailor Moon has used Moon Tiara Action on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname perfectly dodges Sailor Moon's Moon Tiara Action, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! Madoka Kaname's Fade ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Flash ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
"I can't just ignore it while they're in danger," Jupiter answers Sailor Moon, shaking her head slightly as she tries to keep her focus. ...She doesn't answer about flying; she isn't sure she can do it reasonably herself. As it stands, it takes a lot of effort to keep going until they reach that wing.
...She doesn't let go Sailor Moon's hand in the moment, though, even as she looks up in alarm as--
"Ngh--!" It's at least as much breathlessness as it is toughness that means Jupiter barely cries out in the face of that crashing energy, even though it leaves her burned and winded.
Her ponytail whips behind her as she glares at the creature, teeth still gritted; she doesn't look back at Usagi when her friend looks at her, instead mostly working on staying up.
...She's done better. ...But here she is, and--
"How dare you strike out at innocent students on their trip! To try to bring down all these people before they can see their families again..."
"It's unforgivable! In the name of Jupiter, I will CRUSH YOU!"
The last words come out as a shout as Sailor Jupiter issues her challenge, hands curled into fists as she dares the creature to come right toward her.
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has used In The Name Of Jupiter on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
What *IS* that?
The question is an overwhelming one, in several senses; the Magic Knight of Wind has faced some frighteningly powerful and peculiar enemies, but never one that she simply couldn't perceive or comprehend the form of. The sudden onslaught of energy, though, is QUITE comprehensible - and while the Wind Knight's first and instinctive reaction is to try and get out of its way, there are two problems with that.
First off, there may be plenty of space to stand or to move to, but it's all in a fairly limited arrangement, and everyone else is in the same line of fire that she is.
Secondly, the plane CAN'T dodge the onslaught - and while the Wind Knight doesn't know if the blast will hit a mundane aircraft the same way it hits magical girls, she's not prepared to assume it's going to endure strikes which lay low its protectors.
One mostly-unsuccessful dodge later, the Wind Knight is regaining her balance and re-evaluating her options. The monster - perhaps 'demon' is an apt description - may not have a coherent form that can be seen, but if it can attack her and the other magical girls, surely they have a way of attacking it in turn. Lera is flying at it and striking with magical melee, Sailor Moon is hurling her tiara; doubt doesn't slow them down.
"Winds of Admonishment!!" the green-clad Magic Knight calls out, daring to bend the winds to her will again; if the monster has any kind of physical form, a whirlwind should be able to restrict its movements and make it easier for her allies to assail. It certainly can't hurt to try; at the very least, it should be more productive than if she did nothing at all.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Winds of Admonishment on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname narrowly counters Sailor Jupiter's In The Name Of Jupiter, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Sailor Jupiter is Psyched! Madoka Kaname's Reverse ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Tactician ability activates! Diversion and Stagger applied to Madoka Kaname! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname's counterattack, Scarlet Slash, partially gets through, doing 14 Fatigue damage to Sailor Jupiter! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname narrowly dodges Fuu Hououji's Winds of Admonishment, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji is Psyched! Madoka Kaname's Fade ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Flash ability activates! Cripple applied to Madoka Kaname!
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
The Magic Knight of Fire has no idea what's coming at her, but has a sense that it's definitely dangerous and she should try to avoid it. But she's atop a flying plane, and between the gravity and the fact fighting on the outside of a plane isn't exactly easy, avoiding that incoming blast isn't going to be as easy as if she were on the ground. In fact, there just happens to be a bit of turbulence at the moment the Magic Knight of Fire attempts to dodge, meaning she gets hit... hard. She cries out and finds herself being caught by the red rain, or whatever it is, and it hurts a bit. She almost flies off of the airplane, but somehow manages to plant her boots firmly into the surface of the plane.
"No... can't give up!" The Magic Knight of Fire grunts as she struggles to maintain her balance. She makes her way back to where she was before, which is not too far from the Magic Knight of Wind. "Fire Arrow!" She calls out, summoning forth an arrow shaped projectile engulfed in flame, and shooting it in the general direction of where she believes the youma/monster/whatever is. Whatever it is, it's really irked the Magic Knight of Fire, and now it's gonna pay!
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has used Fire Arrow on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Ren is relieved to see other magical defenders show up within the air, each of them finding their own creative ways of arriving. "Heraut. Can you sense anything about this enemy?" She asks her device, earning a quick chime in reply. <It's definitely... WATCH OUT!>
Heraut's warning comes right around the time the shadow reveals itself. Ren feels the color drain from her face momentarily at the mere sight of it. "W-What is that?!" She shouts in a shaky voice, not really expecting an answer. Her shock and revulsion is nearly overwhelming, and perhaps plays a part in her being unable to erect a strong enough shield in time when the airborne beast launches a devestating attack.
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!" She shrieks as she's hit dead on, spiraling backwards through the sky like a ragdoll. The hit is mighty enough to tear a hole in her barrier jacket, parts of it actually flaking off and being vaporized into nothingness. But thankfully she herself doesn't suffer the same fate, the mage managing to stop her uncontrolled tumbling after some time.
"That was..."
<...Some hit!> Heraut finishes for her, gem pulsing steadily, <Exercise caution!> He then warns.
"Y-yeah..." She takes a deep breath and re-steels herself before rushing forward again. Lera's cover of the plane from being hit is encouraging in the best way, prompting her into remembering the smiling faces of the children who needed their protection along with everyone else. "Now Heraut!"
Acting on his master's command, the device takes on a bronze sheen as Ren comes to a halt above the winged creature. Holding Heraut above her head, the scepter expands upward in length, as though it's trying to pierce the heavens themselves. Gritting her teeth, Ren then brings her arm down, and with it comes a distinct whistling emanating from the scepter as it comes crashing down through the air, revealing that the head of the device has grown exponentially into something resembling a bejeweled battering ram that is bearing down on the monster at breakneck speed.
<Pose Tracker> Lancelot [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Lancelot eeps as he ducks and weaves through the rain of the monster's attack. It isn't graceful by ANY stretch of the imagination, and he nearly crashes into Magical Girls flying around him in his attempt to dodge the incoming fire. "Sorry! First time Flier!" He squeeks as one of the bolts neatly severs a strand of hair. "What am I doing here?!" He asks outloud.
Then he sees the critter and narrows his eyes. Oh yeah. Hero time. He adopts his superman like pose and tries to rocket forward toward the critter. He doesn't change speed at all. He hangs his head. "Next time, I need to ge tthe rabbit to give me directions." He points Arondight toward the beast and calls out: "LIGHTNING!" and a bolt of azure light crackles form the blade toward the creature of nightmare.
Merlin, on the ground looks up through tiny bunny size binnoculars idly chewing a baby carrot stick. "Bloody fool. Next time he should wait for directions." He nods once. As if that settled it.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used Imperial Slam on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Lancelot has used Lightning III on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Lancelot has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname narrowly braces Ren Aizawa's Imperial Slam, taking 13 Fatigue damage! Ren Aizawa is Psyched! Madoka Kaname's Block ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname narrowly dodges Hikaru Shidou's Fire Arrow, taking 15 Fatigue damage! Madoka Kaname's Fade ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname narrowly braces Lancelot's Lightning III, taking 1 Fatigue damage! Madoka Kaname's Block ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Parry ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [None] has posed.
"Aw, but--" Is all Steven can muster to Garnet before she is gone. He wants to help too! But it is high up... Of course, Nanoha offers a helping hand to get there. "Y-Yes please! I wanna help! How do I--" of course, before he can ask just, how, he gets a big lift from the lady! "Thank you OH WOW!!!" is all that comes out of the boy's mouth as he is suddenly airborne!
Garnet is probably gonna be super-duper mad.
Steven gets a tender drop-off on the wing. "Thank you!" Steven says nicely as he makes a landing. It is easier than Steven thought to stay on the wing, despite, wearing sandals. "Oh, this is like surfing! I get it!" he says, as something giant and spooky looms in the distance.
And then, of course, the monster attacks. Steven doesn't even get to block it fully, it happens so fast. The boy gets plastered and knocked back slightly, but remains standing, though his star covered hawaiian buttondown has seen better days, smouldering a bit. "I uh, I am okay! I think..." That really hurt!
Steven's shield still vibrates and pulses from the kinetic energy of the attack though. "Oh yeah, you mean monster thing? Well have some of your own attack!" Steven readies his shield, and points it at the creature. The shield shines pink, and a copy of the creatures attack, only rose tinted (and of course much smaller scale) fires at the... whatever that thing is!
COMBAT: Steven Universe has used Reverb Shield on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Steven Universe has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Kuniko stares up at the sight of that red creature, eyes widening. The strange wind and the surreal experience of standing where she is - almost as if still, but cold and windy - does not help her dodge. The sudden surge of searing, bloody, heated red washes down over her, and she crouches down to try and move out of its way.
In no uncertain terms, this doesn't work. It feels like she's having hot marinara sauce poured down the back of her jacket. Sound cute? It's not; it's clinging, hot, boiling, agonizing. Kuniko's impression of it is like fluid, at least - fluid that whips off in the wind - but she wasn't looking at it.
She doesn't rise immediately.
But...
"Jeez," Kuniko says when one of her furtive efforts to put some coffee on to boil is answered by the water immediately boiling over thanks to the low pressure up here. "I guess I'd be limited to direct heat. Or cold food... What a pain." She turns and -
"eeh? Jupiter?? - Sailor Moon!" Kuniko says, sounding astonished /and/ thrilled. "I'd offer you a coffee, but it seems like that's not going to work out up here," she continues, half to herself. "But something cold -"
Pita! Halved! Mozzarella! Herbs! And a slice of tomato that is almost as red as their foe - almost, but not quite - and Kuniko lobs it, with careful and sorcerous precision, towards Sailor Moon. (Blame the scorch marks."
"Is great to eat on a flight," Kuniko concludes. Her head swivels then up towards that creature - "But how are we going to stop it before we end up grounded...?"
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used Tomato and Mozarella Antipasta on Sailor Moon. COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Chitose Shiratori [Infinity Institute (U)] has posed.
Chitose continues to fly after the shadow, taking just a brief moment to slide her glasses off her face and tuck them somewhere. She was confident that they wouldn't fall off, but combined with the fighting and the flying, she figures it's probably safer this way. She finally manages to get everything stowed away when she finally takes a good look at the monster, with all its... many eyes? Chitose shakes her head to try and clear her vision to get a good look at it.
<Watch out!>
The wave is unleashed, and Chitose immediately swerves to avoid the heat of the blast, just narrowly getting her shoulder singed by the blast. "Ah!" She yells. This causes her to slow to a stop for a moment, gauging the monster and what she can do to help stop it. Taking a breath, she holds White Omen the rod in front of her, and the Device morphs around her hand into a crossbow. She takes off towards the shadow again, while the Device fires bolts of light at the enemy.
COMBAT: Chitose Shiratori has used Light Bolt on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Chitose Shiratori has finished attacking. COMBAT: Sailor Moon accepts Kuniko Saito's Tomato and Mozarella Antipasta, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Withstand applied to Sailor Moon! Cleanse! All of Sailor Moon's debuffs are cleared!
<Pose Tracker> Garnet [None] has posed.
Before Garnet is able to get a good look at her foe, it explodes in a wave of sinister heat! She attempts to dodge as best she can and missed the crest of the wave, but it was everywhere, and she still is smashed by its force and heat. The damage itself is concerning, but the heat itself causing pain is a momentary shock to her system, and she gasps reflexively. Being immune to fire, and heat of any intensity provided it is not tempered with the magic of the emotions and the soul, provides her little opportunity to "feel the burn", and she finds the experience not to her liking.
As her vision clears, she sees it in the distance. As much as she would like to smash it with her fists, given the tremendous force it emitted, she decides to keep her distance until she can better ascertain her foe. Garnet raises her arms in front of her, and channels the strength of the heavens, and the strength that binds all matter together, sending a giant electrical orb thundering at the creature!!
COMBAT: Garnet has used Adamantine Spark on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Garnet has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname narrowly dodges Steven Universe's Reverb Shield, taking 14 Fatigue damage! Madoka Kaname's Fade ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Flash ability activates! Stun applied to Madoka Kaname! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname fails to brace Chitose Shiratori's Light Bolt, taking 15 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname perfectly dodges Garnet's Adamantine Spark, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! Madoka Kaname's Fade ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Flash ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Nanoha Takamachi [Infinity Institute (4)] has posed.
That thing is...
Terrible.
In both appearance and menace, seeing the ungodly beast looming in blatant threat over the plane sends Nanoha's heart racing as she picks up in speed, slowing only to safely deposit Steven on the wing and then--
<EVASIVE MANEUVERS!>
"Wah?!"
Unlike Lera, Nanoha does not get to flash a thumbs up at the plane and passengers, she's too busy getting caught in the active blast of an immense wave of pain. It nearly knocks her out of the sky, the impact is stunning enough that she freefalls for a few beats, before regaining herself.
Sizzling, Barrier Jacket singed and blackened, she pants, grasping Raising Heart tightly.
<THIS ONE WILL NOT BE EASY.> "M-mn..."
Well. If it's going to hit that hard... Nanoha pulls out the first stop without an ounce of guilt. She takes aim, setting herself on a runic sigil of pink light that forms a platform in the air beneath her, Device spreading wings of pink light and gathering energy.
"Raising Heart- shooooot!"
Of course, Device and Master are one in this decision, the girl's spell unleashing in a pillar of pink light.
COMBAT: Nanoha Takamachi has used Heavy Laser on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Nanoha Takamachi has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname fails to brace Nanoha Takamachi's Heavy Laser, taking 28 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
Two of the beast's eight eyes widen at the sight of Lera shielding the plane. It is in that moment that anyone whose vision clears of red energy fast enough can notice that she -- for there is something subtly feminine about the creature -- has six lids on each eye, each pair offset about sixty degrees from the one in front of it.
Screeching her fury, an agonizing sound, she charges the Midchildan, which makes it quite impossible for her to dodge the comparably tiny human's counter-charge. The scent of burnt feathers is briefly in Lera's nose, before the high-speed combat leaves it far behind. Up close and personal with the beast, now, she reaches out with one of her arms to try to grab and crush.
It seems, however, that when she wants to move out of the way of something, she can do so with extraordinary speed. Sailor Moon's tiara comes soaring in, and despite the beast's immense size, easily twice the length of the plane, she simply barrel rolls out of the way. Feathers are torn loose from her wings by the strength and suddenness of the motion, and fly with deadly intent towards the leader of the senshi, and her mouthy companion.
Mid-roll, she is entangled briefly by the breezes conducted at the whim of the Magic Knight of Wind, but she's larger than that whirlwind by far, and essentially unadmonishable. With a huff from her mouth, she sends a stream of air back down the center of their connection, the eye of the tiny storm, and it carries with it still more bladelike feathers.
The beast comes out of all this motion just in time to see Lancelot's lightning coming from one side, and Hikaru's flame from the other. With another ear-piercing shriek, she launches straight upwards with a beat of her wings, right into Ren's massive slam -- which, apparently, was considered an acceptable loss. It mostly feels like hitting a pinata -- too many layers of scales and feathers for blunt force trauma to do much good.
Engaged with Ren, she cannot instantly counterstrike at the two Knights. On the other hand -- literally -- she still has a free one, giant and woolly and red, to grasp at, to crush with. At this rate Ren and Lera may wind up held next to each other in two separate hands, arms folding down across the beast's fuzzy, sharp underbelly.
Whether or not the beast can take what she dishes out is a question that will have to wait for another day, as she ducks its massive head under Steven's shield reflection, losing a couple of feathers to the near miss, which, like the others, head straight for him. Garnet's giant orb she furls her wings and ducks under entirely.
Chitose's little crossbow bolts somehow wind up sticking out of her throat in the middle of all this confusion, brightly aglow amid all that red. It's a really /big/ throat, the beast long-necked like a giraffe (or a dragon), but it -- along with Nanoha's subsequent pink blast, which smacks it right in the kisser -- is still an attack that elicits the biggest roar to date, one that is an attack in its own right, deafening in scope and painful to every exposed pore.
But the feathers -- there are far more razors out in the air, now, than are reasonable, or easy to keep track of. Every single one that misses its original intended target sprouts, at the end of the pinion, a pair of tiny eyes, a mouth with a gibbering tongue, and a bad attitude. They go rushing towards those who thought they were safe enough to not be attacked directly: Hikaru and Lance, Garnet and Steven, the Mile-High Chef...
...and a few head towards the nearest jet turbine. They'll need to be stopped!
COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Maroon Mayhem on Hikaru Shidou. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Mighty Roar on Nanoha Takamachi. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Scarlet Slash on Sailor Moon. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Scarlet Slash on Steven Universe. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Scarlet Slash on Sailor Jupiter. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Scarlet Slash on Fuu Hououji. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Maroon Mayhem on Kuniko Saito. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Crimson Crush on Ren Aizawa. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Maroon Mayhem on Lancelot. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Crimson Crush on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Mighty Roar on Chitose Shiratori. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Maroon Mayhem on Garnet. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has finished attacking. COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter perfectly counters Madoka Kaname's Scarlet Slash, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter! Sailor Jupiter's Reverse ability activates! Sailor Jupiter's Tactician ability activates! COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter's counterattack, Jupiter Thunderbolt, bursts all the way through, doing 22 Fatigue damage to Madoka Kaname! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Collateral Damage on Sailor Jupiter. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has finished attacking. COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Collateral Damage, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Sailor Jupiter's Block ability activates! Sailor Jupiter's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Lera Camry narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's Crimson Crush, taking 30 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry's Fade ability activates! Lera Camry's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Lancelot narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Maroon Mayhem, taking 3 Fatigue damage! Lancelot's Block ability activates! Lancelot's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Nanoha Takamachi narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Mighty Roar, taking 18 Fatigue damage! Nanoha Takamachi's Block ability activates! COMBAT: Sailor Moon narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Scarlet Slash, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Garnet narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Maroon Mayhem, taking 21 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Tangle applied to Garnet! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's Crimson Crush, taking 24 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Chitose Shiratori narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's Mighty Roar, taking 19 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Chitose Shiratori's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Steven Universe narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Scarlet Slash, taking 12 Fatigue damage! Steven Universe's Block ability activates! Steven Universe's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Kuniko Saito narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Maroon Mayhem, taking 11 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Kuniko Saito's Block ability activates! Kuniko Saito's Parry ability activates! Tangle applied to Kuniko Saito! COMBAT: Fuu Hououji narrowly counters Madoka Kaname's Scarlet Slash, taking 26 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Fuu Hououji's counterattack, Storm-Dance of Kamaitachi, partially gets through, doing 10 Fatigue damage to Madoka Kaname! Critical Counterhit!
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
"I have no clue!" Lera answers Ren, even if she didn't expect one. "I've never seen a monster like this before!" She grits her teeth, as she finishes closing with the monster. Sailor Moon's words ring in her ears: 'We're definitely going to save these kids!' She nods, before she looks back at the monster that charges her. One of those six arms swings out, huge compared to her, and she drops backward, before it can wrap its fingers around her and crush.
The fist still slams into her. Her Barrier Jacket shudders, light erupting where the blow hits her on the front. Her shoulder -- hurt before -- has a sudden spike of pain that jolts her awake. She drops back away from the monster for a moment.
She glowers at the monster. Then, though, she spots Sailor Moon. Not on the wing of the plane, but falling. Lera sucks a deep breath in, before she blasts forward. A ring of green light erupts from her feet -- and she dives down, reaching out. It takes two swings of her free hand, before she grabs Sailor Moon's wrist tightly. "I've got you!" she yells at Sailor Moon. "Hang on! We'll get this thing together, Sailor Moon!"
She swings her arm up, then, and tosses her back onto the jet plane's wing.
COMBAT: Lera Camry has used We'll Do It Together! on Sailor Moon. COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking. COMBAT: Sailor Moon accepts Lera Camry's We'll Do It Together!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Sailor Moon is Cheered! COMBAT: Lancelot has used Top Floor, Dragons, Knights and Magical Girls on Sailor Jupiter. COMBAT: Lancelot has finished attacking. COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Maroon Mayhem, taking 24 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Hikaru Shidou's Block ability activates! Hikaru Shidou's Parry ability activates! Tangle applied to Hikaru Shidou!
<Pose Tracker> Lancelot [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Having climbed, Lancelot looks down at the scene and grimaces. Then hsi eyes whip to Jupiter bing knocked off the plane and sort of. Well. She's falling. He nods once, as if that setlted everything and dove, sliding Arondight into a sheath on his back as he plumets after Jupiter. His hair whips and his cloak snaps as he falls faster and faster toward the girl letting out a hurricane's worth of lightning as she falls.
Stray bolts ripple over his armor, and he dodges the ones that look less than pleasant and he catches Jupiter with a quick smile. "Hi! I'm Lancelot. Nice to meet you. Would you like to go back up and murder a Dragon with Lightning? I'm partial to Lightning myself."
What he doesn't know, is he's said all of that. In French.
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter accepts Lancelot's Top Floor, Dragons, Knights and Magical Girls, taking 0 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Nanoha Takamachi [Infinity Institute (4)] has posed.
That roar is deafening. Briefly, Nanoha quietly wonders to herself if her ears will pop at this height, regardless of being inside or outside of a plane.
She is then very quickly taught that it does not matter if her ears pop, when something yells loud enough to make her ears -bleed-.
The sheer force of the roar is enough to fling her end over end, but she regains her balance. The only thing she does not regain is her sense of hearing. Certainly she can feel the chill winds gust all around her, but...
Raising Heart's gem flashes. The Device is saying something.
It's a steady 'eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee' noise, before the mage realizes it's not her device. It's just her ears.
Though her sense of hearing is shot, and she's somewhat dizzy as a result of it, her eyes are still keen. And that might be why her attention turns off the battle, the redhead mage in white suddenly breaking into a top speed dive bomb, hand outstretched...
COMBAT: Nanoha Takamachi has used Take My Hand on Hikaru Shidou. COMBAT: Nanoha Takamachi has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Her breath catches as she watches her tiara move in, as if she were trying to will it to hit. But the creature barrel rolls out of the way, the disk spinning out of its path before arcing back into her hand. Disappointment grows like a lump in her throat, but she can't let it deter her, looking to Jupiter as her example, an adoring look at her fellow Senshi as she calls out her indignation. "You're so brave." She whispers, at the soldier of Thunder and Courage.
But her attention is taken away by the sight of another ally. "Kuniko-chan!" Sailor Moon sounds delighted when she sees her, more than shocked, especially when she anticipates the treat. She's salivating even as it's being prepared, Mozzarella, tomato, herbs, and pita bread put together... "An in flight meal!"
Even more delighted, and surprised. She takes a bite. Then a larger one, then devours it entirely. Rubbing her stomach with her free hand, "Mmm! You've made my tummy so happy! Say- don't suppose you'd be able to switch to one of the middle school flights once we have this handled...? I know a flight attendant who can help you with that!"
As the creature sets its sights on them, she's turning back towards it, "Here it comes!" Feathers fly towards her, and she takes up a strong stance on the wing in anticipation, spinning the rod at hand in anticipation. And she sweeps up the Cutie Moon Rod, which she named herself, catching several of the feathers in its sweeping arc. However, several more graze past her, the mere force causing Sailor Moon to lose balance, as she trips and falls... right to the edge of the wing.
She's not a warrior born, her arms pinwheel at first as she hangs there in space before inevitably gravity and clumsiness win the war against her desperate attempt to hold fast. She doesn't scream at first, as if in shock that this is happening, her free hand outstretched towards Jupiter as if she still might reach her, is determined to get to her, to be with her, to support her even now. No, the shrill scream comes moments later, as she falls and falls and...
A hand clasps her wrist. 'I've got you!' Her eyes sparkle, as a smile widens on her face, "Lera-chan!" She nods, as shining droplets of water mingle with the look of resolution. "Thanks for the save... I thought..." Breathing a sigh of relief as Jupiter not only saves the plane, but is caught during her own descent by the goofiest, and thus best of knights. "Right! Can you give me a boost?"
Even as she's tossed back towards the wing, she puts both hands to her heart, emboldened by the Midchildan Mage's effort. "Moon Sparkling-"
A kaleidoscope of light emanates from the Crystal Star, as she turns a helicopter spin in mid-air, outstretching both hands just as she landed upon the wing. "-SENSATION!" Numerous silvery-pink beams of light rocket out from the Crystal Star, creating a shimmering light show in the atmosphere. They seek out the Vermillion beast, and try to stream through it in purifying prismatic bursts.
COMBAT: Sailor Moon has used Moon Sparkling Sensation on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname perfectly dodges Sailor Moon's Moon Sparkling Sensation, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! Madoka Kaname's Fade ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Flash ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
"We'll do fine!" Jupiter answers Kuniko, very quickly. "It's good to see you!" ...The statements don't entirely go together. She flashes Sailor Moon a confident look anyway, despite the difficulty. She's breathing a little harder, but that's probably just the lack of air... nevermind the fact that she's fought in space before.
She keeps her eyes on the gigantic creature, though, and hurls a lightning bolt straight through the path of the feathers coming toward her, blasting a clear path as her attack pushes all the way back through towards the beast.
"Is that--Is that the best you've got!?"
Apparently there's a /lot/ better; Jupiter's eyes widen as she sees the feathers moving towards the engine. "No!"
She hurls herself upward, and through the air to block them, crossing her arms before herself to brace for the attack--but the sheer force of it knocks her off-course, leaving her to sail right /past/ the wing. Her eyes widen, and she thrusts out her arm--but her gloved hand isn't close enough to help her grab hold.
She's falling, outright, through the air, her hair whipped upward by the force of the wind up here. She looks around, but spots nothing to even /slow/ herself... She can only spot Sailor Moon. She can't grab hold of her friend...
But she can see that she's safe.
Squeezing her eyes shut, Sailor Jupiter--
Finds that she's been caught, falling right into the waiting arms of a knight crackling with the same kind of power she is. A knight who's... Speaking...
Between being caught and the language barrier, Jupiter stares at Lancelot in confusion. "...You..." Confusion turns into something a little dreamy before she suddenly catches /herself/, spotting the wing as Lancelot flies them both back up. ...Then her expression is still a little dreamy, but she's rolling through the air to land straight on the wing, too, with a, "Thanks!"
"I'll show you why you shouldn't fly through the storm! SUPREME...!"
The antenna on her tiara extends upward as Jupiter gathers her power, lightning striking her from above and staying /with/ her--as she hurls the mass of bolts directly for the beast flying above, "THUNDER!"
...Sailor Moon, of course, will recognize what happens when Jupiter is showing off.
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has used Supreme Thunder! on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname perfectly braces Sailor Jupiter's Supreme Thunder!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Brace! Madoka Kaname's Block ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Parry ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
This is quite the violent sky-monster, the Wind Knight thinks as she revs up another attack spell. "STORM-DANCE OF KAMAITACHI!!" she shouts, shaping her tornado to stay well above the plane before sending it flying at the red-sky demon. It's not nearly enough to block out the slash which is directed at the Magic Knight of Wind, but her armor takes most of the brunt of it, merely sending her skidding back along the fuselage a few dozen meters.
Others are not nearly so fortunate, she quickly realizes, and she sees the big, dark-skinned woman who's both falling away from the plane, and seems to have gotten snarled in something, to boot.
"Winds of Healing!!" the Magic Knight of Wind shouts, weaving the breeze into a net to both catch Garnet and clear away whatever had entangled her. Normally that would be it, but the Wind Knight 'digs in her heels' mentally, strengthening the restorative winds to pull Garnet back to safety and let her get her footing on the plane again.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Winds of Healing on Garnet. COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [None] has posed.
Steven's attack lands, albeit barely. Something about traveling at this high a speed makes landing attacks harder than he remembers. Of course, before another attack can be used, unfathomable amounts of red feathers fire in all directions! Steven gets caught by a few, but repels most by hiding under his shield. The boy peeks out from under it. He fared better than some.
"Oh no, people are falling! Garnet!" he calls out to his caretaker, who was one of the unfortunate ones. "Someone please, save her!" he calls out. Thankfully it looks like people are moving in to save them.
That bird thing is so far away...! How will Steven reach it? Well, that attack reflection worked... kinda. Looking around, most of the others are well versed in their ablities, and are waiting on the badguy! Wait, maybe...! "Hey, bird thing! Over here!" he calls out, waving wildly at the creature. "You can't hit me!" And with that gives a mean stink eye!
This may not work, but at least he can make a good distraction, and keep others from getting hit! Maybe. Hopefully this doesn't go bad and the plane gets hit instead.
Maybe he should have thought about the first. Oh well, hindsight is something kids don't usually have.
COMBAT: Garnet accepts Fuu Hououji's Winds of Healing, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Cleanse! All of Garnet's debuffs are cleared! COMBAT: Steven Universe has used AND STEVEN! on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Steven Universe has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname narrowly dodges Steven Universe's AND STEVEN!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Steven Universe is Psyched! Madoka Kaname's Fade ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Flash ability activates! Diversion applied to Madoka Kaname!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Lera's answer isn't very heartening. Ren doubts any of them will have a clue as to this thing's origins, but that doesn't really matter at the moment. Taking it out and keeping the plane safe is a much higher priority! The metallic clang that rings through the air upon Heraut making impact with the beast, though Ren's left speechless when it doesn't seem to have the amount of "oomph" behind it that she hopes for.
<...I don't like this bird-thing very much!> Heraut, of course, states exactly what his master is currently thinking. Not only does it hit hard but it can take hits too!
Retaliation comes swiftly, with Ren performing some impressive aerial maneuvers to avoid the hand that wants to crush her to a pulp. Well, mostly. It still clips her in the side, the sting causing her teeth to clench. Heraut also pings around his time, likely in response to several of the falling magical girls who weren't lucky enough to dodge out of the way. One of them in particular is close enough for Ren to streak toward. "I'm coming!" She shouts, holding her hand out towards the falling chef. A shimmering circle of Midchildan runes flare into existence right beneath Kuniko, seeking to cushion her fall as well as give her a bit of a boost.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used Sovereign's Mettle on Kuniko Saito. COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
The Magic Knight of Fire isn't worried so much about avoiding attacks right now, because she's going... going... gone! She's been knocked off of the airplane! And unfortunately, the Fire Knight can't use her flames to get back onto the plane. If someone doesn't do something soon, the poor Fire Knight is going to be leaving a huge crater in the ground soon. She tries to be brave, but the sense of helplessness along with the fear of being in midair with nothing to hold onto or anything like that is making her feel tears in her eyes as her heart begins to race faster than she ever thought possible. "I want my mommy!" The Fire Knight randomly babbles to herself, beginning to wonder when she's going to see her life flash before her eyes.
Just then, Nanoha seems to appear out of nowhere or something like that. It doesn't matter where she came from, honestly, as long as she's here to help the Fire Knight. Reaching out quickly, the Fire Knight takes hold of Nanoha's hand and smiles a little. "Thank you! You saved me!"
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito accepts Ren Aizawa's Sovereign's Mettle, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Kuniko Saito is Reinforced by Ren Aizawa!
<Pose Tracker> Garnet [None] has posed.
Garnet is dismayed that her attack fails to connect, the creature suddenly dodging out of its berth. She suddenly hears a familiar voice exclaim "Oh yeah, you mean monster thing? Well have some of your own attack!" and she's horrified to realize that it wasn't her imagination, as she looks over and sees Steven facing down the beast! "STEVE-!" but before she can finish her exclamation she is knocked off of the plane and sent hurtling into a free fall! "No, no, no!" Garnet whispers to herself. She has to get back onto the plane and protect Steven!!! But, she takes stock of her seemingly dire situation, she is suddenly caught in a strange green net, that while catching her, melts away the tangles the beast left in its wake. Before her thoughts can drift back to Steven, Garnet sees another fighter, in more immediate need! Garnet reaches and stretches her arms out like ropes to Chitose, taking her hand as gently as possible with her armored gloves.
"You're going to be all right. We're going back up. Keep strong."
COMBAT: Garnet has used Real Talk on Chitose Shiratori. COMBAT: Garnet has finished attacking. COMBAT: Chitose Shiratori accepts Garnet's Real Talk, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou accepts Nanoha Takamachi's Take My Hand, taking 0 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Chitose Shiratori [Infinity Institute (U)] has posed.
Chitose and White Omen continue firing shots at the shadow monster, dodging to the side and to another side to anticipate shots.
Which is why Chitose is taken slightly off guard when, instead, the beast roars at her. This stops her as the roar shakes her very being. On the bright side? It doesn't hurt as so much as she thought it would. On the other, less bright side?
Chitose's vision flips over and faces downward as she loses control and altitude. It's not a direct line to the face of the sea, Chitose is attempting to slow her descent to a slower spin.
Thankfully, help comes in the form of... outstreched arms? When they catch her, Chitose's sight drifts along the arms to Garnet, who owns those arms. Chitose smiles. "Thank you very much!"
Then she leans over just a bit to aim White Omen at the shadow again. "Fire!"
<Starling Shot.>
A shot is fired, which split into many smaller shots, moments before they fling themselves at the source of evil.
When that's over, she smiles again at Garnet, readjusts herself, and then takes flight again.
COMBAT: Chitose Shiratori has used Starling Shot on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Chitose Shiratori has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
"If I'd thought ahead, we'd've made lunchboxes," Kuniko tells Sailor Moon. "But now's not the time!" Or the thyme.
The screaming pinion with a mouth and tongue lunges towards Kuniko. Kuniko raises up her left leg to kick it aside. This would porbably be a really great plan on the surface of the Earth, which is not where Kuniko is right now.
She realizes her mistake almost immediately. "KYAHH!!"
Kuniko starts flailing in midair, perhaps in the mistaken belief that if she just thrashes hard enough the air will turn into a thick gelatinous mass, not unlike pudding, and permit her to clamber back to the wing. She sort of succeeds, in that Ren finds her - bounces her with Midchildian magic. "Ah - thanks!!" she calls back to her savior, giving her a huge thumbs up even as she lands on her knees on the wing again.
She looks up at the red creature. Her lips pull back from her teeth, wind whistling through her teeth momentarily. She can barely heat anything up in this situation. If only they had more pressure, more time... she can use the pressure cooker if she can get some breathing space, but HOW? What can she keep doing?
In flight meal, she thinks. Sailor Moon's words ring through her ears. Her eyes turn to the side - and Kuniko reaches out to rummage in the dry goods storage. Tearing open a cellophane package, Kuniko says in a little muffled tone, "Like Chef liked to say... <Sweets To The Sweet,>" this in English. "<And Nuts To The Nuts!>"
A pistachio, after all, comes in its own casing. Squeezing a baker's dozen of them closely, Kuniko casts them forth with a silent wish - that they streak up and find their target, shells serving as plates. Will it work? Can Service itself overcome the howl of the wind!?
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used A Pistachio Prescription on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname narrowly braces Chitose Shiratori's Starling Shot, taking 15 Fatigue damage! Madoka Kaname's Block ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname narrowly dodges Kuniko Saito's A Pistachio Prescription, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Kuniko Saito is Psyched! Madoka Kaname's Fade ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Flash ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
Magical girls soar to and fro, saving one another from plummeting straight into the ocean -- for it is, at this point, what they're flying above. There are a few fluffy clouds, but for the most part it's endless blue, sky and sea both sparkling with glints of sun.
This grants the beast an opportunity to regroup from the swarm harrying her. Beating her wings to stabilize its flight, she starts to inhale. Flowing into her throat are streams of air so thick that they suck bits of cloud along. From the holes made by Chitose's bolts (the second set adding to the first), one can faintly see more crackles of red energy. She is building up for another of those terrible explosive attacks.
Someone or something is going to have to stop her, and it sure isn't Sailor Moon or Sailor Jupiter. Moonbeams and heaven's wrath soar towards her with all the passion of two protective hearts... and she simply swoops past the former, and opens her mouth against the latter.
It isn't that the red beam comes out to soften Supreme Thunder, no. That attack just went /straight/ down the beast's throat.
She swallows with an 'ulp' noise made basso by the sheer size of her throat, and now there are little white crackles building along with the ruby energy there.
A few moments later, there are also pistachios. This time the 'ulp' is a little smaller, but very satisfied.
While that's still charging, Steven Q. Universe decides to get her full attention. She has eight eyes to his two, and totally overwhelms his stinkeye with her manifold glare, made triply weird by the way various opacities of eyelids flicker in and out, seemingly at random.
With dreadful pseudo-slowness, the illusion cast by her size, she flaps her batwings powerfully, then soars through the air between the two of them. In reality, she's approaching at high speed.
At the last moment she veers off course, letting her left arm reach out to try to snatch him off the plane!
And as she flies off, with or without him, she flaps her tailfeathers, of which there are many, in an effort to ensnare the wing and send the airplane twisting towards the sea below...
COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used How Rude on Sailor Moon. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Amaranth Arms on Steven Universe. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used How Rude on Sailor Jupiter. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Itadakimasu on Kuniko Saito. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has finished attacking. COMBAT: Sailor Moon narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's How Rude, taking 2 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Sailor Moon's Fade ability activates! Sailor Moon's Flash ability activates! Sailor Moon is Taunted! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Collateral Damage on Sailor Moon. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has finished attacking. COMBAT: Sailor Moon narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Collateral Damage, taking 8 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's How Rude, taking 2 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Kuniko Saito narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's Itadakimasu, taking 2 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Steven Universe narrowly counters Madoka Kaname's Amaranth Arms, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Cripple, Stagger, Stun, and Trap applied to Steven Universe! COMBAT: Steven Universe's counterattack, Bubble Shield, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Madoka Kaname!
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
"Aw, hey, I couldn't let you drop down there, y'know?" Lera tells Usagi, with a laugh. "What kinda friend would I be then?" She flies back, as the Moon Sparkling Sensation goes flying outward, shooting towards the monster. Lera lifts back above the jet, the fierce wind here flapping her coat and blowing her hair back from her head.
Then she realizes that Steven Universe is trying to get the thing's attention. Her mouth opens -- she's impressed by his guts, if nothing else -- and then she yells in surprise when the hand swings out and grabs him. She grimaces -- and then goes rocketing forward, straight towards that hand. "Hey!" she yells at Steven. "Hold on, I'll try to getcha out of there! Sky!"
<On it!> Soaring Sky yells. <We'll try to pin it place and force it to drop him!>
"Good enough for me!" Lera yells. She thrusts a hand out, towards that hand. A shimmering ring of red-orange light appears -- and then it condenses, tightly, around the wrist and tries to squeeze it in place. <Plasma Bind!>
COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Plasma Bind on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname narrowly braces Lera Camry's Plasma Bind, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Madoka Kaname's Block ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Parry ability activates! Trap applied to Madoka Kaname!
<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [None] has posed.
"Neener neener!" While everyone else is attacking, Steven has no idea if the monster can even hear him. It is so loud out right now! And well, even if it does hear him, will it understand? It is highly... yes. The answer is apparently yes to both as it looks rght at him, very angrily. "Uh-oh. Guys?"
Steven barely gets to react as it takes off liek a rocket right at him! He reflexively puts up a Bubble Shield! "Okay, it souldn't be able to get me from here! Mean badguy, you are no match for my shield! It holds up to--"
There is a distinct bubble popping noise as talons poke it gingerly, causing it to evaporate. "Ahhh!" And within moments Steven is airborne. "Oh this is bad! This is really bad! I am in so much trouble...!" The boy flails his free hand with the shield at the creature's leg, but cannot get the torque behind it to even do anything. "You! Nice lady!" he yells kindly to Nanoha, the person who gave him a lift. "I dont suppose I could ask for another hand, could I? You're doing really good and all, but I could use help!"
He would ask Garnet for help but he knows he is in trouble with her. So much trouble.
COMBAT: Steven Universe has used Go Giant Women! on Nanoha Takamachi. COMBAT: Steven Universe has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Garnet [None] has posed.
Garnet lands back on the wings of the plane thanks to Fuu's valiant rescue, for which she will thank her when things slow down a bit. First thing's first though, she needs to find that little boy... Oh there he is, being carried off by the gian-... "STEVEN!" Garnet leaps off of the plane and shapeshifts a pair of black feathered wings to help her manuever towards the creature. "You're not getting away this time..." She approaches in a supersonic blur, driven by fury, worry and purpose, and infusing her fists with emotion, strikes out at the claw holding her Steven!
COMBAT: Garnet has used Decisive Punch on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Garnet has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname narrowly braces Garnet's Decisive Punch, taking 13 Fatigue damage! Madoka Kaname's Block ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Parry ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
"Kuniko-san..." Ren breathes in a sigh of relief, happy to see the chef bounce back up onto the plane's wing. "Thanks for keeping an eye on the others, Heraut." The device chimes back in an affirmative tone, and Ren ascends into the sky a bit, just as the winged monster makes it's next move.
"Watch out!" She finds herself screaming into the wind, her voice likely being carried away as she watches the plane get dangerously targeted again. But the horror is doubled when she spots Stephen get swept up by the passing creature, clutched within it's grasp. "Come on Heraut! We've got to save him!" And with that she rushes downward, following behind Lera who seems to have the same idea. She twirls the scepter within her grasp then slashes at the air, sending out a wave a rainbow colored energy that joins Lera's own attack in trying to get the talon to let go.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used Radiance Noble Aura on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname fails to brace Ren Aizawa's Radiance Noble Aura, taking 32 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
<Pose Tracker> Lancelot [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Briefly, Lancelot lands on the wingtip before Jupiter lets loose a torrent of elemental doom toward the creature in question. He nods in appreciation. "Nice Bolt. Blue Lightning. Nice. Nice. I like the traditional White lighting." He draws Arondight and bows, before he leaps off the wingtip.
He briefly wonders if he needed to reactivate the spell first as he DEFINATELY was in free fall for the barest of moemnts, beofre the spell picked up and he was off again. He stops as Sailor Moon is now falling and nods once. A Knight's job of rescuing falling people was never over. "I wonder if that was a thing in the medieval days?" He asks himself before he dives toward Sailor Moon.
Once agian his hair whips and his cloak cracks as he picks up speed to reach the falling Sailor Scout. He reaches has to circle her as they fall to try and find a method of cathing her that wouldn't rip his shoulders out of socket, but eventually he slams into Moon and wraps his arms around her.
The Chevalier lets out a breath of air in released tension. "I think I need to introduce you to my rabbit." He says with a smile. "He casts fly spells. OH! Hi, by the way. I'm Tak - Lancelot. Nice to meet you. Back to the plane then Princess?" He asks, since he was there at the battle against the large giant woman.
He ascends quickly toward the plane. Once agian oblivious to the fact that he's speaking French. Still.
<Pose Tracker> Chitose Shiratori [Infinity Institute (U)] has posed.
Chitose braces while the monster rears for another attack...
Only to notice it flying and attacking other people. How Rude indeed. After the kids, after the shadow creature, and after being knocked from the sky, Chitose frowns. She turns and veers to pursue, aiming yet again at the monster. Since it is moving very fast, she decides to try something slightly different. "Get ready..."
<Thunder Dove>
The Device launches small, tiny stylized birds with flowing wings at the shadow creature. They're not the fastest shots in the world, but they turn to match their target, and that's probably what Chitose needs right now.
COMBAT: Chitose Shiratori has used Thunder Dove on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Chitose Shiratori has finished attacking. COMBAT: Lancelot has used Top Floor, Dragons, Knights and Magical Girls on Sailor Moon. COMBAT: Lancelot has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
And now the young boy with a gem in his navel seems to have been ensnared by the monster's claws. This just isn't a good day for Tokyo's guardians, is it ... but on the bright side, it also means the monster isn't attacking the airplane again.
Yet.
For now.
The Magic Knight of Wind rises back to her feet, gauging the distance between herself and the 'dragon'; it'll be a difficult shot, but she can handle the kind of precision this may require. Her bow and quiver materialize, and she nocks an arrow to the bowstring. As she does so, the plane's headwind seems to abate even more sharply about her, although her hair and skirts are still being ruffled by a wind of some kind.
She draws back her shaft, her attention not so much 'focusing' as 'condensing' into clarity, finding the still point within her heart and letting her aim settle, arrow pointed at the dragon's wrist. The wind whips more violently at her hair, but her aim doesn't even waver.
It has to be a perfect shot, but she grows calm and certain that her arrow will fly true.
"Gale Arrow!"
The draw is released; the winds whip forward about the Magic Knight of Wind, and her arrow flies swift and sure at the giant monster's arm, enshrouded by the magical wind that propels it and steadies its flight.
COMBAT: Sailor Moon accepts Lancelot's Top Floor, Dragons, Knights and Magical Girls, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Sailor Moon is Cheered! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname narrowly dodges Chitose Shiratori's Thunder Dove, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Madoka Kaname's Fade ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Gale Arrow on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname fails to brace Fuu Hououji's Gale Arrow, taking 23 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji is Psyched!
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Sailor Moon might have shrieked again in fury as it dodges again so effortlessly. "How rude! You're not supposed to just keep-" Except it proves just how rude it is by swooping right in past her. And while she leaps out of the way, the mere currents from its wake send Sailor Moon forwards rather than backwards, sliding across the wing, her gloved hands desperately grabbing for the edge with desperate cries of Aaa-aaa-aaa!
It's all she can do to keep hold from her position, and her grip is tenuous, requiring her to use both hands to catch ahold of one of the flaps along the leading edge, shrieking all the while. Even then it looks touch and go, like she might fall at any moment, when suddenly the creatures' tail feathers are flapping up and over the edge of the wing.
Its either sacrifice her grip or possibly the plane full of kids.
And while she's terrified beyond measure at the thought of falling again... the rod trailing pink sparkles arcing up, shows that her choice was never really a question to her. It sweeps away the tail feathers without doing any doing any real damage, just keeping them at bay from the wing. But the slap of the loose tailfeathers to her chin answers the question of whether she'll hold on even more certainly than the loss of a hand.
A little stunned from the blow, she still finds it in her to scream as she falls. Arms encircle around her and it's...
...Cute goofy Knight guy.
Sailor Moon's face reddens from her nose to the tips of her ears. She laughs nervously as he speaks in French, "Thanks! Are you a foreign exchange student? I guess you'd have to be..." I mean he looks like a Western Knight! "...because your Spanish is so good! Don't they say it's the language of love?" A beat, more nervous titters as she realizes what she said, "I-Is it suddenly a little hot up here or is it just me?"
As Lancelot flies on by the creature, determination lights up on her face even amongst the flush. "W-Well this is my stop! Thanks again!" Sailor Moon swings out of his grip, leg outstretched as she puts all of the weight of her 4'11" frame behind the kick to try to smash into its arm.
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Thanks to Nanoha, the Fire Knight is back on the plane finally, alongside her allies. Unfortunately, the wind seems to have taken a bit of strength out of her, but she refuses to give up all the same. She tries to regain her footing as best as she can, and stares in the general direction of where she believes the monster to be. "We can't let it win!" She says loud enough that hopefully the Wind Knight will hear her. "We've got to defeat it!" She raises her hand and sends forth a simple fiery shot this tiem.
COMBAT: Sailor Moon has used Sailor Moon Kick on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Thanks to Nanoha, the Fire Knight is back on the plane finally, alongside her allies. Unfortunately, the wind seems to have taken a bit of strength out of her, but she refuses to give up all the same. She tries to regain her footing as best as she can, and stares in the general direction of where she believes the monster to be. "We can't let it win!" She says loud enough that hopefully the Wind Knight will hear her. "We've got to defeat it!" She raises her hand and sends forth a simple fiery shot this time.
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has used You're Fired on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Kuniko waits for this creature to repent its ways in the face of a pistachio infusion. She doesn't wait long, though. It's clear there's a problem with that plan. She is dismayed, perhaps, at how appreciative the creature seemed to be. She gazes at her hand.
But only briefly.
The creature's whipping close and dangerously so. And it - it stole that kid with the curly hair! Just straight up grabbed him! Kuniko's mouth hangs open in astonishment.
What she does next is the result of several useless factoids all interfacing inside of Kuniko's mind, simmering gently by the abrupt fear of what is to become of Steven in that creature's clutches. She doesn't know him from Izanagi; nonetheless...!
Kuniko grasps a bottle of dish soap from within the Mise-en-place's storage spaces, stabbing it firmly with a knife and squeezing it so it comes out. She looks towards Steven and steps forwards along the wing, drawing her hand back and building up what speed she can to HURL it out towards him - and towards the creature's taloned hand.
Dish soap! Could anything be slipperier? (Well, Kuniko probably has other things too, but this one might also damage the creature's flight feathers. Let HER see how it feels.) If nothing else the slipstream whips through the damaged plastic and catches it up - leaving a sea of bubbles of all sizes in its wake as it closes the distance.
Hopefully, Steven isn't one of those kids who takes pride in messiness.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used A Dish-Stevenio Prescription on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname narrowly dodges Sailor Moon's Sailor Moon Kick, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Sailor Moon is Psyched! Madoka Kaname's Fade ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Flash ability activates! Stun applied to Madoka Kaname! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname narrowly braces Kuniko Saito's A Dish-Stevenio Prescription, taking 2 Fatigue damage! Madoka Kaname's Block ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname fails to dodge Hikaru Shidou's You're Fired, taking 17 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Sailor Jupiter can only stare at the monster before her as it simply /eats/ her attack, adding it to her own apparently and otherwise being... Totally unaffected.
She takes a step back, still standing on the wing, and her next move, for a moment, flies completely out of her mind. ...She can't actually /understand/ the comments Lancelot is making, either, though he does seem very dignified in how he's doing it. What language is he even speaking?
(Jupiter definitely doesn't know French.)
All she can understand after that is when Sailor Moon falls forwards. "Sailor Moon--" Jupiter reaches forward to try to catch her...
But she can't; Sailor Moon's already dropped to protect the kids on the plane, and Jupiter finds her heart catching in her throat in the moments before Lancelot flies down to catch her. She catches sight of the ground, so far below, and freezes. It's hard to tear her gaze away, but she does, barely, and as she looks up to the creature... she sees Steven in its grip.
"Right, I can't just--stop, I can't stay behind!"
Her feet still feel locked in place. She can't even /move/; she remembers well the ground below.
"Let... him... Go!" Jupiter shouts, and rears back, hurling another bolt of lightning for the wrist that's holding Steven--and stumbling forward after it, towards the wing of the plane, not even looking to see whether she's hit.
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has used Jupiter Thunderbolt on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname fails to brace Sailor Jupiter's Jupiter Thunderbolt, taking 20 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
That hand is a /hand/, not a set of talons. It is not attached to a leg but an arm, a big shaggy red arm. Fur surrounds Steven. (It smells like cinnamon.)
Lera's shining bind makes the wrist pop a bit, though it flexes against it in retaliation, only to shiver when Fuu's arrow sprouts out of it. Garnet punches its closed knuckles, THWAM THWAM THWAM, and Ren's rainbow energy soars in all around, raising sparks as well as sparkles.
Chitose's soaring birds pepper at the beast's sides. Sailor Moon smashes into her arm, accompanied by Hikaru's fireblast and an extraordinary supply of Kuniko's dish soap. It's a new kind of bubble... popped with a splat by Jupiter's furious thunderbolt.
With an irritable shriek, it flaps its bird-wings, once again releasing a swarm of razor feathers to assault its assailants. Steven, still contained within the fist, begins to get crushed. It's a deliciously scented way to be in danger, but danger nonetheless, as the palm collapses on him from all sides...
And only then it does it finally release the torrent of pistachio-scented, lightning-infused vermillion energy, which boils up its pulsing throat to escape out of its gaping maw and blast towards the airplane with terribly murderous intent.
The majority of the battle has, quite rightly, converged upon the massive hand clutching Steven.
Fate leaves only one girl close enough to the path of this attack to intervene--
--Nanoha Takamachi.
COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Scarlet Slash on Hikaru Shidou. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Scarlet Slash on Sailor Moon. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Crimson Crush on Steven Universe. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Scarlet Slash on Sailor Jupiter. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Scarlet Slash on Fuu Hououji. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Scarlet Slash on Kuniko Saito. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Scarlet Slash on Ren Aizawa. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Scarlet Slash on Lancelot. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Scarlet Slash on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Scarlet Slash on Chitose Shiratori. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Scarlet Slash on Garnet. COMBAT: FINISHER! Madoka Kaname has used Ruby Rampage on Nanoha Takamachi. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has finished attacking. COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Scarlet Slash, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Sailor Jupiter's Block ability activates! Sailor Jupiter's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou perfectly dodges Madoka Kaname's Scarlet Slash, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! COMBAT: Sailor Moon narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's Scarlet Slash, taking 17 Fatigue damage! Sailor Moon's Fade ability activates! Sailor Moon's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Lancelot narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's Scarlet Slash, taking 15 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Nanoha Takamachi fails to brace Madoka Kaname's Finisher, Ruby Rampage, taking 107 Fatigue damage! Nanoha Takamachi is unable to keep fighting! COMBAT: Garnet narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's Scarlet Slash, taking 21 Fatigue damage! Garnet's Fade ability activates! Garnet's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Steven Universe narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Crimson Crush, taking 33 Fatigue damage! Steven Universe's Block ability activates! Steven Universe's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's Scarlet Slash, taking 23 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Lera Camry narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's Scarlet Slash, taking 35 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Lera Camry's Fade ability activates! Lera Camry's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Kuniko Saito perfectly braces Madoka Kaname's Scarlet Slash, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Brace! Kuniko Saito's Block ability activates! Kuniko Saito's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Chitose Shiratori narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Scarlet Slash, taking 16 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Chitose Shiratori's Parry ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Lancelot [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
"Oh man. Am I speaking French?" Lancelot asks in surprised look of self-admonishment. Well It's a good thing he wasn't relaying important information, just ya know. Saving falling Princesses of the Magical Girl variety. "Um Nope. Nor foreign exchange! Just apparently cursed with bad language barriers!" He bows to Sailor Moon with a flourish of his cape, made even more flourish by the wind of the jet and air beast, before he let's himself fall backwards.
Drawing Arondight, Lancelot barrels toward the behemoth before him.He does a barrel roll. Because that sound bite goes through his head, and then calls out: "HEY!" He closes the gap. "YOUR MOTHER WAS A FIRST EDITION DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS GREAT WHITE WYRMM!" He nods once. "YEAH! YA KNOW? THE DUMB ONES! WITH A LOW INTELLIGENCE SCORE! THAT'S YOU!" He nods again. Clearly that was a great insult and a point for fellow gamers everywhere.
He then slashes with Arondight as he closes, lightning, white and hot, dances from the blade in great arcing plumes of power. The forks of lightning dancing and flickering across the sky in blinding white flashes and a sound of booming thunder.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Scarlet Slash, taking 18 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Lancelot has used Lightning Slash on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Lancelot has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname narrowly counters Lancelot's Lightning Slash, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Lancelot is Psyched! Madoka Kaname's Reverse ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Tactician ability activates! Blind applied to Madoka Kaname! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname's counterattack, Gules GAPING MAW, partially gets through, doing 19 Fatigue damage to Lancelot! Critical Counterhit!
<Pose Tracker> Garnet [None] has posed.
Garnet is slashed by the monster's giant claws! She dodges some of the brunt, but still takes quite a bit of damage. She wills the pain away, she will not lose sight of her goal or this perhaps chance to rescue Steven, and attacks the giant hand with an even greater fury than before!!
COMBAT: Garnet has used Decisive Punch on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Garnet has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Sailor Jupiter hears the shriek that suggests she may have done well with the others, but it's the repriswal that finally makes her look up; she turns to the side, throwing her arm up to shield her face, and takes the rain of feathers head-on, blocking them with sheer force rather than any particular agility. But when she looks up, she can see her Princess still fighting, instead of just falling.
...And she can see the boy who helped her crashing towards the beast's mouth, even with his sword. ...he also seems to be still talking in some other language, because she certainly doesn't understand what he's saying /now/.
But none of that matters; what matters is what she's seeing up ahead. Taking a breath, she steadies herself--and then /sprints/, leaping off the wing into freefall just like she couldn't a moment ago for Sailor Moon.
...All she can do is trust.
"You won't take him!" Jupiter shouts, and extends her arms to bodily /shove/ Lancelot out of the path towards the beast's mouth, in what would be a great tackle... On the ground.
COMBAT: Madoka Kaname fails to brace Garnet's Decisive Punch, taking 35 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has used What Goes Around on Lancelot. COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has finished attacking. COMBAT: Lancelot accepts Sailor Jupiter's What Goes Around, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Lancelot is Reinforced by Sailor Jupiter!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Seeing Steven get squeezed is not a good sight. Ren cries out in anger, rushing forward poised to strike. The bird-monster is much quicker, though, and she's forced to stop short and once again employ evasive maneuvers to avoid the torrent of feathers, getting hit by some of them which causes more tears in her barrier jacket.
"Lera-chan!" Unfortunately Lera is falling! Ren zooms toward her, able to move much faster than she did before with Kuniko, and grabs for the tumbling mage. "I've got you!"
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used Sovereign's Favor on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Lera Camry accepts Ren Aizawa's Sovereign's Favor, taking 0 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
Rather than trying to dodge or counter, the Magic Knight of Wind instead hunkers down as flat as she can against the plane's upper fuselage, enduring the onslaught as well as she can - albeit with no small amount of accompanying pain. SHe's had worse than this, and lived to recount it; she has to hope - or rather, to trust - that she can make it through this as well.
And there are plenty of people whose fortune is far worse than her own. The Wind Knight has managed to keep her footing pretty well ever since she landed on the plane, and she's grateful for that; wrapping a layer of wind about herself to help brace against headwinds and turbulence seems to have been a good idea. Not everyone has wind magic to work with, though, and the Wind Knight spots a Device-user - an older girl whom she doesn't really know - getting blasted out of control by the monster's assault.
"Winds of Protection!!" the green-clad Magic Knight calls out, her will reaching out along with her magic to wrap Chitose in a protective bubble of closely-controlled air. It should not only stabilize her flight and give her a boost back into the fray, but remain a protective shell about Chitose as the battle continues.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Winds of Protection on Chitose Shiratori. COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [None] has posed.
Is this were only slightly less dangerous, it might be fun. The scent of cinnamon at least helps Steven relax only slightly. It does seem intent on keeping a hold of him for some reason. The hands begin to crush Steven, and only moments to react, manages to wedge his shield in between the hands. While it doesn't completely stop the crushing power of the creature, it helps enough to keep him breathing.
Steven is in it pretty bad right now. He cannot attack, move, or defend himself. He gets licked by the edge of soem attacks, being rather painful, notable small jolts of lightning coming down the hand and to him, and a lot of bubbles in the face.
The bubbles of soap help him slip an arm free though, thanks to soap power.
As he struggles, he sees Garnet coming in close. "Garnet! I'm sorry I didn't listen to you! I just wanted to help save the people on the plane..." He has caused so many problems in this fight. He feels like a failure as a Gem.
Garnet's hit causes the creature to let go of him though, and begisn to fall! "I shouldn't have gone on this trip!" he calls out as he starts to fall, the shield in the creature's hands dissipating.
COMBAT: Chitose Shiratori accepts Fuu Hououji's Winds of Protection, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Accelerate and Withstand applied to Chitose Shiratori! COMBAT: Steven Universe has used Go Giant Women! on Garnet. COMBAT: Steven Universe has finished attacking. COMBAT: Garnet accepts Steven Universe's Go Giant Women!, taking 0 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
Razor feathers come rushing in for Lera Camry. They slash into her; several slash past the green coat and the armor underneath -- and then one catches her left shoulder. She hurt it, the day before, fighting another youma. The bladed feather slashes past and she shrieks -- and then she drops. The Midchildan goes plummeting, for just half a second, before she realizes.
<Lera! Pull up!> Soaring Sky cries out.
"Right, I'm--" She tries. Her flight spell activates; a ring of light explodes under her feet, and she tumbles through it, towards the ground below. "Oh no, oh no...!"
And then, suddenly, Ren is there. She reaches a hand out -- and grips Ren tightly by the wrist, pulling herself in close to her best friend. She looks at her, excitedly, and grins. "Ren-chan!" she yells. Another ring of light fires under her feet -- and this one stabilizes her, keeping her from falling. "You're the best!"
She pulls back, then, looking at her for a moment; she sees Garnet break Steven free, but she also sees the immense shot that Nanoha takes. Her eyes widen, before she looks up at Ren. "We gotta finish this thing. I'm gonna get in close, y'know?"
She nods at Ren. She falls backward, in a controlled way, before she looks at the monster. She holds her sword-Device to one side, and plasma crackles up the length of the blade. "C'mon, buddy," she says, "let's hit her before she knows what was coming for her!"
<Gladly!>
Lera grits her teeth -- and then she /launches/ forward, away from Ren. She leaves a trail of fiery light in the sky after her, while she does a tight barrel roll. The trail of light has a slight spiral to it. Lera speeds up; faster and faster still, until she rips right through the sound barrier. A sonic boom erupts, like an inverted mushroom of vapor at the point at which she speeds up so.
<Jet Ignition!> Sky chimes -- after the magical circle appears behind Lera.
A corona of plasma explodes around her, blazing along her and her Intelligent Device. Lera tries to /slam/ into the monster at such speeds, and then yanks to a stop. A fiery explosion is left in her wake.
COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Jet Ignition on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Nanoha Takamachi [Infinity Institute (4)] has posed.
"HUH WHAT WAS THAT?" Such is Nanoha's reply to both Steven and Hikaru, once the Knight of Fire is back on the wing.
<THEY SAID THANK YOU.>
"WHAT?"
<'THANK YOU!'>
"STILL CAN'T HEAR YOU!"
<eeeeeeee>
"OH! I get it~."
But now her attention must turn back on the beast. Everything is chaos. But in that chaos it only gets worse.
Once again this terrible beast is aiming for the plane. Destiny plays some funny games. Placing Nanoha in prime position to stop that deadly ray. The question is... Can she?
No, there's no TIME to question it. She has to.
Her left hand snaps up, fingers spread, the runic sigil of a mid-childa magic circle spreading from her palm- and then a second smaller one in front of it- and then a third.
<LAYERED ROUND SHIELD!>
It's a trick she had learned from Fate. And the first shield takes the brunt of the beam massively. With a shattering crash it evaporates almost instantly. The second fares no better- cracking and then shattering after a handful of seconds.
The third begins to crack- hairline fractures forming as sweat beads on Nanoha's brow as she desperately wills it to last onger.
"Raising Heart! PLEASE!" Her cry is desperate and trusting. And her faithful device answers.
<ALRIGHT.>
More energy is poured into the shield spell, but no matter how much the two will it, it cannot last indefinitely. With one last CRACK it shatters. Sending Nanoha tumbling, landing on the plane fuselage, burned, gasping, and with nearly no strength left... She wonders to herself...
Why did it smell like pistachios...?
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Miracles can happen... and they do. Despite being wounded and in a very difficult position right now, the Fire Knight manages to somehow avoid being hit by the next attack from the monster. And that's quite a good thing too since the Fire Knight is starting to really run out of patience with this monster. She looks around and then grips her sword tighter than before. "We can't let this thing win! We have to defeat it!" She says, flames starting to form around the blade of the Fire Knight's sword. "It will burn!"
As the Fire Knight clutches her sword tighter, the flames grow bigger in size. "We will send it back to where it belongs!" She slashes her sword, sending forth a blast of flame.
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has used Flaming Slash on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname narrowly braces Lera Camry's Jet Ignition, taking 16 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Madoka Kaname's Block ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Parry ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
The feathers snap out towards them and Kuniko stares dead ahead. Having nothing else she can do - she can't duck down and roll without risking falling off the plane - she has no knife in her hand -
Kuniko snaps her hand forwards even as she leans slightly back...
It is said that the finest of chefs have the hand-eye coordination that could normally be only found in the makeup of a god. Perhaps that is true, perhaps it is not. What is undeniably true is that for a fleeting moment, everything lined up just right, and Kuniko has a razor-edged red feather in her hand.
She straightens up and stares at it, dumbfounded.
She dimly recalls, then, that the others grew mouths and eyes. Kuniko twists her hand around to hurl the feather back from whence it came before THAT can happen - and then looks at her hand again, still kind of dumbfounded. This has been the strangest school trip and they are not even in Okinawa yet.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used I Have No Idea How I Did That on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname fails to dodge Hikaru Shidou's Flaming Slash, taking 16 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname fails to dodge Kuniko Saito's I Have No Idea How I Did That, taking 18 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
He didn't even know what language he was speaking? It might have made her laugh further. She still found it amazing anyone who could speak another language so well, even if he was pretty goofy. She had a certain affectionate fondness for goofy guys after all. As she lands, feathers zoom at her. She hops to the left, then to the right, then it becomes a flailing sort of dance as endless feathers graze her Fuku left and right and sideways.
Taking a breath, she gives Jupiter a thumbs up trying to let her know she's okay, even as Jupiter gives thanks to their savior.
But its at that moment, that a lightning infused vermillion blast is about to engulf the plane and is stopped only by the sacrifice of a tiny mage.
Looking on in horror, Sailor Moon's eyes follow as she falls onto the fusilage. She takes a breath. Then another, a hand clenching around the Cutie Moon Rod as righteous anger boils up in her. "She... you..."
She can't even form words. This wasn't even a Youma that she knew could understand her. It all seemed so senseless, just attacking a plane full of tiny children. And now a brave young mage may have given her everything to stop it. Her eyes look up at the creature burning with that same anger, even if she sounds baffled at first "...None of this makes any sense. I don't think attacking a plane full of kids ever could! All of them are so excited for their school trip. It's probably their first for a lot of them. They're just looking to enjoy themselves! And you... you..."
If not for that sacrifice, then it might have been their /last/ school trip for many of them. The fact makes her feel bile in her throat, "I don't know if you can understand me but even if you can't you're still unforgivable! In the Name of the Moon-"
There's something different about it, about her pose, her stance, the look in her eyes as she points at it, promising justice even to a the terror who had managed to brush off the best she'd had to offer so far. "-I /will/ definitely punish you!"
COMBAT: Sailor Moon has used In The Name Of The Moon on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname fails to dodge Sailor Moon's In The Name Of The Moon, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Sailor Moon is Psyched! Exhausted applied to Madoka Kaname!
<Pose Tracker> Chitose Shiratori [Infinity Institute (U)] has posed.
Chitose is still pursuing the bird creature with both talons and hands. In her defense, how many birds do people see with hands? Not very many. But still, Chitose presses on with determination. What could stop her from attacking the shadow?
Feathers shoot out from the darkness, and Chitose crosses her arms in front of her to try and block, and as a result only some of the feathers actually impacts her Barrier Jacket. That said, that's enough force to knock Chitose off balance and plummeting back down to the ground.
Yeah, that'll do it.
She falls for a moment before air currents slow her descent and wrap around to protect her. Safe for the moment, Chitose looks around before she finds Fuu. She smiles back at her rescuer, and when she reorganizes herself and manages to rebalance, she takes off again. She gives a slight wave and a hearty "Thank you!" before pulling herself back up to a higher altitude.
<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
The last of the red energy not absorbed by her shields licks at Nanoha harmlessly -- and at the plane, not at all. The beast is surely not well pleased. Were it up to her, she would break away from this group and go finish off that interfering little girl, and take the plane with it.
Unfortunately, there is a small army in her way. She vents her frustration on the first to face her, Lancelot. His lightning-crackling sword-slash is parried with the beast's teeth, which jerks the knight, blade and all, off of his feet and sends him plummeting into her mouth.
But even that pleasure is denied her. In the same moment that Jupiter stages a rescue, Garnet does as well; a final, massive punch blasts the hand open. It shakes out the pain, a bruise forming, and of course in so doing releases Steven from its grasp.
To the rescuers and rescued, the vermillion beast gives the gift of pain: the lesser version of her blast, which first met them at the beginning of this fight. It pours towards both duos, hungrily.
Lera slams into her next, but she's ready, twisting in midair to ensure that the explosion is taken on a scaley leg rather than something more vulnerable. There are talons at the end of that leg, and they counterscratch with great ferocity. Hikaru's fireball explodes against her exposed side at that point, and, first hissing with displeasure, the beast inhales, then roars at deadly decibel.
Sailor Moon pauses to lecture her, and though she doesn't speak, there is a clear sense of understanding. Those eight eyes flicker open and shut. No further answer comes, but, very briefly, there is a strange sadness in the air.
It is quickly removed by the passing of the wind, the pistachio-scented wind, the wind of the beast's breath as it lunges her neck forward, trying to gobble Sailor Moon up in one bite!
And that second huge wave of razor feathers from last round also begin to sprout faces and pissed-off personalities, assaulting Chitose, Kuniko, Ren, Fuu -- and the plane -- from all sides...
COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Mighty Roar on Hikaru Shidou. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Gules GAPING MAW on Sailor Moon. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Red Rain on Steven Universe. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Red Rain on Sailor Jupiter. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Maroon Mayhem on Fuu Hououji. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Maroon Mayhem on Kuniko Saito. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Maroon Mayhem on Ren Aizawa. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Red Rain on Lancelot. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Carmine Claws on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Maroon Mayhem on Chitose Shiratori. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Red Rain on Garnet. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has finished attacking. COMBAT: Lera Camry narrowly counters Madoka Kaname's Carmine Claws, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry's Reverse ability activates! Lera Camry's Tactician ability activates! COMBAT: Lera Camry's counterattack, Sentinel Flash, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Madoka Kaname! COMBAT: Fuu Hououji narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's Maroon Mayhem, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji's Fade ability activates! Fuu Hououji's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Maroon Mayhem, taking 10 Fatigue damage! Ren Aizawa's Block ability activates! Ren Aizawa's Parry ability activates! Tangle applied to Ren Aizawa! COMBAT: Chitose Shiratori narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's Maroon Mayhem, taking 20 Fatigue damage! Chitose Shiratori's Flash ability activates! Tangle applied to Chitose Shiratori! COMBAT: Sailor Moon narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Gules GAPING MAW, taking 13 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Red Rain, taking 43 Fatigue damage! Sailor Jupiter's Block ability activates! Sailor Jupiter's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Steven Universe narrowly dodges Madoka Kaname's Red Rain, taking 2 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Lancelot narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Red Rain, taking 16 Fatigue damage! Lancelot's Block ability activates! Lancelot's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has used Collateral Damage on Fuu Hououji. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname has finished attacking. COMBAT: Fuu Hououji perfectly braces Madoka Kaname's Collateral Damage, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Brace! COMBAT: Kuniko Saito narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Maroon Mayhem, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Kuniko Saito's Block ability activates! Kuniko Saito's Parry ability activates! Tangle applied to Kuniko Saito! COMBAT: Garnet narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Red Rain, taking 12 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou narrowly braces Madoka Kaname's Mighty Roar, taking 12 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Hikaru Shidou's Block ability activates! Hikaru Shidou's Parry ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
The fiery explosion slams into the creature's scaled leg, and Lera bounces away. She sees those terrible claws slashing down for her. The talons are huge and wickedly sharp. Lera gasps, before she raises Soaring Sky up. The blade glows -- and then flashes a brilliant white. A cross-shaped field of energy erupts, intercepting the claws. <Sentinel Flash!>
But while the claws don't slash into Lera, they still hurl her downward. Wind rattles her, rushing through her hair and fluttering her feather charm; her eyes look upward. She glances upward; at Ren and Sailor Moon in turn, before she looks at the window that Mina was in. The girl who liked those crane claw games.
She grits her teeth, then she lifts her sword in one hand. "All right," she says. "Let's do this, buddy. We can't let her hurt the plane."
<Preparing the firing sequence!> Sky answers. A trio of spinning control rings form; the light rings have Midchildan runes in them, and they turn in sequence, as Lera lifts the sword up, aiming through the middle of the rings. The blade splits down the middle -- and strands of plasma leap from blade-half to blade-half. A faint, white glow gathers there.
<Aurora Burst...>
That glow intensifies, growing brighter and brighter. White light shines, edged by gold and deeper orange colors. Then, it fires, a solid beam of light shooting through the control rings. Each vanishes in an instant, and Lera shouts over the roar of wind, turbine, and bombardment spell:
"....RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!"
The beam shoots up and up, for the underside of the winged monster.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Lera Camry has used Aurora Burst Ray on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Garnet [None] has posed.
Time seems to slow around her, as Garnet's persistent and decisive blows finally forces the creature to release its grip on poor Steven!
She swoops downward... reaches for him... only to be struck by a sudden blast of heat from the monster that slams into them both! But Garnet powers through the pain, at long last catching the little falling boy and pulls him close.
"Steven... You are a valued member of this team, and you mean more to all of us than you could ever know... But sometimes you need to trust our judgement. We were only trying to protect you. Because we love you." Garnet pauses.
"For now, you're staying put, and staying close." Garnet shapeshifts a harness of belts out of herself which bind Steven snugly to her chest.
Now that she's close enough to get a good look at him, she notices his all his wounds and bruises, and she shapeshifts a soft layer of pillows under him for him to rest.
She flys back towards the plane, full of thought for their next move.
How can she help while keeping Steven out of harm's way?
<Pose Tracker> Lancelot [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
The lightning arcs and crackles across the sky, and then. Then the beast reacts and slaps Lancelot up and down toward the monster's ever waiting maw of REALLY sharp teeth. He blinks as he scrambles to gather some form of control over the flight spell that Merlin had placed on him but nope. It appears to be interrupted at this particular moment.
He lets out a rather shrill scream that vaguely sounds like a terrified toddler.
He'll justify that scream by the teeth. They were rather huge after all.
Luckily, just as he's about to be gobbled up by an abomination of evil's delight, he feels the impact of a slender frame knocking him aside, just as the thing's mouth closes in an audible CRASH of sound. He opens his eyes notices that Sailor Jupiter is now clinging to him after she had pushed him out of death's door. He closed his eyes and says, "Fly!"
The spell kicked in once again, and he hovers for a moment, now holding Jupiter. "Merci." He says with a smile. Then moves back to the Jumbo Jet to set Jupiter back on the wing.
His eyes narrow at the sight of Nanoha, felled having defended the plane and the children. He holds Arondight to the side. "No more." He says in perfect Japanese. He leaps tot eh fuselage and runs down the length of the plane, lighting crashing form the heavens to trike the blade with every step he takes. Dozens, hundreds of lightning bolts rain down to impact and slam with thunderous reverberation along Arondight's now electrified and glowing white blade. The Knight runs up the tail of the plane and leaps off the tip, spinning as he does and heading right for the monster's head, "CHARGING!" He cries in mid-air.
A hundred bolts of lightning descend at once in a veritable storm of electrical energy. That storm and all that energy is released on one swing of Lancelot's blade as he cries out "ASSAULT!" Thunder explodes all at once as the bolts of lightning erupt from Arondight's strike sending electrified bolts of energy in every direction. Waves of them cascading form the blade and the knight toward the foul beast before him.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Lancelot has used Charging Assault on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Lancelot has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname fails to dodge Lera Camry's Finisher, Aurora Burst Ray, taking 148 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname narrowly braces Lancelot's Finisher, Charging Assault, taking 51 Fatigue damage! Madoka Kaname's Block ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Parry ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Pistachio scented wind. That strange aroma is what she sees first before her vision goes dark when the beast swoops down and catches her in its mouth. "No! Don't eat me! IPROMISEITASTEBAD! MARSTASTESBETTER!" She wails desperately, but... it doesn't manage to get her down its throat. She can't really match its strength, but inside its mouth the creature has no leverage.
As she stands straight up, Using her rod and its ornament to make the attempt to eat her as uncomfortable as possible, as her other glove presses too, getting covered in saliva and... well she'd rather not think about what she's covered by!
Slowly, she manages to get a foot up without losing her tenuous position, and kicks off the back of the throat, somersaulting backwards out of the mouth just as its jaws snap shut. She casts quite a silhouette in the sun as she actually lands upon the wing quite gracefully. All of that saliva is all over her, in her hair, on her Fuku, just... everywhere. "I need a vacation from this trip already Jupiter-chan." She declares miserably as she flings flecks of saliva off her arms and shakes it off her twintails, before her eyes find the creature again and she presents the Cutie Moon Rod.
The crown ornament at the top of the rod lights up, playing a tinkling melody in time with the rhythmic flashes. A phantasmal image of the moon appears behind her as she holds the rod forward with both hands, then spreads her arms out, and raises it above her head.
Bright light shines and gathers in the head. She flourishes the rod to one side, then the other, holding it in an aggressive pose of readiness. And a celestial princess, a Sailor Senshi, calls out... "Moon Princess-" Sweeping it upwards once again, she then points it straight forward, "-Halation!"
Spirals upon spirals of pink sparkles. whirling crescents of moonlit energy. Shimmering stars of light brought close. They roil out towards the edges to try to consume the creature, as everything fades to endless white.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Ren smiles at Lera, happy to have saved her friend. However that happiness doesn't last when she witnesses Nanoha take on the brunt of the latest attempt on the plane herself, eyes widening in horror as the tiny mage is blasted back onto the fuselage -- burned and bruised. "Nanoha-chan!" Lera's assertion that they need to end this becomes all too poignant at that point.
<Incoming!> Heraut's warning reaches Ren in time, though instead of trying to avoid the angry feathers, she holds out a single hand.
<Protection!> And out comes a shield capable of stopping most of the damage the razor feather seek to deliver, those who get by knicking up her barrier jacket just a bit. "Right. Ending this now..." She grits out, holding Heraut at the ready. <Agreed!>
Both master and device are in agreeance. Ren holds her hand up and concentrates, letting her mana pour out into the air around her. Then comes several miniature Midchildan runic cirles appearing in the sky above where Ren is floating, joined by a bigger one that appears beneath her feet. In her mind's eye she visualizes over a dozen or more hot blades of light, and it's not long before those same blades are emerging slowly from the smaller circles, restrained by her will alone.
"Don't worry kids." She says softly, eyes closing, "You're going to be fine."
<Blade...!>
"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORM!"
With that battle cry unleashed, the multitude of light blades heat up with intensity akin to the sun before they explode forward, cutting through the air like hot knives on their way to slice through the sinister bird-beast.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Sailor Moon has used Moon Princess Halation on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking. COMBAT: FINISHER! Ren Aizawa has used Blade Storm on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Garnet has used Real Talk on Steven Universe. COMBAT: Garnet has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname narrowly braces Sailor Moon's Finisher, Moon Princess Halation, taking 75 Fatigue damage! Madoka Kaname's Block ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname narrowly braces Ren Aizawa's Finisher, Blade Storm, taking 36 Fatigue damage! Madoka Kaname's Block ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Steven Universe accepts Garnet's Real Talk, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
There's no way she's getting out of the way in time, so the Fire Knight simply braces herself for the impact of the incoming attack, fearing the worst... yet somehow she still remains on her feet after all that. She finds herself a lot weaker, but still has a little fight left in her, and refuses to go down that easily. Because when all else fails, it's time to use the last resort. The Fire Knight gets back to her feet, albeit very weakly, and raises her sword skyward, sending forth a beam of flame that literally seems to manifest itself above her in a literal claw-shaped apparition.
"There is nothing else left for you here!" The Fire Knight yells as she slowly turns her sword a little. "Begone you fiend!" She slashes her sword forth and sends forth the flaming claw apparition at the monster.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Hikaru Shidou has used Claw of Flame on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
The sheer heat of the blast overcome Sailor Jupiter; for a moment, she feels like she's going to pass out midair, not even able to /notice/ the fact that she's falling by the time it's over. Her momentum takes her through the blast just before then, but she still comes out of it badly burned, dazed and hanging onto the boy she just rescued a lot less steadily than she was a moment ago. "Huh? Oh, right," Jupiter says as she hears his thanks, though again she doesn't actually register them as such.
Landing on her feet back on the wing again, Jupiter takes a breath, and suddenly Sailor Moon is beside her again, covered in...
Ew. Some of it gets on Jupiter since she's standing so close.
"This is the /worst/," she agrees with Sailor Moon, and despite a strange feeling that ticks at the back of her mind...
Jupiter steps back, and calls forth the lightning that didn't work for her before; an antenna rises from her tiara as the wind whips her hair backward, and lightning, once more, crashes towards her--but this time it's even more than before, bolts of blinding light crackling around the soldier of protection as her eyes snap open again.
"Supreme... Thunder....!"
She raises her arms, and the bolts /launch/ towards the flying beast before them, but take shape mid-flight, becoming a giant creature themselves, a monster made of pure electricity crashing forward, "DRAGON!"
She pours everything she has left for now into helping safe this plane.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Sailor Jupiter has used Supreme Thunder Dragon on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname fails to brace Hikaru Shidou's Finisher, Claw of Flame, taking 42 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname fails to brace Sailor Jupiter's Finisher, Supreme Thunder Dragon, taking 110 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [None] has posed.
Steven keeps falling, and his mind wanders. Surely someone will save him...? And the people on the plane? What of them?
Thankfully before Steven grows all melancholy about life, he is caught by Garnet! A wave of painful heat comes, and Steven manages to pull up a shield to roll behind for a few seconds as he falls, blocking most of the heat before being caught.
"Sorry again, Garnet. I just wanna be like you when I get older!" he says kindly.
Wow, this belt pouch thing is comfy. He gets settled in, with his arms hanging out. One holds a shield still manifest, though looks, unstable. Steven looks pretty beat up. He has seen better days. "We gotta help them still! It isn't going down..." he says. He looks like he wants to start running, but forgot he was in what is basically a harness. "This is kinda embarassing, now that I think of it."
If we get close enough, we might be able to do something!" Steven says, ever hopeful. The boy takes a moment to catch a breather. Fighting is tough work!
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
"I'm sorry," Kuniko says even as that maroon screech flies towards her -- and is promptly handled with an upended stew pot, held directly over one of those feathers. Kuniko shifts to stand on it with one foot, grimacing at the wind whipping at her face, but the grimace turns into a smile.
"Were you hoping for a snack? Were you hoping to start things off with a little bit of that kid, and then move on to kindergardeners mashed up fine? Well TOO BAD! But I'm not without mercy," Kuniko says, grasping something - and popping the valve on her pressure cooker.
A smell billows out. It pervades and expands all available space. The air here is wispy and thin, but that just means the high pressure fragrance has more room to spread. The characteristic mixture of tangy shoyu and creamy provencial herbs mixed with oily fishes and layered over potatoes. Kuniko draws out a jar of it - bouillabaise, condensed into a single dish.
"You're going to lose out on texture," Kuniko says, Terroir practically boiling off the serving of the mix. "And I'm sorry about that... but the rest, heh - it's practically good forever! Though I wouldn't let canned cream sauce rest too long. Not that it's going to be a problem for you."
The jar tilts in her hand, pivoting like an astromech droid's camera. Kuniko twists and pops off the lid.
"Enjoy!!"
And so the bouilliabaise au Japon ships its way forwards, fuelled by a passionate heart that overcomes any obstacles to fine cuisine. Will the richness of this mixture surpass its unorthodox presentation? Either way, Kuniko will, at least, have lunches to eat despite all her money turning into candy, doubtless being eaten on that plane right now.
COMBAT: Steven Universe has finished attacking. COMBAT: FINISHER! Kuniko Saito has used Bouillabaise au Japon on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname fails to brace Kuniko Saito's Finisher, Bouillabaise au Japon, taking 74 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
The monster's breath weapon rakes across the assembled magical protectors; the Magic Knight of Wind dives for cover again, getting winged but mostly getting lucky.
Then the plane is surrounded by razor feathers - *independently conscious and animate*, from the looks of things. The Wind Knight glances about, realizing the danger and unsure if anyone else is in a position to react adequately ...
"WINDS OF PROTECTION!!!"
Desperation and determination collide to spark a surge of mana, and a barrier of turbulence wraps around the airliner, long enough to smack the incoming feather-critters away again. It has to be a short-lived barrier; she doesn't want to disrupt the aircraft's flight. Cut off the flow of air over the wings, and it'll fall - which would be exactly the kind of flight-ending calamity they've been fighting so fervently to prevent.
It may be as much adrenaline as actual energy pumping through the Wind Knight right now, but as she releases the Winds of Protection, she shifts from defense to offense without missing a beat. "EMERALD CYCLONE!!" she calls out at the top of her lungs, gathering the gale from about herself and redirecting it to rip away at the hostile flyer, whether it's beast or spirit or somewhere in between. The focused wrath of the storm is turned against the monster, coupled with every spark of will that the Magic Knight of Wind can muster; between that and the attacks being mounted by her allies, she intends to see this monster torn out of the sky and left to drift on the breeze like so much dust ...
COMBAT: FINISHER! Fuu Hououji has used Emerald Cyclone: Full on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Chitose Shiratori [Infinity Institute (U)] has posed.
Chitose holds off for a few more moments longer, right as the feathers come back for another couple of strikes. She dodges behind her to dodge once, then to the right for a few more, and then to the left. Even with all of that, some feathers do find their mark on Chitose. She grunts and grimaces from the pain, before swinging White Omen to point at the monster. She holds the crossbow up to her eyes, just to make sure she's got the aim right.
She's still somewhat unbalanced from all the falling and the feathers, so instead of anything too draining for her, she instead just fires small light arrows at the monster. Unlike the ones she fired before, these have what look to be larger heads like real arrows.
COMBAT: Chitose Shiratori has used Light Arrow on Madoka Kaname. COMBAT: Chitose Shiratori has finished attacking. COMBAT: Madoka Kaname fails to brace Chitose Shiratori's Light Arrow, taking 18 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Madoka Kaname narrowly braces Fuu Hououji's Finisher, Emerald Cyclone: Full, taking 19 Fatigue damage! Madoka Kaname is unable to keep fighting! Madoka Kaname's Block ability activates! Madoka Kaname's Parry ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kaname [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
When the ending comes, it comes unfalteringly. Golden-white Midchildan ray, legendary lightning blade, pink and silver moonbeams flying, lightdaggers shine converging, slashing rending claw of flame, massive thunder dragon rises, seafood stew smell tantalizes, emerald cyclone, bolts of light--
--yeah, the beast can't win that fight.
Everything explodes in a rather glorious gold-white-pink-yellow-red-blue-cream-green-bright blast, converging on each other, point blank.
There is a long silence...
...and then the beast emerges from the last of the smoke and sparkles, soaring away at unmatchable speeds to vanish over the horizon.
<< MINE. >>
The word is felt, not heard, thrumming in the marrow of the bones, in the pounding of the heart. It's not a threat but a promise, sworn on the very fires of creation that have just forced the beast to retreat for now.
She will return -- and she will reclaim what is hers.
And what's worse? She flew south.
---
In the luggage compartment, the cold and dark bowels of the plane, there is no one there to see the golden glimmer coming from one of the bags. No one to wonder what it is that has been tucked between folds of laundry and a precious security blanket.
No one to read the clumsily but proudly penned name on the tag, 'Mina Koruske.'
TO BE CONTINUED...
