2016-11-01 - Railing Against Misery

Title: Railing Against Misery
Summary: Early morning is a time of stress at the best of times, but mornings shortly before finals even more so. Studying to do, homework to hand in, questions to ask, final chances at club meetings...and that's just for students. Still, it's fortunate that Tokyo's trains are such a pinnacle of precision timing...Except when they aren't.
Who: Westar, Cure Passion, Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus, Sailor Jupiter, Fuu Hououji, Lera Camry, Jad Werke, Chika Aki
Where: Tama Outer City
OOC - IC Date: 2016-11-01 - Dec 02, 2014 - RL Date>

<Pose Tracker> Westar [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.

<SoundTracker> Wild Arms 3 - Gunmetal Action

It's morning. This cannot be denied, cannot be held back - the Earth kept turning for another night, and so the land of the rising sun is greeted by the morning sun. Tokyo has stirred to life, and driven by the twin fuels of toast and coffee, office workers and students alike set forth to their daily travail.

Unfortunately, whatever schedule one might have in mind for the day's commute, it has been thoroughly derailed. Awayuki station is packed. Yotsuba station is jammed with confused students. Chofu, Nishitama, Shibuya, Shinjuku... Every train station in the city is filled with frustrated commuters in various states of worry. It doesn't matter if you slept in, got up on time, or woke with the dawn - no one is getting where they're going on time.

Across the city, it's the same story - for the third, the tenth, maybe the fiftieth time, there's a triple chime to get everyone's attention followed by an announcement. "Attention all commuters. All lines are experiencing significant delays. We apologize for the inconvenience, and appreciate your understanding..." Further details of the announcement are lost in the ensuing round of groans - all the cultures of politeness in the world can't mask the anger, the misery, the despair at everyone's realizations that there's no hope of getting where they're going on time...

Delays defy explanation...but listen - can you hear it? Perhaps, if you hold some hope of fixing this problem, you might yet hear it. The sound that races through-

"WHOO, WHOOOOO!"

Across the city, from station to station, the same sight is seen. A billowing cloud of steam, heralding the arrival of a terrific vehicle - a huge black locomotive with yellow trim. It's easily twice the size of the usual train cars, barely fitting down the track, but in spite of its bulk it moves quickly. Switching tracks without warning, this behemoth must be a nightmare for any traffic control - and its joyriding clearly the cause of the morning's delays.

It's also clearly not natural. A steam engine in this day and age is bad enough - but there's details. The cars behind it are sleek, futuristic, and seem like they're right out of some dystopic novel; the front of the locomotive seems to have glowing eyes more than lamps, with a yellow diamond prominently displayed in the centre; and the conductor's cab is open to the air, revealing the train's master.

It's Westar. He has a yellow conductor's cap on, and grins as he pulls the cord at every station without even pretending to stop.

"WHOO, WHOOOOOO!"

OOC: Welcome to an early morning dose of misery and despair! As the scene has indicated, today's Nakewameke is part of a high-speed battle around the city - Westar's monster is just going to have a grand time stopping all traffic until it's stopped, so try to find ways to keep up in your poses!

COMBAT: Westar transforms into Nakewameke!

COMBAT: Westar has fully healed himself. He is now ready to take on 7 opponents!

<Pose Tracker> Setsuna Higashi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Setsuna is entirely accustomed to waking up earlier than Love, these days. The morning routine she's gotten used to over the past three months is pleasant, even nice. Get dressed in her uniform, have breakfast, say her farewells to the Momozono home and start walking towards the station.

...She hasn't been doing it for so long, however, that she's accustomed to lengthy delays. Nevertheless, at first she's patient. She gets here amidst the crowds, but Setsuna is used to waiting around quietly much more than anyone else here.

...That patience lasts about five minutes. Setsuna frowns, as not only are the crowds still stuck, but she hasn't been joined by a certain other girl. There's a big, uniquely teenage sigh that escapes her lips as she listens to the announcement for what must be the tenth time now. Maybe more. She forgot to count.

She starts to nudge her way through the crowd to have a look, when--

Steam. Steam, and a whistle, neither of which make even half sense to her until she sees the big black locomotive. "...You're /kidding/ me," she says, staring up at it, at the cars behind it that /are/ more familiar, at its... eyes, with the yellow diamond.

Setsuna dashes back under cover as she finds she was not in fact being kidded at all, as the crowd is occupied enough not to see her pull out her Linkrun and shimmer red.

For a moment, she debates, alone, whether she could let it go. She shakes it off, feeling guilty for the lapse. She has to protect everyone. And besides...

"WESTAR!"

Cure Passion /leaps/ from the back of the train, touching down on a turnstile and somersaulting forward to slam into one of the secondary cars, rolling up to her feet on its surface. "What /is/ it with you and mornings!?" It lacks some of the bite her words might usually, sounding a little more tired than usual. "These people might have somewhere really important to be!"

She's certainly not going to admit that this is a pretty good plan.

"So I'll derail your plans!"

The pun is completely unintentional as Passion swings down and /slams/ her fist straight into the car she's standing on.

COMBAT: Setsuna Higashi transforms into Cure Passion!

<Pose Tracker> Jad Werke [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

This... this was different. And not that different was inherently good or bad, of course. But Jad had never actually seen a problem like this.

He didn't take the train of course. He didn't get paid enough from his odd jobs to be able to waste money on things like TRAIN TICKETS or anything like that. Especially when it was easier to stay in shape by jogging everywhere he went. But as the West-Star-Express went roaring past, he and just looked at the huge steam train and its evil face and laughing conductor and just... stopped for a moment.

"...alright, I guess I'm going to get more of a workout that I expected this morning."

And thus Jad is chasing the train down the track, a jet of water roaring down one of the rails and the mage riding on top of that wave at a fair rate of speed in pursuit of the train. He occasionally kicks back and forth from one foot to the other to keep his balance as the huge train makes the track shake, rattle, and roll beneath his water stream.

And of course Jad is grinning the entire time. This was kind of fun, although he wasn't going to be able to do this very often with actual legit trains running around. But this one couldn't stay on for too long or the city would end up rioting! And so the blue haired mage steps to the left, his water stream breaking away from the rail and boosting him around so he's (kind of) close to Westar. His barrier jacket flutters out behind him, being whipped around in the passing breeze like a bit of a crazy looking tail, and Jad's hair is pushed straight back as he waves both arms so that he can try and get Westar's attention. Enough that he can shout at least.

"SIR, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE DISENGAGE YOUR LOCO FROM YOUR MOTION AND STOP THIS TRAIN IMMEDIATELY!"

Pause.

"OR ELSE A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL BE FORCED TO TRACK YOU DOWN, AND THEN EVERYTHING IS GOING TO GO OFF THE RAILS."

COMBAT: Jad Werke transforms into Barrier Jacket!

COMBAT: Jad Werke has fully healed himself.
COMBAT: Jad Werke has used Aggressive Shouting on Westar.
COMBAT: Jad Werke has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Cure Passion has used Impassioned Feeling on Westar.
COMBAT: Cure Passion has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

While Fuu is no stranger to occasional difficulties with the trains, and tends to give herself enough time to compensate - allowing for the occasional necessity of taking alternate routes, waiting for a delayed train to finally show up, contingencies like that - for the Tokyo rail system to suffer from THIS much trouble is, well, unheard of. The only good news, really, is that this much delay is going to mean a lot of teachers are late as well; hopefully it'll be considered an excused lateness.

In the meantime, rather than depending on her ears for the announcement, Fuu is scrolling through various news and social-media feeds on her phone, trying to sift through all the speculation and tease out the trwhoo, whooooo!th ...

She looks up just in time to see a streak of yellow and black tearing through the station, coupled with an uneasy twist in her gut - a twist which is all too familiar.

"Please excuse me, coming through ..." She starts working her way back out of the press of commuters, headed towards the stairs. She's closing apps on her phone as she goes, and bringing up the map; she won't be able to use the GPS for long, of course, but getting a sense of where that train's probably going to stop next will help.

Shortly thereafter, Fuu's phone has dropped off the network more completely than if she'd simply turned it off - and the Magic Knight of Wind is setting personal records for traversing the city in a hurry, harnessing her wind magic to boost her leaps almost (but not quite) to the point of true flight. It's a precarious balance - if she misses a landing point, or touches down on a roof with too much speed behind her, it's going to be painful as well as embarassing, but if she manages it right it'll let her take advantage of the railway's curves and carve away at the distance. And once she gets close enough -

"WINDS OF ADMONISHMENT!!"

- she can try to help apply an airbrake to the Nakewameke Express, turning the normal whirlwind on its side and applying as much air friction as she can against the front of the train. It's only the front end she's targeting, though; she doesn't want to impair any of her allies, and it lifts her heart as always to see other magical girls (and boys) rallying against the threat.

... or should that be 'railing' against it, the Wind Knight wonders.

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji transforms into Wind Knight!

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Winds of Admonishment on Westar.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Chika Aki [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Chika was not normally one to take the train. She usually liked to ride her bicycle to school in the mornings. Her route typically carries her alongside the train tracks however, and... well...

The WhooWhoo of the train, mixed with seeing her favorite Pretty Cure smashing down onto the train... combined with the Wind Knight and... is... is that someone else using water!?

Chikas eyes track the train, and she starts to pedal in the direction of it rapidly. The young Puella Magi can see when the city needs a little help, and she is too helpful for her own good. Puella issues of energy be danged!

She hops off her bike on the run, ripping her ring off and transforming into Puella Magi Chika in mid-stride. Gone is the Juuban uniform and winter clothing. Chika is wearing a light cyan dress with white accents and ties around her joints to allow mobility, pinning the billowing fabric of her sleeves tight at her elbows. She has on a massive pair of metal gauntlets, comically oversized for her body. But she moves like they are weightless. And as she runs towards the train, she takes a page half out of Jads book.

Chika jumps up into the air, turning around and facing the ground as she brings both her palms together and slams them at the dirt. A gout of water erupts from her hands, blasting herself skywards like a young whelp at the end of a firehose. Psssshhhewwww! Its not as elegant as the skating water-mage, but the Puella Magi manages to angle herself close enough that she slams down almost onto the last car, her metal gauntlets digging in. The thought of /actually/ attacking the train doesn't occur to her, and she starts to run along the cars carefully as she tries to near the front where the conductor is.

COMBAT: Chika Aki transforms into Puella Magi Chika!

COMBAT: Chika Aki has fully healed herself.

<Pose Tracker> Makoto Kino [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Somewhere near Infinity Institute, Shun Minami awakens in a hotel room he'd booked just for tonight. He showers, dresses, and saunters down to the breakfast buffet to have a meal and enjoy ("enjoy") a cup of oversugared tea at a seat next to a window overlooking the Tama Outer City. Sipping slowly, his eyes track a certain runaway train in the distance as it makes its rapid way around the city. He particularly enjoys the parts where the train's whistles blows as it passes stations without ever slowing down. While other patrons of the hotel watch and murmur in concern, Shun smiles and chuckles.

He'll enjoy his leisurely walk to school, approximately three blocks away.

But today's outing isn't about him.

No, it's about one Makoto Kino, who WON'T enjoy the hell-commute to school. Currently, she sprints from the II dorms, where she and Usagi had spent the night with Lera after getting the crap beaten out of them by a gothloli (THANKS, VITA), over to the closest train station.

"We are gonna be SO late!" she bellows; she doesn't even have her school uniform, much less her schoolbag. She'd hoped to drop by her place first to get changed and pick up her things, but then she'd overslept (specifically, she had punched the alarm Lera had set to wake her up in time to do that, then spent another twenty minutes apologizing profusely for it once she'd properly waken up) and now she'll be lucky if she can make it to school at all on time. The prospect of coming to school out of uniform is an embarrassing one, and all told it's really tempting to call off sick, but without parents, it's always a royal pain to do that.

But when she arrives at the station, Makoto screeches to a halt, then gawks at the crowds around the station. "What in the..." she begins. Looking around, and hearing the announcements, it's clear that there's a big delay--but why? Japanese trains are *extremely* punctual, so at first, she worries that there was a major accident or something like that. But then she sees a too-futuristic train with a yellow diamond on its face, being conducted by a certain green-haired Labyrinth executive...

"Are you *kidding* me?" she groans. "We don't have time for this!" All the same, she shoots Usagi a look, gives her a sharp nod, and then ducks somewhere around a corner where no one is watching to transform.

Green sparkles and atom-shaped lightning bolts later, and Sailor Jupiter leaps out, racing along after the speeding train. Still, her forte is strength, not speed, and while she's an athletic girl, this is a literal train she's up against. Unless someone were to literally fly her up and over to that Nakewameke train, she'll have a tough time getting on board.

HINT, HINT.

COMBAT: Makoto Kino transforms into Sailor Jupiter!

<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

"C'mooooooooooon," Lera Camry groans at the latest announcement that all lines are delayed. "What gives! We didn't usually have traffic like this on Midchilda!"

<Actually...>

"I know, I know," the orange-haired girl sighs. "We totally did." She sighs, her shoulders slumping. The pastel blue uniform coat sags, too. She looks up and frowns -- and then looks at Usagi and Makoto guiltily. After all, they left her apartment, and their school is across town. Her expression becomes crestfallen at Makoto. "I'm so sorry! You're gonna be late, y'know? I-It's usually not nearly this bad in the morning..."

Her school, at least, is close by.

Not that it matters, necessarily.

'WHOO, WHOOOOO!'

Her head turns as she sees the billowing steam -- not a common sight in Tokyo's subways -- and then her eyes widen. The sleak, futuristic cars at odds with it. The eyes, instead of lamps. The Executive of Labyrinth, wearing a conducto's hat, and grinning at them.

One eyebrow, perched over a squinting amber eye, twitches.

There is a blur of green and red-orange. She doesn't bother shouting her transformation sequence. Setsuna yells at Westar directly; Jad pleads with him with logic; Fuu flies in with a strategy; Chika jumps right for it. Lera does none of these things. She has her erstwhile guests in each hand, grabbing their collars. She took Makoto's hint, but... maybe a little too literally.

And she yells one name: "WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESTIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!"

Her hammer-Device is over her back. Broken Ground chimes, apologetically: <Sorry. She can get bent out of shape about that one. Also. Er. Sorry.> The former Device of Jaren Zastava adds, awkwardly: <For... er. Trying to kill you and whatnot. Oh, she's dropping you! Brilliant! We can have an awkward conversation later!>

Lera does, in fact, let them down on the back of the train. She sits down in front of the Sailor Senshi. "Let's go!"

COMBAT: Lera Camry transforms into Barrier Jacket Aphelion!

COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Road Rage on Westar.
COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Usagi Tsukino [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Bad enough that Usagi Tsukino and Makoto Kino got thoroughly hammered* last night, but since they spent the night at a dorm at Infinity last night... they are in no way ready for school this morning. And despite the situation of their punctuality being grave, Makoto and Lera had a hard time getting Usagi out of bed this morning and to the station.

Listlessly she enters the overcrowded station with a piece of toast hanging from her mouth, posture so drooped that her twintails are nigh touching the train platform. She's too bleary eyed to even consider why the station is this crowded, her eyes on this communicator with Luna's face. "What do you mean you and Mako-chan are across town? It's a school day!"

Usagi only grunts, not really wanting to explain that they were attacked as she chews on her breakfast. The delays are announced and she simply groans as Mako declares that they're going to be late- "What was that? The trains are delayed? Seriously? At this rate you'll be lucky to make it to school by noon!" -but in reality she's not too fussed about it. She waves a hand at Lera as Lera declares it's not usually this bad, as if to say it's okay. If delays were everywhere on the usual punctual Tokyo Train system their school could hardly blame them for being- WHOO, WHOOOOO!

There's a dark blur as an enormous steam engine, bellowing smoke passes by the station. That train has /eyes/. And that conductor's cab-

The toast falls out of her mouth.

And Usagi flailingly scrambles to grab it mid-air, but it's already hit the ground. She might have wailed like a child for the loss of her breakfast but suddenly she all but shouts into her communicator exhaustion replaced by panicked adrenaline, "They're locomoting-" "What?" "-there's a locomotion-" "Slow down Usagi-chan! I can't understand you!" "It's Labyrinth! they're joyriding in a train monster!" "Labyrinth!? Well don't just stand there! Get on it and stop them before you're too late to class!"

"Moon Cosmic Power - Make Up!"

In aerial pursuit of the train, Sailor Moon squealed like a child, "We're going so fast! H-Hey you have a good grip on both of us right Lera-chan? And don't worry about it Ground- wait, drop? Can't she just set us DOWNNNNNN-" But she's already let her go, and Sailor Moon shrieks. Far from majestically dropping onto the train like she was in the middle of a heist movie, but instead she slams down unceremoniously and almost straight rolls off the side, barely catching herself.

Straightening- she calls out the conductor at the open-air engine, "HOLD IT RIGHT THERE! In the tradition of Stationmaster Tama, cats have always protected the railways of Japan and today is no different! Today they've sent this Pretty Sailor-Suited Conductor of Love and Justice- Sailor Moon- to stop your joyride! In the Name of the Moon-"

Hand over hand, she points, promising that she's going to try to punch his ticket, "-I will punish you!"

• Writer's Note: In this circumstance, hammered refers to being flattened with a hammer, rather than the other entertaining meaning.

COMBAT: Usagi Tsukino transforms into Sailor Moon!

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has used In The Name Of The Moon on Westar.
COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Westar narrowly braces Jad Werke's Aggressive Shouting, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Jad Werke is Psyched!
COMBAT: Westar narrowly counters Cure Passion's Impassioned Feeling, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Westar is Taunted! Diversion and Exhausted applied to Westar!
COMBAT: Westar's counterattack, Labyrinth Bickering, partially gets through, doing 2 Fatigue damage to Cure Passion! Diversion applied to Cure Passion!
COMBAT: Westar narrowly braces Lera Camry's Road Rage, taking 0 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: The entered attack name could match more than one available attack. Please try being more specific.
COMBAT: Westar narrowly counters Fuu Hououji's Winds of Admonishment, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji is Psyched! Trap applied to Westar!
COMBAT: Westar's counterattack, Full Steam Ahead!, partially gets through, doing 10 Fatigue damage to Fuu Hououji!

<Pose Tracker> Minako Aino [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

Minako Aino's commute from her family's home to the Infinity Institute actually isn't too bad. The Institute is within walking distance -- a somewhat long walk, sure, but an easy one for a girl in the kind of shape she's in (hashtag not-so-humblebrag).

But when Artemis' stern voice came over her communicator to inform her of the whackiness around the city's trains, well, Minako's priorities changed. Being late to classes was a drag to be sure, but it's hard to want to /go/ to school when exams are looming so large over everything else!

One brightly-colored transformation (in a back alley) later, the Goddess of Love herself, Sailor Venus, comes into view ahead of the train, leaping from rooftop to rooftop at a dead sprint. With narrowed eyes, she puts on a burst of speed, and /leaps/ --

-- to land atop the train at Sailor Moon's side, and while she does not fall over like her cosmic comrade does, Venus does have to briefly pinwheel her arms to maintain her balance before she stands up straight with her chin held high. She MEANT to do that. IT WAS DELIBERATE.

"It takes a first-class jerk to throw a wrinkle in the morning commute so close to final exams!" Sailor Venus declares, and she, too, points an accusatory finger towards Westar, her eyes narrowed into slits. "Looks like it's up to us to derail your plans!"

COMBAT: Westar narrowly braces Sailor Moon's In The Name Of The Moon, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Sailor Moon is Psyched! Cripple and Exhausted applied to Westar!

COMBAT: Minako Aino transforms into Sailor Venus!
COMBAT: Sailor Venus has used In The Name Of Venus on Westar.
COMBAT: Sailor Venus has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Westar narrowly braces Sailor Venus's In The Name Of Venus, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Sailor Venus is Psyched!

<Pose Tracker> Westar [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.

<SoundTracker> Wild Arms 3 - Blood, Tears, and the Dried-Up Wasteland - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgzsMrgSCsQ

Tokyo's rail system, for its faults, generally isn't this backed up - and so that scene of misery plays across the city. The most frustrated are probably those early birds who generally beat the rush...but today, Westar beat them all. This joyride has been going on for at least an hour already, and his second cup of coffee goes into the firebox.

But perhaps it's finally at an end. There are shadows eclipsing the morning sun, and the Nakewameke's conductor looks up in surprise. Jets of water erupt from the left, and from the right, carrying Chika and Jad closer to the runaway train. The former contents herself with boarding one of the bulky transport cars, while the former closes in to wave to the Executive personally. The wind carries a knight at dangerous speeds nearby, and a howling windstorm tries to stop the train - but there's a lot of momentum, and while it's slowed for a moment it just keeps going. Still, it's enough to let others catch up a bit more quickly...

Jad gets an answering shout. "Sorry, whoever you are, but I've got a schedule to keep! Places to see, people to make late - so I'm staying on track!" He grins, and pulls the cord - and a whistle blast bellows out from the engine, sure to deafen the water mage and the Wind Knight.

And then the reckless ones arrive. Cure Passion lands with a slam on one car, yelling at Westar directly - and for a moment, a pang strikes him. "Morning's a great time to get up, and you know it! Besides, your stupid alarm clock is still keeping me up - come back to the mansion and turn it off already!" He folds his arms with a huff, glaring at his former comrade - and slams a fist down on the panel. "Or better yet - come all the way back to Labyrinth!" The car she's standing on opens abruptly, revealing seats she'll probably recognize - they're rigid and uniformly gray and square. Bit of a drop down to them, though...

The argument lasts long enough for Lera to deposit a pair of senshi, swiftly joined by a third - and everyone has a great many angry things to say to Westar. He looks from one to another to the next, and...makes a show of checking his watch. "That's what you get for letting your trains get run by cats - if this were a Labyrinth train, things wouldn't get this tangled this easily! If you really wanted to get to your exams, you'd have gotten up earlier anyway! And my name is not Westie - it's Westar! Denizen of Labyrinth, and faithful conductor for Lord Mobius!"

The entire train seems to rumble in answer - and hatches hiss open all over. Mechanical arms are ready to harry those who approach the cab, even as Westar starts shoveling heaps of fuel into the furnace to regain some lost speed. With a WHOOO! WHOOOOOOO!, the train surges forward even faster...

COMBAT: Westar has adjusted his boss levels. He is now ready to take on 8 opponents!

COMBAT: Westar has used WHOO! WHOOOO! on Fuu Hououji.
COMBAT: Westar has used WHOO! WHOOOO! on Jad Werke.
COMBAT: Westar has used Cry More! Wail More! on Sailor Moon.
COMBAT: Westar has used Cry More! Wail More! on Sailor Jupiter.
COMBAT: Westar has used Cry More! Wail More! on Sailor Venus.
COMBAT: Westar has used Cry More! Wail More! on Lera Camry.
COMBAT: Westar has used Cry More! Wail More! on Chika Aki.
COMBAT: Westar has used Miserable Morning on Cure Passion.
COMBAT: Westar has used Westar's Lending A Hand! on Westar.
COMBAT: Westar has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Westar accepts Westar's Westar's Lending A Hand!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Withstand applied to Westar! Cleanse! All of Westar's debuffs are cleared!
COMBAT: Cure Passion fails to brace Westar's Miserable Morning, taking 10 Fatigue damage! Cure Passion is Taunted!
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter narrowly braces Westar's Cry More! Wail More!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Sailor Jupiter's Block ability activates! Sailor Jupiter's Parry ability activates! Cripple, Diversion, and Exhausted applied to Sailor Jupiter!
COMBAT: Lera Camry narrowly braces Westar's Cry More! Wail More!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry's Block ability activates! Lera Camry's Parry ability activates!
COMBAT: Jad Werke fails to brace Westar's WHOO! WHOOOO!, taking 16 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji narrowly braces Westar's WHOO! WHOOOO!, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji's Block ability activates! Fuu Hououji's Parry ability activates! Stun applied to Fuu Hououji!
COMBAT: Sailor Venus narrowly dodges Westar's Cry More! Wail More!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Sailor Venus's Fade ability activates! Sailor Venus's Flash ability activates! Cripple applied to Sailor Venus!
COMBAT: Chika Aki fails to brace Westar's Cry More! Wail More!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Exhausted applied to Chika Aki!
COMBAT: Sailor Moon narrowly counters Westar's Cry More! Wail More!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Sailor Moon's Reverse ability activates! Sailor Moon's Tactician ability activates!
COMBAT: Sailor Moon's counterattack, Supersonic Train, Supersonic Misery, Supersonic Wailing!, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Westar!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Makoto crooks Lera a friendly, placative smile. "Hey, it's not your fault! You don't control the trains, Lera-chan!" Her smile fades. "Actually, I'm worried that there might be trouble down the--"

Then Westar happens. Then flight happens. Then Ground happens ("this might not be the best time to talk about this, yeah," she says). Then Lera happens, and Sailor Jupiter has to flail to keep her balance and not fall off the train, landing a *little* too close to the edge for comfort. Good thing Sailor Moon is here to tell Westar what for! And hey, is that--

"Sailor Venus!" Jupiter calls, grinning at her friend. She pulls herself upright, finally stabilized--just in time for Conductor Westar to look over their way and make a few smart-ass remarks that nonetheless strike close to home. She scowls and thrusts a finger at him. "Hey! The exams aren't on *yet*! Don't say such ominous things!!"

God, she really hopes nobody pulls anything like this the *actual* week of exams... And there's everything else going on in the magical world right now, too--Jupiter recognizes a couple of the other girls who'd come to help fight from that night with the Chevaliers. If some disaster happened, timed or untimed, all the study sessions in the world wouldn't save her then. Harried by these thoughts, and a lack of proper sleep, Sailor Jupiter nonetheless charges forward, jumping from car to car, before sliding in not *quite* as far as the front cab--instead, she attempts a solid kick against the fuel car with a loud shout, hoping to knock some of that coal(?) over and out.

...Would that even be effective? It *is* a monster, after all. Whatever!! It'd make her *feel* better, anyway! Those mechanical arms can just bring it on, if they think they can take her!

COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has used Jupiter Kick on Westar.

COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Westar narrowly dodges Sailor Jupiter's Jupiter Kick, taking 3 Fatigue damage! Sailor Jupiter is Psyched!

<Pose Tracker> Jad Werke [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

<Ground. Tell me - is there some previous history between your master and this... deplorable fellow that we should be aware of?> Schwartzritter asks, the gem on the back of Jad's right gauntlet flashing as Lera comes crashing down from above to land on the back of the locomotive. Sure LERA is too far away to make it out, but devices have their ways. <Just to make sure we're not interfering with some sort of honor match or something like that of course. Terribly rude to do such a thing.>

Jad himself gives a sort of 'ACK!' as one of the arms that sprouts from the train flails at him... and then there is a loud *KATHUNK* as he drifts too far away from the train and runs into an upright. Or maybe more of a *KATONG* because it's more of a sign than an upright. But regardless, THAT REALLY HURT. He tumbles for a moment, before sliding to a stop with a faint 'oooowwwwww' issuing up from his still form.

<That was quite graceful sir.> his device comments after a moment.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But we've still got a train to catch, and we're not going to do it laying around here!"

Jad levers himself back up and rockets forward again, the stream of water appearing under one foot as he leaps onto the rails. "We'll have to take the inside track to cut him off!" he tells his device, and they rocket forward - its taking more power to actually catch up with the West-Star-Express, but the mage manages it within a few moments. His water stream carries him past the train, and he grins and offers a quick wave to Cure Passion and Lera as he races by - and a few other girls he hasn't met yet, that's... interesting. He'll have to rectify that at some point.

"I'm going to try and rock the train - be careful - but hopefully this'll rattle whats-his-name around so you can get a good shot in!" Jad calls out, a magical circle on the back of one of his gloves amplifying his voice. And with that he streaks forward, shooting past Westar in the engine and giving him a wide arc.

Which means that Westar has a great view as Jad skims above one rail, the water he is riding on surging around for a moment and spinning into a circle above his right hand. And then Jad hurls that spinning vortex of water onto the tracks right in front of the oncoming train.

Generally this attack is used to launch things into the air and at something as a weapon. In this case however, Jad uses it to deliver a knock that will make the train skip for a moment, an event that should be... unsettling for the train. Who likes to be derailed, after all?

COMBAT: Jad Werke has used Geyser Launcher on Westar.

COMBAT: Jad Werke has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

"Sorry!" Lera yelps down to Sailor Moon. Then, she looks at Sailor Jupiter, and flashes her a quick grin. It doesn't last, though, as she looks irritated. "Nakewamekes can be pretty tough, y'know? But--oh! Jad!" Then, she looks at the Pretty Cure here. "Passion! We're here!"

<He comes from Labyrinth. Tough guy. Not too bright. Passion came from there too. She left.> Broken Ground transmits back to Schwartzritter. <Don't worry. Not some kind of duel.>

Lera's amber eyes turn to Westar, now that she has landed, and she shakes her head sharply. "You shouldn't make people late, Westie!" she yells, not budging on the name. (But not answering him either.) "And--and don't tell Passion that she should go back to Labyrinth! She isn't going to do that!"

She reaches over her back and pulls away her Intelligent Device. Broken Ground's hammerhead unfurls, the clockwork mechanisms unfolding with a click. The gem at their center flashes a brilliant color, before the girl swings it down. Light flows, gathering into the hammerhead.

She weathers the increased speed -- and she holds her ground, while the top of the train shakes under her. Her hammer sends out a burst of energy along the train's roof, erupting with spikes and flares of lava-like energy -- which rushes in a straight line towards the conductor's box (and the big data diamond at the front).

<Fault Siege!>

COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Fault Siege on Westar.

COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Cure Passion [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Cure Passion is definitely one of the reckless ones, up here on the train with nothing more than her ability to jump at the right time. She's fast, and she spots Chika and Jad early from her peripheral vision. But then she's shouting, taking out her feelings on this too-familiar train car.

"Of course it's a good time to get up when someone like you isn't wrecking things!" Passion snaps back, already gritting her teeth against his request. She glares right back at him, if anything with /more/ force than when she lived back at the mansion with him. ...And so she's so caught in glaring at him that she doesn't expect the panel to lower /her/ car. He makes his invitation--and Passion scrambles as she feels her footing give way, unable to hop out of the way in time.

She lands hard in the car itself, shaking her head and checking her surroundings. ...But what she sees she knows well. A strangled cry of panic slips past her lips as her eyes widen to see the car, and for a half-instant, she's certain that somehow he's sent her back. "I--I won't!"

She doesn't even finish standing up, unwilling even to /touch/ more of the car than she has to as she leaps upward and onto the next car, from which vantage point she can see the senshi, can see Lera, and others. She can hear Lera defending her. But... The presence of Sailor Venus and Sailor Jupiter, while she thinks about Labyrinth, does her nerves no favors. She takes off at a run towards the cab, but halts abrubtly another car up, staring up at Westar again. "I don't /want/ to go back to Labyrinth!" she calls out at him. "Turn the alarm off yourself! What do I have to go back to!? Mobius-sama... Mobius-sama already sent Northa after me once! And now I should go back--for you!?"

"You're an idiot! A moron! No one would want to be your comrade!" Her voice breaks, and she squeezes her eyes shut against it, leaping further upward. "Even when I was Eas, I couldn't stand you!"

She slams down towards the cab with her foot outstretched, striking with concrete-shattering force.

COMBAT: Cure Passion has used Passionate Descent on Westar.

COMBAT: Cure Passion has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Chika Aki [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

"Gaaah!"

Chika was way back at the rump-end of the cars, where her water burst landed her. When the train wobbles and picks up speed, those arms erupting out of it, she is caught off guard and knocked onto her back. It doesn't really sting, but it knocks the wind out of her lungs.

Its a moment before Chika lurches back to her feet, and starts to move her way up the train. What even /is/ this thing?! She might have fought a Nakewameke before, but that doesn't mean she really understands what they are. She starts to leap up the train, her movements a little slow and sluggish as she tries to get her breath back. "Stupid... train..." She starts to punch the train, digging her gauntleted hands in for purchase as she 'digs' her way up the train. Punch, pull, punch pull!

COMBAT: Chika Aki has used Metal Blitz Combo! on Westar.

COMBAT: Chika Aki has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Venus [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

When she hears her name called in a familiar voice, Sailor Venus turns in place to flash a winning smile and a peace sign towards Sailor Jupiter's direction, the gravity of the situation momentarily cast aside. "Good morning, Sailor Jupiter! It's been too long."

But Westar's words draw the sailor-suited Soldier of Love's attention again, and Venus' expression goes uncharacteristically grim. Labrynth and Mobius. She's getting /pretty sick/ of hearing those names, and it isn't even entirely Soular's fault. (It is absolutely entirely Soular's fault.)

But the attacking arms emerge before she can vocalize these feelings. Instead, it's "Watch out!" that Sailor Venus calls sharply towards her friends even as she herself springs into motion, narrowly avoiding having her block taken off! But with the speed of the train and the sheer number of attacking arms to contend with, she doesn't entirely avoid them all: even a glancing blow under these circumstances is enough to send her staggering back, narrowly managing to avoid toppling off the edge of the speeding train!

The look on her face suggests the surprise is going to take a moment to fully recover from. That could have ruined her day in a big way.

Sailor Venus does not yet react to Cure Passion's presence, though her words do not go unheard. She's already bringing her hands to bear as bright orange and gold energy begins to swirl into being around her, a steely-eyed gaze locked on Westar as he tries to add more fuel to the furnace. Oh no you /don't/!

"Venus Love-Me Chain -- BIND!"

COMBAT: Sailor Venus has used Love-Me Chain Bind on Westar.

COMBAT: Sailor Venus has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Westar narrowly counters Jad Werke's Geyser Launcher, taking 5 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Westar's counterattack, Full Steam Ahead!, partially gets through, doing 14 Fatigue damage to Jad Werke!
COMBAT: Westar perfectly braces Cure Passion's Passionate Descent, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Brace!
COMBAT: Westar narrowly dodges Lera Camry's Fault Siege, taking 10 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry is Psyched!
COMBAT: Westar narrowly braces Chika Aki's Metal Blitz Combo!, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

<SoundTracker> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHJe_Te8D5g

Unexpectedly- Sailor Venus shows up, "Venus-chan you made it!" And with only the smallest stumble, on a moving train that's impressive, "And such a graceful entrance too!" Admiration shines in her eyes. But Westar is calling out his answer... and hatches are opening up all over and the train is rumbling...

Sailor Moon shrieks, falling to all fours and clinging to the train in a desperate struggle to take hold- worried something is about to happen like the giant hammer the prior night. The jewels on her odango resonate but the train is /so loud/ that even supersonic waves might be lost in it. Noone sees the frames where she's really scared and wiping her eyes after right? But for some reason, that outburst keeps the misery from settling in.

Standing up tall and straight with only the slightest stumble, she spreads her stance to keep her moonboots dug in. She holds up a hand to lecture him, "Ha! Shows what you know underestimating cats! Because they've also sent Conductor Jupiter! And /she's/ strong enough to stop your train cold all by lonesome!"

In her mind's eye she imagines Chibi-Jupiter jumping in front of the train, grabbing it with both of her hands, jumping high in the air, and suplexing it. Somehow the train ends up perfectly upside down with X's over it's Nakewameke eyes rather than causing one of the biggest railway disasters in Japanese history, but that's Usagi's imagination for you.

"Since she's on the job, we'll make it back long before we'll ever have to worry about exams!"

But the argument between Cure Passion and Westar is turning nasty and- "P-Passion-chan isn't that a bit harsh? I mean..." She gives the other Sailor Senshi a nervous look, rubbing the nape of her neck, "...if he was really your old comrade- shouldn't you be telling him to- stop and hoping he will rather than tearing into him?"

In a way she's perhaps asking, 'Ixnay on the Easay so my comrades don't remember arkday ercuryMay.'

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has used In the tradition of Sabin... on Sailor Jupiter.

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter accepts Sailor Moon's In the tradition of Sabin..., taking 0 Fatigue damage!

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

The abrupt whistle blast catches the Wind Knight by surprise, right as she's about to try and set foot on the train's roof along with her allies. It has a couple of additional effects on her as well, as if surprise alone wasn't enough.

First off is the deafening - the Wind Knight's hearing just kind of goes away due to the extreme volume of the whistle at too-close range, leaving the archetypal ringing in her ears in place of all the noise of a monstrous train rampaging around the Tokyo rail lines, speeches and rebuttals and attack calls, and the general frenzy of combat. So you'll have to excuse her if she misses some important strategizing amongst her allies.

More critical right at the moment, though, is that the whistle more or less obliterates her focus - and the Magic Knight of Wind abruptly drops out of sight, the wind which *had* been boosting her latest leap abruptly dissipating.

It's actually kind of fortunate that Westar deploys all those arms; the Magic Knight of Wind manages - just barely - to grab hold of one of them, and scrambles up along its length as best she can while trying not to get hurled off into the distance. It also gives her a fairly good chance to try and size things up; if this Nakewameke depends at all on its actual *mechanisms*, then she's in a prime position to try and get a better look at something that might turn out to be a useful detail en route to better footing.

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Let Me Take A Look on Westar.

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Westar fails to dodge Sailor Venus's Love-Me Chain Bind, taking 21 Fatigue damage! Trap applied to Westar!
COMBAT: Westar fails to dodge Fuu Hououji's Let Me Take A Look, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Analysis performed by Fuu Hououji!

<Pose Tracker> Westar [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.

Westar happens.

Stations are flying past at remarkable speed. Even with extra unwanted passengers, even with harrying elements, the Misery Express is on a no-stop run.

There are some remarkable efforts, though. Jupiter slides past snatching arms to land a solid kick to the cars - a shockwave rippling through the metal to start dumping some of that high-density fuel it's carrying. (Just like in Labyrinth. High efficiency, low emissions, smells terrible.) Jad brings up a geyser of water to derail the train - but it smashes through the water with a loud WHOO, WHOOOO! - Westar's certainly enjoying that whistle.

Chika is met with mechanical arms - but frankly they're meant for lifting freight, not fighting Puella Magi, and so she's able to use them as purchase to fight her way forward. Lera is less constraint, raining fire and fury from the sky - the train puts on a burst of speed to keep diamond and conductor out of harm's way, but it still scores along the side. The man in question leans out, shaking a fist - and a second shake to the Senshi in the back. "I, WESTAR, had to wait with Soular for half an hour the other day! So there! And - we'll see if Jupiter is as tough as a cat, you, uh... Whatever! As for Eas..."

Eas - or Cure Passion - is getting along with Westar as well as ever. In return, Westar whirls around, silent for a moment as he just stares at Eas in fury, in sorrow, in... "Are you even listening to yourself?! You're still calling him Mobius-sama - don't pretend..." And then she interrupts with harsher words, descending on the cab in full fury...and has her foot caught by a muscular hand. "...you're lying. You're LYING!"

He's diverted for a momen - allowing the Wind Knight to catch up, and get a good look at the train. Shining gold chains spring forth at Venus's command, winding around the wheels, entangling the engine - but it keeps fighting forward, all the same. It's clearly struggling, now...

But Westar is furious. With a wordless shout, he hurls Cure Passion back - and one of the larger cars opens up to reveal the Heavy Freight Arms. One moves to intercept an airborne Passion, to snatch her in a crushing grip; another pair lunge out to snatch at the flying mages, Jad and Lera.

"TUNNELLLLLL!" The train gives fair warning that a tunnel is coming up - and the cars bulk up, to make it a very, very tight fit for anyone on top of the cars. A few of the stray bits sticking up shear off, and it's very very dark for a minute. Once the train emerges, who knows what's coming next...

COMBAT: Westar has used Extremely Low Clearance on Sailor Moon.

COMBAT: Westar has used Extremely Low Clearance on Sailor Jupiter.
COMBAT: Westar has used Extremely Low Clearance on Sailor Venus.
COMBAT: Westar has used Extremely Low Clearance on Chika Aki.
COMBAT: Westar has used Extremely Low Clearance on Fuu Hououji.
COMBAT: Westar has used Hands Full Of Misery on Cure Passion.
COMBAT: Westar has used Hands Full Of Misery on Lera Camry.
COMBAT: Westar has used Hands Full Of Misery on Jad Werke.
COMBAT: Westar has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Sailor Moon narrowly dodges Westar's Extremely Low Clearance, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Sailor Moon's Fade ability activates! Sailor Moon's Flash ability activates! Blind applied to Sailor Moon!
COMBAT: Jad Werke perfectly counters Westar's Hands Full Of Misery, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter!
COMBAT: Jad Werke's counterattack, Reverse Tide, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Westar!
COMBAT: Chika Aki narrowly dodges Westar's Extremely Low Clearance, taking 19 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter fails to dodge Westar's Extremely Low Clearance, taking 27 Fatigue damage! Blind applied to Sailor Jupiter!
COMBAT: Cure Passion narrowly braces Westar's Hands Full Of Misery, taking 13 Fatigue damage! Cure Passion's Block ability activates! Cure Passion's Parry ability activates! Trap applied to Cure Passion!
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji narrowly dodges Westar's Extremely Low Clearance, taking 12 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji's Fade ability activates! Fuu Hououji's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Lera Camry fails to counter Westar's Hands Full Of Misery, taking 37 Fatigue damage! Trap applied to Lera Camry!
COMBAT: Lera Camry's counterattack, Mantle Heart, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Westar!

<Pose Tracker> Chika Aki [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Chika was battering her way slowly up the train, making decent headway. A hand punched into a car here for purchase... Yanking on an arm that swings her way for more purchase... The dogged Puella Magi is starting to close in on the others, when... Tunnel!

She'd missed the warning in her focused efforts, and the first sign of the tunnel to her is when the cars start snugging together, and the looming dark wall ahead.

"Oh."

CRUNCH.

Chika had thrown herself backwards in an effort to avoid the clearance. She got caught by the wall, carried down a length of a car, and then she managed to wedge herself between two of the rail cars. Less by skill and more by getting rolled into it by the tunnel overhang. There is some definite wincing from the Puella Magi after that wild rolling ride into the tiny gap between the cars. She can't exactly swing a fist in here, and waits for the train to emerge before she crawls her bedraggled and bruised figure out from between the cars. That time waiting gave her plenty of opportunity to eyeball the train and the connections between the train for signs of weakness she might be able to exploit! And maybe get a better understanding of what this Nakewameke is.

COMBAT: Chika Aki has used Studious Examination on Westar.

COMBAT: Chika Aki has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Westar fails to dodge Chika Aki's Studious Examination, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Chika Aki is Psyched! Analysis performed by Chika Aki!
COMBAT: Sailor Venus narrowly braces Westar's Extremely Low Clearance, taking 10 Fatigue damage! Blind applied to Sailor Venus!

<Pose Tracker> Jad Werke [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

Well, that didn't work out as well as he might have wanted. But Jad wasn't expecting to stop this on his own. After all, why did you have friends if you weren't going to fight this sort of thing together with them? But still, it seems like there's something personal at stake for the Pretty Cure in red - not that Jad knows what it is. He just figures that things will work themselves out with a bit of time and effort.

Speaking of time and effort, the train suddenly is getting WAY TOO TOUCHY FEELY for Jad to be comfortable with. "Hands off! I'm not going to be touchy feely with some evil demon... train... motor... thing!" The blue haired mage pulls one hand back, several magical circles spinning around one hand as the arm swings towards him - and he snaps that fist forward, his hand meeting the huge oncoming one and knocking it away with a shower of water that creates a shimmering rainbow in the air for a moment before Jad kicks off the track and keeps moving.

One of the girls is attacking the train with some sort of chain of energy, and that seems like a great idea - Jad raises one hand, a spinning complex triangle forming there as he channels his magic into his own disruptive effort. Shimmering focusing triads appear around the train, and chains of water launch out, each of them trying to latch onto the side of the train and slow it down even more! Wester wants to go faster? JAD SAYS WESTAR NEEDS TO GO SLOW! As a bonus, Lera and the others who are getting swatted at can probably grab one of the chains and use it to keep from having an unfortunate and less than ideal meeting with the gravel train bed or one of the rails.

Out of spite, he also sends one chain to try and grab the chain for the train whistle and keep it out of Westar's grasp. ...which might make the whistle sound EVEN MORE but at least it's not Westar who's pulling it.

COMBAT: Jad Werke has used Tidal Bind on Westar.

COMBAT: Jad Werke has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Westar narrowly braces Jad Werke's Tidal Bind, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Jad Werke is Psyched! Tangle and Trap applied to Westar!

<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

<SoundTracker> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuxSiLMzkYA

Lera's eyes widen a little bit at Passion's words. They are more heated than she expected to hear out of her. She opens her mouth, as if to say something, and then clamps it closed again. "Passion..."

<Camry! Incoming!> Broken ground chimes. Lera turns her head, eyes widening, and then throws an open palm out for the hand. "Ground, stop it!" she yells.

<Mountain Aeg--> Before they can finish the spell, though, the claw smashes through the barrier she starts. The barrier shatters into spectral glass, before it clutches around her waist and roughly lifts her up. Lera yelps as she gets grabbed, then lifted up into the air. Her hand reaches out -- and she grabs for Jad's chain of energy, clutching on.

That stabilizes her, as she flips up into the air, and keeps her attached for a moment -- and swings Broken Ground down. She points the hammer downward -- and a magical circle swirls into existence, spinning rapidly. "We've got this! C'mon, Ground!"

She focuses -- and a ball of energy swirls into existence, thick strands of light forming and twisting into a sphere. Then, it flies down, like a ball of molten magma, straight towards the train below. It explodes in a fireball, and the back blast sends Lera flying up higher into the air, her grip on the chain lost.

Her flight spells kick in, and she hovers, then, before zipping back towards the train.

COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Magma Bomb on Westar.

COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Venus [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

It may be a good thing for Cure Passion that the train is moving //so fast// -- Sailor Venus barely has time to appreciate the way her chain strikes true before the train itself thoughtfully bellows a warning:

TUNNEL!

A quiet, frustrated 'tch!' is all that she vocalizes before she's in motion, already anticipating the problem. Sailor Venus keeps a tight grip on her end of the glowing chain so tightly entangled within the train's workings and goes sprinting not for the engine, but for the edge of the train as the tunnel comes bearing down too quickly on one of her allies: Sailor Jupiter.

It happens fast. Sailor Venus springs off the side of the side of the train and has just enough time to throw her arm around Jupiter's waist ("Got you!") before the chain goes taut, and the pair of senshi come up against the side of the train just in time for it to pass into the tunnel. Venus may be a great deal smaller than Jupiter, but it doesn't stop her from putting her own back between the brunette and the speedily-passing wall like a human shield, keeping her securely against the train until it's safe to return to the roof. What are friends for?

"That was too close," Venus says under her breath as she retakes her place atop the train. "And now I'm /mad/. Sailor Moon! Sailor Jupiter! Let's show this jerk what we're made of!"

Without waiting for a response, Venus is once again on the move, and as she calls out her intentions, she /does/ sound like she took that hit on Sailor Jupiter personally.

"ROLLING HEART VIBRATION!"

COMBAT: Sailor Venus has started a combo targeting Westar!

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

It certainly isn't the train's own warning shout that alerts the Magic Knight of Wind to the encroaching tunnel; rather, she sees it coming - literally, she's facing forwards when the train comes around a bend with the tunnel just ahead, and she scrambles to flatten herself against the train's roof ...

Only for her current spot to be one where the train bulges outwards in the process of bunching up. At least she doesn't get smacked right off the Nakewameke Express for her trouble - but it's a rather uncomfortable squeeze until they're out of the tunnel. It also gives her an opportunity to think through what she saw while she was climbing up the train's side and that arm. Whether this knowledge is going to do her any real good or not ... well, she'll have to figure that out on the run, so to speak.

At least her ears are working again, more or less. The Wind Knight gets back up to a crouch once the train is in the open again, weighing her options and glancing around at her allies, all of whom are looking somewhat the worse for wear at this point - but if any of them are in need of a Winds of Healing, it's not showing.

The Wind Knight's bow and quiver materialize, and she quickly nocks an arrow to the string, taking another look ahead of the train and gauging where they're likely to turn. The arrow is drawn back -

But she's not actually aiming at the train that everyone is currently on top of, at least in any means that makes sense. And given the headwind, loosing an arrow seems like it's not going to do a whole lot of good; it's more likely to just get blown away and go through a window or something as they pass ... right?

The arrow is loosed anyway, angled into the turbulence along the train's nearer side - and if the Magic Knight of Wind calculated her shot right, the wind will blow the arrow right into one of the openings from which the arms are extended. It may not do a great deal of direct damage, but sticking random objects into gears is a time-honored method of messing up machinery. (Admittedly, it also doesn't always work *that* conveniently ... but it may be worth the effort.)

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Trick Arrow Shot on Westar.

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

"I'm okay!" Jupiter calls back to Venus when she shouts her warning. Turning back toward her, however, pulls her attention in another certain direction.

Sailor Jupiter hadn't noticed Cure Passion at first, and so when Westar had gone on about her coming back to Labyrinth, she hadn't connected the dots at first--she was kind of busy flailing to not fall to her messy doom, and then yelling back at Westar for herself. But when *Lera* yells back at Westar about Passion and how she's not going to back to Labyrinth, it hits Sailor Jupiter all over again. Lera and Westar had been yelling at each other about Eas leaving Labyrinth before, during the Nakewameke battle at the mall. She turns towards Cure Passion, green eyes going wide--and then Passion herself confirms it.

"YOU were Eas? YOU?" she demands, hands balling into fists. She'd meant to follow up on that, ask Ami about it, but so much had been happening lately it'd completely slipped her mind, only for it to smack her right in the face all of a sudden, right here, right now. Don't think just because she forgot for a little while that she forgot about Dark Mercury, or about that Nakewameke one-on-one battle ages ago, Eas.

But still, as razor-sharp as her glare is right now, Sailor Jupiter does know where her priorities lie. It helps that Sailor Moon so cheerfully talks her up as Conductor Jupiter, and that with her here they'll be to school before they know it. Between her anger at Passion-Eas and the misery Westar instilled in her, she just smiles grimly at her friend--not exactly as inspiring as it would otherwise be--but it does help her focus.

Just in time for the Nakewameke to yell "TUNNEL!!" and Jupiter to turn around to get smacked right in the face, and upper body, by a whole lot of brick. WHAM, goes the Sailor Senshi, tumbling down several cars, eyes spinning. Sailor Venus, in an act of her typical quick thinking, saves her from falling off the train entirely by swinging down with her Love-Me Chain and catching Jupiter by the hand, letting both of them cling to the side of the train as they pass through the tunnel and giving Jupiter a moment to catch her breath, physically and mentally. If she'd been a regular human being, that definitely would have killed her. Because of that, she entirely misses Westar yelling back at Eas, sounding genuinely enraged and hurt.

When the two of them climb/crawl back up on top of the train, Jupiter gives Venus a somewhat hazy-eyed nod. "Thanks a lot," she says. "You really saved me back there." But hey, what *are* friends for, right?

Venus calls for a combination attack, and Jupiter nods decisively. "You got it!" She sucks in a breath as the lightning rod emerges from her tiara. "SUPREME..." she calls, crossing her arms in front of her, index and pinky fingers extended. A bolt of lightning crashes down onto it, then crackles onto her, just before she thrusts her arms out. "THUNDER!!" she calls, sending the lightning out to join with Venus's Rolling Heart Vibration.

COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has joined the combo started by Sailor Venus!

COMBAT: Westar perfectly counters Fuu Hououji's Trick Arrow Shot, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter!
COMBAT: Westar's counterattack, Full Steam Ahead!, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Fuu Hououji!
COMBAT: Westar narrowly braces Lera Camry's Magma Bomb, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry is Psyched!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

<SoundTracker> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXwf44YjpuU

As tough as a cat? That finger drops, and Sailor Moon looks at Westar like he sprouted another head, "Wait what? No I'm saying Jupiter-chan is that tough, not that cats- Oh forget it!" But Passion is making Westar pretty mad isn't she! And Jupiter is getting worked up and really Moon can't blame her- "H-Hey Jupiter-chan, maybe we should talk about that later..." She's tapping the tips of her pointer fingers together.

That anxiety that everyone might turn on Passion continues... but the cars are bunching up and suddenly there's a very cramped, very dark tunnel coming up! Turning around quickly, Sailor Moon scrambles backwards, falling part of the way, sliding towards the side of the car. Sliding over the side, a hand reaches out to nab the edge.

She makes it just in time, her other hand coming up to join that one, as she closes her eyes at the horrific screeching and sparks from pieces of the top of the train getting torn off. Leg's dangling, she kicks outward, then braces both of her legs against it, then flips back atop it, blonde odangos streaming behind her in the strobe effect of one tunnel light after another.

And in those lights- she notes that mad scramble to catch Jupiter and help her up, "Jupiter! Venus!" She scrambles that way as if she were going to help both of them back up, grip the chain if need be and pull with all of her might but they're already back up- "I shouldn't have worried!" Sailor Moon grins, "I mean when /hasn't/ Sailor Venus saved the day?" That's not actually a question where she's thinking about the answer.

She wouldn't want to think about that.

Venus is mad though! And so, when she calls for her attack, the three girls act as a unit. A hand moves to her tiara as she braces herself against the train. "Moon Tiara-"

It becomes alit with silver radiance that acts as a beacon within the tunnel. As soon as she hears the other two, she hurls it forward, "-ACTION!" It curves in an arc, intercepting the rolling heart/electrical combination on the way- and suddenly the edge of the Tiara is covered with spinning orange hearts and crackling with bright blue electricity.

It zooms forward, faster than the train, arcing over Westar's head- while Sailor Moon cups her hands over her mouth, "If you're going to be like this Westar- then I'll make you accept Jupiter-chan and Venus-chan's-" It then cuts downwards, towards the face of the Nakewameke sending hearts and arcs of electricity everywhere, "-electrifying lovestruck combination!"

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has joined the combo started by Sailor Venus!

COMBAT: COMBO! Sailor Venus, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Moon have used All-Star Senshi! on Westar.
COMBAT: Sailor Venus has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Westar fails to brace Sailor Venus, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Moon's Combo: All-Star Senshi!, taking 158 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!

<Pose Tracker> Cure Passion [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

<SoundTracker> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZMWszd5SRk

Despite Passion's interruption, Westar's first words do strike at her. She's still calling him Mobius-sama. But how can she do anything else? She throws out the rest of her words and kicks at him--

But she's caught, unable to break her heel free from her ex-comrade's grip, her ankle twisting painfully as she starts to fall. She doesn't have long to do it, though. In fury, Westar hurls her back, and Passion has no idea where she's going to land. By instinct as much as anything else, she crosses her arms over herself, braces for some impact, and thus when the Heavy Freight Arms catch her, she's almost ready for it. They grab and crush, and she grits her teeth, trying not to cry out as even through her defense they're mercilessly strong. After a few moments she wriggles free, and clangs against the metal of two cars behind her captor.

'P-Passion-chan isn't that a bit harsh?' Sailor Moon's words ring in Passion's mind as she recovers herself, along with Lera's voice. ...And Sailor Jupiter's question. They're all difficult, and while Passion couldn't look in the moment at Jupiter's glare, she can remember it all too well. As she gets to her feet she sounds tired--no, disheartened. "Yes, that was me," she answers her, and settles her gaze on Westar again.

"You--" She stops short, looking around, as she doesn't see Chika anymore, and she's largely behind the others. "Where's..." She hopes she didn't fall off.

She refocuses on her opponent. "Just--Just stop it already! I don't... I don't care what you think anyway!" she lies to Westar. She watches the attack come in...

And lunges forward, with a flurry of punches, kicks, and strikes on the heels of the others' attacks. "So call me a liar all you want! I'm still not going back!" She doesn't have a lot of heart in her words though.

COMBAT: Cure Passion has used Following Flurry on Westar.

COMBAT: Cure Passion has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Westar fails to dodge Cure Passion's Following Flurry, taking 22 Fatigue damage!

<Pose Tracker> Westar [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.

<SoundTracker> Wild Arms 3 - Crossfire Sequence - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNVQK3tuqsc

The train emerges into morning light once more, immediately blowing past another station full of frustrated commuters. Somehow, in all the commotion, the vehicle got onto a nice ocean-view line; for the foreseeable future, it's open track and a nice view of shining seas illuminated by dawn's light. Rosy hues are fading into blue even now, marking stark contrast against the black and yellow locomotive.

In the commotion of the tunnel, it's taken some damage. One heavy freight arm, reaching for Jad, was lost on the edge of the tunnel. The rearmost two cars have been shaken loose, trailing in its wake. Finally, all this battering is starting to shake the pistons loose a bit. But the engine is still strong, and steam is vented in a terrible whistle to celebrate the continuing trouble-

-up until shining chains make a point of ripping that piece in particular off. Chika can spy steam spewing from the new vent, drowning out Westar's angry shouting for a moment - but the sudden blast of steam redirects Fuu's trick shot to lodge between metal plates instead of the vital component she'd been targetting. For his part, Westar actually climbs up on the roof, and punches the incoming ball of magma in fury - and bereft of its toot-toot, the train lets out a miserable moan.

In all the arguing with mages and a certain Cure, though, he's forgotten about the Senshi entirely. Unified on the now-rearmost cart, they unleash beauty and courage and hope - a tiara winging through the air, embraced by orange and blue, to swing down at the train head-on - the vehicle in turn aiming to plow through it like it did everything else.

Everyone still on the train receives a ferocious jolt as it actually jumps the tracks from the impact - the roar of mechanical pain accompanied by a screech of metal on metal, sparks flying from derailed wheels. Cure Passion's words and fury exacerbate the situation, blow after blow hammering into the fuel supply - and the side of that car gives way, dumping the train's fuel entirely.

"Nakewameke! Get a hold of your-" Westar, having fallen back into the cab from the impact, is cut off as the train runs over a switch and the screeching just gets louder. "...Fine then! If you want to play it that way, 'Cure Passion', then you and all your friends can deal with this!" He reaches down, and pulls a big yellow lever.

And the screeching...stops. There's a series of ker-chunks, as all the cars decouple at once - the track switches causing them to spread out to the left and right. It's a wide tableau, and a great view...as the train jumps the tracks, intentionally. "TRANSFORM!"

It wheels around in the air, rear section separating to lock onto separate tracks as the front of the locomotive turns to face its pursuers. Steam hisses from the sides, pistons lunging out as it sweeps from left-to-right, peppering everyone in sight with locomotive strikes. "NAKEWAMEKEEEEEE!"

COMBAT: Westar has used Precision Piston Power on Cure Passion.

COMBAT: Westar has used Precision Piston Power on Sailor Moon.
COMBAT: Westar has used Precision Piston Power on Sailor Jupiter.
COMBAT: Westar has used Precision Piston Power on Fuu Hououji.
COMBAT: Westar has used Precision Piston Power on Sailor Venus.
COMBAT: Westar has used Precision Piston Power on Lera Camry.
COMBAT: Westar has used Precision Piston Power on Jad Werke.
COMBAT: Westar has used Precision Piston Power on Chika Aki.
COMBAT: Westar has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Chika Aki narrowly counters Westar's Precision Piston Power, taking 23 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Chika Aki's counterattack, MegaFist, partially gets through, doing 11 Fatigue damage to Westar! Critical Counterhit!
COMBAT: Jad Werke fails to brace Westar's Precision Piston Power, taking 21 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji fails to brace Westar's Precision Piston Power, taking 40 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter narrowly braces Westar's Precision Piston Power, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Sailor Jupiter's Block ability activates! Sailor Jupiter's Parry ability activates!
COMBAT: Cure Passion narrowly dodges Westar's Precision Piston Power, taking 13 Fatigue damage! Cure Passion's Fade ability activates!
COMBAT: Sailor Moon perfectly counters Westar's Precision Piston Power, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter! Sailor Moon's Reverse ability activates! Sailor Moon's Tactician ability activates!
COMBAT: Sailor Moon's counterattack, Spiralling Heart Rod, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Westar!
COMBAT: Sailor Venus narrowly dodges Westar's Precision Piston Power, taking 22 Fatigue damage! Sailor Venus's Fade ability activates! Sailor Venus's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Lera Camry perfectly braces Westar's Precision Piston Power, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Brace! Lera Camry's Block ability activates! Lera Camry's Parry ability activates!

<Pose Tracker> Chika Aki [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Chika crawls out of the gap between trains she'd hidden in when they scooted through the tunnel, a little too slow for Cure Passion to notice her. still on the train right away. She gets to her feet, looking forwards and starting to run to join the others.

The show put on by the Senshi has Chika looking on with something akin to awe as she sees the three magical girls working in tandem, like a fluid unit. It brings a little pang to her heart of longing, wishing for that same coordination... But Puella Magi just aren't like that. She heaves a little sigh, focusing her eyes back on the prize.

And thats when Westar pulls his leavor, causing the cars to decouple as the train pulls of the most elaborative locomotive maneuveurs; Multi-track-drifting! She watches the Nakewameke spin itself to land on two tracks. More importantly, she sees steam venting form it... And if there is steam...

She is disrupted from her trainheh) of thought by the pistons being fired at herself and others.

"No!"

Chika's vocal admonishment is met with her gauntlet swelling in size to that of a dumpster. Surprise! She throws her fist forwards, heaving it into the piston coming her way as it crunches into her first, denting the metal. She grimaces but carries through on the follow up, knocking that Piston away and at least giving a bit of tit for the tat she took.

Chika isn't much of a talker, but she looks to Cure Passion who she has wound up beside. "I don't know who this creep is, but lets stop this here!" She says encouragingly, before turning to look back at the train. Her gauntletted hands go out to her side, and then she starts to make throwing motions forwards. Every single one flings a long spear of water ahead of her, just a jet of dense H20 to be a nuisance. And you know what parts of trains don't like water; Coal deposits and steam lines! Anywhere she sees steam, or any chance she can to whip one by Westar at where he was shovelling, Chika is barraging the Nakewameke with an onslaught!

COMBAT: Chika Aki has used Water Barrage on Westar.

COMBAT: Chika Aki has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Jad Werke [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

The train comes screeching to a halt, transforming into a towering monstrosity of metal and giant fists. And as one of those fists comes swinging around, Jad looks at it for a moment and takes a moment to sigh.

"Oh fiddlesticks-"

There is a loud, metallic screech, followed by an almost comically loud *CHOOOOOOOOOOOOM* as the Loco-Motive strikes Jad head on with one of those fists. One moment the blue haired mage is standing there. The next moment he is just gone, with a faint contrail through the air detailing his flight path out and away from the scene of the fight.

...

Almost too far away from the fight to actually be seen, Jad is laying in a long track of torn up ground, with most of it piled up behind him from where he hit the ground, dug in, and skidded along until he finally came to a stop. For a moment he just lays there, his eyes in spinny circles as he lets out a dazed 'Orrrooooo @_@', taking a moment to collect his bearings. Finally he reaches up and grabs the edge of his small crater and pulls himself back up, raising one fist weakly and shaking it at Wester. "Barely... felt a... thing!" he shouts, despite the fact that he is way too far away for anyone to hear him. "Gonna have to-" and he falls over sideways.

"Schwartz. Boost please."

There is a surge of magic, and Jad pushes himself back up, streamers of water rising around him and flowing along his arms and legs as he focuses. "Dunno if we can get back in time, but we're gonna try! Let's go!"

And with that he takes off at full speed right back into the fight.

COMBAT: Jad Werke has used Strength of the Tides on Jad Werke.

COMBAT: Jad Werke has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Jad Werke accepts Jad Werke's Strength of the Tides, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Empower and Withstand applied to Jad Werke!

<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

"Sailor J-Jupiter, um--"

Lera starts to say something as she falls -- but first, the Sailor Senshi are moving in tandem, /and/ Sailor Moon suggests they talk about it later. She swallows, even while she watches the three of them strike. Her eyes widen a little at that.

She comes down, listening as Passion shouts. Her lips purse and she frowns, before she calls out: "Passion! You--you know it's fine! You know!"

<He's doing something!> Ground interjects. The train jumps the tracks -- and then pistons come flying and smashing in. Lera's amber eyes widen before she calls out: "Ground!"

<PROTECTION!>

A half-dozen circles of pale yellow light appear -- and the pistons that come for Lera smash into them instead. Sparks fly, exploding where steel strikes the energy barriers, but they hold them at bay. Lera grits her teeth, before she lifts upward. She glances down at Jad, for a moment. "You all right, down there?"

<Schwarz has the right idea. Boosting.> Broken Ground shimmers and light flows into Lera, giving her a brief golden glow.

COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Earth's Heart! Erupting Hope! on Lera Camry.

COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Lera Camry accepts Lera Camry's Earth's Heart! Erupting Hope!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Empower and Surge applied to Lera Camry!

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

Well, the Wind Knight thinks, it was sort of worth a try.

Her train of thought stops there as the train tilts precariously, knocked off the rails by the three-Sailor assault. The Magic Knight of Wind is still trying to retain her balance when Westar pulls the lever and calls loudly for the Nakewameke to transform; that's the point at which the Wind Knight just hunkers down and focuses on *not falling off*. The cars decouple; this could be a bad thing, especially if they all stay animated when physically separated from the Nakewameke's 'core,' but then it -

She's still trying to figure out how to describe what just happened (in terms that make some kind of sense beyond the immediate context, anyway) when she gets violently pistoned in the face and the breastplate. Her armor takes the impact far better than her glasses do; her hastily-conjured wind barrier *might* have prevented worse injury than that, but she already knows she's going to have to wear her backup pair at school today.

Oh yes, she also needs to get her breath back, since it was knocked out of her lungs just now. *THAT* takes priority for a couple of extra moments; once she can breathe semi-normally again, the Wind Knight dismisses her bow and quiver, willing her sword to materialize instead. While the ... giant robot form of the Nakewameke probably has a lot more weak points that could be capitalized upon, this kind of high-speed mobile encounter is not really good for archery - and, well, her glasses are cracked, which is going to mess up her aim even more. For now, she conjures a fresh tailwind and leaps at the Nakewa-mecha, shouting a kiai as she tries to cleave another opening in its 'armor' - damaging an existing joint would be fine, but if she can't get at one, she'll just settle for opening a new gash somewhere on its form.

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Sword Strike on Westar.

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Westar narrowly braces Chika Aki's Water Barrage, taking 9 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Westar fails to dodge Fuu Hououji's Sword Strike, taking 12 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Sailor Moon urges everyone to not deal with the Eas/Passion issue just yet, and Lera stammers out Jupiter's name, and Passion seems very upset besides, but even if no one had said anything, Sailor Jupiter *did* kind of just get clonged face-on by a brick tunnel ceiling. Considering that Passion's fighting Westar with everything she's got right now, Jupiter can overlook this for now--but she *will* be asking Usagi about this later, since she seems to know what all this is about.

For now: "We got it!" she cheers, pumping a fist when the Rolling Tiara Thunder impacts with the Nakewameke. "Great teamwork, Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus!" But then the train jolts hard, nearly bucking the Soldier of Protection off again. Eurgh, this is ticking her off! ...Even if it *was* Moon's, Venus's, and her combined magical might that caused it, and the Nakewameke's subsequent self-deconstruction, in the first place. Jupiter braces herself as the Nakewameke cars decouple, jump tracks, and then recombine into a separate train to glare at and strike at its magical girl opponents.

She grits her teeth and bears it, one arm up to protect her head and face, one hand still holding on. As the attacks pile on, she keeps her eyes keen for an opening--until--!

"There!" she shouts, jumping forward for one of those pistons. Her tiara rod still extended, electricity traces along all of her limbs, allowing her to 'skate' along the tracks like an ice skater on a frozen pond with grace and speed. It also allows her to grab tight hold of the transformed train, buck her knees down, and tilt her center of gravity back until she--and, potentially--the train itself--goes smashing backwards onto the tracks, lightning exploding in every which direction.

That's right. Sailor Jupiter just (tried to) suplex a train.

If it succeeds, static-electric magnetism should theoretically set the train right-side-up again afterwards so as to avoid it crashing horribly... or it might keep it too attached to the rails for Jupiter to pull it off at all.

COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has used Lightning Suplex on Westar.

COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Westar fails to dodge Sailor Jupiter's Lightning Suplex, taking 29 Fatigue damage! Sailor Jupiter is Psyched!

<Pose Tracker> Cure Passion [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Passion doesn't give another thought to how close she came to being lost with a gripping arm when the train caught hold of her moments ago, though it was very close. But she does jolt with the impact of jumping tracks, is off-balance for a couple of her strikes and barely catches herself with a kick to send herself in the right direction. The fuel supply drops off, and she lets out a set of breaths, looking up again at Westar after her flurry.

"It's over, Westar!" Passion shouts as Westar talks to his Nakewameke, but then he has one more trick up his sleeve. She blinks once, unsure of which answer to give or what to say at all--but suddenly the cars are in motion. "Deal with--"

'With what' is answered quickly, and Passion leaps, twirling mid-air as she manages almost to get out of the way of the pistons--it still hits her side, though not head-on, and she continues her spin until she hits down on the car next to Chika. Chika is pretty enouraging, though Passion can't quite smile at her, looking at her hesitantly instead. "...Right," she agrees.

Only then does she call back up and answer her girlfriend, "But..." She looks up at her, as she moves to check on Jad, as Ground's magic starts to boost her. She remembers their conversation about this. "I--I know!" she calls to Lera, more loudly.

But there's Jupiter, and they're all focusing on the monster, and not her. Passion elects to do the same. "I'm going on ahead," she says to Chika, and sprints for the edge of her car, leaping off of it towards the Nakewameke. She kicks once, and bounces, springing back to a car which she handsprings off of, giving her the momentum to reach Lera flying above--and she twists mid-air to kick off of her feet, somersaulting down and letting her momentum carry her straight into the Nakewameke's face as it comes back down.

COMBAT: Cure Passion has used Pinball Passion on Westar.

COMBAT: Cure Passion has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Venus [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

Okay, Sailor Venus reflects as she's sent flying off the back of the train. /Maybe/ that hit a little harder than they intended.

The senshi is able to awkwardly twist around in the air, almost like a cat, and manages a landing that is remarkably steady considering just how quickly she had to react and how loud the panicking voice in the back of her head had become. She briefly goes crosseyed and blows some hair out of her face, then refocuses her attention on the battle at hand...

...just in time to see Sailor Jupiter seize her opening. The sight actually causes her to momentarily freeze in surprise, blinking twice... and then her mouth parts for an absolutely /massive/, almost wolfish smile. "That's the way, Jupiter! Show that thing what you're made of!"

And then her eyes turn, at last, towards Passion. For a moment, her expression clouds... but then she raises her voice, pointing towards her with her shoulders square. "Don't let this jerk put a single doubt in your head!" she shouts, forcing the words out for her own benefit almost as much as Passion's. "You're fighting the good fight now, and... and that's all that matters!"

COMBAT: Sailor Venus has used Don't be afraid! on Cure Passion.

COMBAT: Sailor Venus has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

'Great Teamwork!' And immediately Sailor Moon is excited enough to think that maybe she needs to give them both an excited hand shake because /LOOK AT WHAT THEY DID!/ but she doesn't get time, the train emerges back into the light, though it's just after she adjusted to the dark, so the sudden shine is blinding. Squinting, she's nearly jolted off by the attack, only catching her tiara on its return in a backwards bunny hop, and placing it back to her brow.

But the train is jumping the tracks and Sailor Moon shrieks as she's thrown off- to land gracelessly on her butt on the platform besides the track. Sailor Moon takes a moment to rub her sore posterior, before realizing the shadow of the train is looming right over her. "Oh. F-From this angle you're much-"

Suddenly Pistons are lunging out, sweeping at her, "-BIGGERRRR!" She shrieks, and the Spiral Moon Heart Rod is in her hand. It's spinning in sparkling whorls all of her own. One piston strikes it creating a shower of sparks on impact, and sends her stumbling to the side from the massive force, trailing glittering stardust. The impacts are coming faster and faster and it's taking all she can to keep up with it simply by flourishing her rod to defend against strike.

Moon stumbles this way from strike, only to be sent back that way- it looks like she's really getting hammered, but eventually she wends her way out of the labyrinth of pounding pistons and is still forced to keep running after the thing! "Huh-Hey stop! Don't throw us off then make us chase you! It's too early in the day for us to have to run track!" She whines as if she were being thrust into PE class early. Sweat pours off her brow as her chest heaves with each ragged breath as she runs forward.

Placing a hand to the Cosmic Heart Compact, it begins to shine with pink light, a pinwheel of radiance which flows down into the rod. "Moon Sparkling-" She points it straight at the Nakewameke, "-SENSATION!" Stream after stream of gleaming pink and silver curl around and attempt to crash into it like a starburst shower of light.

But then she stops, and has to gape in awe because, "J-Jupiter-chan actually-" Sailor Moon shifts her rod to the side in her hands in order to applaud excitably, clapping over and over and over- "JUPITER!" -then with one final clap, she clasps her hands together over the rod and leaps in the air like was a cheerleader responding to an Ace player making an incredible play, "We're gonna win and you know why?" Upon landing she thrusts a hand in her air, "Because we've got the strongest on our side! Go Jupiter!"

She was just so proud, she told Westar earlier that Jupiter would /do the thing/ and then Jupiter /did the thing so well/!

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has used Moon Sparkling Sensation on Westar.

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Westar narrowly braces Sailor Moon's Moon Sparkling Sensation, taking 22 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
COMBAT: Westar fails to brace Cure Passion's Pinball Passion, taking 33 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Cure Passion accepts Sailor Venus's Don't be afraid!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cure Passion is Cheered!

<Pose Tracker> Westar [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.

Some distance down the track - still a fair distance away, though perhaps not as far as one might hope - there's a small trainyard for the trains that have been pulled off the line due to the ongoing rampage. Once things are cleared up, they should be able to return to the noble duty of helping people get to work and school...

...as long as this battle is finished before Westar's runaway Nakewameke Express gets there. There isn't much time!

Jad and Lera are hammered by the train's barrage, and put out of sight long enough for Westar to put them out of mind - at least for the immediate moment. Spears of water lance out from Chika, almost as biting as the 'creep' insult, and every jet hisses against increasingly hot metal. In the veil of mist, Fuu lunges in unexpectedly close, and her sword catches a seam in the armor plating. There's no immediate reaction - until there's a blast of steam, and Westar yells in surprise.

And then, out of the mist, a spark of lightning, and the locomotive lifts unexpectedly. Those piston arms flail in surprise as it flips in the air - and smashes into the tracks, diamond first.

Yes, Sailor Jupiter just suplexed a train.

Momentum is a powerful thing, and so it recovers in short order - bouncing back upright, about to get back onto the tracks - just in time for Cure Passion to kick it in the face with almost as much force. It lands on the rails with a horrific metal screech, and sparkling stardust elicits a hiss of evil being purified while driving it further back.

"Nakewameke!" Thrown from the car by that flurry of impacts, Westar shouts from his koala-like perch clinging to a nearby tree - sorrowfully bereft of his hat. "Enough playing around - time to get back on schedule!"

There's a loud toot - steam venting in the absence of a whistle - and the front wheels, held in the air by an awkward stance, start spinning wildly. It leaps one last time, righting itself on the rails...and barrelling forward with alarming speed to meet its pursuers head-on!

COMBAT: Westar has used Runaway Train on Sailor Venus.

COMBAT: Westar has used Runaway Train on Sailor Jupiter.
COMBAT: Westar has used Runaway Train on Fuu Hououji.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Westar has used Nakewameke Rampage on Sailor Moon.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Westar has used Nakewameke Rampage on Chika Aki.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Westar has used Nakewameke Rampage on Cure Passion.
COMBAT: Westar has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Cure Passion narrowly braces Westar's Finisher, Nakewameke Rampage, taking 30 Fatigue damage! Cure Passion's Block ability activates! Cure Passion's Parry ability activates!
COMBAT: Chika Aki narrowly braces Westar's Finisher, Nakewameke Rampage, taking 30 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
COMBAT: Sailor Moon narrowly dodges Westar's Finisher, Nakewameke Rampage, taking 31 Fatigue damage! Sailor Moon's Fade ability activates! Sailor Moon's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji narrowly dodges Westar's Runaway Train, taking 21 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji's Fade ability activates! Fuu Hououji's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter fails to dodge Westar's Runaway Train, taking 28 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Sailor Venus fails to dodge Westar's Runaway Train, taking 36 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!

<Pose Tracker> Jad Werke [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

Jad continues to run towards the fight as fast as he can. With his device reinforcing his body, that means he can run... much faster than someone might expect, as the water flowing along his limbs contributing some additional force to each movement. Which means he gets back fast enough to find out that there's... actually a lot still going on.

To be accurate, Westar is unleashing the fury of his monster on the gathered magical girls. It's roaring forward at high speed, and that means only one thing.

It's a CHALLENGE. And Jad is totally going to meet it head on.

The blue haired mage comes roaring out of the distance and races back into the fight, moving so that he's directly in the path of the oncoming train. He lands on the ground, blue energy surging down into the ground for a moment before it pushes back against him... and sends the mage flying straight at the front of the locomotive!

"Schwartz, FULL POWER!" he shouts, pulling one arm back. All of the water moving along his limbs flows into a spiraling torrent, which gathers right at the front of his fist. And he soars through the air, aiming right at the EVIL LOOKING FACE of the scary demon train thing. Really he's not left a lot of consideration for... dodging. Or how he's going to land, really. It's all going towards just slamming into the oncoming train.

Punching it really.

Really.

Hard.

Jad grins, and shouts, "TORRENT! ERRRRRRRUPTION!" His fist lashes forwards, the orb of water in front of his knuckles compressing into a small point, and he discharges all of his accumulated water magic into a single, focused line right at the devil engine thing.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Jad Werke has used Torrent Eruption on Westar.

COMBAT: Jad Werke has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Chika Aki [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Chika finishes throwing her blasts of water, panting lightly from the exertion. But when she sees what Westar and the Nakewameke are doing, she doesn't shy from the incoming train. No, Chika braces her footing on the car that she is on with Cure Passion, and brings her gauntleted hands out in front of her to CATCH the train!

"Don't let him push us around! We can do this!" She is trying to be encouraging, but well... Chika is sorely unpracticed when it comes to working in a group. She aspires to be a team-player, but its a work in progress!

Her hands grip the front of Mecha-Train Nakewameke, and thats about the last time she has any real control over her position. She gets carried along with the rampaging train, legs and feet dangling and scraping against the ground before she is knocked off to one side. She tumbles onto her side, rolling and flopping back into a seated position with a wince. Bruised, dinged, and more then a little sore she staggers to her feet and looks down the tracks at the departing train leaving her behind.

"Oh no.... no you don't..." The battered Puella Magi says with a tired frown, moving out onto the tracks and standing in a straight line behind the train. "C-clear a shot!" She calls in warning to the other Magical girls.

Chika reaches her hands out to either side of her as water starts to coalesce from her gauntlets into each hand. The forming water creates a skim over both gauntlets as Chika takes a broad stance, bracing her booted feet against the struts holding the track. "Twin... Spiral.... GEYSER!" her voice rings out, louder and clearer then it almost ever is.

She places her hands in front of her as a torrent of water erupts from her hands, two swirling vortexes chasing after the train and closing in on it. And with the train going away from her, it gives her a clear shot right into the cab where Westar used to be... and hopefully, into the furnace fueling the train. Quench it!

COMBAT: FINISHER! Chika Aki has used Twin Spiral Geyser! on Westar.

COMBAT: Chika Aki has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

Lera isn't too surprised when Passion kicks off her feet. She gives her a little boost, to kick her back towards the Nakewameke. The girl looks down, then, staring at the mecha.

And the suplexing.

She watches Chika and Jad lay into it. The Midchildan swings Broken Ground up in front of her and focuses. Motes of light begin to pull into the hammerhead, as it opens up. They gather, swirling around it, and the gem in the center of the clockwork hammer glows brighter and brighter. Then, she swings it down.

A magical circle appears under feet, spinning around rapidly. Then, the motes of light all rush outward. They shoot and dart over the surroundings, weaving in towards the train cars, before they collide with it in a final, titanic explosion.

<Bombadier Cascade!>

COMBAT: FINISHER! Lera Camry has used Bombadier Cascade on Westar.

COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Westar fails to brace Jad Werke's Finisher, Torrent Eruption, taking 102 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Westar fails to brace Chika Aki's Finisher, Twin Spiral Geyser!, taking 51 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Westar narrowly braces Lera Camry's Finisher, Bombadier Cascade, taking 43 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Venus [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

If only Sailor Venus' inner turmoil over offering Cure Passion those words of encouragement hadn't been so distracting. As it is, when her eyes snap back towards the runaway train, they do so a split-second too late.

The Nakewameke plows directly into the distracted Soldier of Love, who lets out a sharp cry of mingled pain and surprise as she's sent /flying/ off of the tracks. She hits the ground some distance away, and it takes a moment for her to actually skid to a halt.

The good news is, although that definitely hurt, it didn't hurt /enough/. Sailor Venus rolls first to her stomach, gritting her teeth, then slowly pushes herself back up to her feet. She staggers, her eyes flashing, and doesn't even bother with a clever wind-up, or masking the lingering pain in her voice as orange-gold chains once again swirl and flash into being around her extended fingertip.

"VENUS... LOVE-ME... CHAIN..!!"

COMBAT: FINISHER! Sailor Venus has used Venus Love-Me Chain on Westar.

COMBAT: Sailor Venus has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

The biggest problem with getting in close to something that you could normally ride inside of is that when it makes a sudden move, getting out of the way is *very* difficult.

Fortunately, the Wind Knight manages not to get totally crushed; she gets buffeted rather badly, but she manages to come out ofi t still on her feet, even though the Nakewameke is STILL bearing down on several of her allies with even more force than she had to survive. There's really no time for fine strategizing or support magic at this point - all she can do is pour everything she's got into one final attack, and hope that their combined efforts finally put the brakes on the Nakewameke's disruptions of the morning commute.

"EMERALD ... *CYCLONE!!!*" shouts the Magic Knight of Wind, drawing her arms up and back, then flinging her hands forward as though gathering up the wind itself and hurling it at the monster. There's a reason why trains get halted in anticipation of a typhoon - a mundane crosswind of sufficient force can derail a train, and stronger winds can actually hurl the cars around like an angry child with a toy train set. With the Magic Knight's power infusing the Emerald Cyclone, though, the wrath of the gale is even more destructive; she's not trying to scatter the cars which constitute the Nakewameke, so much as to rip the monster apart and shatter the Data Diamond which acts as the Nakewameke's core.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Fuu Hououji has used Emerald Cyclone: Full on Westar.

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

There's nothing quite like the satisfaction of suplexing an enemy that's much, much bigger than you. It's even better when it's an actual /train/. Just call her Conductor Jupiter!

This is underscored by Venus grinnin' like a villain, cheering her on directly, and Sailor Moon all but clapping with glee at Jupiter's feat of strength, cheering her on by bragging about her to Westar. Jupiter can't help but grin back, taking a moment to flex an arm and clap a hand over her bicep. Rosie the Riveter pose, go!

"We've just got a little left to, everyone!" she calls, leaping back down the tracks as the train Nakweameke rights itself. "Let's give this thing everything we've got--" She points a finger over at Westar, clinging as he is to a tree, bereft of his conductor's hat. "And send that jerk packing!!"

But Westar's not done yet. When he orders his Nakewameke to get back on schedule, Jupiter steels herself to take any new attack head-on--but no matter how you slice it, it's just a bad idea to try to tank a train. This occurs to her at the last second, and she attempts to throw herself clear, but too little, too late; it clips her hard, sending her ramming down into the ground to eat dirt. She coughs and spits and grounds, pushing herself back upright. *That's* going to leave a nasty bruise... She's already got a bad collection from Vita last night, too.

Maybe she *should* just call off sick today.

For now, though, like she said, there's still that one last push to go. She takes a deep breath, channeling the air and ozone into her body. The lightning rod from her tiara is still extended, miraculously unbent. "This is it, Westar," she announces, bending her arms back so her elbows are perpendicular to her waist. "We won't let you rampage as you please any longer!" Her green eyes snap open, narrowed and deadly, as lightning snaps, crackles and pops around her antenna. "For the sake of everyone's morning commute--Sailor Jupiter will fill you with so much regret, it'll leave you numb!!"

With a roar, she claps her electrified hands together, then pulls them apart, bolts of lightning crackling with audible heat between them. She pulls both her hands back as she turns to the right, pressing the power together like an onigiri--and then she pitches it, hard and fierce, at the Nakewameke.

"SPARKLING! WIDE PRESSUUUUURE!!"

Upon impact, if it strikes true, it will explode with far greater force than its football-sized shape would imply.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Sailor Jupiter has used Sparkling Wide Pressure on Westar.

COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

<SoundTracker> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbPztpB7keA

Back on schedule? "Oh so you're giving up so everyone can go about their day? Wise decision!" But then there's a loud toot, and Sailor Moon puts her hand over her ears as she cringes and- when she looks back in front of her the train has righted itself and it's barelling straight- towards her.

Needless to say, Sailor Moon is terrified. Her scream is easily the equal of the toot, and as she leaps out of the way, she's still brushed by the side of the locomotive that knocks her far- far away from the tracks and upon impact, she rolls further. It looks bad for a moment, like it knocked her out, but after a few seconds she rolls over with a groan, then puts her hands underneath her to pull herself up on trembling limbs.

She's far enough away, that her words might not be heard- but then again they might, "We're all just trying to get on with our lives." Almost to her feet, "Why do you have to- keep preventing us from moving on?" And then upon her feet, "Why do you have to ruin everyone's day? Well-"

Up on her feet, she holds the Spiral Moon Heart Rod high over her head, determination filling her with Jupiter's statement. Every part of her might hurt but- "-we're not going to allow it any longer." Look into it, and it's a window into eternity, past the clouds, past the heavens, a glimpse of the Silver Millenium with it's majestic minarets and spires, timeless and sleep. But then just as quickly it draws one back, to simply a girl- no a Sailor Senshi, holding the rod high as light leaks out of the tiny heart window.

It becomes a flourishing dance from side to side, spinning it in whorls of light- for all of her clumsiness, the dance would make any prima ballerina proud in its grace, as if that grace itself were part of the spell. Holding it alongside herself she begins to twirl, slowly at first, "MOOOONNNNNNNNN SPIRALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL-" Faster and faster she spins, her twintails like blonde ribbons twirling in their own rhythm as she went, like the ends were slightly slower than the rest of her, "-HEEEEARRRTTTTTTTTTTTTTT-"

And then she tucks in, ending in a kneel like a gymnast at the finale of a floor routine. "-ATTACK!"

Raised high, it becomes a galaxy pinwheel of light, between each sparkling trail of stars are smaller rivers of hearts. Hearts upon hearts- that join into one heart of tremendous size, incredible loveliness- she sends it crashing towards the train Nakewameke.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Sailor Moon has used Moon Spiral Heart Attack! on Westar.

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Cure Passion [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Passion lands nimbly on the train car she was riding before after her assault, nodding to Chika at what she says as she does--but stops altogether short when she sees /Venus/ looking at her. Immediately she expects to hear some remonstration, some note that it isn't over, and that they'll be talking about this later, but instead...

Her eyes widen at Venus's encouragement, and she can't help but put on a brief, tiny smile towards the more experienced magical girl before her. There's no time for it to last, and those doubts don't chase away so easily as all that...

But it helps. It helps right when it might be needed most, as Westar delivers his next set of orders. It lunges forward, and Passion crosses her arms before herself in defense, as the train slams into her and she just... takes it, for all that it batters her arms and sends her skidding backwards and wrecks the car she was on that Chika no longer is. She lowers her arms, body aching, emotionally wounded, and looks at everyone else fighting so hard against the Nakewameke.

She can't fail to do something. Even after everything...

A little red key-fairy springs into existence around her, ribboned and cheerfully trilling. "...Right, Akarun." Stretching out her hand, there's a musical tone as a heart-shaped heart appears in her hand. In her other hand, raised to the sky, there's a brilliant glow--until it coalesces into a jewel that she slips into the top of the harp. "Sing, O rhapsody of happiness! Passion Harp!" She begins to play a string of notes, ascending plucks of the strings, and there's a flash of red light. "Roar, storm of happiness!"

White feathers surround her, the entire traincar she's on, rising from beneath her in a torrent as she sets her feet. "Pretty Cure! Happiness... Hurricane!"

Waves of red, purple, and pink energy begins to spiral upward and around her, all arranged in gigantic hearts as she twirls in place, spinning faster and faster and faster until they all burst towards the Nakewameke.

It's briefly as if it's submerged, and all these hearts--one big one surounding it--are the bubbles. "Haaaaah--!"

Her spin stops, and Cure Passion channels her magic with all her might, holding the harp before her and waving it in place until her magic explodes in purifying light.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Cure Passion has used Pretty Cure Happiness Hurricane on Westar.

COMBAT: Cure Passion has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Westar narrowly braces Sailor Venus's Finisher, Venus Love-Me Chain, taking 40 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Westar narrowly braces Fuu Hououji's Finisher, Emerald Cyclone: Full, taking 31 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Westar fails to brace Sailor Jupiter's Finisher, Sparkling Wide Pressure, taking 166 Fatigue damage! Westar is unable to keep fighting!
COMBAT: Westar fails to brace Sailor Moon's Finisher, Moon Spiral Heart Attack!, taking 319 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Westar is unable to keep fighting!
COMBAT: Westar fails to brace Cure Passion's Finisher, Pretty Cure Happiness Hurricane, taking 143 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Westar is unable to keep fighting!

<Pose Tracker> Westar [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.

A runaway train, now barrelling back the way it came, and plowing through whatever it finds along the way. If it gets away, then this miserable morning will continue...but that's a big if.

The Device-wielding mages, forgotten for a few moments, interrupt the escaping locomotive with elemental force. Jad gathers water into a head-on collision, and there's a loud hiss as it smashes into the torrent full on. Metal screeches as the wheels spin faster than the train is actually going, as it drives forward - and then that power is undercut by spiraling water plowing into the depleted furnace. Motes of light whirl around before bearing down on it in a cascade of destruction...

chugga chugga chugga

From the explosion of water and steam and light, the train emerges - that robotic face looking furious as it somehow keeps going. It's still heading back to that tunnel, and then who knows where - before golden chains catch it, pinning it in place. A howling windstorm aids in this endeavour, holding it in place however hard the engine might strain - and then a sparkling orb of light and lightning homes in on the eye of the storm, shocking the mechanical monstrosity enough that that driving engine goes almost completely still. It sizzles, a moment-

And then there is light. From the left, in memorial to a fallen kingdom, a veritable galaxy of hearts streams forth. From the right, a hurricane of happiness sings a song of redemption. The two streams intertwine, engulfing the monstrous train entirely in a storm of pink and crimson that billows outward over the area.

...fizzle...

Where the whirling hearts pass, damage to the tracks is set right. Where happiness and majesty shine, those Labyrinth-esque traincars evaporate into nothingness. Where they pass over a tree, there's a yelp, crash, and a few moments later a splash as Westar is blown from his perch all the way into the ocean.

Where that runaway train was, there rests a toy locomotive, on its side between the tracks.

In the wake of battle's end, there is a distant cheer - the next station isn't that far off from here, and its frustrated patrons were more than happy to see this rampage put to an end. (There may even be a few cellphone videos!) As the morning sun rises higher in the sky, the victorious heroines are treated to a round of impromptu applause and cheering.

Eventually, the trains get back on the tracks. Eventually, class and work beckon. And eventually, perhaps seen and heard by a handful here, Westar gets back to shore.

"...I'm gonna be so late for class, now..." And without even pausing to taunt those who have beaten him, Westar runs off, dripping.

<Pose Tracker> Chika Aki [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Chika flumps down onto her knees on the track, watching her attack depart into the train, and the veritable cacophony of kaleidoscopic colors, chains, eruptions, explosions, and all fun and sundry attacks.

She stays on the tracks with her gauntletted hands moving to fold in front of her, watching as the train is reverted to toy train sized. She relaxes now that she can, the distant cheering bringing a soft smile to her lips, much the same as the one she wears when she looks over the Sailor Girls. She looks down at herself, battered and uniform tore up a bit. But its the soul gem on her chest, the bright cyan shot through with inky blackness that swirls threateningly that has her heave a soft sigh. She rises to her feet slowly, and looks about to get her bearings. Quietly, she sets off in the direction of Tokyo Bay.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Everyone's attacks assault the Nakewameke, until it's little more than a puff of smoke amidst effervescent fizzy bubbles. Sailor Jupiter straightens from her stance and looks around, but Westar's already beating a hasty exit. More importantly, the people at the upcoming station are clapping and cheering, and Jupiter grins bashfully at their adulation. Still, she waves to them, then turns to Venus and Moon. Her gaze pauses on Passion and Lera, but... No, this isn't the time or place.

"So... skip school today?" she murmurs to her fellow Sailor Senshi. Either way, she's definitely not inclined to head out again after reaching her apartment... The hassle of calling out without a guardian will be worth it.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

And after it's all done and there's only a toy train, Sailor Moon falls over flat on her face. But it's not like she's not alright, because as soon as Jupiter asks that- she sticks up a hand from her prone position, "Haiiiiii!"

<Pose Tracker> Jad Werke [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

Jad punched the train! And it did some damage, but that doesn't mean he somehow made the train weight less than it did.

And thus he comes to a stop a modest distance away from the battle again, this time without having cut another furrow in the earth. But he did skid again, and there is a faint layer of dew on the ground around him from where the last of his magic had faded away. And so he looks up in the air for a moment.

And grins.

"Well, that was certainly interesting. Now I just gotta..."

<Not move. You need to recover your energy.> his device notes.

"...or do that instead, yes that is good."

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

And thus ends another Nakewameke's rampage. The Magic Knight of Wind checks herself, making sure her footing is stable; then she looks about to see who among her allies may need help. A hand getting back to one's feet, a healing spell to mend serious injuries ... she's still aware that she needs to get to her school in as timely a manner as she can, but the Wind Knight doesn't like to abandon her allies, during or after a battle. Certainly, some of them will want to leave all the faster - maybe to protect their identities, maybe just because they don't want to feel obligated, maybe for reasons more personal than either of those guesses. Those who can linger, though, will be offered a Winds of Healing - and whether any individual warrior accepts or declines, the green-clad Magic Knight simply smiles and nods in acknowledgement, before casting the restorative spell or moving on.

The Wind Knight eventually sets out on her way as well, no longer in the desperate hurry she displayed while trying to intercept the Nakewameke to begin with, able to take more caution in her travels, perhaps even to enjoy them. Certainly she can stop and work some healing magic on herself, somewhere en route back to Tama.

With quite a bit of luck, Fuu might actually have time for a nap before classes get off to a belated start. Seh's not depending on that, though.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Venus [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

With the way that Sailor Venus sways unsteadily on her feet, the fact that the response she gives Sailor Jupiter is probably no surprise. She gives a slightly wobbly-voiced "Haiiiiii~" in perfect harmony with Sailor Moon, sounding precisely as exhausted as one might expect from a girl who just got hit by a train.

<Pose Tracker> Cure Passion [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Passion breathes a sigh of relief when the train is gone--when /that/ train, too familiar, is gone. She glances towards the heart of the diamond, spots the toy... But that's all for the moment. Well, all until there's applause.

Passion blinks, altogether surprised and a little shy at the attention, hesitating before she just looks firmly away from the crowd with a faint redness to her cheeks.

They probably don't mean her, anyway.

She gets to thus watch Chika leave, and more t othe point, sees Jupiter looking at her. She glances to Jad, but sees him breathing, watches Fuu go. She refuses healing. Instead...

The senshi are so...

"I..." She hesitates, "I don't think I'm going to school, either."

<Pose Tracker> Jad Werke [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

Jad thrusts a fist into the air in solidarity with the red and pink one!

"Thaaaat sounds like a great idea because I just hit a train and the TRAIN HIT BACK. And I think I feel a little discombobulated."

It's amazing that he knows that word. It's even more amazing that he's using it correctly, but Jad's probably been waiting for a chance to do this. "But he does roll his head to the side and looks at Passion for a moment, and raises an eyebrow. She did seem friendly with Lera, but... was it really his place to comment?

Perhaps when he was more combobulated.