2017-02-03 - The Hole In The Sky (Christmas 2014)
| The Hole In The Sky | |
|---|---|
| Summary: It's Christmas. Santa Claus needs saving. It's go time, girls. | |
| Who: Kasagami Araki, Setsuna Higashi, Steven Universe, Akemi Kimura, Iona Hikawa, Makoto Kino, Kuniko Saito, Lera Camry, Garnet, Fuu Hououji, Hikaru Shidou, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Saki Hyuuga GM: Utena Tenjou | |
| Where: Above Tokyo, mostly | |
| OOC - IC Date: 02-03-2017 - 12-25-2014 | |
<Pose Tracker> Utena Tenjou [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed. <SoundTracker> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlqI_lAkIfM
Something a little bit magical happens in that witching hour between Christmas Eve and Christmas; families separated by the major winter storm are able to get in touch with each other, lonely people receive surprising gifts, and joy finds its way into the heart of Tokyo, there to dwell and thrive.
It is a very merry Christmas, the next day, though it's still too cold to go outside for more than a few minutes, and the trains aren't running yet.
Magical girls find a special present under their tree or pillow or purse -- a golden scroll, wrapped with a crimson ribbon, and inscribed with handwritten black text that packs jolly into every flourish. It appears to be an invitation -- or perhaps a cry for help.
And now it's the appointed time and place -- ten o'clock at night, late enough that most of the festivities are over, but very much still Christmas. That clock hasn't run out quite yet. Shiba Park lies at the base of Tokyo Tower, which is gloriously illuminated in red and green for the occasion.
Not that it's particularly easy to see, because -- in full-scale defiance of the goodwill and cheer suffusing the city -- the winter storm is howling harder than ever. The sky is black, but who can see it with all the blinding, bitter, razor whiteness soaring through the air?
As the magical girls arrive in force, though, that waiting sky opens up further, with a momumental KRAKOOM. Eight bolts of lightning arc plunge fiercely to the ground, where they... stick. Somehow, conditions are so cold, and so warped, that they've frozen instantly upon arrival from the heavens, skinny, forked golden pillars that stretch so high they can't even be seen, and terminate in--
--there's something at the bottom of each one. Eight massive figures, taller than a girl and wider too. Dimly beneath the ice one can make out four legs rather than two. They also have forked pillars... emenating up, not down.
Squinting very carefully, one can make out names on their beautifully jingle belled collars, like 'Prancer' and 'Comet'.
Trapped in the ice, they can't possibly play any reindeer games.
OOC: Please show up transformed, and start breaking them loose! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou transforms into Reindeer on Ice! COMBAT: Makoto Kino transforms into Sailor Jupiter! COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou transforms into Fire Knight! COMBAT: Kuniko Saito transforms into Poissonnier Kuniko! COMBAT: Setsuna Higashi transforms into Cure Passion! COMBAT: Garnet transforms into Garnet's Got Gauntlets!
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.
It's been a heck of a night for Kasagami Araki! She's helped deliver presents, had a very long cry, and ended up with half-frozen brows too! And by now, it's cold enough that even her henshin doesn't protect her from shivering!
But she stops in her room only long enough to spy that scroll, and out she goes once again into the cold. Thankfully she's drowned herself in hot tea just before! And even brought a thermos too!
But right now, there's something important to do! Gasp! Those collars! Even she can guess who these are. And despite her trouble with magical girls as of late, Kasagami knows what she must do.
Help save Christmas. Through violence! Clearly Santa knew what he was doing when including a very bad magical girl in this.
"Let's get them out, quick! FOR EVERYONE'S CHRISTMAS!" Kasagami takes a single step forward, stomps the ground, and then she executes a perfect golf swing towards Vixen's ice pillar! Obviously the King saved the Princess first.
The flutter of rose petals behind her are already frosty.
COMBAT: Kasagami Araki has used Reindeer Icicle Pinata Attack on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Cure Passion [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Setsuna Higashi hasn't been able to get outside as much as she'd like, thanks to the storm, but she remembers being a part of the group that helped Christmas itself, and had a wonderful day for it. That, and for being with the Momozonos, all together in the warmth of their house, her parents and Love and even Chiffon and Tarte.
There's only one thing she'd really wanted for the holiday that she didn't get. But there was nothing for it at the time, and she couldn't dwell on it. Besides, it wouldn't make her very good company for her family.
But that was all day today, and while it was a wonderful day, it's time for the time on the letter she received today. She has to say that she likes the choice of color on that ribbon closing it.
But words are for earlier on today! Right now Cure Passion is leaping through the air, skidding across icy sidewalks like she's ice skating, and coming to a stop down in the park. Lightning comes down and...
Passion blinks, shaking her head as she tries to make sure she's seeing through the winter storm properly. Her pink hair is dusted with snow from the journey over, her uncovered fingers pink with the chill. "Deer..." Pause, and her red eyes widen in realization. "Reindeer!" She narrows her eyes, after that happy moment of realization.
It's entirely coincidence that when she somersaults into the air, she comes down fist-first around Dancer's ice to cut the animal loose. But it's a good coincidence. She's already rearing back for another after a strike that might weaken some of the ice.
COMBAT: Cure Passion has used Passion Punch! on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.
Of all things to happen since relocation to Tokyo, saving Christmas was not on that list. A team of super-girls had rallied to save the night, and Steven was thankful to be on that list as well! The Sleigh was well defended from the raging storm as happiness was distributed far and wide. Lion even kept on his Christmas Helper Hat. A Christmas miracle!
For an even more wonderful present, Garnet made it home safely, despite all of the Gem Team's blustering and worry. As if things couldn't get better, they magically did, as the child found an invitation directly from Santa himself! Or what seemed like it.
A momentary thought was given to the silvery hairball bells, though they were nowhere in sight. Amethyst must have made off with them...?
With a good deal of help from Garnet and Lion, the storm is traversed to the park. "I-I-I hope everyone is i-i-indoors keeping warm!" the boy says, most of his face obscured with earmuffs and scarves. Yes, multiple scarves. He couldn't leave the house without wearing at least 2. Pearl's orders. At least the area was well decorated.
All at once, the sky rips open, and bolts of energy come crashing down. When the spectacle is over, Several animals look in trouble! "Whaaaaaat!" the boy exclains, holding his hands to his face. "Is that...?! We gotta help! Crystal Gems, Let's do it!" he says, holding a hand up as a shield appears apon the forearm.
Steven hustles up to a trapped reindeer. "Hello, mister reindeer, it is... ice to meet you! Ahahaha... hah... hm. That coulda been better. Anyway!" The boy begins to pummel some of the ice with the edge of his shield. Seems to make an okay makeshift ice pick.
COMBAT: Steven Universe has used Ice To Meet You! on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Akemi Kimura [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.
Paper Heart Guardian Michiko has arrived! But her uniform is nowhere near suitable for such an annoyingly cold blizzard. her longer red hair and silver circlet would not be enough to protect her head from cold, nor would her long white ruffled... everything be very shielding. The black lines of her long frilled dress are beginning to be hidden by snow, and while her ruffly gloves and stockings help slightly to weaken the bite, they are not winter-proof or even barely winter-resistant.
"What am I even doing out here," Michiko complains to herself. "Stupid cold, stupid wind, stupid ice..." As she mumbles her complaints, she thinks back on that strange letter, and how her magical book gave the same address and time. "This better explain what's going on..."
And then she sees them. Reindeer. Frozen in ice. How is this even - no, no need to question how lightning could freeze, or how reindeer could be trapped in ice in Japan, when she is some kind of magic paper-using girl that powers up with a book that sometimes vaguely talks to her. It is time for action! She brings her star-tipped staff hard onto the ice with all her might - which isn't very much.
<Pose Tracker> Iona Hikawa [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Cure Fortune is here.
How could she not be? She had taken the sleigh ride last night (this morning?), but found the invitation like some of the others. So here she is again, here at Shibuya.
Along for the ride is Glassan, Cure Fortune's fairy partner, and she is looking around Shibuya watching for anything amiss.
But then the vortex opens and lightning bolts strike the ground, and both the Cure and the fairy run over to them, and Cure Fortune stops short once she sees who they are. "Reindeer?"
Glassan, however, keeps the tempo going. "Cure Fortune! Go save Christmas!"
This snaps Fortune back to reality. "Right!" And so the Cure goes at Comet's ice, punching at it as many times as she can, with as much strength as the storm around them!
COMBAT: Iona Hikawa transforms into Cure Fortune! COMBAT: Cure Fortune has used Fortune Snow Flurry on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Akemi Kimura has used Strike on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Makoto Kino, after having saved her senpai Yumi from an untimely death after fainting in the snow, spent a good chunk of the evening taking care of her guest, cooking her dinner, setting her up in the bedroom and making sure the space heater's on so she can rest and recover. Makoto heads to bed early too, taking a futon over under the kotatsu so she can be nice and cozy. But then the mysterious arrival of a magic scroll wakes her up...
Now, after checking to make sure that Yumi was still asleep, Sailor Jupiter once again leaps over the skyline to Tokyo Tower. Rest and good food do wonders to recover one's stamina after getting beaten up by a monster, and she's ready to help save Christmas!
As she comes closer, she can see several other magical girls gathering (a couple of them from the same battle earlier!), and lightning cracking down as animals are frozen in ice. The wind and cold blow past her, but Sailor Jupiter barely feels them as she sails down, fist-first, towards the ice around Blitzen.
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Kuniko Saito came out to the snow fully wrapped. Her uniform as a Poissonnier is enough to keep her minimally cold, but she's thrown a jacket over it as well as pulling on a ski mask, which is colorfully in the red-white-green of the Italian tricolor rather than anything more menacing, and which leaves her eyes emotively exposed.
When she comes, she hears shouts from others. Cries of passion. Kuniko Saito reaches down into her apron, too cold perhaps to call out a reply, and then brings out the true proof of her burning heart - her love of Christmas -
A blowtorch.
YES! For what else would you use for making creme brulee? Kuniko advances towards one of the reindeer, fiddling with a spark lighter and finally producing a blue flame which manages to endure even the cold. Is she really planning to roast the reindeer...?
No; the torch lighter is put away in favor of a broad wide-bowled spoon - as she approaches one of the reindeer, the spoon is positioned to catch the warmed meltwater that the hot flame should produce, to guide it to flow more steadily elsewhere. She would dunk them in tepid water, if she could, but
well
Not an option right now.
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
Lera Camry spent Christmas at home, though she got back a little late. She had to return with Fate and the others -- and that meant getting back late. But when she woke up, there were presents, and it was wonderful. It's a little more wonderful because someone else came back. Maybe she was the only person in her apartment that Christmas, against all her plans and hopes...
But she wasn't lonely.
When ten o'clock strikes, she looks out the window -- and her eyes widen. Through the blizzard, she just barely sees the black sky. She steps forward and sighs.
And a moment later, she banks through the swirling and pouring snow, down towards the eight figures. She moves with the wind as much as she can, rather than throw herself against it. Her hand is gripping a sword, not a hammer. It gleams silver and gold, and red in the gem.
<Here we go.> Soaring Sky sounds a little hesitant.
"You ready for this, buddy? You might be rusty," Lera says to him, but she can't hide the smile on her face. It's been a long time since she had the chance to fight with Sky. But, that smile is nervous.
<I am not rusty!> Sky protests. <But... I'll be fine. Don't worry.>
"Good," Lera says. "Here we go!"
She drops down straight towards one of the frozen reindeer. She lands in front of it, then swings around Sky. In a way, it's familiar. In a way, it's terribly unfamiliar. Instead of a circle, a magical triangle -- ending in three small circles, and filled with runes -- appears. Soaring Sky lights up with fire and light, before it looses into the ice encasing a reindeer and tries to melt right through it.
<Inferno Slasher!>
COMBAT: Lera Camry transforms into Barrier Jacket Perihelion! COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Inferno Slasher on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used Rein Brulee?? on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has used Jupiter Punch on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Garnet [None] has posed.
Garnet arrives at Tokyo Tower with Steven in tow. It had been a day for odd mail deliveries. A delightful homemade Christmas Cake from a quite unexpected sender. And a strange invitation to this place that seemed to emanate... the spirit of the season?
Even the suggestion of the letter's possible sender had put Mr. Universe The Younger into a trance of hope and heroics.
She couldn't leave him behind even if she'd wanted to. But she didn't want to. It was Christmas, and if it was true, Garnet couldn't let Steven, a child who had no doubt seen just about every Christmas Special there is, miss the opportunity to live out a miracle. She was quiet on the way here, making sure Steven had his scarves attached, occasionally replying to the odd joke from the boy, but otherwise, not wanting to spoil the surprise.
The storm opens, the reindeer struggle, and Garnet responds to Steven's call to action. With, well. action!
She concentrates for a brief moment on the harmonic energy that flows through all life and the cosmos, summoning her gleaming red gauntlets to her hands, and leaps towards the closest reindeer, and strikes at the ice, attempting to hit in such a way that it shatters off of the reindeer, leaving them (hopefully) unharmed...!
COMBAT: Garnet has used Icebreaker! on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
Fuu's greatest worry about Christmas Eve was that the length of time for which she *wasn't* in her room would be discovered by her parents or her big sister .. but somehow, one way or another, her family never seems to have realized that Fuu was 'missing' while the Wind Knight was out chasing after one thing or another. Still, that fear seems to have gone unrealized - she made it home from her adventures intact and un-frozen, possibly thanks to the magic of The Sleigh upon which she helped deliver presents and prevent a Christmas calamity.
But that was last night, eventful as it was, and the mysterious scroll has been on Fuu's mind since she found it under her pillow while waking up this morning. She's been cheery enough during the day, exchanging phone calls with assorted friends, magical and otherwise, since the weather was still a little too heavy and cold to actually pay visits in person. But with night coming on, she pardons herself after dinner ...
And once again, the Magic Knight of Wind sets out across the city, heading for Shiba Park as if she could find it blindfolded. (She very nearly *could* ... but she's not going to try in this weather.) The renewed fury of the storm is bitter enough to make her wish that she had longer boots, akin to Hikaru's or (even better) Umi's, but the power of her will isn't quite enough to reformulate her armor on the fly; she settles for maintaining a wind barrier right around herself - trying to 'blow' the harsher, colder air away before it can leach too much heat from her personally.
She arrives on the edge of Shiba Park just in time to see the octuple lightning descend - and freeze solid on the spot, as impossible as that should be. A closer look indicates that there's something alive where the lighting touched down - or at least, a shape that looks like it SHOULD be alive. The Wind Knight wastes no time in heading closer, joining her fellow magical girls in trying to break the animals free; specifically, she materializes her sword and leaps into a spin, letting out a loud if wordless yell before trying to smash through the pillar above the one whose collar reads 'Donner'.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Spinning Slash on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the... city?
Indeed, there's trouble afoot, as evil never takes the holidays off. Then again, neither does the Magic Knight of Fire. She's always hot and roaring to burn up the bad guys when there's trouble out here! And she quickly finds her way to the park as well, and she shakes her head at this sight. "This is not good! We can't have trouble on Christmas!"
As the Wind Knight goes in with a spinning slash, the Fire Knight goes up with a similar tactic. That is, she starts moving in a dancing like style before bringing her sword down at the pillar with a collar reading, 'Cupid.'
(Hey, you gotta go in order of the song!)
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has used Dancing Blade on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Ladybug [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed. <SoundTracker> Miraculous Theme - Christmas Version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0fGBuQyAns
It has been bitterly cold, and yet...Christmas arrived. Draped in a blanket of eternal cold and snow, perhaps, but all the same it arrived. It did not come with far-off family visiting, it did not arrive with great parties in the street...but it arrived in a million little family gatherings, a million little private gift exchanges.
Maybe it was romantic for some people. Who knows?
But at the very least, it wasn't romantic for everyone. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, for her part, slept in for the morning, having largely missed out on romantic opportunity. It helped, admittedly, that everyone slept near the bakery to stay warm in light of the storm; despite her Papa's snoring, it was warm and comfortable and smelled like fresh-baked croissants. Not to mention that she was utterly exhausted from some late-night heroism...
She slept the sleep of the righteous.
But she slept the sleep of the disappointed, as a tableau of elegantly wrapped gifts sits before her. She'd snuck back up to her room after a lovely family dinner, having wanted just a little time to herself - and while she's bundled in three sweaters to endure it, her parents seemed to understand. They'd loved their presents, of course, but...
"Am I being selfish, Tikki? I know I had no chance of actually getting a romantic evening with Adrien tonight - I mean, he hardly knows I exist, and of course he'd have been booked solid for some charity event or other, but..." Reaching past the gift to Alya, the little trinkets for half her classmates, she picks up an elegant box wrapped in paper like a starry night. "I just wanted to give him a nice present, you know? Maybe Ladybug should have done something..."
Tikki pops up from where she had been rummaging in the pile of gifts. The little Kwami looks much better than she did a day ago, dressed in a new handmade tiny red snowsuit. Little patches seem to almost steam in the cold winter air, courtesy of the little heating packs that someone snuck in - and for her part, the Kwami seems delighted as she twirls. "You did plenty, Marinette! Remember, you have to stay secret - you kind of pushed your luck with Sailor Moon, you know! But I do understand - it's sad, but some things just aren't meant to be..." The little Kwami flits over to lay a tiny hand on Marinette's shoulder, giving the girl an encouraging smile. "Really, though, Marinette - do you not think your friends will understand? With that said, I think there's something strange in this pile of presents you've prepared!"
Curious, Marinette joins the little bug-fairy-god in rummaging, finally discovering a golden scroll she could swear she didn't make. "What in the world..."
---
The appointed place, the appointed time. Tokyo Tower has so many convenient struts to maintain its structure, and there's a gentle whirr in the night as a yo-yo hooks around one of them. Ladybug, clad in red and black once more, swings wide around the tower to survey the area. No obvious maniacal laughter, no twisted Ayakashi Sister loudly proclaiming herself the best of the set, just a normal park - right up until the lightning hits. The high-flying heroine starts in surprise, hauling herself back against the tower proper to catch her breath.
"Oh, what a cold breath that was! It certainly seems stormy..." She pauses, half-expecting a pun from her usual feline fellow - but not at this time, it seems. Instead, there's just...this. Ladybug starts sliding down the support, visible to those below as she approaches.
And approach she does, whirling her yo-yo in a lazy loop. She calls out as she approaches, letting her weapon build up a little speed as she does. "It's not just us thinking this weather's chilly - even the storms seem to be freezing solid! But you're all right about this - there's been enough trouble, enough plans ruined today. So without further ado~" She whirls her tool in an intricate pattern, finishing by hurling it clear at Dasher's icy prison - with luck, it'll crack the ice cleanly to free the poor reindeer within!
COMBAT: Ladybug has used Atom Smasher on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Kasagami Araki's Reindeer Icicle Pinata Attack, taking 15 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Cure Passion's Passion Punch!, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Stagger applied to Utena Tenjou! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to brace Akemi Kimura's Strike, taking 8 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to brace Cure Fortune's Fortune Snow Flurry, taking 36 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to brace Lera Camry's Inferno Slasher, taking 50 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Lera Camry is Psyched! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to brace Kuniko Saito's Rein Brulee??, taking 18 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to brace Garnet's Icebreaker!, taking 25 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Garnet is Psyched! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to brace Steven Universe's Ice To Meet You!, taking 18 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to brace Hikaru Shidou's Dancing Blade, taking 40 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Hikaru Shidou is Psyched! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Fuu Hououji's Spinning Slash, taking 3 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to brace Sailor Jupiter's Jupiter Punch, taking 10 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to brace Ladybug's Atom Smasher, taking 18 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou is unable to keep fighting!
<Pose Tracker> Utena Tenjou [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed. <SoundTracker> The Ride of the Valkyries https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AlEvy0fJto
Swords, shields, staves, yo-yos, fists, and feet come out, and make short work of the ice. Shards fly everywhere -- that is, when the water isn't simply melted by an expedient blowtorch -- and in the wake of it all, no animals were harmed in the making of this moment.
The reindeer, once freed, shake themselves out thoroughly. Frost flies from their coats, though even now icicles still dangle from their horns. They don't seem much fussed by it, though, stomping and snorting. They have a range of emotional reactions, though, being, after all, a range of people. Well, reindeer. Comet gratefully leans into Cure Fortune's weight, nuzzling her with her nose, while Vixen tosses her mane coquettishly and turns her head away from Kasagami with a 'hmph!' worthy of the fiercest Ohtori queen. Donner stamps his feet impatiently, trotting a pleased circle around the Magic Knight of Wind, while Cupid stares up at the sky, catching snow on her muzzle. Dancer and Blitzen, once freed, are truthfully more interested in entwining their necks around each other rather than paying Cure Passion and Sailor Jupiter much heed -- though they give each savior a long-lashed look on their way over to one another. Then Dasher, after licking Ladybug right across the nose, charges in to join her two partners in their reunion.
They all jingle.
It doesn't take too long for the reindeer to focus; they huff and puff at each other, brown eyes growing serious and stern, then look up at the sky, and finally bend their knees, just a little, to allow any magical girl who lacks the means or desire to fly access to what the invitation described as 'The Hole In The Sky.' There are, of course, only eight of them, and twelve magical girls; some amount of sharing will be required. Fortunately they're quite massive; they could easily seat three or four each.
There's no saddle, and the reins seem to be just for show; the idea of a bit between the teeth of these fantastic beasts is horrid. Nonetheless, there is plenty of reindeer to hang onto, and antlers, too, if utterly necessary.
Once boarded, they launch into the roaring heavens. Red and white sparkles form under their feet with every step, giving them purchase on the air, but it hardly seems necessary -- it's so full of ice and snow that the sky might as well be solid. It makes what might have been a truly magical moment, well, still magical, but perhaps a little more unpleasant than it would have been otherwise; it's bitterly cold, difficult to see, and both of those issues get worse with every jingling hoofbeat higher and higher. The wind rushes like razors and tugs like ropes, trying to tear the girls from their seats.
But there -- there! -- at the top of the sky, there's a huge, circular shape. The clouds churn around it in an immense, dark spiral. At the center, access to the heavens themselves seems to be sealed by still more ice, this pane carved with sickly green runes.
It seems that they will need to make their own hole in the sky.
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou transforms into Heart of the Storm! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Ladybug. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Hikaru Shidou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Fuu Hououji. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Garnet. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Kuniko Saito. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Sailor Jupiter. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Cure Fortune. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Akemi Kimura. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Steven Universe. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Cure Passion. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Kasagami Araki. COMBAT: Ladybug fails to dodge Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 23 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Cure Passion narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Cure Passion's Block ability activates! Cure Passion's Parry ability activates! Blind applied to Cure Passion! COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 10 Fatigue damage! Sailor Jupiter's Block ability activates! Sailor Jupiter's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Garnet narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 10 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Cure Fortune narrowly dodges Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 14 Fatigue damage! Cure Fortune's Fade ability activates! Cure Fortune's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Fuu Hououji narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji's Block ability activates! Fuu Hououji's Parry ability activates! Blind applied to Fuu Hououji! COMBAT: Steven Universe narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Steven Universe's Block ability activates! Steven Universe's Parry ability activates! Blind applied to Steven Universe! COMBAT: Kuniko Saito fails to dodge Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 18 Fatigue damage! Blind applied to Kuniko Saito! COMBAT: Akemi Kimura perfectly counters Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter! COMBAT: Akemi Kimura's counterattack, Tome of Shielding, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Utena Tenjou! COMBAT: Lera Camry perfectly dodges Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! Lera Camry's Fade ability activates! Lera Camry's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Kasagami Araki narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 6 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.
Squint. Vixen's reactions are very familiar to Kasagami, even if in deer form! Scowling, Kasagami leans down, gets a good ball of snow packed in, and hucks it at the back of the reindeer's head!
Vindictiveness, thy name is Kasagami.
Then, she hops right on, grabbing Vixen's horns hard. Thankfully, she's enough of an equestrian to not humiliate herself. From somewhere in her coat, hse produces a rider's hat and a crop! She swats the air menacingly!
"Alright! Listen up! My name is Kasagami Araki, and you're going to be a good reindeer! Now MUSH!" Snap snap at the air! Kassie's coal count might be increasing here.
But up into the sky they go, and unfortunately, the whipping freeze has even her chilled to the bone! One hand is tight around antlers, the other holding her coat closed as she tries to not turn to a kassiesicle! But as they arrive at that frozen swirling thing in the sky?
One hand draws her blade, and offers a hard slash! A line of cutting crimson roses crashes upwards, trying to smash through their impediment!
"Don't give up! Show this storm who's stronger! For Christmas! For the best school in the world!" Belts out Kasagami almost like a war cry!
COMBAT: Kasagami Araki has used Dance in the Petals on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Cure Passion [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Passion huffs and takes a breath as she sees the ice starting to shard, stepping back enough to let it finish cracking and perking up as she thinks she hears something. She decides to look after the reindeer is safe, and when Dancer is most interested in Blitzen, the red Cure smiles and giggles into her hand. She smiles brighter at the look. And then...
She looks around, and she sees what she thought she heard.
"Sky!" Passion calls with her heart briefly in her throat. "You're okay!" She stares Lera's way for a moment and smiles at her, overcome with emotion. "Lera...!" She rushes over to the other irl and runs into her, putting her arms around her and hugging her tightly. She stays there for a moment before she steps back, "You--" The reindeer look serious now, and Passion looks up to the sky, too. "...I guess it's time. I'm... gonna ride a reindeer. Fly safe, okay?" It does sound fun for Setsuna to ride one, though she might have one other option. Besides, she has something she wants to say. So Passion rushes back over to Dancer, and hops on top as gently as she's able. "I understand," she whispers to the reindeer she's riding, and looks Lera's way again. But then with anyone else choosing to ride Dancer, they're up, up, and up, and Passion doesn't even think to try the reins. She just hangs on tightly. "Aaaah!" It's freezing, and windy, and even if it's magical she still has to hang on tightly as the wind nearly blows her away, whipping her pink hair painfully. But there, at the top...
"Please get me in close," Passion asks, and once she's up she sits up to her full height and starts swinging, punch after punch after punch to try to crack right through and make a door. She hangs on with her legs as the wind whips her ruffles. She can barely see, but she can sure feel her hands after this.
COMBAT: Cure Passion has used Passion Portal on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Reindeer, Kuniko thinks, wonderingly. They're gorgeous.
She knows that Reindeer are real creatures, of course. She had this conversation with Nijimura after charcuterie class one day. As she turns off her blowtorch she smiles at the creature she's nearest - Donner, as it turns out. "Better?" she says.
Seems to be. With this, Kuniko hoists herself up - with some effort - onto the mighty ungulate's back, before the wind whips downwards. She hunches low as she goes so far as to try to wrap her arms around the neck of the handsome beast.
She sees -- "Ah, boy," she remarks, before pointing upwards with a yarn-gloved finger. "I guess--"
Kasagami declares the charge. "Yeah! That!" Kuniko declaims. Then she holds on. She has heard firm reports that these creatures can fly, and silently, she hopes that she has it in her to be a sky-chef -- especially without Mami Tomoe on hand to provide handy parachutes.
And how is Kuniko going to deal with that ice in the sky? Silently, she wishes she hadn't put up that blowtorch so hastily - but a firmly-brandished knife-whetting stick will make an impromptu lance. Hopefully the shock of impact won't mess up her wrist!
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used Chaaaarge on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Jupiter leaps back on the rebound upon impacting her fist against the ice around Blitzen, landing gracefully and preparing herself for any flying ice shards. And fly they do, as Blitzen beelines over to Dancer while giving her a long look. Jupiter grins back, not at all put off by the intense reindeer cuddling. They are *so* cute...
As she hops onto Blitzen's back once the reindeer stoop down, Jupiter winks at Cure Passion. "Fancy meeting you here!" she jokes, the humor basically being that they saw each other only a few hours ago at a completely different fight. ...Jokes aren't Jupiter's strong suit.
Also not Jupiter's strong suit: tolerating animal abuse. "Hey! Stop bullying that reindeer! You put that thing away!" she shouts over at Kasagami, though whether she can be heard over the storm is another tale. But then they're off into the sky, and the storm rages around Jupiter with all the bluster it can muster. She hangs on tight to her ride, fingers digging into Blitzen's fur, and manages not to get blinded by the storm even if it does its level best to knock her from her mount. Even Sailor Jupiter, with her magical protection against cold, finds herself shivering in this storm. Up again, the clouds churn, and more ice awaits them... If Jupiter doesn't act, they're going to come to a very abrupt halt. Fortunately, action is something at which this Sailor Senshi excels.
Drawing one arm back, lightning rod emerging from her tiara, she shouts defiance at the storm. "JUPITER THUNDERBOLT!!" she roars, gripping hold of a bolt of lightning, then *hurling* it ahead at the mass of ice to clear the way before they arrive.
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has used Jupiter Thunderbolt on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
"Passion!" Lera calls out, as the Pretty Cure runs towards her. Lera can't return the hug with both arms; she uses her free one to hug her tightly, before she pulls back enough to look down at her with those ale-brown eyes. "Surprise, y'know?"
<It's been awhile. I hope you've kept her out of trouble!> Soaring Sky says back to her. Then, a little more awkwardly, the Device adds: <....Sorry that I worried you.>
Lera smiles brighter -- and then looks sideways, at the reindeer. She nods at her girlfriend. "You, too! Don't worry, I'll be right next to you, y'know?" She winks -- and then she's flying up, too. Wind whips her hair back and her eyes squint through it. She bites her lip, as she looks ahead at the circular shape, and she rides over them, almost like she surfs. The trail of red-orange bobs and turns.
"Sky, let's blast through it!" Lera yells, as they fly up. "Plasma lan--"
The spell she casts isn't the one she tried to. Instead of lances of liquid fire, sharp fiery fangs of light appear. Four of them rocket straight ahead of her, towards the mass of ice.
<Crescent Fangs.>
"Whuh...?"
COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Crescent Fangs on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
Of course there isn't that much time to organize; the Magic Knight of Wind climbs up on a reindeer's back, offering a hand to the Magic Knight of Fire if she needs some help mounting up. The lack of saddles seems ... well, if the Wind Knight were used to riding horses or anything, she might balk a little more at it than she actually is; she just hangs on as securely with her legs as she can, grips the reins for an extra anchor, and trusts that the magic of the reindeer will ensure that the magical girls won't fall off.
The winds as they ascend promise (or threaten as the case may be) to test the Wind Knight's trust, though; she hunkers down against the headwinds, trying to turn her face away, but her glasses still wind up with a layer of frost across the glass. She'll have to take them off to clean them, or something. Gods help those who are getting this kind of ice in their eyes and *don't* have any sort of protection -
Well, if she'd known flying would be involved, she could have tried to get a pair of goggles suitable to the purpose. Maybe. ... She probably wouldn't have been able to find anything, though, given the totality of conditions.
She dares to look forward and up again, and muses, "That doesn't look like we're going to be able to get through terribly easily, does it ... ?"
Her sword vanished again after the ice was smashed, but neither sword nor bow seem likely to do enough to clear the way further upwards. She settles for drawing on her magic with a shout of, "Storm-Dance of Kamaitachi!!" and unleashing a raging tempest of her own at the 'ceiling' they're coming up against. The fact that her allies are loosing attacks of their own suggests strongly that this was a useful thing to do.
... and maybe, just *maybe*, her wind magic will help disperse some of the hostility of the weather in the process. She can hope, anyway.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Storm-Dance of Kamaitachi on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly counters Kasagami Araki's Dance in the Petals, taking 16 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Reverse ability activates! Cripple applied to Utena Tenjou! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou's counterattack, Reindeerference, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Kasagami Araki!
<Pose Tracker> Garnet [None] has posed.
Garnet braces against the wind, its force and terrible chill, makes even her shudder. It would've cut her to the bone, if she had any. She wipes the frost from her shades, and takes Steven by the hand, the ice and wind, as though the ice had gotten into his eyes, so she helps him on to the reindeer with the tag marked "Cupid", and secures him in front of her. Garnet waits to see who's taking which reindeer, when she sees Akemi searching, she makes a space between herself and Steven, and waves Akemi over, keeping her hand in Steven's, so he knows she's still there, while he regains his sight.
and says to her: "I am Garnet, this is Steven. There's not much time. Ride with us if you'd like."
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Cure Passion's Passion Portal, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Block ability activates! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly dodges Kuniko Saito's Chaaaarge, taking 14 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Kuniko Saito is Psyched! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Sailor Jupiter's Jupiter Thunderbolt, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Block ability activates! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly dodges Lera Camry's Crescent Fangs, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Fuu Hououji's Storm-Dance of Kamaitachi, taking 29 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Utena Tenjou's Block ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Ladybug [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.
"You're free now, little reindee- Aaackpthbl!" Abruptly interrupted by a grateful megafauna, Ladybug wipes frantically at a thoroughly licked nose. Little flecks of drool splatter and freeze on the ground as she shakes out her hand, and the girl looks up at Dasher. Really, really up. "I have been corrected. Not quite so little, are you?"
Still, in spite of her face - that will wash out, right? How would she even launder this mask? - she can't help but feel warm inside seeing the reunion. Before too long, though, the eight are snorting and looking up at the hole in the sky, Ladybug's gaze wandering up to that omen. "It looks rather dangerous...are you sure?" Dasher's gaze is unwavering, and Ladybug looks for only a moment to her fellow magical girls (and Steven). "If the rest of you are - are you serious?!"
Ladybug is staring rather flatly at Kasagami, teeth gritted in exasperation. "You know whose reindeer these are, right? Je ne veux pas rencontrer le Pere Fouettard..." With a sigh, she approaches Dasher, curtsying respectfully before mounting. "I honestly don't know her. S'il vous plait, if you're willing to go up th-"
Dasher really does seem to love cutting her off. They ride up into the sky, towards that egress - but the storm is positively roaring, howling with razors of ice and screaming with the power of a windy avalanche. Ladybug tries to hold on as best she can, in face of such inclement weather, but-
One gust hits the reindeer hard enough for even that mighty beast to buck, and off she tumbles.
It's higher up than Ladybug would even like to think - luckily, one hand managed to grab a stray strap lined with jingling bells at the last second. Her sole grip ringing as Dasher fights the storm, a wave of ice caking her side, she has to dwell a moment on just how high up they all are. The city spreads out below...why, she can almost make out her house from here.
The air is sparkling, though, and the reindeer's feet are growing steadier, so in spite of her predicament... Ladybug winces, pulling heavily on the bells to let her throw at least an arm over Dasher's back again. "When you meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky... You're doing well, you and your fellow deer!" She glances to the others nearby, smiling more than a bit at those she can recognize. (Some by reputation, admittedly - but she knows who Sailor Jupiter is, for one!)
There's wind, and ice, and utter chaos in the sky - but as she looks at that obstruction in their path, an idea comes to mind. With one hand, she carefully reels out her yo-yo, swinging it back and forth once or twice to get a sense of the wind...
And away it goes! Off of flying ice chunks, slicing through fog and clouds, that miraculous red disc flying in a strange path through the storm...but where it passes, things might clear for just a moment. And where it bounces off of a rune...
Maybe, just maybe, it will bounce off a few more. Ladybug has a habit of trying trick shots like that.
COMBAT: Ladybug has used Lindy Loop on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Cure Fortune [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Cure Fortune smiles as the ice breaks and the reindeer are freed! Comet nuzzles her and she pets the reindeer in kind, rubbing his head and neck.
But then the reindeer suddenly look up. Fortune does as well, looking at the giant glowing shape in the sky. She looks down at the reindeer again, offering their services to some of the others. She nods, understanding. Fortune gives Comet one more pet, before she turns toward the storm. Her jacket-wings expand and glow, and she takes off towards the glass-like fixture in the sky.
At first, she speeds along, but she then slows down and keeps with the group. That is, until she starts to close with the swirling mass in the sky, at which point she zooms forward to try and kick it as hard as she can!
COMBAT: Cure Fortune has used Kick Away on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou narrowly dodges Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Blind applied to Hikaru Shidou!
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
The winds are coming quite quickly, and they come quicker than even the Fire Knight can anticipate. She tries to avoid them, but it's no use. They catch her and blow her around, causing her to become dazed and out of it for a few minutes. Despite this, the Fire Knight will not be defeated so easily. She struggles to get her vision back to normal, as she attempts to focus on the weird mass in the sky.
"Ungh... stop spinning..." She babbles a little as she attempts to cast her favorite fire spell. "Fire arrow!"
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has used Fire Arrow on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Akemi Kimura [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.
The Paper Heart Guardian raises an eyebrow in confusion. "Ride...the reindeer? THat's a... flying reindeer?" Yes, yes it was, as she found out at the others taking off. Even with her wings she couldn't fly, so this seemed like the only option. However, Garnet seems like she has gone through a lot and might know quite a bit, and Steven...well... Garnet must be good at teaching and guiding younger ones, so perhaps she could aid her after all. "I am Ak...I am Michiko. I would love your help. Thank you." She climbs on and summons the "TOME OF SHIELDING", a giant hovering book open half-way to split the wind around her.
'Michiko' is quite surprised to be flying on a reindeer. A few minutes ago, she assumed that these were for a Christmas promotion or ill-advised parade, and now she was taking into the air with them! The wall in the sky looms closer. "Okay... attack attack attack... ah right! Pages of Wind!" She points her star rod at the barrier. The gem within it glows, and soon does the whole star on the tip. Bursting forth out of nowhere are dozens of pages that look straight out of any heavy novel - if that novel were radioactive. They speed towards the barrier, trying to slice it before exploding in very tiny blasts.
COMBAT: Akemi Kimura has used Pages of Wind on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou perfectly dodges Hikaru Shidou's Fire Arrow, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Cure Fortune's Kick Away, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Block ability activates! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly dodges Ladybug's Lindy Loop, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates! Stagger applied to Utena Tenjou! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Akemi Kimura's Pages of Wind, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Block ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.
After a good bit of effort, the ice holding the reindeer gives way to a poor animal trapped within. Who could have wanted them caged in ice?! "W-Wow, they are bigger than I thought they would be!" he comments. The animals free themselves the rest of the way, shaking off any loose bits of rime and frost. They seem to clown around for a small time, but before long, all eight of the large animals seem intent on something above, something to do with the storm.
"I-I think there's something u-up there!" Steven says through some shivering. Hopefully a hot meal will be ready at home when they get back. Well, long as it isn't Microwave Tuna Salad again.
Don't ask.
Garnet seems to have found a reliable steed in one of the reindeer, particularly Cupid. The boy turns to Lion as he sees some of the reindeer lift off the ground. "You better go find shelter, buddy. Find somewhere warm!" Steven rubs Lion's nose, which is icy cold itself, before heading over to Cupid. WIth a bit of help, the boy hops upon it's back, saving room for an extra person! "Hello! I'm Steven. Need a ride?" he asks towards Akemi. For some reason he is unusually hammy tonight. Perhaps he is hopped up on sweets from a particular person's dessert gift.
"Okay. Mush! Uh. Onward, Cupid!. Erm. Please?" Wnether or not please was the keyword, or of the reindeer's own volition, they make to the sky, and wit hthe other set of seven, close in on the strange oject at the center of the storm. Another sheet of ice, this time empowered by something... not good. The reindeer closes space, and Akemi as well as Garnet ready to attack!
Steven begins to flail his shield toward the wall, though getting close enough for him to hit it is... difficult at best. It is actually kinda funny to watch, though the boy is in high spirits to do good!
+freeattack/del: Attack number 14, hungry, deleted from Utena Tenjou's henshin form 7.
COMBAT: Steven Universe has used Shield Bash on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Garnet [None] has posed.
Secured and the reindeer off at last, Garnet nods to Akemi and after earnest searching, Steven utters the magic word that seems to kick Cupid to action. Garnet does her best to help Steven reach the wall, holding him secure and forward with one arm, while he flails, and, while so precariously close to the barrier, delivers a decisive punch to the wall with her other fist!
COMBAT: Garnet has used Decisive Punch on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to dodge Garnet's Decisive Punch, taking 38 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to brace Steven Universe's Shield Bash, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Steven Universe is Psyched!
<Pose Tracker> Saki Hyuuga [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.
For Saki Hyuuga, a young girl whose family life is precious to her beyond any reason or rationale, well...
Obviously she's here! But a Pretty Cure knows the most important secret of big fights is the timing of your entrance!
(Work with me here.)
From a direction nobody's been paying particular attention to, Cure Bloom bolts up from below to plant her shoes on Dancer's back, called easily to the side of familiar red ruffles. "Sempai!" Cure Bloom chimes. She wiggles her fingers with her usual big grin. "Isn't this amazing!?"
But before she gets lost in gawping, the howling storm reveals itself properly. She was helping fend it off not so long ago. The sky's not even really her field, but...
She balls up a fist and looks up, eyes hardening. "...which is why we have to stop this," she says, quiet. "I'm going ahead!"
She hops off, and the speed of the reindeer starts to see her slip away - until a blaze of golden, Earthly light ignites under her feet, speeding Cure Bloom upward to slam fist-first into the ice above!
COMBAT: Saki Hyuuga transforms into Cure Bloom! COMBAT: Cure Bloom has used Fistful of Flowers on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Cure Bloom's Fistful of Flowers, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Cure Bloom is Psyched! Utena Tenjou's Block ability activates! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has adjusted her boss levels. She is now ready to take on 13 opponents!
<Pose Tracker> Utena Tenjou [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed. <SoundTracker> Battle On The Ice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyDKezDLGTM
The... door?... seems all but impenetrable. Kasagami's petals (which are knocked somewhat off-course by the infuriated bucking of a deeply cheesed-off Vixen) hardly raise a scratch, and the Pretty Cure and Poissonnier who try to smack it directly are instantly acutely aware that the surface is really, really cold and eager to claim hands, feet, sticks, and anything else it touches. Frost races up Ladybug's yo-yo string, too, and starts to infect Steven's shield and Garnet's gauntlet with chilling speed.
Thunderbolts, fiery missiles, gusts of wind and pages and petals, if they leave a mark, it's awfully difficult to tell. Part of this is because of the freezing rain that starts pouring down, filling the air even more fully with icy misery than it was before.
And it's amid this chaos that, gradually, the truth becomes clear. If nothing else, all the momentum of the many attacks seems to, gradually, cause the circle to turn -- not within its own plane, but perpendicularly. It's desperately difficult to make out details given the storm, but there, snapping out in exaggerated slow motion, is a head of purest obsidian. Cheerful -- jolly? -- golden and red light leaks from that gaping maw. There's no sign of any eyes, though they may be closed, still.
There are four absolutely massive limbs, too... long and chunky, yet coming to graceful and deadly-sharp points. Fins.
As the immense black turtle in the sky slowly becomes horizontal instead of vertical, it also becomes apparent that the shell everyone was wailing on -- while dangerous to touch, admittedly -- is plenty large enough to battle on if someone wanted to.
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Hungry Frost on Cure Passion. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Hungry Frost on Cure Fortune. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Hungry Frost on Kuniko Saito. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Hungry Frost on Ladybug. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Hungry Frost on Steven Universe. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Hungry Frost on Cure Bloom. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Hungry Frost on Garnet. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Freezing Rain on Akemi Kimura. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Freezing Rain on Hikaru Shidou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Freezing Rain on Fuu Hououji. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Freezing Rain on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Freezing Rain on Sailor Jupiter. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Freezing Rain on Kasagami Araki. COMBAT: Cure Fortune perfectly braces Utena Tenjou's Hungry Frost, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Brace! COMBAT: Cure Bloom narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Hungry Frost, taking 2 Fatigue damage! Cure Bloom's Block ability activates! Trap applied to Cure Bloom! COMBAT: Ladybug narrowly counters Utena Tenjou's Hungry Frost, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Ladybug's Reverse ability activates! Ladybug's Tactician ability activates! Trap applied to Ladybug! COMBAT: Ladybug's counterattack, Around The World, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Utena Tenjou! COMBAT: Steven Universe narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Hungry Frost, taking 10 Fatigue damage! Steven Universe's Block ability activates! Steven Universe's Parry ability activates! Trap applied to Steven Universe! COMBAT: Lera Camry narrowly dodges Utena Tenjou's Freezing Rain, taking 22 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry's Fade ability activates! Lera Camry's Flash ability activates! Stun applied to Lera Camry! COMBAT: Cure Passion fails to dodge Utena Tenjou's Hungry Frost, taking 18 Fatigue damage! Trap applied to Cure Passion! COMBAT: Kasagami Araki narrowly dodges Utena Tenjou's Freezing Rain, taking 14 Fatigue damage! Kasagami Araki's Fade ability activates! Kasagami Araki's Flash ability activates! Stun applied to Kasagami Araki! COMBAT: Paper Heart Guardian Michiko narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Freezing Rain, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Paper Heart Guardian Michiko's Block ability activates! Paper Heart Guardian Michiko's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Fuu Hououji narrowly dodges Utena Tenjou's Freezing Rain, taking 12 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji's Fade ability activates! Fuu Hououji's Flash ability activates! Stun applied to Fuu Hououji! COMBAT: Kuniko Saito narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Hungry Frost, taking 2 Fatigue damage! Kuniko Saito's Block ability activates! Kuniko Saito's Parry ability activates! Trap applied to Kuniko Saito! COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Freezing Rain, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Hikaru Shidou's Block ability activates! Hikaru Shidou's Parry ability activates! Stun applied to Hikaru Shidou! COMBAT: Garnet fails to dodge Utena Tenjou's Hungry Frost, taking 19 Fatigue damage! Trap applied to Garnet!
<Pose Tracker> Cure Passion [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
"I'm surprised!" Passion said back to Lera at the time. To Sky didn't look, but Lera could see the smile in her voice. "I've done my very best!" A pause, and while Setsuna doesn't make much expression, she still says quietly, "...All that matters is that you're okay."
On Dancer's back sees another moment, and at Jupiter's joke, Passion tilts her head. "Fancy...? Why is it fancy?" ...Jokes are not really Cure Passion's strong suit, either.
In the air, travelling with Cure Bloom, Passion turns her head a little more to the side, "It's amazing!" A pause. "We--All right!" She worries for her a moment but...
But then the big circle is so hard to punch through; Cure Passion punches and punches and finds soon that it's so cold it makes her hands ache, gives her a sharp pain that makes her wonder if she's just tearing up her knuckles until the thing tries to... absorb her hands. She tries to yank away quickly, but the grip is too tight. "Aaaah--!" With a noise of pain she wrenches her hands and now arms free, but not without cost; it's so cold that it burns her, makes her cross her arms to warm them instinctively. She still feels slow, like the chill went all the way through her body, like it's sticking to her somehow. "Ugh... We have to..."
"For the reindeer," she murmurs to herself, and sits back up. It as painful, difficult, awful to strike it.
So obviously Cure Passion springs up, doing a handspring despite the pain and swinging up with both feet--Only to swing past, and land lightly with her fist outstretched, slamming upward hard before she falls right back onto the reindeer, hopefully too fast this time to get stuck.
COMBAT: Cure Passion has used Flash Feint on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.
Arms cross! "They're still just Reindeer! Plus, we saved them, someone should be grateful!" Calls out Kasagami to Ladybug. Someone's cruising for a bucking!
It should be noted, of course, that the cake was both delicious and sugary. Maybe even just a touch of coffee for the caffeine. Truly, Kasagami is a demon.
But as the freezing rain beats down, Kasagami finally has to yield somewhat to the elements. She has a wild ride too! After a hard glare to her less-than-loyal steed, the young mahou flicks off her coat in one hand, using it like some kind of shield against the oncoming freeze! Even so, the battering cold does hit some of her face. Her teeth are already chattering!
Kasagami leans over, wipes away frost, and grins to Vixen. "Thanks for the ride, Vixy! We should have tea some time!" With a wink, as that giant turtle turns upright in the sky, Kasagami puts one foot on an antlet, and then leaps off into the air.
Chances are, Kasagami has not gained a friend tonight.
As she lands, Kasagami doesn't hesitate! Clearly this giant turtle is the cause of everything! And so, her first instinct is to test just how hard that shell really is! Taking up her blade in both hands, she quite simply uses all of her strength to try to stab straight down past shell and into whatever magical evil soft squishy center she bets is inside!
COMBAT: Kasagami Araki has used Turtle Stab on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly dodges Cure Passion's Flash Feint, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Cure Passion is Psyched! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Kasagami Araki's Turtle Stab, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Block ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Garnet [None] has posed.
Garnet's punch connects with a solid smash! A lot more solid than she was expecting... much more than even this kind of barrier should be...
Luckily or unlikely, she had more than enough time to wait for the reveal of the black turtle-like monster, as its frost magic had firmly stuck her gauntlet to its side! As soon as she felt it made contact it was too late, and the dreadful cold tore upwards painfully into her body. "Agh!"
She wants to recoil, but her other arm full of heroic child, she does her best to resist the motion, and concentrates to arc electricity through her stuck gauntlet, trying to create enough heat and motion to loosen it and pull free!
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
<Something I remembered.> Sky's answer to Lera's question is a little belated. Lera looks down at her sword-device, floating in midair, with widened eyes. She stares at it for a moment, before she nods slowly.
But, that magic...
She recognizes it. She can't say for sure -- and she can't stop to think too hard about that in midair, as the thing -- a great turtle -- is turning. She gets a look at the head, even as the freezing rain pelts her and sends shivers up and down her spine. Her Barrier Jacket can't keep her dry.
Lera watches Setsuna drop down. She glances back at Jupiter -- and then at Cure Bloom. "Senpai?" she repeats to herself with a blink -- and sees Setsuna dive in, with some impressive (if dangerous) acrobatics. Lera decides to follow, swinging Sky back over her shoulder. A red-orange magical triangle appears before her, spinning.
<Regenschauer!>
Fiery light dances up Soaring Sky's blade. Lera swings it back -- striking down at the shell, before she zips by, then comes in again, and again. She becomes a brilliant, fast blur of blows, and each leaves a streak of energy in its wake.
COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Regenschauer on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Garnet has used Geofeedback! on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly dodges Garnet's Geofeedback!, taking 15 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Lera Camry's Regenschauer, taking 24 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Utena Tenjou's Block ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
So there actually IS a hole in the sky ... and the hole is full of turtle. Fuu's first thought, somewhat predictably (depending on who you are, perhaps), is a certain turtle kaiju - but no, THAT giant turtle would ... probably not be trying to freeze them to death. Except -
Okay, the golden light just doesn't fit. And she's no longer sure how much good arrows or elemental wind attack spells are going to do. Best to focus on what she CAN do to aid her allies, and look for better indications of how she can assist the fight ... if the fight is the important part of what they're doing. This feels like a 'puzzle' situation to her at the moment.
Of course, being able to see clearly what's going on would probably help too.
"Winds of Healing!!" the green-clad Magic Knight calls out, enfolding herself and her red-clad ally in a balmy, warming, restorative breeze. Garnet is close enough for the Wind Knight to enfold her in the spell as well, and easy enough to see despite the winds lashing at all of them with various forms of wintry precipitation.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Winds of Healing on Fuu Hououji. COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Winds of Healing on Hikaru Shidou. COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Winds of Healing on Garnet. COMBAT: Fuu Hououji accepts Fuu Hououji's Winds of Healing, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Fuu Hououji's debuffs are cleared! COMBAT: Garnet accepts Fuu Hououji's Winds of Healing, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Garnet's debuffs are cleared!
<Pose Tracker> Cure Fortune [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Cure Fortune hits the disc, and even through her gloves she can feel the cold. She doesn't break off, though, not even when the rain falls upon her. It's cold, too, as much as the disc is. But she shivers to try and maintain her warmth, and when the disc reveals its actual form, Fortune just lands on the shell for a moment.
It's still really cold.
She actually starts to hop up and down, left foot then right foot, as she tries to keep herself from being really cold. She looks down to her mirror, and gets an idea.
"No, not yet." She grits through her teeth, as she tries to just punch the shell again, as hard as she can.
COMBAT: Cure Fortune has used Fortunate Punch on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou accepts Fuu Hououji's Winds of Healing, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Cleanse! All of Hikaru Shidou's debuffs are cleared! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to dodge Cure Fortune's Fortunate Punch, taking 23 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Paper Heart Guardian Michiko [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.
Michiko's attack did almost nothing, and now she is being pelted with searing cold rain. She lost concentration on the Tome of Shielding so it had faded, and she doesn't have the time to bring it back. Instead, she summons dozens of sheets very similar to those she attacked with, but instead formed an umbrella-like barrier to protect her. Unfortunately, she wasn't quite quick enough even so, taking a bit of damage from the icy burn of the rain.
She stares at her attacker, her target, and grows wide-eyed. "Wh-what...what IS that," she asks with a panic in her voice. "That..." her scared face shifts into a more calm, more blank face. "What..is...that...hm... best to try to find out, or at least how to deal with it." She places a hand on her Circlet's gem, her other hand still firmly clasped to the reindeer. Unfortunately, that means she has to let go of her rod which begins to fall - then vanish as the circlet gem glows, along with her green eyes. "Circlet of Wisdom."
COMBAT: Paper Heart Guardian Michiko has used Circlet of Wisdom on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to dodge Paper Heart Guardian Michiko's Circlet of Wisdom, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Analysis performed by Paper Heart Guardian Michiko!
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
If there's one thing the Fire Knight can count on, it's her ally coming to her aid when she needs it. The Wind Knight's magic helps the Fire Knight get back into the game, especially after another hard hit occurred against her just now. She finds herself returning to her senses in spite of the pain and grips her sword tightly. "We will win! We will triumph!"
The Fire Knight then rushes at her target and, this time, tries nothing fancy at all. Instead, it's just an attempt to strike with her trusty sword. Sometimes, the simplest of things are the best of things!
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has used Sword Slash on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou perfectly dodges Hikaru Shidou's Sword Slash, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Ladybug [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.
As her yo-yo whips back towards her, Ladybug starts in alarm as she sees the creeping frost running over it. "Careful - that's not just cold, it's some kind of ice that's spread- yaaa!" For lack of any better ideas, she pulls hard on the string to send her rimed-over yo-yo into a wild spin. Normally, she might use a trick like this to block something that was coming towards her; right now, she's just trying to shake off that creeping frost before it reaches her hand.
Even being this close to it puts a chill in her bones - she's already feeling sluggish, barely holding onto the brave reindeer - but it works. With a crack that sounds like a tree splitting in the dead of winter, the ice shears off to plummet to the world below. Where it lands, no one knows - maybe some expensive parked car? Oh, to dream.
The disc of Ladybug's weapon lands back in the palm of her hand, and she shakes it as if to throw off the chill. She's about to comment aloud, suggest trying...something, anything else...when the turning of the circle gets her attention. It's not some mass of ice, it's... "A turtle?! What in the world is a turtle doing in the - ah, careful!" Dasher's lunge to the left, to avoid the freezing rain, comes as a shock - but it brings her a little closer to the others in the air. Clinging to the side of a reindeer with as much dignity as she can muster, she offers a brief wave to most of the others.
And a furrowed brow at Kasagami. "We'll see what kind of gifts you get this year, then..." To the rest, though, that awkward wave. "Ladybug, here. I'm...really hoping that this isn't one of my usual opponents, whoever's behind this has gone too far. Something's off, though..." She glances back at the turtle, noticing its maw's cheerful glow...
Ideas flash through her mind, little details putting together, and she has something that looks like at least the edges of a puzzle. "I think this little turtle might have eaten something it wasn't supposed to! Either way, it's worth taking a look - merci beaucoup, Dasher!" It's not that there's no time for hesitation - it's just that there's far more important things at stake. Ladybug leaps, briefly left suspended in the open air, looking at that monstrous shelled creature. A bit of red in the stormy night - and then she hurls her yo-yo out in a straightforward trajectory at one of the fins. Or rather, just past - to hook on it, and allow her to swing towards the sky-flying beast's underside.
It's risky, but since when are her plans not? Swinging around to fly up from beneath, suddenly kicking at either belly or neck....well, that ought to catch it by some kind of surprise, right? "Time to show us just what you've been eating, not-so-little tortoise!"
COMBAT: Ladybug has used Breakaway on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Ladybug's Breakaway, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Utena Tenjou's Block ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
"Oh, Jupiter! It's me!" Kuniko calls to Jupiter. The Italy-flag sky mask may be concealing her, but she waggles her fingers vigorously. That was before she ended up shattering her good sharpening stick to flinders and nearly freezing her hand off against that lens -
No - Shell?
"You've got to be kidding me," Kuniko says aloud, even as ice-cold rain pours onto her. Her jacket is water-resistant, at least, but it freezes nonetheless; she clings closer to Donner, feeling that chill sink in deeper and more steadily to her core. That giant HEAD -
Kuniko straightens up. "Jupiter! Cure Fortune, everyone! Something's in its mouth! I'm gonna get it to open it!"
Her head then tilts down. Fast motion is needed.
Pork is chopped and gently seasoned. Boiled. Mashed, mixed with some kuzu starch and formed into fat loose spheres. Wrapped in layers of cabbage. Steamed again, while something else is prepared... And the delectable high protein treat is plated, firmly and emphatically, upon a split head of... Iceberg lettuce.
"COME ON! We're both in the delivery business! Get me near to that head, Donner--" Kuniko is almost thrown by the swift response, but neither she nor the impromptu TURTLE TAMING HIGH PROTEIN GREEN TREAT CABBAGE ROLL service platter quite spill out.
The sheer force of Terroir in the cabbage rolls mean that they steam, defiant of the chill for at least a few moments, as Kuniko sends them streaking across the mighty chelonian's nose.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used Turtle Taming High Protein Green Treat Cabbage Roll on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Kuniko Saito's Turtle Taming High Protein Green Treat Cabbage Roll, taking 12 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Utena Tenjou's Block ability activates! COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter fails to counter Utena Tenjou's Freezing Rain, taking 29 Fatigue damage! Stun applied to Sailor Jupiter! COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter's counterattack, Rainzapping, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Utena Tenjou!
<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.
With extra reach (thanks to Garnet!) Steven wails on the wall of ice as hard as he can! ...but sadly only a few ice chips come off, and is almost entirely unscathed. It actually feels like something else, interestingly enough! "I'm not making any prog-- ahh!"
A casing of crost had begun to form on Steven's shield, but had thought it no mind. Even when it mostly encased the front, the shield is not physically connected to him. But alarm struck when the growing frost somehow jumped to him. The bite of sudden, sheer cold causes him to retract. The boy is forced to will away the shield, and quickly shake off the growing frost. "S-S-So cold! Be careful, everyone!" he calls out.
It takes some effort, but Steven calls another shield to his arm, though it seems to have winded him some. He breathes into his scarf, or one of them, rather, to keep from inhaling sub-freezing air.
After catching his breath, he looks up to see the group not fighting a wall of ice, but some kind of... sky turtle?! "Badguuuuuy!" he yells, pointing at it. "You! Mean turtle thing! You need to stop doing the storm thing!"
He doesn't even know if it can hear him over the weather whirling about. "But we will find a way to stop you!"
COMBAT: Steven Universe has used AND STEVEN! on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly counters Steven Universe's AND STEVEN!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Steven Universe is Psyched! Utena Tenjou's Reverse ability activates! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou's counterattack, LOUD TURTLE VOICE, partially gets through, doing 14 Fatigue damage to Steven Universe!
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Jupiter recognizes Ladybug, too, of course--she's not *entirely* convinced she *isn't* secretly Michiru Kaioh, though she's less sure of that now than she was before--but the storm being as fierce as it is, she can barely make her out in the crowd. Case in point, she's completely missed Kuniko up until now, when Kuniko draws her attention by shouting her way. She brightens and waves back. "Kuniko! Didn't see you there! Hard to see anything in this rain--"
Which seems like something that needs doing about! Unfortunately, her attempts to channel the lightning still crackling around her tiara rod to zorch raindrops out of the air don't quite work out the way she'd hoped; instead, she gets drenched in freezing rain. Don't mind her chattering teeth. Jupiter's not looking too pleased by this development. At least Blitzen seems to be hanging in there okay, and she pats the reindeer's head. "Y-you d-doin' all r-r-right?" she asks, just in case.
But as Kuniko zeroes in to try to get the turtle to open its mouth, she shouts, "R-right!" Got to follow up with an attack of her own... It's hard to think with all this chill turning her brain to slush, so--why not warm things up with the flowers of spring? That's where Jupiter's logic takes her as she twirls an arm over her head, being unable to twirl full-body upon the back of a reindeer. "FLOWER... HURRICANE!!" she shouts, sending a barrage of flower petals forward towards the turtle's shell. Even if they don't necessarily do a lot of damage, they might end up sticking that shell and making it safer for the others to attack by buffering against the cold. It sure ought to help buffer *Jupiter* against this cold--she hopes!
<Pose Tracker> Cure Bloom [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.
Cure Bloom slams home and REALLY QUICKLY REGRETS IT, ACTUALLY. "Cold! Cold! Ahh! Why don't these have leggings!?" she whines, as the blasting, biting wind cuts at her. She starts to fall, because she works sort of like an airplane, honestly, and lashes out with a hand to catch the back of Dancer's saddle, forcing herself back up into a straddle as she tries to rub her hands along her arms to warm up. Her fingertips sting with a weird, burning cold she's not familiar with, the energy bolt she forced into the frozen sky having proved little protection against the cold. But then...It's...turning?
"Did...did Santa get eaten by a flying snow turtle!?" Cure Bloom demands of the sky. She sets herself, hopping back up to her feet. "Can't...stay back," she tells herself, as warm light rushes up her legs. "Sempai!" she adds, calling out to alert Cure Passion of her coming - and then blasting upward, swinging down toward the megaturtle with an outstretched foot full of Pretty Cure power!
MAYBE THIS ONE WILL FREEZE LESS
COMBAT: Cure Bloom has used Bloom Strikes on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly dodges Cure Bloom's Bloom Strikes, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Utena Tenjou [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed. <SoundTracker> Danse Macabre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyknBTm_YyM
So, to recap, at the heart of the worst winter storm in living memory is a football field-length black turtle, with sickly green runes snaking around its fins and across its back. It's definitely controlling the weather, but its gaping maw and massive, sharp fins are also a going concern, as is the fact that its shell is so cold that it freezes most anything on impact.
It's the winds that push Passion's kick, Bloom's punch and Hikaru's sword aside, and somehow seem to absorb Garnet's lightning, dispersing it relatively harmlessly -- though it does free her gauntlet. Fortune feels the air fighting her, too, but she punches straight through it, and, finally, makes a fist-sized dent in the shell. The dent remains very solid, though... no hopeful cracking further down the icy surface. Kasagami and Lera's stabs and slashes raise similarly teeny marks, and the snow in the air sticks, freezing it back over almost instantly. It's hard to tell whether this is genuine regeneration or just a sort of chilly band-aid. If the shell is made of ice, is there a meaningful difference?
Not everyone takes the direct approach, though. Michiko concentrates on the turtle, and can see with great clarity that it's a lot tougher than it is fast, and, perhaps more importantly, that it is, in some way, corruptive or corrupted -- though given that it's a giant floating turtle rather than a normal theoretically innocent human, it's hard to tell which. Either way, a presence of purest evil suffuses its form, painful to observe directly, tear-stinging, heart-gripping.
That's a pretty succinct description of its voice, too. Steven yells, and the turtle yells back. Pure sonic hell emerges from... somewhere, since its maw doesn't actually bother to open. Magic, oy.
<< I CANNOT. >>
This is a bone-rattling experience, right under the ears, stabbing the temples and the base of the spine. It's like those two words were laced with so much pain that it had be shared.
But others are determined to make that mouth move, and teamwork and ingenuity win the day; Ladybug kicks at the neck, getting its attention such that it's facing just the right way to maximize the sight and smell of Kuniko's splendid turtle treat. Whatever this beast is, it is apparently enough real turtle to find that cabbage irresistable... though it briefly tries to avoid it, it emits a pained (and painful) sound upon the whiff of Jupiter's flowers further perfuming the air, the sound of someone's diet being ruined, before stretching that neck out further and OMMMMMM its maw is opening to crunch munch munch--
--but it's still open in the moment, and radiating more of those golden, red and white sparkles. Now seems like a good time to remark that at full extension, that opening is at least three Ladybugs (or two Garnets) tall.
However, it's also worth remarking that there's a city of almost forty million people below, and this turtle is throwing out storm faster than ever. There is plenty to do outside, trying to stop all that snow, ice and misery from making it to the ground. Considering how beleagured Tokyo is already, it is probably life-and-death for someone, or many someones, down there.
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Cure Bloom. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Sailor Jupiter. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Kuniko Saito. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Ladybug. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Hikaru Shidou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Paper Heart Guardian Michiko. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Cure Fortune. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Fuu Hououji. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Garnet. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Kasagami Araki. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Cure Passion. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Tinnitus on Steven Universe. COMBAT: Ladybug narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 13 Fatigue damage! Ladybug's Block ability activates! Ladybug's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Cure Passion narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Cure Passion's Block ability activates! Cure Passion's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Paper Heart Guardian Michiko perfectly braces Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Critical Brace! Paper Heart Guardian Michiko's Block ability activates! Paper Heart Guardian Michiko's Parry ability activates! Honoka Yukishiro walks over from Yamanote High City.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito fails to dodge Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 34 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Cure Fortune fails to dodge Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 39 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro transforms into Belly of the Beast! COMBAT: Garnet perfectly dodges Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Critical Dodge! Garnet's Fade ability activates! Garnet's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Kasagami Araki narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 5 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Cure Bloom narrowly dodges Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 23 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Fuu Hououji fails to dodge Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 36 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou fails to brace Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 25 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.
Passion gets a glance as she lands, and...is freezing solid! Well, Kasagami might be a jerkish member of the student council,but she's still a gentlewoman! And so, there's a black coat flicked clear of ice, and then settles around Passion's shoulders!
"Can't save Christmas if you're an icicle." A smile, a wink, and...is there a rose in Passion's hair now? Definitely. Ohtori red, this one.
As for Ladybug? Kasagami closes her eyes, and tilts her head up just enough for her nose to perk up. Sorry Ladybug, it seems this mahou is currently unrepentent! Maybe she'll get a solid piece of coal this year.
Oh god Loud Turtle Voice! Kasagami instantly falls down at that massive voice, both hands plugging her ears quickly! She even shoves her scarf up around her poor ears! And so, now nicely deafened, we have one very, very angry Kassie-chan!
Somewhere in the midst of barely muffled Ear Splitting Pain, Kasagami spies that open mouth. And then, with a sucking breath to gather her courage, she stands up a strikes a pose! Her nodachi held out with one hand, she points the tip at that gaping turtle maw!
"Fine, you're strong! But you can't stop the joy of Christmas from arriving at Ohtori! I won't allow it! And since you refuse to stop this horrible freeze..."
She takes a massive leap, does a single flip in the air, and then crashes down into that maw with a single, hard-booted axe-kick to thing's obsidian head for good measure! Her boot might not crack it, but hopefully the torrent of roses that tries to halt that snow-storm-breath for a moment will help! Or at least give it one horrible case of allergies!
COMBAT: Steven Universe fails to brace Utena Tenjou's Tinnitus, taking 8 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Kasagami Araki has used Thorns of the Bloody Rose on Honoka Yukishiro. COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro perfectly braces Kasagami Araki's Thorns of the Bloody Rose, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Critical Brace!
<Pose Tracker> Cure Fortune [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Cure Fortune stands back up from the punch. As she continues standing and doing the hop-hop-it's-cold dance on the shell, the turtle speaks, the cacophony piercing through everything that Cure Fortune is. It rattles her bones, she can feel it rattle her bracer and mirror.
Wait! The mirror!
Fortune suddenly grabs it and opens it. "Time to change!" She slips two cards into the mirror. "Pine Arabian!" A burst of purple light later, Fortune now wears her Arabian dress. On the bright side, she's wearing longer pants and has a lot more hair, so she's a lot warmer than before. That's good!
It helps, though not as much as she'd like against the cold.
She still dances anyway with a little bit of a shiver. As she twirls and twirls, sand is starting to get all around the area, as she tries to warm up the area and try to slow it down somehow. Or possibly just annoy it.
Perhaps none of that will work out, but there's one thing that's clear as day: there's a lot of sand on the turtle right now, and it is spreading around.
COMBAT: Cure Fortune transforms into Pine Arabian! COMBAT: Cure Fortune has used Sand: Coarse, Rough, Gets Everywhere on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Well, it's opened its mouth. Even as it speaks.
IT CANNOT - Kuniko's teeth rattle - the pain of such shouting is buffered only by the fact that she's heard similar volumes in the past. Rarely, yes, but a certain rabbit can get a certain volume and the effect is near enough that she does not think her ears are bleeding... not much, anyway...
Either way there is still that light within. "Come on, we can't stop here," she mutters to Donner even as she gives Jupiter a sideways look, a momentary thumbs up, and a pointing forward of the finger. And then she reaches her hand into somewhere else --
Her approach through the gaping maw of the turtle is accompanied by a release of a handful of dolma! Which, while perhaps not as lusciously warm as a meaty treat wrapped in steamed green cabbage, are no doubt of appeal to a massive reptile.
Maybe it'll even like the lemon juice!
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used Yalanci Dolma on Honoka Yukishiro. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly dodges Cure Fortune's Sand: Coarse, Rough, Gets Everywhere, taking 14 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates! Exhausted applied to Utena Tenjou! COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro narrowly braces Kuniko Saito's Yalanci Dolma, taking 3 Fatigue damage! Stun applied to Honoka Yukishiro!
<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.
Steven makes a bold claim to make the turtle stop. It backfires horribly. Surprising to the boy, it actually responds, and in the most painful voice manageable. THe kind of voice that immediately gives Steven a headache, causing him to clasp his mitts over his earmuffed ears-- yes, it is bad enough to go right through the earmuffs.
Though covering his ears, Steven does get to look into the creature's mouth. Why is it so colorful inside if it is bad? "Something is in its mouth! I think we needa go in! Cupid, please take us close!" Steven gets closer with the reindeer's help, he jumps into the maw, where others have already begun to gather. "Stay safe, Cupid!" he calls back, as he readies himself to begin attacking the mouth.
"Okay everyone! This thing may be big as a school, but we got what he doesn't! And that is Christmas spirit! Who is with me?!"
His words, despite suffering from intermittent teeth chattering, still fill those who hear it with inspiration.
COMBAT: Steven Universe has used Strong In The Real Way! on Garnet. COMBAT: Steven Universe has used Strong In The Real Way! on Fuu Hououji. COMBAT: Steven Universe has used Strong In The Real Way! on Kasagami Araki. COMBAT: Kasagami Araki accepts Steven Universe's Strong In The Real Way!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Kasagami Araki is Cheered! COMBAT: Fuu Hououji accepts Steven Universe's Strong In The Real Way!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji is Cheered! COMBAT: Lera Camry fails to dodge Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 27 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Garnet accepts Steven Universe's Strong In The Real Way!, taking 0 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Ladybug [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.
A flying kick finds its mark - which, it seems, is just enough to get this giant turtle's attention. Ladybug stares at the size of that mouth, wondering if she's next on the menu - when salvation comes smelling delicious. Momentum carries her back around, finally alighting at the edge of the shell - at which point she kicks off, flips once, and gets slightly more secure footing. The chef gets a quick salute from the masked heroine in red, and-
-and everything ever seems to thrum at once with the pained voice of the behemoth. It rumbles in her ears, her bones, her very soul, and it's all she can do to keep from tumbling into oblivion.
The turtle's maw is open, and even from her perch Ladybug can see a glimpse of the light shining within. At the same time, she can feel the storm whipping around her, growing more and more dire with every passing moment. Indecision wars for a moment - to enter the belly of the beast, or to fight the weather itself? Ears still ringing, she muses aloud - maybe someone else will hear, maybe not. "You can't...what is keeping you from letting this be a happy day, little turtle?..."
She needs inspiration - so it's time to throw the dice and see if luck will carry the day. Twirling once, standing on one foot on an icy turtle high in the skies above Tokyo, Ladybug flings her yo-yo straight up to invoke its power. "Lucky Charm!" Crimson light shines in the air, like a flurry of lucky ladybugs to offset the snow and ice -
And in Ladybug's outstretched hands, a double armful red-and-black patterned sleigh bells lands.
Ladybug nearly buckles from the weight, staggering a couple of steps before regaining her balance. Stopping to stare for a moment, she hefts once, twice, making a cheerful little jangle-jangle. "What in the world am I supposed to do with this..." The storm is worsening, though; for the time being, she slings them over her shoulders as if to wear them like twin bandoliers. Sort of like a Christmas Rambo.
She's no closer to making a decision when there's a sudden surge of warmth, accompanied by sand covering the turtle's back. It's just that slightest hint of the desert, of summer, and it's the first real hope she can imagine of getting through this horrible chill...and then, she has an idea. Tentative, at first, but...
There's plenty of people going into the belly of the beast to try to find what's up; out here, the stakes are raising higher and higher. Ladybug gives them a salute as they go forth with courage, and calls out. "Good luck, all of you - we'll do what we can to hold off the storm out here!" It's a difficult decision, but...it feels right. In the end, that's what she has to trust, right?
Cure Fortune - or rather, Pine Arabian - might see a red-clad girl run past, down the turtle's shell. "Keep that up if you can - we need all the warmth we can get!" Reaching the tail, she looks right before she leaps - and, bells jangling, lands astride the circling, riderless Dasher.
"All right - it's worst near this thing, but we have to try to keep the storm...contained, as best we can! Just fly towards the bigger ice chunks, I'll do what I can!" She unslings her yo-yo, letting it sway idly for a moment - and then as girl and reindeer reach the nearest nexus of icy doom, she tries to -lasso- it with a toy that's more magic than weapon. Maybe it won't do much, maybe it will - bit by bit, piece by piece, trying to corral the worst of the storm back towards the turtle and the warmth.
As the bells she carries jingle and jangle, she thinks wildly. Can she come up with a real plan, or is she just trying to stall for time?
COMBAT: Ladybug has used Double Or Nothing on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
The Wind Knight considers the situation some more, even as she gets almost completely deafened by the turtle's roar; sure enough, the shell seems all but completely impenetrable. MAYBE there's a way to break it, but not quickly and not with the amount of power most of them can feasibly call upon ...
So if the turtle needs to be fought, or if there's something *inside* the turtle which needs to be fought (and that does seem somewhat more likely), then they'll have to go inside.
"I'm with you, Steven-san!" the Wind Knight calls out; she may have some trouble picking out the young boy's words, but his determination is evident and his spirit is just as clear. She guides her reindeer mount towards the turtle's head, taking a moment to judge distances and angles -
And her leap catches the wind at JUST the right angle, letting her 'dive' into the turtle's open mouth, past its teeth, and down its throat. Yep, it's downright colorful in here, and *bright* to boot. She'll need to thank Kuniko for luring the turtle's mouth open ...
Her only real question now is: where are the sparkles coming from?
She's tempted to start throwing magic around, but she holds off, trying to get a better sense of the situation BEFORE she begins casting magic, or swinging her sword, or what have you.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Let Me Take A Look on Honoka Yukishiro.
<Pose Tracker> Garnet [None] has posed.
Garnet struggles and shocks the shell of the turtle, until her gauntlet is released from the frost with the help of a familiar, beneficient green wind! Garnet looks for Fuu, and shoots a smile and a thumbup to the Magic Knight of Wine with the freed hand! In the meantime, the turtle redoubles its sonic assault that it sent to poor Steven...
But Garnet's focus is elsewhere, her inner voice sings a song, a Christmas carol in playful jest.
Part of her melts a little bit at the sound of it, this inner carrolling, just for her. It begs her to relax, just take a brief moment to relax and enjoy the holiday and the season. Between all the extra-special missions she had been taking lately, she's had was little to no time to herself this Christmas to just enjoy something small and meaningful. So in this last hour of Christmas, it presents itself, and she accepts, and for that moment, while the voice croons its sweet holiday song, the turtle's cacophany becomes little more than background static, something happening so very far away.
Garnet drifts back to attention, and hears Steven's plan, though she missed his resounding cheer by mere seconds. The reindeer is already on the move, and thinking of the light within the turtle's mouth it might be a good plan, the monster seems all but impervious to attacks from the outside.
"I'll try to clear our way. Steven, grab on to me. Michiko, if you're coming, grab ahold too! If not, stay safe!"
Garnet salutes Ladybug's statement of support, then holds her passengers close against the wind as Cupid speeds up to close distance.
Once the reindeer is close enough, she takes a giant leap into the mouth of the monster, increasing her mass in hopes to being an unstoppable force, to break through any unknown resistance so that they land!
COMBAT: Garnet has used Heavyweight Clamping-on on Honoka Yukishiro.
COMBAT: Garnet has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro narrowly counters Fuu Hououji's Let Me Take A Look, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Honoka Yukishiro's Reverse ability activates! Analysis performed by Fuu Hououji!
COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro's counterattack, Pus Gush, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Fuu Hououji!
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
The turtle speaks. Lera feels the voice as much as she hears it, rattling through her chest and leaving her shocked. Her flight comes up short, and she floats in the air, shovering for a moment. She looks down at the turtle and shakes her head, before she calls out: "There must be some way you can stop this, y'know?"
There isn't much that Lera can do against snow and ice -- at least, not with Soaring Sky. Broken Ground is back at home, tucked into his recharge rack after he helped them navigate another world. She looks towards the head, where Ladybug and the others hit, and she zips along the shell -- and comes near the head. Lera does a tight turn, before she swings her sword back in both hands. The weapon comes crashing down, as her feet slam into a triangle this time.
It holds her in midair, like a platform, for just a moment.
<Lanzebrecher!> The blade swings into the turtle's side, near the neck, and there is a point-blank, focused blast of crimson light towards it.
COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Lanzebrecher on Utena Tenjou.
COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Cure Passion [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Cure Passion watches Lera's flurry of flaming strikes as she catches her breath from landing back on Dancer's back, leaning down to rub the reindeer's neck for a moment. "Thank you," she murmurs, and doesn't specify what it's for...
Though it's mostly for catching her after that attempt of a move.
Passion misses, meanwhile, Bloom's awful possibility for Santa's fate, thankfully enough. But she hears Bloom calling to her and leans to the side while hanging onto Dancer's neck, to make sure not to get caught up in the swing. "Keep going, Bloom!" she calls.
But the storm itself conspires to to send her attacks wide, and while the landing makes her feel she can keep going, it leaves her scrambling to find a better angle of attack. As she's thinking about it, there's this awful /sound/ that sets her bones to rattling, but she's able to set herself so it mostly passes through her, rather than knocking her off the reindeer. Nevertheless it leaves her gasping for breath again.
It looks a lot like shivering, because that's part of it, and Passion wouldn't know where the coat came from if not for Kasagami's voice in her ear, but there's one about her shoulders and a red rose in her hair, next to the headress of diamonds and hearts. "You--" But she's gone, quickly enough. Is that girl really helping them now...?
If she is, can Cure Passion really deny her the chance to try? She accepts the coat for now, and there's no time to find a place for the rose. Instead she looks up to see Cure Bloom falling back towards her. Immediately she hops to her feet, balancing precariously on Dancer's back in the heavy winds, hooking her ankle around one of the reins this time. "Cure Bloom!" she calls.
The younger Cure lands seated again on the reindeer's back and Passion looks down at her, nodding firmly. "Let's do ths together!" As she reaches down to grasp Cure Bloom's forearms, kneeling on the way, there's a faint trail of red sparkle at her fingertips, a warm happiness that might seem so unlike the serious Cure if Bloom didn't know her.
"I'll do my very best to get you where you need to be!" Passion stands, pulling Bloom with her, and turns her feet as she starts to spin, whirling in place with careful steps one, two, three, four times. "Haaaah!"
Passion lets go, /hurling/ her kohai straight into the storm.
COMBAT: Cure Passion has used The Crimson Heart on Cure Bloom.
COMBAT: Cure Passion has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Cure Bloom accepts Cure Passion's The Crimson Heart, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Accelerate and Empower applied to Cure Bloom!
<Pose Tracker> Paper Heart Guardian Michiko [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.
After scanning the turtle and feeling the evil, Michiko instinctively guards her head and protects it with pages. The sound burst destroys the protection but leaves her unharmed. "Wait..." She yells out to all, "this turtle...it is a source or victim of great corruption, I'm not sure which! So much evil in its form!" She shudders, then shakes her head clear.
Then she is offered a way into the turtle's mouth. "Um...well...Ugh." She groans, facepalming. "If...if you two are going in, then...I'll go with." She grabs onto Garnet and mumbles. "Yay teamwork, makes best decisions."
COMBAT: Paper Heart Guardian Michiko has used climb on on Paper Heart Guardian Michiko.
COMBAT: Paper Heart Guardian Michiko has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Cure Bloom [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.
Cure Bloom's powerful kick may hit its mark, but what good is it against that impenetrable turtleshell!? Cure Bloom's never faced someone as tough as--
Briefly, across her memories, there flits a mustache that isn't waxed so much as forged, and a body not so much honed as molded.
She's falling away, a little shudder running through her. Are things as tough as that guy going to be common, now...!? She's about to gather her strength for another burst of flight when the blast of sound rattles into her, and you can't dodge sound in the /sky/. She feels like even her Pretty Cure magic can't defend her against rattling bones, and falls helplessly through the air -- until Dancer sweeps up with nimble timing, the girl slamming HARD into the reindeer's saddle. She groans, forcing a hand under her to shove half-upright, breathing hard. "That shell's just not moving," she murmurs, worried.
But more than that, she sees the way the storm is worsening, and remembers fighting the storm beasts before. And she sees Cure Passion, shining above her like an inspiring beacon! (The shining may be in Saki's head.)
She quickly shifts to a smile as Cure Passion reaches for her, and reaches up to grip the red Cure's hands. She's whipped around, then, and Cure Bloom mirrors that cry with her own gathering kiai, "haaaAAAAAAH!" building before she's LOOSED in the direction of the storm!
And then, a moment later, billowing golden power erupts around her like a two-stage rocket, sending Cure Bloom off like a spear of Pretty Cure light off into the gloom, which will hopefully be disrupted by a swiftly-following explosion of magic!
COMBAT: Cure Bloom has used Yes The Entire Plan Is To Punch A Storm on Utena Tenjou.
COMBAT: Cure Bloom has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Paper Heart Guardian Michiko accepts Paper Heart Guardian Michiko's climb on, taking 0 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou perfectly dodges Ladybug's Double Or Nothing, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Critical Dodge! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to dodge Lera Camry's Lanzebrecher, taking 57 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly dodges Cure Bloom's Yes The Entire Plan Is To Punch A Storm, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Cure Bloom is Psyched! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Utena Tenjou [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
OUTSIDE THE TURTLE
The ice storm is suddenly transformed by the splendid Pine Arabian into a sandstorm -- or, well, a combination storm!
And what happens when you combine water and dirt?
It's a MUDSTORM!
It's sticky... causing the ice to merge into larger mudballs. Which would be very bad if they reached the surface... but there's not /much chance of that/ with Cure Bloom exploding amongst them, and Ladybug lassoing the stragglers. Everything is a great big mess, though, and it's dangerously easy to slip up.
What's more, the rate at which the turtle is storming drops precipitously when Lera blasts it right in the neck, eliciting another miserable moan. Of course, this has other consequences as well...
INSIDE THE TURTLE
Kuniko's dolma and Kasagami's rose petals do a swell job, collectively, of giving the turtle lots of things to munch on that aren't people. Indeed, it is questionable that it's even entirely noticed that there are People Inside (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ihRPi4wcBY).
But attention isn't required for this place to be dangerous. Fuu pauses to examine the place, and like Michiko before her gets a distractingly large sense of darkness, of corruption, and only narrowly evades a pustule as it explodes nearby.
That looked quite painful... for the turtle.
There's more mucus barring the back of the throat, but Garnet falls straight through it, causing it to stretch... stretch... streeeetch... and finally snap! The way is clear--
--and as Lera's blast from outside causes the turtle to swallow reflexively, everyone's going down.
It's a steep drop, and the air that rushes past smells really awful, like rotting garbage with just a little hint of cinnamon and sugar plums. The reason for the former smell is readily apparent; more of those pus-filled sores. They look kind of infected.
The source of the latter is obvious too; it's never stopped emitting light all this time, but it explodes with brightness upon Steven's words. Wedged at the top of the stomach is an energy-leaking, jagged ball of ice... with a distinctly red and round center. Everywhere it touches seems red as well, but not the jolly kind -- rather, aggravated and awful, like an allergic reaction.
It might be possible to get everyone out the way they came in, but it's going to involve a climb... unless they can induce ejection with a little help from the turtle itself.
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Mudstorm! on Cure Bloom.
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Mudstorm! on Cure Fortune.
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Mudstorm! on Ladybug.
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Mudstorm! on Lera Camry.
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Mudstorm! on Cure Passion.
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro narrowly braces Garnet's Heavyweight Clamping-on, taking 20 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro has used Steep Drop! on Kasagami Araki.
COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro has used Steep Drop! on Kuniko Saito.
COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro has used Steep Drop! on Steven Universe.
COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro has used Steep Drop! on Fuu Hououji.
COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro has used Steep Drop! on Garnet.
COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro has used Steep Drop! on Paper Heart Guardian Michiko.
COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Kasagami Araki narrowly dodges Honoka Yukishiro's Steep Drop!, taking 19 Fatigue damage! Kasagami Araki's Fade ability activates! Kasagami Araki's Flash ability activates! Stagger applied to Kasagami Araki!
COMBAT: Lera Camry narrowly counters Utena Tenjou's Mudstorm!, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry's Reverse ability activates! Lera Camry's Tactician ability activates! Tangle applied to Lera Camry!
COMBAT: Lera Camry's counterattack, Sentinel Flash, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Utena Tenjou!
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji narrowly braces Honoka Yukishiro's Steep Drop!, taking 18 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji's Block ability activates! Fuu Hououji's Parry ability activates! Stagger applied to Fuu Hououji!
COMBAT: Cure Bloom narrowly counters Utena Tenjou's Mudstorm!, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Cure Bloom's Reverse ability activates! Cure Bloom's Tactician ability activates! Tangle applied to Cure Bloom!
COMBAT: Cure Bloom's counterattack, Petal Flash, partially gets through, doing 3 Fatigue damage to Utena Tenjou! Critical Counterhit! Diversion applied to Utena Tenjou!
COMBAT: Cure Passion narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Mudstorm!, taking 3 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Cure Passion's Block ability activates! Cure Passion's Parry ability activates!
COMBAT: Garnet narrowly braces Honoka Yukishiro's Steep Drop!, taking 13 Fatigue damage! Stagger applied to Garnet!
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito narrowly braces Honoka Yukishiro's Steep Drop!, taking 11 Fatigue damage! Kuniko Saito's Block ability activates! Kuniko Saito's Parry ability activates! Stagger applied to Kuniko Saito!
COMBAT: Paper Heart Guardian Michiko narrowly braces Honoka Yukishiro's Steep Drop!, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Paper Heart Guardian Michiko's Block ability activates! Paper Heart Guardian Michiko's Parry ability activates! Stagger applied to Paper Heart Guardian Michiko!
COMBAT: Steven Universe perfectly counters Honoka Yukishiro's Steep Drop!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter!
COMBAT: Steven Universe's counterattack, Bubble Shield, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Honoka Yukishiro!
COMBAT: Cure Fortune narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Mudstorm!, taking 6 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.
Ok, it's true: Steve is /adorable/. Kasagami raises a clenched fist in Christmas solidarity with the young man!
"That's right! We have the power of...joy and...okay, no, I'm not finishing that sentence. Point being, no oversized turtle-soup-to-be is going to stop us going home to our friends and family for Christmas! Let's bring home dinner!"
Kassie seems slightly more into it, at least!
Down down down into Turtle Town! Past pus, mucus, and other smells that Kasagami /really/ doesn't want to think about. Her Student Council uniform is, of course, immaculate despite the surroundings. Her face is less so, looking distinctly green! But luckily she spies that horrid ball of ice!
"Hey, looks like we've found our culprit! Time to become a magical vet, everyone!"
And then, raising her blade in both hands, she concentrates! Slowly, a torrent of roses fills her blade in intricate patterns, forming roses and ivy of their own in larger-than-life relief. With an almost zen calm in her face, she leaps towards that iceball and hammers down with her blade! The roses gathered arounnd it fly off in a single column, trying to forcefully destroy, or just dislodge that evil iceball caught in the turtle's poor gullet! The sheer amount of petals might just give the turtle indigestion if nothing else as they spread their sweet scent and sparkles all around. In the center of so much horrible turtle insides, Kasagami is a bastion of Ohtori grace and power.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Kasagami Araki has used Bloody Rose Storm on Honoka Yukishiro.
COMBAT: Kasagami Araki has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Ladybug narrowly dodges Utena Tenjou's Mudstorm!, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Ladybug's Fade ability activates! Ladybug's Flash ability activates! Tangle applied to Ladybug!
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
Looking around was, thinks the Wind Knight, probably as good a decision as any; certainly the pustules won't do anyone any good, either the great turtle or those in its mouth. Garnet is well ahead of her and the others - and after dodging the erupting boil, she pauses just long enough to try and take stock of who else is with her.
Her headcount is interrupted, rather severely, by all of them getting swallowed. It's a very bumpy ride, and there are secondary elements to winding up in a giant sky-turtle's stomach that don't particularly bear extensive consideration. Still, she *did* know what she was letting herself in for; she's played a few games which involve going down a really big creature's throat and having to fight inside of it.
At least there's plenty of light to see by, and the Wind Knight takes stock of the ball of ... ice? Crystal? She's not even sure what that is, although 'ice' seems like as good a guess as any. "If that can cause this much distress to the cloud-turtle," the Wind Knight remarks out loud, "it can probably do quite a lot of harm to the rest of us if we don't deal with it quickly ... Let's hit it with everything we've got, hopefully we can smash it before it can lash out at *us*!"
Kasagami is a couple of steps ahead of her, bringing her sword to bear; the Magic Knight of Wind holds her ground for a few extra seconds, drawing out as much magic as she can from within herself, a localized gale whipping up around her despite the fact that this is NOT anywhere near the giant turtle's lungs. More and more power is gathered, until finally, she shouts while she has a clear shot: "EMERALD CYCLONE!!!" Her left arm sweeps forward, then her right, and each gesture hurls the wrath of the tempest against that jagged chunk of eldritch ice.
If she could punctuate the attack with a dose of the Winds of Healing, she would; she's certainly going to want to TRY, but the best she can hope is that the winds themselves soothe the turtle's irritated innards, as well as trying to break the ice-thing to the point that it can be more easily expelled by the surrounding membranes.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Fuu Hououji has used Emerald Cyclone: Full on Honoka Yukishiro.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
The storm, now of mud, whirls around them. Lera yelps as a huge glob comes towards her -- but a cross-shaped barrier appears right off her sword, and it bounces away with a flash. <Sentinel Flash!>
"Thanks, buddy!" Lera says. "You still can do that?"
<Of course. I just.... remembered some other things...>
The Armed Device trails off. Lera frowns, for a moment, before she looks back at the turtle. She can see that the blow she landed was quite effective -- and it makes her wonder about those inside. She glances back down at Sky. "...You okay? The spells you're doing... they look like--like the ones that Endo and Stern do. Or..."
Her eyes half-close. <...I know. I'm fine. I won't break again.>
"All right," Lera says. "Let's see if we can do something about this, y'know?"
<Let's.>
Lera speeds up, shooting towards the turtle. She speeds up enough to become a blur of light, leaving a fiery wake in her path, sword held out to the side. She slashes hard for the side of the turtle as she passes -- and then she throws her feet out. A Belkan triangle appears -- and Lera lands into it. She bicycle kicks off it.
Then she flies up for the turtle again, and slashes from another side, before she does a mid-air backflip to kick off a second triangle, and move up with a diagonal slash. That sends her flying above the turtle. A third triangle appears -- and Lera kicks off that, become goes down for it, sword swung over her shoulder.
She makes a final chop as she rushes right by the ice shell. <Reiztauchen!> Sky chimes.
Lera takes a second -- she has to translate in her head -- before she yells, "Impulse DIIIIIIIIIVE!"
COMBAT: FINISHER! Lera Camry has used Reiztauchen on Utena Tenjou.
COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Garnet [None] has posed.
Tumble, tumble, tumble down. Extra heavy to break through the mucuous, Garnet is still definitely weighted for falling, so when the turtle swallows, fall she does, with her charges with her unfortunately. The muscles of the turtle's throat and its... secretions... make the journey a bumpy, sticky, filthy and painful one, she tries to take each bump with grace, dignity and resourcefulness, but there's only so much you can do in a monster throat after all, and trying to keep her passengers from harm, Garnet can't help but take the brunts of the impact upon herself. She finally finds a hold, a lump of flesh whose description and purpose is perhaps best left to the imagination, and pulls herself up. She guides Steven and Michiko off her back and seeing Fuu's assault on the mysterious ice orb, follows the Wind Knight's lead. "That orb could be the source of the evil. Everyone, give it all you've got."
Garnet steadies her footing, moves in front of the two so that they aren't in her immediate path, and begins to charge.
The area around her ripples for a moment, she points her armored fists towards the ice. A stream of ball lightning erupts from her gauntlets, each one the size of a dumpster, in neon colors: pinks, greens, yellows, blues, crashing towards the malignant orb!
Setsuna Meioh says, "ooc G'nite Kasahami!"
COMBAT: FINISHER! Garnet has used Cool Electro on Honoka Yukishiro.
COMBAT: Garnet has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Oh this is disgusting, Kuniko thinks as she moves forwards - deeper. But she can't help but wonder if those weird pustules, that nasty stuff that looks like pus and no doubt is, are...
Are something caused? Something natural? Her lips purse, even as Kasagami speaks up in great vigor that now they are all veterinarians. Where the others move in - either to sooth, or to attack that ice thing - Kuniko dismounts from her reindeer.
Her head turns around for a moment even as she tries to not think too much about the fact that she is where she is.
Then Kuniko draws out a can from her Mise-en-place. The label is in French, Arabic, and English: It is Harissa pepper paste, as she has been so enamoured of in the past. Opening it up, she reaches as if to sink her fingers in - thinks better of it - and then gives the can a firm thump, her hand warming it despite everything, before she /slings/ it -- aiming to land the irritating pepper right at the back of the turtle's throat!
Yes, it will add to the irritation. But maybe it will irritate /just enough/.
"We probably shouldn't stay in here too long," Kuniko calls. "Or we might get digested!"
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used Harissa Pepper on Honoka Yukishiro.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.
There has to be a way to make the turtle thing stop! Steven cheers on his cohorts and proceeds in deeper. Something explodes near Fuu, and something that smells nasty goes all over. "C-Careful!" he chatters out to Fuu, or rather, The Knight of the Wind. Speaking of chattering, the cold is slightly more bearable in here. It might have to do with the lack of buffeting wind as they approach the back of the mouth. A mittened thumbs-up is given to Kasagami.
Then suddenly, the creature swallows everyone! Down the throat they go tumbling, and a floor closes in quickly. Steven surrounds himself in a translucent rose-tinted bubble, bouncing slightly on impact, but seems no worse for the wear. "That was... kinda fun!" he says, laughing some. "But uh..." a pause as he looks around the stomach area. "...I think the turtle is sick...?" Whatever that thing is in the upper lining, as well as the cyst-like structures around... he is pretty sure they don't belong. They just don't look right.
Kasagami and Fuu let loose with everything they got, the boy takes a deep breath and grabs his shield with both hands. "I got one shot. Let's do it!" Steven spins in place a few times, and whips his shield into the malady of fierce wind and rose petals. It almost sings as it flies.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Steven Universe has used Throw Shield on Utena Tenjou.
COMBAT: Steven Universe has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Steven Universe has cancelled their attack on Utena Tenjou. If there are more attacks that need to be +cancelled, please hold all +attacks until the process is complete.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Steven Universe has used Throw Shield on Honoka Yukishiro.
COMBAT: Steven Universe has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro narrowly braces Kasagami Araki's Finisher, Bloody Rose Storm, taking 33 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro fails to brace Kuniko Saito's Harissa Pepper, taking 23 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Blind and Diversion applied to Honoka Yukishiro!
COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro fails to brace Garnet's Finisher, Cool Electro, taking 70 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro fails to brace Fuu Hououji's Finisher, Emerald Cyclone: Full, taking 73 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Paper Heart Guardian Michiko [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.
"Ugh. This is exactly how I always imagined the belly of a great beast would be." Why she has imagined that before now, Michiko doesn't clarify. It could be because she is too busy beginning to get sick. All the disgusting sights and smells. And then the floor collapses beneath her, sending her falling. She still took a bit of an impact despite Garnet taking the majority of the fall.
"gh-ow, that....oh!" Michiko noties the strange orb. Could this be the source? Before she has a chance to ponder what to do, everyone attacks. She shrugs, summoning her magic rod from nowhere. "Everyone is doing it, they must know this job better than me." She grips the rod with both hands, channeling all her power into it. The gem in the center of the star glows brighter and brighter. "As mind and heart become one," she begins, then trails off. "Become...one...as they...um... oh! As heart and mind become one, their powers shall overcome! Beam of Knowledge!" She points the rod at the ice block - and a torrent of energy and writing pours out, directly at the ball.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Paper Heart Guardian Michiko has used Beam of Knowledge! on Honoka Yukishiro.
COMBAT: Paper Heart Guardian Michiko has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro fails to brace Steven Universe's Finisher, Throw Shield, taking 82 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro fails to brace Paper Heart Guardian Michiko's Finisher, Beam of Knowledge!, taking 106 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Honoka Yukishiro is unable to keep fighting!
<Pose Tracker> Cure Fortune [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Cure Fortune continues to dance and swirl, even as the sand merges with the storm and creates /mud/, and it splatters all over her. "Ahhh!" Despite this, Cure Fortune remains on her feet, even despite the pelting mud. She looks around, trying to find a weak spot or something she punch or fill with sand to stop the turtle from moving.
A large splat of mud impacts her face, and her fingers sweep, clearing as much mud as possible from her face. "Fine." She says after a moment.
A spin of the dial on her bracer happens. "Pretty Cure!" Suddenly the area flares up with a burst of wind. "Khamsin Vahishta!" Cure Fortune starts to dance again, swirling round and round as she dances in a circle on top of her rotations. Each full turn sends a burst of wind around in a circle, as she uses her powers to try and buffet the entire area around the turtle with wind, swirling around to try and take control of the storm, and try and dissipate the snow, ice, and mud that's been swirling around.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Cure Fortune has used Pretty Cure Khamsin Vahishta on Utena Tenjou.
COMBAT: Cure Fortune has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Cure Passion [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Cure Passion watches Cure Bloom is explode in golden power, looking on with satisfaction as she gears herself up for what comes next. Or rather, as she gears herself up for what she thinks is coming next. Passion has never experienced a mudstorm, after all, and it's something of a singular experience; even as the worst of it is blasted apart or caught, there's still enough to come swinging at Passion.
And it does; she dives down against Dancer's neck, hanging on for the reindeer's own evasive maneuvers to try not to fall off, even as a glob nevertheless wraps around to slam her in the cheek, and another slams down her borrowed coat. But hang on she does, looking up again to see the others moving--to see Lera and Sky moving. It makes her happy to know he's all right, one of the many good feelings she has to try to warm her in this awful storm. Things are dangerous, and awful, but the things they're fighting for...
"Akarun!" Passion calls, and a tiny red key-fairy appears between her and Dancer's neck. She trills cheerfully even amidst all this frigidity, and perhaps she's still warm because of her ribbon scarf. "Right... We can do this!" She reaches down, sitting up, and cradles Akarun in her hand. "Sing, Rhapsody of Happiness!" A deep breath, "Passion Harp!" Akarun whirls, and suddenly she disappears, leaving a white heart-shaped instrument in Cure Passion's hand, the cap in her other hand as she brings it down to complete the instrument. Her legs hold on tight to the reindeer as she tucks the harp under her arm and starts to play a string of notes that somehow ring through the howling winds.
"Roar, O Storm of Happinesss!" She holds the harp up above her head, and while she can't spin like this seated on Dancer's back, the white feathers that whirl up around her can do that for her.
"Pretty Cure Happiness Hurricane!
Cure Passion holds her harp aloft as she finishes speaking, and a whirlwind of pink, purple and red hearts crashes from around her straight up towards the turtle, the hearts joining the winds of the storm itself as she keeps the harp out to channel her magic against all of it out here. "Haaaah...!"
<Pose Tracker> Cure Bloom [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.
It takes a few seconds after Cure Bloom's explosive rebuke for the Pretty Cure of the Earth to be visible again...
"hhhhhhaaaaAAAAAHHHH!!!" But when she does it is with a bang! Deep purple shoes slamming into scattered mud, smashing them to harmless dust even as she pushes off them. Little explosions of light every time her feet hit another clod, not so much running as /throwing/ herself from stop to stop, drawing the Earthly power of the sand into her as she goes. She can't call on a miracle without Cure Egret, but she can still use all her own tricks! Motes of light swirl around her, and she whips her hands to and fro, blasting away bits of mud that get too close as she inelegantly, but nonetheless with skill and something approximating grace, climbs the stairs of the storm.
At the last, a blaze of light erupts around her entire body, and then she bullets upward toward the belly of the turtle, swinging a Pretty Cure fist right up into it!
Hopefully she did not just punch a turtle into space with Santa Claus still inside it.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Cure Passion has used Pretty Cure Happiness Hurricane on Utena Tenjou.
COMBAT: Cure Passion has finished attacking.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Cure Bloom has used Bloom Petal Straight on Utena Tenjou.
COMBAT: Cure Bloom has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Ladybug [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.
Wrangling a storm is, it turns out, easier said than done. For every bit of ice storm Ladybug sends the turtle's way, she seems to be getting the same amount of mud back. It's still a noble effort, but if not for the help of the Precure she would be getting nowhere - a thought that rings all the truer as the light show starts.
"We need to buy just a little more - watch out!" Ladybug puts her arms around Dasher's neck, trying to steer the reindeer off course - but the two take a wave of mud head-on, and half-frozen sand clings to both of them. The reindeer snorts in frustration, while the girl tries to shake off the icy muck still clinging to her arm.
"This really isn't working, is it?" There's another snort from the megafauna she's riding, and she looks at the situation as a whole. The irony is that the turtle itself isn't really fighting that hard... And then, just then, inspiration strikes. This high in the sky, there's not a whole lot she can use, but...
"This little turtle's storm doesn't seem like its idea - just something it's doing. Maybe that's what's causing the trouble?" She muses aloud, laughing at the snort from her mount. "That's not the real problem, though - the problem is what this is doing to the city. Not to mention, the fact that its bad mood or whatever it is has put a damper on everyone's Christmas."
It's selfish, but...she really wanted to give a certain someone that festive hat she made? A nice way to celebrate the season, to lift his spirits...and then, it's like she's found the missing piece of the puzzle. Quickly, from her position, she lets her eye flit from one thing to another - there's the ocean to the east far, far below, there's the black shell of the dour Christmas-ruining turtle, there's the currently-riderless reindeer circling the area, and there's the bandoliers of bells her Lucky Charm gave her. "...Dasher, get the others. I think I've figured something out!"
Once more, Ladybug makes one of her reckless leaps - but this one's more of a doozy than ever. At what feels like the last moment, she flings her yo-yo to hook a fin once more - but this time, as she does, she hurls out one end of a ridiculously long strand of sleigh bells to arc over the turtle's back. As she swings under, she flings the second to match - artfully draping cheerful Christmas sleigh bells to wreath the turtle in a festive garland.
A garland, or perhaps... "All right, Dasher - now would be greaaaat!" Just in time, the reindeer returns with a handful of the others whose riders have left for the time being - and on instinct, they snap at those dangling bells. Not just garlands, but perhaps reins?
As the reindeer - Ladybug snorts to herself at the pun Chat has missed out on - take hold of the makeshift reins to steer the turtle towards open sea, she swings up one more time. If this storm is more a thing of darkness than of this creature's will...then that part might lash out one more time. When the heart of the storm redoubles itself once more to oppose the towing, when it's force to expose the shadow within...
"You've caused enough trouble, poor little turtle - I'll deliver you from evil!" Whirling her yo-yo overhead, trusting in chance to land her somehow safely, Ladybug flings out a suddenly blinding-white disc to purify whatever darkness she can reach!
COMBAT: FINISHER! Ladybug has used Miraculous Ladybug on Utena Tenjou.
COMBAT: Ladybug has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to dodge Cure Bloom's Finisher, Bloom Petal Straight, taking 75 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly dodges Cure Passion's Finisher, Pretty Cure Happiness Hurricane, taking 44 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to dodge Cure Fortune's Finisher, Pretty Cure Khamsin Vahishta, taking 72 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to dodge Lera Camry's Finisher, Reiztauchen, taking 113 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to dodge Ladybug's Finisher, Miraculous Ladybug, taking 120 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Utena Tenjou is unable to keep fighting!
<Pose Tracker> Utena Tenjou [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
INSIDE THE TURTLE
Everyone attacks the glowing red iceball with /great/ enthusiasm.
In retrospect, everyone will be glad it's really, really tough. And that their various powers have something of a wide area effect. Because you can't fill a giant turtle's gullet with sharpened rose petals, electricity and pepper without causing significant aggravation -- there's some heaving.
Steven's shield is miraculously carried by the wind directly below the ball, and there's a scraping sound as it tears free from the turtle's flesh, settling lightly on top of the pink disc, instead.
Then, with a /whoosh/, Fuu's cyclone carries it -- and everyone else -- straight up.
They're back at the back of the throat! The turtle continues to heave, and while everyone has a chance to escape, it's just not quite enough... but with a little help from Paper Heart Guardian Michiko's mighty magical beam, the iceball launches forward, straight out of the maw! Everyone else makes it, too, just in time to see...
OUTSIDE THE TURTLE
Lera drags her mighty blade across the top shell, creating a huge triangle, while Cure Passion and Cure Bloom assault the bottom shell with manifold magic hearts and a huge punch, respectively -- the latter of which impacts right at the same time as the Midchildan.
There is an immense, simply /massive/ crash, and the ice shell /shatters/, becoming thousands and thousands of smaller fragments, any one of which could kill a man in the city below on impact.
But there's a new heart of the storm now, and it's Pine Arabian, who dances gloriously, and the whole world seems to dance with her. The wind, the ice, the snow, the mud... all of it swirls and whirls and hovers in midair, and slowly, gradually, begins to break down into harmless powder, which will provide a final dusting to Tokyo, but nothing truly dangerous.
And the turtle remains... its true shell as gloriously black as the rest of its flesh, but still marred by those sickly green runes. But perhaps not for much longer -- Ladybug's yo-yo lashes out, and the white light seems to draw the runes towards it, like a hungry vortex. They flutter... and begin to detach...
BUT THEN
"I think /not/," says a voice, and the green runes flare to far greater life than ever before. They swirl and whirl around the turtle, finding a fresh grip around each of the four fins, and the neck, too. The sky threatens to shatter beneath the great beast's screams...
...until, all at once, the noise stops. In a blast of evil light, the turtle and its tormenter are... gone.
That iceball remains, though. Everyone's efforts have largely worn it away, and it continues to shine throughout, pouring golden, red, white radiance through the sky. When the last of it fades away, Kasagami's abandoned reindeer, Vixen, is there to catch Santa Claus, who lands with a /whump/ and looks around at everyone with a twinkle in his coal-black eyes, a laugh that shakes his belly.
"You got my invitation!" he chortles. "Very well done, well done indeed!"
Leaning forward, though, his face draws, becoming as grave as the Christmas Spirit can. Brows knit. Even his beard trembles. "You will get another chance to save the Obsidian Beast. Just now you got a glimpse of his true form... please don't blame him for the storm, or for trying to eat me. He's not himself. Fortunately, I know where he went... no one can hide from me, not on Christmas, whether they're nice... or naughty."
He points to the north with unfailing precision. "Seek them out at the lowest point of Hokkaido Island! There, you can face him! There, you can free him!"
Waving his hands, Christmas-colored sparkles suffuse the group, enveloping them gently-- and a moment later, everyone is safely on the ground.
Everyone but Mr. Claus, of course. He has places to be.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!" Santa yells, as he's borne away by eight reindeer and The Sleigh, which has risen to the occasion.
"AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!"
A good night... and a clear one. There's hardly a cloud in the sky; the storm that has tormented Tokyo is finally over.
<Pose Tracker> Cure Passion [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
"Oh no!" Passion calls out in istress at the strange voice, the way the green runes seem even more awful than a moment ago. She stares up even as the tutle and whatever that voice was both disappear, and it's with worry that she does. None of the good things she was considering moments ago have changed, but...
But this time it's a good thing she doesn't expect; Santa Claus is there, and laughing, and there's just something infectious about that laugh. He's so unfamiliar to her, but of course she's heard a little bit about him in the last while as the holiday came into swing.
What he says... It helps. It takes a weight off of her, and she shakes her head at the idea of blaming the turtle at this point. But the sparkles move about her and suddenly--
Suddenly she's on the ground, looking around. "...We did it!" she calls, and looks around to give Kasagami her coat and the flower. "Good luck," she says softly, and seriously, before turning around, giving her kohai a smile, and walking right back over to Lera Camry.
"What I wanted to do before..." Passion steps forward to hug the taller girl. "Merry Christmas, Lera."
"...You can Sky can tell me everything later."
A pause, "We helped Santa Claus!!" There's a tiny note of a squee in her voice as she shuts her eyes.
<Pose Tracker> Cure Fortune [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Cure Fortune dances and dances still, and it's only when the mud and the snow start to disappear that Fortune slows down.
The evil voice makes her stop, however, and she claps her hands around her ears as the turtle screams.
Then it is gone, replaced by an iceball that contains-- or used to contain...
"Santa Claus?" Fortune says, as her eyes look upon him. The next few moments are a blur, almost. Santa tells them that all this isn't quite over, and where to go to finish it.
And then suddenly she's on the ground, and Santa is in his sleigh, and Glassan is right there next to Fortune. She watches Santa sail away as her clothes glow and shift from Pine Arabian back to her normal Cure clothes. "Wow..." She says after a moment, breath taken by the experience.
And then, Glassan shouts, incredibly happy. "I feel the power of a Christmas Tree!" Her medallion swirls with energy, and a small Christmas Tree is shown, which brings Fortune to look back at her fairy partner. But Glassan leans towards Fortune, pointing her nose at the Cure. "Rub it, please."
Fortune smiles and does so, tickling the fairy's nose. The fairy, unsurpisingly, sneezes! Two cards pop out of the fairy's ladybug backpack, and land in Fortune's hand. The cards show two parts of an outfit.
It's red, a one piece red suit with a cute green ribbon tied around the chest, and red boots with white trim and golden stars. The suit's sleeves end with a puffy white, and a small adorable hat sits atop the head, dressed with mistletoe and two bells.
Yes, Cure Fortune gets her own Christmas outfit tonight, a souvenir for the memories tonight.
She takes these cards and treads off back towards her home. This time, without flying off into the sky like she normally does. But, she looks back behind her, and both Cure and fairy wave back to the assembled magical girls.
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
Lera's eyes widen, as moves back from the great green turtle -- revealed, now, in its true form. She stares down at it for a moment, a smile crossing her face. She lands on the ground, feet touching down, and she lets out a little sigh. But, she smiles a moment and stretches her arms out.
"We did!" she answers Cure Passion. She turns -- and blinks, before she hugs Setsuna back. She doesn't drop Sky as much as put him into the ground, point-first. Her head tilts, and then she beams.
"I'll have to!" she says. "There's a lot, y'know? Um--I'm not sure myself, but--oh, Merry Christmas!"
The important stuff first.
Then she blinks, before she grins and nods. Then, she leans forward and speaks in a whisper: "He's the other Christmas spirit. I think the other is the child born of, um, just a lady with no father."
The Midchildan nods seriously. "/Anakin Skywalker/."
<Pose Tracker> Ladybug [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.
Can Ladybug's yo-yo capture ominous glowing runes?
This is not the day that the answer will be revealed - at the last moment, some nefarious force whisks the turtle away to some...far more terrible locale. "No! Don't you dare-" Ladybug shouts a fleeting interruption - but then it's too late.
She's utterly starstruck when Santa Claus is revealed within the iceball - that, and delighted. Once safely on the ground, after taking in his helpful advice for rescuing a turtle, she takes a breath. Working up the courage to ask something, wavering at the last minute - but then he's gone, off to salvage the remains of the day.
Ladybug gives Cure Fortune a wave back as she flies off, then turns to Lera and Cure Passion...just in time to hear that mangling of Christmas traditions. "I - hold on a moment, there. That, ah...." How can she put this correction lightly?...
-beep beep beep beep beep-
Her hand flies to her earrings - how many minutes has it been? "-you know what, never mind. A Merry Christmas to all..." She winds up, slinging her yo-yo to hook some distant lamp post, and gives the others a quick salute before leaping off to some distant locale.
"And to all, bonsoir!"
Maybe she can get a few gifts delivered at the last minute after all... That is, after Tikki has a well-earned snack!
