Difference between revisions of "2014-04-04 - Starfall 9"

Revision as of 21:46, 19 August 2016

Title: Starfall 9
Summary: A wish has been made to elevate someone as the God Among Men, and humanity is now trapped in a dreamworld, asleep, laboing to make it come true in their own subconsciousness. With help from Kero-chan, magical girls pursue this evildoer into the world of dreams, where they confront the God Among Men. He splits into two halves, representing his left and right brains, forcing them to split up to defeat him before dawn, when the wish will be true everywhere, not just inside peoples' sleeping minds. During the fight, Sailor Mercury's dreamself is defeated, which has lasting consequences on her dreams thereafter. Once the God Among Men is defeated, and everyone awakens, the one who powered the wish is waiting for them... the furious Maiden of Dreams.
Who: Haruka Tenoh, Nadeshiko Fujisaki, Ami Mizuno, Yukimi Amane, Syaoran Li, Kinzo Hiroyuki, Mikoto Minagi, Touka Chigami, Ikiko Hisakata, Eri Shimanouchi, Lucy Iwai, Usagi Tsukino, Homura Akemi, Mamoru Chiba, Mai Tokiha, Fuu Hououji, Asagao Uekawa, Runealy Waldia, Takeo Akamizu GM: Pink Moon Stick/Juri Arisugawa
Where: Hokkaido Snowy Island, and the World of Dreams
OOC - IC Date: 04-04-2014 - 12-25-2013

Which is to say snow is falling shushingly, and that everyone's asleep. The teacher chaperones; the ski instructors; parents who were supposed to call on the telephone; the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker. As the sun dips below the horizon, the last eyes in the world that are closed to the supernatural become closed to reality as well.

They will not wake, when spoken to or shaken. No amount of snow stuffed down the backs of shirts will rouse them. Their pulses seem steady, and they're in no immediate danger of death, but...

...they are in danger of a fate worse than that, as Kero-chan is currently explaining.

Seven stars blaze in the night sky, looking down at Earth balefully.

Once everyone was asleep, it was simplicity itself to organize a meeting; the text was simply written across the sky in glowing script, summoning everyone who wants to save the world to "the throne of the garden where the deities play." Simple smartphone research (often out of the ability of youma, which may be the reason for this relatively cryptic message) reveals this to be Kamui Minatara, the Daisetsuzan mountains of Hokkaido, and logically enough within that search area, Mt. Asahidake, the tallest peak on the island, can be easily sensed as an area of rising power as more and more magical girls arrive.

Awaiting the champions of Earth is a stuffed lion cub with cute little angel wings. "I AM KEROBEROS," he roars, "SUN GUARDIAN OF THE POWER OF CLOW."

Only it comes out more like a shrill, Kansei-ben raaar. Kero-chan seems like a much more natural thing to call this little guy. "welcome, great heroes! i am so glad you showed up, whew, there's no way i could do this on my own. anyway, all is prepared for you." He grabs some M&Ms from a nearby bowl and munches on them while people look around.

The peak of the mountain has a cave, and in the cave are lots and lots and lots of sleeping bags, pillows, and plushies. How the little guy got them all up here is a mystery for the ages.

"humanity has been captured in the world of dreams! if this 'god among men'," his muzzle wrinkles in distaste, "isn't stopped by morning, dreams will become reality, as everyone wakes up with only his dream in mind!! and the only way to reach him is on his home turf -- so everyone needs to go to sleep, right now." Before someone objects to the impossibility of sleeping at a time like this, he adds, "i called you all the way up here because we are closest to the sky, and to the falling snow -- it isn't really snow you know, it's power, the power of the falling stars. if you try to sleep up here you will find it very easy. please try! you must save the world! if everyone wakes up as a mindless slave, all the cakes will go to the god among men! if he even likes cake. what if he doesn't, then cake might /never be made again/..."

Putting a little paw to his chin, Kero-chan ruminates on this terrible fate until someone interrupts him.

<Pose Tracker> Syaoran Li [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

Someone interrupts him almost immediately.

A hand reaches up to grab Kero-chan by the scruff of the neck, and drags him down toward eye level. It is at that point that the blood heir of Clow Reed glares eye-to-eye with one of Clow Reed's greatest creation.

>:|

"Oy, plush toy," Syaoran Li says, sparks nearly flying from his eyes. "If you are just making us all sleep here so you can fly down and eat all the sweets from the buffet..."

<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

The day started so well, too. The falling snow was gorgeous and fun, and Mai had a fun time with Mikoto. She even managed to track down Takumi, and settled down to some snowman-building. Overall, a better Christmas than she ever would have imagined, and a wonderful day. Naturally it had to go downhill, but this...

Takumi passing out led to a lot of panic on Mai's part - only after checking that his pulse and breathing were find did she finally stop her immediate panic. With all that said, it was Mikoto who spotted the message in the stars - and in fact to have solved the riddle for her.

Incredibly good at the classics, that girl.

So, having left a blanket over the fallen Takumi, Mai has come with her constant companion to the mountain's peak. She's in her winter school uniform, with the addition of a fairly long scarf. Her Element is already present, slowly turning about her limbs, and she has a determined look on her face.

One that does falter somewhat at just what happened to summon them.

Keroberos's explanation makes as much sense as anything - but the mage grabbing him has a point, and Mai's somewhat wary. It's not the possibility of sleep - gods know that that snow is strangely tiring - but more the sensibility of such. She looks to those assembled she recognizes, finishing with Mikoto. "I've got no objection to taking this guy down...but the plan's to fall asleep and go into the realm he controls?" She folds her arms. "How do we know we can trust you?"

COMBAT: Homura Akemi transforms into Puella Magi Homura!

COMBAT: Mikoto Minagi transforms into HiME Mikoto!

<Pose Tracker> Lux Corruere [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

The world is /too/ quiet. Despite the worries of a certain conversation with a friend not so long ago, Christmas morning was lovely; a chance to really wake up and look to the future. Besides... They weren't, in the end, so bad. Now, now that everyone is asleep, Touka Chigami treasures those concerns, a stinging fear in the back of her mind that she will never have a chance to have them again.

But, she took on the responsibility she has because of what she /can/ do, not what she can't. And she is not alone. There's someone she can talk to who can help her decide... and help her decode the message in the sky. Her internal dialogue, in the en, leas her here...

Where Lux Corruere alights on the snow, an armored boot sinking slightly into the pale white. Her wings stop, and fold, having brought her here to begin with, her golden hair rustling in the wind, blowing behind her as she steps into the cave. The cave, of...

Of... All her impressive armor and light dusting of soot and intensity is graced with a very mundane, very youthful blink of her crimson eyes as Lux Corruere stares a moment at the Guardian before them. "He's so--" she murmurs, before--

<Do not take him lightly. His duty is important.> The voice in her mind offers a quick rebuke, but Corruere still finds herself with the urge to make a little commentary.

"How--" Like the question about sleep, which he answers immediately. Oh. Well, he has thought of it, and the idea that she's stepped on /power/...

"...I won't let Kurosu-san or her sister miss out on cake this new year." She says it softly, but seriously, like a vow, an steps forward. She raises her voice to the others, "We don't have time to stop and worry. We have something to do. I'm going; anyone who wants to come with me can--"

...She sees the plush now at her feet. She wonders about the logic of armored sleeping. ...And then she lifts an adorable little dragon and hugs it with grace and dignity. "...Anyone who wishes to join me, take up your sleeping bags."

<Pose Tracker> Lux Corruere [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

The world is /too/ quiet. Despite the worries of a certain conversation with a friend not so long ago, Christmas morning was lovely; a chance to really wake up and look to the future. Besides... They weren't, in the end, so bad. Now, now that everyone is asleep, Touka Chigami treasures those concerns, a stinging fear in the back of her mind that she will never have a chance to have them again.

But, she took on the responsibility she has because of what she /can/ do, not what she can't. And she is not alone. There's someone she can talk to who can help her decide... and help her decode the message in the sky. Her internal dialogue, in the en, leas her here...

Where Lux Corruere alights on the snow, an armored boot sinking slightly into the pale white. Her wings stop, and fold, having brought her here to begin with, her golden hair rustling in the wind, blowing behind her as she steps into the cave. The cave, of...

Of... All her impressive armor and light dusting of soot and intensity is graced with a very mundane, very youthful blink of her crimson eyes as Lux Corruere stares a moment at the Guardian before them. "He's so--" she murmurs, before--

<Do not take him lightly. His duty is important.> The voice in her mind offers a quick rebuke, but Corruere still finds herself with the urge to make a little commentary.

"How--" Like the question about sleep, which he answers immediately. Oh. Well, he has thought of it, and the idea that she's stepped on /power/...

"...I won't let Kaname-chan or her sister miss out on cake this new year." She says it softly, but seriously, like a vow, and steps forward. She raises her voice to the others, "We don't have time to stop and worry. We have something to do. I'm going; anyone who wants to come with me can--"

...She sees the plush now at her feet. She wonders about the logic of armored sleeping. ...And then she lifts an adorable little dragon and hugs it with grace and dignity. "...Anyone who wishes to join me, take up your sleeping bags."

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.

Late on Christmas afternoon - specifically, about two hours ago*

/Funny that you should call now,/ Kuu says bemusedly. /Mother and Father are taking a nap before supper ... I was just about to go wake Mother up to start cooking, I can have her come to the phone first./

"It's all right," Fuu says with a soft chuckle. "I would have called earlier, but I had to turn my phone off for DJ-Dite's show, and I forgot to turn it back on until just now ... are you all right, Oneesan? You sound tired."

There's a brief pause from the Tokyo end of the call, and what might be the tail end of a yawn as Fuu's elder sister, Kuu, moves the mouthpiece back to where she can speak into it. /It may have just been the big holiday lunch, I've had trouble staying focused this afternoon. I thought it was just ... not getting enough .../ Another yawn, this one fully audible.

"Oneesan? Are you sure you're okay?"

/... zzz .../ Kuu doesn't snore, per se, but Fuu recognizes the sound of her sister's somnolent respiration just before two thuds make her flinch - the noise of a body collapsing onto a bare wooden floor, and the more disconcerting clatter of the handset falling onto the same surface. And no matter how Fuu calls her sister's name, the sound of Kuu sleeping never falters ...

The present time*

When she hung up the phone, Fuu nearly transformed into her Magic Knight form right away - but logic prevailed, and she forestalled transforming for the sake of greater freedom to investigate. But what she found was more disturbing than informative, even as she systematically reconnoitered the resort buildings, everywhere she could go (and a few places she shouldn't have been able to) - a few people without magic still awake, but increasingly struggling not to succumb. She had just finished her searching, with no clues as to the cause, when she ventured outside - and saw the message inscribed across the sky.

She hardly even needed to look up what the reference meant, due to her pre-trip research, but it helped to double-check the exact location. Then she transformed and set off as quickly as she could travel, joining up with a handful of others along the way - especially if there were any magical girls (or guys) with driver's licenses and a working vehicle.

Despite Keroberos's tiny, plush appearance, the Magic Knight of Wind listens attentively as Kero-chan describes the situation, filling in the many blanks that she didn't have knowledge of. The threat of somebody else hoarding all the potential future cakes to be made is indeed a dire one - although even that pales next to some of the prospects that have already crossed her mind.

She remains in her Magic Knight armor as she slides into a sleeping bag, foregoing a plushie (unless they're required for the mission at hand) and is starting to compose herself when Mai raises a valid point ... whereupon the Wind Knight sits up straight again to look over at Keroberos. "Perhaps look at it this way, Mai-san ... what reason do we have *not* to trust the little guardian? Everybody who isn't magical in some regard is asleep; if they remain asleep in this enchanted state, the world as we know it is over already - and if they do, as Keroberos-san said, wake up under somebody else's control, then we'll have missed our chance to prevent it."

If she has issues about sleeping in her armor, she doesn't even mention them.

<Pose Tracker> Syaoran Li [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

"Oh, you can trust him about the danger," Syaoran says to Mai, idly dangling Keroberos from his hand. "He's an idiot, and weak, and has poor judgment about Cardcaptors, and has a bad temper, and talks like a stableboy, and is greedy, and lazy, and a glutton, and..." Syaoran looks back at the plush. "Well, he's not a liar. Not about something like this."

>:|

"Probably, anyway," he mutters.

<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

There are some things which Mikoto Minagi is good at which /don't/ involve swords or fighting, amazingly enough. It's just... most of the time, that sort of knowledge isn't important.

And then sometimes the sky asks pertinent questions.

Mikoto holds Miroku in her mittened hands as she ascends the snowy peak, her wild hair hidden under a beanie which Mai insisted she wear so her ears wouldn't get frostbite. (Mai insists on lots of things. But Mai's a good person, so Mikoto puts up with it.) She's one of the -- perhaps rare? -- magical girls here who don't falter when they see someone so adorable asking their assistance, her gaze level with the cute little creature. For a moment, she just stares.

It's kind of creepy.

"Mai," she announces, finally, pulling Miroku's bag up to sheath the sword, "Keroberos isn't lying." She looks to the girl, and nods, firmly, assuring her: "No matter what enemy, I'll defeat it."

<Pose Tracker> Cute Wolf Tsukiko [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.

Cute Wolf Tsukiko has a - the pun is unavoidable - dogged expression. "Everyone should be allowed to dream their own dreams," she says fiercely, glaring out towards the snow.

She nods in agreement with Lux Corruere and the Wind Knight, then makes her way to a sleeping bag. Picking up the plushie (of a wolf, appropriately enough), she burrows into the sleeping bag. "Sooner we face this guy down, the sooner everyone can wake up safely," she yawns.

<Pose Tracker> Dark Amber [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Things started to happen. People went to sleep, and didn't wake up. This was an issue. Kinzo tried calling various people. Nothing happened--- save for the gang and a few select others he has on his cellphone. He taps his chin as he considers the next plan of action when it's spelled out for him in the night sky. A quick smartphone check does reveal where to go.

A Henshin later... he's making quick hops and leaps up said mountain--- it'd be a pain otherwise to get up there. Probably. Others are showing up? And some...bear-thing. With wings. Greets them. 'Great Heroes'....?

He's no hero. There's people who would disagree with him on that. He still thinks it's true. "I'm no hero." he says, perhaps a bit shamefully. "But this is something that needs to be stopped." he says, stating the obvious. He looks over to the various sleeping blankets and what not, and then back to Kerobero. He gives him a look with narrowed eyes.

"...right." he says. He won't question this when things like "Giant Man Eating Arcade Machines" and "Menancing Darkness Evil Boy Bands" exist. This is bar far one of the most sensible things he's heard in months, maybe. He picks out a sleeping bag. and a pillow.

Dark Amber is too tough for a plushie. :I

Okay. not really, but he doesn't need one right now to sleep.

Okay. That may or may not be a bunny plush next to him that wasn't a second ago.

Dark Amber is not too tough for a plushie.

<Pose Tracker> Princess Runealy [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.

Rune has a lot to think about throughout the day. Things started out happy enough, but as the hours moved on it became more and more clear something was wrong. The message in the sky was a clear invitation, though she had to stick with Eri to figure out where the 'garden' might be... and tap out a few text messages on the way up; another friend has indicated they're heading there too and this deserves a reassuring (if semi-literate) 'great i am coming too we can do this together' in reply.

'Kero-chan' is unexpected. And adorable, though there's not much time to bask in that. "That's not much time, for something this important. 'The world of dreams'..." It's certainly an odd request. Yet his pleas get through, and she agrees: "I'm in. A world with people who can only think about one thing is... I'm not even sure you can call that 'living.'"

With that, Rune bats an eye at Li, puzzled by the exchange. Yet perhaps now isn't the time, so Rune settles in to a sleeping bag, looks to her friends for a few seconds and holds on to a small phoenix plush, then closes her eyes.

<Pose Tracker> Takeo Akamizu [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

He hung up the phone. Mika wasn't answering. So, even though she KNEW about the magical world, had witnessed it, took care of Merlin the Rabbit, and had advised Lancelot, she apparently wasn't spared from this sleep snow. So he had made his way to the location that was transmitted by various means, he had ridden up on Sparkles and soon both Sparkles and Lancelot stood there and listened to the talking stuffed animal. No . Seriously. He looks like a talking stuffed animal, only he didn't have sewing seams. Then he sighed. This was Partially his fault. He moved to a sleeping back and nudged it. Before he looks over to Kero. "How dangerous is this?" He finally asks. He's silent for a moment as he begins to crawl into the sleeping bag.

"Like. Let's say if somebody is sick here, will they be sick in this new world?" He pulls out a plushie he had NOT expected in his bag. That of a stuffed frog and frowns at it. "I'd totally prefer a horse" He sighs and lays down, ready to fall asleep, but waiting for Kero's response. He does add however, "Merlin said to trust you on this while he does his own magic. So. I guess. Here goes."

Like the other knight, he doesn't remove his armor, and doesn't complain. Instead, just leans back, pulls the sleeping back snug, and -

Snuggles the stuffed Frog.

Sparkles the Horse eyes Keros and gives the little guy the horse equivalent to: "I'm watching you." Before the Horse lays down near the entrance to this place, rolls her eyes as she sees Lancelot and Dark Amber pretend they don't need plushies. Then closes her eyes as well. Incase she's needed wherever it is that they are all about to go.

But not before she reaches out, grabs a stuffed cat, plops it between her two front legs and nods. Apparently the horse isn't too proud for a plushie either.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.

"I didn't think of that. You're right, someone needs to. I know everyone will be safe with you there. I'll be okay! I have my friends with me. When we're done, let's all meet up at that cake shop. Haha, I'm not tired of cake yet!"

Usagi Tsukino leans forward against the window. According to Ami, there is a very important mountain in this direction.

"Okay. I'll do my best. See you as soon, Mami-chan."

She slips her phone into her jacket pocket, and then looks over her shoulder to the others. "Three sailor soldiers are good enough to beat anything, right?"

It's a rhetorical question. Usagi flashes a grin and reaches for her brooch.

Sailor Moon, braving the snow in a sailor suit, knows enough about fighting for justice to not drop her speech the moment she shows up. She still bursts into the cave with speed and bravado, her collar and hair swirling around her as she lands from who knows what tall object she found to jump off of.

"Ah, people everywhere! And--OH WOW."

It's a tiny cute thing! Sailor Moon dives in for story time with such eagerness that she slides the last few feet on her knees. The most this dire news does is turn her expression determined. Not even the sober kind of determined. That gleam in her eye is pretty cocky.

"I knew I was due for some luck after those exams."

Rising to her feet, Sailor Moon spreads her arms and announces: "Everyone, please! I'm maybe the best at sleeping! If you have trouble, try to do what I do!"

To sleep Sailor Moon style:

1. Locate sleeping bag. Inspect it carefully for weaknesses. You will need to address these with your accessory choices.

2. Compensate for sleeping bag inadequacies with pillows. Because the one in the proper shade of pink is not very plush, Sailor Moon creates an impromptu mattress with a row of pillows.

3. Select your dream allies, i.e., plushies. Each plushie has special abilities. Ideally you will know these by becoming familiar with your plushies, but in this case you must gamble with special guest characters. The remaining plushies will attend to guild missions while you're dream adventuring, so don't worry about them.

Sailor Moon looks very comfortable. "Adorable Guardian Pretty Roar-chan, I'll sleep with all my strength!"

COMBAT: Takeo Akamizu transforms into Lancelot!

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.

The Wind Knight pauses, checking something she may have pushed down in the sleeping bag she was getting into ... then manages to fish up a rather adorable plushie of a peregrine falcon, which she cuddles as she settles back down - still listening to what's going on for now, but preparing to pass into sleep, through it, and out the other side to the dreamworld.

... is that even how it works? Well, it's sufficient for the necessary metaphor.

COMBAT: Mikoto Minagi has fully healed herself.

COMBAT: Lancelot has fully healed himself.
COMBAT: Haruka Tenoh transforms into Sailor Uranus!

<Pose Tracker> Homura Akemi [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

The matter was out of her hands.

Literal in this case. As Homura was unable to acquire one of the shards her attempts to research their nature and the truth behind their powers was significantly hindered. Unfortunately this necessarily meant her ability to prepare for the coming storm was similarly impacted. These things do happen: Variations that even she has never seen before. Prepare she does, but the stress of not knowing weighs heavy upon her heart.

The first dream came to her as they came to everyone else. Though they offered little in concrete information for her to go on. Some of the images were familiar to her, but rather than bring her comfort they only helped to fill her with further dread. She kept this to herself though, of course. It would be hard to explain to others without going into detail. Too much detail.

Then the second dream came... and dread gave way to horror.

While others may have been able to enjoy the Christmas festivities, Homura was not. Instead she had to prepare the best she could for what may come. It's too soon for her to give up hope for this world. Too soon for her to leave as she has left so many before. And until this fragile hope shatters into dust she will remain.

The world of man then went to sleep, but the world of the supernatural laid waking. The sign had come.

Homura Akemi isn't the first to arrive at the cave, but nor is she the last. She appears as suddenly as she always does though, stepping out of a shadowed corner of the cave as if she had always been there. A canny eye might notice a bit of snow clinging to the bottoms of her heels.

"Given the strange and unexplained dreams recently, I am also inclined to believe him." The violet Puella Magi explains simply. "Though the concern over safety of sweets may also be warranted."

Watching briefly as the others disperse through the room, Homura then sets out onto her own task to find a sleeping bag ... and accompanying plushie. The one she finds has a plushie of a small black cat with green eyes. Homura kneels down beside it and takes it up into her hands. Her expression seems ... wistful, but only briefly. She looks over towards Sailor Moon then as she proudly offers advice on sleeping. Indeed a matter in which Sailor Moon is well versed.

Homura sighs.

Moments later Homura is also looking comfy, though less luxuriously so than many others. It seems she only really needs the sleeping bag and the small black cat plushie, cradled carefully in her arms so its head rests against the side of her neck.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Vega [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

"Three Pretty-Suited Soldiers of Love, Justice, Wisdom and Devotion will have to do!" Asagao agrees with Usagi, clasping the locket around her neck.

The trek up a snowy mountain in a short skirt looks more ill-thought than it is; the power of Henshin keeps her... warm enough not to complain too much. Though her mascot generally rides shot-gun on her shoulder, Sailor Vega is cradling an already-sleeping Orpheus in one arm as she follows hot on Sailor Moon's heels.

Once they arrive and the tiny toy-looking mascot with candy is properly fawned over for OMG how cute he is, and Sailor Moon's inspiring 'How To Nap for Great Justice' speech - Vega starts looking for a sleeping bag with enough space to tuck a snoring Guardian Cat.

<Pose Tracker> Nadeshiko Fujisaki [Ohtori Academy (5)] has posed.

People falling asleep and staying asleep - now, before sunset. Nadeshiko Fujisaki, whose job it is to keep watch over the kids of Ohtori, was one of the first ones to start worrying, calling the other Guardians over to fret about the issue...particularly as it spread. And spread. And spread...

The sign in the sky is a blessing, and after some fumbling between three peoples' phones and some surprisingly deft sleuth work from Yaya, Nadeshiko makes the possibly poor choice to leave Kukai and Yaya behind to watch over their sleeping charges while she goes to see what's up.

Due to the wonder magic power of not being /cool and spicy/ like Amu-chan, doesn't have a big, ostentatious transformation. She does, however, have a uniform. Which is why the Queen's Chair appears unabashed in the red plaid cloak of the female Ohtori Guardians, her skirt swirling over warm leggings and her hands in mittens, because IT'S REALLY COLD OKAY. And then - OH NO, THE SUN GUARDIAN OF THE POWER OF cl...ow?? ... Nadeshiko is used to little fairies. Temari, floating overshoulder, waves.

And Nadeshiko's eyes slowly narrow as Kero gives an excellent bullet summary. And then Li grabs and throttles him. And ... ...sort of, vouches for him. "...alright," she says, with the delicacy of a somewhat dubious saint. She gives a look up to Temari, her own dream made real, and the tiny fairy spirit manages a shrug through her kimono. "Dreams like this...aren't really something I know about," the fairy admits. "But someone like Keroberos is worth listening to, I think."

Nadeshiko sighs, low. Sleeping in her Guardian uniform...she's going to have to iron it again. Sigh! Well, it's good she didn't send Yaya, they'd never get anything done.

<Pose Tracker> Eri Shimanouchi [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

Eri felt a lot of things after the first dream. She felt the pride and passion, fear and aggression, indecision and ruthlessness, and the homesickness of the lady of dreams. She could empathize with her, had she not labored long and hard? And yet her long dreams, once gifts, had become nightmares.

And yet dreams are tricky things. While her mind wanted to pin it down like an insect to a board, and examine it as it squirmed, she could not. Some of the details faded, even if the emotional context remained with her, like leaden weights upon her shoulders. Maybe some things were just too big for her to make a difference, too majestic or cosmic for her to change.

And then the second dream slid into her head the night after as she considered just how small she really was in the scope of the universe. She had a harder time empathizing with this man, but what could she really do?

As the dawn gave way to morning, everyone celebrated the falling of the snow. She met with a friend, stayed with her throughout the day as the miracle turned into a nightmare. One person fell asleep, then the next, until everyone was. The whole world caught in eternal slumber, except for those of the supernatural. The emotions returned to her from the dream, even if the order was muddled. She felt fear. She found herself frantically texting, calling her family one after the other, only to reach the same voice mail every time. Eventually she gave up, defeated. She felt homesickness.

Then came the message written in the sky. The meeting that had brought them together had them now climbing a mountain to find the puissant of guardian of the power of Clow. HE WAS ALSO SO KAWAIIIIIII! Ahem. But now was not the time to consider that, or whether he was actually here to steal all the sweets.

But as he laid out what was expected of them, she felt indecision. Was this really the only way? How could they confront someone who could control the dreams of the whole world? But then the rest came to her, one after another. She felt aggression against the one who dared to do this. She felt ruthlessness, for indeed they must be stopped at any cost. She felt pride for indeed Kero-chan had offered that indeed she did the power to be more than a dust mote in this storm. And finally she felt passion, for she had a burning desire to protect everyone's dreams.

Fear came again to her, a lingering doubt of what had happened the last time she had fought what she considered an overwhelming force, and that was an eleven year old girl, not a god, but that passion for her calling managed squashed it. Her voice was soft, she spoke to herself, not the group, but it was with a conviction as unyielding as iron, "We're all going home again for the New Year." Her gaze fell upon Rune, upon Homura, upon Mai and Mikoto, upon Dark Amber and Lancelot. She knew each of them, and drew strength from their presence.

Arranging her pink pillows by a mauve sleeping bag with the Magic Detective logo on it, she grabbed herself a little plushie of a Tanuki, with adorable little sewn on whiskers, and slid inside. As she curled up, she didn't think of the nightmares that had assailed her lately of Möbius strips, and alleys. Of hibiscus flowers and blood. She instead concentrated on the thought of going home. The rest came was easy.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Mercury [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.

Ami's own approach to the situation is so much more sedate; though she isn't immune to the appeal of a cute thing, she doesn't quite have to hurl herself at it face-first. She does jog forward a little faster than she otherwise mmight, because oh my God, Kero-chan is the most adorable and the best.

With a glance toward Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury listens intently as she sees her friend take charge of the situation. This really does seem like the best approach; as Usagi does, she carefully inspects her own sleeping bag, selects her pillow -- only one, an understated affair for her -- and then considers plushies very carefully. The sleeping bag she initially selects is pre-equipped with a tiny dragon... but after some thought, she adds a second -- a turtle -- to her legion of friends.

When she is well and truly situated, the existing dragon sits to her immediate right, while the turtle is carefully positioned atop her head to block light and provide a pleasant sleeping experience.

<Pose Tracker> Tuxedo Mask [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

Mamoru hadn't been reading when the glowing words wrote across the sky -- he'd been on the internet, reading the news and watching all the stations fall silent, a deep foreboding from the dreams having given way to a slow-building fury, and preparation. Research. Trying to put together some idea of where to go, who to stop, and who to punish for this.

He didn't want his first clue to be someone with funny hair transforming on the other side of the island, after all. He also didn't especially want to be accused of being a stalker again, jeez.

So by the time the words glowed, Mamoru Chiba had already packed a snowmobile with emergency stuck-in-the-snow stuff and filled its tank. The words just meant he could finally roll out.

A lot of things are happening all at once, now, and the roaring sound of a high-horsepower engine echoes across the mouth of the cave before shutting off. As people trickle in, a tall man sporting a tall hat, a long cape, and a mask with his white tie and tails steps in, taking off the top hat as he does.

Sleeping bags everywhere.

A cave full of magical girls.

Tuxedo Kamen steps back into the shadows, blushing deeply and. Just. Listening, now, okay.

Thank god Sailor Moon is being ridiculous. He edges further back into the shadows and sits down against the cave wall, drawing his cape around him, determined to slumber within the safe embrace of ~mystery~.

<Pose Tracker> Lucy Iwai [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.

Crash! "Sorry I'm late!" That sound and those words may be starting to sound familiar to people familiar with Lucy Iwai, or her alter-ego, Mesozoic Maiden Lucy. She's been summoned here by a text from Usagi, and her late appearance to their meeting means she conveniently missed the transformation of the Sailor Soldiers whose identity she doesn't actually know.

Flash forward to now, and Mesozoic Maiden Lucy nods gravely at the explanation from adorable little Kero-chan. "Ah, I see!" And so, she pulls up a sleeping bag, and sets about on her journey to slumberland. It doesn't take very long at all for her to--

ROOOOOOAR! ROOOOOOAR! ROOOOA--

This isn't a dinosaur's fearsome cry, as people might initially think, but in fact Lucy's fearsome snoring. Luckily, it's interrupted as her tiny mascot, Didi the Dinosaur, puts into her mouth a piece of meat on a bone he apparently brought especially for the occasion. He turns to the rest of the group. "Sorry 'bout that."

And the tiny Tyrannosaur pulls up his own tiny blanket to sleep. A second later, he too is sleeping, and Lucy has institinctively grabbed him in her arms, still chewing on the delicious meat.

COMBAT: Lucy Iwai transforms into Mesozoic Maiden Lucy!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Uranus [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

There's a fourth Pretty-Suited Soldier that Sailor Vega is unaware of that intends to join the fight tonight, but what principle she is a soldier of is less than clear.

There are two objectives tonight, and two Outer Senshi. It may not be fair that they cannot fight together, but it is correct. Pragmatism, colder than an icy mountain, is credo. The promises Uranus and Neptune made to one another are different than the promises other hearts might forge. They must love nothing better than the mission.

Uranus remains on the outer radius of the group as Keroberos addresses them, more out of habit than anything else. She too finds him a bit suspicious, but the assurances of others are enough to reassure her on this point. She exchanges a wry glance with Homura, instinctively, when she sees what's been laid out for them, feeling the dark-suited Puella Magi will share her offended sense of dignity, but unlike Tuxedo Mask, she doesn't feel uncomfortable enough not to do it. It's just a bit funny.

Sliding into one of, if not /the/ largest sleeping bag of anyone, Uranus finds a colorful orange fish with long, elegant trailing fins next to the pillow. "My my," she says, and rests it on her chest such that she can look at it. "They know me so well."

<Pose Tracker> Pink Moon Stick [Admin (S)] has posed.

A storm is rising, feathery black clouds blotting out the glorious, starlit winter night sky. Kero-chan looks up and shudders. "it is /them/... the ones who wish only to bring ruin... your other enemies. they must know what you must do... and they're coming to take your items of power, your crystals and wands and also your lives... while you're off, fighting another battle, asleep."

Some of the crowd of magical girls step forward.

"We'll stay behind to guard everyone," volunteer Cure Black and Cure White, in unison. Black's fist clenches; White's palm spreads. "Whatever it takes, nothing will get past us."

Cure Muse and the Leafe Knight of Wind, who have been silent, looming figures in the back, shift their silence and looming angle to signal their determination to remain behind as well. Cure Muse, at least, offers via the Fairy Tone Dodori: "Cure Muse says she will stay as well to make sure everyone is protected-dodo~" The Leafe Knight just glowers.

"We'll keep you safe, I swear," adds Desert Star. Cure Sunny separates from the group as well. "I want to protect my precious friends!" Finally, Magical Girl Propane-chan brandishes her Device, Soaring Sky. << Must we really defend these backwater yokels? >> the latter mutters quietly and disdainfully. "We must," not-Lera-Camry replies, looking proud to be able to do so.

Kero-chan calmly and rationally sinks his teeth into Syaoran's hand, then flaps free. "brat, that you would sow doubt and dissent at a time like this speaks volumes as to your quality." He throws an aggrieved little arm to his forehead. "even if you're backpedalling now!! trust me or not -- but if you can't trust each other, all is already lost. and then i won't get my cake, and any other cake-lovers in the cave here won't get it either, so, a little less cynicism might be in order!!!"

It looks like people are settling down. To aid in the process, Kero-chan flies into the center of the room, beating his wings rapidly so he can hover. He pulls a tiny and equally adorable flute out of somewhere. Putting it to his lips, he tootles a soft, sweet, sleepy song. This prevents him from fielding other questions, but it sure helps with the process of traveling from point A to point D. Well, point dream. D Point is for another time.

---

Sleep comes as quickly as it was promised. Though the snow cannot technically reach the inside of the cave, the feeling of sinking through specks, through grains, plunging, falling, floating, to a place where there is no up or down, no need to breathe, no need to see.

There are no familiar dreams here, whether one usually dreams of sheep, cakes, or the apocalypse. No, the dreamscape, as it gradually resolves, everyone standing all together, looks like... Tokyo. Tokyo, if it were nothing but an endless forest of skyscrapers, each one cruelly jagged, lightly oozing some dark, dark liquid from its corners. There is not much in the way of left and right -- the way to go is clearly up, from one skyscraper to the next. They seem to build upon each other endlessly, piercing the cloud-covered sky.

Everything is washed out, as though icy cold and implacable water had been poured, steadily, endlessly, over the whole world, leaving nothing but smooth, worn surfaces. The bare bones of light and sound. There is no color, none at all.

There are only shades of gray.

OOC: The alternative scene will be all of these PCs (who can't make it this weekend, and who @mailed me to sign up) fighting Dark Fall on the slopes of the mountain, protecting you all while you sleep.

<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

Mai recognizes a few faces and uniforms in those setting out to defend the mountain. To Cure Sunny, she calls a "Be careful!", even as she clenches her fist. But...she'll have to trust them, and fight for them elsewhere.

She turns to her companion, then to those defending Kero's character, and finally nods. "All right, then. Let's go." Setting up a couple of sleeping bags and arranging pillows is rather anticlimactic in the face of all this, but no one said the life of a magical girl was dignified. She lays out her bag next to Mikoto's, tucks the plush bird found within next to her pillow, and tries to relax.

Mai barely notices what happens next...but she relaxes, and falls asleep quickly.

Mai's normal dreams are nowhere to be seen here. Instead, she sees an endless grey cold city of skyscrapers, likely ruled by some megalomaniacal madman. So both better and worse in some ways. Her first priority: find Mikoto, Rune and Eri, and everyone else she remembers from the cave. If her Element still works here, at least she'll be able to fly...

<Pose Tracker> Princess Runealy [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.

Runealy finds herself pulled toward sleep by a mix of things. Sailor Moon's advice ends up being oddly inspiring, and for the most part followed. Looks to and from other friends like Eri, Tsukiko, Lancelot, Fuu, Mai, Dark Amber, the loudly arriving Lucy, and even prospective friends like Mikoto help as well; being surrounded by people she likes is pretty reassuring even if there are others here that otherwise worry her. Kero's flute plus lingering fatigue end up being the last straws though, as Rune is glad to take extra sleep and combined with the high-altitude magic she's out in short order. Her last thoughts are a quiet "Thank you" to those standing guard; it's an extremely good idea, and a vital task they're taking on.

Then her mind's eye shifts to... something bordering on the surreal or nightmareish to her. "Is this what they're trying to bring to life? What we have maybe half a day to stop?" Glancing around to take stock of the others and nodding to Mai, Rune experimentally tries to jump for another rooftop. The 'sinking' makes Rune wonder whether this will work as expected; will it be a normal jump? Lower than normal? Higher? Will air and gravity even work like she thinks?

<Pose Tracker> Syaoran Li [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

>:|

chomp*

"GAAAAAAAAAGH!" Syaoran wails, shoving his comically-enlarged thumb into his mouth and sucking on it to dull the pain of the bite. He glares more daggers at the stupid little plush toy, then grumps his way over to a corner near where Nadeshiko is lying, flops down, and closes his eyes.

It occurs to him a little too late that falling asleep with someone who hates yoy watching over your body is a bad idea.

z.z

The heir to Clow Reed wakes in the dream, and blinks the waking world out of his eyes. He frowns at the monochrome nature of the world, then lifts his hand to examine it, turning it over and staring at it. Huh. Moments later, it occurs to him that he's gone into a dream world...with all of the tools he needs to work his magic back with his body.

>:|

"Well, this is going to suck," he mutters.

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.

It occurs to Fuu to wonder, taking in the desolate cityscape, whether she would have dreamed herself into Magic Knight form if she *hadn't* already been transformed in the waking world. It's a moot point, but the question crosses her mind anyway.

As she surveys the surroundings, though, a streak of light leaps from her glove-jewel, splitting into two and materializing into her bow and quiver. The sword may be more appropriate, but given the lack of enemies within melee distance, a ranged weapon is best at this point. "Is everyone all right? And - it would be best if we know what to call each other in a hurry, if nothing else. I know a few of you already ... others I 'know' but not by any name. 'Wind Knight' will do for those of you who don't know me ... and those who do," she adds wryly, "go with whatever's most convenient."

Even after Alcyone trashed her birthday party - not even two weeks ago? It feels like longer - Fuu still doesn't worry as much as some magical girls about her secret identity. What she's most worried about right now is finding whoever's trying to conquer the world through dreams ... presumably, he or she or they (or it) will already know about a bunch of dreamers in this domain who aren't subject to the regular 'rules' being imposed on those who were forcefully drawn in.

Either that or they'll have to go looking. Presumably, though, there'll be some kind of hint ...

<Pose Tracker> Lancelot [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

Falling. Moving. Drifting.

Lancelot opens his eyes in a twisted version of Tokyo. He smirks slightly and draws Arondight in one smooth motion. The normally shockingly bright blade, dulled even in this place. "Ha. I'm not in France. Or England. I'd say nice change of pace, but I think I miss the color." He shrugs an armored shoulder and then hops up on Sparkles.

His eyes scan the area as he takes in the twisted sights and he opens and closes his left hand. He's asleep, and himself. That IS a nice change of pace. He isn't that fruity French guy. He sighs and looks straight up. "Does anybody else have the feeling we have to go..." He points to the sky. "Up?"

<Pose Tracker> Tuxedo Mask [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

It's a dream, but it's lucid, and shared, and magic and strong. Tuxedo Kamen's standing motionless for a long moment after they resolve there, thinking about everything he's read on the subject, absently watching everyone else react to their surroundings.

He sees people starting to jump up the buildings, but-- this is a lucid dream. It may be someone else's, but none of the mahou shoujo present are figments. The tall boy looks overhead, crouches, and leaps straight up.

Just to see.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.

Sailor Moon sits bolt upright at the sound of that voice. It's--no, it's Uranus! She stares without reservation, and continues to steal looks as she readjusts the circle of nine plushies surrounding her.

She is still working when the group splits. The soldier of justice nods firmly, jaw set. She was already braced for the uncertainty of her friends--even if she doesn't know them, being magical girls is enough to qualify in her mind--moving to take other objectives. Mami is out there somewhere too, along with Rei and Makoto and Shiori and even fangy red girl. Probably fangy red girl, anyway.

A final look at Uranus. Is the one named Neptune out there guarding her, as well?

It's something to think about. She lays back down.

As the joyless streets resolve, Sailor Moon remains curled up at everyone's feet.

<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

Mai sets up a sleeping bag for Mikoto, thoughtfully. There is a little plush cat (so many cats!) on the pillow, even. And then Mai gets into her sleeping bag, evidently suspecting that her job is done.

Mikoto steps over the sleeping bag, sending the little cat tumbling to the ground where it comes to rest next to Mai's sleeping bag, and wriggles in next to her. Miroku, still on her back, stetches the warm fabrics to the limits of its capacity -- luckily, they all fit. Mikoto buries her face in Mai's chest, curled up into her, and...

o/` flute noises o/`

... there are a thousand grey, grey skyscrapers, tearing into the sky. Miroku is still faithfully on her back, and the swordswoman unsheaths it, clambering to come up next to Mai again. She does not respond to any attempts to find her name -- maybe Mai will be more helpful and forthcoming? "It's up there," she says instead, her voice low and serious, as she begins to leap from window-ledge to window-ledge, climbing the skyscraper in true Dragoon style.

Wait a sec, don't Dragoons use spears? Oh, hush. She got Jump from a sub-job.

<Pose Tracker> Cute Wolf Tsukiko [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.

Tsukiko shudders a bit at the dreamscape. "Too many buildings, not enough animals," she mutters as she moves closer to the others. Runealy's experimental jumps do bring up a good point, though: is there a significant difference in movement here? The wolf girl hops around a bit, trying to get a sense of the movement for herself.

<Pose Tracker> Lux Corruere [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

Lux Corruere never realized how awkward it would be to try to use a sleeping bag with great feathery wings. She doesn't have to worry about it for long; the arguments and questions from others are ignored as she settles in with her little dragon in her sleeping bag, which admittedly she doesn't actually close for the above reason. ...She /does/ take Sailor Moon's advice a bit though, and adjust her pillow. She ends up on her side, and takes up... well, more space than most of the others, most likely. Soon, however, these terrestrial concerns cease to be a matter. The voices within quiet, and the music sends her away....

While the others stand guard where she was.

The gray makes the angelic warrior seem coated in ash, as opposed to touched by it, at least to an initial look. Her appearance is more severe, the warmth and heat blurred, stifled in some way. The cold continues.

Looking up to where their path may lead, Lux Corruere frowns. "...This isn't what dreams should feel like," she insists. And then...

"You /are/ good at sleeping," she comments down to Sailor Moon. "Come with us!" She reaches out a hand.

...But the plan is to go upward. She is not concerned with how to get upward.

<Pose Tracker> Eri Shimanouchi [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

Eri feels a surge of pride and gratitude for the other Magical Girls who will guard them in their sleeps before she's lulled to sleep by the flute skills of Kero-chan. On to the world of the lucid dream, through a haze of snowsflakes which were in truth raw magical power of the stars. When she comes to her senses again she finds that her senses are useless here. It is a place where everything is felt in a mindscape. Where everyone feels diminished, as if color and light in their lives are gone and everything has a Noir filter upon them. The landscape roils, and Eri feels a sudden urge to tug at her domino mask. But that's mostly just a construct of her mind, a habit from the waking world. There's no irritation felt from her at least. It was the dreamscape itself, with it's cruel, jagged... selfish, features.

She's not a leader, she doesn't try to lead everyone towards it, there's only one way to go anyhow. Up. Up towards the heavens. She smiles lightly towards Mai, Mikoto and Rune towards the others she knew. Which is when she spies Sailor Moon upon the ground. Thinking on it, she leans over and nudges her lightly on the shoulder, "Uh, Sailor Moon?"

Eri then looks up and states in a voice filled with wonder, without even a hint of teasing, it's delivered with utmost seriousness. "She really is the best at sleeping."

<Pose Tracker> Homura Akemi [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

Oddly enough, while she exchanges a glance with Uranus it does not seem like Homura shares the same aggrieved sense of dignity. Instead there is just an air of quiet determination to the dark Puella Magi. It's the face of someone who is willing to brave both the bloodiest and frilliest of Hells in order to achieve the objective she desires. This is another battle in a long line of battles for this veteran.

A group of other magical girls appear as well to offer their aid in defending the magical girls gathered while they lay slumbering. To this the Dark Puella Magi seems a bit more concerned. It is not her way to trust others easily. Still after a moment of consideration she finally nods her head in silent appreciation to those gathered. Even she can accept aid once in a while... and this is the very situation where she needs it most.

Homura curls up within her sleeping bag, cradling the tiny black kitten in her arms. As she holds it her mind drifts back. Far back. As Kero plays his sleepy song, the lifeless plush in her arms seems warm. She can both hear and feel the soft rumble of a purr, and as her eyes drift close she feels at peace.

Briefly.

For a time she felt as if she was falling, pulled down as if through the grains of an hour glass. An all too familiar feeling for someone like Homura Akemi. When her eyes open at last she is standing in a world familiar ... but at the same time, a world she has never seen before. The violet Puella Magi is now rendered in gray scale, and she stands among the others in her usual Puella Magi garb. 'Well, this is going to suck.' the young Syaoran declares. Homura's voice is calmly resolute, "There is no turning back now. The only way out is through."

She pauses to look at Sailor MOon as well, but she doesn't bother to try and rouse her. She will, or she won't. Instead she raises her left hand. The gem upon its back transforms into its natural egg shape. The colorless gem emits faint gray light as Homura tries to use it to analyze her surroundings, and perhaps get a feel for how they should progress.

<Pose Tracker> Mesozoic Maiden Lucy [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.

At least they're in good hands, Lucy AKA 'Cure Brown' thinks, offering a smile to Cures Black and White before she quickly drifts to sleep and inundates the cave with her snoring and is promptly silenced.

Mesozoic Maiden materializes in the dream world. She hasn't dreamt of the apocalypse in a little while, so the ominous gray-scape isn't much of an improvement over her average dream. She looks around, and the first person she sees is Didi, who appears with a pop in mid-air. She grabs him before he drops to the ground, and clutching her beady-eyed mascot friend, she rushes over to join the others she sees appearing, a tiny army of magical girls including too many friends to count.

"This isn't a flying dream, is it?" Lucy muses, quietly, hopping on the ground just to be sure-- and leaving cracks in the concrete with her bare feet without actually taking off. Maybe she's just not thinking happy enough thoughts? It's hard to, given the gravity (heehee) of the situation.

And so, the one way forward, it seems, is to go upwards. Not waiting for some to lead the way, she charges ahead, running up the side of a building, and clinging to the wall to climb with her bare hands, Didi now holding her shoulders like a dino-backpack, when that no longer proves possible.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Mercury [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.

Ami has never had trouble sleeping; as a result, the Sailor Senshi falls neatly asleep without even a hint of fuss, turtle still perched squarely on her face.

What she gets is not the world of dreams she expected, precisely. Everything's so... dim. So flat. It's a little uncomfortable -- not the sort of uncomfortable th at makes one's skin crawl, but the kind that makes one's heart sink a little, the kind that makes one's shoulders tighten up a bit. She bites her lip a little, trying to sigh out her discomfort.

After a few seconds, she scoots toward Sailor Moon, kneeling down next to her. After a second or two, she gently puts a hand on her shoulder, affirming, "It's time to stand up," gently. Not wake up -- she's careful about that much, at least. That's a whole different bag right now.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Vega [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

With a final tugging about of the sleeping bag and the cuddling of a plushie to her bow-bedecked chest, Sailor Vega drifts to sleep before the first progression of notes fades to silence on the flute.

Drifting through the dreamscape, down, down... she is disappointed but unsurprised that the dreaming consciousness of Orpheus isn't with her. But knowing he's curled up safely with her is enough - he wasn't likely to be any actual help anyway.

Looking to take stock of the 'condition' of the other arrivals, while the others notice that Sailor Moon Wins Prizes for Sleeping, Vega notices that everything is depressingly monotone. "All our colorful outfits... so stark!" ... Okay, Homura doesn't look that different.

Her wand spinning into form in her hand, Vega offers a shrug and a smile as the others work to wake her. "She's so good at dreaming, she's dreaming she's asleep!" With a flick of her wrist, her ribbon shimmers into grayscale-but-still-sparkling form.

With a crouch and a leap, Vega twirls the ribbon in an elegant spiral ahead of her - using it like a magical propeller of dream-physics!

COMBAT: Yukimi Amane transforms into Lux Lapsa!

<Pose Tracker> Dark Amber [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Dark Amber looks to Runealy. "I'm not quite sure what this represents." he says truthfully, as he begins to adjust to the sudden, new surroundings of this strange dream. Everything is greay. He looks towards Sailor Vega with a short smile as he tsks. "Grays...browns...blacks...reds... yellows.... blues.. colors are not important." he says flatly as he jumps up. He's using skyscraper window ledges to try to get a little higher. Surely they're supposed to go upwards. And at the very least...maybe some deviation could be seen from higher.

He looks down...

"Is--is she sleeping. In a dream?" he wonders outloud. "Isn't...there something about that?" he asks suddenly. "Like bad, or..." he scratches the side of his face.

He crosses his arms. He stops to remain in earshot.

Lancelot pages: Mika Akamizu, Ohtori Grade 8, Long Blakc hair to the small of her back, usually pulled back in a braid. Currently really pale skin, and sunken blue eyes.

<Pose Tracker> Nadeshiko Fujisaki [Ohtori Academy (5)] has posed.

Nadeshiko watches Kero's biting and theatrics, and gives Li a sympathetic smile as he grumbles past, though she keeps her hands to herself. She takes a brief stock of the room, finds a sleeping bag, decides she likes the look of the little plush tiger inside, and settles in, smoothing her gear down as much as possible. She looks up at Temari. "Will you...?"

Temari shrugs. "I guess we'll find out," she says, and with a pop!, Temari's pink egg, dusted with the impression of sakura petals, appears around her, and closes shut.

The egg falls into Nadeshiko's sleeping bag, and as the flute rolls across her, she mutters, "Chara Change," in a drowsy, low voice.

The POP! of her chara change is rather more sudden than the descent into dreams, but not like...enormously so. Nadeshiko hems low in her throat, 'awakening', such as i tis, in a dull, dreary place. It takes her a second to notice the monochrome; cities are dreary on their own, after all. But she looks down at herself, and then checks her cloak pocket, where Temari's egg sits listless and gray. "Works," she decides, but doesn't call her spear to hand just yet. Instead, she steps up beside Li, asiding, "It probably won't be great," her chara change being /calm/ landing her sort of halfway between her usual calm and FRENZY. She tosses him a look, a smile. "But I don't let that stop me!" she says.

And then...notices that Sailor Moon is still KO'd.

"Reminds me of Yaya," Nadeshiko muses.

COMBAT: Nadeshiko Fujisaki transforms into Chara Change!

COMBAT: Sailor Uranus has fully healed herself.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Uranus [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

Uranus is used to her dreams being a hostile place. Even before the Silver Millenium fell, she had had more than enough experiences she wouldn't mind erasing from her mind, out in the cold dark where the unseelie dwelt in their courts of void and hate. The end to that tale was only darker, already so nightmarelike that in dreams it feels all the more right to relive it. And her visions of the future, though dimmer than Neptune's, are no brighter.

She gazes around the grim urban landscape with a wary eye. Noting that Sailor Moon remains sleeping, and Mercury is making gentle efforts to wake her, Uranus stalks over on her heeled boots and looks down. "There's no time to cosset her like that," she tells Mercury coldly. "What's more important, the world or her comfort?"

Grasping Sailor Moon's upper arms in both gloved hands, she simply lifts the girl. She's about as tall as an elementary schooler and as skinny as a candy cane, so it's no great difficulty for the broad-shouldered woman. She sets Sailor Moon down on her feet roughly, but holds onto her arms until she makes some effort to support herself. If even this doesn't wake her up, she resorts to shaking.

"Sailor Moon. The people you care about are in danger. Shake the sleep from your eyes and get ready to fight." She releases Moon, leaving her to Mercury if she needs further assistance, and casts around herself for any threat.

<Pose Tracker> Lux Lapsa [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

There is one thing that Lux Lapsa can say about Keroberos, Sun Guardian of the Power of Clow, and that's that he knows where his priorities are.

She arrives at some point after Lux Corruere, and while the others are distracted, she approaches silently, watching the others. The explanation about the "snow" is met with no surprise, and she nods slightly at the more detailed explanation of its true nature. That much she hadn't known, but...

The gravity with which Lux Corruere declares that she will be helping and urges the others, however gently, to take up their sleeping bags. It *is* a mystery how Kero-chan got them up here, but that isn't really the important thing right now, is it?

After Sailor Moon's helpful explanation on How To Fall Asleep, and after a lingering look at Sailor Uranus, Lera, and a couple of others, Lux Lapsa takes up a sleeping bag of her own, an adorable plush unicorn, and ascends to the world of dreams...

(How fortunate,) Lux Lapsa reflects when they all arrive in the world of dreams, (that silver is a shade of gray.)

/Uhhh... This is fortunate??/

(It is but a small joke, Yukimi.)

Like Corruere, Lapsa, bathed in silver like moonlight, is not concerned with how to go *up*. "Indeed," she says to Homura, agreeing with her comment to Syaoran. She takes to the air, but does pause when she sees that one of them still needs to get out of bed. ...So to speak.

<Pose Tracker> Pink Moon Stick [Admin (S)] has posed.

It doesn't take long to find the people. A few leaps and bounds up the side of a skyscraper -- and even the normally less-mobile magical girls find it easy for their jumps to soar in this dangerously silent space. Dream logic makes space feel very fluid, time flow as smoothly as honey. It also gives everyone their tools. Anyone who should have their necessary gear, does. Anyone who doubts that they should have their gear because it's a dream, might not, but this is a fluid reality as they catch on to others' equipment.

Other than that, though, the rules seem pretty much set. Too set, too static -- though it's unlikely anyone has had a dream this lucid before, things seem... stationary. More than that, they seem pinned, bound, /held/ static by the crushing weight of an inexorable will.

The higher one climbs, the heavier that will feels.

But, back to the people: Naru Osaka and Elsa Gray are standing one bazillion floors up, on a window-washing platform, doing exactly that. They look dazed, hollow, empty. Their rags buff tiny little perfect circles, once a second or so.

Takumi Tokiha and Mika Akamizu are climbing a scaffolding, their legs shaking, their eyes wide in their pale, sickly faces, each of them bearing a backpack full of bricks.

That scaffolding is escheresque in nature, and also climbing it, but upside-down instead of rightside-up (not that they've noticed) are Sora Kumogawa, Tokiko Nambu, and a long-haired woman with brown hair and a sort of casual ruffled look, open dress shirt over lower shirt and a lot of pencils, bearing the load of a slender but still quite heavy iron girder between them.

Toshi Hiroyuki and Eizan Shimanouchi are carrying pails of water, four on each side, a piece of wood straining over the backs of their necks. Madoka Kaname, behind them, also has four, which means she's moving with agonizing slowness, quickly falling behind the group. Maybe she hasn't noticed. Her expression is totally blank, even as every step looks like agony. Even Orpheus is present, a pail's handle slung cruelly around his neck.

Everyone else is here, too; some dreams so amorphous as to be little more than shadowy figures, others vivid and sharp. Going on nine billion people, all mindlessly slaving away towards a singular purpose.

If that purpose was something like 'go to Mars', this might be kind of an inspiring moment for humanity.

But it appears that they are building a Tower. Higher and higher and higher, still, above the clouds, which are just above, now, like a fluffy, permeable ceiling.

Laughter booms down from whoever's up there, still unseen. It wheezes a little through ancient teeth, but carries no less a concentration of malice than any Dark Queen or Demon Lord. It has an edge of delight that one can find in a three-year-old pulling the wings off of butterflies.

It's a very human evil.

<Pose Tracker> Lancelot [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

"Mika?!" Lancelot suddenly calls out in absolute and abject surprise and horror. He barely has to urge Sparkles who air gallops over to the girl hauling bricks, her sickly body, and pale sunken eyes weighed down by the sheer amount of bricks on her back. He leaps from Sparkles' back land on the scaffolding and grabs Mika by the shoulders. "Mika! It's me! It's Takeo! Your brother!" He tosses his helmet aside, and then swats the bricks as best he can off the girl's back pack and then bundles her in for a big hug. "What are you doing here? You should be in a bed! In a hospital bed!!" He pulls back, his hands still on her shoulders.

He looks as if he is about to say more, but then there is laughter. Evil. Dark. Twisted and all too human laughter. He has memories of that kind of laughter. Memories form before, but memories all the same, and his. Looking over to Mika he frowns slightly. "Mika. Get on Sparkles. She'll take you down. Then get out of here. Please." His eyes are pleading. Clearly worried about the girl in front of him.

<Pose Tracker> Princess Runealy [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.

Princess Runealy calls over to Lucy, "I guess we'll find out. There's not much color here, if that tells you anything." It might tell her the obvious, at least. Rune makes a few more experimental movements, giving a low noise and surprised look around the area when things remain rather gray. She remains confused, and Dark Amber's lack of context isn't very reassuring. "Hopefully we don't find out. Colors are important, though. They can mean things on their own, or when used together."

She goes tense when Uranus approaches Moon, worried that this could turn awful. Yet things seem to settle for 'callous', with no great harm apparently done. It's probably time to get moving, thus. As they continue to rise, 'awful' makes itself known.

She gets to feel a 'pressure' bearing down. To see the faces of the fate Kero-chan warned about. Many of them are not familiar to Runealy, but their heart-crushed work is frightening to behold all the same. A few she only vaguely knows, such as Takumi, but she realizes they're all important to someone. Madoka having been grinded down into something so bleak is directly shocking; the princess can see that. Rune can clearly envision how that would change her life, to remove the bits of 'brightness' and livelihood that Madoka introduced by spending time with the strange 'transfer student.'

It makes the mocking laugh coming from on-high all the more personal. There's someone up there who /likes/ this outcome, and wants to make it become reality. A chill runs through Rune, and she finds herself compelled to look to magical peers. The mere sight of them might help make this a bit more bearable.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Vega [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

As her ribbon propels her ever upwards, Sailor Vega is struck by the sight of her friend from Gymnastics - along with all the others, slaving away at the thankless exercise of tower-building. Her heart reaches out to her friend - but they will all be better served by doing the work they are dreaming for.

As she 'flies', she also notices the dream-spirit of her insufferable cat. Suffering, but not complaining - and she feels all the worse for him for it. Lancelot's pleading to his sister speaks to the roil of her own emotions.

"We'll save them by winning, Sir Lancelot," Vega offers to him - landing herself on the scaffolding, calling out for his attention. "They're not here of their own will! Please, come with us. We'll need everyone's strength for this fight!"

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.

As most of the others start bounding upwards, the Wind Knight slings her bow over a shoulder and follows suit, summoning gentle updrafts to help propel her - and the others - if it seems necessary, or at least useful. If anyone missed a jump and as in danger of falling, if Fuu *notices* then she can try to conjure a wind to help catch them, or at least brake their fall and steer them towards a better landing point than the pavement below ...

Of course, she can't just burn through her magical reserves on the way up - there's going to be a battle somewhere along the line, of course. And as her own ascent becomes more difficult, contesting against the will from above, the Magic Knight stops providing those helpful updrafts - simply because she's preserving not only her magical power, but her willpower as well.

Somebody thinks he can dominate the whole world by will alone?

It's become increasingly clear to Fuu that the Magic Knights were chosen for their own willpower - and she's quite willing to test that against the would-be ruler of Earth.

Then she spots her classmate and archery teammate, Sora-san, and she alights on a convenient ledge, looking intently towards him and trying to sort out if she mistook somebody else for him ... but no, it's definitely Kumogawa Sora-san. "Are they real?" she asks whomever's near enough to hear a question that isn't shouted. "Or is this an illusion of some kind ... ?"

She's barely got room to launch an arrow across the distance on this ledge ... but it's just enough. She unslings her bow, nocks an arrow, draws it back ... aims higher to compensate for the 'gravity' imposed by somebody else's will ... judges timing and angles -

Then she lowers her bow, letting the string untense, and puts the arrow back in her quiver before slinging the bow once more and resuming her ascent. If this world is indeed subject to somebody else's will, then as simple a matter as trying to get somebody's attention *could* be twisted around and used against us, in several nasty versions. The sound of laughter from above only steels her determination further - she's fully prepared, remembering the sound of her sister's collapse into unwitting slumber, to find whoever put himself at the top of this world, and pull him off his throne with her own hands.

But she can't help another few glances in Sora's direction as her ascent continues. The thought that her family may be similarly enslaved, 'here' or elsewhere in the tyrannized dream-world, only reinforces her determination all the more.

<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

Introductions on the HiME's part are brief. "Just call me Mai - and my sword-wielding friend is Mikoto." Once the round of introductions is done, the girl's bracelets spin rapidly until they become rings of monochrome fire. "Mikoto! Hold up!"

Mai flies upwards, keeping pace with those leaping from building to building, watching to see if anyone might need a hand. The tower, however, extends upward and upward, and soon holds a distraction.

The HiME of fire flat out stops in front of the scaffolding, staring at one of the boys carrying a backpack of bricks. "Takumi! Snap out of it! You know you can't handle that-" She flies forward, to try to deter him, to get him to stop such a dangerous job...but he just keeps on walking as if she's not even there. As the boy walks on, Mai can only stare in despair. "...Takumi..."

And then comes the laughter. Mai's gaze snaps up to the tower's pinnacle, her teeth grit in fury. She spares one last glance to the straggling Takumi...then shoots up, scarf billowing in her wake. Friends, family, classmates caught in this trap - her allies in this battle - Mai puts all of them aside, focused on reaching the would-be god atop this world.

<Pose Tracker> Tuxedo Mask [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

The leap upwards certainly went further than usual, almost-- almost flying-- but as the air itself seems to thicken from invisible resistance, pressure, Tuxedo Kamen slows. And as he starts to fall, he whips his cane out from inside his cape somewhere, using it to get himself closer to a building, to land lightly on a jagged point.

He glances down to see whether or not Sailor Moon's even stopped Inceptioning yet, then looks up again and keeps jumping from point to point as long as he can keep it up. He passes people, so many people-- none of them are people he knows.

None of them.

They're all in trouble, all equally in trouble. "Just keep going up, no matter how hard it is to pass people by, no matter how much you may wish to lighten their loads or take them home. This is a dream! A shared dream. The only way to help is to fix the problem. If we linger, every one of them is doomed!" calls out the billowing-caped Tuxedo Mask, serious but not commanding or scolding-- just matter-of-fact and very loud, in defiance of the evil laughter. He's high up enough that jumping's not so much of an option anymore; he's climbing-- his gloves and mask are bright, bright white in contrast to the grey of the landscape, the black of his clothing.

<Pose Tracker> Homura Akemi [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

In some ways this world is like a Witch's Labyrinth, Homura thinks to herself. Though it is a revelation she keeps close to her heart. After taking her reading of the magical energies in the surroundings she allows the gem to resume its place upon the back of her hand.

In some ways it is not, however.

As Homura leaps into the air she finds that gravity's grip upon her is slippery. Even without using her magical energy she is able to travel upwards many floors at once! Following logic it would stand to reason that the center of this realm would be at the tallest point. If her theory about the strange dreams being connected to this world hold water then it befits the ego of the individual to look down upon the entire world. For a time she leaps and strides easily from floor to floor...

...and then a familiar grey sight floats past her vision.

Though lacking the pinkness of her hair, Homura would recognize Madoka's silhouette anywhere. She stands on the scaffolding overlooking her with her eyes wide. Her expression shocked as she looks over the various working individuals. Can she rouse Madoka from this state? Is she vulnerable here? The rules are not clear to her...

She then sees Lancelot trying to rouse someone. Pleading with them. Homura's own gaze returns to the grayscale Madoka, struggling as she is under the weight of those heavy pails. 'Are they real?' She hears Fuu Hououji ask.

"They are real enough." Homura replies in as calm a tone as she can manage. "Better not to take any risks." Booming laughter rings out from overhead. For a moment she hesitates. She doesn't want to leave ... like this. But Tuxedo Mask's words reach her and she sees the truth to them. Clenching her fists so tight that her fingernails dig painfully into her palms she turns and looks upwards. Her eyes narrowed, her lips pulled back into an angry frown.

She will make him pay for this.

And so, Homura continues to scale the bizarre nightmare tower.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.

When Corruere praises her sleeping, Sailor Moon makes a soft, pleased noise and rolls over. When Ami shakes her shoulder, Sailor Moon pouts and tries to curl up.

Then her world is shaken.

Sailor Moon, propped upright by Uranus, yelps as she rejoins the waking (?!) world. Until the taller girl releases her, she stares breathlessly. It takes her a moment to find herself again, even after she's standing on her own.

The reply she finds is the most obvious one, and she asks it fiercely.

"Are you really a sailor soldier?!"

But, everyone is getting away. The shorter soldier glances upward, then before leaving spares Uranus a harder look than one would expect from Ms. Nine Plushies.

Sailor Moon pushes off from the ground and floats into the sky. The dream takes her part of the way without effort, but at some point, she leans forward and darts through the air on her own.

This doesn't look like a dream Usagi Tsukino would have, but it is. She dreams so very vividly, and of things often alien to her. It affords her a kind of stoicism, or at least the quiet, controlled curiosity of a veteran observer.

"Naru-chan!"

It's not very mysterious, but Usagi can't help screaming it. She flies fast as an arrow but half as true, bouncing off the window and tangling up in the suspension wires of the platform. The soldier scrambles for her footing, turning the Naru to face her. What Usagi sees brings her to tears--the unannounced, sobbing tears that attack when your heart is unexpectedly pierced.

"Mercury-chan," Sailor Moon screams, not even looking to see where the other soldier is. "These must all be real people, we have to save them! Please, please help! You'll know what to do, right?!"

<Pose Tracker> Mesozoic Maiden Lucy [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.

Lucy's climb is steady, and sometimes a little unnecessarily... "climby", given the escher-esque gravity that means people can walk and bounce up however they seem to see fit.

Then, they see people. At lot of the people around Lucy recognize their loves ones, which rightfully causes them some distress. She doesn't slow down at first, though her expression hardens, both at the sickening sight and people's reactions to it. She's at least a bit lucky most of her friends from this world are right here with her, awake (so to speak) and ready to fight back... but then a member of the Library Island Exploration Club passes her by, and her heart sinks. Perhaps she shouldn't look for people she knows in that crowd after all. In there, she's certain, must be her friend Maron, her classmate Minako, her teacher Negi...

Don't answer that.

Then, laughter. It's convenient, too, because it gives a direction to the anger starting to bubble up to the surface of Lucy's mind. "Let's keep moving, everyone! We can still save them by stopping that... that /jerk/!" she calls out to the group. No one named her leader and she has woefully little experience being such, but she's at least trying her very best to sound motivating. Tuxedo Mask is doing a better job of it, but for now, she's grateful rather than annoyed.

<Pose Tracker> Eri Shimanouchi [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

Here, gravity is less a force and more of a 'guideline'. As Eri leaps from one building to the next, scourge arcing out of her hand to grip and grasp onto ledges and holds that she normally wouldn't be able to make, she soon learns that she can make it without the 'aid'. It's as she climbs that she learns the true force of will that rules this place. Its when she reaches the scaffolding with the people that she stops, somehow picking out the people amongst the dreams of billions, perhaps becauses senses here too were changed. It causes her to nearly topple off fully from her newest foothold into the cavernous depths below. "Onii-chan?"

There's only a moment of hesitation, as she seems to double check her mind to make sure she's not being deceived, and then leaps towards him, grasping him by the wrist, "Onii-chan!" She takes on a pleading voice, "Please, you need to wake up! You can't let him control you!"

And yet all of their focus was on the selfish dream. Her voice carries no weight on his actions. Her voice takes on a shaky quality, "I'll get you out of here, alright? Then we'll have a ice cream together again, no matter what's going on between me and Dad right now." She closes her eyes, a pair of tears squeezing out, "I promise." For whatever reason, perhaps due to her own personal perceptions, Madoka is behind him, "You too Madoka-chan. I'll find a way to help get you out, to help make up for..."

The laughter. That selfish, evil, mocking laughter, it interrupts her thought process. Anger bubbles inside her. She has to leave them, she has no choice. And while she can't fly, with the speed from which she's moving up the towers now, leaping from platform to platform, one might wonder at whether that's true or not. The world which he would create is too cruel, ugly, and pitiful to suffer living in, and she's not going to allow it without resistance.

<Pose Tracker> Cute Wolf Tsukiko [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.

Tsukiko's face is a study in determination. She's seen her family and classmates in the images on those scaffolds, and she is intent on not letting this would-be 'god' have his way.

"Just have to keep going," she whispers, as much to herself as to anyone else. "Break the dream, save the dreamers, break the dream, save the dreamers..."

<Pose Tracker> Lux Corruere [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

...It helps not to be alone on matters, in terms of Corruere's confidence--though she can't help but notice Sailor Uranus's approach and the way she, after Sailor Mercury comes, takes charge. She doesn't have to concern herself with how she feels about Uranus's butting in, or the similarity in how they ress. Instead, she narrows her eyes. "You know all about priorities, dont you?" She looks to Mercury, who seems less... well, /terrible/, and leaps upward, flapping her wings to get some momentum and catch up with Lux Lapsa.

She, too, has priorities to consider, so she doesn't make more issue... for now.

But instead, she keeps going upward, to see people, to feel the weight slowly increase. She sees the people. The dream itself is no concern to her, not really; it's only a place. But the people, even though she doesn't recognize most, seem in such pain. And then.... She /does/ recognize a face.

"Mirei!" she calls, stopping mid-air and only hovering because of the strange logic in this place; she entirely forgets to fall. "How could they--"

<The girl is right>, the voice within say, as both of them hear Vega's words. <We must reach the source.> "...Because she isn't the only one to save," Corruere finishes, in accord with the other... but the pain in her expression is still plain. It feels heavy. "I'll save you. ...I will."

She moves upward, again. The laughter calls. Looking to Lapsa as if to make sure she's still there, she knows there's something she can do first--and that concerns the caped man encouraging them.

Floating nearby, "You're right; let's not linger. Let me help." She offers a gauntleted, strong hang.

"You," Tuxedo Kamen tells Lux Corruere with a big grin, bright in their dismal surroundings, "are the best. Let's." He takes her hand, then flips out his cape and produces his hat, putting it on his head after all.

Now together, they fly upward.

<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

If everyone is dreaming, is Lord Brother here?

That question, half-lucid, dwells in the corner of Mikoto's mind. But there is an enemy to fight -- and Mikoto must destroy enemies.

She is not the only one with a precious brother. Her companion stops, when she sees Takumi, the more sickly of the two Tokihas. Mikoto leaps to a nearby ledge, calling out to her. "Mai! Come on!" It's a strange reverse of what Mai just asked of her, but her concern is honest. Mai can't be distracted. There's a battle. They will rescue their brothers. (Find their brothers.) It will be all right.

So many things she doesn't say. So many things she only communicates in the look she gives to her older friend. Her yellow eyes are greyed out, here, but the intensity in them is not.

As she leaps further upwards, Miroku in hand, the cap which Mai so thoughtfully thrust upon her head comes loose and sails groundward.

Sails,

sails,

... they're terribly high up...

<Pose Tracker> Dark Amber [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Dark Amber frowns heavily, and hard suddenly. Very suddenly.... he watches as Lancelot tries in vain to awake Mika from...whatever, probably to not much avail. He knows Sailor Vega and the man in the man in the handsome Tuxedo have it right, in his heart----it'll do no good to lash out at his dad right now.

As much as he wants to.. "Right." he says through gritted teeth as he looks upwards towards a particulary nasty loud laugh. "Well have to fix this first." he states more to himself than others.

His coattails sort of wave a little on the jump upwards. He turns his eyes to Runealy and merely just closes his eyes and sighs a bit. He doesn't expound further.

<Pose Tracker> Syaoran Li [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

Syaoran Li puffs out his cheeks in an annoyed little huff as the magical girls attempt to cheer him up like he is some sort of...well, kid, really. "I know that," he grumbles Homuraward, and then looks up into the skies. Well, he thinks. Even if he doesn't have his magic, he still has his body, and...a few other tricks as well. The young magus takes two quick steps and then leaps upward, intending to spring up to a nearby lamppost.

He is a little surprised when he makes it a dozen floors instead.

"...low gravity?" he wonders aloud, then shakes his head - it's a dream, it doesn't have to make sense. Syaoran moves up the side of the building in a series of long, effortless jumps, pausing only briefly to grab the bottom edge of a window or a piece of scaffolding, set himself, and then jump again. The breeze tickles his face, and a ghost of a curve appears at the corner of his lips. This is almost...fun.

The smile, though short-lived, is warm as a sunrise.

Syaoran's expression hardens back to its stern, dispassionate mask once they reach the kidnapped people; he spares a glance for them, but his eyes are for the laughter in the clouds. He draws in a breath and gathers his resolve, then makes a last, powerful leap up into the clouds.

He doesn't notice until he's halfway up that his sword is still in his hand.

<Pose Tracker> Lux Lapsa [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

As they ascend, the psychic pressure increases, and even flight grows more difficult, but far from impossible. It's not impossible, though, and Lux Lapsa continues to make her way, observing the nine billion people and the enormous Tower they work on constructing empty-faced. Her expression is remote and seemingly indifferent, but there is a certain sadness in her ice blue eyes. Her gaze lingers as she passes it over everyone, silently burning in a reminder of what is at stake here as others cry out in anguish. So too does her partner within her as she spots a fashionably dressed college-age young woman with silky, chocolate-brown hair, a lab coat, and the same desolately empty look on her face as everyone else trudging for the construction work. Yukimi within her cries out for her sister, but Lux Lapsa merely regards Ouka for briefly longer than the rest, then inwardly reassures Yukimi that the best thing to do to help her is defeat the enemy.

She nods to Lux Corruere as she too makes her way upwards, and smiles faintly as her partner offers a hand to the man in the tuxedo. That short-lived joy that crosses Syaoran's expression merits a small smile as well, though that was somewhat earlier. Beyond that, though, Lux Lapsa seeks the source of that dark and wicked laughter.

He *will* face judgment.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Mercury [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.

Being chastised like that by Sailor Uranus, even gently, makes Ami feel kind of terrible. Sailor Mercury nods to Uranus, letting her take over on the 'waking Usagi' front; she turns for a moment to look across the way, taking in the dull reality ofthe world of dreams. She takes a second to simply sigh; taking in this weighed-down world makes her feel weighed down, too.

As Sailor Moon cries out to Naru, moving forward, Mercury finds her own attention drawn inexorably in that direction. She gazes up toward Naru, feeling her stomach twist in a knot. "... We have to start climbing, Sailor Moon," Mercury says, a gloved hand clenching. "The only way to save everyone is to move forward!" She takes a deep breath in through her nose, then sigh it out.

She bounds up after her dear friend, doing her best to catch up. Her approaches are usually so slow and deliberate... but sometimes, the important thing is simply to keep moving.

<Pose Tracker> Nadeshiko Fujisaki [Ohtori Academy (5)] has posed.

Nadeshiko blinks at Li's sudden flight. She knows he can /jump/, but dang, son. Low gravity, she hears him say, and she only very briefly manages to restrain the grin that splits her head like a freakin' Muppet. "Jumping, huh?" she wonders aloud - and suddenly she's UP, hurtling skyward. For someone who very studiously doesn't participate in sports, you'd think she'd be more reserved about pounding up the side of a skyscraper in great, consuming leaps. For Nadeshiko, the freedom to leap as high as she can is a great, recurring dream.She pushes against that malign gravity with a leap, a leap, another leap.

She lands with a sporty stumble. Her naginata is not in hand; summoning it is her only real power, after all, and her expectation of that keeps it away for now. But...all these people...

She clenches an indelicate fist, her whole body quaking. "Controlling peoples' dreams...for this...!"

When Li takes off, so does she.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Uranus [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

Uranus doesn't smile. "You and I are not the same," she says simply. "We are not even similar." She doesn't move as Moon retreats, nor does she flinch under her hard gaze.

But perhaps there is some similarity? When Moon and Mercury abandon gravity to float upward, as if the moon's pull had become greater than the earth's, Uranus waits until they have some distance, then takes up a rear guard position, ascending in the same fashion, one knee lifted, hands back, the wind playing with her hair and skirts, the flight feeling natural. She catches herself in the dreamer's classic promise, the dreamer's classic lie to herself: 'It's so simple. I shall remember this when I wake.'

She catches sight of Elsa, her best friend in middle school, laboring as a dull-eyed and miserable slave. Her lip curls in pain, but she forces even that response down, forces her lips straight, though they tremble yet.

Moon is not so stoic. "Mercury," Uranus barks sharply. "Can't you keep her steady?" When she uses gentler methods again, Uranus shakes her head, and launches herself after Moon, catching her wrist to get her off of Naru.

"Look at me," she orders. "I'm not going to drag you along. Are /you/ really a sailor soldier, or aren't you?" She points upward. "Your enemy is up there. I know you can feel it. Your friend won't be able to leave this place just because you cry on her. Fight." She releases Moon's wrist contemptuously. "You were given the strength to make war. You were given the weapons to destroy your enemy. Use it, use them. Fight."

She doesn't move, but crosses her arms, staring at the shorter girl.

<Pose Tracker> Pink Moon Stick [Admin (S)] has posed.

No one responds.

No one seems able to -- all they can do is, rather passively, push forward, out of the grasp of those who would restrain them, unless their friends and family are willing to do them harm. Once free, they continue upon their endless, mindless labor, sight unseeing, their minds filled with one thought, one purpose.

One dream.

...and if they aren't woken up soon, they will make the dream world a reality.

Their Tower of Babel rises higher and higher...

Passing through the clouds is an unpleasantly chilly experience, especially after the weird sterility and stillness of the air. Every drop of moisture seems to cling, cling and freeze, and they are gray and fluffy everywhere, everywhen, everyhow.

Above them, the scaffolding ends in a platform. It is obsidian, purest darkness, a worthy boardroom table material, worthier still for the God Among Men. He waits there, larger than life -- much larger than life. The tallest person present barely gets up to the buckle on his shoe. It's a very fine buckle. Probably Gucci. Everything about him is fine.

Everything, that is, but his soul. And it's the soul in here that counts.

His face is recognizable and strange all at once, in some ways very friendly and grandfatherly, in others, as forbidding, distant and unknowable as the CEO of CEOs. He was a man, but now every trait, from his jawline to his eyebrows, has been refined, perfected. Not for loveliness -- rather for a sense of sheer and total power. Yes, he was a man.

Now he is a god among them.

He wears a crown of blinding white light. It is painful to look at. It has seven points.

"So /many/ of you," he rumbles, his voice a rich basso now, though possibly just because of his sheer size. His scope. He is in everything, here, the dreamworld replete with his essence. "Little thorns in my side. How kind of you to present yourself for execution, rather than forcing me to track you down tomorrow."

He pauses, bringing his school bus-sized forefinger and thumb to stroke his chin. "Then again, in doing so you deny me the opportunity to have everyone you know and love be the ones to do the deed. Still -- efficiency over elegance."

He stands up from his magnificent padded leather chair, which blows away into smoke and mist, mixing back into the clouds. "I daresay one of me would be more than enough, but better safe than sorry."

With a grotesque sense of /pulling/, he seems to stretch laterally, skin softening like malleable putty. Finally, he tears in half, and where there was once one godzilla-sized corporate executive sort, there are now two.

"There isn't much time until morning," the left one says with a dark chuckle.

"We don't even have to win... we just have to last," remarks the right.

"We've come too far to fail now. Farewell, children."

And without further ado, the God Among Men -- both halves -- take ten park-block-length strides away from each other, then swan dive into the clouds, disappearing below.

COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick transforms into God Among Men: Right Brain!

COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has fully healed herself. She is now ready to take on 10 opponents!

The Second Act: Half The Room vs. The Right Brain

<Pose Tracker> Cute Wolf Tsukiko [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.

Tsukiko watches as the mind splits in two. That... is somewhat disturbing. She shakes her head slightly - this isn't as disturbing as letting him enslave the entire population of Earth!

She dives off of the building, squinting slightly as the clouds whip past. "You are NOT going to keep the world trapped in dreams!" she yells at the monstrous figure. "We are going to free everyone, and let them dream what they want to dream!"

COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has used Bark! on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Lux Corruere [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

A god among men.

And it's as cold as that sounds. Corruere, when she is just Touka, has trouble with the cold; it always seems to bite more than it should, get closer and underneath any coat or blanket, given the chance. The trip has been worth it despite that chill, but the chill remains. Now, it does reach to her heart...

But it is the fury of two that beats it back. The cold is there, but the heat of her heart beats it backward, moment by moment.

"Through fire, you will be cleansed," she speaks in two voices at once--but he has made his dive downward, said all he has to do is delay them. "Tuxedo Mask," she says, "Thanks for before. ...But it's time for me to go."

She /dives/ downward, black wings folded behind her as a glow surrounds her hand: een without color, it bursts against the darkness, and from nowhere she pulls a sword of silent, raging flame. After she gets through the cloud cover, the water boiling off of her, she shouts at the falling deity. "To use others just to make yourself look better--to promise to turn love against itself and call it /elegant/!" Her voice brings the heat of the lava that is her power.

"Prepare to face judgement!" She speeds up, suddenly, and /hacks/ across his form with her sword in both hands.

COMBAT: Lux Corruere has used Angelic Fall on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Lux Corruere has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Mesozoic Maiden Lucy [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.

Lucy makes an annoyed noise as she makes her way through the chilly clouds-- Cold has never been her thing, and to top it off Didi is digging his claws into her shoulders, also clearly annoyed, what with being a cold-blooded reptile and all.

And then, they reach the obsidian platform and come face to face with him, or more accurately, face to shoe. Lucy looks up. Waaay, way up, her eyes going wide, and her mouth also getting there. She's used to facing down enemies many times her size, but this is on another scale entirely!

His power is palpable, even from this distance, and he cruelly speaks of executing the lot of them through their loved ones. Who is this man even supposed to be? Regardless of the answer to this question, he's made a fantastic case for his being nothing short of a monster, human or not! Lucy's club-holding hand tightens around the leather grip.

And then he... splits into two and dives down. Sure, this makes sense, by dream logic standards, and what also makes sense that way is for Lucy and her friends to run after them and dive after one of them! With a primal scream and a raised club, Lucy flies right back into the clouds (ugh), with Didi holding on for dear life, and personally declares open season on the God Among Men's skull! Her club may comparatively be tiny compared to their opponent, but within it is Lucy's strength, her determination to save her friends, and also sheer /velocity/.

COMBAT: Mesozoic Maiden Lucy has used Bamm Bamm Bamm on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Mesozoic Maiden Lucy has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Vega [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

Nodding to Vega he smiles, his helmet is off, and his hair is in that breeze that only comes from being so high up. He had quietly said goodbye to his sister and now, with tears in his eyes, he looks resigned to his duty. "Thanks. I - I don't think we actually introduced the other day, ya know, fighting the Raven Princess. I'm Lancelot." He bows his head toward her. "I appreciate the reminder. I think I needed it." He jerks a thumb toward the big evil and he wipes the last tear from them. "Wanna go kick his ass?"

"Sailor Vega," she responds with as bright and encouraging a smile as she can manage given the circumstances. "Don't worry - we'll save the day, and your sister will be safe in her bed like she should be!" His invitation to go 'kick ass' is given an enthusiastic nod!

Of course the run up to the top is very dramatic and togetherness-oriented... but when the mind splits in two, Vega and Lancelot are not on the same team.

Something familiar about that situation echoes in her soul even as she dives off the building with the others to pursue the villain.

Her ribbon drifting in an aimless roll, Vega turns a somersault to give her magical tool's entropy some focus - a ripple of light starting up at the handle and gaining intensity with each pulse towards the top of the ribbon lancing out and streaking through the darkness towards the mad god!

COMBAT: Sailor Vega has used Auroral Flash on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Sailor Vega has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.

"We can't leave everyone here!" Sailor Moon shoots back to Mercury's suggestion, her arms wrapped around Naru's shoulders in equal parts protectiveness and stubbornness. She turns away, looking back into her friend's empty face and feeling the exact same sinking feeling. "This shouldn't be happening to--"

Another cry of shock, another hand tight around her. Sailor Moon is so slight that she's easily yanked away, away from Naru, spun to face the sky and a soldier. There is the barest web of composure over her face. She shivers, eyes red and breath ragged, threatening to burst all over again: for Naru, against Uranus, and to flee.

She looks up. Everyone is gone again. Uranus is right. Usagi has never been this close to the other girl before. Whoever she is, she is who people are thinking about when they hear soldier.

Sailor Moon rubs her wrist when released, her breathing slowing to something reasonable. They stand there, staring, in silence. Usagi knows she has to move first. She always knew that. She didn't know that she had picked the wrong direction. Like so many others in Usagi's life, Uranus is offering the way. Her way, at least.

"To make war?" Sailor Moon replies, tremulous. "I--"

They are soldiers.

She closes her eyes, another tear falling, and pushes off again. "We're not similar."

Past her plummets a figure from the heavens. Sailor Moon is sent whirling away, leaf-like in the imaginary air currents. She whirls to face the falling shape, eyes wide. "It's the enemy!"

A soldier. Maybe sailor soldiers are different.

Sailor Moon dips downward, arms and legs together and aerodynamic. "HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"

She catches up to the impossibly accelerating god-man, curling in an arc around his body, until she's found his eye level.

"Everyone's dreams are unique! If we didn't all have different desires, the world would never have become as wonderful as it is! I won't forgive anyone who only feels alive when they're stealing life from others!"

With her skirt and hair rippling with the speed of their descent, she points with every ounce of accusation she can muster while upside down.

"I'm the sailor-suited pretty soldier of love and justice, Sailor Moon! And, in the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has used In The Name Of The Moon on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick narrowly counters Sailor Moon's In The Name Of The Moon, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Sailor Moon is Psyched! Pink Moon Stick's Reverse ability activates! Cripple applied to Pink Moon Stick!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick's counterattack, Mental Image, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Sailor Moon!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick narrowly braces Lux Corruere's Angelic Fall, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Lux Corruere is Psyched! Pink Moon Stick's Block ability activates!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick narrowly counters Mesozoic Maiden Lucy's Bamm Bamm Bamm, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Mesozoic Maiden Lucy is Psyched! Pink Moon Stick's Reverse ability activates!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick's counterattack, Mental Image, partially gets through, doing 17 Fatigue damage to Mesozoic Maiden Lucy! Critical Counterhit!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick fails to dodge Cute Wolf Tsukiko's Bark!, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Cute Wolf Tsukiko is Psyched!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick narrowly braces Sailor Vega's Auroral Flash, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Sailor Vega is Psyched! Pink Moon Stick's Block ability activates!

<Pose Tracker> Lux Lapsa [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

"One can never go so far that it is impossible for them to fail," Lux Lapsa notes with the cool calm of someone who has experience in that matter. Inside her, Yukimi screeches in horror as the God Among Men tears himself in half, but the angelic warrior only watches with arms folded, eyes slightly narrowed. The two dive down, and flipping her silver hair back, Lapsa follows with frosted black wings angled sharply back, staying alongside Corruere.

She doesn't even notice the cold. To her, this temperature is perfectly comfortable. She glances at Corruere as she and her host speak as one. Yukimi marvels at it within, but Lapsa refocuses on the enemy.

The endless cold coalesces between her fingers, extending out into an icicle-like spear, a deadly blade from the deepest heart of a glacier. Corruere declares judgment, as is her wont; Lapsa, for her part, lets action do the speaking for her as she aims to bury that spear in one of the God Among Mine's eyes. Even if it doesn't do much, it may well be quite satisfying to take such an action against someone who declares himself a divinity.

Meanwhile, just a slight bit, the Lux Angeli is impressed by Sailor Moon. She is *astonishingly* dedicated to saying her piece.

COMBAT: Lux Lapsa has used Eye Scream on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Lux Lapsa has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick narrowly counters Lux Lapsa's Eye Scream, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Lux Lapsa is Psyched! Pink Moon Stick's Reverse ability activates!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick's counterattack, Mental Image, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Lux Lapsa!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Mercury [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.

The would-be god addresses his opposition, and Sailor Mercury does not shrink from the address, standing tall on the platform alongside her many friends. Taking a deep breath in as she rapidly becomes accustomed to the chill, Mercury glances first toward Moon, then Uranus, then Corruere -- and then simply takes a moment to appreciate her numerous allies. The god splits, and she gives chase -- she knows what needs to be done.

It makes her pretty unhappy, granted -- having to think this coolly at a time like this. On the other hand, she's not alone -- and that's something to take solace in, for certain. Leaping down alongside Sailor Moon, she affirms, "These are real people, with real hopes! This much selfishness is something I can't forgive!"

Thrusting her hands out as bubbles roll off her in waves, she affirms, "I am the sailor-suited pretty soldier of intelligence, Sailor Mercury! In the name of Mercury -- douse your head in cold water and repent!"

COMBAT: Sailor Mercury has used In The Name Of Mercury on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Sailor Mercury has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick narrowly counters Sailor Mercury's In The Name Of Mercury, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Sailor Mercury is Psyched! Pink Moon Stick's Reverse ability activates! Diversion, Exhausted, Stagger, and Tangle applied to Pink Moon Stick!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick's counterattack, Mental Image, partially gets through, doing 14 Fatigue damage to Sailor Mercury!

<Pose Tracker> Tuxedo Mask [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

Dropped off by Lux Corruere atop the platform, Tuxedo Kamen's there to hear the whole thing, which he listens to with his mouth in a thin line. He glances back when Sailor Moon arrives at the top, which means he doesn't actually see the beginning of the split-- but when that horrible sound starts, he takes a half-step back into a fighting stance, eyes front.

It's completely natural which side the well-dressed gentleman of justice leaps over.

He can hear Sailor Moon's voice ringing through the misty darkness, and the slightest smile curls one corner of the masked man's mouth. Given the sounds that fly upwards toward him from the battle raging in midair below, he's already pulling out a rose. The trick here -- in his physics-oriented mind, even here in dreams -- is to launch it at a speed that'll do anything good while they're falling. He twists himself in the air and

hurls that rose through the mist with a crackling red-light contrail, sped by magic and indignation at the injustices being performed by this man.

COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask has used Rose Dart on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick fails to dodge Tuxedo Mask's Rose Dart, taking 24 Fatigue damage!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Uranus [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

Sailor Moon's emotion is rending, and at this range it's difficult to bear. Training, exercise, cleaning a wound; sometimes something is supposed to hurt. So what if Sailor Uranus is stamping out something beautiful? There's something above them that will do so with even greater brutality, and even outside of this dark false world, there await many such horrors. Uranus does not need or wish for these younger girls to bury their arms to the elbows in blood as she has, but she will not countenance outright naivete. Even if Sailor Moon's face trembles like a drop-pricked pond, Uranus will reflect nothing but stern conviction. Hers is a sky that has forgotten the rain.

She inclines her head to accept Moon's decision. She will not treat the senshi like a child at a moment like this, when she has accepted her duty. She will not praise her or insult her with excessive satisfaction. She turns without outward remark to face the foe.

Now it's Uranus's turn to be the short one. Feet and fists wide apart, she stares up at a towering monster, whose monstrosity has more to do with his heart than his size. She feels the instinctive fear of prey faced with predator, and she rolls it on her tongue, savors it, bites down. "Hey there," she greets him, though she's speaking to herself, as she doesn't expect he'll hear her. "You're not the right one, huh? But I guess we'll never see the right one, either, if this keeps up." She drops into a fighting stance with the force and speed of a whipcrack, feet twisting to grasp the ground. "I'm not ready to lose."

Unfortunately, soon there is no ground. Dropping through freefall, Uranus changes her plans, and attempts to grapple onto the part of the giant she's most able to actually manipulate: his pinky fingertip. It's still too big for her to even get her arms around, but she does her best to jackknife her body and put some jujitsu into it.

COMBAT: Sailor Uranus has used Elegant Throw on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Sailor Uranus has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick narrowly braces Sailor Uranus's Elegant Throw, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Pink Moon Stick is Quipped! Pink Moon Stick's Block ability activates!

<Pose Tracker> Pink Moon Stick [Admin (S)] has posed.

Even after plunging through the clouds, the ground is quite invisible -- perhaps it's an optical illusion what with all these endless straight lines of skyscraper (interspersed here and there with mind-bending scaffolding), but they seem to just descend into a haze.

That's way below, though. For now, everyone's reflection bounces back ghastly and distorted, off the chrome and black mirror panels of Civilization and Progress.

Still, the picture in the twisted mirrors is relatively positive -- though the God Among Men crosses his arms to ward off the worst of his attackers, Lux Corruere's flaming sword carves off a gigantic button, which plunges past the fight, while Vega gets the cuff on the other side with her ribbons of light. Tuxedo Mask's rose clips off some of the last of his greying hair. Uranus has him by the pinky, and tweaks it soundly and unpleasantly. The Cute Wolf barks right in his ear, giving him a brutal headache, one followed up upon by the /torrent/ of lectures he receives from any number of indignant girls.

Lucy and Lux Lapsa attempt to wreck great vengeance upon his skull and eye respectively, but it is then that he brings his grand powers into play: both of them are blasted back, before they can follow through, by a truly horrible vision, that of someone they care for -- Sailor Moon and Lux Corruere, in this case -- melting away into sand. Sailor Moon sees Sailor Mercury fade into nothingness, while Sailor Mercury sees the opposite. And for the next few moments, they cannot hear each other, either.

The God Among Men takes advantage of all this confusion to plant his feet on one of the skyscrapers -- sparks from his finely tailored shoes fly as he skids downwards, parallel with the supposed surface of the dreamworld. Each individual spark rises upwards, fast becoming a flaming ring-- no-- a bubble.

These bubbles settle around each and every person he beholds, trying to trap them in their own ruminations, and then bring those thoughts in alignment with his own.

"How fiercely you fight," he comments, almost complimentary. "But time is not on your side..." In the haze below, clocks spin in and out of existence, their hands whirling at a breakneck rate. "Soon, the world will be mine -- and you will be dead."

COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used Thought Bubble on Sailor Uranus.

COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used Thought Bubble on Tuxedo Mask.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used Thought Bubble on Sailor Mercury.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used Thought Bubble on Lux Lapsa.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used Thought Bubble on Sailor Moon.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used Thought Bubble on Sailor Vega.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used Thought Bubble on Mesozoic Maiden Lucy.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used Thought Bubble on Lux Corruere.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used Thought Bubble on Cute Wolf Tsukiko.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Sailor Vega perfectly dodges Pink Moon Stick's Thought Bubble, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! Sailor Vega's Fade ability activates! Sailor Vega's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Sailor Moon fails to dodge Pink Moon Stick's Thought Bubble, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Blind, Stagger, Stun, Tangle, and Trap applied to Sailor Moon!
COMBAT: Lux Corruere fails to counter Pink Moon Stick's Thought Bubble, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Stun, Tangle, and Trap applied to Lux Corruere!
COMBAT: Lux Corruere's counterattack, Calor, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Pink Moon Stick!
COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask perfectly dodges Pink Moon Stick's Thought Bubble, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! Tuxedo Mask's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko narrowly dodges Pink Moon Stick's Thought Bubble, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cute Wolf Tsukiko's Flash ability activates! Blind, Stun, Tangle, and Trap applied to Cute Wolf Tsukiko!
COMBAT: Mesozoic Maiden Lucy perfectly counters Pink Moon Stick's Thought Bubble, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Critical Counter!
COMBAT: Mesozoic Maiden Lucy's counterattack, Blast from the Past, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Pink Moon Stick!
COMBAT: Lux Lapsa narrowly braces Pink Moon Stick's Thought Bubble, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Lux Lapsa's Block ability activates! Lux Lapsa's Parry ability activates! Blind, Stagger, Stun, Tangle, and Trap applied to Lux Lapsa!
COMBAT: Sailor Uranus fails to counter Pink Moon Stick's Thought Bubble, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Blind, Stun, and Tangle applied to Sailor Uranus!
COMBAT: Sailor Uranus's counterattack, Our Promise, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Pink Moon Stick!
COMBAT: Sailor Mercury narrowly counters Pink Moon Stick's Thought Bubble, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Sailor Mercury's Tactician ability activates! Blind, Stagger, Stun, and Trap applied to Sailor Mercury!
COMBAT: Sailor Mercury's counterattack, Mercury Aqua Mist, partially gets through, doing 7 Fatigue damage to Pink Moon Stick!

<Pose Tracker> Cute Wolf Tsukiko [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.

Tsukiko flails around a bit, trying to get clear of the thought bubble. While she manages to ward off the moody thoughts, she still finds herself inside the glowing sphere. "Once I get out of here, I am SO going to make you regret that!" she growls, trying to punch and kick her way out of the bubble.

COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has used Moonlight Growl on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Vega [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

Her ribbon on reflexive recoil, Sailor Vega goes straight into 'the zone' - nothing less would prevent her from smashing into any number of clocks that appear and disappear in the haze. Eyes narrowed in intense focus, anyone falling near her might hear the counting under her breath...

Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, barrel roll, axial tilt...

Angling in and under, Vega's wand and ribbon vanish as she brings her hands to her chest - "Compassionate Wing...."

Extending her hands towards the God-among-Man, from the area of her heart emerges a great cloud of bird-shaped blots of energy, whitling and singing and screeching... "CANNONADE!" - all now flapping towards the self-appointed deity with beak and feather and claw.

COMBAT: Sailor Vega has used Compassionate Wing Cannonade on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Sailor Vega has finished attacking.

COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick fails to dodge Cute Wolf Tsukiko's Moonlight Growl, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Diversion applied to Pink Moon Stick!

COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick narrowly braces Sailor Vega's Compassionate Wing Cannonade, taking 2 Fatigue damage! Pink Moon Stick's Block ability activates! Blind, Cripple, and Diversion applied to Pink Moon Stick!

<Pose Tracker> Lux Corruere [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

As Corruere descends, she sees the soldier of sleep again, and this time Sailor Moon is showing more than just her somnolent talents; she, and Mercury make their stances known. ...While Lux Lapsa, as is her way, favors action rather than words. Corruere is accustomed to this; at least, the angel is accustomed to this.

More to the point right now is Corruere's motion, her wings still folded to make her slice through the air as fast as she can, briefly away from the allies she has for now. ..But not that far away, especially not when everything is thought of in the scale of the enormous being before her. She gets one button-and it may not be much, but it's a start.

Spared the visions, she banks upward once again, as the God before them plants himself. She moves, and--

As the attack crashes towards her, Lux Corruere brings up her sword again, heat radiating off of her in a wae--but it isn't enough. It passes through the bubble but doesnot destroy it, and she is trapped within, assaulted all of a sudden by the continued image of the woman she saw on the way up, by the cold, by the certainty that her borrowed strength can't be enough, that--

She keeps falling in those moments, unaware of the physical trap any longer as she faces her doubts alone. The cold alone isn't enough to break through; her thoughts of how far she'll go, that she can die here if she has to to save them, don't break her loose. Fighting against isn't enough for her, though it is what she has done so well so far. No, instead it's that face that sparks something, a feeling that brings her back to awareness, that makes her suddenly notice again all those around, past the barrier. "...I'll see..." he murmurs, and it's then that the other voice within is audible once more. Corruere opens her eyes. "You... You have someone, too," she says, to no one visible, and returns again to awareness.

Now she can see the edges of what has trapped her. <Yes, I do. So, for her too: now!>

She tries again with her magic, lifting her free hand. "Libero..." The air about her shimmers, "Ignis!" and flame bursts outward, first to the bubble, and then, as if following a fuse, to surge inexorably back to the giant.

"We don't need time! The reasons we're here are more important than your greed!"

COMBAT: Lux Corruere has used Libero Ignis on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Lux Corruere has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick narrowly dodges Lux Corruere's Libero Ignis, taking 17 Fatigue damage! Pink Moon Stick's Fade ability activates! Bind Break! All of Lux Corruere's debuffs are cleared!

<Pose Tracker> Tuxedo Mask [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

The first thing Tuxedo Mask is reacting to is a giant bubble floating his way-- the half-second after he sails out of the way, he's awfully glad he did; the people getting caught in them are caught, and by the tumblings of the big jerk, that's not just bad on a 'confined spaces' level.

Up, down, left, right-- not a combo, but-- it looks like they're shutting down mentally, almost, getting distracted by whatever this dreamstuff is doing. Time to yell. A lot.

Cupping his hands around his mouth, hat gone again, cape billowing upward in a haze of black and grey silk into the darkness, the man's heart goes out to his friends and compatriots in the form of determined words.

"Whatever you're seeing, whatever you're feeling or hearing, it's NOT REAL," he calls out loud and clear. "Keep attacking! You're trapped, he's trapping you in his dream! Don't believe him! Believe in your friends, and in yourselves!"

COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask has used Tuxedo Night on Lux Corruere.

COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask has used Tuxedo Night on Sailor Mercury.
COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask has used Tuxedo Night on Sailor Moon.
COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Sailor Moon accepts Tuxedo Mask's Tuxedo Night, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Sailor Moon is Cheered!
COMBAT: Lux Corruere accepts Tuxedo Mask's Tuxedo Night, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
COMBAT: Sailor Mercury accepts Tuxedo Mask's Tuxedo Night, taking 0 Fatigue damage!

<Pose Tracker> Mesozoic Maiden Lucy [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.

Lucy really should be taking notes from Sailor Moon (and Mercury, too!) on speechcraft, as they find a way to open the hostilities by saying their righteous speech even in freefall. Corruere does too, but that doesn't count-- she's got wings.

The fact that Lucy /doesn't/ should be a worry, but right now it's not the most pressing concern. It's a long way down. Instead, she manages to bonk the exposed balding flesh on that giant, and she grabs onto a stray gray hair, but before she can swing herself forward for a followup, she sees something that makes her lose her grip, namely, the illusion of Sailor Moon being vaporized so easily, so quickly--

"NOOOOO!" she shrieks. Tears stream /up/ her face, and into the cape of green hair billowing behind her. Her grip on the gray hair she was holding in one hand loosens, along with that of the one holding her magical club...

"Lucy, it's a trick!" Proving himself the reliable partner, Didi grabs ahold of the flying club with one of his free tiny, adorable claws and throws it back to Lucy. The Maiden blinks, and looks around, only to see Sailor Moon still safe and sound. Her dying embers of her resolve roar back to life, and her eyes lock back onto the giant monster.

He's trying to get them with flame bubbles, however that works, but luckily for Lucy, she's snapped out of it, she's a quick thinker, and fire is the type of magic she specializes in. "Oh, no, you won't!" She snaps her finger, issuing some sparks of her own, which she blows on to ignite them into a gout of flames that engulfs the bubbles flying towards her, neutralizing them.

But not all of her friends are so lucky. As she falls, she lets Didi hold her club again while she plucks the white flower out of her hair, and in a burst of green sparkles, it turns into a small, lovely-looking spritz bottle. Lux Lapsa is one of the closest combatants to Lucy and seems to be in dire straits, and so the Maiden orients herself so she can glide next to her, and aims the magical tool in her direction, showering her with mesozoic magic that should not only dissolve that nasty bubble, but at the same time imbue her with just a lit-tle bit of dinosaurian strength!

COMBAT: Mesozoic Maiden Lucy has used Flower of Life on Lux Lapsa.

COMBAT: Mesozoic Maiden Lucy has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Lux Lapsa accepts Mesozoic Maiden Lucy's Flower of Life, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Surge applied to Lux Lapsa! Cleanse! All of Lux Lapsa's debuffs are cleared!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Uranus [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

It's obvious who a nightmare bubble would deprive Uranus of, who it would send to the bottom of the deepest sea, smaller bubbles trailing from her lips, seafoam hair decorated with yet more bubbles, like so many pearls amidst the floating locks, her lax fingers reaching for the surface. Uranus covers her mouth with both hands, and the bubbles pour between her fingers as well, existing only in her mind perhaps, but no less powerful in this place. Her eyes flutter, not with drowning, but with pain.

But they both made a promise. This isn't over yet. It doesn't matter what happens to Neptune. Fight.

It doesn't stop the pain, but it does let her break the bubble with a roar, throwing her fists to both sides, gasping with the emotional stress. Once out of it, the pain doesn't fade, but she does remember that it is a dream-pain, and she glances about. Yes, the others have it too. She skims the bare air with her feet to launch into flight again. The Inners are trapped in giant bubbles. You know what that means.

Putting her shoulder into Mercury's stomach, she shoves her, finding to her surprise that the bubble moves with Mercury. Well, if she can't pop them, she'll have to help the Inners pop them themselves. She keeps on until she can catch Moon under her other arm, then grabs both of them by the hair, lifts them together, and mashes their cheeks together side-by-side, squishing their faces until their cheeks bunch up. "Moon, look, Mercury's right here. Mercury, Moon's okay. See?" She saws their heads up and down against each other, rubbing their cheeks back and forth like they were affectionate cats until they have the wherewithal to resist.

COMBAT: Sailor Uranus has used Outervention on Sailor Uranus.

COMBAT: Sailor Uranus has used Outervention on Sailor Mercury.
COMBAT: Sailor Uranus has used Outervention on Sailor Moon.
COMBAT: Sailor Uranus has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Sailor Moon accepts Sailor Uranus's Outervention, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Sailor Moon's debuffs are cleared!
COMBAT: Sailor Mercury accepts Sailor Uranus's Outervention, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Sailor Mercury's debuffs are cleared!
COMBAT: Sailor Uranus accepts Sailor Uranus's Outervention, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Sailor Uranus's debuffs are cleared!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Mercury [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.

The world disappears out from under Ami, even as she tries to blast through that bubble of nothingness with the power of ice-cold water. Unfortunately -- while she does manage to spray water in all directions -- she doesn't /quite/ manage to pierce the veil, and as a result, for a few moments, she's isolated. At first, sure enough, those feelings start to creep up on her; however, ever possessed of her cool intellect, Ami brings her hand up and deploys her visor, doing her best to keep her cool.

She can see so much more now; there's a clarity there that wasn't there before, a clarity that's only heightened by Uranus's abrupt outervention and Tuxedo Mask's encouragement. As she and Moon get pushed together, Ami can't help but smile -- and indeed seems content to hang out like that for a moment, being rubbed against Sailor Moon like a ridiculous cat. It's a nice feeling.

Taking a second to once again focus and /finally/ free herself from being rubbed against her dear friend like a cat, she thrusts out her hands in a spray of bubbles.

COMBAT: Sailor Mercury has used Sabao Spray on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Sailor Mercury has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Lux Lapsa [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

What! Lux Lapsa thinks; she could have sworn her attack at least grazed that bloated monstrosity. There is no time for that, though, and ice coagulates in an instant around her left manacle to defend her from the initial counterattack. It saves her from any physical damage, but as the attack that follows is entirely mental, well... It's an act that overwhelms even the stoic, emotionally distant angel.

This wouldn't be the first time that someone dear to her was ripped away from her in an instant, after all. Eyes widen at the vision of Lux Corruere dissolving into sand, and her lovely features twist in rage and grief. She attempts to reach out for her, but it seems like it's just too far, too late, and she can feel that glacial fury building up in her again--

--when a girl-haired girl uses dinosaur magic to pop the bubble and strengthen her. Lux Lapsa blinks rapidly in surprise before focusing on Lucy, looking around at herself, hearing Tuxedo Mask's shouting, and realizing what must have happened. Her eyes narrow in deadly concentration.

"My thanks!" she calls to Lucy before winging up sharply.

"I have not any patience left for you, filth. The one to die here shall be you," she tells the God Among Men with the tranquility of a frozen sea hiding killer whales just underneath the surface. She holds out both arms, gripping a great spear in her hands, and calls, "Iratus Improbus!"

Sharp ice builds with increasing speed towards the massive man, shooting out almost like an arrow.

COMBAT: Lux Lapsa has used Iratus Improbus on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Lux Lapsa has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick narrowly dodges Sailor Mercury's Sabao Spray, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Pink Moon Stick's Fade ability activates! Blind and Trap applied to Pink Moon Stick!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick narrowly braces Lux Lapsa's Iratus Improbus, taking 2 Fatigue damage! Pink Moon Stick's Block ability activates! Stun and Trap applied to Pink Moon Stick!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.

Sailor Moon flips to reorient herself as the magical warriors stabilize around the man-god, braced for action. They're attacking at a good rate, and it seems like he's not coordinated enough to deal with them all!

She pauses to watch Uranus go in hard, realizing only after the older girl pulls it off that she's been holding her breath. The roiling sparks come fast and in her blind spot.

Too late does Usagi sense they're coming. Her last-moment attempt to dart out of the way only catches her in another burning bubble--but she busts through, unharmed. Her first thought is to look to Ami for an explanation. It would be that even if she wasn't compelled.

"MERCURY-CHAN!"

It's not a pretty scream. It's a jagged yell too big for her throat, slicing it raw as it comes up. Usagi keeps screaming until there's nothing left in her lungs, and then Uranus palm-slams her into Ami's face. Sailor Moon is frozen, her gaze first drifting to Ami, and then to Uranus.

"You're really strong," she whispers, incredulous.

Behind her, Tuxedo Mask gives her words to fit her feelings into. He's trapping them in his dream--it makes sense. He's doing what he's been doing to everyone else! The thought of more falling prey to this base unkindness puts intensity in Usagi's expression. Squirming free of Uranus, she springs forward through the air and shouts down at the man.

"Why are you doing this?! Even if you're desperate to have someone play out the role you've dreamed for them, the only reason it means anything in the first place is because you care about who they are!" Sailor Moon scrunches her face up in thought, balling her hands into fists, but her face lights up when she realizes the problem in what she's said. "You may not care about people like I care about people, but you must still care about what they think! Now they're not thinking at all!"

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has used Naru Osaka's Bold Questioning on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick perfectly counters Sailor Moon's Naru Osaka's Bold Questioning, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter! Pink Moon Stick's Reverse ability activates!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick's counterattack, Intuitive Leap, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Sailor Moon!

<Pose Tracker> Pink Moon Stick [Admin (S)] has posed.

The downwards plunge continues. This skyscraper is /really tall/.

Kicking off of the skyscraper, the God Among Men is much too slow to prevent Tsukiko from popping his bubble, and though he manages to interpose his suit-coat against many of Sailor Vega's energy-birds, they shred the backside on their way in, and he trembles with distraction and frustration as he tries to swat them away. That enormous called attack from Lux Corruere gives him just enough time to get /out of the way/, but he can feel some of his balding gray hair singe as the fiery explosion passes by.

He can dodge the initial flurry of bubbles from impacting against him, but Sailor Mercury's disorienting cloud cannot truly be avoided in its effects. He sputters through it furiously, doing his best to crush that incoming ice of Lux Lapsa's between his palms. It carves him up a bit, but his calluses are strong.

Then Sailor Moon tries to reach him with an impassioned plea.

"I really don't," care, that is, about people, he says with a dismissive Cynical Power-Hungry Adult shrug. And then he disappears--

--The ground is suddenly there almost unnoticably. It helps that the impact is nonexistent; in a flash, everyone is back in the freezing clouds. It's almost impossible to see in here -- as easy to strike friend as foe, though it helps that the foe is roughly the size of Godzilla. Statistics are on the side of the magical girl.

Strength, however, is on the side of the God Among Men's, as the entire cloud is abruptly filled with ice crystals that rake and tear and pierce with GREAT PREJUDICE.

COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used I Used All My Ice Puns When I Built Alcyone on Sailor Moon.

COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used I Used All My Ice Puns When I Built Alcyone on Lux Lapsa.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used I Used All My Ice Puns When I Built Alcyone on Sailor Mercury.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used I Used All My Ice Puns When I Built Alcyone on Sailor Uranus.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used I Used All My Ice Puns When I Built Alcyone on Mesozoic Maiden Lucy.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used I Used All My Ice Puns When I Built Alcyone on Tuxedo Mask.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used I Used All My Ice Puns When I Built Alcyone on Lux Corruere.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used I Used All My Ice Puns When I Built Alcyone on Sailor Vega.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used I Used All My Ice Puns When I Built Alcyone on Cute Wolf Tsukiko.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Sailor Mercury narrowly dodges Pink Moon Stick's I Used All My Ice Puns When I Built Alcyone, taking 19 Fatigue damage! Sailor Mercury's Fade ability activates! Sailor Mercury's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Sailor Vega narrowly braces Pink Moon Stick's I Used All My Ice Puns When I Built Alcyone, taking 4 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Sailor Uranus fails to brace Pink Moon Stick's I Used All My Ice Puns When I Built Alcyone, taking 25 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Mesozoic Maiden Lucy fails to dodge Pink Moon Stick's I Used All My Ice Puns When I Built Alcyone, taking 27 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko fails to counter Pink Moon Stick's I Used All My Ice Puns When I Built Alcyone, taking 28 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko's counterattack, Moonlight Growl, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Pink Moon Stick!
COMBAT: Lux Lapsa narrowly counters Pink Moon Stick's I Used All My Ice Puns When I Built Alcyone, taking 13 Fatigue damage! Lux Lapsa's Reverse ability activates!
COMBAT: Lux Lapsa's counterattack, Icicle Lance, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Pink Moon Stick!
COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask narrowly dodges Pink Moon Stick's I Used All My Ice Puns When I Built Alcyone, taking 22 Fatigue damage! Tuxedo Mask's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Lux Corruere fails to brace Pink Moon Stick's I Used All My Ice Puns When I Built Alcyone, taking 26 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Sailor Moon narrowly dodges Pink Moon Stick's I Used All My Ice Puns When I Built Alcyone, taking 10 Fatigue damage! Sailor Moon's Flash ability activates!

<Pose Tracker> Cute Wolf Tsukiko [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.

Tsukiko snarls as she finishes rending her way out of the bubble. The snarls quickly turn into a yelp, however, as she slams into the various spikes of ice. "Anyone get the number of that ski slope?" she groans as she tries to regain her bearings, carefully making her way along the face of a large ice crystal. The edges are sharp, and it's slow going, but at least it gives her a moment to catch her breath and try to identify the various shadows in the clouds - which are friends, and which are dangerous ice crystals?

COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has used Regaining Bearings on Cute Wolf Tsukiko.

COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko accepts Cute Wolf Tsukiko's Regaining Bearings, taking 0 Fatigue damage!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Vega [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

An icy cloud is no one's idea of a good time - well, certainly not Sailor Vega's; and she's so busy squealing and crunching herself into a ball right before hitting the ground that the shards of ice and blindness would almost be an afterthought if they weren't so desperately unpleasant.

"You think this will stop us?" she shouts out as they all fall again - or still, whatever. "You're not a God, you're just a great big BULLY!"

COMBAT: Sailor Vega has used You're Old and You Suck! on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Sailor Vega has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Lux Corruere [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

There's too much going on at once--Lux Corruere pours her heart into breaking free of the control she's under, and in that exertion's moment is too exhausted to act more on Tuxedo Mask's encouragement. Nevertheless, once she's freed, letting out a rough breath, she looks his way. "...I will! Let's do it!"

She mised most of what happened in those moments; the heartfelt loss that turned out to be gone in an instant, most of the way others helped so swiftly. But only the ones in /that/ moment, just like she has no idea of what Lux Lapsa saw.

...But she can feel the heat around Lucy, and that's exactly her sort of fighting situation at the momenet. After Lucy helps Lapsa, Corruere hovers above her, plotting her next move as she sees the great man disappear, after that awful answer--

The ground is there; they're in the clouds. Corruere cannot see, can only feel the cold and sharp as the blades of frigid wrath clash against armor, slash against cloth and skin, tear through wings; she screams despite herself, just for a moment, a short, clipped thing of pain. He attempt to block failes entirely. So she is blind, and hurt, but--

But...

"That's... right. I'll find you," she says, and closes her eyes, adopting a prayer position with her hands together, the Mandolra Manacles about her gauntleted wrists clanking together. It's a wave of heat that radiates from her, as if spilling from a container, like lava from a crater--but it, itself, can't hurt much.

It's just Lux Corruere preparing--and searching for the part where, presumably, the gigantic foe they face didn't ice-shard himself.

COMBAT: Lux Corruere has used Heat Seeking on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Lux Corruere has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.

What an inveterate adult.

Sailor Moon tucks into another dive, determined to reach this man somehow. If it ends up being physically, Uranus-throw to God-pinky, then she'll come to terms with that when she gets there.

The ground provides no pause for her. She bursts through and into the new sky, shooting through the mist and into the ice field. They're unexpected enough to steal a gasp from her, but a soldier of justice is not dissuaded so easily. She twirls through the frozen razors with gifted grace. Rei's fire burns in her heart, and that's more than enough to keep her warm.

When Sailor Moon yells this time, it's a cry of attack: like Makoto has done countless times, she times her shout with the extension of her leg in a vicious kick that sends one of the larger chunks darting toward the executive of executives. It comes whistling out from the cloud, which serves as a better guard against reprisal for a small target than a large one.

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has used But There's Snow Many Ice Puns on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Without the Barrier flag, only a ranged attack can counter a ranged attack. Please counter with the correct range of attack, or with an attack with the Barrier flag.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick perfectly counters Sailor Moon's But There's Snow Many Ice Puns, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Critical Counter! Pink Moon Stick's Reverse ability activates!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick's counterattack, Cold, Usagi. Thass' cold., bursts all the way through, doing 22 Fatigue damage to Sailor Moon!

<Pose Tracker> Mesozoic Maiden Lucy [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.

Lucy returns Lux Lapsa's thanks with a beaming smile, and then has to return her attention to their opponent, but before she can think of her next move SUDDENLY THE GROUND--

What comes next isn't a massive meteoric impact (Lucy does that a lot) but instead... more clouds? It's almost a relief, but now they can't see, and even worse, there are ice crystals everywhere! At first Lucy tries her best to avoid the ones she can see coming, twirling through the air with something resembling grace for once (a shame no one can actually see it), but it doesn't take long for her to scrape against one and lose her coordination, causing her to tumble through them, leaving large tears in her dress and tiny but painful scratches even in her stone-hard skin.

Then, amidst the pain, she has an idea. "Enough! Didi!" Her tiny dinosaur companion is still clinging to her in spite of everything, and he knows what that signal means. Yes, that's right...! Blue-nailed, rough but warm hand meets tiny reptilian claw, green sparkles explode out on contact, and...

"ROOOOOOOOAR!"

That's right, it's time for DINO-SIZED DIDI THE DINOSAUR's cameo appearance! Lucy is right there on his back, riding the tyrannosaurus like Yoshi, and together the two of them smash through ice crystals. Hopefully, the Maiden thinks, the dinosaur's roar can act as a beacon to her friends amidst the thick clouds.

Didi, as he plummets, also keeps his giant maw open, just in case it meets something gigantic and fleshy-- the magic power keeping him in this form is very limited, they're flying blind (if you can even call that flying) and despite his current size he's still just a chihuahua compared to their opponent, but /have you ever been bitten by a chihuahua/?

COMBAT: Mesozoic Maiden Lucy has used Didihuahua Chomp on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Mesozoic Maiden Lucy has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Lux Lapsa [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

How like an adult. Lux Lapsa would know.

Almost unnoticably, but not quite. At the last moment, Lapsa flares out her wings in an attempt to soften a landing that never actually comes. This ends up working against her, for while ice is her element, it can still cut and tear and pierce, and with her wings flared out like that, they have a wonderful opportunity in which to do so. It hurts her less than some of the others in the cloud, but it's still quite painful, and her attempt to strike back with a magical lance of ice of her own doesn't *seem* to have any effect; it's hard to tell when it's nigh impossible to pick out anyone in these conditions.

It helps, though, when all of a sudden there is the terrible, thundering roar of some kind of lizard. A terrible thunder lizard, if you will. The sound carries, even if it's soon snatched away by the freefall, and Lapsa turns to focus on the figure in the fog with narrowed eyes. It's dangerous to continue in these conditions, so she banks her wings and attempts to fly in that direction. Doing so may bring her close enough to spot the God Among Men, when close enough, she attempts to use not physical attacks but aura, as channeled through a dark aura that suddenly flares up around her ominously.

"Umbra in Celestia," she chants, almost Gregorian-like, as it surges hopefully in the massive entity's direction.

COMBAT: Lux Lapsa has used Umbra in Celestia on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Lux Lapsa has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Tuxedo Mask [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

Perspective shift; dream logic applies and it makes perfect sense that this is how it should be, this is just how travel works. The problem is the pea soup fog. Tuxedo Kamen closes his eyes and listens.

He can hear their voices, he can hear the giant, he can hear--

--the fog sounds wrong, somehow-- he opens his eyes and they widen, and he tries to duck out of the way, but he can't, there's too many and they're everywhere. That would be Mamoru's hissing intake of breath as he belatedly whirls his cape around him, then starts stalking through the dark fog toward the broad side of a barn.

He wants to yell at this guy. He really wants to yell at him. Instead, he listens to everyone else but focuses on the giant, opening his eyes again, and silently tries to figure out where the guy's achilles' tendon is given the scale of things and the terrible visibility.

Too complicated. He manifests his cane and braces, then snaps it out with a crack like a whip, telescoping sharply to stab at the giant CEO's foot.

COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask has used Tuxedo Junction Railroading Attack on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Mercury [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.

Ice turns on Ami, and unfortunately, she has a really rough time with turnabout. She does her best to swirl around through those clouds and their ice crystals, but it's too much to weave around /completely/. Her posture shrinks a little, but she doesn't totally crumple under it; after all, this is her element, even if it's being turned against her. She takes a few moments to compose herself, breathing in and out, even though it's bitterly, bitterly cold.

Mercury doesn't join Moon in getting a touch more physical, though she might like to; her tendency is always to hang back and breathe, and above all else to stay calm. Raising her hands high again, she once more draws the energy of her heart up toward them before thrusting them out, this time in a spray of water.

"Sailor Moon!" Mercury calls, glancing over to her. "Are you all right?" She knows she can handle the cold -- but Moon might not be able to cope with it as well, and in her heart, Mercury is a little bit of a worrier.

COMBAT: Sailor Mercury has used Mercury Aqua Mist on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Sailor Mercury has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Uranus [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

Uranus takes great satisfaction in the effectiveness of her tactic, and some additional satisfaction in messing with the younger girls, though that's tamped down by the serious situation. "You're really /small/," she counters Moon, since Mercury is essentially the same size. Uranus's upper arm, the only part visible in the gap between her long gloves and ribbed shoulder, could contain both of theirs.

She releases the Inners when they're ready, and returns to battle. A new layer arrives, drenching them all in clouds, and with it a new assault, this one physical. Crystalline ice shatters against her shoulder, her back, her side, and she twists unsteadily in the air, battered around like a mosquito. Freefall isn't such an unfriendly place for the Sky King, and she starts to control her momentum with her posture, arranging herself to start to drift towards her foe. Time to go on the offensive again.

Just before Uranus slams into the giant businessman's jacket, she snatches a shard of ice from the air and swings it like a dagger into the cloth. Hanging onto it, she rips with her other hand until she gets a loose thread, then wraps one of her wrists in it, planting both feet against the giant's lapel and pushing with all the piston-like power in her runner's legs. It drives her off of him again, sailing out into the cloudy wind, this time linked to him by a constantly running string. She controls it with grace suitable for Cirque du Soleil, efficiently winding the overly thick thread in an X shape around her boot to form a foothold. "Guided by a new era," she says, and she drives her arm out straight, kinking the string so her path begins to swing back inward, her free arm outstretched with fingers curling slowly, balletic. "Sailor Uranus acts with elegance!"

COMBAT: Sailor Uranus has used Acts with Elegance on Sailor Uranus.

COMBAT: Sailor Uranus has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Sailor Uranus accepts Sailor Uranus's Acts with Elegance, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Empower and Surge applied to Sailor Uranus!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick fails to brace Sailor Mercury's Mercury Aqua Mist, taking 17 Fatigue damage! Stagger applied to Pink Moon Stick!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick narrowly dodges Tuxedo Mask's Tuxedo Junction Railroading Attack, taking 12 Fatigue damage! Tuxedo Mask is Psyched! Pink Moon Stick's Fade ability activates!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick fails to brace Lux Lapsa's Umbra in Celestia, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Pink Moon Stick is Quipped!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick narrowly dodges Lux Corruere's Heat Seeking, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Lux Corruere is Psyched! Pink Moon Stick's Fade ability activates!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick narrowly braces Mesozoic Maiden Lucy's Didihuahua Chomp, taking 14 Fatigue damage! Pink Moon Stick's Block ability activates!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick fails to dodge Sailor Vega's You're Old and You Suck!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!

<Pose Tracker> Pink Moon Stick [Admin (S)] has posed.

Sailor Moon kicks a shard of ice at the God Among Men, and with frankly astonishing grace, he uses his big toe to intercept it like a hackey sack, then launch it back. Given the success of this strategem, he adds another for good measure.

"Bully," he remarks to Vega, his basso voice booming from all directions in the cloud, "Is a name the weak give the strong. I called boys that myself, as a child. But then I learned from them, as you are now learning from me." With terrifying speed, his fist plows through the clouds like a massive truck, straight for the senshi.

He rolls through Lux Corruere's wave of heat, making it very difficult to use that to get a bead on him, but that does nicely expose his foot to Didi the Dinosaur.

CHOMP.

He kicks wildly, biting his gigantic (and rather dry) lip through the pain, and surrenders his finely crafted shoe to the dinosaur rather than put up with the bite any longer. This maneuver, at least, causes Tuxedo Mask to strike shoe rather than foot, giving him something of a two for one benefit.

It doesn't do a /damn/ thing for Lux Lapsa's dark aura slamming into him, though. Narrowing his eyes at the Lux Angeli, he slams back with his own, inexorably selfish, inexorably egotistical, inexorably proud. It is painful to bear.

And then they break out of the clouds, and he falls down, down, down through what is now a bunch of spinning crosses, crucifixes, rosaries, each somehow sporting high technology like something straight of of Star Trek, from red LED eyes to spinning, sonic-bladed edges. These scissor and slice and burn and pierce and rend at everyone else, but leave him, the self-righteous, untouched.

It is his Cosmic Confessional. It is not a pleasant place. And at the bottom appears to be an endless pool of blood, though that is thankfully a long fall away.

He laughs at the sight of it.

"You are out of time! In all of a minute, dawn will break and the sleepers will awaken. You may be winning the battle, but you've lost the war!"

The crown of solid white light that graces his brow suddenly explodes, seven individual beams growing in magnitude-- there are but seconds left--

COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used All Ice On You on Sailor Moon.

COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used Iron Will on Lux Lapsa.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used Train of Thought on Sailor Uranus.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used Train of Thought on Sailor Mercury.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used Train of Thought on Tuxedo Mask.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used Train of Thought on Mesozoic Maiden Lucy.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used Train of Thought on Lux Corruere.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used Train of Thought on Sailor Vega.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has used Train of Thought on Cute Wolf Tsukiko.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Lux Lapsa narrowly braces Pink Moon Stick's Iron Will, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Lux Lapsa's Block ability activates! Lux Lapsa's Parry ability activates!
COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko fails to dodge Pink Moon Stick's Train of Thought, taking 30 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Sailor Vega fails to dodge Pink Moon Stick's Train of Thought, taking 29 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Sailor Moon narrowly braces Pink Moon Stick's All Ice On You, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Sailor Moon's Parry ability activates!

<Pose Tracker> Pink Moon Stick [Admin (S)] has posed.

Sailor Moon kicks a shard of ice at the God Among Men, and with frankly astonishing grace, he uses his big toe to intercept it like a hackey sack, then launch it back. Given the success of this strategem, he adds another for good measure.

"Bully," he remarks to Vega, his basso voice booming from all directions in the cloud, "Is a name the weak give the strong. I called boys that myself, as a child. But then I learned from them, as you are now learning from me." With terrifying speed, his fist plows through the clouds like a massive truck, straight for the senshi.

He rolls through Lux Corruere's wave of heat, making it very difficult to use that to get a bead on him, but that does nicely expose his foot to Didi the Dinosaur.

CHOMP.

He kicks wildly, biting his gigantic (and rather dry) lip through the pain, and surrenders his finely crafted shoe to the dinosaur rather than put up with the bite any longer. This maneuver, at least, causes Tuxedo Mask to strike shoe rather than foot, giving him something of a two for one benefit.

It doesn't do a /damn/ thing for Lux Lapsa's dark aura slamming into him, though. Narrowing his eyes at the Lux Angeli, he slams back with his own, inexorably selfish, inexorably egotistical, inexorably proud. It is painful to bear.

Not quite as painful as Mercury Aqua Mist, however, which slams into him, right into his gut, which he clutches at fruitlessly.

And then they break out of the clouds, and he falls down, down, down through what is now a bunch of spinning crosses, crucifixes, rosaries, each somehow sporting high technology like something straight of of Star Trek, from red LED eyes to spinning, sonic-bladed edges. These scissor and slice and burn and pierce and rend at everyone else, but leave him, the self-righteous, untouched.

It is his Cosmic Confessional. It is not a pleasant place. And at the bottom appears to be an endless pool of blood, though that is thankfully a long fall away.

He laughs at the sight of it.

"You are out of time! In all of a minute, dawn will break and the sleepers will awaken. You may be winning the battle, but you've lost the war!"

The crown of solid white light that graces his brow suddenly explodes, seven individual beams growing in magnitude-- there are but seconds left--

COMBAT: Sailor Uranus narrowly dodges Pink Moon Stick's Train of Thought, taking 24 Fatigue damage! Sailor Uranus's Flash ability activates!

COMBAT: Lux Corruere fails to dodge Pink Moon Stick's Train of Thought, taking 29 Fatigue damage!

COMBAT: Sailor Mercury fails to brace Pink Moon Stick's Train of Thought, taking 28 Fatigue damage!

COMBAT: Mesozoic Maiden Lucy fails to dodge Pink Moon Stick's Train of Thought, taking 33 Fatigue damage!

<Pose Tracker> Cute Wolf Tsukiko [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.

Tsukiko jumps after Didi, trying to freefall in as slim a form as she could manage, in order to make up for lost time.

Bad move.

The wolfgirl ricochets off of the various pseudo-electronic quasi-religious items like a ball in a pachinko machine.

Slowing down and reorienting herself, she launches at him again, this time with a clearer line of sight, trying to get close enough to bite him.

COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has used Silver Fangs on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask narrowly counters Pink Moon Stick's Train of Thought, taking 15 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask's counterattack, Wrong Way on a One Way Track, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Pink Moon Stick!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick narrowly dodges Cute Wolf Tsukiko's Silver Fangs, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Pink Moon Stick's Fade ability activates! Cripple applied to Pink Moon Stick!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Uranus [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

Uranus's green eyes sharpen in surprise as the scenery changes again, this time to nothing that resembles a natural or manmade landscape. She manipulates the thread she's swinging on to avoid the spinning blades of passing crosses, but soon there are too many, and when one opens a bloody gash on her thigh, she loses concentration long enough for another blade to rip right through the thread, sending her sailing towards her foe without it.

Good enough. She can do this without it. Tucking her knees, she lets herself rotate as she flies, counting distance in glimpses and breaths, moving faster and faster as they both fall, until just before she slams into his kneecap, she uncurls herself and drives both feet out beneath her, the heels on her belted boots stomping down violently, her body straight like an arrow. The shock ripples through her as well, and she lets it collapse her, her arms swinging hammerfists down into the gigantic bones she's standing on.

Neptune is buying her this chance at great risk. She needs to make it worth it.

COMBAT: Sailor Uranus has used Meteor Slam on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Sailor Uranus has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick fails to brace Sailor Uranus's Meteor Slam, taking 51 Fatigue damage! Sailor Uranus is Psyched!

<Pose Tracker> Lux Lapsa [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

Aura for aura, mental assault for mental assault. This one, at least, Lux Lapsa is somewhat more prepared for, and when the GAM returns her attack in kind, it *is* painful to bear, but she can bear it. Her teeth grit against this ego and pride--*that*, at least, is like certain divinities--and once she weathers through it, she glares right back.

The original fallen angel is *remarkably* stubborn about certain things... rather like permafrost.

Even at a moment like this though, she gives a mental point towards Uranus. She and Moon and Mercury... they are all *very* dedicated indeed to their speechcraft.

The clouds rip away from them now, and they fall into a technological singularity, or at least something that wants to be one. Using her wings, she manages to avoid these nimbly, but it is a close thing, and it gives her a very good view indeed of the pool of blood far below, but not nearly far enough.

The GAM boasts, and his crown bursts with light--and so too does the Lux Angeli, her body streaming with the radiance of angels, only a far colder and more hostile like than those of Heaven normally produce.

"Then we must end this," she states with eerie, frigid calm. To those assembled at large, she calls, "Lux Corruere! Let us combine our strength!"

She twirls her spear then, and the glacial force that is the core of Lux Lapsa's angelic power centers around the giant, potentially splintering up and around him, perhaps even engulfing him in his entirety or near-entirety. "Me Libera!" she calls as the magic coalesces into existence. If it works well, it provides an absolutely *lovely* opening for those who would capitalize on it by using force with extreme prejudice, for while Lux Lapsa called Corruere out specifically, she is not above accepting the help of others in this situation.

They have but seconds, after all, and every one counts.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Lux Lapsa has started a combo targeting Pink Moon Stick!

COMBAT: FINISHER! Tuxedo Mask has joined the combo started by Lux Lapsa!

<Pose Tracker> Lux Corruere [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

Her aura isn't enough to find him--but it doesn't have to be. Lux Corruere is not in this battle by herself, and the great thunderous lizard who is vaguely downward from her for just a moment takes the opportunity anyway, while she herself feels energized, prepared from the effort to work with all the others to strike again. His voice booms from all over--

At least he's a big target.

Watching ally after ally strike, suddenly they are out of the clouds, and familiar sights assault her vision--familiar, and yet something different. The Cosmic Confessional brings her to narrow her eyes, still flying on her own for the moment, and try to move--but it isn't enough. Her armor is ground against by spinning blades, her vision clouded by flashing lights. He laughs, and calls out his triumph, but, "You don't understand anything!"

She is not eternal like the permafrost; instead, she simply flows onward, regardless of what happens, like the lava flow in which her rosary slept for such a time.

Lux Lapsa bursts with light--and before continuing her own words, Lux Corruere sees Sailor Uranus, there, using the time they have. ...Another thing she has to continue to see through. So when she is called--

"We're with you!" she calls in return, and steps backward. There is no ground, here... But there doesn't need to be that, either. Instead, Corruere charges, once more folding herself into a point as if she is the spear being thrown. It comes from the air, from the surfaces through which they fall, because the flames of life cannot be denied:

"CAELUM ET TERRA!"

Energy gathers around her brightly enough to hurt the eyes; she pours her heart into the magic. "FLAMMA!" Crashing fist-first into the air before the God among Men, Lux Corruere is halted and something /cracks/, before the flow of power breaks around him; Lux Lapsa's ice moves to engulf him; Lux Corruere's magma moves to bury him.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Lux Corruere has joined the combo started by Lux Lapsa!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Vega [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

The Call to Action of the Lux Ladies, in light of the pronouncement of what's to come from GAM, stirs a fire in Sailor Vega's heart. Spreading her arms to slow her descent a bit - she shouts out once more, "You dismiss emotions and dare to call upon the power of the Dawn to fuel your unfeeling plans! I'll never forgive you!"

Around her, the nighttime sky seems to close in, the stars sparkling merrily even as a glimmer of light appears near the horizon. "TWILIGHT," Vega announces, as the light gets brighter and more intense, "BOLIDE..." suddenly drawing her fingers across a lyre of golden light appearing in her hands only long enough for effect "CRESCENDO!"

From above, a massive comet parts the heavens, pulled down by the voice of Sailor Vega, and aimed in concerto to strike at the heart of the God-Among-Men!

<Pose Tracker> Mesozoic Maiden Lucy [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.

Didi the Chihuahua gets a good bite of the God Among Men's stinky foot, but doesn't let go, and neither does Lucy (and possibly any passengers she might have picked up along the way) even as the duo gets shaken around like ragdolls. Finally, he surrenders his shoe, sending them tumbling through the sky but at least granting them the satisfaction of having left him only with one shoe, which would look quite silly if they could see him better.

And finally they leave the cloud, and reach the place called the Cosmic Confessional. Surely the sight of the the Xeno-somethingian sci-fi surroundings must contrast with the cavegirl and her prehistoric pal to anyone who takes a second to look at them. Right about then, however, the dinosaur unceremoniously pops back to his adorable mascot size, and grabs ahold of Lucy's club, clinging to it like a koala.

Lucy may be "nimble as the dactyl", but she's yet to learn how to fly, and she's not nearly as graceful as her friends as they continue to plummet. The blades tearing at them scratch at her even more, but they're only an apetizer, as soon an enormous beam of intense light sears her and her friends. When it fades away, Lucy is looking quite the worse for wear, both her clothes and skin covered in dark scorch marks.

She looks around, the Sailors, the angels and the wolf girl are still all right. The situation is getting desperate, but she knows she can still count on them, and she wants them to know they can count on her. "We won't let you! We /can't/!" She's not in a good position to use her most powerful magic, but she's got the next best thing: her muscles! Screaming her lungs out, she crashes through a few techno-crosses, before smashing her Rock of Ages club right into the tip of one of them, using her weapon as a handle to swing the enormous contraption with herculean might.

Maybe the giant thought Didi's bite hurt, but he's about to get a taste of the Mesozoic Maiden's righteous anger!

COMBAT: FINISHER! Sailor Vega has joined the combo started by Lux Lapsa!

COMBAT: Mesozoic Maiden Lucy has used Cretaceous Clobber on Pink Moon Stick.
COMBAT: Mesozoic Maiden Lucy has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick narrowly braces Mesozoic Maiden Lucy's Cretaceous Clobber, taking 15 Fatigue damage! Pink Moon Stick's Block ability activates!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.

Sailor Moon spins around once, carried by leftover force. She can't calculate these things as well as Makoto. When she's facing toward that dark shape again, she slows down, waiting and listening for the report.

It comes as a physical thing. It's too fast, so fast that before the ice shard arrives, all she can do is begin to recoil. The english on it puts it against the side of her ribs, and the force violently spins in the opposite direction. It happens so fast that there's only time for a clipped, painful noise, and then her lungs aren't working.

The soldier drifts, a derelict in the cold. Was she unconscious just now, or was she just so shocked that she forgot to remember? None of that matters after the pain starts. It's a mean electricity that shoots through her, from her side to her fingertips, but that comes and goes too fast to get more than a gasp. What comes after is worse: this sickly, sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, this almost tangible mass of something's wrong that sends chilly fingers running down her limbs.

Another irregular whistle. Sailor Moon raises her head, dimly realizing that she had curled herself up into a ball, and looks through the blurriness in her eyes. The hesitation in the second shot is enough, now that she's been taught just how safe she is. Usagi crosses her arms and closes her eyes, and is rewarded with a numb shock across her guard.

The frost breaks. Her momentum has carried her upward enough that above, or below, or whatever, the magical warriors duel with the ruling king against a backdrop of mania. Usagi grits her teeth. Help them, help them, do whatever you want afterward, but help them now.

"M-moon stick..."

With a flash and a twinkle, the rod and crescent moon pop into existence before Sailor Moon. She reaches out, watching carefully to make sure she's actually grabbing it. She does.

Extend your legs so you speed up. Good. Ignore how that feels. Don't get too close. You don't need to be close, and you'd probably get yourself hurt. Breath a little less hard. Don't twist like that. Your side is fragile. Say the spell that came to you one night when you badly needed it.

"Moon Healing..."

Usagi traces a wide circle in the air, biting her lip and squeezing her eyes shut as she's forced to bend. Her wand leaves a glowing, iridescent silver trail.

"ESCALATION!"

The cascade of moonlight and starlight pours upward, or downward, but just toward him. Remember, Sailor Moon. If there's evil in the world, you can heal it. If there's evil.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Sailor Moon has used Moon Healing Escalation on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Tuxedo Mask [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

Twisted Christian imagery and horrible thoughts invade, rushing in this space like real, physical things; Mamoru backpedals, then whirls his cane around in front of him, and letting, as it were, the filth hit the fan. Each piece he misses gouges deep, but everything is still in monochrome, everything's black and white and shades of grey--

A call to combine strength? There is no earth here from which to draw power: there's only dreamstuff. But 'only' isn't a fair word at all. Not when every last-- "Every last one of us dreams bigger than you do!" Tuxedo Mask bellows, finally drifting up to come level with everyone else, watching as the pain starts being poured on the giant CEO. And then he throws his cape out to one side, pointing at the monster man's face with his cane, and-- kind of wryly sad, he looks.

"You're a very, very small man, aren't you. I'm very sorry. You can learn, though."

He pulls his hat out from the folds of his cape, then whirls in the air like a discus-thrower, holding it. He lets go--

--that's not a top hat anymore, at all, it's hundreds of roses, sharp as steel and fragrant as a late june garden in early afternoon. They may have no color, but they're warm and carry the scent of a nature outside this hellish dresm.

COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick fails to dodge Sailor Moon's Finisher, Moon Healing Escalation, taking 0 Fatigue damage!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Mercury [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.

"We have time enough!" Mercury says with pride more than one might expect from the often-timid young lady; the truth is, she's worried about that the same as anyone is -- but she doesn't want to give this would-be god the chance to feel as though he's gotten one over on them until he actually has. She has to hang onto that feeling with everything left in her, or else this'll have been for naught anyway.

Taking a deep breath as those beams explode from the god's brow, Ami braces herself -- and ends up bowled over. She just can't compete; she hastily claws back to her feet, seeking to squeeze every last drop of hope out of those seconds. That's what it's all about, after all -- taking that hope and grasping it, no matter how desperate it seems.

Taking to the air, Mercury feels her feet encircle themselves with bitter cold, far above that endless pool of blood. Taking a breath, she steels herself for her only shot at this, propelling herself forward as she cries out, "MERCURY WATER BULLET!"

It feels small, across from the glory that is Sailor Moon's miracle, that is the strength of her heart. But that's almost all the more reason to do it -- all the more reason to push forward with everything she has.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Sailor Mercury has used Mercury Water Bullet on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Sailor Mercury has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick fails to dodge Sailor Mercury's Finisher, Mercury Water Bullet, taking 97 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: COMBO! FINISHER! Lux Lapsa, Tuxedo Mask, Lux Corruere, and Sailor Vega have used Combo: Flamma Libera Roseus Aurora, composed of Me Libera, Infinite Rose Works, Caelum et Terra: Flamma, and Twilight Bolide Crescendo, on Pink Moon Stick.
COMBAT: Lux Lapsa has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Lux Corruere has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Sailor Vega has finished attacking.

COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick perfectly dodges Lux Lapsa, Tuxedo Mask, Lux Corruere, and Sailor Vega's Finisher, Combo: Flamma Libera Roseus Aurora, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! Pink Moon Stick's Fade ability activates!

Pink Moon Stick/ALOCK`STATS`FATIGUE - Set.

<Pose Tracker> Pink Moon Stick [Admin (S)] has posed.

Jerking his arm out of the way of Cute Wolf Tsukiko at the last minute, the God Among Men does /not/ manage to get out of the way of Sailor Uranus' meteoric slam into his kneecap. What a cruel thing to do to an old man -- he howls in pain, a most ungodlike sound, even as the Mezosoic Maiden slams one of his own crosses into his back. It makes a sharp popping sound. And now he needs a dream chiropractor -- thanks, Lucy.

Sailor Mercury speeds in, within her watery bullet, and knocks him flying, rather than simply falling; he's crashing towards the pool of blood below. On his way there, however, others find him.

Sailor Moon calls down a miracle, but nothing happens.

That's worth repeating for good measure, because it's awfully significant even if it's not terribly well-articulated:

Sailor Moon calls down a miracle, but nothing happens.

There are many 'whys' to this. None of them are as ghastly an image to deliver as the horrifying explanations the senshi can come up with for themselves, in any moments of doubt or insecurity that might arise from this event.

And finally, an absolutely gorgeous fire-water-comet-rose magic, drawn from Heaven and from Earth and from the Stars Beyond thunders towards him, full of the utmost determination to put an end to his cruel reign...

...and just at that moment, he slips beneath the surface of the blood, without making so much as a ripple.

There's a long silence. A tense silence. Seconds tick by, each one like an agonizing knife in the gut. They're out of time, dawn must be breaking any second now. Literally billions of minds are at stake, minds and hearts and spirits. The dreams of humanity.

With literally a heartbeat left on the clock, the God Among Men explodes out of the blood. Steam rises from him everywhere; his suit is gone, melted away along with most of his skin. At his size, the blood is more like a (scalding) hot tub; only his torso need emerge, and it does so with veins and muscles all too visible.

His teeth snap, as, he has risen mouth first, attempting to consume Sailor Mercury in a single bite.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Pink Moon Stick has used I Dreamed A Dream on Sailor Mercury.

COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Sailor Mercury accepts Pink Moon Stick's Finisher, I Dreamed A Dream, taking 147 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Sailor Mercury is unable to keep fighting!

<Pose Tracker> Cute Wolf Tsukiko [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.

Tsukiko's jaw drops as the GAM avoids the worst of the massive attacks. It sags even lower when he rises out of the blood pool and chomps Sailor Mercury.

After being speechless for a moment, her mouth slams shut. The wolfgirl might not have that many connections to the Sailor Scouts, but Mercury is still a fellow magical girl.

"SPIT HER OUT!" Tsukiko bellows, accelerating into a silvery blur aimed straight at the GAM.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Cute Wolf Tsukiko has used Silver Wolf Tackle on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Mercury [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.

Ami, unfortunately, ends up the most dangerously close, courtesy of her aggression -- and, in turn, is punished for it. Those jaws snap at her, and sure enough -- she's caught, try as she might to leap away, to swim away, to do anything in the sea of dreams that they presently occupy. She looks out toward the assembled heroes -- but most of all, she looks out toward Sailor Moon, toward Usagi.

A lot of complicated feelings rest in those eyes. There's a lot of fear, of course, and indeed, that is the most painful part to watch -- the strain as she struggles desperately in those jaws, in that tiny split second. More than that, though -- there's hope. Trust. Even though she's terrified for herself, and despite the fact that the miracle did nothing... it's clear, in that look, that Sailor Mercury believes in Moon. That she knows that, no matter how many miracles fail, no matter how many of their prayers are absorbed by the darkness... there will always be Sailor Moon, and she'll always pull through.

And then, like that, she's gone.

<Pose Tracker> Lux Corruere [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

A pool of blood. That's what's coming up towards them now--or what they're moving towards. And the miracle that comes...

The miracle that comes, just like her magic, and she isn't sure. ...DId something happen? ...Did it work, or did the blood block it? Each second stings like the ice from earlier. So much is riding on all of it...

And the horror approaches. The thing from beneath is there, and Corruere recoils, still breathing heavily and staring downward at it. And then--

In the same moment, Corruere sees Sailor Mercury's expression, and that moment--even if it isn't meant for her, even if it's awful, that /hope/...

"...I won't let that go unanswered," she says aloud, speaking as she takes a shaky breath. It isn't over; it can't be over yet. As long as she's here...

"Keep going! I'll--I'll try to open him up for you!" To whoever's left and has more strength than she does, she moves so that her attack can build. Charging, Lux Corruere is heedless of the burning heat of the pool of blood, her sword in hand once more and shimmering with the same heat. "Attrita..." She /swings/, with both arms, hard enough that she thinks her arms may almost go with it, her wings straining with the effort of keeping her up in that moment--"Clipeus!"

And should she hit, the way his flesh will melt even further under her magic will mark what she hopes is the spot.

COMBAT: Lux Corruere has used Attrita Clipeus on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Lux Corruere has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Vega [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

"No," Sailor Vega gasps - too much DOESN'T happen for so many things happening! "NO!" Again, as the horrid thing *moves out of the way* of the mighty combination of powers that were aimed against him...

And then Ami - sweet, valiant Ami! Swallowed whole!

"MERCURY!" Sailor Vega shouts, her shriek ringing out against the skyscraper faces.

And oohhhhh what a horror he is; luckily she still has power to draw upon, and she is very inclined to use it. "You MONSTER!" Vega shouts, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes, one hand thrust upwards to the heavens in defiance. "/MONSTER/!" she yells again, prefacing the shout of "VEGA BOLIDE!"

Though not as mystically empowered or visually impressive as the Bolide Crescendo, a comet-lovebeam nonetheless streaks from ... somewhere and towards the beast that ate her friend.

COMBAT: Sailor Vega has used Vega Bolide on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Sailor Vega has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Lux Lapsa [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

Blood falls.

Blood makes noise, and Lapsa can't hear Mercury in the thickening of fear. Yet, that final look of hope, of trust, even as the flayed giant bursts out of the red sea to devour her in one bite is one that she can't deny either. Her magic is exhausted, and there's little that Lapsa can do left at this point, but if they must carve this thing open to retrieve that girl...

Then that is what they must do.

Let the others shout and cry and rail against the GAM. Lux Lapsa uses her spear with grim efficiency, to attempt to make even the slightest cut to save Sailor Mercury, or at least kill the God Among Men.

COMBAT: Lux Lapsa has used Frigid Damsel on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Lux Lapsa has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Mesozoic Maiden Lucy [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.

Lucy's hit lands, but it's not enough, not nearly enough. She hears Sailor Moon, in spite of all her pain, invoke the words of power that saved all of Tokyo so recently, and she just knows everything is going to be all right.

Then nothing happens.

Not only that, but then the angels combine their power to no avail, and then Sailor Mercury gets /eaten/. There's no time to gawk, no time to think, no time to hope she'll come out alive, no time to come up with a last-ditch strategy. Gravity and time are what they are. There's only time to act, and she's part of the tiny handful who can still do so.

Tears are streaming down her face, and later (if there /is/ a later), Lucy will wonder when precisely they started to come out. One of them slides up her cheek, and hits her arm, streaming up to her hand and then her club, finally reaching the red gemstone at the center of it. The flame burning within flares up, burning green.

In just a heartbeat, Lucy's entire body is engulfed by the green flames, and a luminous, green trail streaks down towards the titan in its pool of blood. "EXTINCTIOOOOON!" Lucy screams as she plummets, not in pain, but in fury, "IMPAAAAACT!" The green, human comet has her club ready to hit with the force of the meteor that destroyed this world's dinosaurs, so many eons ago!

And whether she lands on the God Among Men or in the sea of blood, the resulting splash should be something to behold.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Mesozoic Maiden Lucy has used Extinction Impact on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Mesozoic Maiden Lucy has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick fails to dodge Cute Wolf Tsukiko's Finisher, Silver Wolf Tackle, taking 57 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick fails to brace Lux Corruere's Attrita Clipeus, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Trap applied to Pink Moon Stick!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick narrowly dodges Sailor Vega's Vega Bolide, taking 16 Fatigue damage! Pink Moon Stick's Fade ability activates!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick narrowly braces Lux Lapsa's Frigid Damsel, taking 3 Fatigue damage! Pink Moon Stick's Block ability activates!
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick perfectly braces Mesozoic Maiden Lucy's Finisher, Extinction Impact, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Brace! Pink Moon Stick's Block ability activates!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Uranus [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

Uranus sees the pool of blood approaching, and does a quick flip to leap back away, spreading all her limbs so she falls more slowly. Her hair whips behind her, a short little halo of grey in this dim world. She is above, clear-eyed, and has a perfect seat to see Mercury devoured by the monster. Her mouth drops open in mute horror. Must she watch this happen again?

Slowly, she draws it shut. Mercury is dead. She was a soldier, she did her duty. Many more will die before the world is safe, there is little doubt.

Uranus closes her eyes. She's done this in zero gravity, in a past life, but she's never done it in freefall before. But isn't this the ideal place? In the heavens, one with them. She can feel it all around her. It may be a dream. But it is a dream of sky.

Lifting her arm high, she tucks her knees in a bit to stabilize herself, and her wrist cants inward as energy fills it, golden and bright and scaldingly pure, the energy of Olympus, Takamagahara, Asgard, places of aspiration. The air around her is taut with it, as if it might snap, and a sphere of darkened space surrounds her, flexing and pulsing as the globe of power grows in her hand.

"Neptune. Just a little longer," she prays softly, and her fist clenches, the sphere erupting larger above her head, crackling loudly with force. "WOORLD!" She throws her arm down, her whole torso slinging it as hard as she can. The speed won't help it damage the giant more, but it will make it harder to avoid. "SHAKIIIING!

COMBAT: FINISHER! Sailor Uranus has used World Shaking! on Pink Moon Stick.

COMBAT: Sailor Uranus has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Pink Moon Stick fails to brace Sailor Uranus's Finisher, World Shaking!, taking 85 Fatigue damage! Pink Moon Stick is unable to keep fighting!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.

It's all Sailor Moon can do to finish the circle. Then, she goes limp, favoring her wounded side. The light grows without her, because she has given it life. It suffuses everything, brilliant even in grayscale, refracting through her tears.

Then, it fades away, a dream within a dream and just as absurd. Usagi leans forward, taking in a breath that brings with it a knife to wiggle against her ribs. It's distracting, but the best she can do in any case is grasp blindly for answers she doesn't have.

The other light demands her attention. She watches the magic work, magic of another sort--rescuing magic, the kind that Usagi is glad to be visited by. It's so easy to feel relieved in moments like this, when your mind can finish the story for you. The man-god will fall, and Sailor Moon will learn a lesson afterward that makes it all sensical.

There's no oceans of blood in the endings of Usagi's stories. Spent, or at least feeling deathly. She rubs at her eyes. There's people down there, people too close. People like--

"Mercury?"

It's just a tiny breath. Not enough for a scream. It's hard to be loud when you're caught in a moment like this, where everything is laid out like a painting and you are invited to arrive at a meaning. Ami's eyes. Usagi sees the trust first, and then her face, and finds that there is terror in her friend as well. Behind her, teeth and blood. Then there is only blood--and trust, though Usagi may be the only person to still see it.

Ami trusted her. Ami trusted her, probably because Usagi did so unexpectedly well at Tokyo Tower, and now they're here. She didn't believe, like when her brooch wouldn't work. She failed. What was it that her teacher called her? Bottom barrel.

"GIVE HER BACK!"

Sailor Moon stretches out, reaching as far as she can, her body screaming and being ignored. All she can do is plead. "Please, give her back!"

Someone has to answer. The giant, the remaining lights, something.

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has used Bottom Barrel on Sailor Moon.

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Sailor Moon accepts Sailor Moon's Bottom Barrel, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Sailor Moon is Taunted!

<Pose Tracker> Pink Moon Stick [Admin (S)] has posed.

It all happens at once.

Cute Wolf Tsukiko is a tiny but impossibly intense silver blur as she slams into the God Among Men's gut -- but the 'silver' portion of that fails to have any extra effect. She's still a supernaturally powerful wolfgirl, but... she can feel, deep in her heart, that the purity of her attack has availed her not.

Still, it sets a stage. Lux Corruere follows up with a nasty slash from her sword, one that Sailor Vega pinpoints with the Vega Bolide -- even so, the GAM manages to move out of the way at the last second, and the holiness of the comet finds little purchase upon his melted skin.

The heat of the blood still pouring off of him in rivulets melts the worst of Lux Lapsa's ice away, though she tears open a muscle. Roaring with pain -- beyond words -- he brings his arms up over his head, and at just the right moment, too. The whole dreamworld shakes with the force of Lucy's massive impact, and a veritable cloud of blood pours upwards as he crashes backwards... then pushes forwards, tossing the Mezosoic maiden off of him!

At the last possible moment within the last possible moment, it comes streaking down, glorious and golden in a way that the falling stars were only ever a pale counterfeit of this glory. For though their light was lovely, it was a light wielded against someone...

...rather than /for/ oneself.

World Shaking crashes against the God Among Men, and he cannot stand against it. As his massive pile of flesh dissolves against the force of this power, the dreamworld is his world no more.

The beams of light that had crowned him finish erupting, and burst through the dreamscape in all directions, in a coruscating rainbow explosion that leaves color, true, beautiful color, in its wake. Eyes have never been lovelier.

And he screams, the scream of a man with a broken dream, and somehow, his voice is suddenly familiar. Intimately familiar, to a rare few. His face, too -- the scar on his forehead, slashing downwards towards his nose; his hawklike beak; the wrinkles on his brow. He almost seems like... it's on the tip of the tongue...

...no. That's impossible. A man of god would never become a God Among Men.

And recognition inhibition cements that impression, as everyone, at the moment they would have belly flopped into the pool, instead wakes up simultaneously -- even the most notorious snoozers, alert in an instant.

Except, that is, for Sailor Mercury.

True dawn is breaking, a hint of light at the edge of the cave. The sleepers are untouched; their guardians are nowhere to be found, but must have kept, or still be keeping, their promise. Kero-chan is snoozing in his now-empty bowl of M&Ms, the puff of white at the tip of his tail fluttering with every tiny snore.

The bowl, and tiny lion-like creature, fall to the floor in a clatter, startled awake by the same sensation accosting the ears of the magical girls: sound. Sound and light.

The rainbow bolts from the dream come crashing into reality, now embodied in seven radiant orbs, orbs that transmute into a familiar golden radiance. They appear in a ring around the chamber. Tendrils of light bounce between them, creating every conceivable connection, a web of light. These beams blast through people harmlessly but not without feeling, and an overwhelming sense of pride, or passion, or fear, or aggression, or indecision, or ruthlessness, or homesickness -- one of them stirs in everyone's hearts.

And in the precise center of the ring, the beams merge, merge and transform into... a maiden, composed of purest light. There are no more details to be seen -- she is blinding to look upon, a curious contradiction since the hue of her luminescence is a lovely dove gray.

She exhales, stretching her arms.

"...Free at last..."

TO BE CONTINUED

The Third Act: The Other Half Of The Room vs. The Left Brain

COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa transforms into God Among Men: Left Brain!

COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has fully healed herself. She is now ready to take on 10 opponents!

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.

The Wind Knight doesn't even wait for her allies before giving chase, pursuing the left side of the would-be deity, her expression hardening. "You may have been born a human, may even retain a human form .. but going this far for power over the human race ... do you even *have* a soul left?!" she calls out. "I admit, I'd hoped we could persuade you to abandon this path, but if you're going to go this far ... IMASHIME NO KAZE!!!"

The Magic Knight of the Wind thrusts her left hand forward, glove-jewel shining brightly as she bends the winds to her will - trying to wrap them around the titanic figure and bind them tight into the Winds of Admonishment. Physical restraints may not be as effective as she'd like - but it's a start ... and if he's immobilized when he hits the ground, he won't be able to absorb the impact safely. Probably.

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Imashime no Kaze on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Lancelot [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

Hearing somebody call for Lancelot, a voice that he remembers, causes Lancelot to blink several times, but he doesn't take his eyes off Mika. He can't, not yet. "They're right Mika." He says softly to the girl and drags her in for another hug. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I can't save you here in your dreams, or in the real world. Just," He closes his eyes, he's supposed to be the big Knight. The Hero. Lancelot never cried in the stories. Yet, he can't stop the tears he feels even now. Instead he speaks quietly toward Mika. "I left your offerings at the Shrine. Passed out Donuts where I could, and Coco like you asked. Like you usually did." He takes a deep breath and burries his head in Mika's shoulder.

"I tried to build a snowman." He says softly to her. "Like we used to. I couldn't get it right. So I tried a few times. Next year, you'll be with me, and we'll make the best snowman, okay?" He takes a step back and wipes his eyes with the back of his gloved hand. Then sniffs. He nods once to the girl as if that settles it. "I'll see you in the real world. Just as soon as we end this whole thing. Okay?"

Hopping on Sparkles, the Horse nuzzles Mika with her nose once, and gives her a sloppy horse kiss on the cheek. Then she turns, and Lancelot looks over his armored shoulder to Mika. "Bye." He says as soft as a wind.

Nodding to Vega he smiles, his helmet is off, and his hair is in that breeze that only comes from being so high up. He had quietly said goodbye to his sister and now, with tears in his eyes, he looks resigned to his duty. "Thanks. I - I don't think we actually introduced the other day, ya know, fighting the Raven Princess. I'm Lancelot." He bows his head toward her. "I appreciate the reminder. I think I needed it." He jerks a thumb toward the big evil and he wipes the last tear for them. "Wanna go kick his ass?"

As the big God Among Men splits in two, and one of them dives off the building, Lancelot narrows his eyes and reigns Sparkles. "You ready for this girl?"

The Horse nods, and bares her teeth.

Horse and rider leap off the side of the building and fall through the vast emptiness, down toward the Earth so very far below. Sparkles alights on the big guys left leg and begin to trot up it, and Lancelot rears bac, leans over the side, as Lightning strikes UP from the clouds below to his blade, and he lashes the blade down on the big man's leg. "LET MY SISTER GO YOU SON OF A ~" The Lightning lets out a thunderous BOOM cutting off his last word, but its safe to say, the audience knows what he said.

COMBAT: Lancelot has used Lightning Slash on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Lancelot has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Princess Runealy [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.

Runealy looks on as others react more personally to seeing loved ones stuck in this heartless work... she can see their concerns as Mai tries to help Takumi, as Fuu wonders how real Sora and others might be, and Eri and Sailor Moon seem to be just as stricken by their own associates' situations. And if it could be so vivid, so possible to them... what's to stop it at just Tokyo? Or even 'just' Earth? Her home could wind up much the same way. Yet Tuxedo Mask jars her from this, his advice taking hold. "You're right."

Much like Homura, Rune resumes her ascent. She can see that anger, and understand it. "We'll figure this out," she tries to offer the mysterious Puella Magi some reassurance. "There has to be some solution, something that fits even a problem this big... let's find it, okay?"

This resolve finds itself battered by the cold as the group rises. An obsidian surface is perhaps some return of color, but not the first color she wanted to see. The sight of a person towering even over the Vanguard that came so close to destroying her home, taller by several orders of magnitude, is also worrying; she has to stare up... or /try/, given the light bearing down from that crown, to even begin to make eye contact. "Execution? Making them do it... why? What does any of that get you? What does this tower get you? Why build it at the cost of everyone else?" The motives here are completely alien to her; who would be driven to pursue this?

He splits into separate forms... incredible, to see a 'god' figure copy himself like that. She pursues the left one, wand lashing out with a magic orb. It flies, aiming for a shoe-tip whereupon it might explode into sparkles of light!

COMBAT: Princess Runealy has used Rune Blast on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Princess Runealy has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Syaoran Li [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

Syaoran scowls as the monster CEO splits himself and then dives back down through the clouds. Dang it, he just jumped /up/ here! The young magus drops to one knee, hacks a hole through the clouds with a sweep of his sword, and then dive-bombs down through the gap, clothes and hair whipping against the force of his passage.

And then he is in free-fall. Which is a problem, ish.

The Knight of the Wind begins spamming snares forged of air magic, and that sounds like a fantastic idea to the heir of Clow - hold the guy up and prevent him from getting away from them. "Flet, Une Vente," he intones, drawing a dream-forged omnyou from one dream-pocket, his sword glowing white in his hand. Dream hand. Whatever. "Flans Saltatio Pulverea!" the boy cries out, and vines of air whirl down toward their target, seeking to entrap and entwine.

COMBAT: Syaoran Li transforms into Eastern Mage!

COMBAT: Syaoran Li has used Wind Flower Invocation on Juri Arisugawa.
COMBAT: Syaoran Li has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Eri Shimanouchi [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

He certainly has become a god amongst men. Perfection personified, as if perfectly chiseled by marble. Even the blinding glare of his crown is a bright flash in Eri's eyes, and momentarily doubt crawls throughout her again, overwhelming the anger. But it is his words that brings the anger back into balance. To have him force her family, and friends to execute her. And then that anger surges forth within her, just as fierce and blindingly brilliant as he stretches himself apart. The left giant sized executive is what she dives after, breaking through the billowing white vastness of the clouds as she moves in freefall.

She states in admonishment, her words fierce, but belying a loss of composure, "And this is the world you want!? A world where everyone loses everything that makes them beautiful, and wonderful!? You want to rule over a world of mindless drones like some giant ant queen!?" Given the rush of the dream wind around her as she falls, it's a wonder she can be heard at all, but this place does not obey the rules.

It's not so much that her scourge arcs out, even though it does, here in the world of dreams, the vines try to appear behind the god amongst men in freefall, attempting to tangle him up, distract him, and lash at him repeatedly. "Everyone's dreams are precious things! I won't forgive you for trampling all over them!"

COMBAT: Eri Shimanouchi has used Flowing Scourge Feint on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Eri Shimanouchi has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

God is going to make Takumi kill Mai.

It is such a cruel thing. It makes Mikoto's blood boil. She would cleave the obsidian of the desk with the obsidian of her blade, but something gives her pause, for the moment.

Thought of Mai gives her pause.

The hair at the back of her neck bristles; if she had fur, it would stick up on end. She snarls, quietly, as God parts into two, and the two halves take on the mantle of the Falling God.

Mikoto grips Miroku in her hands, tightly, looking over to Mai. There is determination, there, in her eyes. "Mai has to jump!"

She steps towards the edge, but has one more thing to say. "We've got to! For our brothers! So our brothers will wake up!"

With that, she plunges herself over the edge.

COMBAT: Mikoto Minagi has used For Our Brothers on Mai Tokiha.

COMBAT: Mikoto Minagi has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Mai Tokiha accepts Mikoto Minagi's For Our Brothers, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Mai Tokiha is Cheered!

<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

"How much ego can one guy have?!" The words blurt out of Mai's mouth even as the God Among Men takes a dive into the clouds. Safety is a secondary concern for herself, but everyone is willing to help...

Mai nods to the Wind Knight. "He's no better than an Or- than any other monster." Lancelot's warcry, Runealy's plea, Eri's conviction...and Mikoto. She grins at Mikoto's words, and leaps after the sword-wielding girl.

As Mai falls, she reaches out, pulls Mikoto into her arms. Her bracelets and anklets spin rapidly, and black-and-white flames blast the pair towards the titanic foe. No regrets, no hesitation. Just flames and speed, flying to confront this foe face to gargantuan face.

COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has used Affectionate Inferno on Mikoto Minagi.

COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Dark Amber [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Dark Amber frowns as he runs to the left side and jumps off after, along with some others he knows. He frowns even harder as he lets himself free fall. This is a familar feeling. Why is that?

He shakes his head. "Risking your being on such an endeavor..." he says. "It sickens me." he states. "I remember working for people like you. I know this story ends...!" he says as chains lash out at the larger corporate duplicate.

COMBAT: Mikoto Minagi accepts Mai Tokiha's Affectionate Inferno, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Mikoto Minagi is Cheered! Cleanse! All of Mikoto Minagi's debuffs are cleared!

<Pose Tracker> Homura Akemi [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

It seems that Homura's instincts are right. Upon reaching higher and higher, going through clouds and finally ending upon a massive obsidian platform, they reach the center of this nightmarish landscape. And he is there: The god among men. As tall as any Toho Kaiju, and perhaps just as dangerous. Homura stands before him with her head held high, her expression defiant. Even as the basso of his voice seems to rumble the very essence of this monochrome realm.

Of all his words the suggestion that he would ... use Innocents in such a fashion. To force them to kill their loved ones against their will. For someone who has fought so hard to keep someone from losing her future in exchange for a wish this sort of outcome is unbelievably cruel...

... especially given that this wish wasn't even hers to make.

"We will begin with knocking this fool from his throne." Homura states calmly, almost surely in response to Runealy's earlier reassurance. She then tsks loudly as the creature suddenly splits in two and leaps from the tower. No good. They are on a time limit and even assuming her powers work to their full extent in this strange world it's unlikely she would be able to destroy both on her own! It looks like she once again has no choice but to trust in others and hope today is not the day where she has to hear them offer their weak apologies.

Homura leaps after the left sided version of the creature. As she descends she draws two pistols from behind her shield and begins to fire both as she descends, aiming to hit the gigantic humanoid with as many as she possibly can!

COMBAT: Homura Akemi has used Small Arms on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Homura Akemi has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Fuu Hououji's Imashime no Kaze, taking 23 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Fuu Hououji is Psyched! Cripple applied to Juri Arisugawa!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly braces Syaoran Li's Wind Flower Invocation, taking 2 Fatigue damage! Juri Arisugawa's Block ability activates! Trap applied to Juri Arisugawa!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to counter Homura Akemi's Small Arms, taking 18 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa's counterattack, Leap of Logic, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Homura Akemi!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Princess Runealy's Rune Blast, taking 20 Fatigue damage! Princess Runealy is Psyched! Stun applied to Juri Arisugawa!

<Pose Tracker> Dark Amber [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Dark Amber frowns as he runs to the left side and jumps off after, along with some others he knows. He frowns even harder as he lets himself free fall. This is a familar feeling. Why is that?

He shakes his head. "Risking your being on such an endeavor..." he says. "It sickens me." he states. "I remember working for people like you. I know how this story ends...!" he says as chains lash out at the larger corporate duplicate.

He considers what the others are saying. Eri, Runealy... Mikoto--- 'For thier brothers'?

He frowns just a little under his breath still waiting to see what happens.

COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to brace Eri Shimanouchi's Flowing Scourge Feint, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Juri Arisugawa is Quipped! Diversion and Trap applied to Juri Arisugawa!

COMBAT: Dark Amber has used Binding Amber Chain on Juri Arisugawa.
COMBAT: Dark Amber has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Lancelot's Lightning Slash, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Lancelot is Psyched! Blind applied to Juri Arisugawa!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly braces Dark Amber's Binding Amber Chain, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Dark Amber is Psyched! Juri Arisugawa's Block ability activates! Exhausted and Tangle applied to Juri Arisugawa!

<Pose Tracker> Nadeshiko Fujisaki [Ohtori Academy (5)] has posed.

Nadeshiko's whole body seizes at the impossible SCALE of the enemy. Huge. Can she even /do/ anything to that? passes through her head, before Temari rips out of her pocket and shrieks, "I'LL ELEGANCE YOUR FACE!!"

Temari is as much a dream as anything here, and quite audible or visible to any who would look. Nadeshiko, separately, reaches out, a naginata appearing in a flash of cherry blossom pink. "I won't let you," she says, chill. "Dreams...dreams, I will protect!"

He jumps off, and she tosses one look at Li and then bounds over edge. She waits only long enough to /see/ the falling god-CEO before she whips her arm down and HURLS that Naginata, air crackling around its passage and the world rent by her sonic roar of anger.

Li-kun!" she shouts out. "I hope you have a plan because all I have is spears!"

COMBAT: Nadeshiko Fujisaki has used Naginata Throw on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Nadeshiko Fujisaki has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Nadeshiko Fujisaki's Naginata Throw, taking 26 Fatigue damage! Juri Arisugawa is Quipped!

<Pose Tracker> Juri Arisugawa [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

Even after plunging through the clouds, the ground is quite invisible -- perhaps it's an optical illusion what with all these endless straight lines of skyscraper (interspersed here and there with mind-bending scaffolding), but they seem to just descend into a haze.

That's way below, though. For now, everyone's reflection bounces back ghastly and distorted, off the chrome and black mirror panels of Civilization and Progress.

Still, the picture in the twisted mirrors is a positive one: everything seems to go their way. The Winds of Admonishment grasp an arm, which crackles and hisses with Lancelot's lightning slash, burns rising along with the boom of thunder. Syaoran adds his own vines of wind, grabbing the God Among Men's second arm, and now he is spread-eagled, open to easy attack. Eri's plant vines take full example, scourging viciously at his suit, while Dark Amber's chains tug and tear and clank as well. He tries to leap out of the way of Homura's pistols at the last moment, but cannot, and Nadeshiko's naginata sinks deeply into him as well. Blood flies, a little too coagulated, perfectly round, high-surface-tension balls of red, which splat slowly and luxuriously against the windows.

...and then he laughs. "How appropriate..."

He tears out of the many bindings upon him, dream logic working for him, rather than against him, as the winds and vines and chains wind up irreparably knotted upon each other, rather than upon him.

"What do I gain from this?"

His smirk is tinged with pain, but there's far too much ego there to tear through, too much pain of his own bringing.

"Everything."

And he grasps his enormous hand into a fist, one that seems to somehow magnify further in size until it's large enough to crush literally everyone, everyone all at once.

Everyone but Mai, who is just a little bit further away, above the rest.

COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Objective Updated on Dark Amber.

COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Objective Updated on Homura Akemi.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Objective Updated on Eri Shimanouchi.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Objective Updated on Mai Tokiha.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Objective Updated on Mikoto Minagi.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Objective Updated on Syaoran Li.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Objective Updated on Princess Runealy.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Objective Updated on Lancelot.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Objective Updated on Fuu Hououji.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Logical Conclusion on Juri Arisugawa.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa accepts Juri Arisugawa's Logical Conclusion, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Surge applied to Juri Arisugawa! Cleanse! All of Juri Arisugawa's debuffs are cleared!
COMBAT: Mai Tokiha narrowly braces Juri Arisugawa's Objective Updated, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Juri Arisugawa is Psyched! Trap applied to Mai Tokiha!
COMBAT: Homura Akemi perfectly dodges Juri Arisugawa's Objective Updated, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! Homura Akemi's Fade ability activates! Homura Akemi's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji fails to counter Juri Arisugawa's Objective Updated, taking 16 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji's counterattack, Sword Strike, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Juri Arisugawa!
COMBAT: Syaoran Li fails to counter Juri Arisugawa's Objective Updated, taking 13 Fatigue damage! Trap applied to Syaoran Li!
COMBAT: Syaoran Li's counterattack, Getting Beat Up By A Little Kid, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Juri Arisugawa!
COMBAT: Lancelot narrowly counters Juri Arisugawa's Objective Updated, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Lancelot's Reverse ability activates! Trap applied to Lancelot!
COMBAT: Lancelot's counterattack, Furious Assault, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Juri Arisugawa!
COMBAT: Dark Amber perfectly dodges Juri Arisugawa's Objective Updated, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! Dark Amber's Fade ability activates! Dark Amber's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Eri Shimanouchi perfectly counters Juri Arisugawa's Objective Updated, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter! Eri Shimanouchi's Reverse ability activates!
COMBAT: Eri Shimanouchi's counterattack, Giant Wrist Slap, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Juri Arisugawa!
COMBAT: Mikoto Minagi fails to brace Juri Arisugawa's Objective Updated, taking 15 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Princess Runealy perfectly counters Juri Arisugawa's Objective Updated, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter! Princess Runealy's Tactician ability activates!
COMBAT: Princess Runealy's counterattack, Aegis Burst, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Juri Arisugawa!

<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

A storm of attacks, leading the way - Mai's taking a moment longer to close in. Somehow, impossibly, the being breaks free of everything, a giant hand reaching out to crush them all. Her arms are occupied, it's all she can do to endure the grip - but it's a mighty force.

At the last second, she uses all her strength - not to break herself free, but to hurl Mikoto free, throwing the younger girl at this titan's face. She yells in fury - "Mikoto! NO HOLDING BACK!" Flames erupt, even as she's caught in this God Among Men's grip, and she does her best to make sure his attention is solely focused on the burning brand in his hand...

...don't catch what you can't hold.

COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has used Infernal Prison on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Lancelot [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

Massive hand from the God is formed, and then swiped at Lancelot, he lashes at the hand in response, Arondight still bright with the lightning form his Lightning Slash. The sword barely manages to ward off the encroaching God, and Lancelot grimaces. The wind has his hair streaming backwards as Sparkles gallops up the leg, he spins Arondight and lashes as Sparkles rides past the left - cheek, of the big man, the sword aiming to cut deep and distractingly into the large god. The lightning sparking and spitting from the blade as he goes, leaving a trail of white arcing light that crackles and booms upwards towards the infinite heavens.

"Eri!" Lancelot calls out to the Puella Magi, "Try to choke him! We need ot keep him distracted! He is still a man!" He calls out, hopeing that MAYBE the human in this monster still thinks he needs air, or blood.

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.

The Wind Knight lets out a quiet noise of surprise as the titan casually rips free of the bindings that the group had put so much effort into - and then a noise which mixes surprise and pain as the impossibly colossal hand encloses her, along with most of her immediate allies, in a massive, crushing fist. She just barely has time to exchange her bow for her sword, and attempts to drive her blade into the - skin? - of the closing hand ... to no apparent avail, judging by how much the crushing hurts.

But her will is far from breaking - if anything, the nature of this enemy strikes a powerful chord in her heart, not out of sympathy but out of recognizing just what we're up against. She takes a split second to look around, judging who was hurt worst by the initial crushing ... and while she's strongly aware that she needs to be on the attack, the Magic Knight is just as aware that she needs to keep helping her friends.

"Iyashi no Kaze!!"

The Winds of Healing rise above the background noise, gently glowing breezes enfolding Mai, Syaoran, and Lancelot - healing some of their worse wounds, letting them resume fighting at full strength. And as far as Fuu can tell, all three of them are potentially going to hit much harder than she herself will - keeping them going without impairment is just as key to seizing victory.

COMBAT: Lancelot has used Disabling Strike on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Lancelot has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Iyashi no Kaze on Lancelot.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Iyashi no Kaze on Mai Tokiha.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Iyashi no Kaze on Syaoran Li.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Syaoran Li accepts Fuu Hououji's Iyashi no Kaze, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Syaoran Li's debuffs are cleared!
COMBAT: Mai Tokiha accepts Fuu Hououji's Iyashi no Kaze, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Mai Tokiha's debuffs are cleared!
COMBAT: Lancelot accepts Fuu Hououji's Iyashi no Kaze, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Lancelot's debuffs are cleared!

<Pose Tracker> Homura Akemi [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

Some powers are incredibly useful in a variety of situations ... but sometimes they are given unique limitation instead. Homura's ability is frightening but in the midst of a free fall it is of limited use. What use is it to plummet faster than everyone else, after all? But as they descend through this endless world of clouds and skyscrapers she sees a reason to use her power albeit briefly: A giant fist descending directly down upon her!

Homura vanishes from sight and then reappears under the fist. Indeed this time she is under the Left Brain of the so-called God Among Men. She discharges a pair of empty magaines from her pistol, allowing them to fall freely around her as a pair of fresh full ones appear from behind her buckler. With an artful spin she manages to snap both into their respective weapon and then pulls back the slide on each to chamber their first rounds. Homura long black hair whips wildly around her body as she falls backwards, raising the pistol upwards and firing round after round in an attempt to both damage the so-called god, and to draw his attention so he has to focus on being attacked on both sides!

COMBAT: Homura Akemi has used Bullet Dance on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Homura Akemi has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Princess Runealy [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.

Princess Runealy is quick to agree with Homura. "Right!" Well, she can agree but it's still a daunting task... to fight in a dream that someone else seems to control. "Everything? I'm not seeing it. If you have everything, then everyone else has nothing so what's the point?" This isn't defiance so much as stunned inquiry; the motives of this 'God' make no sense to her... a life with apparently nobody to talk to, just unthinking 'puppets' to order around seems like it would be very lonely and meaningless; her castle would be so with nobody in it, how much more so a tower reaching into the clouds?

Yet his fist descends, a shadow eclipsing the princess. Can she dodge something that big? Maybe, but it's not worth chancing. Instead, she's encased in a sparkly dome... and just as the hand would make contact, her forcefield detonates! The shockwave fails to do much to the hand itself, but Rune uses this to buy just that tiniest fraction of a moment before impact... using the energy to knock herself back and out of his reach. Even with his blood flying, he seems undaunted, laughing... how do you deal with that?

Tense with focus, she makes a straight-up leap in order to better aim down at one of his feet... and the obsidian surface area upon which it stands. Wand humming with energy, she unleashes another pair of orbs... these are 'thicker', darker in shade than the previous one. The first shot is aimed right for the toe-tip once again, but the other aims to impact beside the shoe and perhaps tear a little gouge out of the ground. With his sheer size, this might not be enough to do much right now. Yet the princess has some kind of plan and is starting to work on it.

COMBAT: Princess Runealy has used Charged Shot on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Princess Runealy has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Eri Shimanouchi [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

Even here in the dream, she recognizes Nadeshiko. The exuberance of her little companion actually startles Eri out of her battle focus. Her mind thinking 'What the heck is she!? I don't even!?' O_O But it's Homura that snaps her out of it, when it comes to knocking the fool off his throne. It reminded her a little of the battle against Fusion. Except they were't in a dreamscape that time. And while Homura and her had had their understanding.. strained, as of late, she responds, "Let's do it again, Akemi-san." They could understand each other in that much at least.

Eri builds off Dark Amber, stating, "It ends with us making certain this dream never becomes reality." As the fist comes in to try to crush them, her whip lashes out, and strikes his wrist. While it doesn't do any real damage to the giant, perhaps irritating him more than anything, it wraps around it briefly enough for her to swing out of harm's way, muscles burning as she strains to move against the force of the free fall. The titanic fist closes, and there's vacuum rush of air as Eri realizes just how close she was to getting crushed. A mental sigh of relief happens before she calls out to Mai, "Mai-chan! Burn his mockery of a dream to ashes."

Lancelot calls out to her, "Alright! I've got an idea!" Eri tries to cause flowers to form all over his perfectly tailored business suit. They bud and bloom instantly, releasing a giant cloud of pollen which scatters directly all over his person. They distract, they burn, they irritate.. and they poison. Even in the dream. Perhaps moreso in the dream, as if it gave more shape and clarity and focus to the deadliness of them.

COMBAT: Eri Shimanouchi has used Pollen Scattering Dance on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Eri Shimanouchi has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

God takes Mikoto and Mai in hand, alongside everyone else. The girl grunts, the only indication of the pain she feels -- but she has already been held, and it is not a crushing embrace. It is Mai. Mai, who is a good person. Mai, who also has a brother she loves.

Mai, who sacrifices her own chance at freedom to wrest an opening to throw Mikoto into the open.

Sailing towards God's face, she swings Miroku forward, as if to cleave through his nose to spite his face, and then through his skull, to spite his life.

He will see that obsidian is a material better used in war than decoration.

COMBAT: Mikoto Minagi has used Obsidian Blade: Desacralise on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Mikoto Minagi has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly dodges Princess Runealy's Charged Shot, taking 10 Fatigue damage! Juri Arisugawa's Fade ability activates!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa perfectly counters Mai Tokiha's Infernal Prison, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Critical Counter! Juri Arisugawa's Reverse ability activates!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa's counterattack, Leap of Logic, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Mai Tokiha!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Eri Shimanouchi's Pollen Scattering Dance, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Exhausted, Stagger, and Tangle applied to Juri Arisugawa!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa perfectly counters Homura Akemi's Bullet Dance, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Critical Counter! Juri Arisugawa's Reverse ability activates!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa's counterattack, Leap of Logic, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Homura Akemi!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly braces Lancelot's Disabling Strike, taking 3 Fatigue damage! Juri Arisugawa's Block ability activates! Cripple and Trap applied to Juri Arisugawa!
COMBAT: You don't have an incoming attack from Mikoot. Please check +queue to see your incoming attacks.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly dodges Mikoto Minagi's Obsidian Blade: Desacralise, taking 17 Fatigue damage! Juri Arisugawa's Fade ability activates!

<Pose Tracker> Syaoran Li [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

Magi of the Eastern tradition, like Syaoran Li, channel their arts through charms, seals, and other items, granting them the ability to harness and control the elementarl forces running through the world. What they lack in the raw power of a Western magus, they more than make up for in terms of flexibility: give them time enough to plan, and they can come up with a charm to deal with almost any situation. Syaoran's mother Yelan was fond of saying that a flexible, agile mind is a magus's most powerful weapon, and she trained her son accordingly.

Even still, it takes some time to adjust to mid-air freefalling dream combat. The binds snap back toward Syaoran, blades of wind scourging him before he even realizes he's under attack. He grunts as his magical barrier absorbs the worst of the blows, and then cuts off the magic fueling the bonds of air, causing them to boil away from him. The familiar feeling of the Magic Knight's healing spell - honestly, he needs to stop getting pounded around her - washes over him, and he offers a single, grateful nod.

And then his name is called. The young magus turns his head to his left toward Nadeshiko - the wind sending her hair in a dance nearly as crazed as the expression on her face - and then nods once, exaggerating the movement. "I do," he answers, and then...frowns. Grimaces, really. Reluctance wars with acceptance on the young man's face, and then he twists his body around, knifing through the air until he comes alongside Nadeshiko, left arm coming off the sword, reaching out to...hug her close to him?

Yes he did, and yes, he is blushing purple.

Syaoran places the blade of his jian against the tang of Nadeshiko's naginata, magical steel scraping as he begins to chant, shouting the words into the wind. "Unus Fulgor Concidens Noctem," he chants in fluent Latin, as rumbles of thunder begin to echo in the background. "In Mea Manu Ens Inimicum Edat! Fulguratio Albicans!" Syaoran screams, and bolts of brilliant white lightning slam into the extended blade of the jian...and from there onto Nadeshiko's spears. Syaoran releases the girl immediately, gripping his sword in both hands, sparks crawling up his arms and body. Sure, this wannabe god might be threatening to end the world, and may be kidnapping people's relatives...but now he has just done the one thing that is truly unforgivable.

He just made Syaoran /touch a girl/.

"RAITEI SHOURAI!" the boy screams, and white lightning rips across the sky.

COMBAT: Syaoran Li has used Coming of the Thunder Emperor on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Syaoran Li has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Unrecognized attack. Please check for typos in the attack name entered.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to counter Syaoran Li's Coming of the Thunder Emperor, taking 24 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa's counterattack, Charm Strange, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Syaoran Li!

<Pose Tracker> Dark Amber [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Dark Amber eyes go wide when a giant hand lashes out. He dissapears. appearing just a little closer, past the hand. He makes a unimpressed face. He attempts to sudden come down and hard into this CEO with a speedy forward slash. He'd kick off after he can, to get distance again if he could... he looks over to Eri, and to Homura. His eyes looks back to Eri. "Do your best Eri...." he says softly.

He looks over to Runealy...she's right. If this guy has everything---everything else is nothing.

He frowns, just a little more.

COMBAT: Dark Amber has used Amber Striker on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Dark Amber has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Nadeshiko Fujisaki [Ohtori Academy (5)] has posed.

Nadeshiko pales a little at drawing blood, watching it splash against the infinite (?) skyscraper with a slightly sick feeling. It's weird to see that. She mostly deals with things that bleed darkness, or miasma, or test answers.

Still, as she is she's able to get her guts together and grit her teeth, turning her eyes on the God Among Men. "Not today...you don't get that today or any day...!"

Outside the swat radius by inches, Nadeshiko watches the megaton hand come out and sweep widly. Her eyes shrink to points, and she pulls up her hand - her spear reappears in another flash of cherry-blossom pink, to block with the shaft, but it proves unnecessary when the hand falls somewhat short, and she breathes a sigh of relief, turning her attention to an approaching Li. Head tips fractionally to one side.

And then he leans over to grab her close. Her reaction is rather more understated than Li's, in that her eyes widen, and otherwise she only allows herself a faintly bemused smile. "Double team," she explains to herself, seeing his plan before he even casts the spell. She takes a soothing breath.

And then Li, releasing her to the sky, finds her boosting away. Moving through open air is easy to her, she understands it intuitively as she lunges down toward the so-called God among Men to drive her spear, throbbing with electric power, into whatever part of him she can find, sweeping one, two, three long strokes, each blow flashing off with lightning's cry!

COMBAT: Nadeshiko Fujisaki has used Spear of Lightning on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Nadeshiko Fujisaki has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to counter Dark Amber's Amber Striker, taking 44 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa's counterattack, Charm Strange, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Dark Amber!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to brace Nadeshiko Fujisaki's Spear of Lightning, taking 21 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Stagger applied to Juri Arisugawa!

<Pose Tracker> Juri Arisugawa [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

The downwards plunge continues. This skyscraper is /really tall/.

That crushing hand is implacable, fireproof -- it denies Mai the satisfaction of bringing it pain even while crushing her all the more tightly. Then, drawing back, trying to use the HiME's head as something of a brass knuckle, he slams her into the distracted Magic Knight of Wind.

Lightning is called by Western and Eastern traditions alike, united in determination, and in success. Lancelot's blade opens up a scar across the God Among Men's cheek, one that begins to heal as quickly as it is formed -- but Syaoran's spell prevents it from healing quite as quickly, allowing it to stay open just a little longer--

--for the projectile Mikoto to slash Miroku straight along it, opening the wound wide. Blood pours upon all three of them, blood that turns into a thousand tickling bubbles. Gross bubbles. Bubbles that explode with concussive force.

Interspersed among the bubbles, though, pollen rises to surround him. Some of it mixes with his cheek wound and he winces audibly, a shuddering gasp, one that turns into a hiss of pain as Dark Amber crashes into him, and Nadeshiko sends still more lightning his way. And there comes more bullets from below.

It's his turn to disappear and reappear; less than an eyeblink passes before, despite all logic to the contrary, he's below Homura, below her with his fingers shaped like a gun, right at her head. They go 'bang'. The blast that results is fairly epic in scope.

Taking advantage of all this confusion, he plants his feet on one of the skyscrapers -- sparks from his finely tailored shoes fly as he skids downwards, parallel with the supposed surface of the dreamworld. Each individual spark rises upwards, fast becoming a flaming ring-- no-- a bubble.

These bubbles settle around Nadeshiko, around Dark Amber, around Eri and Homura and Runealy, trying to trap them in their own ruminations, and then bring those thoughts in alignment with his own.

COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Objective Updated on Mai Tokiha.

COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used That Is Most Illogical on Fuu Hououji.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used That Is Most Illogical on Lancelot.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used That Is Most Illogical on Syaoran Li.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used That Is Most Illogical on Mikoto Minagi.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Analytical Attack on Nadeshiko Fujisaki.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Analytical Attack on Dark Amber.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Analytical Attack on Eri Shimanouchi.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Analytical Attack on Homura Akemi.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Analytical Attack on Princess Runealy.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Dark Amber narrowly braces Juri Arisugawa's Analytical Attack, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Blind, Stagger, Stun, Tangle, and Trap applied to Dark Amber!
COMBAT: Eri Shimanouchi narrowly dodges Juri Arisugawa's Analytical Attack, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Blind, Stagger, Stun, Tangle, and Trap applied to Eri Shimanouchi!
COMBAT: Syaoran Li narrowly counters Juri Arisugawa's That Is Most Illogical, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Syaoran Li's Reverse ability activates! Syaoran Li's Tactician ability activates!
COMBAT: Syaoran Li's counterattack, Getting Beat Up By A Little Kid, partially gets through, doing 6 Fatigue damage to Juri Arisugawa!
COMBAT: Princess Runealy perfectly counters Juri Arisugawa's Analytical Attack, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter! Princess Runealy's Tactician ability activates!
COMBAT: Princess Runealy's counterattack, Aegis Burst, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Juri Arisugawa!
COMBAT: Lancelot fails to brace Juri Arisugawa's That Is Most Illogical, taking 28 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Mikoto Minagi narrowly dodges Juri Arisugawa's That Is Most Illogical, taking 16 Fatigue damage! Mikoto Minagi's Fade ability activates! Mikoto Minagi's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Mai Tokiha narrowly counters Juri Arisugawa's Objective Updated, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Juri Arisugawa is Psyched! Mai Tokiha's Reverse ability activates! Trap applied to Mai Tokiha!
COMBAT: Mai Tokiha's counterattack, Flare Shroud, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Juri Arisugawa!
COMBAT: Nadeshiko Fujisaki narrowly dodges Juri Arisugawa's Analytical Attack, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Nadeshiko Fujisaki's Flash ability activates! Stagger, Stun, Tangle, and Trap applied to Nadeshiko Fujisaki!
COMBAT: Homura Akemi narrowly dodges Juri Arisugawa's Analytical Attack, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Homura Akemi's Fade ability activates! Homura Akemi's Flash ability activates! Blind, Stagger, Stun, Tangle, and Trap applied to Homura Akemi!
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji narrowly braces Juri Arisugawa's That Is Most Illogical, taking 8 Fatigue damage!

<Pose Tracker> Lancelot [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

Fire lashes at the knight that is Sir Lancelot. He screams and is knocked off and separated from his companion, Sparkles, in the free fall. The Horse slams into the Skyscrapper, and pushes off, diving to come back to her knight, but for the moment, Lancelot finds himself to free falling alone. He grips his longsword with both hands. He looks back to see Sparkles still falling, and coming back for him. For the moment though, he is falling without his horse.

He holds the sword straight above him, and dives down toward the giant creature. He drives the sword down toward the nape of the man's neck and summons the lightning. Which flashes down from above and calls out, "USE ARONDIGHT AS A LIGHTNING ROD!" He directs the lightning down into the blade, that he tries to drive into the nape of the neck before him. Adding what lighting he can form those around him.

COMBAT: Lancelot has started a combo targeting Juri Arisugawa!

<Pose Tracker> Princess Runealy [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.

After a while, Princess Runealy realizes focusing on the feet isn't going to do much good since there's no real grounding to make use of this plan. A fight in freefall requires something different... one can't use the terrain, so taking away options has to become the priority. Yet can it be done, when his blood can be a weapon and he seems to teleport around the air? No immediate answers come to her, and this half of the God Among Men continues his attack.

She needs time to think it through. Even a second or two might help. As bubbles flow around, she encases herself in a circular forcefield... her family's barrier techniques warding off this attempt to seize her and forcibly change her mind; another shockwave dismisses the defense, leaving her wincing from the effort of repelling that kind of force of will!

Yet she still has a little barrier energy at hand, and re-shapes it into a thin 'wall.' One that she sends towards Nadeshiko. It tries to force its way through, to try wrapping around its potential recipient with a mix of healing energy and detaching bits of itself to serve as floating shields. There are no words from the princess, but Rune offers a tiny nod to her in recognition... though anything more will have to wait until circumstances are less dire.

COMBAT: Princess Runealy has used Comfort Ward on Nadeshiko Fujisaki.

COMBAT: Princess Runealy has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Syaoran Li [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

Having already seen that his target can turn the stuff of this dream world against his attackers, Syaoran Li does not bother waiting for those weird bubble-things to come to him. He channels the last dregs of lightning into the blade of his sword, draws in a deep breath, and slashes across his body, sending a line of electricty ripping across the sky. The bubbles burst before they can hit Syaoran, and while the young magus's momentum still carries him through the blasts, the extra space disspiates some of the concussive force.

In any event, Clow Reed's heir is far from finishes. Still enraged by the deity-induced affront to his personal space and masculinity, he draws another onmyou from his dream pockets, slapping it against the flat of his sword, which begins to glow with a brilliant...monochrome, actually. Stupid lack of colours. "Pareo pactum quod servo mihi," he chants, motes of light swirling around his body. "Recolligo, phasmatis flamma," he commands, and then swings his sword around and points it downward. "Apes Igniferae!" he calls, and the dozens of little fireflies expand and resolve into

BEES

BEES MADE OF FIRE

WHY WOULD ANYONE DO THIS WHY

COMBAT: Syaoran Li has used Invitation of the Fire God on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Syaoran Li has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Eri Shimanouchi [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

One dream to unite all the minds of humanity together.

It began as a spark of an idea, which rises towards her, fast becoming a bubble. It seizes her into rigidly thinking, into buying into that dream. Her mind roils and screams underneath the weight of it's own selfishness, as she starts to think as he does. 'This is what you want'. It tells her. 'What has thinking for yourself, what has pursuing your own dreams ever gotten you? Grief. Grief as you make choices which cause you to abandon those dreams. One by one. Now you can work towards something which you will never have to give up because of cruel reality. You and your Father can be united under the same dr..' It is /that/ twisting of her thoughts which gives her the strength to break free.

Clawing her way out of the bubble, by inches, as they continue to fall, she finds her movement langurous, her entire being numb. The thoughts linger in her skull only for a moment longer, before, vanishing from herself, but the deeply unsettling feeling remains behind. Through clenched teeth, she replies to Dark Amber, "My best, Amber-kun?"

In the dream, her body glows with a warm, nurturing light of the sun within the dreams. The sun above the clouds. It invigorates her, causing her dream self to surge forward into freefall, and banishing that unsettling moment. "I'll have to do better than my best, against this!"

As Lancelot calls out for aid, she spreads out her glowing arms behind her at freefall, she calls back sheepishly, "Uh, I don't really have anything that would conduct through a magical sword!"

COMBAT: Eri Shimanouchi has used Photosynthesis on Eri Shimanouchi.

COMBAT: Eri Shimanouchi has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Eri Shimanouchi accepts Eri Shimanouchi's Photosynthesis, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Empower applied to Eri Shimanouchi! Cleanse! All of Eri Shimanouchi's debuffs are cleared!
COMBAT: Nadeshiko Fujisaki accepts Princess Runealy's Comfort Ward, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Withstand applied to Nadeshiko Fujisaki! Cleanse! All of Nadeshiko Fujisaki's debuffs are cleared!

<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

Miroku digs into godflesh, and Mikoto uses him as leverage to leap away. Some of the blood still hits her back, of course -- and oh, it stings -- but by and large, she's able to fall away.

She doesn't fall for long. By God's midsection, she reaches out to pull herself to him, grasping onto his side. She latches onto the fabric of his suit with her teeth -- her teeth, of all things! -- and plunges Miroku into the fabric. Hopefully /past/ the fabric, into his skin, in order to distract him with more needle-point pain. That's the plan.

The plan is always more swords.

COMBAT: Mikoto Minagi has used Obsidian Blade: Destabilise on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Mikoto Minagi has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Dark Amber [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Dark Amber Nrgggs, these bubbles are----- enticing? keeping him diverted.... everything horrible. He has to push on.

So he does, these things may follow him on his descent. He closes his eyes softly and draws a sharp Amber like blade from the wrist launcher on his right arm as he attempts to toss it straight at this guy's torso, hoping it may hit a proper spot. Though everything happening around him..and on him right now makes it difficult to concentrate on an exact spot.

COMBAT: Dark Amber has used Amber Knife on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Dark Amber has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Homura Akemi [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

Homura enjoys an advantage with her power. The ability to appear seemingly out of thin air has a way of unnerving others. It is also the greatest tool in her arsenal when it comes to intimidating others into not trying to fight her. The magical energy she uses in 'showing off' is more than made up in the number of fights she has prevented through this method.

Unfortunately it seems that the so-called God is making no attempt to prevent a fight... but instead to end it with his own sudden 'flashstep'. It's all the more unfair considering just how massive he appears to be. But after managing to end up on the other side of her foe she now finds him once again under her, and now pointing his 'handgun' directly at her. 'Bang' and suddenly Homura is consumed in a blast!!!

At least partly consume. She managed to avoid some of the attack but the energy used clings to her and restricts her movements. She tchs softly to herself.

'Let's do it again, Akemi-san.' Eri said that to her, thinking back to the battle against Fusion. Though that was a battle against a creature with real rules in the real world. This is a wish-empowered god man in a dream world mostly under his influence. Still she gives her fellow Puella Magi a slight nod before turning her attention back to the matter at hand.

Maneuvering using her magic Homura manages to bring herself closer to one of the sky scrapers falling around her. She uses that as a foot hold, briefly, so that she might push off it! She draws a somewhat familiar weapon in a baseball bat from behind her shield, and using her momentum she tries to crack it across the so-called god's nose!

Just... look out for the splints raining upwards if it connects.

COMBAT: Homura Akemi has used Homerun on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Homura Akemi has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

...the plan of burning her way out doesn't seem to have worked out too well for Mai. Fuu's gust of wind helped - but for the knight's trouble, Mai is getting used as a melee weapon against her. A desperate burst of flame finally unleashes enough force to get her largely free of the fist, but it's too close for anyone's liking; the blast singes her and Fuu both. "Augh...sorry about that, Wind Knight-san."

Mai takes a moment to evaluate her situation. She's a bit battered, and her Element seems a bit dented - she can't fly as freely any more and will likely be an easier target.

Fine. She'll be a target. With a passing nod to Fuu, and a wince at the explosions around Eri and Rune, Mai does her best to get in close to the titan once more. "Do you really think you deserve more? That you shouldn't have to sacrifice, while everyone else does?" Her rings sputter once, then erupt into flames - and she flies forward to ram him in the throat. He might be fireproof, but he still has to breathe, right?

COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has used Binding Ember on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa perfectly counters Syaoran Li's Invitation of the Fire God, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter! Juri Arisugawa's Reverse ability activates!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa's counterattack, Charm Strange, bursts all the way through, doing 24 Fatigue damage to Syaoran Li!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly dodges Mikoto Minagi's Obsidian Blade: Destabilise, taking 2 Fatigue damage! Juri Arisugawa's Fade ability activates! Stagger applied to Juri Arisugawa!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa perfectly counters Mai Tokiha's Binding Ember, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter! Juri Arisugawa's Reverse ability activates!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa's counterattack, Charm Strange, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Mai Tokiha!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly braces Homura Akemi's Homerun, taking 3 Fatigue damage! Homura Akemi is Psyched! Juri Arisugawa's Block ability activates!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Dark Amber's Amber Knife, taking 9 Fatigue damage!

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.

The Magic Knight of Wind casts a quick shield, cushioning Mai's approach - not quite halting it safely to either of them, but it could have been considerably worse; the wind barrier also acts to diffuse the flames significantly. "As long as you're all right, Mai-san," the Wind Knight says with a brief smile.

Apparently, the self-declared Chief Executive Officer of Humanity, LLC wants their full attention. Fuu brings her sword to a ready position again - although she's well out of melee range, it helps her focus for the next spell she plans to use. "KAMAITACHI NO RANBU!!"

By all rights, the sky should - theoretically - be the domain of a wind-user. The Wind Knight tests that rinciple, conjuring a whirlwind - the Storm-Dance of the Kamaitachi - and sends it flying down at CEO-san, trying to engulf him, not in winds that *bind* like the earlier admonition spell, but winds that slash and tear and rip at his titanic form.

(Any of Fuu's allies who happen to be in the whirlwind's path to its target, though, don't have to worry about getting cut up - by her spell, at least. The winds are fierce, but Fuu's magic can tell friend from foe.)

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Kamaitachi no Ranbu on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa perfectly counters Fuu Hououji's Kamaitachi no Ranbu, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter! Juri Arisugawa's Reverse ability activates!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa's counterattack, Leap of Logic, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Fuu Hououji!

<Pose Tracker> Nadeshiko Fujisaki [Ohtori Academy (5)] has posed.

Nadeshiko is still getting her brain around quite this level of dream logic. Maneuvering is easy enough, but slip-sliding around like she could /fly/ isn't coming to her just yet. Unfortunately that means she has trouble with those bubbles coming at her. The good news is, in this condition, Nadeshiko doesn't really think a whole lot. The bad news it's still enough, and she finds her thoughts - and with them her body - arrested by the evil power released by the unknown false god. She feels it dragging at her, and her spear twists and warps in fractal impossibilities for a moment.

And then Runealy hurls her healing powers at her a healing ward forging itself in her mind's eye. Her eyes drift to Runealy and narrow. Her again...she remembers her. Oh yes. But right now there's no occasion to attack; they've got a god to fight, and so she offers a glare and a nod before narrowing her profile to surge forward. Li is throwing WHY DOES LI SYAORAN HAVE FIRE BEES. THAT'S NOT OKAY. "BEES!?" she shrills, a little horrified right on its own, but then she's coming up on the Big Guy again. She sneers - and jabs her sparking blade down, landing spear-first in probably his shin or something while howling a wordless "GYRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" that is probably have elemental yakuza rage and half FIRE BEES ARE REALLY UPSETTING

COMBAT: Nadeshiko Fujisaki has used Needle Thrust on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Nadeshiko Fujisaki has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Nadeshiko Fujisaki's Needle Thrust, taking 11 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Nadeshiko Fujisaki is Psyched!
COMBAT: COMBO! Lancelot have used Combo: Lightning Rod, composed of Arondight Lightning Rod, on Juri Arisugawa.
COMBAT: Lancelot has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to brace Lancelot's Combo: Lightning Rod, taking 10 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!

<Pose Tracker> Juri Arisugawa [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA COVERED IN BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES

FLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMING BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES

Or he might have been, but the God Among Men is /not into/ that idea. No, not in the slightest. So, he substitutes himself and Syaoran for where they are and were, with the awesome and frustrating power of being the god of dreams.

It's too soon for him to celebrate, though.

Mikoto goes for another stab, and while he manages to shake her off -- literally -- rather than suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous obsidian woundings, his wrist is honestly getting tired. Too tired to shake much as Dark Amber's dagger sinks into it like a tiny amber splinter; he just kind of yanks on it in a resigned way. While he's distracted doing so, Lancelot, Homura and Mai go for a Triple Threat on his head. Mai goes for the throat, and he protects it instinctively -- whether or not you need to breathe in your dreams, it's the /belief/ that counts -- and backhands her harmlessly, if softly, away.

Then Lancelot electrocutes his forehead. The dream reality seems to distort for a moment, white noise filling everyone's ears, tiny blips of static going everywhere. The God Among Men spits his fury. "Meddling ch--"

Then Homura breaks his nose.

The nose braces this action, to be sure. It isn't like his nostrils get knocked out of the park. This is no Grand Slam. But a crack does form, and he howls with frustration, batting Homura away to plunge downwards, downwards, straight through the Magic Knight of Wind's whirlwind as though it wasn't even there, Nadeshiko cutting a slice through his shin as he passes by, and straight through...

The ground is suddenly there almost unnoticably. It helps that the impact is nonexistent; in a flash, everyone is back in the freezing clouds. It's almost impossible to see in here -- as easy to strike friend as foe, though it helps that the foe is roughly the size of Godzilla. Statistics are on the side of the magical girl.

Strength, however, is on the side of the God Among Men's, as the entire cloud is abruptly filled with ice crystals that rake and tear and pierce with GREAT PREJUDICE.

COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used I Used All My Ice Puns On Alcyone on Nadeshiko Fujisaki.

COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used I Used All My Ice Puns On Alcyone on Fuu Hououji.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used I Used All My Ice Puns On Alcyone on Mai Tokiha.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used I Used All My Ice Puns On Alcyone on Homura Akemi.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used I Used All My Ice Puns On Alcyone on Dark Amber.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used I Used All My Ice Puns On Alcyone on Mikoto Minagi.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used I Used All My Ice Puns On Alcyone on Eri Shimanouchi.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used I Used All My Ice Puns On Alcyone on Syaoran Li.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used I Used All My Ice Puns On Alcyone on Princess Runealy.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used I Used All My Ice Puns On Alcyone on Lancelot.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Eri Shimanouchi narrowly braces Juri Arisugawa's I Used All My Ice Puns On Alcyone, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Eri Shimanouchi's Block ability activates! Eri Shimanouchi's Parry ability activates!
COMBAT: Syaoran Li fails to dodge Juri Arisugawa's I Used All My Ice Puns On Alcyone, taking 29 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Nadeshiko Fujisaki fails to dodge Juri Arisugawa's I Used All My Ice Puns On Alcyone, taking 33 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
COMBAT: Mai Tokiha narrowly braces Juri Arisugawa's I Used All My Ice Puns On Alcyone, taking 8 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji fails to dodge Juri Arisugawa's I Used All My Ice Puns On Alcyone, taking 26 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Lancelot narrowly dodges Juri Arisugawa's I Used All My Ice Puns On Alcyone, taking 16 Fatigue damage!

<Pose Tracker> Syaoran Li [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

"I FORGOT THE PLURAL FOR HAWK, OKAY, LATIN IS HARD!" Syaoran shouts back at Nadeshiko, while totally failing at batting out bees made of fire, which are put out moments later by torrents of icy wind.

This guy is really starting to tick him off.

Actually, he is also starting kick his butt, and the little magus is beginning to feel the drain - of the situation, of the dream, of the failed shots he is throwing - weight against him. Syaoran inhales sharply and begins spamming magic bolts from his sword, more to keep the would-be deity out of sorts than anything else while he gathers his power for one final shot.

He just hopes he'll live long enough to throw it.

COMBAT: Princess Runealy narrowly dodges Juri Arisugawa's I Used All My Ice Puns On Alcyone, taking 15 Fatigue damage! Princess Runealy's Fade ability activates! Princess Runealy's Flash ability activates!

COMBAT: Syaoran Li has used Link Is At Full Health on Juri Arisugawa.
COMBAT: Syaoran Li has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Dark Amber fails to dodge Juri Arisugawa's I Used All My Ice Puns On Alcyone, taking 22 Fatigue damage!

<Pose Tracker> Lancelot [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

Lancelot notices the White noise as the lightning slams into him. "If you got it! Use Energy!" He calls out, right before he is hammered once again. He screams and somehow only barely manages not to be hammered into so much dust. He winces, and is only just barely able to stay conscious. What happens if one is - knocked out or killed in here? He swallows a gulp, and then narrows his eyes.

He is a Knight, and Lancelot would not go down worried about such thoughts. He twirls Arondight. "Hit him from all sides! All at once! Energy, anything you got!!" He runs down the length fo the skyscraper, keeping up with the falling people. Before he leaps off and dives at the God Among Men's left eyeball. His blade lashes fast and furious at the god before him. "I see you!!" Lightning flashes and arcs as he dives in lashing with the blade.

Thunder roars with each stroke, and lighting arcs and dances in every direction, brightening the clouds in flashes of bright, flashing light with eah flash and roar of thunder.

COMBAT: Lancelot has started a combo targeting Juri Arisugawa!

COMBAT: Mikoto Minagi narrowly braces Juri Arisugawa's I Used All My Ice Puns On Alcyone, taking 8 Fatigue damage!

<Pose Tracker> Eri Shimanouchi [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

Abruptly comes the obfuscating, roiling clouds. Except she cannot feel it, she's instead inside the clouds again. Here she can't see, and suddenly there's that gnawing fear in her gut that she's alone, her voice is suddenly a bit panicked "Rune-chan!? Lancelot-kun!? Mai-chan!? Mikoto-chan!? Akemi-s..." She should have known that it'd be calling out Homura's name that would get her attacked. The cloud is abruptly filled with ice crystals.

But instead of panicking, she abruptly just increases the surge of that warm nurturing energy limming her body. It's a close call, and many crystals still rake her, trailing lacerations all over her body, but many more melt before they reach her. Down here in the clouds, "Did you really just almost call us meddling children!?"

Remembering his last position in her head, which was about the point where he had traded places with the kid who wielded the power of Latin and fire bees. Eri watched as Lancelot's light illuminated his position. She causes trees to suddenly sprout against the sides of the sky scrapers which were amongst that just barely peaked within the clouds, they grow out suddenly, parallel to the ground, trying to clothesline the God-like man in rapid succession, while he can't see that they're coming. "Mai-chan! If you can hear me, try lighting all of that on fire!" She always balks a little at this, but they're conjured DREAM TREES after all.

COMBAT: Eri Shimanouchi has joined the combo started by Lancelot!

<Pose Tracker> Dark Amber [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Dark Amber suddenly, there's a ground. He stops. It's not a crash, or a hard comedown. He expected something more shocking, so that has him momentarily pulsed as he frowns and closes his eyes. Then...Ice Rocks fall, everyone dies. Well. Not really, but he tries to jump out of the way of a spike, and utterly succeeds!...

To be clobbered by another one head on. He gets sent flying agaisnt the cloud as he catches his breath and frowns, closing his eyes-- "Nrg--- you want me... all of us to conform to ,... whatever sick dream you have." he says. "But I'm not giving into that, again! I cannot. I won't." he states as he flings another charge blade into the gigantic CEO from his strained postion.

COMBAT: Dark Amber has used Never Give In, Again on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Dark Amber has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Homura Akemi fails to counter Juri Arisugawa's I Used All My Ice Puns On Alcyone, taking 24 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Homura Akemi's counterattack, Random Thrown Item, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Juri Arisugawa!

<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

The good news is, that did actually get the enemy's attention. The bad news is, there wasn't enough power behind her charge to break through his hand. Still, Mai reflects, it was worth a shot-

And suddenly, ground.

And just as suddenly, blizzard.

This is the strangest dream Mai's ever had, but still not the worst - even with the ice in the air now tearing at everything and everyone. Mai is shrouded in flames, and even in a dream they're doing well against the ice - but the same can't be said of anyone else, honestly. She looks behind her, almost imagining the roar of something she's dreamed about-

No. Not yet. Not near this tower being built by all humanity. She doesn't need monsters, she needs friends, and Eri's calling for help. Mai begins to spin, flames building around her, cutting through the fog- and there they are.

"Sorry to do this to them, Eri- but I'm on it!" Burn, plantlife, and imprison this god in a cage of fire!

COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has joined the combo started by Lancelot!

<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

Mikoto is shaken from God like a flea, and she falls, and falls, and the ground is there, and if you die in a dream don't you die in real life--?

Except the ground is not ground, the ground is clouds, and Mikoto is lost within them. She shivers, clutching Miroku close to her. She can't see anyone. It's cold. It hurts. She can't see anyone. "Maaai...!"

Her cry is answered with the signal-light of fire. Yes. Yes, there is still an enemy to fight! Somehow, Mikoto alters her course, to come back to the God which tried to cloud her sight with ice -- grabbing onto some piece of his clothing, she flips herself upward, cleaving her sword through the flames. "AAAAAH!!"

<Pose Tracker> Princess Runealy [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.

Princess Runealy takes Nadeshiko's glare fairly calmly; she knows. There will be a lot to answer for later, but the key word is 'later.' Right now they face death in a dream world (would that be permanent and carry over to the real world? She has to assume so) and the prospect of a colorless world of one terrifying dream.

A dream that might happen. She's used to the idea of teleporting opponents. She is /not/ used to them being able to swap places with someone else, as seemed to happen with Syaoran. How do you fight that? Not being in prime places of airspace that the God Among Men would want is perhaps a start, but that only goes so far. She winces as the dream world flickers, and again as they fall into chilling clouds... it makes sense that a fight in a dream can change so suddenly, but it's hard to cope with.

Ice crystals rip through the area, and Rune's boots light up as they discharge magic to hurl her in various directions... despite limited visibility, she's making good guesses and managing to weave through most of it. Some miss by only the tiniest margins though, and Runealy can feel sudden little waves of cold surge past her head, shoulders, a leg... things that came so close to piercing her.

Lancelot calls for cooperation in a thick cloud. "I can't tell where you are!" Not well enough to /coordinate/ with him, at least. But as Eri calls out, Rune realizes that noise can cut down on friendly fire. "Everyone! Keep making noise!" She's hoping their shouts and attacks can give her a mental 'map' of where people are. Wherever they are is likely a place the God Among Men isn't, or so Rune reasons. Her wand aims at a piece of sky, making a prediction on where he might be.

Then another pair of orbs fly out of her wand. They split apart in mid-air, turning into a shower of sparkles that she hopes will flood through the right place.

COMBAT: Princess Runealy has used Scatter Orb on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Princess Runealy has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Mikoto Minagi has joined the combo started by Lancelot!

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.

A rather noticeably cross look flickers across the Wind Knight's face as CEO-san - she *refuses* to acknowledge him as godlike, and even 'manlike' is really pushing the envelope - simply goes flying through the Kamaitachi no Ranbu like it's not even there.

Then she's completely surrounded by a cloud full of flying shards of ice, and the memory of Alcyone rears up in the back of Fuu's mind from the abrupt cold and slashing and cold of sharp-edged ice crystals all around her. If she hadn't been distracted she *might* have been able to better prepare herself for this ... it hurts. A lot. The Wind Knight is reasonably sure that she's bleeding, and she finds herself wishing that Hikaru-san was here with her fire magic. Admittedly, Mai-san (and probably Li-san) has fire powers as well, but they're both otherwise occupied - they have their own facets of the battle to focus on, after all.

So Fuu squints through the ice-storm cloud, seeking her target as she swaps weapons again - so much faster, she thinks, than even navigating through menus or pushing a button combination - and calls the winds to her will once more, to speed her arrow through the ice and into her target.

"REPPUU NO YA!!" she calls out, and her arrow flies faster and straighter than any archer's dream. Or perhaps it's not quite 'straight' like a laser's beam would be ...

The arrow defies gravity, in fact - swerving 'upwards' a little as the Gale Arrow's magic propels and guides the sharply-tipped shaft. The effect should last through the instant that her arrow finds its target, helping to drive it deep into the CEO's body. Or better still, his skull.

COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Syaoran Li's Link Is At Full Health, taking 13 Fatigue damage!

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Reppu no Ya on Juri Arisugawa.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Homura Akemi [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

The good news is: Homura attempt to attack the beast with a baseball bat is successful!

The bad news is ... only somewhat, and it results in her being batted away like some annoying gnat. Her attempt to prevent said attack by throwing the splintered remains of her bad at the creature's eye instead sees said handle going off uselessly into the sky! Meanwhile her sudden incread downwards propulsion is rather unfortunate as it means that the ground is coming up ever faster.

Ground? Yes the endless fall suddenly seems to have ended. And while Homura isn't the sort of person to actually believe you'll die if you hit bottom in a dream ... she hardly is in the mood to test said theory out. She braces for impact!!! And it never comes. Instead she finds herself back in dense, freezing clouds and falling forever through the bottomless sky. As she watches she sees Lancelot attempt to lead everyone in a massive attack from all sides! It's not something she is prepared to take part in... but instead, perhaps, she'll be able to help give it a bit of an edge. Raising her left arm and the buckler attached to it its 'eyes' open and it turns slightly augmenting the flow of sand between its reservoirs. The action creates a strange time warping field around the so-called god, attempting to slow it down so that her allies might deliver a finishing blow.

And if not... well she will have something waiting in the wings.

COMBAT: Homura Akemi has used Clockdown on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Homura Akemi has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to brace Princess Runealy's Scatter Orb, taking 17 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly counters Homura Akemi's Clockdown, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Juri Arisugawa's Reverse ability activates! Cripple and Trap applied to Juri Arisugawa!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa's counterattack, Charm Strange, partially gets through, doing 7 Fatigue damage to Homura Akemi!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Fuu Hououji's Reppu no Ya, taking 25 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji is Psyched!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly counters Dark Amber's Never Give In, Again, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Dark Amber is Psyched! Juri Arisugawa's Reverse ability activates!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa's counterattack, Charm Strange, partially gets through, doing 6 Fatigue damage to Dark Amber!
COMBAT: COMBO! Lancelot, Eri Shimanouchi, Mai Tokiha, and Mikoto Minagi have used Bladefury, Weald Advent, Infernal Prison, and Obsidian Blade: Devastation on Juri Arisugawa.
COMBAT: Lancelot has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Eri Shimanouchi has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Mikoto Minagi has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Lancelot, Eri Shimanouchi, Mai Tokiha, and Mikoto Minagi's Combo: Bladefury, taking 148 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Lancelot, Eri Shimanouchi, Mai Tokiha, and Mikoto Minagi are Psyched! Diversion, Stagger, and Trap applied to Juri Arisugawa!

Lancelot pages: I was going to!

<Pose Tracker> Nadeshiko Fujisaki [Ohtori Academy (5)] has posed.

Nadeshiko is, despite /wielding a naginata/, still kind of freaked out by each attack carving off a chunk of semidivine dream meat. It doesn't usually cut! It just sort of causes nondescript Harm damage! But it is dream stuff, and dreams are, in their way, easy to look past.

As Nadeshiko is forced to accept, when the ground is SUDDENLY RIGHT THERE "Ground!?" Nadeshiko yelps, swinging her feet down in preparation for a probably-rough landing. She'll have to roll with this, she gets herself ready for the hit and--

sends herself tumbling embarrassingly through the air as her actually quite well-formed skill roll does nothing whatsoever.

"I'M GETTING REAL SICK OF YOUR SHENANIGANS, YOU!" she barks out, a low, gutteral growl.

And then, as if just to spite her, he fills the air with ice crystals which she blunders directly into. Her own dream stuff doesn't carve, but it stings freshly just the same. "Ow, ow, ow..." Nadeshiko seethes out. She can't do much - she can barely /see/ - so she lashes out with her naginata, a few wild strokes meant to whack their dreamgod foe a little more.

COMBAT: Nadeshiko Fujisaki has used Naginata Flourish on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Nadeshiko Fujisaki has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly dodges Nadeshiko Fujisaki's Naginata Flourish, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Juri Arisugawa's Fade ability activates!

<Pose Tracker> Juri Arisugawa [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

By the time the God Among Men has burst out of the underside of the clouds, he's more like a Charred Brick With White Blinky Eyes (among men). That's because:

Syaoran's swordbolts have peppered him like needles, interspersed here and there with Dark Amber's charge blades, though the latter gets a few of them flipped back in his direction for good measure, with a few more sent Homura's way to prevent her from working time against him -- something of a futile gesture, here in the dream world, regardless. Runealy's scatter orbs detonate across his flesh like the benediction of a furious teenager: lots of tiny red burns. The Magic Knight of Wind's gale arrow impales him in the chest. Nadeshiko's naginata is avoided, but barely, and it takes half of a high-density silk fiber sock with it. Mikoto's Miroku cleaves him in the chin. Lancelot's Arondight stabs him in the eye.

"ENOUGH!" he bellows, and since this is his space and he can do what he wants with it, he falls down, down, down through what is now a bunch of spinning crosses, crucifixes, rosaries, each somehow sporting high technology like something straight of of Star Trek, from red LED eyes to spinning, sonic-bladed edges. These scissor and slice and burn and pierce and rend at everyone else.

It is his Cosmic Confessional. It is not a pleasant place. And at the bottom appears to be an endless pool of blood, though that is thankfully a long fall away.

"You are out of time! In all of a minute, dawn will break and the sleepers will awaken. You may be winning the battle, but you've lost the war!"

The crown of solid white light that graces his brow suddenly explodes, seven individual beams growing in magnitude-- there are but seconds left--

COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used That Is Most Illogical on Nadeshiko Fujisaki.

COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used That Is Most Illogical on Eri Shimanouchi.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used That Is Most Illogical on Dark Amber.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used That Is Most Illogical on Mai Tokiha.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used That Is Most Illogical on Mikoto Minagi.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used That Is Most Illogical on Princess Runealy.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used That Is Most Illogical on Fuu Hououji.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used That Is Most Illogical on Homura Akemi.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Objective Updated on Syaoran Li.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Objective Updated on Lancelot.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Syaoran Li fails to brace Juri Arisugawa's Objective Updated, taking 15 Fatigue damage! Juri Arisugawa is Psyched! Trap applied to Syaoran Li!
COMBAT: Homura Akemi fails to dodge Juri Arisugawa's That Is Most Illogical, taking 29 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Eri Shimanouchi fails to brace Juri Arisugawa's That Is Most Illogical, taking 25 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Mai Tokiha narrowly counters Juri Arisugawa's That Is Most Illogical, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Mai Tokiha's Reverse ability activates!
COMBAT: Mai Tokiha's counterattack, Flare Shroud, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Juri Arisugawa!
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji fails to brace Juri Arisugawa's That Is Most Illogical, taking 31 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Princess Runealy fails to counter Juri Arisugawa's That Is Most Illogical, taking 32 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Princess Runealy's counterattack, Aegis Burst, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Juri Arisugawa!
COMBAT: Nadeshiko Fujisaki fails to brace Juri Arisugawa's That Is Most Illogical, taking 29 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Mai Tokiha covers Mikoto Minagi for Juri Arisugawa's attack, That Is Most Illogical, taking it upon themselves instead!
COMBAT: Mai Tokiha narrowly braces Juri Arisugawa's That Is Most Illogical, taking 14 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Dark Amber perfectly dodges Juri Arisugawa's That Is Most Illogical, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! Dark Amber's Fade ability activates! Dark Amber's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Homura Akemi transforms into Puella Magi Homura!
COMBAT: Lancelot fails to brace Juri Arisugawa's Objective Updated, taking 14 Fatigue damage! Trap applied to Lancelot!

<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

In the cold and darkness of that cloud, Mai heard a voice calling for her - and only the fact that there was a titanic god to burn kept her from rushing to Mikoto's side immediately. The sight of the smaller girl slicing through the flames to cleave the enemy was a heartwarming sight - one that she rushed to as quickly as she could.

This new assault is nigh-indescribable - and so Mai does what she always does. Throw a wall of fire in the path of whatever's coming, and take the blows of anything that gets through in Mikoto's place. Responsibility, after all.

"Mikoto... everyone!" She turns to the enemy. "You don't understand what we're fighting for - but it's time we ended this. Besides..."

Mai looks to Eri and Runealy, catching each of their gazes in turn, then smiles at Mikoto. "You aren't all that much bigger than a cruise ship."

The golden wheels spin to life, flames blazing white-hot in the monochrome world. Faintly, wings of fire are almost visible on Mai's back - the image of the guardian beast she's mimicking. The heat builds, the wind shifting as air is consumed by the building power-

And then, Mai channels all that heat and power into Mikoto's sword.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Mai Tokiha has started a combo targeting Juri Arisugawa!

<Pose Tracker> Syaoran Li [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

The battle with the God Among Men is like a nightmare that never ends, as religious paraphenalia batter Syaoran Li down, the last several hits cutting through his magical barrier and biting home. It is a dream from which he could wake, if he could, but he can't. He can't leave this fight to these undisciplined schoolgirls. He may be small and tired, but he is a Magi, one of the Wise. A sweaty palm grips the jian tightly. Only seconds left. If only he had the power. If only he...Syaoran freezes, as an idea crystallizes in his mind. And then he laughs.

It is perhaps the most terrifying thing of the evening. And then he begins to speak.

"If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you," Syaoran recites in English (seriously, how many languages dos this kid /speak/?). "If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too: If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, or being hated don't give way to hating, and yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise..." The smile spreads across his face, and he lifts his sword back, behind his head. "If you can dream...and not make dreams your master," he whispers.

(this is a dream)

"If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim."

(i know it so)

"If you can meet with triumph and disaster."

(and so i dream)

"And treat those two impostors just the same."

(for strength enough to win)

Syaoran throws his sword up into the sky, the blade trailing white light as it spins...and then separates, twinning itself once and again, until four swords of shining light rip up toward the clouds, boring inward, carving through toward the light above. And then the boy throws his arms out to the side, and onmoyu begin to spool outward - dozens, hundreds, a storm of paper charms spreading up and out and down toward the crimson sea.

Clow Reed's heir looks up, then down. And then he begins to chant.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Syaoran Li has started a combo targeting Juri Arisugawa!

<Pose Tracker> Eri Shimanouchi [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

<SoundTracker> http://www.listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=Ql0T6pp8xuA

Religious symbols used as blades and lasers are... pretty super effective. Eri strikes one, and is cut in the dream, blood which isn't 'all too perfect' droplets dripping and spraying, knocking her away as she skids off the side of a skyscraper. Another searing light hits her, burning away at part of her sleeve, she continued to skid on downwards She's battered, bloodied, burned, and exhausted. The man truly is godlike in this realm. And she is...

'You are out of time. In all of a minute, dawn will break, and the sleepers will awaken.'

Angry. In just a few minutes, life as she knew it would end.

As she was about to bounce off the side once more. She kicks off instead, aiming upwards, above the man in free fall. Her voice is ragged, "You're correct on one point. Dawn has broken."

And even in grey light, she began to shine brilliantly, as she focused every iota of sunlight she had stored within her into her hands, charging them with that power. It was not as bright as the man's brilliant, searing crown, but with it came some of the warmth and nurturing light of the sun. In both the waking world and in the world of dreams, it was but a glimmer of it's power. It would not be enough on it's own, but with passions united as one. "But it is a dawn where you are nothing more than a brief nightmare that has come to an end! The dreams of the world will not suffer your chains! Knight-san, Amber-kun, Rune-chan, Akemi-san...."

All of that gathered energy bursts forth from her hands into a giant beam of light and heat, and for a moment, it looks as if dawn has broken over the horizon. "NOW!" The timing would need to be precise, but.. she knew all of them would be splendid. They had to be.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Eri Shimanouchi has started a combo targeting Juri Arisugawa!

<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.

Mai is there. Even in the cold, Mai has not perished. "Mai," Mikoto says her name, again, making sure that Miroku is /not/ in danger of accidentally hurting her meal ticket-roommate-fighting companion.

Because Mikoto would never, ever hurt an ally.

Mai turns to the enemy, and speaks to him; it's something Mikoto doesn't properly understand, because enemies are there to be destroyed, not spoken to. But as Mai smiles to her, and finishes her sentence, Mikoto understands what she desires. She remembers how they met. So does Mai. Mai needs her to be that strong again --

Mikoto doesn't say anything. Mikoto just nods.

The heat is palpable, especially so soon after the chill. But it is a heat which Mikoto can bear, and she grips Miroku tightly as she prepares herself. When Mai is finished -- when Mai pours her power into Mikoto's own --

Miroku erupts into purple flame, fire infected by obsidian clout. (The slit-line marking on the blade is especially prominent.) And Mikoto leaps forward, because she believes she can leap forward, she believes she can cleave this God into twain, she believes she can defeat any enemy in her path. She swings the sword in a wide arc, towards the very trunk of this thing which is more than a Man, flames licking the air even after the claymore passes.

Mikoto yells no imperative, declares nothing.

She just screams.

<Pose Tracker> Princess Runealy [Ohtori Academy (7)] has posed.

Princess Runealy makes an alarmed, tense cry as she sees what she's falling toward. Can she 'jump' over it in mid-air? ...No. She can slow it, but not truly avoid it, as far as she can tell in this freefall. So she falls into the blender, the mix of holy symbols and high tech. Encasing herself in a barrier, Rune hopes for the best. For a few seconds, it works. The first handful of cuts are knocked aside, yet they scrape away some of the protection nonetheless. Others follow through, forcing her to flail her staff around wildly in the hopes of preventing any lethal slashes! That much works, but much as the God Among Men's blood was drawn earlier... now hers is too, several small drips forming along sliced arms, legs, midsection, each of them drawing a scream!

She's tempted to go full-defensive from there, yet his own words give her a compelling reason not to. If he's speaking the truth, this may be over. The implications slam through her: The vision of Madoka as a soulless minion could become reality. Anyone who survives might wind up the same way. Or they might wind up dead; she might never get to learn about Mikoto, or any other chance to enjoy Mai's company; the flame-wielder's gaze drives that home. Fuu would be gone, her healing winds no longer bringing anyone a second chance. Rosette and Skylle would be similarly ruined, and their home would likely meet the same fate as Earth. Dark Amber and the other Perfume warriors who provided her a different kind of second chance would meet an undeserved, horrible end. Lancelot's mercy to her would end up amounting to nothing if all is lost here. Sailor Moon, Lucy, and so many others who mean so much... all could be lost.

Eri, too. Eri's call pierces through the fear gripping Runealy, calling for an immediate final chance to not lose everything. Rune's wand creates a set of five orbs that spread out into a star pattern. There is no dramatic speech... she just watches and waits as Eri's light builds. A sixth orb forms, taking its place in the center of the star. 'Now!' is the signal, and Rune has no magical chant. She simply screams, long and loud and high in a raw defiance of an impending defeat.

Then the orbs fly forward, all of them splitting apart to send hundreds of little sparkles streaming!

COMBAT: FINISHER! Princess Runealy has joined the combo started by Eri Shimanouchi!

<Pose Tracker> Lancelot [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

He doesn't have enough left in him to summon forth the full power of the Knight Reborn. However Lancelot has enough to give this False God one heck of a lightning thrashing. He holds out Arondight as Sparkles finally reaches him, hovering above the horse he calls out "LIGHTING!!"

and closes his eyes. He knows why he fights. He knows why he's here. "Mom. Dad. Mika." He smiles and reaches out a hand to stroke Sparkles's main lightly. "Sparkles. That girl who could use ribbons in her hair." Lancelot lets out his breath and opens his eyes. "Let's help finish this Girl."

THe Horse nods, narrows her eyes and moves so Lancelot can get on the Horse. He points the sword at this CEO and calls out strongly, "I am Lancelot, Knight of the Round Table of Camelot. As long as I stand, then I oppose you, and so to do all with Magic and Love in their hearts. For all of them, for all those you have enslaved, for my sister Mika"

Sparkles and Lancelot surge forward as he calls out with the voice of thunder: "BARRAGE!!" Lightning form every angle, form every thought of a cloud strikes down into Lancelot's Sword, Arondight. It glows brighter and brighter with each bolt of lightning that hammers into the blade. The pair, already surginf forward go like a commet surrounded by all that energy, and when it is released, it is as if a thousand sword strikes had been let out all at once, joining in with the power let loose by Syaoran Li. Thunder roars, echoes, and shatters the clouds, windows in the skyscraper of Babel explode outward, creating a sparkling rain of glass that reflects the multitude of lightning bolts in their shards. Light shines, sparkles and hammers about the knight. Who closes his eyes and lets out a breath.

"Your powers are weak old man."

COMBAT: FINISHER! Mikoto Minagi has joined the combo started by Mai Tokiha!

COMBAT: COMBO! FINISHER! Mai Tokiha and Mikoto Minagi have used Combo: Obsidian Blade: Deflagrate, composed of Ardent Light and Obsidian Blade: Death, on Juri Arisugawa.
COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Mikoto Minagi has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.

"A minute is all the time we need to end you!" the Wind Knight shouts back, gathering the winds about her to try and protect herself from the beams and edges headed her way - only for the vast majority of CEO-san's onslaught, or at least out of the Wind Knight's share of it, to slash and burn through the winds *anyway*.

Her armor - the actual solid plates that cover her upper chest and back, her shoulders, and her right arm, along with the boots on her feet, survive the ordeal with a lot of scorch marks. The 'cloth' which was beneath them ... a fair amount of it survives, enough to keep her more or less modestly covered. But there are swaths of her jacket and skirt which can't make the same claim.

And that is what prompts a heavily alarmed look to cross Fuu's face. The entire outfit is supposed to be 'armor,' after Clef upgraded the uniforms they arrived in Cephiro with - that's the 'template' which her transformation uses, even when she's wearing something other than her school uniform to start.

But Eri-san is gathering power, and her call draws Fuu's attention back to the battle. Once again, the Magic Knight of Wind extends her will and her magical power, drawing together her attention and her determination, consciously gathering up her doubts and rejecting them, tempering her resolve and focusing on the only outcome which she will accept:

To see this man-turned-titan and would-be-god not merely felled, but utterly and completely defeated.

The winds whip around the Magic Knight who commands them, tattered rags of her uniform flapping and threatening to tear further loose, and she draws her arms up and in, her gaze shifting from the enemy to Eri-san, and then to the beam that the Puella Magi is unleashing.

"MIDORI NO SHIPPUU!!!"

The Emerald Typhoon howls around the Magic Knight of Wind, and races forth, wrapping around Eri's beam to channel and focus and amplify its destructive force - and to draw in and similarly channel the blasts coming from their allies, as well.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Lancelot has joined the combo started by Syaoran Li!

COMBAT: FINISHER! Fuu Hououji has joined the combo started by Eri Shimanouchi!

<Pose Tracker> Homura Akemi [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed.

'I want to relive meeting her again for the first time... not as someone she protects, but as someone who can protect her instead!'

Every Puella Magi knows what it means to make a wish, and in so doing taking upon themselve a life of combat. There are no Puella Magi who live to enjoy retirement. Indeed, very few live long enough to see past their teens. Their fate is a cruel one, but such is the price to see a miracle born from a wish held deeply within the heart of a young woman.

So it must seem all a cruel mockery that this man used the power of the shards to grant such a selfish and greedy wish upon himself. To risk subverting all of humanity to his whims converting them into his slaves with their wills forever bound to his own.

To see her eyes so devoid of any color, beauty, life, or joy...

The descent is fraught with more perils and while Homura tries to avoid them the best she can, she cannot avoid them all. Her body is assaulted by numerous sci fi religious symbols that cut through her dream body and draw out blood! Or at least the dream of blood. She grits her teeth through the pain and focuses her eyes down on the target down below. 'ENOUGH!' he declares, and announces his impending victory is but moments away.

"You're right... this is enough." Homura suddenly vanishes.

Her vanishing is accompanied by a strange down. A loud shrieking roar from overhead! Given the surrealness of this dream might make it a bit less surprising, a bit less shocking, to see a sight like this: A missile descending from the heavens directly towards the God Among Men. "Your wish could have been for anything." Homura, now appearing near to the so-called god, speaks coldly. "But now we'll make sure it comes to nothing."

With that the violet Puella Magi once again disappears just moments before righteous judgement descends upon the beast. The missile continues its downward descent. It's payload is not the sort to be used against individuals, but to sink entire warships. And now, hopefully, it will help sink the megalomaniacal dreams of a single man.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Homura Akemi has joined the combo started by Eri Shimanouchi!

<Pose Tracker> Nadeshiko Fujisaki [Ohtori Academy (5)] has posed.

Nadeshiko's eyes bug out as the entire world changes around them. It's a dream, in a sense that's to be expected...but still! The world explodes into roses and iconography. She whirls and swings, using her naginata to do her best to knock it away as it comes near to blast or slice, but she just can't; she's sent battered around, pinging from a bladed rose into a hypersonic blaster cross and then shot back up into the air by more scissor blades; unwounded but only for dream logic. She seethes, breath ragged and tired, but her eyes are on him. He's right. Dawn is breaking. If they can't stop him, NOW, then...then...! Her fist clenches around the naginata, the thought too terrible to entertain. She remembers the other night, and the fear for a moment, before rearing her arm back. She may not know Latin, but she does know English, for... ...certain upcoming purposes, and recognizes some of Syaoran's poem. Her white-knuckle grip on the naginata slowly loosens to a more usable grasp, and she looks down at the falling god. Now. OK. Now. "Temari," she whispers. "Do you think we can..."

But the Chara quakes in her jacket, the fibers of dreams she embodies rattled by the impossible happening all around them. Of course it won't work, she thinks. Only Amu can do that...and Nadeshiko and Temari both know there is a flaw in their link.

So instead, she grits her teeth. "AIN'T OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER!" she shrieks down, rearing back with all her not insignificant strength. "IT'LL NEVER BE ENOUGH! Until long beyond the last second! LI!"

She hurls the spear - her entire uncoiling like a spiral, whirling around center mass to pitch the spear straight down toward the dream god's heart.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Nadeshiko Fujisaki has used Naginata Torpedo on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Nadeshiko Fujisaki has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Nadeshiko Fujisaki has cancelled their attack on Juri Arisugawa. If there are more attacks that need to be +cancelled, please hold all +attacks until the process is complete.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Nadeshiko Fujisaki has joined the combo started by Syaoran Li!

<Pose Tracker> Syaoran Li [Juuban Public School (4)] has posed.

"Osu," Syaoran answers Nadeshiko, and the paper seals fly out in a wild rush, circling around the God Among Men until they form a sphere; others flutter up toward the hole in the clouds on magical wings, flickering lines of fading light trailing behind them.

"Ego, Magi," Syaoran whispers, and the lines of light trace outward, forming a luminescent cage of fairy-web light.

"Ego, Sapientes," he echoes a second later, and the clouds overhead rumble and shiver. He draws in a breath, and his voice comes firm and strong.

"Ego, qui stant in clara luce caeli," he intones, lifting his left hand to the heavens as brilliant sigils flow along the lines of the spell. "Ego, præcipio tibi qui aperit portas inferi," he commands, right hand reaching palm down toward the crimson sea below, slow, crackling arcs of energy shivering along the edge of the cage.

And now, the hard part, Syaoran thinks, as he begins drawing the hands toward each other, muscles straining against his skin, his fingers twitching as though he's trying to compress lead rather than empty air. By the time his hands are an inch apart, static electricity is flickering between the tips of the young magus's fingers, and the sphere of lighting is compressing, the hole in the clouds above drawing slowly downward. "Egredere, fulguratio divine!" Syaoran commands, setting his shoulders for the final effort, bringing palms together.

A clap of shattering thunder echoes out, and for a second nothing happens. And then the heavens and earth are split by a pillar of violent light.

"/INDIGNATIO/!"

COMBAT: COMBO! FINISHER! Syaoran Li, Lancelot, and Nadeshiko Fujisaki have used Combo: Indignation Judgment, composed of Elemental Overload, Lightning Barrage, and Naginata Torpedo, on Juri Arisugawa.

COMBAT: Syaoran Li has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Lancelot has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Nadeshiko Fujisaki has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Dark Amber [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Dark Amber closes his eyes. "Seconds... but that means there's still time..." he says softly, and a matter of factly at the gigantic CEO. "Time you simply don't have." he says, as he dodges along cruifixed blades, dotted with technology and blinking lights. He fans out his hands, time stops for him.

He reappears a few moments later, with an already charged up wrist launcher as he hrmphs....eyes closed as he lashes out along with all the others on thier chosen central form of attack... "DARK AMBER---CRUSH!" he yells out, forcing the super charged blade into the spot, amber begins to form around the localized area. and it shatters inwards. He begins to fall after that attack.

He's hoping this will be enough...

COMBAT: FINISHER! Dark Amber has joined the combo started by Eri Shimanouchi!

COMBAT: COMBO! FINISHER! Eri Shimanouchi, Princess Runealy, Fuu Hououji, Homura Akemi, and Dark Amber have used Combo: Dawnbreak, composed of Solar Flare, Waldia Burst Reign, Midori no Shippu: Focused, Anti-Warship Guided Missile, and Dark Amber Crush, on Juri Arisugawa.
COMBAT: Eri Shimanouchi has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Princess Runealy has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Homura Akemi has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Dark Amber has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Syaoran Li, Lancelot, and Nadeshiko Fujisaki's Finisher, Combo: Indignation Judgment, taking 266 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to brace Mai Tokiha and Mikoto Minagi's Finisher, Combo: Obsidian Blade: Deflagrate, taking 236 Fatigue damage! Juri Arisugawa is unable to keep fighting!
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Eri Shimanouchi, Princess Runealy, Fuu Hououji, Homura Akemi, and Dark Amber's Finisher, Combo: Dawnbreak, taking 467 Fatigue damage! Juri Arisugawa is unable to keep fighting!

<Pose Tracker> Juri Arisugawa [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

Even though there is only one dream in the dreamworld, the will of Syaoran, Lancelot and Nadeshiko makes the impossible possible. They rip open a hole in this unreality, and the lightning pours in, pours in and through that spear, which stabs the God Among Men straight in the heart.

But he's not quite finished -- it helps that he's convinced himself that he has no heart, and so he cannot be slain in such a manner, not here. His dream won't die from heartlessness; it's heartlessness that gave it birth.

Fortunately, they do not fight alone. Mikoto runs up and past the God Among Men in what almost seems like a trick of the grayscale light -- a flash of fel flame, the heat of Mai's determination, and she's on the other side.

What was technically one-half is now one-quarter of the God Among Men.

For good measure, Homura and Eri detonate a missile and a huge beam of light on one chunk (the torso up) while Fuu, Runealy and Dark Amber take care of the legs with shattering amber blades, a star of six orbs, and the Emerald Typhoon, reverse-respectively.

The beams of light that had crowned him finish erupting, and burst through the dreamscape in all directions, in a coruscating rainbow explosion that leaves color, true, beautiful color, in its wake. Eyes have never been lovelier.

And he, too, screams, the scream of a man with a broken dream, and somehow, his voice is suddenly familiar. Intimately familiar, to a rare few. His face, too -- the scar on his forehead, slashing downwards towards his nose; his hawklike beak; the wrinkles on his brow. He almost seems like... it's on the tip of the tongue...

...no. That's impossible. A man of god would never become a God Among Men.

And recognition inhibition cements that impression, as everyone wakes up simultaneously -- even the most notorious snoozers, alert in an instant.

True dawn is breaking, a hint of light at the edge of the cave. The sleepers are untouched; their guardians are nowhere to be found, but must have kept, or still be keeping, their promise. Kero-chan is snoozing in his now-empty bowl of M&Ms, the puff of white at the tip of his tail fluttering with every tiny snore.

The bowl, and tiny lion-like creature, fall to the floor in a clatter, startled awake by the same sensation accosting the ears of the magical girls: sound. Sound and light.

The rainbow bolts from the dream come crashing into reality, now embodied in seven radiant orbs, orbs that transmute into a familiar golden radiance. They appear in a ring around the chamber. Tendrils of light bounce between them, creating every conceivable connection, a web of light. These beams blast through people harmlessly but not without feeling, and an overwhelming sense of pride, or passion, or fear, or aggression, or indecision, or ruthlessness, or homesickness -- one of them stirs in everyone's hearts.

And in the precise center of the ring, the beams merge, merge and transform into... a maiden, composed of purest light. There are no more details to be seen -- she is blinding to look upon, a curious contradiction since the hue of her luminescence is a lovely dove gray.

She exhales, stretching her arms.

"...Free at last..."

TO BE CONTINUED

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 |-
 | '''OOC - IC Date:'''<br>
--04-2014 - 12-24-2013
+-04-2014 - 12-25-2013
 |-
 |}

Difference between revisions of "2014-04-04 - Starfall 9"

Revision as of 21:46, 19 August 2016

Contents

The First Act: Everyone, Together

The Second Act: Half The Room vs. The Right Brain

The Third Act: The Other Half Of The Room vs. The Left Brain

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