2013-10-14 - Known Enemy 2 - Heart of Fusion

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Known Enemy II – Heart Of Fusion
Summary: So It Seems This Monster JUST WON'T DIE! >.<
Who: Sakura Akagi, Madobe Kuroi, Rei Fushigiyo, Erika Inagawa, Hisae Misumi, Aimi Saionji, Midori Sugiura, Syaoran Li, Lera Camry, Fuu Hououji, Michiru Kaioh, Suzu Hamasaki, Eri Shimanouchi, Homura Akemi, Sakuyo Izumi, Minako Aino, Minoke Sato with Love Guitar Rod as Fusion and Pink Moon Rod as Heart of Fusion!
Where: Tama Outer City - Nishitama Park District
OOC - IC Date: 10/14/2013 - 10/02/2013



Love Guitar Rod [Admin (S)] has posed:
Over the last week or so, a silver creature has appeared at all three of the major schools across the district; changing its form with each attack received, assaulting people with a violent power...and their own strength turned against them! Always, it whispered, power, more power, more power--

It's after school. Most students are at their clubs or other duties around town; far away from Nishitama Park District.

Then, the sky parts, and a great silver orb SHOOTS out of the heavens, smashing into the park district's center. People scramble for cover. The news is slow to react, but Dark Twitter and Standardbook immediately light up with reports of a meteor.

The mass in the center slowly, centimeter by centimeter, contracts into itself. And five seconds into this process, the ground around it RIPS upward, torn asunder by the emergence of youma! They stomp away from the sphere, sending bystanders scattering.

And then the sphere rumbles, a deep, resonant roar, "Join with me...become one...IN FUSION!!"

There is a sudden wash of terrible light, a tremendous shockwave ripping away from the sphere, kicking up dirt, debris, sending people flying and trees toppling. And in its wake, a wave of inky darkness seeps away from the ball - a thick, molasses-like soup that still travels at alarmingly good speed. Anything caught in it, be it a food cart, a car, or a person, slowly vanishes beneath it, like an ancient dinosaur sinking into tar.

...That was about two and a half hours ago. Our heroes and heroines have battered their way through the tide of monsters, scattering them like petals before the storm, to the center of Nishitama Park District, where the...CREATURE, waits. The central ground is no longer lush and green; cracked, broken, barren earth is all that waits here. The buildings tilt at odd angles. No sign of life whatsoever...the citizens, either fled or taken.

And then, thundering across the sky, there comes...a girl's voice, from a side street off to one side.

"Now listen here, you weird monster darkness meteor," she calls, her voice echoing through the street and, indeed, all of the streets, as she draws closer to the impact site and the expanding shadow hell. "I don't know what you are, and I don't know where you came from, but if you can hear me, I want you to come out here the hell right now, because you and I are gonna have a little Heart to Heart!!"

Diva Heart's defiant challenge echoes through empty streets. Come out. Face me. Face us. "I would like that. Your heart."

The silver orb compresses, a man-sized skin of tightly-packed silver goop. And then from amid the mass, a slender arm erupts, fist clenching with a powerful creak of muscles that don't exist. A second hand, the fingers flexing. Bones that aren't present pop loudly.

A leg, and then another, each eerily slender as it emerges, stomping into the ground. The central mass compresses again, forming a defined shape - a torso, bulky and with the vague shapes of powerful muscles at its center. A thin neck rising up to a slender head, with bulges to suggest the location of ears. A sharp nose, a harsh mouth; eyes like slits, exposing nothing but red.

The figure rises easily to its feet, and then bounds into the air, slamming down on the grass before its crater. It rumbles, stretching out its fist and clenching it tightly in silent threat. Its voice thunders in the heart as much as in the air, a deep, masculine resonance. The sky above roils - long ago overtaken by an unnatural overcast, a thick purple haze over the sky.

"I am Fusion. I have enjoyed learning your powers, and your hearts. Now it is time to end it. Your power, your self, and your world: They will all become one in me."
<<COMBAT>> Fusion transforms into Fusion!



Syaoran Li [Juuban (4)] has posed:
Syaoran Li...got jumped on by a magical girl!

Syaoran Li...is super mature and not going to light her hair on fire later!

Syaoran Li...has spent the last hour getting healspammed by white mages!

Syaoran Li...is bandaged and back in the fight!

Syaoran Li...reacts to the emergence of the source of all this darkness and destruction with the wit and charm that mark the bloodline of the greatest wizard in history!

>:|



Sakura Akagi [Juuban (8)] has posed:
Japanese Cherry Blossom is exhausted from the ordeal of the battles before. But... with her friends around, and luck on her side, she's had a moment to take a breath, and regain some of her magical strength. Meeting new friends... and fighting alongside old ones, has already given her the power to press on and continue.

She takes a breath, looking down the park at the new creatures that are calling for their blood - no, for their hearts. She stands tall. "We will not allow you--"

"To take away people's hopes. To take away their selves. And to swallow their hearts. For all people have their own paths to walk, and their own memories, which are not for you to devour!"

"You'll face..." as pink light builds at her feet, and her hands - "all of us!"



Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed:
Lera Camry was on patrol again, when the sky split open, and a silve orb burst forth from the heavens and struck the ground. In the distance, she stared, seeing the shockwave send things and people flying, and brought a hand up; dust bursted past, while she got a good look at the inky light that resulted. She started running, then.

Now, she pulls back one half of Soaring Sky, the energy blade tearing away from a monster. She takes a deep breath, trying to ignore the devastation so she can focus on stopping more of it from happening. She pauses when the girl speaks, and then she snaps her head to the side. She sees the silver man approaching. Her eyes narrow.

She fights back a sickened feeling as she raises up both energy blades and stares at the silvery figure; at Fusion. "How strong is it, Soaring Sky?"

<INCALCULABLE. BE CAREFUL.>

Lera points up one of the bronze and black swords; the fiery energy blade between the two crackles with light orange lightning, and she grits her teeth. "We aren't going to let you do this to this world! You... you don't have any right to the dreams, hopes, and lives of the people here!"



Suzu Hamasaki [Juuban (8)] has posed:
Despite having fought the silver monster in the past - when it made its arrival at Juuban, on its very first day - Seafoam Suzu was not present earlier. Or at least not present anywhere anyone spotted her; she was not anywhere near Nishitama when it started, but she felt the surge of power in the distance anyway, a terrible thing that felt like broken dreams and bad desires.

So it may be a slight surprise when, late into the fight, a figure appears.

Seafoam Suzu is already 'armoured up', such as it is (there is no actual armour there). Her hair is badly mussed - maybe she ran into some of the youma on the way here, or maybe she just had some /real/ trouble getting here. But she appears in the distance, running flat-out toward the battle at her top speed, arms pumping as she pushes herself.

"I'm sorry - I'm late!" Suzu gasps, slowing down once she gets closer, able to see whatever it is. She doesn't know its name, of course, but she doesn't need to identify it by name to know it's a danger. "But to protect the dreams of everyone here - I will help you!"



Winterberry [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed:
With this...

Suddenly everything makes about two-hundred and fifty more percent than it did before. Winterberry applies one palm to her forehead, gritting her teeth as she looks at the figure before them. "Fu...sion. Heh."

"Yeah, that figures."

"Fusion... by definition, the result of two or more things coming together to form a single entity. The result of all of our magics coming together to form .. this."

Winterberry does not say 'we're boned', but she might be thinking it. "Splash, gather up. This is going to..." Pause. "Be a bit rough, I think."



Erika Inagawa [Juuban (8)] has posed:
Forever Sunshine had found herself a delicious fruit to eat to restore her energy levels and get ready to go home, this problem presumably being nearly solved.

She answers this resulting challenge thus:

"Mfph." *crunch*

Holding the half eaten apple in her mouth, she bounds up to stand to Cherry Blossom's side, crunching loose the piece of nature's candy and declaring towards the creature, this Fusion, "There's only one thing your plan overlooks, dummy!"



Aimi Saionji [Juuban (8)] has posed:
Warm Vanilla Sugar was ready to go home and relax. The roar of the monster however says otherwise though. This is like one of those animes where everyone thinks its the last episode and all is going well, and then the final enemy returns for one last round! She didn't really like when that happened. It would NEVER happen like that in real life. And yet...

So gathering her strength up along with her friends, she follows after the rest of the Perfume Splash Warriors, nodding. "Yeah, but we can do it. There's nothing that we can't overcome as long as we work together. For love, friendship, and justice!"



Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed:
The weather forecast, so far as Fuu was aware, didn't call for meteors today. But then, it didn't call for them when that big blob of silver landed outside Juuban Public School, or on the days that similar objects reportedly landed at Infinity and Ohtori. So that's not much of a guide to go on.

Still, once the archery club has finished up, Fuu headed out towards the park district, wondering what exactly could have happened and what might be going on right now...

Between archery and travel time, it takes her a while, and as soon as Fuu sees the transformed nightmare sky over the park and its surrounding environs, she pulls on her glove-jewel, letting her school bag disappear into it as she starts sprinting.

"Belief becomes power ... ! WINDS! GUIDE ME!!" She actually winds up running *through* the whirlwind that transforms her school uniform into her Magic Knight armor, plum color replaced by green, actual pieces of apparent *armor* materializing across her chest, over her left shoulder, and around her right forearm, and boots replacing her shoes and (apparently) her socks. Finally, the Escudo sword which Presea crafted for her appears in Fuu's hands, and she charges. "I'm sorry I'm late, everyone - and as for you, Fusion-san, I don't intend to become any part of you! Engulf me at your own peril!"



Diva Heart [Juuban (8)] has posed:
Diva Heart glowers in disgust at the giant, totally ripped goo man as she draws ever closer to him, swinging her microphone lazily in her hand. She casually lifts it to her face again when Fusion is finished speaking, and declares, "I already made your little jobber pal partner tap, so don't think I'm going to put you over just because--"

She stops when other magical girls start catching up to her, and turns to scowl at them, stamping a foot in frustration. "Guys, come on! I was here first! It--" Okay they're not stopping. So, with a heavy sigh, Diva Heart tosses aside her microphone (which disappears in a flash of rainbow sparkles) and finishes her advance on Fusion in four bounding steps. She slows to halt a few steps away from the monster, and hunches forwards, extending her left hand forwards and above her head, fingers splayed, in a challenge of a ~*~TEST OF STRENGTH~*~.



Eri Shimanouchi [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed:
Two and a half hours ago, Eri Shimanouchi left a very strange conversation on roses with a very strange girl. Such was her life now.. and then a tremendous shockwave from Tama interrupted her out of her thoughts. "You know there was a time in my life when I would just leave this sort of thing to the authorities." She gives a lopsided smile, chuckling dryly before ducking into an alleyway. Invoking her soul gem, her thorned vine whip appeared within her hands, coiling around her in circular motions as she pirouetted.. and stumbled against a dumpster, nearly falling inside, as she changed from the feet up to the crown of her head. Closing her eyes in embarassment she states, "Well, I don't think that was quite what Tomoe-sempai meant when she said you need to have a sense of style." She looked chagrined, just before she headed to the park district as quickly as she can.

Now, after teaching a few of monsters what it feels like to get punched by a tree(Hint: It smarts.) she'd mostly been conserving her magic on the way here. Doing what she'd been taught. The less used dealing with the small fry the better. The challenge sounds, and Eri Shimanouchi listens to Fusion's reply, "Despicable."

She watches it change into two vaguely man sized figures, giving each an analytical look, as if speculating upon the best avenue of attack. She remembered how the spheres had absorbed her magic from the previous battles, and puts the duo of trees with her back into dormancy, as they root themselves both within a patch of soil away from the battlefield.

She listened to speculation from the other magical girls, before stating, "It might be still within the early stages of its growth. If it can use our magic, then it probably can't use it effectively yet, or will be forced to do so piecemeal, one type at a time. Try to look for openings..." Her voice was mostly cold and analytical, but then it softens, as she states in a worried tone, "...let's all be careful out here. Noone gets left behind!" Inwardly she wished Homura was here. Because.. she probably would know what to do.



Madobe Kuroi [Juuban (7)] has posed:
"Fusion!!" Sweet Pea shouts. "You made a mistake by giving us your name, because now you're no longer an unknown enemy, you're a known unknown enemy!"

She nods once--and then admits, "Uh...so...how do we beat it...? Ahh whatever... we'll find a way!"

Her eyes sparkle. Oneechan is so good at these speeches. She applauds for it politely, spinning her pistols around her hand a moment after. "You'll pay for using adorable egg fairies for your evil schemes!"



Homura Akemi [Ohtori Academy (8)] has posed:
When the massive silvery orb comes crashing from the heavens it sends the conspiracy theorists, the paranormal enthusiasts, and fans of the supernatural up into a furor. Shakey, blurry footage. Hastily produced and typo-ridden reports in 140 characters or less. Pictures of quality almost as bad as the video, and all of this will give the debunkers of the world plenty to work on in the coming weeks.

There were many first responders on the scene. Brave boys and girls, men and women, who put forth the full force of their fighting spirits to force their through the monsters and to the center of the Nishitama Park District. All the while there was one person who was absent: The one who during the battle at Ohtori Academy against the strange creature advised against attacking it. Who, in fact, seemed to know more about the creature than most. Who predicted that it would consume their powers in order to increase its own.

The figure of Homura Akemi stands atop a building overlooking the Park District. Her long dark allowed to blow freely in the breeze. She stands alone...

... though to her eyes there are several figures present around her. One in particular carries some sort of elegant stave or rod in hand and is looking at the sphere off in the distance. "There won't be any need for that." Homura says to herself. For who else could she be talking to? "I will fight it in your stead."

And then in a blink, Homura is gone. She will appear again before long. But where?

Wherever her 'statistics' has determined she is needed most.



Michiru Kaioh [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed:
Michiru Kaioh suspected nearly everyone would be on route to this place.

Michiru was traveling to her afterschool volunteer work when the sky parted, and an orb descended, the tide of monsters spilling from it. Michiru needed a short amount of time to respond to a different threat, before she could make her way here, to the park.

Sailor Neptune arrives. If there straggling monsters, Neptune would deal with them as she sees fit, the young woman stepping up towards the center of the park in her shapely heels, admist the gathering of her fellow soldiers.

Late? Never. Sailor Neptune always arrived exactly when she was needed, the woman narrowing her eyes on Fusion as she approaches the fringes of the group.



Sakuyo Izumi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed:
Sakuyo Izumi has waited.

She has waited too long, it seems; this monster is much more powerful than she anticipated, stirring a great storm over Nishitama. She has proceeded through the crowd of lesser monsters, shifting and blurring in quick steps around their attacks, ignoring them as if they were flies. Her blinkering approach permits her to step forward seemingly from nowhere, placing a hand on Eri's shoulder from behind. Who...?

"This time," Sakuyo says quietly, "together. Alright?"

The girl's not a Tuner anyway, Sakuyo tells herself. She's no competition for the bounty... she'll go with that. She regards Fusion with an impassive glance, her coat billowing in the stormy winds.



Minako Aino [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed:
Sailor V may have been one of the first to arrive, but she intentionally hangs back at a distance for others to catch up and get as comfortable with the situation as a dangerous crashing meteorite alien threatening everybody let you be. She eventually reveals herself by enjoying a languid stroll through the recently ugly-fied remains of the park and positioning herself distantly from the crater, so she can hear (but not really listen to) the silvery enemy. She's more concerned with addressing those others around the periphery of the impact crater who intend to fight.

"Evening, all," she says, adjusting her mask and flicking her hair in an extra-cocky gesture. "Sailor V is here to take charge of the situation! Somebody competent come over here and help me get us organized~" she sings out, raising her voice so it carries over the general din and shouting and background noise of the place.



Midori Sugiura [Ohtori Academy (S)] has posed:
Things had been pretty crazy, and it seems that hings re far from over. She's beeen presed hard but she's still ging however it seems that something else is going on. She looks up at Fusion.

"So that's your game. I have no intention of allowing you to have your way. I am the HiME of the Wind and I will stop your mad plan. If not me many of the others who stand here.

She summons her element again, it bursts out of ground and he takes hold of it.

"So shall we get to it then."



Sailor Sagittarius [Juuban (9)] has posed:
Descending from the sky is everyone's favorite gravity senshi Sailor Sagittarius. She performs a slow descent, upside-down as usual (and as usual, her skirt doesn't flip up or her hair, it's like down is up and up is down for her.) She watches the situation, frowning. "Become one with you? No way in hell. I'll squish you like a grape first," she calls out, as she prepares herself for hopefully a better time in combat.



Heart of Fusion [Admin (S)] has posed:
"Magical girls..." muses Fusion, his blood red eyes somehow flicking across the landscape without seeming to move at all, as they have no obvious pupils, no irises, to track. He seems indifferent to all speeches, or gestures. Power rises off of him like steam, and it's familiar; pink and blue and yellow and every other color between, energy absorbed from countless girls who thought they could stand up against him, and fed him instead. He is more than he ever would have been, because of those... donations.

"I never knew you would come here so quickly... I can save time!" Flexing his immense, rippling chrome muscles, an aura appears behind him -- composed of most every type of youma that has been defeated in Tokyo in the last few weeks, since the Long Dark Night. Since the extradimensional forces of Dark Fall converged en masse.

Is this what was left behind after every such defeat?

"All your power will become mine... you will be one inside of me. Everything becomes one! All the pain that comes from misunderstanding... all your worthless, different personalities... as one, people won't attack you, and you won't have to be hurt! As you hurt now... from each and every small failure in your lives."

He is evidently still fluid in form -- for in an eyeblink, he splits apart into dozens of smaller pieces, then reforms behind and above the group! With a snap of his fingers, purple lightning courses across the assembled warriors, cleaving them in half... and the half closes to him has a second bolt thrown, creating an orb. An orb of darkness.

When the spots of brightness fade from even beyond eyelids, it is clear: they have vanished. They ones trapped within the orb are gone.

But, gone where?



Scene Change Go!



Heart of Fusion [Admin (S)] has posed:
It is not quite black here... it is more purple, a rich, dark color that is thoroughly associated with Trouble, capital T, in so much of the multiverse. There is a great energy trapped in the color, but it is such a vast landscape that it feels more like a great emptiness -- there are no walls, there is no ceiling, just misty violet as far as the eye can see. Endless shadow.

Except below. The ground is truly without color, black as night, black as pitch, ebon darkness. Fusion is here, too, the same deep-voiced being that looks like an off-color Oscar.

"Now... lose yourselves to eternity!"

This time, there's no fingersnap of warning. The ground simply loses its solidity, becoming thick, viscious, sticky... rather like quicksand, albeit without the gritty aftertaste. It clings and tears at all it touches, and those least sure of themselves, it starts to drag down the fastest, for it is the abyss of despair.

Fusion's dark, baritone laughter fills this netherworld as he crosses his arms, arrogantly, to observe what happens next...



Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed:
Getting engulfed like that does surprise Fuu - really, how would it *not* surprise her? - but she recovers quickly, her normally-friendly expression hardening as she raises her sword. "Don't say I didn't warn you, Fusion-san .. and don't assume you can dispose of us that easily! I gained my magic in a world where belief is power, and the strength of one's will determines what is to be ..."

Her sword disappears, replaced by her bow, and she reaches back for an arrow from the quiver that just materialized.

"... and we wouldn't have been chosen for our quest if our wills were weak!" she finishes, drawing the arrow back and loosening it in a shot straight at Fusion's face. No magic (yet), just an arrow full of Fuu's belief and willpower.
<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji has used Basic Archery on Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.



Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed:
<UNKNOWN REACTION! BE CAREFUL! IT IS-->

Soaring Sky's warning comes too late for Lera. Purple lightning shoots past her and she yelps, raising a hand, and then the orb of darkness forms and sucks her into it. The red-haired young woman appears inside, standing on the pitch black ground, and looks up at Fusion. Her eyes narrow, angrily, and then she feels the ground beginning to sag under her, threatening to pull her in.

"Our personalities are not meaningless! What right do you have to come to this world--to say and do such things!" she yells up at Fusion. "Fuu's right! We'll show you what we can do! Soar! And shine!"

<MIRAGE CHARGE.>

A red-orange magical circle appears underneath her, tracing a triangular pattern out. It fires into the air, and a bright red glow appears around her for a moment.
<<COMBAT>> Lera Camry has used Mirage Charge on Lera Camry.
<<COMBAT>> Lera Camry has finished attacking.
<<COMBAT>> Lera Camry accepts Lera Camry's Mirage Charge, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Accelerate and Empower applied to Lera Camry!



<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion fails to dodge Fuu Hououji's Basic Archery, taking 7 Fatigue damage!



Sakura Akagi [Juuban (8)] has posed:
Trapped in the orb, Japanese Cherry Blossom has found herself with her team and friends in this strange, new place.

This is unlike anything in her experience before. She searches her heart to find something similar in her memories but she can't. For a moment, she feels fear.

And then, there is no time for it. The ground beneath her begins to tremble, falling away and becoming tearing sand.

Cherry Blossom leaps into the air. She has to keep jumping, just to keep her feet on something solid, until she casts a quick spell. "Cherry trees - aid me!" A long branch, white, and covered with pink blossoms, appears beneath her feet, stabilizing her. She lands solidly on it, and then looks to her teammates. "Now ... let's make this one count! For everyone's memories!"

She points at the form of Fusion, and creates another cherry branch, reaching up to entangle him!
<<COMBAT>> Sakura Akagi has used Cherry Branch Bramble on Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Sakura Akagi has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion narrowly dodges Sakura Akagi's Cherry Branch Bramble, taking 14 Fatigue damage! Heart of Fusion's Fade ability activates!



Michiru Kaioh [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed:
A moment ago, Neptune was in a park, slowly coming up upon the group that surrounded the attacking creature. And then that display. As that aura was displayed, Neptune takes a step away, curling one hand into a fist as her eyes widen - and then fall to slits, her fist squeezing so tightly her arm quivers.

Her meandering through the group had brought her too close. Neptune, like many others, was trapped by that orb, and drawn... down? No. Neptune glances towards the ground, lifting up a foot - the ground could cling, could grab, could drag at her -the goo lashing around her ankles and legs, even if her descent into it was slow.

"Beauty would not exist without differences - beauty of heart, of mind, or even of form - to destroy our differences would be to destroy what gives us that," says Neptune, eyeing the Heart of Fusion warily. "I am Sailor Neptune! And I fight with elegance!" she says, pointing towards the being.
<<COMBAT>> Michiru Kaioh has used Act With Elegance on Michiru Kaioh.
<<COMBAT>> Michiru Kaioh has finished attacking.



Aimi Saionji [Juuban (8)] has posed:
The Orb of Darkness engulfs Warm Vanilla Sugar, among many others. This is, to say the least, disconcerting to her. She frowns and looks around for the Fusion beast in the darkness.

"Lose ourselves to eternity? That doesn't sound very fun, nor nice. Are you sure you want that from us now?" Warm Vanilla Sugar steadies herself, not letting herself feel the fear. Why should she? She's with her friends. Sure, it isn't exactly a nice place to be at, but she can make do.

"Right Cherry! For everyone's memories! For what this thing plans to do with all of them and everything!"

Warm Vanilla Sugar decides that its time to put her Judo to use beyond just defensive moves. She rushes up at the Fusion beast, trying to slam her right knee into the monster as she adapts what she knows with what she's dealing with. Its tricky now really. The goo certainly doesn't help her in moving around and all either.
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji has used Mae-ate on Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Sailor Neptune accepts Sailor Neptune's Act With Elegance, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Empower and Surge applied to Sailor Neptune!
<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion narrowly braces Aimi Saionji's Mae-ate, taking 1 Fatigue damage! Heart of Fusion's Block ability activates!



Erika Inagawa [Juuban (8)] has posed:
Forever Sunshine pauses, mid-apple bite.

The group is surrounded then, by that dark force, and she feels a cold finger running up her spine. The ground is getting tacky, like slowly melting taffy, threatening to crawl up her sandals. Where would she go from there?

Nowhere good.

FORTUNATELY FOR OUR HEROINES, a recovered memory provides the key. Forever Sunshine raises her hand with its half-eaten apple -- and crushes it! The glucose-rich juice runs down her hand, glittering in the purplish light as it falls. Before it hits the ground, Forever Sunshine blurts out, "perfectpralineprana!!"

There is a scent much like baking apples -- and the converted droplets of molten candy land in the goo, providing enough footspace for her to perch on. Precariously. Fortunately --

"Sweet Pea, can you shoot that thing!? Vanilla, can you like - throw sugar everywhere?! It's super important that you just PUT SUGAR ALL OVER THE PLACE, RIGHT NOW!!" She leans precariously backwards, knees bending. "And as for you, buddy--!"

She points, vigorously, towards the creature, talking fast to hide up uncertainty that threatens to bloom. "You need to stop talking so much trash!!"
<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa has used Tangerine Breeze on Erika Inagawa.
<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa has used Tangerine Breeze on Madobe Kuroi.
<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa has used Tangerine Breeze on Aimi Saionji.
<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa has finished attacking.
<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa accepts Erika Inagawa's Tangerine Breeze, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Surge applied to Erika Inagawa!
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji accepts Erika Inagawa's Tangerine Breeze, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Surge applied to Aimi Saionji!
<<COMBAT>> Madobe Kuroi accepts Erika Inagawa's Tangerine Breeze, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Surge applied to Madobe Kuroi!



Syaoran Li [Juuban (4)] has posed:
Syaoran Li lifts his left arm, covering nose and mouth with his sleeve as the world around him is swallowed by purple shadow. He blinks as the surroundings change, giving the shadows a nervous glance as the baritone chuckle echoes out. The young magus draws in a steadying breath...and then gives the green-clad girl with the bow a capital-L Look. He knows Japanese are formal, but...calling a monstrous dark demon -san?

>:|

And then the ground begins to dissolve into goo, and the young man springs into motion. One of the main advantages of the Eastern School of magic have over their Western counterparts is that they have the ability to weave mana into a wider range of applications than just blasts of elemental force. The flexibility gives them an edge over their more raw-powered rivals...provided the magus in question can prepare the materials needed to do so.

Syaoran saw this trick hours ago. This time, he is ready.

"Ponderati lucem, peregrinatione," he intones, reversing his sword and gripping the hilt in both hands. The blade glows with a brilliant white energy that pushes against the shadows, beating them back with luminescent light. "Ultra ostium, et signa abierunt!" The goo rises up to the young man's ankles, his fingers tightening on the hilt of his great-grandfather's sword, driving it downward as he calls out the final words.

"/Eieci te/!"

The sword stabs into the ooze and discharges the sealing spell down and outward, pushing outward as far as Syaoran's mana can drive it, reverting as much of the goo to solid ground as he can manage.
<<COMBAT>> Syaoran Li has used Sword of Jinglin Li on Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Syaoran Li has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion perfectly counters Syaoran Li's Sword of Jinglin Li, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Critical Counter! Heart of Fusion's Reverse ability activates!
<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion's counterattack, Hyper Absorption, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Syaoran Li!



Madobe Kuroi [Juuban (7)] has posed:
Sweet Pea stirs herself, getting herself up and taking a quick look around. "Ah..? What happened?" She looks to the left, then to the rihgt. "Ah--Cherry Blossom, are yo okay?" She asks as the ground suddenly loses solidity. "Ahh!!" She has to jump ,she thinks, like Mario! She jumps into the air. "Ahhh!" She lands. "Jump!!" She jumps again. "Ahhh!!" And she lands again, this time she manages to not sink in terribly much. Spinning around she swings both guns for the Heart. "Hhnn--here you go!! Sweet Pea... STRIKE!"

She fires two quick blasts. "The power of flowers...are many! You can't eat them all! Our memories are what make all of us different...and that's not bad!"

She pauses for a moment as Erika gives advice. "Yeah!" She shouts. "I can shoot it!"

She spots Li. "Oh!" She adds. "You didn't like kill the little ninja guy! Good job!" She gives Erika a thumbs up.
<<COMBAT>> Madobe Kuroi has used Sweet Pea Strike on Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Madobe Kuroi has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion narrowly dodges Madobe Kuroi's Sweet Pea Strike, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Madobe Kuroi is Psyched! Heart of Fusion's Fade ability activates!



Midori Sugiura [Ohtori Academy (S)] has posed:
Midori Sugiura just got devoured by the goop? She struggled she tried to get out but well it was like a bad monster movie. She was dragged in she doesn't go quietly and Midori has always been a willful woman perhaps this is why she's able to hang on. She's not instantly consumed as she keep trying to move, she knows it may be time to summon her partner soon. This is not the simple Orphan busting leagues at all for her.

She groups the weapon ass she's moving along.

"I saw this in a movie once, but I'm sure your not one for movies are you?"

Midori idly notes as she keeps trying to move froward.

"Do not give in to this thing, we are the only ones who can keep it from consuming everyone and everything we care about!"

Midori seems to mean it too from the sounds it and perhaps she might inspire a few others? Who knows!
<<COMBAT>> Midori Sugiura has used Fires of Passion on Fuu Hououji.
<<COMBAT>> Midori Sugiura has used Fires of Passion on Syaoran Li.
<<COMBAT>> Midori Sugiura has used Fires of Passion on Erika Inagawa.
<<COMBAT>> Midori Sugiura has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa accepts Midori Sugiura's Fires of Passion, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Erika Inagawa is Cheered!
<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji accepts Midori Sugiura's Fires of Passion, taking 0 Fatigue damage!



Winterberry [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed:
Winterberry lands on her feet, her heels clicking on the 'floor' of whatever this world, this place, is. She gives all of the other Splash! girls a thoughtful look, her eyes narrowing as she looks around. "Something isn't right here." She says softly.



Heart of Fusion [Admin (S)] has posed:
Between the idea

Fusion is, evidently, surprised by the temerity of the magical girls; because he moves to contemptuously teleport out of the path of the Magic Knight of Wind's arrow, and when he rematerializes a few feet away, has it sticking straight out of the middle of his forehead. Gooey tendrils, like the eyelashes of an especially disgusting third eye, form and push the arrow further into himself.

And the reality

That mistake doesn't happen twice; Japanese Cherry Blossom's branches are far too slow to envelop his metallic, faux form. Worse, the branches that she summons to stand upon are quickly disintegrated back into the goo, as does Forever Sunshine's candy splatters and Lera Camry's magical circle -- despair cannot be so easily ignored. There are no tricks to avoid what must be confronted. Even Syaoran Li's sealing spell momentarily creates ground... which instantly is consumed by the infinite morass, gone, gone, gone.

Despair is, apparently, really sticky and gross.

Between the motion

So too does Warm Vanilla Sugar's attempt to leverage him off balance fail to do more than merely connect; Fusion glances down at his assailant, then simply flicks her away, fading back into the darkness just in time for Sweet Pea's grapeshot to fly right through the space he had once occupied.

His voice seems to come from everywhere and nowhere -- inside minds, or perhaps more accurately, from inside every heart.

And the act

"You value beauty above the happiness of those around you?" he asks derisively, of those who would act with elegance. "You are a child. You are all children, if you think it is your differences that make the world strong. Look at the suffering those differences have caused!"

With a wave of his hand, ghostly images appear in the purple mist. Some are the same for everyone -- inquisitions and burnings, firebombings and a very specific shape of cloud. There are other, smaller cruelties as well, and these are more personalized; dredging up memories of the times each individual warrior might have been shunned or hurt, or worse, chosen to hurt others, for being different. Large or small, all sins are brought before each heart to be weighed and measured by the harshest judge of all: oneself.

"Within me, there will be no more difference -- no more anger, no more hatred, no more pain. No more suffering."

Falls the Shadow
<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion has used The Black Abyss of Despair on Winterberry.
<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion has used The Black Abyss of Despair on Fuu Hououji.
<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion has used The Black Abyss of Despair on Lera Camry.
<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion has used The Black Abyss of Despair on Sakura Akagi.
<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion has used The Black Abyss of Despair on Sailor Neptune.
<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion has used The Black Abyss of Despair on Aimi Saionji.
<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion has used The Black Abyss of Despair on Erika Inagawa.
<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion has used The Black Abyss of Despair on Syaoran Li.
<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion has used The Black Abyss of Despair on Madobe Kuroi.
<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion has used The Black Abyss of Despair on Midori Sugiura.
<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji narrowly braces Heart of Fusion's The Black Abyss of Despair, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Fuu Hououji is Quipped! Fuu Hououji is Taunted! Blind applied to Fuu Hououji!
<<COMBAT>> Lera Camry narrowly dodges Heart of Fusion's The Black Abyss of Despair, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry is Quipped! Lera Camry's Fade ability activates! Lera Camry's Flash ability activates! Lera Camry is Taunted!
<<COMBAT>> Sakura Akagi fails to brace Heart of Fusion's The Black Abyss of Despair, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Sakura Akagi is Quipped! Sakura Akagi is Taunted! Blind applied to Sakura Akagi!
<<COMBAT>> Winterberry narrowly dodges Heart of Fusion's The Black Abyss of Despair, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Winterberry is Quipped! Winterberry's Fade ability activates! Winterberry's Flash ability activates! Winterberry is Taunted!
<<COMBAT>> Midori Sugiura narrowly dodges Heart of Fusion's The Black Abyss of Despair, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Midori Sugiura is Quipped! Midori Sugiura's Fade ability activates! Midori Sugiura's Flash ability activates! Midori Sugiura is Taunted! Blind applied to Midori Sugiura!
<<COMBAT>> Sailor Neptune narrowly braces Heart of Fusion's The Black Abyss of Despair, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Sailor Neptune is Quipped! Sailor Neptune is Taunted!
<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa narrowly dodges Heart of Fusion's The Black Abyss of Despair, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Erika Inagawa is Quipped! Erika Inagawa's Fade ability activates! Erika Inagawa's Flash ability activates! Erika Inagawa is Taunted! Blind applied to Erika Inagawa!
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji narrowly counters Heart of Fusion's The Black Abyss of Despair, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Aimi Saionji is Quipped! Aimi Saionji's Reverse ability activates! Aimi Saionji's Tactician ability activates! Aimi Saionji is Taunted! Blind applied to Aimi Saionji!
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji's counterattack, Sugary Punch, partially gets through, doing 2 Fatigue damage to Heart of Fusion!
<<COMBAT>> Syaoran Li narrowly counters Heart of Fusion's The Black Abyss of Despair, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Syaoran Li is Quipped! Syaoran Li's Reverse ability activates! Syaoran Li's Tactician ability activates! Blind applied to Syaoran Li!
<<COMBAT>> Syaoran Li's counterattack, Getting Beat Up By A Little Kid, partially gets through, doing 4 Fatigue damage to Heart of Fusion!
<<COMBAT>> Madobe Kuroi narrowly dodges Heart of Fusion's The Black Abyss of Despair, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Madobe Kuroi is Quipped! Madobe Kuroi's Flash ability activates! Madobe Kuroi is Taunted! Blind applied to Madobe Kuroi!



Sakura Akagi [Juuban (8)] has posed:
Japanese Cherry Blossom thought her magic could save her, but, the goo swallows it quickly. It grabs onto her foot, and drags her down... she's now ankle-deep in the muck, and lowering ever slower.

She has a small moment of panic. It's possible after all, that the creature is right... they are, really, just kids. Kids in cosplay, she thinks, suddenly remembering that she has homework to do, that she has tests and school, that none of that will matter if she gets sunk under despair in a boggy otherworld.

For some reason her eyes drift over to Aimi, to Vanilla Sugar. She thinks about her in the classroom, and chatting together. "We can do this," she says, to her friend. "Just... don't let it get to you." They can't fight alone. They must fight together, and, in encouraging her friend, maybe she can also remember her true self, and keep fighting. "Grab for my hand."

She reaches for Vanilla.
<<COMBAT>> Sakura Akagi has used Team Encouragement on Aimi Saionji.
<<COMBAT>> Sakura Akagi has finished attacking.
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji accepts Sakura Akagi's Team Encouragement, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Aimi Saionji is Cheered!



Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed:
A sharp gasp escapes Fuu as though dragged straight out of her lungs and heart, and her legs wobble beneath her as the mist and its images envelope her. But she grits her teeth, drawing another arrow even though the illusions (or, perhaps more aptly, a *very* selective reality) block her view of the Heart of Fusion.

"Perhaps it is our differences which cause suffering," she concedes the point. "But for all people to become one being would also eliminate the goodness that can come from the gaps between us! Because we are different people, we can know the joy of making friends, the greater triumph of cooperating with each other - and our differences let us approach a problem from different perspectives, bringing our unique knowledge, skills, and talents to bear on solving it!" She nocks the arrow, pulling it back as she raises her bow -

With her eyes closed. If she can't trust her vision, she'll depend upon her heart and will.

"That which creates suffering can also create greater joy ... if Hikaru-san and Umi-san and I were all the same being, our friendship wouldn't be so precious to me!!" she shouts, and lets the arrow fly.
<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji has used Basic Archery on Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.



Aimi Saionji [Juuban (8)] has posed:
"Right..." Vanilla says as she hears Forever Sunshine, doing her best right now to deal with the goo, even as it starts to drag her even further. She launches a sugar infused punch into the goo, trying to see what happens there. Not a whole lot it seems, but enough, right? It's doing something, right?

They can't let it though. She is better than this. She knows she is. She has memories... but nothing like this. Its tough, its hard. She's got so much riding on her here. She's got to keep things going. THey're trusting her to be there.

She's being dragged down, but she's not going to let it stop her. She reaches out for Cherry, remembering that they have to fight together, that they MUST do this together. "We can't let it get to us. We can defeat it. We are stronger than this. Especially together." She says, reaching out for Sweet Pea, letting her words flow out towards Winterberry as well.

Come one girls, together. We have to stick together. Our power will combine and keep us in this. Our warmth... our friendship... it will never be beat!"
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji has used Warm Encouraging Love on Sakura Akagi.
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji has used Warm Encouraging Love on Madobe Kuroi.
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji has used Warm Encouraging Love on Winterberry.
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji has finished attacking.
<<COMBAT>> Sakura Akagi accepts Aimi Saionji's Warm Encouraging Love, taking 0 Fatigue damage!
<<COMBAT>> Madobe Kuroi accepts Aimi Saionji's Warm Encouraging Love, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Madobe Kuroi is Cheered!
<<COMBAT>> Winterberry accepts Aimi Saionji's Warm Encouraging Love, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!



Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed:
Lera's eyes glance about. Sweet Pea and Fuu both get quick nods, and then she moves to run in -- noticing that Li is, with his sword, and realizing that he must be one of Earth's mages that doesn't use a Device. She decides to not let an eight year-old look more courageous than her; she takes a look at his traditional outfit, then brings up the left sword first, orange-red magical light trailing after her.

"You, there!" she calls out. "Boy from..." She has no idea where that outfit is from. Lera searches her soul. "...Australia! Let's put him on the barbie and show him what's Australian for justice! I'll go right, you go left!"

As she runs in close, though, she gets a flash of memoies and images. She closes her eyes, gritting her teeth; an argument with her mother comes to mind, the older woman slamming the door in her face, leaving her there staring; quiet, but shaking. Her running falters for a moment.

"Shut up," she snaps at Fusion. "What do you know? Just because people suffer, it doesn't mean..."

She runs in, feet sucking into the dark, goopy ground. She picks up in speed, though, and runs forward in a blur of red light. The left sword trails out to her left; the right extends out, and as she rounds in close to Fusion, she slashes it at his leg. "It doesn't mean we don't know what we want, or that those things don't count!"
<<COMBAT>> Lera Camry has used Strike Soar on Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Lera Camry has finished attacking.



Sailor Neptune [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed:
Sailor Neptune - no, Michiru Kaioh - had had some things she was not as proud of as others. They dance in front of her eyes - between the horrors that mankind in general has inflicted on others, there was the time where she shunned someone as a child - another where she turned her back on someone in order to defeat a youma before it could escape - and the person had paid the price for her action.

"No," whispers Neptune - but what was she denying? Fusion, or her own actions?

A glance to the side, towards the pack of Perfumers finding strength in each other, and Michiru - no, Neptune - breathes out, bringing a hand up to her forehead. "Beauty can bring happiness - beauty can bring purpose to /life/," she says through gritted teeth, clinging to her own thoughts on the matter.

Bringing a foot forward out of the muck, she swipes a hand - and as if to accent her point, a bolt of water leaves her hand, arcing towards the Heart of Fusion - and as it arces towards them, it splits - splits into a hundred different, smaller bolts, those bolts leaving the smell of ocean and sparkles no doubt temporarily in the air.

Neptune could hear violins, in the back of her mind.
<<COMBAT>> Sailor Neptune has used Current Crossing on Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Sailor Neptune has finished attacking.



Syaoran Li [Juuban (4)] has posed:
"Tch," Syaoran Li spits, knees quivering as the magical discharge is apparently swallowed by the void. He grits his teeth and pulls his sword from the ground, the blade's glow draining away into shadow. The young magus breathes heavily - he has been fighting for hours already, first to clear the district of civilians and then against the giant youma summoned by the sphere. His brief (unwilling) nap did little to take the edge off his fatigue. It would be so easy just to lie down. To give up. And then the shadows comes, dancing around him, showing him his flaws, his weaknesses.

It is Fusion's second mistake. Because Syaoran Li, heir to Clow Reed, does not have any.

>:|

Pride pushes the young magus to his feet. He grits his teeth and grips the blade of the First Sword of China in his hands, letting the affront of Camry's words stoke his spirit even higher. "I don't take orders from you," he growls, and then darts left anyway. He hops our of the swirling morass, trailing bits of goop as he goes, leaping up for whatever elevation he can manage. His arms work left and right with every second step, sending a V-shaped beam forged of pure mana ripping across the space toward Fusion with every slash.
<<COMBAT>> Syaoran Li has used Link Is At Full Health on Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Syaoran Li has finished attacking.



Erika Inagawa [Juuban (8)] has posed:
"What?! He came in here too!?" Forever Sunshine says, mid-shockingly-dynamic-pose. "That poor little guy!! He's gonna be in danger!!"

womp womp

Then comes the words of dire portent. Images, visions -

Forever Sunshine's expression empties out. She breathes in as she sees where she pushed other people, where others pushed her, and darker crimes; strange fruit and the bitter subtext of old men's words. Her eyes close.

She forces them open again as she steps forwards, moving along her scattered droplets of fused praline. "Suffering comes out of desire. That's what I got taught. I don't know if you're an alien invader or something but this is gross!!"

She glances for a moment at JCB, Vanilla, and others. Then back at the creature.

"And if you were a boddhisatva you wouldn't be busting up a public park! Humanity ill needs a buddha such as you!!" She's closer now, but, she thinks, there isn't a way to close the last few yards. Poopie. Oh wait, she remembers a moment later:

I'm magic.

She slaps her foot down with a ringing 'thwap' on the goo. There is a vivid tangerine-orange ripple that radiates from the struck point towards, hopefully, the 'Fusion' creature itself - maybe the goo will absorb the scented emanation of purest memory, maybe not. Either way, the tangerine scent erupts with citrusy sweetness towards the thing's lower body.
<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa has used Tangerine Storm on Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion narrowly counters Sailor Neptune's Current Crossing, taking 3 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Sailor Neptune is Psyched! Heart of Fusion's Reverse ability activates!
<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion's counterattack, Your Power Is My Power, partially gets through, doing 39 Fatigue damage to Sailor Neptune! Critical Counterhit!
<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion narrowly braces Syaoran Li's Link Is At Full Health, taking 16 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Heart of Fusion's Block ability activates!
<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion perfectly dodges Fuu Hououji's Basic Archery, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! Heart of Fusion's Fade ability activates!
<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion narrowly counters Erika Inagawa's Tangerine Storm, taking 12 Fatigue damage! Heart of Fusion's Reverse ability activates!
<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion's counterattack, Hyper Absorption, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Erika Inagawa!
<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion narrowly dodges Lera Camry's Strike Soar, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry is Psyched! Heart of Fusion's Fade ability activates!



Winterberry [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed:
Sins of the father...
Sins of the flesh.

Everyone has their own little flaws, their own little faults, their own little issues, and Winterberry knows /exactly/ what her own are, and then she finds out some more of the ones that she has. She grits her teeth lightly, looking up at .. whatever in the world this is.

She shakes her head again.

"I don’t approve." She says, her voice soft, before she flicks her hand into the air, and then she tosses out a very large snowball, one more ice than snow at whatever is.. attacking.

What is it? She's curious.
<<COMBAT>> Winterberry has used Icy Blast on Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Winterberry has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion narrowly counters Winterberry's Icy Blast, taking 12 Fatigue damage! Heart of Fusion's Reverse ability activates! Diversion applied to Heart of Fusion!
<<COMBAT>> Heart of Fusion's counterattack, Your Power Is My Power, partially gets through, doing 22 Fatigue damage to Winterberry!



Midori Sugiura [Ohtori Academy (S)] has posed:
Midori Sugiura is not feeling so good she's not feeling good at all it's hard to keep Midori down, but sometimes one is certainly able to do so. She listens to him as he say what he does it claws at her it's actually slowing her down but Midori hangs on somehow she looks at them.

"No more life...and you speak of children? You should meet my Child..."

She staggers there and slams her pole arm down.

"GAKUTENOU!!!"

There's a strange whistling noise like a warped train whistle and then behind Midori a Tornado forms. One might be able to make out that there is something...there...in the winds as it fade a hulking machine?! Could it be a machine? Or is a monster it's hard to tell but the four legged creature looks at Fusion with a pair of optics. Midori rasps.

"...I never stood alone."

The Creature does not seem happy with what's going on and makes a look to Midori for a moment before looking back. to Fusion. Midori then throws her Labrys like a boomerang as she prepare for her next move. Still can she hang on against the power of this despair?
<<COMBAT>> Midori Sugiura has used Element Toss on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Midori Sugiura has finished attacking.



Madobe Kuroi [Juuban (7)] has posed:
"Tch..." Sweet Pea says as horrible visions are revealed. Pain, suffering, nuclear clouds--plenty of periods when she herself as Madobe suffered, usually through her own insecurities. She sinks into the muck, staring down. Hasn't she ever felt like she could just be like everybody else? Sure, she's felt like that constantly....can she even really fight this kind of belief, this kind of notion?

She takes in a long, slow breath Aimi shouts words of encouragement. She shakes her head quickly, smacks her face twice with her palms, and says, "Stop it with the glass half empty talk!"

She swings both pistols forward, jumping up to get away from more of the muck. "Those things...aren't caused because of the differences between us--they're caused because we can't accept the differences between us! All you're doing is the same thing! A world where we can accept our differences from one another is way way way better than a world in which everyone's the same!"

She is about to fire when she notices Akagi.

She takes in a quick breath as she notices Akagi. "Blossom! Don't give up! You're great as both your selves! And they're different, aren't they?!"
<<COMBAT>> Madobe Kuroi has used Go Hero Protaganist on Sakura Akagi.
<<COMBAT>> Madobe Kuroi has finished attacking.
<<COMBAT>> Sakura Akagi accepts Madobe Kuroi's Go Hero Protaganist, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!



<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion narrowly braces Midori Sugiura's Element Toss, taking 2 Fatigue damage! Pink Heart of Fusion's Block ability activates!



Pink Heart of Fusion [Admin (S)] has posed:
Between the conception

Even as the cloying smog of self-doubt begins to seep its way past the defenses of some of those arrayed against him, Fusion himself is countered with unceasing words of love and support.

His eyes narrow to bloody slits.

And the creation

Teleporting precisely behind Fuu Hououji, her second arrow goes flying off into the misty darkness, and Fusion goes untouched. In turn, he slams a foot down onto her head, trying to bury her ever deeper into the pit. A Midchildan in disguise as an Earthling slashes at his leg, and he can only laugh, spinning around to attempt a roundhouse kick to the head in retaliation.

Midswing, Syaoran Li's mana assault knocks him back, and he frowns, gazing down at the improbably perfect expanse of his chrome pectorals. His eyes widen, now, in recognition of an unexpected truth -- he cannot always absorb the bounty of energy being offered unto him. What went wrong this time? Frustrated, he lets his somewhat disrupted momentum drag him into the boy's path, elbow-dropping even as he passes. Midori's Element bounces off of him, and he hardly slows.

Between the emotion

Forever Sunshine, Neptune and Winterberry, though, are victims to the most terrifying power of all: he simply holds out his hands to embrace the strength of the ocean, the chill of the Holidays, and the warmth of summer memories, and then, slamming them together, returns that energy whence it came, magnified into a crackling violet lightning that torments the latter two even as it burns, then spreads, crackling, to engulf the rest.

It seems he's out of verbal repartee to all of this love-love business. That, or he's incapable of further speech.

And the response

Screaming as the violet lightning rises from his hands to cover not them, but /him/, he creates a sort of infinite feedback loop... and grows.

And grows.

And grows.

Now the size of the Mitakihara General Hospital (think 'godzilla', for those who don't get the reference), Fusion glares down at those beneath him, literally as well as figuratively. He raises his leg, his now ocean liner-sized foot rising up, and up, and up -- but there's still time to strike first --!

Falls the Shadow
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used Argent Fury on Fuu Hououji.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used Argent Fury on Syaoran Li.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used Argent Fury on Lera Camry.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used Palpatine Wishes He Had It This Good on Madobe Kuroi.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used Palpatine Wishes He Had It This Good on Midori Sugiura.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used Palpatine Wishes He Had It This Good on Winterberry.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used Palpatine Wishes He Had It This Good on Erika Inagawa.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used Palpatine Wishes He Had It This Good on Sailor Neptune.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used Palpatine Wishes He Had It This Good on Aimi Saionji.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used Palpatine Wishes He Had It This Good on Sakura Akagi.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Winterberry fails to brace Pink Heart of Fusion's Palpatine Wishes He Had It This Good, taking 18 Fatigue damage! Stun applied to Winterberry!
<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa fails to dodge Pink Heart of Fusion's Palpatine Wishes He Had It This Good, taking 21 Fatigue damage! Stun applied to Erika Inagawa!
<<COMBAT>> Sailor Neptune narrowly dodges Pink Heart of Fusion's Palpatine Wishes He Had It This Good, taking 4 Fatigue damage!
<<COMBAT>> Lera Camry narrowly counters Pink Heart of Fusion's Argent Fury, taking 5 Fatigue damage!
<<COMBAT>> Lera Camry's counterattack, Sentinel Cross, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Pink Heart of Fusion!
<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji narrowly dodges Pink Heart of Fusion's Argent Fury, taking 17 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji's Fade ability activates! Fuu Hououji's Flash ability activates!
<<COMBAT>> Syaoran Li narrowly braces Pink Heart of Fusion's Argent Fury, taking 8 Fatigue damage!
<<COMBAT>> Sakura Akagi fails to counter Pink Heart of Fusion's Palpatine Wishes He Had It This Good, taking 19 Fatigue damage!
<<COMBAT>> Sakura Akagi's counterattack, Blossom Mist, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Pink Heart of Fusion!
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji fails to counter Pink Heart of Fusion's Palpatine Wishes He Had It This Good, taking 22 Fatigue damage!
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji's counterattack, Counterburst, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Pink Heart of Fusion!
<<COMBAT>> Madobe Kuroi perfectly counters Pink Heart of Fusion's Palpatine Wishes He Had It This Good, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter!
<<COMBAT>> Madobe Kuroi's counterattack, Madobe Magic, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Pink Heart of Fusion!
<<COMBAT>> Midori Sugiura narrowly braces Pink Heart of Fusion's Palpatine Wishes He Had It This Good, taking 10 Fatigue damage!



Sakura Akagi [Juuban (8)] has posed:
Japanese Cherry Blossom hears words of encouragement from her friends. She tries to take them to heart. She tries to concentrate on being a good person and accepting that love. But it's... very difficult. Maybe she has spent too much time being unsure of herself to lead a team like this now. She sees the leg raise up, and, in spite of the encroaching despair, she TRIES... summoning a little wind and blast of blossoms...

That's immediately crushed beneath the stomping foot. She feels herself gasping for air. She pulls up, clawing through the goo and trying to stand, but she's submerged almost to the waist now. She feels a tear bead in her eyes.

She clasps her hands together and tries to concentrate. A wind of pink light surges around her, and spirals out, trying to balance her against the darkness. Pink petals form, striking in a wave against the goo. It's a start, but it may not be enough.
<<COMBAT>> Sakura Akagi has used Cherry Desperation on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Sakura Akagi has finished attacking.



Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed:
<DO NOT TAKE LIP FROM HIM. THIS WORLD BARELY HAS TOILETS. YOU SHOULD TELL HIM TO-->

"Sky, /not/ the time," Lera grumps, but there is a hint of real irritation in her voice. She glances sideways at Li, and is pleased to see him shoot left anyways. Maybe they can still do teamwork; teamwork that he may complain about, but if it works...

Her slash lands home, but she has Fusion bareling down on her. The way he spins around seems much too quick; the leg is oversized, especially compared to her fifteen year-old frame, and threatens to do a good deal more damage with that kick than she would care to take. Lera's gold-brown eyes go wide open. "Soaring Sky, we--"

<SENTINEL CROSS.>

She crosses the two energy swords and catches the foot on them, straining her muscles. She is pushed back, feet skidding through the dark ground. Lera looks up, turns, and goes running forward again. Both swords extend to either side as she does, her eyes glance at Fuu. "Hououji!" she calls out, too stressed by battle to remember her suffixes. "Be careful!"

She leaps, then. As she jumps, a circle of crimson light appears on the ground and flashes. She turns around in midair, rotating her body to stab the right sword out. When she gets in close, it flares with a brilliant red light.

<INFERNO SLASHER.>

She slashes the blade across Fusion, hard, shouting with anger and frustration -- and the light explodes in a fiery blast behind her, leaving a line of flame cut through the air.
<<COMBAT>> Lera Camry has used Inferno Slasher on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Lera Camry has finished attacking.



Madobe Kuroi [Juuban (7)] has posed:
"A..ah.... It's Fuzezilla!!" Sweet Pea looks up and gasps and shrieks. She runs away, jumping away from the monster--pausing to glance at Lera's Device. "...Actually, I was always wondering--AHh! OKAY OKAY LATER!"

She hits down and looks up at the EVIL SOUL right there. "Man... That's so big. I...I don't think I fought anything this size before. It'd take..."

She whips out a SOUL CALCULATOR and starts tapping at it. "A lot of Sweet Peas to cover it in flowers! That's for sure!!"

She swings both pistols forward. "W--well try this then!!"

She opens fire with several quick bursts of pink light that will make Fusion, a PERFUME Fusion! Smellzilla! A breath of fresh delights!

"There's hundreds of different perfumes in this world, each a unique and beautiful scent!"

And you can get them all at Bed Bath and Beyond! Bug your parents to buy some for you and if they don't--call them Fusion!!
<<COMBAT>> Madobe Kuroi has used Viewtiful Pea on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Madobe Kuroi has finished attacking.



Aimi Saionji [Juuban (8)] has posed:
Warm Vanilla Sugar tries to throw a burst of counter magic herself at the lightning coming down, but its too little and a bit too late as she gets blasted, her own vanilla scented magic doing nothing to stop it.

"Okay... that wasn't good..." She said. Its really bad. She's not giving up or going out of it any time soon here, but she can't take too many more blows like that or she might not be able to stay standing. And if she falls...

Vanilla shakes her head. No, she won't fall. Her friends need her. She needs them. The people here... everyone...

"We can't give up... not like this. Not at all. You want us to be one with you... well..." Vanilla says, closing her eyes softly and gathering her magic up. She doesn't wait too long, improving on her quick bursts to try and give this one more of a kick, firing it off towards the Heart of Fusion's... face. "Don't expect it to happen!"
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji has used Vanilla Burst on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji has finished attacking.



Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed:
As Fuu trusted her instincts to guide her aim, so too does she trust them when they scream a warning not to stay standing where she is; she flings herself forward, and while she's able to dodge a direct hit from Fusion's foot, the monster still stomps down her back, very nearly giving her a literal kick in the butt, and sending her sprawling forward onto the gooey ground, almost - *ALMOST* losing her bow into the tarlike surface. That also threatens to pull more of her body under as well ... but the pain lets her focus, too.

"IYASHI NO KAZE!!!"

Fuu's left fist clenches, the jewel on the back of her glove glows bright green, and the Healing Winds gust forth - trying to blow away the illusions which cloud her vision, and then blowing further to aid a couple of her allies. She knows she heard Midori's voice, so part of the Healing Wind blows towards her; Japanese Cherry Blossom will be the beneificiary of some of the restorative spell as well. "Thank you," she manages to answer Lera as she gets back to her feet and tries to re-orient herself.
<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji has used Iyashi no Kaze on Fuu Hououji.
<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji has used Iyashi no Kaze on Midori Sugiura.
<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji has used Iyashi no Kaze on Sakura Akagi.
<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.
<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji accepts Fuu Hououji's Iyashi no Kaze, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Fuu Hououji's debuffs are cleared!
<<COMBAT>> Sakura Akagi accepts Fuu Hououji's Iyashi no Kaze, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Sakura Akagi's debuffs are cleared!
<<COMBAT>> Midori Sugiura accepts Fuu Hououji's Iyashi no Kaze, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Midori Sugiura's debuffs are cleared!



<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion fails to dodge Madobe Kuroi's Viewtiful Pea, taking 17 Fatigue damage! Madobe Kuroi is Psyched!



Winterberry [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed:
Scents above, those fusion attacks of energy combined /suck/!

Winterberry takes the hit full on as she tries to brace herself for it, ending up tumbling across whatever this floor is, pulling herself back up to her feet painfully. Hugging herself, she smiles as her friends speak.

What happens is music - but the best kind, acapella, a song, as Winterberry advances forward, her voice taunting and bright as she fights through the extinguishing sparks and bits of pain.

The words she paints are the lack of understanding Fusion has towards their powers, towards what he is doing. In combining them, yes, he makes himself strong, but by virtue of that, the girls and boys each understand their own powers better than he - and that all he will be is an attempted mockery of their powers, a wanna-be, a wish;

He doesn't have the heart for this.
<<COMBAT>> Winterberry has used Song of Ice on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Winterberry has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion narrowly braces Lera Camry's Inferno Slasher, taking 21 Fatigue damage! Pink Heart of Fusion's Block ability activates!
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion narrowly dodges Aimi Saionji's Vanilla Burst, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Pink Heart of Fusion's Fade ability activates!
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion fails to brace Sakura Akagi's Cherry Desperation, taking 17 Fatigue damage!
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion fails to dodge Winterberry's Song of Ice, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Pink Heart of Fusion is Quipped!



Sailor Neptune [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed:
Neptune's eyes widen as the creature just seems to... absorb the energy entirely, taking a few moments to try to wade out of the muck and mire - at least, try to gain a little more headway in her sinking. But she certainly wasn't expecting the counterbolts.

That purple lightning plays over her, causing her to scream out as her muscles contract painfully, Neptune just trying - trying to keep the presence of mind from falling forward into the muck that made up this world. Sadly, she didn't have much of a choice. Landing shoulder-first in it, she twists onto her side, keeping her face clear of the ooze. Trying not to let her hands sink into it, Neptune attempts to use the muscles in her thighs alone to right herself again - and does manage to pry her torso from the muck and mire, even if she was kneeling in it still.

A quick glance to the side, as she hears Fuu's voice, before Neptune's eyes face forward again. Just in time, as well. That giant foot starts to fall down, and Neptune gets ahold of herself long enough, finding a certain solidness in the muck - eyes narrowing as she aims to try to get towards the inner part of the sole. Where it was, perhaps, not as low.

And as she moves, she swipes her hand again, sending more of those ocean powered fueled bolts up towards the foot of the creature. It would be difficult to miss at this range, but to strike something important? Probably less so.
<<COMBAT>> Sailor Neptune has used Harsh Harsh Neptune on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Sailor Neptune has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion fails to brace Sailor Neptune's Harsh Harsh Neptune, taking 30 Fatigue damage!



Erika Inagawa [Juuban (8)] has posed:
Arcing lightning strikes against Forever Sunshine, the reflexive contraction of her magically hyped-up musculature sending her jackfishing up into the air. "Kyahhh!!" she squeals, tumbling end over end before spreading her arms out in a desperate reflex.

In a burst of sandalwood smoke, she comes to a halt in midair.

The thing is huge. She looks up towards herself, but something occurs to her after most of her conscious mind is terrified beyond the capacity of rational thought. Yes: the training of her time in the dojo agrees with the memories of the long-gone princess Sun-on-sails.

That thing is taking way too long to move its foot.

"Stupid creature...!! If you're so perfect, your stance should be better!!" Forever Sunshine cries, realizing her 'air jump' trick is starting to fade. Another jerking leap and puff of sandalwood, and she's twisting around. What is she planning to do? She's pivoting around to draw back her right leg, rising it upwards.

"WAHHHH---"

Tangerine and peony light ripple around her as she flies against the titanic creature. Her target is simple, and she slams her heel down against that single point: the place, it seems, where the knee joint of the creature intersects.

Time seems to halt as Forever Sunshine explains aloud, "When the enemy presents an overbalanced point... you've got to take their leg out from under 'em!"

The magically infused, if essentially conventional, attack continues then. CAN SHE SWEEP A LEG SO HUGE??
<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa has used Freeman Family Secret Technique on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion narrowly braces Erika Inagawa's Freeman Family Secret Technique, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Erika Inagawa is Psyched! Pink Heart of Fusion's Block ability activates! Stun applied to Pink Heart of Fusion!



Syaoran Li [Juuban (4)] has posed:
Syaoran Li gets his great-grandfather's sword in between the chrome titan's elbow and his tender flesh, grunting as the impact still drives him backward. He plants the blade into the morphous stone, dragging it to slow his backward momentum, looking up at...

...at...

>:|

"I am very glad the forces of darkness do not prize anatomical correctness in their abilities," the young magus deadpans as he draws a long paper slip from his pocket. He is nearly out of charms, and at this rate...the paper crunches in Syaoran's grip, nostrils flaring as he exhales forcefully. No use worrying about it, he chides himself - deal with it when it comes. And besides, he thinks as he casts it into the air, it's not like there's reason to hold anything back.

"Kasshin - SHOURAI!" the heir of Clow Reed screams as he attempts to give Fusion a fireball suppository.
<<COMBAT>> Syaoran Li has used Invitation of the Fire God on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Syaoran Li has finished attacking.



Midori Sugiura [Ohtori Academy (S)] has posed:
Midori Sugiura is not going down and she's summoned her chold which is moving into action while Midori is bring pulled down she's sinking lower and lower. Midori's moral is hard to sap and this being is doing it. The Iron Fang on the other hand has an idea of what to do here, and it's head blad snaps back and t moves into take a swipe before it's too late.

Midori on the other hand is not doign as wlel as her child but then wait is that Fuu with her magic has made things at least a little bit better for Midori and with the Iron Fang already going after Fusion she might just have a chance, not that she feels like such right now.
<<COMBAT>> Midori Sugiura has used Blade Swipe on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Midori Sugiura has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion fails to brace Midori Sugiura's Blade Swipe, taking 19 Fatigue damage!



Pink Heart of Fusion [Admin (S)] has posed:
Between the desire

There's real momentum now! Size, it seems, is no indicator of power, as the now-gigantic Fusion staggers back against the combined assault of the joint hearts of nearly a dozen magical girls (and Syaoran).

And the spasm

Japanese Cherry Blossom's wave of energy catalyzes sparkles all the way up his gigantic leg -- sparkles that Forever Sunshine dances across even as she moves in for a leg sweep of epic scope! Sure enough, his knee buckles, though, immense arms windmilling through the air, he refuses to fall completely, instead planting that knee in the goo, hard, and creating a Despair Tsunami all around him.

Between the potency

In this moment of motion, unfortunately, his face passes under where that Warm Vanilla Burst might have taken him right in the kisser -- but right into Sweet Pea's bursts of pink light, which explode in glitter against his inhumanly fabulous cheekbones. Midori follows up with a swipe from Gakutenou, which explodes open a rent in the chrome chin. It starts dripping rather caustic-looking silver slime.

And the existence

And he has no time to defend against Sailor Neptune's torrential fury this time, a cascade of oceanic power opening welts along his chest -- followed immediately by a swordslash inferno, as Lera Camry's brave, soaring gambit strikes true! They aren't taking orders from each other, but Syaoran's fireball strikes at precisely the same time on the opposite side, and the pyrotechnicks are explosive, to say the least.

Between the essence

Yet, the one person who gets a response from him is Winterberry, whose song pierces right towards his lack of a heart. What could he be feeling, he who is composed of naught but leftover youma energy, reinforced by the attacks of the magical community of Tokyo?

And the descent

"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Well, it /is/ a response.

And, at last, the foot does come down; he uses it as leverage for good measure, separating himself from the goop with a monumental, titanic 'plop!', and launching into the air! The pressure in that moment is enormous, but then it lifts, once he's up, up and away...

Falls the Shadow

---

MEANWHILE, FIVE MILES AWAY:

A crowd has gathered on a highway, witnessing the tremendous explosions of power in the heart of the district. They panic; they fret.

"Hurry, hurry, subjects!!" shouts a little fairy king, approaching, raising his staff high, emitting light to guide them from a little fob on the end of it. "We must hurry and distribute these Light to those who witness this mighty battle!!"

"We have to hurry-coco!" a tiny fairy... ...squirrel...maybe... agrees. "Fusion's power is incredible! The Miracle Lights may be their only hope!"

A fairy roughly the size and demeanor of a bear doesn't so much approach as he /appears behind/ a mother and daguther, and he twists one hand open, revealing a pair of tiny trinkets the size of keychains, glimmering with rainbow light. Beady eyes stare at them, asking them to take them.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used The Foot Comes Down on Midori Sugiura.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used The Foot Comes Down on Syaoran Li.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used The Foot Comes Down on Erika Inagawa.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used The Foot Comes Down on Sailor Neptune.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used The Foot Comes Down on Winterberry.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used The Foot Comes Down on Fuu Hououji.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used The Foot Comes Down on Aimi Saionji.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used The Foot Comes Down on Madobe Kuroi.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used The Foot Comes Down on Lera Camry.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used The Foot Comes Down on Sakura Akagi.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Winterberry fails to dodge Pink Heart of Fusion's The Foot Comes Down, taking 20 Fatigue damage! Cripple, Stun, and Trap applied to Winterberry!
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji fails to brace Pink Heart of Fusion's The Foot Comes Down, taking 21 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Cripple and Stun applied to Aimi Saionji!
<<COMBAT>> Syaoran Li fails to dodge Pink Heart of Fusion's The Foot Comes Down, taking 21 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Trap applied to Syaoran Li!
<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa narrowly counters Pink Heart of Fusion's The Foot Comes Down, taking 11 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Cripple, Stun, and Trap applied to Erika Inagawa!
<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa's counterattack, Sunshine Intensity, partially gets through, doing 9 Fatigue damage to Pink Heart of Fusion!
<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji fails to counter Pink Heart of Fusion's The Foot Comes Down, taking 18 Fatigue damage! Cripple applied to Fuu Hououji!
<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji's counterattack, Sword Strike, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Pink Heart of Fusion!
<<COMBAT>> Sakura Akagi narrowly braces Pink Heart of Fusion's The Foot Comes Down, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Cripple and Stun applied to Sakura Akagi!
<<COMBAT>> Sailor Neptune fails to brace Pink Heart of Fusion's The Foot Comes Down, taking 18 Fatigue damage! Stun and Trap applied to Sailor Neptune!
<<COMBAT>> Madobe Kuroi fails to dodge Pink Heart of Fusion's The Foot Comes Down, taking 18 Fatigue damage! Stun and Trap applied to Madobe Kuroi!
<<COMBAT>> Lera Camry narrowly dodges Pink Heart of Fusion's The Foot Comes Down, taking 12 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry's Fade ability activates! Lera Camry's Flash ability activates! Cripple and Trap applied to Lera Camry!
<<COMBAT>> Midori Sugiura narrowly dodges Pink Heart of Fusion's The Foot Comes Down, taking 13 Fatigue damage! Midori Sugiura's Fade ability activates! Midori Sugiura's Flash ability activates! Stun and Trap applied to Midori Sugiura!



Aimi Saionji [Juuban (8)] has posed:
Warm Vanilla Sugar braces herself as the foot comes down doing her best to do so. It doesn't help her as she ends up taking it full force, pain going through her body, and knowing that she would feel that in the morning for certain.

Warm Vanilla Sugar isn't going to bother with saying anythign now. This beast was really beating down on them, and they had to do something. At this rate, they were going to end up losing, and she did NOT want that. She wasn't going to let it happen. She would not fall here and now.

Warm Vanilla Sugar gathered up her courage, her strength, weakness, all of it into her magic, glad she wouldn't have to go too far now. She'd just have to throw the punch and let the magic do its thing. She would not let it beat her down, let her take her down here and now. No... she and her friends... they will win! All of them!
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji has used Can't Keep Her Down on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji has finished attacking.



Sakura Akagi [Juuban (8)] has posed:
Japanese Cherry Blossom gasps as an unfamiliar-scented wind streaks by her. It's enough, though, to give her a fresh breath to cling to. She inhales sharply, and remembers she has a job to do. She can't allow herself to sink entirely into despair and suffering.

"Cherry Tree Magic," she whispers, and hopes it will help, somehow. The branches she summoned before start to twine up from the darkness. They keep stretching to expand. They're searching out for something to hold on to. And with it, perhaps, infuse the monster with that much more of her magic. But she knows her friends will keep at it, even if she's losing hope.
<<COMBAT>> Sakura Akagi has used Cherry Tree Magic on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Sakura Akagi has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion fails to counter Aimi Saionji's Can't Keep Her Down, taking 31 Fatigue damage! Aimi Saionji is Psyched!
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion's counterattack, Semi-Sized Silver Slam, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Aimi Saionji!



Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed:
"After the battle!" Lera answers Sweet Pea.

Fusion brings his foot down, striking into the goop. Lera manages to leap away from it, but not enough. She goes flying into the air from the sockwave, hits the gound, and rolls a few times. She looks up and pulls heself with a yank out of the gloop. She takes a deep breath, the black ooze running down her, and she stares up at Fusion. She wipes at her lip with the fingerless gloves that are part of her barrier jacket, smearing a thin trail of blood on the back of it.

"It's strong," she mutters. "Can we really do this?"

<WE HAVE TO. LOCKING ONTO THE TARGET.>

"I got it, Sky," she answers. She raises the left sword up; the energy blade vanishes, and a magical circle appears between the two bronze prongs, before red lightning leaps between them. Then, a beam of energy fires, shooting through the circle, and up at Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Lera Camry has used Jet Burst on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Lera Camry has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion narrowly dodges Lera Camry's Jet Burst, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Pink Heart of Fusion's Fade ability activates!



Erika Inagawa [Juuban (8)] has posed:
Forever Sunshine slides downwards, throwing her hand down and crying out "PRALINE!" to create a happy platform to land on from where Warm Vanilla Sugar had left streaks of... ... warm... vanilla... you get the idea.

Landing there, she raises her arms up into a defensive poise, looking upwards.

The camera pulls out four different times before the entirety of the creature is brought in frame. As the foot comes downwards, she crouches and throws up both her hands. The foot descends -

And the toe hits an intense glowing plane of prismatic sunlight. "Hwaahhhh.... you... can't... overcome...!!"

The praline beneath her cracks and Forever Sunshine is plowed into the ground, the fractured sugar sweetness around her, at least, keeping her from immediate absorption. The foot pushes downwards further, hiding her completely from view. The shimmering ray of sunlight is shrunken... hidden... turning to one last forlorn gorgeous fiery burst -

Then the creature's leaping up, clear of her.

From her praline-lined hole in the ground, Forever Sunshine calls upwards, "That's right, you better run!!"
<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa has used What's Gooooood?! on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion perfectly counters Erika Inagawa's What's Gooooood?!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter! Pink Heart of Fusion's Reverse ability activates!
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion's counterattack, Your Power Is My Power, bursts all the way through, doing 35 Fatigue damage to Erika Inagawa!



Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed:
Fuu scrambles to her feet again after casting the healing spell - just in time to see a giant metal foot coming down on her. Her bow and quiver disappear in favor of her sword, and she brings it up in a quick attempt to parry -

"Itai - !!"

- only to be smacked back down to the ground, her feet being driven in hard enough that falling backwards hurts *worse*; her ankle is probably sprained at best, and she hopes it's not worse. And panic is starting to sink in - but she grits her teeth, digs her emotional heels in against the despair that's tightening its grip on her, and focuses her will.

Even if this enemy is too strong for her to make a significant mark on, there are other magical girls here - warriors whose powers, as she said, differ from her own; some of them may well be stronger than Fuu herself is. But even if Fuu's combat abilities aren't helping to turn the tide so far, there's something she can do that nobody else here can ... at least that she knows of.

"Iyashi no Kaze!!" Fuu calls out again, focusing her magic and her willpower, and concentrating on three known allies - the young woman who called out to her earlier, the Sailor Senshi of the Oceans, and Warm Vanilla Sugar.

It may not be much, but even a slight advantage - or the removal of a disadvantage - can make a big difference.
<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji has used Iyashi no Kaze on Erika Inagawa.
<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji has used Iyashi no Kaze on Sailor Neptune.
<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji has used Iyashi no Kaze on Lera Camry.
<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.
<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa accepts Fuu Hououji's Iyashi no Kaze, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Erika Inagawa's debuffs are cleared!
<<COMBAT>> Lera Camry accepts Fuu Hououji's Iyashi no Kaze, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Lera Camry's debuffs are cleared!
<<COMBAT>> Sailor Neptune accepts Fuu Hououji's Iyashi no Kaze, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Sailor Neptune's debuffs are cleared!



Madobe Kuroi [Juuban (7)] has posed:
"W...Waaaaaahh!!" Sweet Pea turns and tries to run off. She yelps and jumps and bounces but really it's too slow, the is flung from the cascading goop and flies through the air. "Ahhh!!!" She looks down, "AHHHH!" She looks up. "AHHHHH!" She looks forward and sees some goo in front of her. "AHHHH!!!"

She crashes down and goes under!

And then---pushes up again. "RAAAAAAAAAAHH! ENOUGH WITH THE SHOWING OFF I AM GETTING MAD!" Sweet Pea flails her arms up and down. "Taste flower power!! You'll pay for hurting neechan!! RRRGGH!!"

She pops off flowers, rapidly. Her friends seem to be in dire straits, her aim is a bit to be desired--but she is shooting at a giant monster, that means it's easier to hit! "You'll wish you didn't grow up...!...wards!"
<<COMBAT>> Madobe Kuroi has used Flower Shot on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Madobe Kuroi has finished attacking.



Winterberry [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed:
Winterberry smiles sharply.

She jerks her fist up into the air. "Yes, okay-- got /it/--"

Except then there's ANOTHER GIANT FOOT.

Hisae is momentarily smushed itno the ground, going @___@ as she tries to concentrate again. She gives a low groan.

"Okay, that's annoying!"

She presses her hands together. "Winter, bless my friends and allies..." She whispers to herself. Snow wraps around Sweet Pea, Vanilla, and Cherry Blossom - it is surprisingly gentle, more of a reassuring warmth than anything else.
<<COMBAT>> Winterberry has used Winter's Blessing on Madobe Kuroi.
<<COMBAT>> Winterberry has used Winter's Blessing on Sakura Akagi.
<<COMBAT>> Winterberry has used Winter's Blessing on Aimi Saionji.
<<COMBAT>> Winterberry has finished attacking.
<<COMBAT>> Madobe Kuroi accepts Winterberry's Winter's Blessing, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Madobe Kuroi's debuffs are cleared!
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji accepts Winterberry's Winter's Blessing, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Aimi Saionji's debuffs are cleared!
<<COMBAT>> Sakura Akagi accepts Winterberry's Winter's Blessing, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Sakura Akagi's debuffs are cleared!



<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion narrowly dodges Madobe Kuroi's Flower Shot, taking 2 Fatigue damage! Pink Heart of Fusion's Fade ability activates! Diversion and Stun applied to Pink Heart of Fusion!



Sailor Neptune [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed:
Between all of the young women here - Sailor Neptune knew very very few of them.

That certainly did not help the ever-encroaching despair dancing at the back of her heart any.

The wind blows - and it wasn't the sort of wind that normally put Michiru's guard up - it was a gentle, healing wind - and Michiru casts a look over towards Fuu once more, a little smile dancing at the edges of her lips.

She may not know many of the people here, and indeed, her values may put her at odds with many of the others here - but there was something that was universal between them all. Neptune bobs her head in a nod to Fuu, breathing in a deeper, stronger breath - she wasn't altogether certain how they were going to win.

She just knew they must. To punch something so large was silly, but Neptune was starting to feel that the size really didn't matter here. They were in a place of the unreal, a place where this fusion held power over despair.

So she must not do that. What hope she had remaining, she allows to flourish within herself, and leaps forward, striking at the underside of the foot before it takes off, hoping to rattle the creature - if nothing else.
<<COMBAT>> Sailor Neptune has used Ocean's Flowing Strike on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Sailor Neptune has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion narrowly braces Sailor Neptune's Ocean's Flowing Strike, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Pink Heart of Fusion's Block ability activates! Exhausted applied to Pink Heart of Fusion!



Midori Sugiura [Ohtori Academy (S)] has posed:
Gakutenou whines again and prepare for another attack it's back legs turn into wheels and leave a spot where Midori can manage ot barely get aboard. She's now in place. She's feeling worse and worse, it's hard to keep going but she's putting one foot infront of theo ther somehow but she enures it.

"Gakutenou! NOW!"

The creature moves and angles it's right wheel as it starts to rapidly spin up. Why? She's trying to form a minature tonrande to cause issues for Fusion which hopefully might...set things up for her allies, but with how she's feeling she's not sure how much it will do.
<<COMBAT>> Midori Sugiura has used Tornado on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Midori Sugiura has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion narrowly dodges Midori Sugiura's Tornado, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Pink Heart of Fusion's Fade ability activates! Trap applied to Pink Heart of Fusion!



Syaoran Li [Juuban (4)] has posed:
Syaoran Li's legs shake as mana pours out of his body, and he sucks in a steadying breath. That was his last good shot, and he's down to his blade and a single, solitary wind charm...and the monster shows no signs of ceasing its assault. He digs in his pocket for his final talisman, then does so more rapidly as the foot thunders down. "Fuuka--"

*100*

The young man lies face-down on the stone, surrounded by a slowly-growing morass of roiling ennui. That's it, then, he thinks sadly. He walked into this district with dozens of the charms his family uses to call upon their powers, but in the hours since he has used them all. A ghost of a smile haunts the magus's face. Syaoran Li is nothing if not proud of his own abilities, but even he is impressed that he has managed to last this long. It's up to the magical girls not, as much as it hurts him to think. He's done all he can.

Except...he hasn't.

Syaoran's lips tighten. He can feel the power of his bloodline stirring in his veins, however languidly. He has long since surpassed the limits of most mortal mages, but the heir of Clow Reed has energy yet to give. He simply does not have the means with which to deliver it.

Except...he does.

The young man's lips peel back from his feet, hints of crimson tinting the white of his teeth. His arms shake as he pushes himself to his knees, then slowly, wearily to his feet. His body sways as he straightens, blinking owlishly at the blade of his great-grandfather. Eastern Mages often use talismans such as this to invoke their magic and summon or activate constructs and spirits. The jian of Jinglin Li, the man once known as China's First Sword, is a particularly powerful artifact. But without the charms, it is useless to him. He sheathes it carefully across his back. He then reaches into his pocket and pulls out what appears to be...a small stick with a yellow star taped to the end of it. Syaoran pants as he regards it, then gathers his will.

And forgets everything he knows about magic.

The divisions between Eastern and Western magician are more than simple choice of tools. The two schools are diametrically opposed to each other - the East channels mana into external objects, drawing the immaterial into the material. The West uses incantations to unlock the body's mana circuits, use them to amplify and channel local elemental sources and direct them using the mage's own body as a medium. They are different as night and day, black and white, and in the history of the magical world only a few have managed to practice both. Only one has managed to fuse them, and in so doing created levels of mastery previously unknown. The man's name was Clow Reed.

Syaoran Li's greatest regret is that none of the idiot girls around him have any idea how awesome he is right now.

"/Tel ma amoris ta!/"

The young man snarls, pain evident on his face as he forces his mana down less efficient paths, tearing new channels within himself as he does so. "Coèuntes, sagittent inimicum meam!" he calls out, lifting his right hand upward, blue-white energy beginning to gather in his palm. "Vinculum facti, inimicum capient. Sagitta Magica," he shouts, then thrusts the hand forward. "AERIS CAPTURAE!"

A single magic arrow flies at Fusion's face, where it explodes in a burst of wind. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
<<COMBAT>> Syaoran Li transforms into Western Mage!
<<COMBAT>> Syaoran Li has used Sagitta Magica Aeris Capturae on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Syaoran Li has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion fails to brace Syaoran Li's Sagitta Magica Aeris Capturae, taking 0 Fatigue damage!



Pink Heart of Fusion [Admin (S)] has posed:
For Thine is

A FEW MOMENTS AGO

Forever Sunshine tries to defend herself with a shimmery burst of sunlit magic. It gets sucked dry into Fusion's big toe like so much anti-toejam cream, but all things considered that may be better than nothing. Sailor Neptune's parting shot does somewhat more damage, scouring against his heel -- it isn't achilles, per se, but it certainly does leave roughness in its wake.

Life is

THEN

Fusion is high above the group, but not high enough to avoid Warm Vanilla Sugar leaping up to punch him -- he tries to block with a punch of his own, and the cracking sound as she seems to simply punch through his fist, ending up on his shoulder, is stunning to behold.

"WHAT?!" he yells, infuriated. Leaning back, he narrowly avoids Lera Camry's enormous beam of energy, then has to veritably dance to get out of the way of still more of Sweet Pea's flowers. These seem to distract him, as he sneezes when they get too close. Allergic to flower power? Seems likely. Midori's Child tosses him furhter into the air, in a dizzying tornado, into which Syaoran Li's wind arrow penetrates and explodes!

In that moment of diversion, Japanese Cherry Blossom's trees start to find purchase on his limbs, grasping and gnarling their way around his ankles, binding him to the earth. With a distasteful howl he rips free, but not before they've pumped still more of her energy into him. What had been an insatiable hunger is now more of an infection.

For Thine is the

NOW

Pink light starting to bleed from his eyes, Fusion bellows, "ENOUGH!!"

And it is.

As he begins to despair, the infinite cauldron of black goo responds... boiling and thrashing, seeking to drown the girls within its depths! But so does it rise to embrace Fusion... wiping away the impurity of purity, steam rising off of his every curve and camber. His dark perfection has yet to emerge, but it is sure to be greater and more terrible before when it does.

ALSO

Meanwhile, on that far-off highway, the fairy mass meets up with panicking, fretting humans, and are met with the bemused acceptance of someone who is watching an evil god fighting seven magical girls so far away that most of what's visible is the light of their power.

"Don't cry-kuru!" a cute little fluffball assures a small child, and plucks two Miracle Lights from nowhere. "Those girls are fighting for you, too-kuru! Smile-kuru!" She offers it to the weeping little boy, who seals his lips shut despite the flow of fearful tears.

"Everyone take one-mepo!" shouts a pot-bellied little fairy with odd marks on its face, waving a wicker basket full of tiny lights. "Hold it close to your heart-mepo!" "And feel the light inside you-mipo!"

A bawling baby soon comes face-to-face with the merry smile of what appears to be a flying teddy bear, waving its fob and its little light. The baby sniffles loudly, and reaches out for the baby teddy bear's light. There is a brief tug-of-war, before a ferret is lifted up to the mother's shoulder by the invincible, and also invisible, duo of a THIRD baby, and also an athlete. The ferret drops a light into the human child's hands, and says to his mother, "Don't you worry none, lady. Those girls, they don't give up easily!"

He clenches a ferret fist, which is a thing that does not ordinarily exist. "Believe in them...we have to believe in them!"

All across the city, fairies -- and hopeful citizens, led by them, start to scream and shout:

"GIVE THE MAGICAL GIRLS POWER! GIVE THE MAGICAL GIRLS POWER!"

And the little lights in their hands, tiny pink sticks with goofy lights on the end, explode into a rainbow so tremendous that it even enters Fusion's heart, surrounding and suffusing everyone with the feeling of a miracle.

When tiny puffballs wish for hope, it's among the greatest powers in any world.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used Despair Falling on Aimi Saionji.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used Despair Rising on Midori Sugiura.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used Despair Rising on Erika Inagawa.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used Despair Rising on Sakura Akagi.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used The Black Abyss of Despair on Fuu Hououji.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used The Black Abyss of Despair on Lera Camry.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used Despair Falling on Syaoran Li.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used The Black Abyss of Despair on Sailor Neptune.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used Despair Falling on Winterberry.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used Despair Falling on Madobe Kuroi.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Midori Sugiura fails to brace Pink Heart of Fusion's Despair Rising, taking 20 Fatigue damage! Midori Sugiura is Quipped!
<<COMBAT>> Lera Camry narrowly dodges Pink Heart of Fusion's The Black Abyss of Despair, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Lera Camry is Quipped! Lera Camry's Fade ability activates! Lera Camry's Flash ability activates! Lera Camry is Taunted! Blind applied to Lera Camry!
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji narrowly braces Pink Heart of Fusion's Despair Falling, taking 7 Fatigue damage!
<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa narrowly dodges Pink Heart of Fusion's Despair Rising, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Erika Inagawa is Quipped! Erika Inagawa's Fade ability activates! Erika Inagawa's Flash ability activates!
<<COMBAT>> Madobe Kuroi narrowly dodges Pink Heart of Fusion's Despair Falling, taking 15 Fatigue damage! Madobe Kuroi's Flash ability activates!
<<COMBAT>> Syaoran Li narrowly counters Pink Heart of Fusion's Despair Falling, taking 15 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Syaoran Li's Reverse ability activates! Syaoran Li's Tactician ability activates!
<<COMBAT>> Syaoran Li's counterattack, Not In The Face, partially gets through, doing 2 Fatigue damage to Pink Heart of Fusion! Critical Counterhit!
<<COMBAT>> Sakura Akagi narrowly braces Pink Heart of Fusion's Despair Rising, taking 10 Fatigue damage! Sakura Akagi is Quipped!
<<COMBAT>> Sailor Neptune narrowly dodges Pink Heart of Fusion's The Black Abyss of Despair, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Sailor Neptune is Quipped! Blind applied to Sailor Neptune!
<<COMBAT>> Winterberry fails to dodge Pink Heart of Fusion's Despair Falling, taking 21 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji accepts Pink Heart of Fusion's The Black Abyss of Despair, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji is Quipped! Blind applied to Fuu Hououji!



<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used MIRACLE LIGHTS! on Syaoran Li.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used MIRACLE LIGHTS! on Midori Sugiura.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used MIRACLE LIGHTS! on Sailor Neptune.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used MIRACLE LIGHTS! on Winterberry.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used MIRACLE LIGHTS! on Madobe Kuroi.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used MIRACLE LIGHTS! on Erika Inagawa.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used MIRACLE LIGHTS! on Lera Camry.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used MIRACLE LIGHTS! on Sakura Akagi.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used MIRACLE LIGHTS! on Aimi Saionji.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has used MIRACLE LIGHTS! on Fuu Hououji.
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Winterberry accepts Pink Heart of Fusion's MIRACLE LIGHTS!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Accelerate, Empower, Surge, and Withstand applied to Winterberry! Cleanse! All of Winterberry's debuffs are cleared!
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji accepts Pink Heart of Fusion's MIRACLE LIGHTS!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Aimi Saionji is Cheered! Accelerate, Empower, Surge, and Withstand applied to Aimi Saionji! Cleanse! All of Aimi Saionji's debuffs are cleared!
<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa accepts Pink Heart of Fusion's MIRACLE LIGHTS!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Accelerate, Empower, Surge, and Withstand applied to Erika Inagawa! Cleanse! All of Erika Inagawa's debuffs are cleared!
<<COMBAT>> Madobe Kuroi accepts Pink Heart of Fusion's MIRACLE LIGHTS!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Madobe Kuroi is Cheered! Accelerate, Empower, Surge, and Withstand applied to Madobe Kuroi! Cleanse! All of Madobe Kuroi's debuffs are cleared!
<<COMBAT>> Syaoran Li accepts Pink Heart of Fusion's MIRACLE LIGHTS!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Syaoran Li is Cheered! Accelerate, Empower, Surge, and Withstand applied to Syaoran Li! Cleanse! All of Syaoran Li's debuffs are cleared!
<<COMBAT>> Sailor Neptune accepts Pink Heart of Fusion's MIRACLE LIGHTS!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Accelerate, Empower, Surge, and Withstand applied to Sailor Neptune! Cleanse! All of Sailor Neptune's debuffs are cleared!
<<COMBAT>> Sakura Akagi accepts Pink Heart of Fusion's MIRACLE LIGHTS!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Accelerate, Empower, Surge, and Withstand applied to Sakura Akagi! Cleanse! All of Sakura Akagi's debuffs are cleared!
<<COMBAT>> Lera Camry accepts Pink Heart of Fusion's MIRACLE LIGHTS!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry is Cheered! Accelerate, Empower, Surge, and Withstand applied to Lera Camry! Cleanse! All of Lera Camry's debuffs are cleared!
<<COMBAT>> Midori Sugiura accepts Pink Heart of Fusion's MIRACLE LIGHTS!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Accelerate, Empower, Surge, and Withstand applied to Midori Sugiura! Cleanse! All of Midori Sugiura's debuffs are cleared!
<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji accepts Pink Heart of Fusion's MIRACLE LIGHTS!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Accelerate, Empower, Surge, and Withstand applied to Fuu Hououji! Cleanse! All of Fuu Hououji's debuffs are cleared!



Syaoran Li [Juuban (4)] has posed:
Syaoran Li...blinks. And then lifts his hands to the heavens and screams.

"I AM NOT A MAGICAL GIRL!"

>:(
<<COMBAT>> Syaoran Li has used >:( on Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Syaoran Li has finished attacking.



Sakura Akagi [Juuban (8)] has posed:
For Sakura Akagi, the bottom is about to drop out. She feels a wash of despair take over her once again. There is... just the slightest bit of hope, from Winterberry's strangely comforting, cool breeze... that keeps her awake. It keeps her from falling down entirely. It gives her just enough hope, just enough to breathe, to soak in the smell of perfume in the air. Throughout all of the despair...

It comes. The blackness washes into her. She embraces it because she has no choice. Tears flow freely from her eyes now. She feels sick, tired, near death, near hopelessness. For a moment that lasts forever she sinks into it. She feels all of her memories begin to wash away.

And yet there is still that light. Someone out there is praying. She can almost hear the voices now, the echo from so far away, of strangers with bright souls giving her their strength. The voices...

She will not be forgotten.

Her eyes open, and light begins to glow from her heart. Her mouth speaks words outside of this world. Words from the past.

"Your power carries a dark scent with it. We will ... join together, and heal this tainted heart. This world... My friends...."

"Will not fall to despair!"

Japanese Cherry Blossom pulls herself up into the air, away from the muck and darkness. She's not sure how she is doing it, but the words are coming. She brings her hands to her chest. She presses her palms together, fingers up. A wave of pink petals builds around her. The light starts at her feet, whips her skirts, and then, billows her sleeves with wind. The scent of springtime courses through the pink-white glow, as petals form floating in the air.

"NOW, TOGETHER."

"CHERRY BLOSSOM--"

"FRAGRANCE FUSION!"
<<COMBAT>> Sakura Akagi has started a combo targeting Pink Heart of Fusion!



Aimi Saionji [Juuban (8)] has posed:
The Fusion Monster tries so hard. It tries to throw Warm Vanilla Sugar into further despair. It won't work. She's too far now. She knows what she has to do now. Warm Vanilla Sugar lands and joins back up with the rest of Perfume Splash. The time has come. She only knows vaguely of what is to come. Its there, in her memories. She knows what she has to do. She pulls out her bottle of perfume, holding it her left hand.

"We'll heal the dark scent of your heart... WARM VANILLA SUGAR..." She calls out, joining in with the rest of the Perfume Splash as they unleash their teamwork, their friendship, their love, their power. It all gathers on one point as the girls prepare to unleash the biggest lovebeam they can make, powered even further by the folks cheering and wishing them on from outside.

"FRAGRANCE FUSION!"
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji has joined the combo started by Sakura Akagi!



Madobe Kuroi [Juuban (7)] has posed:
Sweet Pea flips away from the bubbling blew, bouncing up and down like she was having a Tigger Moment. It's really tiring, but she manages to keep herself from drowning in despair--both the liquid kind and the psychological. Panting for breath, she points her pistols towards Fusion. "You can't just experience all our memories, our powers, and hope to be everything! And if you think you can just chow down on it and understand us, you're quite mistaken! We'll shatter your illusion here and now!"

Sweet Pea drops down, landing near her sister--even as the hopes and cheers of tiny little puffballs enters her heart. She has never been so sure of anything in this moment. Even after this moment, the clarity will fade. But in this moment...

"Right!" Sweet Pea nods to Sakura, drawing up her perfume bottle and holding it into the air. "TOGETHER!"

"SWEET PEA..."

A sweet smell of sweet peas ripples around her body, whisping her skirt and vest--her hair bobbing as a hot pink light ripples around her, coalescing and swarming with the others to a new, unique and powerful scent. Sweet Pea petals ripple around her in a flurry.

"FRAGRANCE FUSION!"
<<COMBAT>> Madobe Kuroi has joined the combo started by Sakura Akagi!



Sailor Neptune [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed:
It was a struggle enough to just stay... above water, to stay above the black goo without it starting to boil and thrash as it does. Blackness stains her, stains her fuku, drawing her deeper into the morass of ooze. And she could feel her spirits sink further. But Michiru wasn't quite done yet.

A grimace passes across her features - the things in her life she found beautiful - art, love, relationships - their beauty seemed less distinct in these moments. But some part of her was gritting its teeth, and fighting on. And it was that part of her that seemed to be emboldened by the lights of miracle wishes.

It was as if someone erected an emotional bulwark in her heart. Michiru stands admist the thrashing of the monster's despair, and lifts her hands, calling the tide. To wash her mind free with the sound of the ocean, and to hammer the creature alongside the other attacks that were happening.

There was hope again, even if just a little.
<<COMBAT>> Sailor Neptune has used Unrelenting Tide on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Sailor Neptune has finished attacking.



Erika Inagawa [Juuban (8)] has posed:
Nothing works. Forever Sunshine gazes upwards, towards the titanic thing, her lips parting as the goop around her is blown aside by the force of the thing's counterattack. She is laying on the ground; she can't remember where she got there. Everything's -

Is this -

Words ring out, and a scent of springtime.

Her memories know what to do. Forever Sunshine raises a hand upwards, curled into a loose fist - one of salute more than anger: "We'll heal the misguided ways in your heart! Forever Sunshine!"

The hand opens, forming an open palm. Divine fragrance radiates out from it - tangerine, praline, peony, sandalwood all joining the splendor. "Fragrance Fusion!!"
<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa has joined the combo started by Sakura Akagi!



Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed:
Lera looks up at Fuu, surprised when the light washes over her. She looks at Fuu and nods, quickly, before she looks back at Fusion. It makes her feel better, stronger, and gives her a moment of courage.

It gets shout of her a moment later; the black liquid rises up above her, quite literally drowning her in despair. She gasps and clutches at the air, and then she begins to sink into it. She gasps desperately until, finally, there is a bright light in the distance. She blinks her eyes -- grits her teeth -- and then she launches forward, tearing out of the shadow and rising back up towards Fusion. Both swords glow brightly, their red light trailing after.

"You have a lot of nerve! Thinking you can absorb us, without knowing what we can do!" she yells. "Soaring Sky! NOW!"

A red magical cicle traces through the air in front of her; the complex array of triangles finishes tracing out just as she shoots through it.

<COMBINATION CRUSADE.>

She swings her left sword out in front of her, and pivots in midair, striking it across Fusion's waist; then, she turns and stabs the right in at it, before she swings both up, simultaneously, in an X pattern in front of her. She twists around, kicking at Fusion's stomach, and then leaps off /nothing/ to stab the right sword at Fusion.

The sword comes in close -- and explodes with a fiery beam that shoots at Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> FINISHER! Lera Camry has used Combination Crusade on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Lera Camry has finished attacking.



Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed:
The despair rises. Literally, it rises up to engulf and swallow the Magic Knight of Wind - and given that she'd been taken off her feet and couldn't get back to a standing position at that point, she disappears under the dark mire faster than most of the others.

But then .... a miracle, in the truest sense, as the fairies and the inspired citizenry counter Despair with Hope, driving it away physically and spiritually. As Fuu manages to stand up - even though she has to use her sword to support herself; she still doesn't trust her ankle - she feels her will burning anew; how can she answer such brilliant Hope but to try and fulfill the other half of the miracle that's been called forth?

"Even the darkest storm must be blown away to reveal the clear, bright sky, and there's no stench of evil or corruption that can't be dispersed by a strong, pure wind!" Fuu calls out, gathering her power and using her right hand on her sword's hilt to support herself, her left hand coming up as the glove-jewel shines with magic and power. "MIDORI NO SHIPPUU!!!"

She gestures with her left arm, calling up the tempest itself and unleashing the full wrath of her Emerald Typhoon at the monstrous form of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> FINISHER! Fuu Hououji has used Midori no Shippu: Full on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.



Midori Sugiura [Ohtori Academy (S)] has posed:
Midori Sugiura is nearly at the edge of despair, she's been pressed so hard she wonders just what she can do. The iron Fang makes that noise again.

"Your right..."

She intones to her partner then sh feels something, as if she heard the sound Mepo. She shakes head head a little bit. She feels something, she feels something and she looks up and then she smirks.

"You ready, Gakutenou?"

It nods it's head once and levels it's spear like forehead at Fusion.

Midori calls out.

"So long as you’re alive there as hope, and we are the ones who can protect others from beings like you. You want a world with no joy, no happiness no life! I will not let you do that. I will not let you hurt those who mean the most to me!"

The Child's thrusters, yes it had thrusters power up and flare up with a good deal of power. As the blue fire start to burst from the thrusters, as it drives towards fusion

"SPIRAL....DASH!!!"

An energy field envelops the Iron Fang and Midori as she charges on right at fusion. Midori is not going to stop, nay she's going to go right on through it. If she manages to pull this oft the Iron Fang will try to either run over or go right through fusion and keep on going.

"This is where your insanity ENDS! WHEN EVIL RISES WE WILL WILL APPEAR TO STOP IT!"
<<COMBAT>> FINISHER! Midori Sugiura has used Spiral Dash Attack on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Midori Sugiura has finished attacking.



Winterberry [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed:
Ah-- what is this?

Winterberry smiles as everyone else seems to be coming together. She makes a mental note to hit the magical history books at school at a later point, after homework later. She pushes a hand to her heart, one that is followed by her second one, wide open.

"Winterberry..."

She realizes the irony of the second half of this phrase, nad can't help but smile wider. It's practically perfect. A soft scent of the winter berries - black alder holly, evergreen, and the like, and she gets wrapped around in her own snow storm, a light, playful one.

"FRAGRANCE FUSION!"
<<COMBAT>> Winterberry has joined the combo started by Sakura Akagi!



Sakura Akagi [Juuban (8)] has posed:
The perfume scents all combine, as the Perfume Splash! girls bring every bit of their abilities to bear against the Heart. The scents mingle and twist into one form now as the powers grow.

All of them seem to know what to do. It's an instinct, a memory. They shout at once to finish the attack:

"GOLDEN SUGAR -- SCRUB!"

The power of fragrance becomes a blazing light. The light then splinters into a million shards, glowing, golden sugar. Every shard is a gem of mighty power. They spiral, stream, and pour themselves forward, into the Heart of the beast.
<<COMBAT>> COMBO! FINISHER! Sakura Akagi, Madobe Kuroi, Aimi Saionji, Erika Inagawa, and Winterberry have used Fragrance Fusion Golden Sugar Scrub on Pink Heart of Fusion.
<<COMBAT>> Sakura Akagi has finished attacking.
<<COMBAT>> Madobe Kuroi has finished attacking.
<<COMBAT>> Aimi Saionji has finished attacking.
<<COMBAT>> Erika Inagawa has finished attacking.
<<COMBAT>> Winterberry has finished attacking.



<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion fails to dodge Sailor Neptune's Unrelenting Tide, taking 28 Fatigue damage! Stun applied to Pink Heart of Fusion!
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion fails to dodge Fuu Hououji's Finisher, Midori no Shippu: Full, taking 50 Fatigue damage!
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion fails to brace Midori Sugiura's Finisher, Spiral Dash Attack, taking 172 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion narrowly dodges Lera Camry's Finisher, Combination Crusade, taking 69 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Pink Heart of Fusion's Fade ability activates!
<<COMBAT>> Pink Heart of Fusion fails to brace Sakura Akagi, Madobe Kuroi, Aimi Saionji, Erika Inagawa, and Winterberry's Finisher, Combo: Fragrance Fusion Golden Sugar Scrub, taking 639 Fatigue damage! Pink Heart of Fusion is unable to keep fighting!



Pink Heart of Fusion [Admin (S)] has posed:
Alas for Syaoran Li, not one of the club; even so, his glare of defiance joins the general vibe as the magical girls unite, one and all, refusing to be drowned in despair or sunk by impossible odds.

Sailor Neptune calls the tide, and with it comes tremendous power -- the sea can be slowed, it can be dragged at, it can be chopped apart by rocky teeth, but it cannot be stopped, and it plows against Fusion, knocking him off balance.

As he falls back, Lera Camry is there, there with her energy swords, united in determination with her Device to show the world what Midchildans are made of. And so she carves a grand X, marking the spot before detonating with a beam wider than she is tall, and it punches straight through the chrome mass, leaving fire and brimstone to pour out the other side...

Just in time for Midori, riding the grand Child Gakutenou, to plow through Fusion from the opposite direction! There is an enormous roar as the spiral of red and yellow energies drills from shoulder towards the base of where his spine would be, if he had real musculature, and she emerges goopiless and triumphant!

Fuu can scarcely stand, but that does not stop her from adding her heart's hope to the fight -- the winds erupt, crashing against Sailor Neptune's tsunami. Combined, they are a freezing typhoon, one that scratches and cuts with a million diamond-like shards of stormtossed sea ice.

And from the five cardinal points of a star, beams of light rise, buoyed by the strength of the Miracle Lights. Petal pink, warm yellow, citrus orange, berry blue, sweet rose... pillars channeling the energy of love and life, the power of good memories. Memories that arise only when different people from all walks of life come together, with their hearts as one.

'Beam' is inadequate to describe the cosmically vast golden explosion that follows; the backblast is enough to bowl everyone off their feet, and onto... the grass? Yes, for everything that the combined radiance touches -- the Perfume Splash warriors' golden light finding itself enhanced further by sea blue, fiery red, bold yellow, and two different shades of windy green -- glows, and becomes whole once again. The city itself, rent asunder by portions of earlier fights, finds itself healed.

A rainbow crosses Tokyo from side to side, and at one end emerge the magical girls (and Syaoran), triumphant, unmarred, luminescent with the strength of hope that cannot hope to be matched by mere despair.

It is not, however, the side of the city they were on before; but beneath that same blue sky, they can feel, in the bottom of their hearts, that their friends have been victorious as well -- Fusion is simply gone, apparently annihilated, inside and out.



Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed:
Fuu lets out a breath, leaning a bit harder on her sword, and noting with relief that it's digging into solid ground now. Deeper than she'd like, but it's not that troublesome mucky mire any more. She does, however, have one more thing to do, as usual at these big fights.

"Iyashi no Kaze!!" Fuu calls out, able now to focus on putting her full power and will behind the Winds of Healing ... and with that, she puts her magic to work mending all of the injuries that have been incurred during the battle. She can't help those who were still at the park - but she can do her utmost for her allies *here*. And she does so.

(The fact that this also heals her sprained ankle is totally beside the point.)