View source for 436/Pursuit of Justice I

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/10/09
|Location=Pikarigaoka/Uminari City - Hikawa Shrine
|Synopsis=Some monsters have a strange sense of justice.
|Cast of Characters=37, 41, 54, 63, 68, 75
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:37|Mint Chip (37)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The autumn wind blows cold, and the sun is setting early, bathing Hikawa Shrine in a dim orange glow, as the leaves fall slowly around. There's a sharp scream from a young man that pierces the otherwise strange quiet of the shrine - no crowds or even workers to be seen! That man comes running around from the back of one of the shrine's smaller buildings, legs and arms flailing in front of him as he wildly tries to escape from what's chasing him! He's got disheveled brown hair and his clothes look somewhat ragged and unclean.<br /><br />And what is chasing him begins to come into view. It's a female form, wearing a flowing, kimono in light blue and white flowers - lotus flowers. This motif continues in the mask on her face, which looks to be of some sort of metal - but the cutout of that mask is in a stylized lotus form, revealing her bright blue eyes and mouth. She's also floating - that's relevant - chasing the young man on the ground. "You won't escape your judgement this time." she says, her tone cold, yet civil.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:54|Ami Mizuno (54)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Coming up the steps to the shrine, Ami, who had been studying all this time for tests and keeping her grades up, had taken a break from her usual studies to visit Rei in the shrine. She has her bag on her shoulder and a couple of books clutched to her chest. Maybe that's her way of visiting friends....to study.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:68|Kurota Aizawa (68)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kurota Aizawa is at the shrine. The teenage boy in hoodie and jeans with big black headphones securely over his hears might not seem like the observant type, but in truth he comes here to offer a coin or two for good luck before most of his band's gigs- it's right down the street from his house. Call it a tradition.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He has just finished dropping a few coins into the offering box and ringing the bell (without ever taking his headphones off, the little punk) when that guy comes running around the side of the shrine.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kurota can't actually hear the screaming, due to headphones with pounding bass on his head, but it's easy enough to tell the dude is in distress, and it's easy enough to tell why. After all, there's a masked floating lady chasing him.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Calmly, as if this is something you see every day at the shrine, Kurota pops the gum he's chewing with a sharp snap, and holds up his hand in front of the running man. "Whoa there buddy. Where's the fire?" If the man doesn't stop, he steps briefly to one side to let him pass, his eyes on the floating girl.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:41|Sakura Kinomoto (41)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sakura Kinomoto is also one of the many people to visit this shrine! It isn't a regular thing, but she sometimes comes to pay an offering if she has some extra cash and nothing to spend it on. And that was certainly her intent today, but as she reaches the top of the steps and starts to head toward the offering box, there's a sudden scream, and a man being chased!<br /><br />By a ghost.<br /><br />"HUEEEEEEEH!" Sakura screams as well, rooted to the spot in terror.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Sometimes it's important to clear your mind and relax, even if you are an energetic fifth grader. That's what brings Ikiko to the grounds of the shrine today: a chance to relax and enjoy the autumn leaves in a peaceful setting.<br /><br />Although that scream is anything but peaceful. She runs over to see what the problem is, arriving in time to see a guy with headphones asking a panicked man why he's running. And a lotus-themed woman who looks as severe as a sword.<br /><br />A nearby scream in a familiar voice snaps Ikiko out of the staring that she was doing. "Sakura! Are you alright?" she asks, running over to her friend before glaring at the lotus-woman.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:63|Haruna Kurosawa (63)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Haruna Kurosawa is in /SUPER MOPE MOOD/. She's pretty sure she scared a girl last night because she still sucks at ... at well people. Two years of non-interaction will do that you. This didn't stop her from taking a nightly patrol on Virtue's behalf. Corvus-- the bird wasn't here. Haruna needed time alone for a bit. This concerned Corvus /immensly/, as she had often refused to leave until he came along. Haruna assured him that it was nothing he did, and that she was fine. These were lies. Corvus knew it--- he didn't need his old 'Truth Telling' powerset to realize it-- but if it made Haruna feel better, he accepted it- and it did a little. He'd--- he'd talk to her when she got back.<br /><br />Thoughts are put on hold when there's a scream from the shrine. Her bow turns into those translucent green wing and she took off into the sky, becoming some sort of sparkly green star. In a green flash, she sort of appears on the top of one of the Tori and looks down. A boy running. A girl floating after her. Threats of 'justice'.<br /><br />Pretty Cure intituion steps in. She jumps from the tori and onto the ground between the boy, and the floating girl, and is probably close to Kurota. She doesn't know who Kurota is. But he seems to not be involved in this. Her wings 'flicked off' when she touched ground. "H..-hey! What's going on here! Why are you chasing the boy!? Why are you floating after him!?"<br /><br />"WHY DO YOU HAVE HEADPHONES ON!?" she says at Kurota.<br /><br />She blinks and looks over to Sakura. "AND WHY ARE YOU HAUNTING MY FRIEND NOW! I AM REALLY UPSET AT THIS!" she explains.<br /><br />Yeah her emotional state is all over right now.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Mint Chip (37)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Interlopers!" the girl with the lotus mask says, her voice now full of derison, like she might well have said 'school lunch meatloaf surprise' or something similarly distasteful. She balls her hand into a fist, and the beads on the end of glow a brilliant white. Then, a blindingly bright beam erupts from her hand, and strikes the ground in front of the terrified boy - a wall of white energy springs up, preventing his escape (for now, as the barrier isn't particularly wide.). She floats closer to him.<br /><br />"Stand back, this doesn't concern any of you. This... thing... has sinned, and now it has tried to escape it's punishment." she says, looming closer. At least she's not transparent like a ghost!<br /><br />For his part, the young man still seems completly terrified and distressed. "Help..." is the only word he can get out.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:68|Kurota Aizawa (68)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kurota is still standing right next to the young man, who has only just dashed past him, so that wall of light erupts just a few feet behind him, and he ends up more or less trapped between the floating girl and her target. He turns his blue eyes up to her, seeming unimpressed, still chewing his gum. "Oh yeah? What'd he do?" He asks, his tone somewhere between bored and curious. He doesn't get out of her way, nor does he move to try and help her target.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He glances at Cure Gull as she swoops down and lands next to him. The music in his headphones is still blaring. Luckily, he can read lips. "To listen to music, duh." He answers her question, though he flicks his eyes back to the mysterious masked floaty girl, awaiting her reply as if expecting her to answer him as a first priority.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:41|Sakura Kinomoto (41)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Sakura Kinomoto starts to feel a little better when CURE GULL appears, and hey, it's her new friend Ikiko too! Taking several moments to calm herself down, still drawing in deep breaths until her heart stops beating so frantically, the young girl finally notices, too, that the 'ghost' isn't transparent. "O-oh... m-maybe it's not a ghost?" she asks, more to reassure herself than anything. Looking to Ikiko, she takes another deep breath before nodding and saying, "I'm okay. Just a little s-scared..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:54|Ami Mizuno (54)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At the call of 'INTERLOPERS!' Ami whips her head around and....stares at the floaty girl. She walks her way closer and listens quietly. She smiles as she hears Sakura's voice. it's been a while since she first met Sakura, even briefly, but she still waves to her.<br /><br />Her attention goes back to the masked girl. 'i agree...what has she done?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:63|Haruna Kurosawa (63)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Cure Gull is suddenly really, really ashamed she left Corvus at home. He'd be able to do his detection bit. But Gull can't do that alone. So what it means is.... she has to trust in her feelings- and right now- those were all over the place. Could she really trust herself right now?<br /><br />Interlopers! Wh--- well. Corvus used to use that term too. A term he used for the heroes of Tokyo that got in his and her way to drain souls when---<br /><br />Yeah. No. Now is not the time for this. Do this new reflect later.<br /><br />She scoots close to the boy. The others seem well in hand to handle floaty judicial ghost girl.<br /><br />"H--hey. Why is she chasing you?" she asks to the boy.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ikiko Hisakata smiles slightly at Cure Gull's arrival. Her magical friend might still be feeling down after yesterday's mishap, but her being present means that Ikiko can make sure Sakura gets to safety in case things go bad.<br /><br />Taking a protective stance, she gives Sakura an encouraging smile. "I'll make sure to keep you safe," she says reassuringly. The others have already asked the important questions, but Ikiko is still interested in hearing what the answers might be.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Mint Chip (37)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The floating girl raises her hand - at the boy she's chasing, and therefore also at Kurota. But through the lotus-shaped holes in her mask, it's easy to see her hesitation, even as her hand begins to glow that brilliant white. "I have to eliminate it! It's a threat to all of us - to the Shinju-Sama! I don't have time to explain it to you! You shouldn't even be here! Go home!" All of that dramatic, serious tone is gone, and she seems very desperate now. <br /><br />And that's about all the gets out. Then, there's a tremendous blast of energy. At first, it's likely most people might think it's the fault of that girl. But, instead, it's coming from the boy she was chasing. The concussive force of the blast has likely pushed Kurota back and away from him - and perhaps any of the nearby girls - and as he sets up, his eyes glow a dark red - and the floating girl, though trying so hard to fight being pushed away herself, lets out a breathless 'NO!' - as there's another crash of energy. Of distinctly negative energy, to those who know its feel.<br /><br />The boy's body twists and deforms, the result of that energy - and that presence inside him - until he's clocking in at a mere eight meters tall, with bestial features like a reptillian tail and scales, horns like a ram, a mouth more suited to a crocodile, and large hooked claws. And he looks very little like a boy anymore.<br /><br />Once that burst of energy is over, the girl in the mask shouts out, looking to Cure Gull, the only one in henshin, showing power - and in her mind, the only one who can help. "We have to seal it! Don't let him get out of here!" Then, she looks at Kurota - and the rest of the visibly mundane people that have gathered. "The rest of you get out of here, get to saftey! And forget you were here!" she adds, and some of the lotus flowers on her kimono grow. Sakura, Kurota, Ikiko, and Ami find the prospect of leaving - and forgetting - somewhat appealing, an intrusive thought pushed into their minds - not their own, but masquerading as such.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:68|Kurota Aizawa (68)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kurota chews his gum some more. "No time to explain, huh. That's the biggest cliche in the-" He's cut off by that sudden huge blast of energy, which sends him skidding across the ground and off to one side. "What the-!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He spins around just in time to see the supposed fugitive turning into some kind of giant reptile monster. Straightening up, he sighs a little bit. "Oh, I get it. This is one of those 'red herring' situations." He turns to a small sphere of scintillating neon light which is suddenly hovering in the air beside him. "Do these sorts of things happen all the time?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The ball of light emits a series of horrifying screeches and vibrations, which sound.. just like horrifying vibrations and screeches to everyone else, but to Kurota, it sounds like, &lt;&lt;I'm afraid so. The magical world is a complicated place.&gt;&gt;<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I dunno, seems pretty classic to me. Guy who seems harmless actually the bad guy, floating scary girl just misunderstood. Still, I always was a fan of the classics. You can remix them into some pretty kickass samples." All this time the monster is no doubt stomping about and the girl is floating and trying to psychically get him to leave.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well, I guess I better do /something/." The boy says, as if it's kind of a pain and not a life-threatening situation. "Wub! Let's do it!" He points his finger up into the air like he's goddamned Elvis. "BY THE POWER OF GREYSKULL!" He yells, because he doesn't have to yell anything but he watched He-man when he was a kid.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's a brilliant flash of neon blue light and a concussive wave of sound that sends leaves fluttering off of trees, and when it clears, in place of a boy is a boy-shaped shadow outlined in racing neon blue lines, like something out of Tron. His feet glow, and he skates forward as if on rollerblades, leaving glowing blue trails on the ground that dissipate a moment after his passage.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nearing the floating girl, he asks in a now-somewhat-overmodulated-sounding voice, "So, can we shoot it, or will that just make it stronger or something?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:54|Ami Mizuno (54)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ami EEPS at the sudden youma appearance and growth, and she actually runs before the suggestion to run. However, just as she's out of sight, she turns a corner into a dark alley. She wasn't going to forget it. Nope, she was going to get back up......in the form of Sailor Mercury. Once she was completely out of sight, she raised her pen.<br /><br /><span style="color:xterm33">Mercury Power! Make-Up!</span><br /><br />All of Ami's fingernails change to blue before she graps the pen. She then twirls into the long ribbon of water to bring Sailor Mercury to the fight!<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once she was out of cover, she looked out and smiled. "It feels good to be able to do this again.<br /><br /><span style="color:xterm33">MERCURY AQUA MIST!</span><br /><br />And a fairly dense fog is put up around the youma to give anyone fighting time to regroup, and anyone running....to do just that.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:63|Haruna Kurosawa (63)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Cure Gull is indeed transformed! And when that blast rockets out Cure Gull throws her arms out in front of her and a feathery wind barrier erupts around her. Some of that push got through, but the barrier keeps her from being thrown not too much further away from --- this thing.<br /><br />Was it in disguise? Did that boy exist..? Is that boy still in there somewhere? Nrg. Once again--- she's regretting leaving Corvus behind- he could answer this for her- or make a good guess. But for now--- the girl is yelling about sealing. Sealing--- that's like Purification... right? She doesn't quite know. But instead. She does as the floating girl asks. "I--- fine- but... you need to.. tell us when this is over!" she says with a huff.<br /><br />She spins the dial on her prebrace and calls out. "Gull Windy Tornado..!" she calls out. A flash of wind and feathers attempting to whip up around the youma, and spin it---make it dizzy... or contain it. Or maybe. Maybe it won't do anything!<br /><br />She hopes this is enough. It has to be enough. Corvus isn't here to give her the form change PreCard that would be way more helpful in stopping a youma from running.<br /><br />Yeah, this isn't happening again.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:41|Sakura Kinomoto (41)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Sakura Kinomoto returns Ikiko's smile, nodding slightly. "Thank you, and I'll try to do the same!" she says, which might sound a little odd, but the younger girl is starting to regain her courage. But then, it turns out the reason that strange masked girl was chasing the boy is because he's secretly a big, hideous monster! Sakura lets out another startled "hueeeeh" as she hides behind Ikiko, and the thought enters her head that maybe, just maybe, running away and leaving the youma to Cure Gull would be the best idea here.<br /><br />But then another thought crosses her mind: What if Cure Gull and that masked girl /can't/ fight the monster on their own? What if it eats them, and then goes on a rampage and eats more people?<br /><br />Taking another deep breath and clenching her fists to steel her nerves, she steps out from behind Ikiko and begins her chant, her key necklace floating and spinning in front of her.<br /><br />"Key that conceals the power of darkness, reveal your true form to me. I, Sakura, command you under our contract." A large pink circle filled with magical runes and celestial imagery expands underneath her, and the key stops. At her next word, it expands into a pink wand, its tip resembling a bird's head with winged ears. "Release!"<br /><br />Grabbing the Sealing Wand and pointing it at the youma, Sakura soon notices that everyone else is transforming too! Is there /anyone/ in this city that doesn't have magical powers of some kind? "Well... maybe things /could/ be handled fine without me. But still!" Drawing a card, she tosses it in front of her and strikes it with the wand, summoning a beautiful green feminine form that flies to strengthen Cure Gull's attack! "Windyyyy!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ikiko Hisakata braces as best she can against the sudden wave of negative energy, then narrows her eyes as the youma reveals itself. "/Oh,/" she says. Now she really needs to get Sakura out of here! And despite what the thoughts are telling her to think, she /will/ return as soon as Sakura is safe, and then she'll help Cure Gull and the lotus-masked girl fight the youma.<br /><br />...okay, help Cure Gull, the lotus-masked girl, Sailor Mercury, /and/ the blue-glowing magical boy fight the youma. Quite a crowd here!<br /><br />Then Sakura steps forward, adding her magic (!) to the mix. Well, if she's going to step up to help fight the youma (and reveal that she's also a magical girl), what kind of friend would Ikiko be to turn her down?<br /><br />Ikiko steps forward, touching a hand to her locket as she says <span style="color:#cd853f">"Lycan Locket!"</span> There's a brief glow of silver, and then Cute Wolf Tsukiko springs into action, dashing around the youma in an effort to help keep it contained.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Mint Chip (37)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The youma roars out - a bestial, inhuman roar - and tries to charge forward. Windy appears, though, and begins to swirl around him - he bats at her with his claws, but she dodges deftly! Then, Cure Gull adds her tornado to the mix, and the barrier actually begins to push the creature back. Then, that fog rolls in, blanketing everyone in cold mist. The creatures tries to find ways out of the wind and fog, only to be forced back repeatedly by the Cute Wolf!<br /><br />Her voice answers Key's question (and likely the questions of many others), cutting through the fog and while soft, it is clear over monster's roars. "Just... try to keep it contained for a moment. I'm going to try to save the boy. But I'm too late to stop everything now!" she adds. She begins chanting, and the creature is now doing its level best to get free, claws flaring with dark power, cutting his way through the wind wall and the fog, trying to get away from the girl in the mask, even though the dense fog.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:68|Kurota Aizawa (68)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Keys honestly looks a little impressed (well, as near as anyone can tell, considering his face is just a black shadow with some glowing blue eyes) as magical girls seems to crawl out of the woodwork to oppose the beast. "Well damn, I could have just gone home." He mutters, shaking his head slightly.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's wind and tornados and stuff, keeping the creature confused for the moment. When the masked girl calls out to just 'keep it contained', Keys sighs again. "Nothing's ever simple. Can't even shoot the monsters! Honestly.." But to his credit, he listens.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"C'mon Wub, gimme a beat." He says to the floating sphere of color. It begins to pulse rhythmically, its entire shape distorting like a computer equalizer in a rapid drum-machine-like manner. The shadowy neony boy bobs his head in time to the beat for a moment. "I dig it."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then he turns, exactly on the downbeat, and begins to skate on his trails of light around the perimiter of the conflict. On each downbeat, he spins and switches feet, his movements precisely matched to the sounds coming from the sphere. Soon he has traced a glowing neon blue line in a large circle around the monster and those fighting it- the trail doesn't fade like the ones he left before, but neither does it seem to prevent anyone from crossing it.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At least, until he reaches the spot where he began. "Alright, let's kick it!" He raises his hands, then slams them down in mid-air. Glowing rectangles appear under his fingers, traced in neon light in thin air, the shape of keyboard keys, and with a thrumming electronic note, blue light explodes up from the entire length of the circle, forming a circuit-like pattern, a wall of energy that pulses with the beats still coming from his floating colorful companion.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:54|Ami Mizuno (54)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"There's definitely got to be a way to defeat this thing." Mercury says as she brings out her computer and starts tapping away. She then stops. "Oh...right." She then touches her earring and her visor comes up over her eyes. That's always a good thing when someone can scan a target. Then Keys puts a beat down, and Ami can't help bit giggle a little, despite the seriousness of the battle, and dance, in place, while she types out her computations....<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:41|Sakura Kinomoto (41)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Everybody is magical! Sakura is still surprised, though, when it turns out that Ikiko is also a magical girl, and one with adorable wolfy ears and paws! "You're magical too, Ikiko-san?" she calls out, but then realizes that the youma is fighting back!<br /><br />Windy is starting to struggle against it, even working in tandem with Cure Gull's magic. But as the strange masked girl tells everyone to keep the youma contained, Keys starts to pitch in too with a kickin' beat! "Sounds cool! Keep it up!" Sakura cheers the magical boy on.<br /><br />And then, to strengthen the bindings, she draws another card and summons, "Shadow!" This time, the form that spreads from the card is that of a vaguely masculine figure in a black cloak, drawing on the power of the evening's lenthening shadows to encase the youma in a cage of black tendrils.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:63|Haruna Kurosawa (63)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Cure Gull looks down to Mercury and frowns a bit, but turns her attention back to the creature. "Okay.." she says to the girl-- though her hand is outstreched trying to keep the monster contained and probably just utterly draining her magical reserves right now. Her current.... mood... her feelings... they're not making for a particularly powerful Pretty Cure right now. If only....<br /><br />Corvus is suddenly just there on her right shoulder. She doesn't feel the weight of a landing there--- he seemed to just sort of appear when no one was looking. Magic is weird. "Gull...taper off." he says. Gull is shocked by this, but she does so--- letting the windy torando weaken.<br /><br />"Corvus...." mumured Gull, a cross between ashamed and relived. "I'm s---" Corvus just spits it out. "No. No--- you never apologize to me. You never apologize to me again..!" he says. The meaning may be lost on watchers but Gull understands, this makes her blush, just a little, but now...<br /><br />"Corvus...I need the form change!" she says. Corvus produces the PreCards. "Right then..... Time to Change!" she calls out. "Blueberry Waltz!" she says shoving the PreCards into her PreChanMirror.<br /><br />She goes from being a seagreen themed Pretty Cure, to a lovely Blue Ballroom Gown dress.<br /><br />"Gull Twinkle Sparkle Flourish!" she calls out--- wind flowing up this time- but along with ice. Trying to freeze the creature. This may hurt. But it hopefully isn't going to kill him. Just bog him down with ice.<br /><br />There is this nagging feeling in the back of her head though- and the nagging feeling is 'why is there a dubstepped theme magical boy right there'. Of course, she knows Sakura and the Wolf are there to. But right now----this is more important. None of them are danger yet it seems...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"That's my reaction to you, Sakura!" Tsukiko calls back to her friend, then leaps clear of the wall summoned by Keys. The wolfgirl dashes forward, leaping to kick the youma in the shoulder before bouncing clear of the oncoming frozen wind. Another leaping kick helps knock the youma's hands off of their intended course, making it harder for it to hit anyone.<br /><br />"How much time do you need?" Tsukiko calls to the lotus-masked girl.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Mint Chip (37)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The monster, who was perhaps once a boy, finds itself caged in at every turn. Each claw makes a wide cut, but there's so much going on that there's no way it can find its way out - a pulsing wall of music, a shivering wall of cold, the teeth of a the Cute Wolf, the power of Shadow. There's simply no escape - and then, suddenly, a massive column of white light erupts from under the boy - the work of the girl in the mask, no doubt! (And Ami's computer will inform her of this for sure.)<br /><br />The boy shouts out - but it doesn't seem to be in pain - and the transformation he was placed under slowly begins to unravel itself under the bright power. There's a form of dark energy, too - a shadowy humanoid with glowing red eyes, hissing and snarling, pulled forcefully from the boy. That white light ends - and suddenly, quickly, the shadow creature makes a large leap - soaring into the air, and exploding - shooting into dozens of black orbs which scatter through Tokyo!<br /><br />"NO!" screams the masked girl in desperation.<br /><br />But then, there's a boy on the ground - the young teenager gets out a 'wha?' before passing out due to the exertion, and as he slowly falls to the ground, the girl in the kimono is there - to catch him in her arms. But even under the mask, it's easy for the assembled magical heroes to see the pain, and outright rage, in her eyes. She's not looking at the boy - she's looking at the point where the creature detonated in the skies.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:68|Kurota Aizawa (68)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Well, they had kept him contained, alright.. and at first, it seemed like that had helped, because that column of light erupts, and it seems to be hurting the monster. Keys watches from behind his wall of light, rocking faintly to the continued beat.. until that dark energy shoots up, and then explodes, scattering.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well, that ain't good." He mutters, a sentiment seemingly echoed by the masked girl who screams out her frustration. But the kid who was posessed seems clear, anyway, or at least, not posessed anymore.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After a moment, he lets the wall of light fade, and the pulsing beat of the music fades out. He skates over to where the masked girl cradles the unconscious boy, again leaving blue trails which fade moments after he passes. "So, lemme guess," He begins, "Our princess is in another castle. Except in this case, the princess is a monster and the castles are parts of Tokyo."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He glances up. "My bad. Next time I'll make a roof."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Cute Wolf Tsukiko slows to a halt near Sakura. The wolfgirl looks from the boy towards the point in the sky where the shadowy creature exploded into fragments. "That can't be good," she murmurs, then turns towards the lotus-masked girl. "What kind of youma /was/ that?" Tsukiko asks.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:54|Ami Mizuno (54)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mercury blinks as the creature leaps and explodes into little balls of darkness. "That's.....not good." She says as she keeps scanning as best she can for as long as she can. When she can't anymore, she runs forward for the kid. "You couldn't have predicted that." She says as she checks the kid's pulse fairly quickly.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:41|Sakura Kinomoto (41)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Sakura Kinomoto lets Shadow and Windy return to their cards once it's clear the youma has been dealt with, although from everyone else's reactions and her own sense of the spreading motes of darkness, she can tell that something bad just happened. Dismissing the sealing wand, she rushes over to check on the boy with Ami. "Is he okay? He's not going to die, is he? Did it take his soul like..." she glances over to Haruna, falling silent as she offers an apologetic smile.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:63|Haruna Kurosawa (63)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Blueberry Waltz thought she had it. She did not. She feels worse. Corvus frowns. "I don't sense it anymore. I think it got away...." he says from his beak. "What just happened?" she asks. Corvus shakes his head. "I dunno. That girl over there probably knows more than I do about whatever that is." he says.<br /><br />Blueberry Waltz fades away back into Cure Gull as she looks down at the boy. He's okay.. he'll be okay. Probably just tired.<br /><br />She looks back up at the girl. "Hey---what was that about?" she asks the masked girl. She looks back to Sakura and blushes a bit. Smiles at Ikiko. But she looks back at Sakura. "Ah---! That was cool!" she says at Sakura. "I'm glad we got to fought together!" she smiles- remembering one of the few words that went through her head on a terrible night not too long ago.<br /><br />She looks back at... uh. Weird..monstery Cure Wub. "A..Are you Cure Wub?" she asks at Keys. Corvus facepalms and whispers something to Gull.<br /><br />"Oh...r-eally? Only girls can be Precure? I guess that makes sense....why didn't I know that before!?" she says with a huff. It's not like there's orientations for magical girls.<br /><br />Unless your're in Eclipse because they have POWERPOINT presentations on the matter.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Mint Chip (37)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The girl in the mask looks at Mercury. The kid's pulse, though a bit slow, is steady and strong. "I... could've. That's what always happens. If I don't get this... creature... before he turns his target into a monster, it escapes like that when I cleanse the victim. But we got here quick. The boy should be fine." she says. And then she sighs. "I tried catching it out in a warehouse once. It went right through the roof. So a roof wouldn't have helped. I just have to be faster. I have to do better. So many are suffering because of my inability. I was so... close this time." It's clear she's blaming herself, and not those around her. She lays the kid on the ground - and there's a small, happy tone. She pulls it out, makes a contorted face, and then instead of turning it on, there's a screen that comes up! Everyone else can see it, too. On that screen, there's two people - a tall woman with green hair and a smile, and a very stern looking younger boy with black hair next to her. Both are in uniforms. The boy speaks up first. "We caught another spike... it got away again, didn't it?!" he demands. The woman literally pushes him out of the frame - it seems strangely benevolent though. "It's okay." she says, in a soft voice. "We're getting faster at finding it when it takes control of people. It's not your fault."<br /><br />It's obvious the girl in the mask is taking it like it is, though. The girl in the green hair, in the magical 'screen' smiles. "And maybe you can find help."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:68|Kurota Aizawa (68)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Roofs don't help! That's crazy talk. Keys frowns, although again it's hard to tell because of the fact that his face is basically just a shadow. "Sounds like a drag." An alarm suddenly goes off from.. somewhere, and he mutters. "Ah crap, I'm late."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He watches the girl have her brief communication with.. people on a cool screen. Keys wants a cool screen communicator. He'll have to talk to Wub about that. After the woman says maybe she can find help, he clears his throat, which sounds like an autotuned scale. "Ah, 'listen. This sounds terrible and stuff but I gotta get to band practice. Still, like, maybe we can help you with your monster problem. I got some friends, and we're pretty down on monsters."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He reaches somewhere under his clothes, his hand vanishing into the shadow of his form, and he pulls out a business card. He flicks it to the masked girl. "Give us a call huh? Now I gotta go, or I'm gonna get strangled." He turns and starts to skate off. "But if I see any more shadow monster reptile things, I'll definitely blow them up!" And then he vanishes out of sight.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:54|Ami Mizuno (54)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Sailor Mercury smiles slightly as she finds that the boy's pulse is strong. "he's exhausted, but he'll be okay." She then looks towards the girl and sees the screen. "it's not your fault." She then smiles a bit more. 'And you'll have help on the next one, I promise." She says looking at the computer. "I think I can triangulate where all of those......pulses....went on my computer. It shouldn't be hard to find them after that."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:41|Sakura Kinomoto (41)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Sakura Kinomoto just looks a little confused at the mysterious girl's conversation with her... coworkers? Nevertheless, it sounds like something bad is happening! "I can help too!" she volunteers, then looks over at Cure Gull and smiles warmly. "I'm glad too! And on the same side this time, even." Then, checking the boy once more just to make /absolutely sure/ he's alive, she heaves a sigh and stands up. "I've gotta go home, though, before my dad gets worried. I'll see if Kero can sense anything while I'm there. He's a lot better at it than I am."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>:smiles back at Cure Gull, then walks over to be closer to the conversation. "I can let a few friends know what's going on," the wolfgirl offers. "Having more eyes on the situation should help, anyway."<br /><br />She gives Sakura another hug. "Have a safe trip home!" Tsukiko smiles. "We should meet up and hang out at some point; I'm sure you have as many questions for me as I have for you."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:63|Haruna Kurosawa (63)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Cure Gull ughs...more...officlish...uniform...stuff! Are these TSAB? She only knows so much. She huffs.<br /><br />"H--hey who are you guys!?" it's the only question she can. Corvus mimics Gull's crossed arms. He perhaps, wants answers too!<br /><br />Not that she's entitled to stuff from /Justice/ afterall. Ugh.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Mint Chip (37)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The green lady in the screen smiles, makes a slight bow - and the screen vanishes without further explanation. The girl in the mask shakes her head at Mercury. "They're just going to move around. I tried hunting them before, too. They... don't matter. The creature still forms itself again. It finds someone - someone hurting, someone miserable. Anyone in emotional pain. And it latches onto that pain. Like a parasite. Worst of all - it's smart." she adds.<br /><br />"But... thank you all. You did a great job of holding it down. Sealing... sealing is not my specialty. But I don't want to hurt the boy, if I can help it. Sometimes... if you're too late... it can be hard to..." she takes a deep breath. "Seperate the two." is all she says. "But... thank you all." Her eyes drift over the group - and spend a fair amount of time looking at Corvus. She takes the card from Keys with a half-bow. "Hopefully, I can meet up with you all again... but I have to get back to work. I have to..." she pauses. "I have to recharge."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:54|Ami Mizuno (54)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Sailor Mercury smiles to the lady in green, but at her words, she looks pointedly over to Cure Gull....as if she knows something. She then looks back to the lady. "then we'll just have to help the people out...and find out why this....is going after people. Until next time then. I'll let the Senshi know what's going on." She says starting to run off.....and de-henshin. Rei's really gonna want to hear this.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:41|Sakura Kinomoto (41)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Sakura Kinomoto turns to Ikiko, just in time to be hugged! And, being no stranger to such things, she hugs the older girl too! "Thanks! We definitely should, but maybe not where my dad and brother can hear us. They... um, don't really know about, you know. The magic." she says, then gives everyone a last friendly smile and wave as she departs. "See you all later! I have some of your numbers already, so I'll give you a call if I find anything!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:63|Haruna Kurosawa (63)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Cure Gull nrg...no answer...<br /><br />She looks to the others and frowns, but it's more of a sad one than at anyone in particular. "Let's go home Corvus...." she says as she takes off.<br /><br />"Burgers?" asks Corvus. She stops midair...<br /><br />"Only one. Cuz you're a jerk!" she says softly crossing her arms with a playful hrmph! Before changing her flight direction slightly.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Cute Wolf Tsukiko waves to those leaving, then goes over and gives the lotus-masked girl a quick hug. "Get the rest you need," the wolfgirl advises. "It won't go well if you go up against that thing when your exhausted."<br /><br />Looking around, she decides that it's time for her to leave, as well. "It was nice meeting you, even with these circumstances," she smiles. "I go by Cute Wolf Tsukiko; and your name is?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Mint Chip (37)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The girl crouches, and some of that bright energy she fights with begins to swirl around her legs. She turns to look at Ikiko. "Oh... a name... you can call me Blue Lotus - that's my codename." she adds. "I will keep an eye out for you, and the others... hopefully I can contact you before this... creature... wreaks any more havoc on the emotionally vulnerable.<br /><br />Then, she jumps. And she /JUMPS/ vaulting hundreds of feet away, streaks of bright white light following her feet as she does so! A second jump after she lands, and she is long gone.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:75|Ikiko Hisakata (75)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Cute Wolf Tsukiko watches Blue Lotus leap away, the light fading with distance. The wolfgirl's bright-eyed expression reflects how impressed she is by those leaps -- elegant, pretty, graceful, and long!<br /><br />Her smile falters as a realization comes to mind: she didn't give Blue Lotus her cellphone number, nor any other point-of-contact. "/How/ are you going to contact me?!" she says to the darkening skies.<br> <br>
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