View source for 590/Save the Sister...

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/11/18
|Location=Plot Room #1
|Synopsis=Friends go save Aki Kurosawa from the Phantom Empire.
|Cast of Characters=26, 27, 30, 54, 62, 63, 88, 102
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:63|Haruna Kurosawa (63)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Pacing...<br /><br />That's what Cure Gull has been doing in the clearing in Penguin Park for the last hour. She's ALMOST worn the grass down in the area as she hurried walks back and forth. She has a lot on her mind and she is nervous as all sin.<br /><br />Somewhere nearby, Miss White is doing things with Raging Tempest that seems to be forming some sort of black mirrored portal that ends in a sharp tip. It's formed- but it isn't connected yet.<br /><br />"Everything will be alright Gull." says Corvus, not his usual tone of voice. She's on edge because she's expecting Phantom to show up before they even get through the portal. That doesn't seem to be happening.<br /><br />Cure Gull stops for a moment as she taps her foot excitedly and nervously.<br /><br />Virtue-ites know where she is. She sent a text out before she turned off the Virtue phone. Others may have heard through Miss White. OTHERS are probably just drawn by the feeling of something about to go down. Something is /palpable/ in the air around here- a mix of confusion and hope.<br /><br />"I know..." she finally says as she stands behind White-chan.<br /><br />She's hoping others will show up. She's ready to accept that it might just be her and 'Miss White'- but--- Storm Knight and Victory were going to show up Minimum.. right?<br /><br />Yeah...<br /><br />"It's almost done... right?" she asks.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:30|Suzuki Natsume (30)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; CUT TO ABOUT A WEEK AGO! <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Almost immediately after Suzuki/Storm Knight heard of the plan that Cure Gull and Cure Victory had, she had gone off to grab her Storm Knight phone and text the Tuxedo Kamen phone to arrange for hopefully more backup, or at least more knowledge of the situation that was going to come up. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; PRESENT DAY! <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sadly, while there had been word back that he had sent out word, he hadn't given any direct statements of how many -- if any -- were coming. Storm Knight was honestly a little nervous of this fact. Could she have done more to ensure that people would be there when they go in? People who could stand back and support them should things go wrong? Though Storm Knight trusted Tuxedo Kamen, these thoughts plagued her a little. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If she had asked them, maybe she could have gotten the two girls she'd sparred with while in captivity to help! That could work. Hmm. But ... it's too late now. And trusting them could be dangerous in the long run. They would almost certainly use her. If not them, then the one that they worked with, who had wanted her device in the first place. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The meeting place was in Penguin Park. And it wasn't long into Cure Gull's pacing that she arrived. A series of leaps lead her to the park, followed by her finally landing nearby Cure Gull -- and Miss White. She inclines her head towards the two. "I'm here." Storm Knight says simply. "Do we have a plan on how we're going to handle this?" She says, her tone that soft, calm, yet reliable-sounding voice of hers, in spite of the fact that she was completely nervous -- even scared under the surface. All of the encouners in the past with Phantom had been unnerving. Someone that fast, that strong, and with that good of defense... it was hard for her to grasp it still. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:26|Mari Katsu (26)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A familiar shilouette descends from the sky on violet wings, her heels contacting with the ground just behind Cure Gull beofre she pats the other precure on the back firmly with one hand and clears her throat.<br /><br />"Hey. None of that." She states simply enough, while glancing to Cure Gull. "keep your chin up. We're going in there, kicking some serious butt, helping your sister, and coming back. No problem." She states with a grin as she leans back putting her arms behind her head as her wings vanish.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A short pause follows that introduction as she glances over her shoulder, then she just smiles before she turns and moves over to Storm Knight, wrapping both arms around the other girl and hugs her tightly while psyching herself up for what's to come.<br /><br />"Plan? Yeah, I got a plan." She replies to Storm Knight. "I owe Phantom a lick or two for that stunt he pulled with Raquel anyway... I'll keep him distracted while you guys do what you gotta do. ... Consider it thanks for helping me with my socializing problem..." She states, not really elaborating on what she means, though Cure Gull would probably be able to tell she meant 'Thank you for hooking Me and Storm Knight up.'<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:62|Tadase Hotori (62)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Tadase Hotori - as Platinum Royale - is here for a lot of reasons. First off, because Cure Gull is going to need help. He's only encountered Phantom a limited number of times, but discussion with Blue has told him exactly what the boy is capable of, and what they're walking into.<br /><br />Secondly, because he didn't save Haruna from her own inner demons just so she could go and lose a fight to some outer demons without him - this girl, despite her current ventures with WPS, is a member of Virtue too - and he's not going to let anyone he's responsible for (or, as Kiseki would say, a subject) do something so dangerous without proper support!<br /><br />And lastly, that jerk Phantom tried to attack Amu Hinamori. There is a laundry list of reasons why he defends her with such tenacity, but all of them combine to give him a rather hefty grudge against Phantom for trying to seal his Joker into the mirror!<br /><br />He lands down from one of his extremly high jumps next to the Storm Knight, scepter clenched in hand. "We're going to go in there, and we're going to rescue Gull's sister. We'll try to get in and out as fast as possible, but I'm sure we'll end up fighting Phantom off. If he comes, stay behind me. I'll try to shield everyone from him. I've faced him down before." He doesn't mention the impressive power he felt when he did the facing - that wouldn't be helpful for Morale.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:27|Hannah Sharpe (27)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> The fact that Miss White is grinning like a kid who just had an entire box of candy dumped in their lap probably doesn't help matters for either Gull's feelings, or Storm Knight's. She's scared, confident, and more than anything, /excited/! She fiddles with the growing portal, and there's that grin tossed to PreCure and Device User alike. <br /><br /> "Listen to them, Gull-chan. And don't pace so much, this isn't exactly like doing a high school math problem over here!" She ribs just a touch. Wink. <br /><br /> Then Device and User are down to muttering. <br /><br /> "Spacial coordinates verified...mana output levels optimal...Device heating levels operating at safe parameters...linker core safety protocols engaged..." A deep breath, and she spares some of her attention back to the others. <br /><br /> "...Heh. Looks like we've drawn a crowd. You've got a lot of people who love and care for you, Gull." Her smile this time is far less vicious, and more warm. <br /><br /> She could hug just about everyone here if she weren't busy trying to maintain a Crazy Dimensional Magic Thing in front of her.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:102|Mikoto Nakajima (102)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>It's something of a disappointment to realize that enemy witches and rogue Puella are easier for Mikoto to deal with than her own romantic prospects. Life surely has its ups and downs. <br /><br />But she's made a commitment, and she keeps her word. And accepts the cost. That's the way of a Knight, is it not? Honor and chivalry? ... something like that. <br /><br />She's in her 'Ms Blue' disguise, of course, as she's known to Hannah's group, her usual Barrier Jacket replaced by a well-fitted blue skirt-suit. She looks more suited for a board meeting than for rushing into danger... except for the slender rapier sheathed at her side. <br /><br />She's seated on a park bench, about ten feet away from Hannah and her portal shenanigans, watching the work with an air of quiet disinterest. At her side, Carnwennan is recording everything, and back-calculating the coordinates used in case she needs to make an emergency teleport ''out'' of there. If there's one thing she can be sure of, it's that no battle plan survives contact with reality. <br /><br />Her own have run into their snags, after all. Especially just two nights ago. She's ''mostly'' over it. Mostly. <br /><br />''Steel,'' that little inner voice reminds her. <br /><br />She clenches one hand into a fist, watching Hannah... and hating that little voice.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:88|Vespa Rayne (88)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>A girl carry a very large axe walks out of the shadows. "Still got room one more? , she says waving to Cure Gull. "Hey Feathers. The Axe Knight is here answer your summons.",she says smiling She looks around at the others that have gathered, she not familar with them but if they know Gull then they must be good people too. She looks at the portal. "A crack in space time?? Neat!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:54|Ami Mizuno (54)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Sailor Mercury makes her way across the city in a hurry. She was running late. She'd promised to be here on time, but schoolwork had distracted her. Not something she wants to admit to her friends, but sometimes saving the world is only the ''second'' most important thing in life. Grades always win. Something like that.<br /><br />Whatever the case, she does arrive, hopping down from the roofs to join the collection of magical boys and girls. "Sorry I'm late," she says as she arrives.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:63|Haruna Kurosawa (63)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Cure Gull blinks and turns around. Storm Knight...! and Victory! She beams. "H--hi! You're here!" she beams wide with a relived smile. "I--um. You two would know better than I would. Blue-sama didn't know much- but..." she says. "I know you two have been here. But. Well. We're going in first this time. No... stupid trap!" she says.<br /><br />She looks to Tadase and blinks and bites her lip. "O---oh! Yes-- that, we'll be doing that. Fast. We won't have long in there anyways. This place. It isn't a good place..." she mutters.<br /><br />She turns back to the portal as she takes a deep breath. She nods a lot. "Yeah..." she says to White, softly closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.<br /><br />"I..want. to make one rule clear. If I get caught...if I fall or---or--worse. Run. You run out. It's impossible after that to save my sister. Only I have the--- the tie needed to save her- and, I know you all care for me very much, but- none of you-- have that close enough tie to me to save me. Got it...?" she asks meekly. "All you'd have to show for it is two crummy mirrors at that point anyways." she manages to say with a slight enough tone to her words to suggest a tease- but it comes short.<br /><br />She looks back to the portal. "Corvus can take us to Tide--- to Aki, but-- past that. It's up to me." she says softly.<br /><br />She peeks at Miss Blue and nods a little at her. Hoping she's ready.... she turns to Vespa. She doesn't know Vespa... does she? Ugh. Her minds a mess. "Thank you... just. Stay close. This is... dangerous."<br /><br />The Portal suddenly lights up to a bright white. She sort of feels something sickening blow through her- as does Cure Victory for a moment. Everyone else just senses unease. It's awful.<br /><br />"I'm going in first. Follow me. Stay close... no racing ahead. We need to stay in a group..." she softly murmurs. She looks to Sailor Mercury and blushes. "Mercury!? Did you get all that!? No..I'm sure you did. Let's go!" she says confidently now.<br /><br />She jumps in. All of you follow in after her. When everyone's through- the portal remains open as long as Hannah doesn't close it.<br /><br />On the other side of the mirror--------<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:63|Haruna Kurosawa (63)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The Pretty Cure Graveyard is a terrible place for anyone to be, let alone Pretty Cure.<br /><br />The ground is dead and a pale purple color. The dirt is gritty and coarse- the kind of texture that sticks into your skin when you land on it- and doesn't kick up dust unless you drag your feet in it. In the far off distance, big, massive black pillars rise upwards into the sky into a dense bleak gray cloud color.<br /><br />The area seems to be 'indented' into the ground here- you're in a deep large pit. Large outcroppings of purple crystal pop out of the ground here and there- and make small pillars of rock around the area.<br /><br />The only other item here of any note besides ground, unsettling scenery and purple crystals that seem to glow with sinister intent are the coffin-like 'Mirrors' that litter the bottom of the pit. They are all stood upright, and wrapped with a bright, red ribbon in uneven crisscrosses around them and askew at uneven angles and don't seem placed with much thought in mind. Each mirror contains a Pretty Cures in their 'transitory' state- each one a vivid different color to their hair and 'dress'. All their eyes are closed and appear to be in some sort of state of deep sleep- though their expressions are dour and best and terrified at the worst. Their arms are folded across their chest. There are numerous mirrors, you could make a guess in the high hundreds and still be very short.<br /><br />The air seems thick with despair and misfortune and misery. It pricks and tingles and doesn't feel nice at all. It's a very real feeling that seems to slowly wrapping around your heart threatening to squeeze at it tight in the future. You definitely do not have a lot of time here and you feel letting your henshin go would be accepting whatever fate this feeling wants to drag you towards. Staying together and believing in one another helps, but even so far in such a place.<br /><br />Corvus seems apprehensive but takes off into the air a few feet as he flaps his wings. He looks around and closes his eyes before opening them again. "This way...!" he says. He begins traveling in a--- well there's no directional markers here but somewhere off towards everyone's 'right' direction it seems.<br /><br />Cure Gull begins taking off before everyone else can start moving-- but she slows down fast. You can't get too far from one another here. She's putting up a tough front. She's worried and this place isn't helping and she's trying to keep her eyes at the ground rather than face level. She doesn't want to stare into any of these mirrors. The feeling is /horrid/ without doing that.<br /><br />Cure Victory and Storm Knight have been here before. This is a horrid place. It's exactly as they remembered it- but there's no more open portals like before to escape through.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:63|Haruna Kurosawa (63)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>So far, Phantom hasn't exploded from the ground or one of these purple pillars of crystal. So far, so good. Right?<br /><br />It takes a few minutes but Corvus descends and stops in what appears to be a small tiny break in the forest of mirrors and crystal pillars. He hovers in front of a single one of those mirrors. Inside is a Pretty Cure, with dark blue hair- a little wavy that comes down to her back. Her eyes are closed and she has her arms crossed against her chest- and in that dark blue 'transitory dress'. Gull brought a picture of 'Tide' along from some old box Tsukasa gave her a while back, and she brought it with her because she wanted to be sure. She doesn't need it. This is her sister. This is Tide. This is /Aki/ and right now Gull is shaking a little... <br /><br />She raises her hand and wind begins to build up around it..."G..gonna... gonna do this---gonna make it quick and---we can all.. go home-- we can all go home..!" she says determined. The ribbons glow a brilliant green around Tide's mirror-----<br /><br />It's sudden hard and fast--- It's a burst of wind, but not one from Gull's hand slicing weird containment units- no it's from Phantom appearing directly in front of Gull. He looks upset and HORRIBLY displeased. He does not normally show much emotion.<br /><br />"Ah---" he says. "So this is what you're here for..." he mutters. He doesn't talk for long periods.<br /><br />Cure Gull is caught in panic and her eyes wide as Phantom goes to strike with a strike of his own, a glowing red chop. She's not able to react fast enough to get out of the way. People are probably going to either want to pull Gull back or proceed to fly into Phantom to stop his strike. This probably won't be pleasant for Gull if he lands the hit he's aiming for. Gull wasn't prepared for this close an encounter it seems.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:26|Mari Katsu (26)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;CUre Victory had been ready for that sickening feeling... She had felt it before - twice actually. Once when Raquel was taken, and again when she went to get her back. Even if it had happened in such short succession, she felt that sensation twice. That's not to say she hadn't felt it, but that's why she had been hugging herself to Storm KNight the entire time - to prepare herself for that hopeless, dragging weight that hit when the portal opened.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Platinum Royale may have told her to stay behind him.. But Cure Victory had never been one to stay hidden behind someone else. She was following closely behind Corvus and Cure Gull, running along behind the two as quickly as possible. Once they reached their destination the Pretty Cure of Passion just takes a slow breath and nods her head.<br /><br />"Go for it, Gull-chan.. I've got your back." She says, as Cure Gull goes into preparations for what she needs to do... The warning of 'leave her behind' had been duly noted. But she wasn't planning on leaving anyone here, Gull or otherwise. She'd have to be dragged out, if it came to that.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Of course, that sudden rush of energy when Phantom made his appearance caught her attention... With Gull as tied up as she was... Victory decided to do just what she said she was going to.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Surprisingly.. She doesn't immiediately summon her racket. Instead, there's a violet flash and her wings are spread, launching her forward into Phantom's path with her right arm cocked back, fist drawn tight to meet his glowing red chop head on with a furious punch.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:30|Suzuki Natsume (30)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Storm Knight barely reacted when she was hugged. One hand moving very slightly to return the hug, so as not to just leave her 'hanging', so to speak. Still. She didn't seem intent to show much affection towards Cure Victory in her henshined form. For those reasons that Cure Victory had been nervous of in the past; that it could be taken advantage to harm one or both of them. She lowers her Device, Verdrehen Sturm giving a soft ping, followed by her vaguely-feminine mechanical voice, &lt;<span style="color:xterm36">GUTEN TAG.</span>&gt; <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "We should try to have more of a plan than that, Cure Victory. Bravado is all well and good, but we need to do everything we can to ensure that everyone gets out alright -- including Cure Gull's sister." Storm Knight responds to her. Her tone wasn't severe or harsh though; she mostly just seemed legitimately worried for everyone's safety. "If we're lucky, he won't be there. But we can't count on that." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Platinum Royale approached. Someone who she didn't know. Still; someone who said that they could stay behind him. He had managed to face him down and shield people from him before? Good. "That's reassuring." She says, bowing her head towards Platinum Royale. "I'll do what I can to create openings for people. My abilities are lightning and wind-based elemental spells. I have a fair amount of speed and power, though with only moderate defenses. I am Storm Knight; and this is Verdrehen Sturm." She says, lifting her Device. "If it comes down to it, I'll do everything in my power to make sure everyone comes out alright." Even if it's at her own detriment. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Miss White gets a small smile from the Storm Knight, though she doesn't directly address her. Because really. That sounded like delicate work. Still, the way she was talking... yep. Still sounded like Miss White. Even if she had extreme and possibly dangerous methods, she seemed as good-willed as ever. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The arrival of the large axe-wielding woman gets a small bow of Storm Knight's head towards her as well. Axe Knight. Another name to file away and remember. Storm Knight had not noticed Ms. Blue yet; or if she had, she hadn't shown it yet. Likely her Device was tracking the magical signal. But that really never meant much with Storm Knight, since her understanding of her Device was still on a more ... 'primal' level than true understanding of words or writing. Though she was working on it, gradually getting better! <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Late help is better than none." Storm Knight says towards Sailor Mercury as she approaches. "We haven't left yet though. Late is an inccorect manner of phrasing it." The Knight says with a small smile. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That rule of Cure Gull's gets a frown. She flexes her free hand slightly as she looks towards her. "...I have already broken one mirror. I will not hesitate to break a second. Or a third. No matter how much it takes to ensure nobody shares that fate that goes with us." She neglects to state that it wasn't her alone. It was a group effort. But it's possible. That was the most important part. That unease. That awful feeling of the graveyard as the portal lights up. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; She steps forward, moving towards Cure Gull to follow almost immediately after her. She would follow, but she would not follow far behind. They're back into that pit, the pillars, the purple ground. And all of those people, stuck in this gaveyard of hope and love. That bubbling anger from the last time she visited here simmered beneath the surface of her mind. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A deep breath, calming, balancing. Soon, she was following after Cure Gull silently. Her Device was at the ready, in as relaxed of a position as she could possibly manage. She followed immediately behind Cure Gull. And the moment Phantom Appeared... "...Verdrehen Sturm." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&lt;<span style="color:xterm36">PANZERSCHILD.</span>&gt; <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A belkan magical 'circle'(More of a triangle) appears immediately in front of Phantom, placed in such a way to attempt to stop -- or at least slow -- that strike from Phantom. And allow for others to either finish stopping it, or to get Gull out of the way. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:30|Suzuki Natsume (30)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Verdrehen Sturm."<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&lt;<span style="color:xterm36">GEIST LINK.</span>&gt;<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Storm Knight closed her eyes as a spell would begin to enact itself, working at attempting to create a mental link and contact with those who had Devices, and forging a temporary link with those who did not. With everyone it was successful with, she would then speak over the telepathic link. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ~<span style="color:xterm36">This is Storm Knight. I've created a link so that we can communicate through thought. Hopefully, we can plan things out without tipping him off to those plans.</span>~<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:88|Vespa Rayne (88)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Horrible. That the first word that comes to Vespa mind as she enters this place of dispar and misery. She doesn't have much time to look around nor that she want to, this place is giving her a sicking feeling everything is telling her to run away, but she knows she can't, so she follows Cure sticking close to everyone else. Safety in numbers is always a good thing. <br /><br /> Things seem to be going well ..and then Phantom appears,he doesn't look very happy, Vespa things that a good thing. Is she going to let him strike Gull? No way! and she charges foward swinging her axe in a large arc trying to strike Phantom in the side and hopefully sending him flying far far away.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:102|Mikoto Nakajima (102)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The trek across the graveyard is a nightmare. It isn't the oppressive feeling of despair that makes it so horrible for 'Ms Blue', though that certainly doesn't help. It isn't the constant expectation of attack, either. Her shield spell is at the ready, and she's come to trust Labyrinth Architect's ability to block dang near anything. (Carnwennan, on the other hand, has been given two tasks: Keep stalking as many Flicker Shots as she has mana for, and - as soon as she realized what they were - scan the mirrors to see if there's some other way to get the girls out of them.) <br /><br />What gets to her is the sheer number of mirror-graves. Each one a fellow soldier, someone defending this world from the darkness. Her Device counts them off as they come into its close scan range. ((One. Seven. Fifteen. Thirty-seven. Fifty-)) <br /><br />"Stop," she whispers to it. "Silent scan, and keep stacking." The stealthy Flicker Shots, like shards of glass iridescent with a coating of oil, hover in the air several feet above her, awaiting the command to unleash. Like so many times before, she hopes they won't be needed. <br /><br />Soon enough, Gull and Corvus find the mirror they're looking for. It's time for high alert. If there's going to be an ambush, now's the time. ''Steel,'' she reminds herself, loosening her blade in its sheathe. <br /><br />And then they're not alone. She recognizes the Phantom from his appearance at Halloween, and it all comes rushing back to her. The battle that day. The boy who saved her. The fun they had together, in the days since. <br /><br />And the stupid, stubborn, idiotic things he said just two nights ago. There's only so much a human heart can take, and the pressure of this place is hard and dark and cold. <br /><br />((PANZERBLITZ!)) declares Carnwennan as Ms Blue takes to the air, heading straight for the Phantom, pausing at the last moment to swerve up and around Storm Knight's shield. The Device's blade leaps into her hand as she regains her footing, lashing out with it directly at the monster. <br /><br />"Die in a fire," she snarls at it, her familiar smile long absent.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:27|Hannah Sharpe (27)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> And in they go! Miss White steps in last for obvious reasons, and almost immediately coughs. The feelings of despair, hopelessness, and dejection in general has the magical girl gritting her teeth. <br /><br /> Something about this place tears at everything she is. All of that ambition, all of that tainted hope for the future fights against the thoughts that everything she's fought for, everything she's done in the name of her dreams will result in nothing but pain and despair. <br /><br /> It makes her very, very wishing for a convenient red-haired jerk to punch in the face. But he's not there. That doesn't bode well, she expected the man to just rush them as soon as they kicked the door in. <br /><br /> All along as they walked, Miss White has hovered protectively. Gull is about the only thing keeping her from just punching a random mirror as her fury grows, and the darkness in her linker core feeds hungrily on the surroundings. <br /><br /> And then he's there, and Storm Knight and others leap into the fray! <br /><br /> She starts to aim a flurry of punches at Phantom's limbs! They're wild jabs and hard uppercuts, the inexplicable anger very nearly blinding her. But Suzuki's mental link hits her Device, and then after a mental smacking by her own Device, the link is accepted. <br /><br /> ~Good thinking, data feed accepted, setting internal access permissions to read and transmit.~ <br /><br /> Her jabs are more controlled, still aiming for limbs. But more importantly, she attempts to sneak those runes of wind magic from her punches onto the man. <br /><br /> It worked on Kyouko, will it work on Phantom!?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:62|Tadase Hotori (62)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Platinum Royale really doesn't like the feeling here. It's a sickening kind of aura - despair, sadness, depression. It's pretty rough. Kiseki comments from inside of their transformation "This must be what being in an X-egg feels like." Kiseki comments.<br /><br />Platinum Royale can't bring himself to avoid looking at some of the girls in the mirrors, and it makes his heart both sad and angry. There's no good excuse for doing that sort of thing to anyone! But he keeps his comments to himself.<br /><br />He moves closer to Cure Gull as she finds her sister and works to free her - he's ready to put a steadying hand on her shoulder when that jerk in the white coat shows up! Well, at least Platinum Royale is close!<br /><br />He shifts into place in front of Cure Gull - pushing her back a bit - and brandishes his scepter.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"HOLY CROWN!" he shouts, and a cone of golden, shimmering energy erupts out of the scepter, creating a shield that grows wider behind him. The heroes can pass through it - but anybody behind the wall, including Gull, will require Phantom to go through him first.<br /><br />Platinum Royale says nothing to Phantom, but he does stare him down.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:63|Haruna Kurosawa (63)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Phantom is beset by Cure Victory checking him- and it stops him mid strike. He gets flung away from Cure Gull. That's a good start. Vespa joins in her with GIANT AXE and Phantom takes out his sword to counter. He deflects it without much worry. He's incredibly strong here. More so than normal.<br /><br />Cure Gull watches the defensive circle form which stops a beam from the sword from getting through to her suddenly. Tadase catches the next blast when Phantom gets through Storm Knight's shield. Phantom knows who his main target is. He's done this before- albeit- he was the one who started it.<br /><br />Phantom takes Miss White's flurry of punches and Miss Blue's strikes in stride. He's raising that bracer--- the wind runes don't stick--- the very despair of this place is eating at them. Phantom merely smiles in a creepy manner. This feels wrong.<br /><br />"So many friends...!" says Phantom almost mockingly. "Shut up!" snaps Gull when she can get her wits about her. She tries to ready her attack. Phantom throws a slice of red energy in Gull's direction. She manages to jump out of the way. <br /><br />Phantom stops for a moment upon one of this tall purple pillars. "Queen Mirage-sama has been worried about all your interference." he calls out. "I may very well start calling myself the mahou shoujo hunter soon!" he calls out. "Regardless. I know why you're here now. I can end this. I can fight you all and---- Cure Gull....." he says. "Your old friend is going to help me...."<br /><br />Black 'arms' seem to shoot from behind Phantom into Gull--- Gull jumps back and they hit ground into her shadow. That missed!---- so why did Gull suddenly recoil in pain. This feeling- it' so familiar. It feels like-- part of her has been rippled away. She recovers quicker though than any time in the past. She doesn't feel much weaker. What happened? Her shadow is gone. She isn't projecting one any more at the moment.<br /><br />Phantom let's the shadows wrap around him and they take a different shape. He changes into a slightly smaller form, long- red hair, a witches hat-- a princess dress... a broom--- a shadowy raven on his shoulder. Gull blinks then looks horrified when she realizes what just happened. "N-no.... you.. what did you do....!?" she screams out at Phantom.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:63|Haruna Kurosawa (63)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Phantom, now Scorn, Scorn appears to a girl that should in the eigth or nineth grade level. She appears to have dark red hair, long- coming down to her shoulders, with a red streak coming down on the right side. Clipped to the right side of her long hair is a barret made of lovely sleek, black raven feathers. Bright Blue-colored eyes peek from just under a pointed , deep purple colored 'witches hat', with a wide brim and a red band around it's bottom half.<br /><br />She wears a small black cape from clasps on her shoulder, which hook into the ornate, deep violet princess-style gown she wears. The lovely gown is pressed against her at the waist, where a belt locks around the middle at her waist, with various pouches and bags beholden too it. Stockings, banded in purple and red, come down her legs, which flow into orante buckled shoes.<br /><br />She's usually seen with a trusty broom, who's bussiness end seems to be a mass of black feathers, and in the company of some sort of shadowy raven perched on her right shoulder.<br /><br />The Raven is glaring and doesn't talk. It's a construct- Phantom can't recreate the bird in full. "Don't you remember me Gull?..." asks Phantom, sounding a lot like Haruna in talk- but the inflection is all wrong. <br /><br />Cure Gull just shakes there. Wind begins to build around her. "No---Nonono.....this is done--this is over--/no....!/...." screeches Gull.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:27|Hannah Sharpe (27)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> "...Feh." Mutters Hannah in frustration. It seems the rune trick won't work here. No, it's going to have to be brute force. <br /><br /> "I'll give you this much, you know how to set the home field advantage." Comes Miss White, trying to summon up that casual bravado. It mostly comes out in a deep, deep snarl of violence barely chained down. It's hard to think above the din of darkness, the growing urge to reject everything and give into tearing at Phantom like a demon. <br /><br /> A familiar presence is near. It takes her a moment, and then she realizes what Phantom just did. <br /><br /> It's Scorn, and there's brief horror in her eyes. Everything that Gull had beaten right before her, right when they needed her the most to be calm. Hannah takes a deep breath. <br /><br /> "CURE GULL!" Yells Hannah as she whirls around. <br /><br /> "You came here to /do something/, didn't you!? Are you /REALLY/ going to freak out now or are you going to GET THE JOB DONE LIKE YOU PROMISED!? So what if that old terror is right there!? You and me and everyone beat that threat off once! And we're going to do that RIGHT HERE ONCE AGAIN! So step up, get going, AND SAVE YOUR SISTER!" Comes Hannah like a drill sergeant. It's all she can manage right now. <br /><br /> Then with a scream, she offers a hard blast of pure wind towards Scorn(!?), trying to kick her off of her witchy feet and away from Gull!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:30|Suzuki Natsume (30)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Okay. Things were going well so far. The attacks were being stopped. And Phantom had even seemed to take direct hits from the various incoming attacks towards him. Good. Cure Victory's tactic was a bit concerning; but that was possibly exactly why it worked. Foolhardy, something people wouldn't expect. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The connection was accepted from Miss White at the least, and Verdrehen Sturm's connection to Miss White's device began to transmit battle data, sharing readings from a different point to ensure that neither device missed any aspect of the combat -- even if Miss White wasn't necessarily in her right mind to make much use of it. Holy Crown's creation is noted and watched. Storm Knight watching it entirely to see how long it takes to break -- if it breaks at all. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; And then... things began to go wrong. Hands grasp for Cure Gull's shadow, as Phantom speaks. A shadowy raven. And... now... he was ... someone else? Someone who Storm Knight didn't know, but others seemed to. She takes a small breath as she shifts her Device. "Cure Gull. Do not let him shake your resolve. Focus on what you are here to do. This is just an illusion. Just a falsehood that he is doing to put you off your guard. Focus on rescuing the one in the mirror. And nothing else. Don't bother attacking. That's what we're here for. Just get her out." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Storm Knight's gaze lifts towards Phantom. "You know. It's kind of creepy. Turning into a girl like that." Storm Knight says, lifting her Device. "It's perhaps mean of me to judge, though." Several balls of electrical energy begin to form, as Storm Knight takes a small breath. Ugh. This place seemed to strip away her energy. Still. Her magical circles were there to stabilize it. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&lt;<span style="color:xterm36">BLITZ LADUNG.</span>&gt;<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Storm Knight pushes her device forward, which began to shoot electricity out. At first, one might assume that it's going for Phantom -- but instead those balls of lightning are sent flying for Hannah's gauntlets, Ms. Blue's rapier, Vespa's Axe, and one flies towards Cure Victory, though rather than imbuing her lack of a weapon with electricty -- it orbits around her, as if waiting and begging to be used as a tennis ball. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Meanwhile, Storm Knight moves to step between Cure Gull and Phantom. She spares just a moment to glance back towards her and give her a reassuring smile. Even if it only lasted for a half second before her gaze was right back on Phantom/'Scorn'. ~<span style="color:xterm36">We're here to make sure that everything turns out right. Don't lose hope.</span>~ She speaks over that mental link. Not just to Cure Gull, but to everyone. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:54|Ami Mizuno (54)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>While Gull may be nervous, Sailor Mercury projects the picture of calm as she enters the dark realm of the Cure Graveyard. Almost immediately upon entering, the senshi reached up to activate the mercury goggles, allowing her to scan the area in real time augmented reality.<br /><br />What she sees, there, doesn't encourage her, but nevertheless she takes the time to analyze everything, keeping up and ready for a fight.<br /><br />When they reach the girls in the mirrors, she stops to analyze one or two, but the magic involved is complicated; releasing more than the one they came for won't happen--not today, anyways. But there may be other opportunities. Other times.<br /><br />Phantom's appearance draws Sailor Mercury's attention right away. "Gull, keep going, we'll cover you," she calls encouragement, but she doesn't actually move to ''do'' anything. Instead, she takes her time, studying Phantom's every move while the other, more aggressive magical girls and boys make their attacks.<br /><br />And then he transforms--and Sailor Mercury's eyes widen. "That's not an illusion of Scorn! That seems to be the very ''essence'' of Scorn! I think he--she?--may be connected to this entire place on a fundamental level. Can one of you device users put up a barrier around Gull? Maximum level and gull only; separate her from Scorn/Phantom and the rest of us!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:62|Tadase Hotori (62)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Platinum Royale can talk and shield at the same time! The attack that got through did felt incredibly powerful, though - different than the last time he encountered him. It must be that home field advantage.<br /><br />He turns back to look at Gull - while still doing his level best to keep that field intact. "You're not Scorn anymore. You're Cure Gull. You protect the innocent. You fight for the light. You find evil and karate chop it!" he says, stepping back at Sailor Mercury's words.<br /><br />He focuses his barrier, and now it's only protecting himself and Gull - everyone else will have to engage Phanto-Scorn anyways. This does have the effect of making the barrier much stronger, though, since it's less spread.<br /><br />"It doesn't matter what he says, or what he does. He can't change the goodness in your heart. He can't make you something you're not. You've risen above being Scorn. So if he wants to take that form - well, he's just becoming something you've already beaten." he says, looking back and giving Cure Gull a smile and a wink.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:102|Mikoto Nakajima (102)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Normally, Mikoto would be just as quick with a word of encouragement as any other. Quite possibly quicker and more eloquent, too, she'd like to think. A classical upbringing's gotta be good for ''something'', after all. <br /><br />'Ms Blue' has nothing to say, though. Nothing but the anger she's been holding inside her for days, now. And at last she has a ''valid target''. Something she can cut loose at without holding back, without being afraid that she'll hurt someone. <br /><br />The last time Phantom encountered Mikoto, she played the Barrier Maiden, supporting Ikuto, Tadase, and Amu. Her offense is a completely different problem for the monster, the slender blade lashing out in short, sharp strikes designed to weaken his defenses and open the way for later strikes. <br /><br />Except that Phantom isn't quite Phantom anymore. The changes rolls over him and Ms Blue falls back, for a moment. She finally speaks, words snarled out through her anger. "No," she curses him. "You don't get to take that from her. You don't get to take ''anything''." She presses her attack once more, wild and quick, letting her anger be her shield against he despair that tries to drown her in dark memory. <br /><br />Above the battle, half forgotten, more and more gleaming shards of mana continue to materialize under Carnwennan's direction, following her last directive.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:88|Vespa Rayne (88)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"What the?", Vespa quite surpised as Phantom blocks her strike with his sword. She gaps as Gull shadow it taken and he changes itno a she. She takes a step back. That voice sounds a bit familar. "That colour really doesn't suit you..... And give that back it not yours! Don't give yup Feathers! We are all here to support you!", she sees that storm has charged up her axe with lighthing. Nice. <br /><br />"Right then.. ROUND 2!", she jumps up and start to come down aiming for Phantom/Scorn/Whatever it is now with a overhead strike on him/it.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:26|Mari Katsu (26)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This is a bit disconcerting... but more than that, this new tactic of Phantom's... Even if Victory didn't fully understand what the heck just happened... It makes Victory's blood /boil/ just from the sight of it. It's even visible in how she carries herself, both fists gripped tightly as she moves back into position infront of Gull and glares at Scorn, her right hand loosening only to generate her tennis racket as she turns her head and spits to one side.<br /><br />"Just when I thought a jerk like you couldn't get any lower... You go and do something stupid like this? I'm done playing nice with you Phantom. Scorn. Whatever you want to be called. By the time I'm done beating common sense into you, maybe you'll have the common sense not to pull off a stupid stunt like this again!"<br /><br />"Victory Lightning Serve!", Victory yells out, followed by a spin of her racket, as her free hand moves to her wrist, tapping her prebrace.<br /><br />Combining her own precure energy with that orbiting ball of lightning, Victory's racket comes in to connect with the orb igniting the combined energies to react in such away that the lightning ball shoots off like a bolt of lightning aimed right at Scorn.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:63|Haruna Kurosawa (63)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Cure Gull is WAYYYY too busy building up a whirlwind around her and now it's kicked up all that purple dirt in to the air which isn't helping things but she suddenly punches a fierce whirlwind into Scorn--- who sweeps it aside with the broom---and then spins it in her hands to be a jerk. This might be Scorn if Scorn was actually malevolent. Hannah's meets a similar fate. This is like--- it feels like you're flinging wet noodles at a rock.<br /><br />'She' looks to Hannah with a sinister grin. "We all have a mirror inside our hearts...." he says very condifently. "I just turned hers around. This is what's on the other side---I wonder what's on the other side of yours.... or perhaps..." he motions to Tadase. "Or--- his..." she grins.<br /><br />"My heart's desire... Soul Burst." he says pointing the brom downwind at Tadase and unleashing a torrent of black energy of despair to try to blow him away from his target. Cure Victory does Tennis things- and a ball of lighting shoots out. 'Scorn' blocks it with her broom. This is all going horrible for the heroes.<br /><br />"I'm...not... giving.. up...." she manages to cry out. It hurts to yell this. She thought---she thought 'Scorn' was gone forever. But--- no. She still worried about a lot. Secretly. Corvus knew. "You took my sister- and now you're, you're trying to use Scorn against me!? My friends helped me through that and----! AND THEY'RE ALL HERE! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN USE THAT HERE!" she screeches out. It's coherent- but she /means/ it and that's all that matters, right----- she begins spinning the dial on her Prebrace----<br /><br />Scorn rockets out with two bolts of black ness towards the PreBraces of both Cure Gull and Cure Victory- hard, sudden fast- there's a sudden burst of bright, white light.<br /><br /><span style="color:pink">The PreBraces of the Pretty Cure Shatter into Nothingness.</span> Thier ablity to field strong attacks go with them- aswell as thier powerful purification ability. They still retain thier henshin and regular abilities. No named attacks thou.<br /><br />Gull reacts in horror. "T...the Lovely PreBrace........!" she mutters out. "No...." how can she save Aki now?<br /><br />Phantom raises his broom and grins..."SOUL BIND!" he calls out, a wave of despair washes out over the area- threating to capture everyone and bind them in rings of dark energy. This is unpleasent- but the binds are strong.<br /><br />Gull gets caught. "Nrg... no--this....." she mutters. Corvus swoops down from above as he attempts to smash that ring. It doesn't work. He's just a mascot in the end. "Gull...!" he calls out. "I'm going to try something---hol----"<br /><br /><span style="color:purple">"GRANT MY HEART'S DESIRE! SOUL RELEASE!"</span> calls out Scorn.<br /><br />Corvus's eyes go wide as he just turns to face Scorn. There's a bright purple ball heading towards Gull. Gull's eyes are wide in horror. Corvus doesn't even think, he just flies directly into the attack and there's a bright flash of purple light that Tadase and Mercury will recognize from when Gull was Scorn. Corvus falls from the head and hits dirt. He does not get up. Something featherly and light flows into the broom. Scorn tsks. "Well. That was a waste..." she says. "Let's try again....."<br /><br />Gull's eyes are just wide for a long moment. Everyone else can fight out of thier binds but Gull....Haruna isn't doing a thing to escape right now. She's still processing what just happened. No PreBrace..... Corvus is gone. It's one thing to 'face your past' it's another to loose every hope at your disposal......<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:63|Haruna Kurosawa (63)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>A rose cuts through the darkness!-----into Scorn!----TWHIP! Wait. No. That rose. Is very fake. and plastic and falls to the ground as it hits Phantom in the face. You can trace it's point to a tiny raccoon spirit in a cape and a tophat and no mask because raccoons already have those. "Yeah, I always just wanted to do that. I can see why tall dark and handsome finds it appealing." he says. The cape and top hat dissapear as he poofs away and then onto Gull's Shoulder.... "GUll....wake up." he mutters. Scorn is busy dealing with plastic rose petals in her face for a moment. It's a very easy, very cheap distraction. This will NOT work long at all. Better get your hits in while you can.<br /><br />Gull blinks as she begins just straight out hyperventaliating, finally, well doing something. "Gull... this is really bad. I'm really sorry. But I need you to fight for a little bit..okay?...." he murmurs. "Listen to your friends here. I'm going to do what I can...okay?" reassures Procyon.<br /><br />Gull nods..."okay...." she says lightly as she fights--- somehow. And the binds break around her.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:26|Mari Katsu (26)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Okay this was not going well.. Epic attack blocked, PreBrace shattered, bound by darkness... Yeah this was going the exact opposite of the plan she originally had in mind. Worse yet, in this state, she wasn't sure if she could even break her way out of this. Struggling with those binds, she's helpless to watch as Corvus dives into the way of that attack in defense of Gull... and she knew if it came to it - Raquel would probably do the same.<br /><br />Infact, much like Corvus was, she's doing her best to help Victory break those bindings...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The plastic rose thwip distracting Scorn might be enough to stave her off, giving her a chance to fight off those bindings which snap away and drop her to the floor, where she immiediately turns and moves to join Gull, putting both arms around her. She doesn't know what to say - a first for her - she can't even IMAGINE what that felt like. She doesn't want to. Right now all she wants to do is hug her friend and protect her if the need arrises... Keeping up hope - that's what's important. Espeically in situations like this where all hope seems lost.<br /><br />"Gull-chan... Get on your feet. We have a fight to win for Corvus and your Sister." ...how Victory can stay positive about /winning/ this fight is a mystery, especially in her current state. "We won't lose, as long as we keep faith in ourselves and in our friends. No matter how dark things seem. You got that? That's what it means to have burning passion!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:27|Hannah Sharpe (27)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Raging Tempest is far more in the right state of mind, so at least Verdrehen Sturm's getting battle data back. And perhaps more importantly, there's backup coordinates and data for the spell that will /get them out/. Just in case. Best to have contingencies. <br /><br /> And then she has electrified Device Knuckles. R.T. is a little tingly, and it does much to make Hannah's morale get a nice boost. <br /><br /> Don't lose hope. It's so easy to just settle into fury and anger here. To just give into breaking things like a force of nature. But she has dreams, and most importantly, a friend who needs her sister back. <br /><br /> Miss White takes a moment to judge her mana levels, then nods to Mercury. <br /><br /> "Don't think I can keep it up too long, but..." <br /><br /> She'll toss up another layer of shielding around Gull and Tadase, though it likely won't last too long under a sustained assault. <br /><br /> With Blue charging and going at it, and Victory smashing electricity down at Phantom, Hannah decides to add her own strike to the mix. <br /><br /> Or at least she's about to, when PreBraces shatter, and then that familiar binding is unleashed. She struggles within it, the negative energy pushing her to despair. She can see her dreams vanishing before her, crumbling to dust. <br /><br /> But then Gull goes silent and terror for her friends and that sound of a /ROSE/ hitting pulls her out of it. <br /><br /> She shatters the bonds, and then she calls out with exhiliration. <br /><br /> "Tuxedo K..." Pause. <br /><br /> "Koon." Slightly less enthused, but it worked, and he seems to have a plan. <br /><br /> Miss White, breathing heavily, forces a confident smile that she doesn't feel inside back onto her face, and she walks over to Gull. A smack right on the shoulder, and a squeeze just enough to sting. <br /><br /> "Victory's right, Gull. The only way you can reach your dreams and fulfill your promises is to keep going, whether you can see the path in front of you or not. One foot forward, and never back down! That's what it means to have ambition!" <br /><br /> Then, knees bending, she dives right in with a blast of wind from her legs! Putting all of her power into speed and pure punching-related pain, she aims hard kicks and punches to Scorn's face and that damn broom of hers! She's a whirlwind of brutal violence that might be worthy of a PreCure. <br /><br /> At least until the part where her Device pipes up. They'd practice this. <br /><br /> "Believe in me, Mistress?" <br /><br /> "Of course, R.T. Guide me! Be my eyes!" <br /><br /> Miss White's body tightens with concentration as her Device's perception spells redouble themselves, concentrating on utter offense while putting her trust and hope into her Device to tell her when to move, or take strikes with Wind Shields! She too pulls in the data from Storm Knight's Device, feeding off of it. <br /><br /> And then she aims one last lightning-wind infused punch straight for the jaw! <br /><br /> "ON YOUR KNEES YOU HALLOWEEN-SHOP KNOCKOFF!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:30|Suzuki Natsume (30)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Okay, while he wasn't a Device user so far as she could tell, it seemed like Platinum Royale was doing the full power barrier that Sailor Mercury had called for. Storm Knight stayed in her position between Phantom and Cure Gull, intending to ensure that said barrier /stays/ up. Holding back as much as she can for now. There were a lot of people in melee already, so more would just muddle up the battlefield and make it harder for ranged attackers like Cure Victory to attack. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; So she stayed in that position between Cure Gull and Phantom. Phantom was targetting her. Which meant that was his main target, and the others would PROBABLY be fine. And she was in a range that she could try to protect them should he change targets. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Soul Burst is sent flying towards Tadase and Cure Gull. Storm Knight lifts her Device, bracing it against the ground at an angle. "Verdrehen Sturm!" <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&lt;<span style="color:xterm36">PANZERHINDERNIS.</span>&gt;<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A round barrier appears, angled to attempt to DEFLECT the ball of black energy, rather than completely defend against it, and spare Tadase from that powerful blow. Crap. Cure Gull was freaking out. She wasn't focusing on her mission. They could have, maybe, just fled by now. But things were going wrong. This was why she had texted Mamoru. This is why there was probably people waiting to recieve injured magical girls. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; And... then... those black bolts. Sudden bright light. Almost faster than Storm Knight could see. And ... The prebraces shatter?! Soul Bind. That wave of despair. Those rings of dark energy. It was just enough, even as she struggles and fights her way out of it, that she just has to watch. As Corvus is apparently killed. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Cure Gull, Haruna... they seemed to have just lost hope. Phantom had stolen it from her. Storm Knight shifts, breaking out of the Soul Bind, as her gaze lifts towards Phantom. Storm Knight was struggling with dark thoughts; thoughts of her family that tried to push her too far, thoughts of her own inadequacies. And anger. That anger that had been bubbling just beneath the surface began to sprout fully to the surface. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "You... how dare you ... how dare you crush the hope of so many people. How dare you trap them in this realm of despair. WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO DO THIS?! NOTHING JUSTIFIES THIS!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Storm Knight believed that people just needed help. That even the worst person just had something wrong that they needed help overcoming. Those beliefs were set aside, and her Device began to crackle with electricity. "LOAD CARTRIDGE!" Storm Knight lits her device, the bottom of it lowering. Once. Twice. Three times. All three of her cartridges, all loaded at once with that mechanical explosion of energy. Electricity and winds were both kicking up around her violently. It wasn't righteousness fueling this. It was pure fury. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"STURM BLITZ!"<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&lt;<span style="color:xterm36">STURM BLITZ.</span>&gt;<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; All at once, that anger-fueled overuse of Cartridges was used. Storm Knight moved forward, an erratic zigzag taking her straight towards Phantom. The blade of her Device was elongated with an energy blade, and lightning crackled over her whole form. She slashed at him rapidly -- keeping up the attack for a full 3 or 4 seconds, slash and stab and slash, over and over. Even if it wasn't enough to harm him directly, it would hopefully keep him busy enough for the others to recover and attack. And in the flow of combat... 3 or 4 seconds could mean the difference been victory of defeat. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:88|Vespa Rayne (88)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Vespa attack are not getting thought 'Scorn' defence. Very annoying. Then the wave of despair washes over and she gets bound, dropping her axe. Scorn fire off another attack at Gull and everything seem to go in slow motion as Corvus interpets the attacks and hit the ground. She watches as the crow disspears.. <br /><br />"A waste?? You call that waste???", Vepsa breaks her binds and picks up her axe. "Someone giving there life to protect the ones they care about??? No THAT'S NOT A WASTE AT ALL!" She charges at 'Scorn' with her axe pointed forwad intening to ram into her!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:54|Ami Mizuno (54)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Mercury studies the battlefield carefully for just one more moment, and then closes her eyes. Three shields around Gull, yet still barely enough. Corvus sacrificed himself, but then Procyon appeared in his place? That's connected, somehow, but Sailor Mercury doesn't have time to work it out.<br /><br />As Storm Knight charges in with a cartridge-empowered attack, Mercury continues playing out the chess game in her head, watching piece after piece move into place. "Checkmate in two," she whispers quietly, and judging by the worry in her voice, she's not entirely confident the heroes will be the ones on top.<br /><br />But then, that's why Sailor Mercury remained inactive, other than observation. Now, with every piece in place, she begins her move. "Platinum Royale, tighten down to one meter," she calls to him. Encouragement, security, and absolutely no distractions. These are what Cure Gull needs.<br /><br />So Mercury provides. "Mercury Aqua Mist!" A heavy, roiling fog fills the air around Gull, blocking out Gull's ability to ''see'' anything outside of Tadase's Holy Crown. The subtle glow of the crown gives her illumination of the bubble, but this should leave the pair of them in complete and total isolation from every sensation: smell, sound, and most importantly sight. The only sounds remaining available to Gull should be those of Tadase and Procyon's voices of encouragement. The only sight that of her sister's mirror. Total and complete isolation.<br /><br />Over the comm link provided earlier, Sailor Mercury quickly reasserts reason into the madness: "Remember, we are not here to fight. The flashier and more distracting you can be, the better. This is Phantom's home ground; we cannot defeat him here. But we can distract him. We ''can'' confuse him. Make him forget about Cure Gull. Make him focus on you. Be flashy. Be bold. Be brave. But most of all: be safe."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:102|Mikoto Nakajima (102)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The soul bind throws Mikoto back, shoving her away from Phantom/Scorn with wicked force. She stumbled back, almost falling as her legs are pulled from under her by the bind. She's forced away from her engagement with the monster, her blade unable to reach it. <br /><br />For a long moment, she flails at the air as if she were still in reach of the Phantom. Eventually she realizes that she's not hitting anything, and slows to a stop, the blade held loosely in front of her. ''Ikuto,'' she murmurs to herself, ''This is for you...'' <br /><br />It took her a minute to remember the Flicker Shots. Coiling around each other up in the air. She reaches out to them, commanding the spell matrix once again, calling them into play... <br /><br />And down they come, streaking out of the sky like artillery, raining down one and two and five at a time at the Phantom. A nearly continuous rain of fire pours down, over and over and over. <br /><br />"Eat hot photons, Martian slime!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:62|Tadase Hotori (62)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Platinum Royale's standing in front of Gull-chan - that ward of golden-white energy protecting the two of them - a shimmering aura of energy.<br /><br />And that's when the Graveyard-Boosted, Scorn-Phantom bolt crashes into it - somewhat deflected in angle by the Storm Knight's shield, but still slamming with massive force<br /><br />There's a crashing of energy, negative against positive, the blast finally overcoming Platinum Royale's shield, and in the process, unleashing a massive amount of energy from both the shield itself and the attack, and blowing him clear of Gull - slamming his back against one of the purple crystals that grow in this place.<br /><br />There's a groan that comes from the young King, and he's actually out of the combat long enough to miss the plastic rose. But it also means he was thrown clear of Soul Bind. <br /><br />Once he comes to, walks - slowly - back up towards the fight. It's obvious shielding that attack took a lot out of him. Even still, he levels the scepter at Phantom-Scorn. "Gull-chan - you can do this. You have the spirit in your heart to help us push this jerk back and save your sister. It doesn't matter if he looks like Phantom, or Scorn, or anyone else. Whatever form he takes, your heart is stronger." Then he glares at Phantom.<br /><br />"HOLY JUSTICE!" he announces, and a massive blast of golden energy bursts from the scepter, crushing forward towards Phantom.<br /><br />And then, visibly pushed though he is, he follows the instructions fro mthe strategist! "HOLY... CROWN!" he shouts, putting the shield back up.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:63|Haruna Kurosawa (63)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>'Scorn' manages to save herself from being hit by the ensuing various blasts of energy and fists with her broom. The powerful lightining- the fists of White-san. The Holy Power of Tadase's Holy Crown, the various artilery like flecks of power descending down upon him from Mikoto's flicker shots. Lighting and Strikes and everything just--- seem to rebound off her. Vespa strikes down----- the broom blocks it.<br /><br />"You can't beat me. Not here." she says with a delightful creepy laugh, still sounding like Haruna throughout this. Still wearing her face.<br /><br />Mercury's mist can't exist here. It doesn't work. She sends it out and it /melts/ into ichor before dissolving.<br /><br />Cure Gull looks into Victory's eyes. "Ha----I.. thank you...." She murmurs. "I'm sorry... still. For that embarrasment-- the other week." she admits softly. "But---you're still here helping me- everyone is- and--I.. Corvus..." she whimpers.<br /><br />Procyon sighs and crosses his arms. "Yeah." he says. "Hey--- Haruna..." he says. Not using 'Gull' this time. He tugs her head over. "I'm about to do something silly. You aren't going to see me again." he says honestly, less silly. "But that's okay. You keep bein a trouble maker." then he hops over to Tadase's head. "Hey Prince." he says. "You make sure Haruna doesn't get in /too/ much trouble now. I don't need anyone trying to /outdo/ me now!" he says with a wink.<br /><br />He dissapears in a poof and appears on Hannah's shoulder. "Hey. You. I don't think you're going down the right path. But I also know you're heart's in the right place. Also. /if you hurt Haruna's at all I am going to find you and you'll NEVER HAVE KEYS EVER AGAIN!/." he says. The tone is joking. But he can't be serious, can he? He appears back on Gull's shoulder before he jumps back off and rubs a pair of glasses that appear in his tiny claws and cleans them with a shoulder.<br /><br />Procyon isn't taking this seriously. But really- when does Procyon take ANYTHING seriously. He's a demi-god of guile and mischief. "Okay, Hi! I'd like the floor for a moment." he says as he finally jumps off Gull's shoulder.<br /><br />'Scorn' feels intent to listen to this a moment. "PFffbt- what are you going to do?" she says. "You're trapped in some tablet. You can't /fight me/." 'She' hisses.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:63|Haruna Kurosawa (63)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Procyon puts on the glasses, because it potentially makes him look smarter. (It does.). "WELL. First off, you killed my friend and then ate his energy. Noooot too happy about that. So. Lets fix this first." he points at Corvus's body and there's a bright flash of light. Corvus appears and blinks a bit..."Wuh---hap----" He's a silver, white---seagull? Now? Yes. He's a Seagull now. "Sorry bud, Raven bodies are WAY too expensive. Also. You'll be happier with Gull this way- go join her. Im'ma gonna finish her and she's gonna need your guidance after this." Corvus frowns. "Procyon... you better not....". Procyon waves him off. Corvus seems to want to say something- but goes joins Gull on her shoulder. She blinks and looks back she frowns...<br /><br />"Proycon----please. what are you----" Procyon motions for a 'quiet'. She obeys with a 'nrg...!'.<br /><br />Mercury can see that Procyon's signal just got HILAROUSLY weak, even though he doesn't seem phased by what was just done.<br /><br />"SECONDLY!..." demands Procyon. "That thing where you broke my buddie's power and her friends power? Lammmmmme." he waves his hand. There's another Flash. Victory and Gull find new PreBraces restrorted, and also, fully recharged.<br /><br />Mercury sees that signal go down more. Mercury begins to get the idea Procyon is burning himself to accomplish Miracles. She knows how this end. Will she say something?<br /><br />"THIRDLY!--- Well. I think you're a FRICKEN WEIRDO WHO COLLECTS GIRLS IN MIRRORS! SHEESH! LIKE, EVEN DESPARIA TOOK A STEP BACK ONCE IN A WHILE AND WAS LIKE 'GEEE WHAT AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE'!" he waves his hands around.....<br /><br />Mercury reads no power drain this time.<br /><br />"FORTHLY!----- you think you have the advantage but you do not. You know...." he suddenly pauses. "... I really wanted to be out of my tablet, too, you know? Being in a box. It kinda sucks. Corvus is really lucky he met someone who was willing to forgive him for all the shit in his life. I didn't see that one coming- I thought I was going to need to babysit him really hard for ANOTHER 300 years. Kami-dude? We can't figure out how to free me. Not with out well.... Soul Releasing humans and--- ugh. That's lame. You're lame!" he points at 'Scorn'. "--that's my dream. You know. Be Free stealing keys--- DON'T JUDGE ME!----" Procyon is just sort of silly like this- even when well. This is happening.<br /><br />"And if I can't make /my/ dreams come true, well----" he mumbles. "I can help my friend's dream come true! ---and I might not be around to see your ass get kicked and see the ensuing /rampant adorableness/ of Haruna hugging Aki after--- BUT IT'LL ALL BE WORTH IT IF I CAN SEE YOUR ROYAL RED-HAIRED BISHEOUEN ASS HIT DIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT!"<br /><br />There's a sudden explosion straight into the sky from Procyon's location---- the area for the next one hundred feet explodes into verdant grass. There's a tiny pinprick into the gray ceiling where the light shot up- and it's lighter---- but more importantly- as that burst washes out past Phantom- it takes the wispy form of Scorn with it- burning it away, just leaving Phantom.<br /><br />The feeling of despair is gone. The prickling in your hearts dissapear while you're on or over the grass. You feel this is not permenant, the grass at the edges is already dying-but whatever Pyrocon did created a 'bubble' of apparent hopeful happiness in this god awful place. It's not powerful enough to free any Precures- but for now... it's leaving Phantom at his 'normal' power levels. If there was one time to lean into him......<br /><br />Cure Gull is already spinning her hands over one another--- Corvus is on her shoulder--- in all his new weird 'Gull-like' glory. "PRETTY CURE----HOPEFUL FEATHER SHOOT!" she calls out. Tears are still in her eyes but she doesn't care right now. She's already punching the bright, seafoam green winged emblem into Phantom, no doubt with everyone else!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:30|Suzuki Natsume (30)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Anger. So much anger. All channeled into an attack aimed at the right person, even if it was foolhardy. It was a wild anger. But it was controlled. Barely leashed and focused. Kept in check by Storm Knight silently reminding herself in the back of her mind over and over. .o(I protect. I aid. I protect. I aid.)o. Focusing. Pushing. Ugh. Those cartridges -- any less would probably not have been enough. She was fast, but she wasn't nearly the fastest magical girl there. A little bit slower than Phantom was too much, when her fighting style revolved around that speed. So she needed that burst to keep up -- or overwhelm -- Phantom. At least here. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Not to mention this place constantly seeming to gnaw away at their energy and minds. Ugh. Okay. Flashier, more distracting. Flashier, more distracting. Focus. Focus. How can she make it flashier. Could she go faster somehow? Could she distract him somehow? Could she... maybe... possibly... what could she do? She still had energy left over from the Cartridges, though not much. She could continue the Sturm Blitz, but she couldn't keep up the speed. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No, honestly. She was spent. She had done her distraction, enough that he would probably be hit. Instead, she dashes back to that pocket of hopeful joy, that prickling leaving her heart helps her focus, and that almost hateful anger subside. She takes a slow breath, before lifting her device again. "...Sorry about that, Verdrehen Sturm. That probably didn't feel good for you." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&lt;<span style="color:xterm36">Es ist das zu akzeptieren.</span>&gt;<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Alright then. Let's do this." Storm Knight takes a soft breath as she aims her device towards Phantom. She felt slightly stronger here. And since she was stronger, and magic didn't seem to be being eaten away... she flashes a grin towards Phantom. "Let's see how you like it." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&lt;<span style="color:xterm36">STURM-FALLE.</span>&gt;<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Storm Knight keeps the tip of her device pointed towards Phantom... as rings of lightning and wind spark into existence, attempting to catch Phantom's ankles and wrists and pull his arms and legs out straight. "...More." Another layer of the binding forms, fueled by the last reserves of those three cartridges, adding binds around his waist, elbows, and knees. And then finally, one around his neck. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Storm Knight wasn't the strongest support mage, of course, so he could escape... but once again... it just might hold or distract him long enough that he takes everything directly. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:88|Vespa Rayne (88)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Vespa keeps pushing on the broom that blocked her attack.. She not making any headway.. Then Procyon does something crazy awsome, and Vespa feels it. Hope. <br /><br />"I'm not going to waste this chance this moment!", she knocks the broom out of the way, and grips her axe with both hands tigtly. She rushes at Phatom. "Take this FINAL SLICER!", her axe glows with a purple light as he rushes past him leaving a purple slash mark on Phantom. The she turns around and does it again! "DOUBLE FINAL SLICER!", she winces a bit in pain doing it once is hard twice in a row is quite straning!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:26|Mari Katsu (26)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's a few moments where Victory just stares at the random things happening, this is levels of random she hasn't even encountered before and it's a bit offputting.. at least until she realizes what's happening... That ... tiny pinprick shining through to the world below....<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Cue the close up of Victory's face as her grin becomes an epic grin. She hadn't lost hope of winning - not even at the darkest moment. But this? This was a golden opportunity to REALLY pull it off.<br /><br />"Hell YEAH!" She suddenly calls out, pumping one fist to the sky. "You tell him, racoon dude! We don't back down from ANYTHING! Especially when it comes to protecting our friends hopes and dreams!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Okay. Maybe a bit too hype, even for Victory... But that's only a glimmer of what's to come.<br /><br />"You know what, i've been working on this one for a long time, jerk! I was planning on saving it for a special occasion, but I think putting you back in your place will work just fine! Heads up for this serve! LIGHT OF DREAMS, TURN INTO SACRED POWER! LOVE PREBRACE!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Victory's hand slaps down on her pre brace as she summons not one, but two tennis rackets, one for each hand.<br /><br />"<span class=" bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">PRE CURE! VICTORY PASSION STORM!</span>"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A pair of glowing stylized tennis balls appear just above Victory, which she slams one off into the air with her right racket, then spins, slamming the other off behind it... straight into the air towards that pinprick of light where the purity is at it's strongest. Spinning to look away from Scorn, Victory lets her left racket vanish, and spins her right racket around like a sword before 'sheathing' it behind her where it hangs by some mystical force. With her back turned, it only takes a few moments before stylized tennis balls begin to rain from the heavens, in sizes ranging from normal to medium... all aimed towards Scorn that begin to detonate on impact, each one of the myriad of energy balls raining down adding to the growing circle of purity detonation. "<span class=" bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">PASSION! RETURN TO THE SKIES!</span>"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:27|Hannah Sharpe (27)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Even Hannah's confidence has limits, and she's darn near brushed up against it. Had she been a fool? Had Blue been right, and that this all was an utterly idiotic endeavor!? <br /><br /> Then, that little racooon-god is speaking. He's on her shoulder. She reaches up, and rubs his tail, his words a swat to the head and yet a joking sort of comraderie. <br /><br /> "My dear little Coon-kun, don't you worry! I'll sacrifice all of my keys /and/ bottlecaps to Racoonthulu if I ever do that! Heh." Her jaw tightens. She gets it. Procyon has a plan, and he's not coming back. <br /><br /> "...I won't forget you, Procyon." <br /><br /> The light burns away despair for just long enough, and Hannah's face streams with tears as the little guy fades away. She'd always liked him. And he went so far to sacrifice all of his own dreams for Gull, Aki, and everyone here. <br /><br /> Gull blasts her signature blast of sealing magic, and then Storm is binding Phantom in place. Miss White cracks her knuckles, runs a hand through her hair, and then loosens her tie only to throw it away. <br /><br /> This just went from personal, to 'Just Kicked A Relative's Grave' personal. <br /><br /> She pulls back an arm, and wind gathers around Hannah's fist. First a gust, then a gale, and finally a tornado she holds in her knuckled hand, only both her own magic and the wiles of her Device holding it in check. She stalks towards him, eyes full of sadness, and pure, unbridaled fury. <br /><br /> Only when she's right in his face does she lean in. <br /><br /> "...Every gust of wind. Every breeze. Remember this feeling. Light or dark, the wind brings the hopes and dreams of the ambitious and naieve alike. A hopeless thief who only lives to serve won't ever match up against that!" <br /><br /> And then she punches him right in the stomach, and lets go. <br /><br /> "Violent Raging Wind Razors!" <br /><br /> The power of a lashing tornado spins from the impact as she tries to drive powerful emerald green magics into the pure chaos that is the combination of all the others' attacks! Each little gust, every little breeze is an angry, slicing razor that digs deep into the ground and everything it touches. Even Hannah isn't immune as she leaps away, her magics trying to draw in and combine with everyone's, adding fury and sadness and all of her ambitions made manifest into a cutting, swirling storm with a singular purpose of making Phantom feel suffering for everything he's done to Aki and Haruna! <br /><br /> When she skids to a halt, propelled away by her own attack and suddenly exploding falling tennis ball danmaku courtesy of Victory and many others? She dusts off her now ripped up Barrier Jacket and bleeding self. She spits into the now lightened dirt. <br /><br /> "Consider that your resume PERMANENTLY REJECTED Phantom! Better pray you don't have to come to me begging for a janitor's job!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:102|Mikoto Nakajima (102)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Everything Ms Blue can do against this thing... just hasn't been enough. She's poured out her anger, her frustration, her stubborn insistence into first the bladework, then the massive swarm of fire from above. <br /><br />And it accomplishes so very little. Not a single sign that she's even so much as harmed the Phantom. Procyon's appearance makes that clear. She's accomplished ''nothing''. <br /><br />She can't have that. There's just too much riding on it. Not just Gull's sister's rescue, but her own heart. Because if she can't be of help against the Phantom, what use is she against any villain? How can she face the forces that hold Ikuto in thrall, or the secrets at the core of Witch Hunter Arms? <br /><br />It cannot be allowed to stand. The rain of Flicker shots slows to an end as she ''rips'' her way free of the bind. Power gathers around the tip of her blade, gleaming in the darkness. <br /><br />She steels herself, letting the power gather, everything she has in that single point... and hurls herself straight at the Phantom one last time, light pouring out from her blade as she reaches out to thrust it deep into the monster. Over and over she pushes the attack, as fast as she can, screaming incoherently.<br /><br />((STARLIGHT STREAM!))<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:63|Haruna Kurosawa (63)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Phantom is utterly SHOCKED and looks HORRIFIED. This isn't possible. This is not a thing that should be POSSIBLE. It has his frozen long enough that by the time he's looked back up from his own hands he's staring at..<br /><br />"---sto----"<br /><br />He doesn't get to ask for things to stop before Storm Knight's lighting races through him. He's not fast enough to block it this time. It rends through him like a burning fire. <br /><br />Giant Axes swing into him knocking him down into the grass. They don't cut-- Phantom isn't weak, not even normally, but there's too many people here and the situation changed so suddenly he wasn't able to prepare a defense.<br /><br />Phantom gets up from this to draw his sword. "----YOU WILL ALL DIE DOWN HE----"<br /><br />Tennis balls rain into him, purifying!? He screams out in angish as he jumps back. He's shaking. This is too much. But he has to trudge on!? What is he going to tell Queen Mirage!? Will this be the final straw? Not even the new power could stop this! /AND WHERE HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE STRONGEST!/.<br /><br />Hannah's lashing winds rip through him---AND his coat, cutting it to shreds. He's actually /bleeding/ now. Not heavily, but no one's ever seen Phantom bleed or look hurt or--- even just messed his hairdo up enough before.<br /><br />"WINGS OF HOPE, RETURN TO THE HEAVENS!" calls out Cure Gulll as there's the massive explosion associated with her Pretty Cure Purification attack being set off.<br /><br />Phantom gets blasted off into the distance- you can see a crystal pillar crack in two. That was---some amount of damage done. Phantom doesn't immediatly come back. It seems he's been beaten in his own house. This will have consequences later. For right now......<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:63|Haruna Kurosawa (63)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Cure Gull races back to Tide's mirror. She's shaking- but this time it's because she's tired. Wind builds up around her hand again as the red ribbon glows green again----she raises her hand and chops through it. The image on the mirror becomes a solid green---- "Thank you everyone...." she mumbles. "I'll.. be a moment...." she says not turning around. Corvus stays behind, hovering there. Someone needs to tug her out, afterall- he thinks, if something goes wrong.<br /><br />Gull enters a weird void. It feels like she's floating- but there's ground. She walks forward. Then she runs--until she starts passing floating scenery. A table... a punch bowl... a banner.... 'Mitakihara Spring Dance!...'. Part of it is burned. There's a small of smoke and fire. Gull slows down when she realizes what these are indicative of. She finds 'Tide'. She's a girl around Gull's age. Well. 'Now'. It's been two years. She's looking down and there's smouldering---- things around her. <br /><br />"Aki...." she mutters... trying to reach out. Nothing happens. She touches Tide. She half expected the expanse to increase ten fold when she raised her hand out. It did not. "Aki... Tide- we.. have to go..."<br /><br />"This is my fault...I couldn't save them...." the other girl mutters silently. Is--is this what she's been made to live in two years? This is horrid. She remembers what Blue told her about that night. But.... she saved everyone? Right?....<br /><br />"Aki---we have to go... Aki---we--now.. please...." Gull begs. "Please..Aki. It's. It's me. Haruna. We have to go. I need to get you home...."<br /><br />"What's the point....?" Tide asks. "I'll just fail again...." she says.<br /><br />"AKI!" screams Gull as she breaksdown. "You-- you saved everyone! Don't you remember!? This isn't your fault! THIS IS A TRICK! THIS IS THAT RED HAIRED JERKS TRICK!" she screams loudly. "YOU SAVED EVERYONE! THEN SOME JERK TOOK YOU AWAY! ME AND---MY FRIENDS! WE CAME HERE TO RESCUE YOU! I CAME FOR YOU! AKI---Please...PLEASE!" she begs.<br /><br />Something in that sentence causes Tide to look up...."Friends....? You made.. friends Haruna?" she asks. Haruna! She said her name! "Yes....!" pleases Gull. "Please...please come with me---please...I want you to meet them so bad--they--they....." she really can't finish this sentence.<br /><br />Aki just faints backwards into Gull's arms and there's a flash of light.<br /><br />The Mirror cracks in two before it fades away and leaves Gull standing there with a passed out Tide. She's still in a transitory state. GUll seems to be caught in some sort of trance before her eyes focus and she gasps. "Run---we---we need to Run... before he gets back up----we need to get out of here.... White--chan- White-chan open another Portal. Just do it anywhere...!" she begs.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:26|Mari Katsu (26)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's always that moment of wanting to do some dramatic pose after pulling off an attack like that, but in truth - that's the first time Victory's put that into practice and it still could use some work. Right now she's just trying to stay on her feet. So while Gull goes to her sister, Victory makes her way over to Storm Knight and smiles. "I hope you save room in whatever bed you plan on crashing in for me.. I feel like I could sleep for a week." She whispers as she glances to the others slowly to make sure everyone is still on their feet... Except for that awesome little raccoon.. Poor guy...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:27|Hannah Sharpe (27)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> There's an Aki being dragged /out/ of a fraking portal after they all punched Phantom into a crystal spire. Miss White manages to avoid the urge to Wind Bomb him into oblivion for the better part of her heart, and then she's concentrating. <br /><br /> Her own wounds bleed harder as she taps into her own body when her mana looks low. Teeth grit, and then that same emerald-tinged portal of black spatial time-warping magic appears as both Device and Hannah look near to overheating. Raging Tempest even opens up and expells steams from various vents in those spiked bits. Not just for making people hurt, it seems. <br /><br /> With the sound of a rising tornado, she waves the others on through. <br /><br /> "ALRIGHT! WitchHunter Professional Services, cargo, and assorted temporary agents, let's get out of this place and share the spoils of war! Head out!" <br /><br /> She'll be the last to exit out of the ontorage, offering a little wave. <br /><br /> "Bye bye~."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:88|Vespa Rayne (88)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Vespa smiles. Gull got her sister back. "Time to go.", she says using her axe to prop herself up. She feels terrible. "I could use a milkshake right now, mabye after I sleep for a day or two..", she mutters. "Not the first time I've seen to an alerneate dimension...", she shakes her head. "No this is the first -I- have been to a alternate dimesion.."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:30|Suzuki Natsume (30)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bzzzt! Did... her bind spell just electrocute Phantom? Storm Knight seemed surprised by that. Though... the boost of the energy from the Cartridge hadn't faded yet. She takes a slow breath as she calms herself. Okay. From now on, she had to conserve energy. No more spells. She should be able to run on what was left. Still. That ... was unpleasant. She'd expended a lot of energy between the various support spells, the defensive spells, and even partially deflecting that super-attack. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The attacks were still going, even after she cast her spell. Tennis balls from Victory. Strikes from others. Hannah's wind. Gull's purification. It was almost something dull, like she was watching it while numbed. Ugh. Her muscles burned. Her ears were ringing from her own energy. She looks towards Cure Gull as she races for that mirror. And then slips into it. Storm Knight gives a mild smile at the sight of it. And then.. run. Yes. They had to run. Alright. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Storm Knight takes another breath as she looks towards Cure Victory. "The closest one." She says in response, giving a slow exhale. She looks towards Miss White. The portal is opened. Alright. She quickly begins to make her way out of the portal. "...Good job, everyone." <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:102|Mikoto Nakajima (102)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Finally. ''Finally''. The Phantom is thrown off, hurled back. At least injured, if not likely something permanent. She starts into the air, looking to pursue and continue the attack. <br /><br />((Focus on victory conditions, Meister.)) <br /><br />Oh. Right. ''Thank you, Carnwennan,'' she silently offers the Device. She isn't here to beat up on monsters. As much as she'd dearly love to. It's certainly better than beating on a certain stubborn, stupid cat-boy. She dismisses the flight spell, dropping to the ground to hurry after the others, blade still bared in her hand and sheened in power. <br /><br />"Get your head back in the game," she mutters to herself, watching as Aki is released, and she actually manages that tight little smile. Recording everything for later analysis, so she can - hopefully - use it to find a way to free the other captives. That was ''her'' goal in coming here, not just one rescue. She isn't sure she'll be able to do anything with it. But she can't ''not'' try. <br /><br />And finally it's done, and the portal is opened, and the group is hurrying through. She turns to guard the way, reaching out to pat her fellows on the back and give each a push towards the gate. "Let's go, folks," she says, "I'll cover White. Get yourselves out of here."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:63|Haruna Kurosawa (63)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Cure Gull just runs out...."T...thank you all....I'll.. visit soon..to thank you proper..." she says. But the moment she's back in Tokyo---she's taking to the sky and making a bright green beeline toward's Mitakihara General. Aki needs rest and help and lots of other things magic alone can't provide right now.<br /><br />What everyone else does it up to them. Haruna will big Katsu-chan and Suzu-chan sooner than later- and Hannah 'Miss White' Sharpe, too soon.<br /><br />Procyon burned himself- dissapting his powers to let his friend and her friends live and fight and save thier important person. Blue frowns a little sadly as his tablet turns to dust in the Cross Mirror Room in his hands. He knew what was going to happen when he locked onto where Gull and Victory were. More importantly---he knows where all the Precures are now. He can pinpoint it himself. The frown turns into a smile though when he senses Tide's love seed back on Earth. It's a rewnewed hope. One was taken and brought back. There was a cost- but-- it was proven. Right? She's weak, but it's not something a little time will heal.<br /><br />Mercury can take the data she got tonight and with some Virute help, probably start developing a way to save these girls. So can Hannah. This will not be an easy affair and it will take a long while. No one's ever been this close to get these kinds of unique readings. They better keep backups- you'll never get this chance ever again.<br /><br />Things are not happy at the Blue Sky Kingdom. There was a storm over Castle Mirage. No one's seen Queen Mirage slap Phantom before and berate him like he was... /Oresky/. This isn't good and there's going to be consequences. In time. Queen Mirage looks uneasy and frightened. It's one now. But how many will follow?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:27|Hannah Sharpe (27)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Miss White simply smiles as Gull-chan zooms off. She makes a phone call. <br /><br /> An employee and potential employee need medical attention. Also she needs a bloody car. <br /><br /> There's a WPS car that pulls up, and Viktor sticks his head out. Miss White, with her last remaining magic reserves turns to Storm Knight. <br /><br /> Who then might feel the woman physically hauling her up, binding her with tha tmagic, and then tossing her into the car. <br /><br /> "Viktor! To some discrete medical care! And don't deny you need it, Storm Knight!" <br /><br /> Zooooom! <br /><br /> All along the way, she backs up and goes over so much battle data. She also devours a glass of wine along the way. <br /><br /> This is the taste of victory, and it's both bitter, and very, very sweat.<br> <br>
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