1151/Portal of Hope: First Step to Adventure!

Portal of Hope: First Step to Adventure!
Date of Scene:	20 February 2024
Location:	Beach
Synopsis:	Bow takes a desperate chance and arrives on Earth from Etheria, chased by Horde Robots. A plethora of heroes show up to assist, but then more villains arrived to help, and it got messy and there were pirates vs. sharks vs. ninjas vs. robots and it all got weird. Long story short, Bow's now a magical boy and stuck on Earth. But Adora's here too. And Catra. But he doesn't know that yet.
Cast of Characters:	Bow, Rashmi Terios, Sayaka Miki, Hitomi Kobe, Hinata Muramasa, Erika Shimizu, 174, Haruki Hara, Natsu Oukanno, Kano Watanabe

---

Bow has posed:
A few minutes before, on Etheria, things were happening. Things that would effect things here on Earth. On a beach in Yumeghama, a portal opens. Small and shimmering green, the portal swirls and in that swirl expands, before finally, a human form stepped through*...

...and his boots crushed into the sand on the beach of Yumeghama. It was late in the evening, very few people around, and most of them were probably confused with the greenish swirl that had opened and deposited a young man in armor, carrying a bow, onto the beach. It was cool enough that Bow was thankful for the cloak that was around his shoulders.

Though as he looked around, the bright lights off in the distance, the smell of the ocean, the way the beach was... none of this was familiar. He took out his tech pad in confusion, taking it out of it's sleep mode. "Crystal, where are we?" he asks

Crystal Hope flickered the pad to life, and chirrped. "Location... query. Query. Location... undetermined."

"What do you mean undetermined? We've been everywhere on Etheria!" Bow's arrow slowly loosened from it's nocked and ready state, settling more into a relaxed, ready position, able to be drawn back again quickly to fire if needed. But right now, there is just more confusion on his face.

"That is correct. We have been. Conclusion: This is not Etheria."

"Of course this isn't Etheria!" Bow protested. "I mean, I've never seen buildings like those, or a beach like this... or whatever that is - he pointed at a brightly lit stand advetising tchotchkes for tourists to take home. "It makes perfect sense that we're not on Etheria!"

And that's when realization strikes like a freight train full of cattle derailing into a glass factory's outlet store. "Wait. What."

Crystal Hope makes a small crystalline noise that might have been a sigh. "This is not Etheria. However. I sense both energies of the Sword of Protection and the Heart of Etheria here."

"WAIT, WHAAAAAT?"

"I would love to explain this further to you, Bow, but we are in peril." Crystal reported. "The Horde has found their way into my chambers and are attempting to secure the portal."

As Crystal is reporting that, the first two Horde troopers emerge. Purely bipedal robots of white with black trim, their right arm is enlarged and holding a large green crystal that leads to a blaster, while the left arm is shaped into a blade.

"No, no, no." Bow turns, drawing back the first arrow he had held, before loosening it - a first shot fired into the head of the first emerging trooper, as a second arrow follows suit. But even with those first two down - there are more that are starting to emerge. And it's a pretty safe bet that Bow doesn't have enough arrows in his quiver to handle them all. They start to fire, green streams of laser fire that crash into the sand, throwing up small explosions and leaving marks in their wake.

* See bbpost 7/77 for details on that adventure!

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Yumegahama is not exactly a hopping winter destination. It is, however, still a lovely area, and a great place to wander back home through when scouting the seafood markets. Which is what Rashmi had been doing today, steaming cup of cider in hand, when her Device gives her a warning chime, directly in the back of her mind.

    << *BONG!* >> << ALERT. MASTER. ALERT. UNKNOWN DIMENSIONAL ENERGY SIGNATURE PROXIMATE. TRIANGULATION NECESSARY. >>

With a sigh, Rashmi tucks the cider into her Device's storage function, and finds an out-of-the-way space to hide for a few heartbeats.

One flash of golden light later, and Rashmi is streaking toward the beach, dragonfly-like wings of golden light fluttering at her ankles. Once oriented properly, she pauses a moment to take in the situation.

Killer robots... Desperately fleeing presumably-not-a-robot... scattering civilians...

This could get way too messy way too quick.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Not many people were here true, but a few dozen meters over, Sayaka just so happened to have been chasing a familiar here. The burning moth was quite annoying but, you know what they say: don't play with fire if you aren't ready to get burnt. And so the poor familiar ended its run, burnt to cinders by one of its own before it was recalled back.

"Phew, that thing surely liked dodging, but leading us to an isolated place was its last mistake", Sayaka says, dispelling the sword and checking her Soul Gem. Yep, that was all right still.

"I don't think it is as isolated as you hoped", Ula says, pointing to the portal further down the beach. "I don't think they noticed though."

Sayaka turns around as she looks towards the direction Ula pointed, just as the two Horde minions emerged from the portal. Well now, from bad to worse. At least, if somebody asks about the presence of a familiar, she can just mention the one she destroyed. "Let's go, Ula! This patrol isn't over yet!" And so the blue knight starts rushing over, floating mermaid in tow.

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    The whine of a motorcycle echoes through the beach air, the crisp chill of winter not bothering the young woman on the bike as she whizzes around corners, leaning into curves and probably disobeying several traffic laws in the process.

    That's about when she feels a tingling at the back of her neck, a burning sensation, and Hitomi's tiny friend Panko pokes her head into the helmet.

    "Hitomi! There appears to be trouble!" squeaks out a dwarf flying squirrel. The green-clad young woman casts her eyes to the beach, and hits the brakes.

    Skidding, then revving and turning she takes refuge behind one of the stands to make sure no one sees her!

    "Mystic Saiboshi to me -- Let's Cook!" she whispers, changing into her Culinary Guardian form!

Hinata Muramasa has posed:
    Yo Jim Bo, a tiny tengu spirit, sits watching things and looking like a plush doll of some kind. Nearby a black-haired girl in Radiant Heart Academy uniform stands, parasol resting over one shoulder as she looks over the beach.

    She remembers the last time she was at this beach, a Kappa-like construct of one of the Blade fragments emerged and started attacking peopl.

    This time, it's a green portal she feels no connection to, and a young man with a bow... and robots? Yo Jim Bo squeaks alert, and the girl sighs. "It seems we should assist..."

    Clasping her pendant, of a semi-reforged sword blade, she intones.
    "Good habitation
    A luminous, dark flame eats
    because of the sword"

    Her uniform glows, the sword blade glows within her hand, bleeding pink light through her fingers, and a swirl of sakura blossoms obscure her form. A moment later, the swirl bursts, sending the blossom storm across the area, and out of the fading light steps the Shadow Shogun. "Arise Great Warriors. Go forth and fear no darkness, the Moon Halo shines upon thee." The samurai-girl pulls a wooden flute from within her dou plate, and begins to play, a bolstering tune to uplift the spirits.

Erika Shimizu has posed:
    You know who loves the sea? Even in winter?
    ERIKA SHIMIZU.
    You can never take the sea away from Erika. And as it just so happens, she's WITH Hinata when things start to go down.
    "Huh? Hina-chan what's goin'-- oh. OH. OH CARP." Erika blurts as she fumbles into her jacket and pulls out a gold doubloon.
    "Heh... Hehehe...! Under a black flag we sail and the sea shall be our empire! Take what you can! Give nothing back!" She says, flipping the coin into the air...
    When she catches it, her clothes are replaced with her pirate's regalia, naval greatcoat thrown over her shoulders as she adjusts her hat.
    Hats are very important and hers is *very* stylish with a feather in it.
    "Steel scalawags! Chasin' down a lone soul's no sport! Stand and deliver!" She declares as she reaches into her greatcoat and draws a flintlock musket.
    With a Krak-*boom!* the old styled rifle goes off as she aims and fires for the robots chasing the youth through the portal.

Clarthas Anode (174) has posed:
    Keaka Hoshiko is swimming. She can take a little time off, right?

    Wearing a sea-green one piece, in the water she stands out less, although, perhaps the small number of swimmers while it's still this cold cancels that out. Either way, it's kind of a nice activity, so she may as well enjoy it before she gets down to business.

    Except...

    <"Keaka, I'm detecting a dimensional distortion."> The jewel hanging around her neck warns, in an expository tone.

    "Is it the Bureau?!" She starts to ask 'where' but it's hard to miss the portal and the robots that just stepped out of it. Not the TSAB, then.

    And suddenly an absolute pile of heroes appears. Well, damn. Isn't this just the sort of opportunity she's been waiting for? She smirks. "Perfect. It's showtime, Sarida."

    The jewel chimes. <"Engaging Costumery Drive!">

    No one is looking at her, but if they were, an observer would feel a sense of Keaka(?) falling away, even though she doesn't seem to be moving in relation to other objects, and darkness shot through with stars pours over her... leaving him in a fancy outfit that practically screams 'Dark General', with Sarida's gauntlet form on his left hand, and with eyes of night and falling stars. The darkness fades and so too do the eyes, back to his 'normal', if red sclera and no visible iris can be called that.

    He winces at the feel of his wet clothes. Transforming in the water was a mistake. Ugh, no matter... He raises his hand. "Sarida! Let's introduce those heroes to our new friend!" <"Deploying Beast Tandem.">

    The gauntlet seems to fade from view, and then... and then Clarthas pulls something out of the Dusk Zone and it dives into the water, a fin of absolute black closing in to shore before it leaps out of the water and onto the beach, a... dark shape, the silhouette of a shark almost the size of a horse, but with four stocky limbs. 'eyes' open, pure white circles limned in scribble, like someone drew them on with a light pen and filled them in. There's a collar of red light around it's 'neck'.

    It roars an inhuman screech and starts chasing the people already starting to flee the robots.

Haruki Hara has posed:
    Haruko Hara was just enjoying a stroll by the beach. It was much further out than her usual wandering grounds, but that made it perfect. After all, it's not as though she is going to run into anyone she knows out here. So in a red and white windbreaker, a black pleated skirt, black leggings, and some cute brown boots with heels, the girl with the light-blue hair (for today, at least) is just walking along, breathing in the sea air and enjoying the relative quiet.

    Not a lot of people go to the beach in winter, after all.

    And then there is a... A thing. A... What is that? A giant mirror? And there's a bunch of people showing up suddenly, and cosplayers, and a motorcycle, and...

    And Haruko's instincts are telling her maybe she should get out of here. Quickly. She starts backing up. Slowly. The breaking point between her imagination, the world inside her head, and the real world, everything else, is still unclear to her. Fish she was seeing swimming around her, as people walked by, oblivious to them, are scattering in agitation. Perhaps it's just a projection of her own flight instincts. But for whatever reason, she's having trouble actually getting her body to run away. Maybe it's curiosity.

    Either way, she's still there, with light-blue eyes to match her wig, as she watches more and more strange things happening. Not really comprehending. Somehow trying to convince herself this is all staged or something.

    It has to be.

    Right?

Bow has posed:
On the ground, Bow notices where the others are firing and other Horde robots breaking off. Firing off another arrow, he frowns. "Crystal, what's going on!?" he calls out.

"We have reinforcement, Bow!" she chirps happily, "Counting multiple signatures... and... oh. This is a new find."

"You mean there's Princesss?!" he starts to ask hopefully with the idea that maybe they found another way. Maybe even Adora is here! Another arrow is notched, this one is filled with a green liquid. It fires, and splatters against a pair of Horde troopers, sticking the pair of them together, where they struggle to break free but are effectively stuck. "What did you find?"

"No." comes Crystal's responds. "I am analyzing what they are... I sense much magic. Almost as much as Etheria." A soft chirp. "Processing!"

While Rashmi is assessing the situation, the Horde robots take notice of her. A pair of them from the ground turn their weapons upon her, opening fire, bright green lasers lancing through the night to try to knock her down. They are not the best of shots, but they clearly have the idea that quanity is better than quality with the amount of shots they are firing.

With Sayaka on her way to join the fight, there is a Horde robot on an intercept course - it draws back it's sword arm in a threatening manner, in an attempt to strike at her - challenging the Puella Magi to a sword duel!

Then there is an unearhly tune played on the wind as the Shadow Shogun makes her presence known with a song meant to lift the spirts and morale of those that are suddenly on the defensive against a possible incursion from outside their home universe! Bow actually, for a moment, wishes he had a violin to join in - but no time for that now!

Speaking of joining in, here comes Jolly Roger! Her musket shot tears through one of the Horde 'bots, sending up a blast of sparks and scraps as it tears through it's upper torso and causes a small explosion as it falls to the ground, sparking and smoking. This only draws two more Horde robots that are turning on the Pirate Henshin, firing upon her with their blaster arms, striking the sand and a chair as her krak-throm is responded with pew-pew.

Keaka's arrival is noted - and while she may be working to sew yet more chaos that the Horde robots are causing, there seems to be no chill in the Horde troopers as a pair of them start to move towards the creature as well. That is most likely a very poor decision on their part.

"What in the BRIGHTMOON IS THAT?!" Bow can only manage to the great creature wandering up from the surf. And not even Crystal Hope has a good answer to that one.

And while Haruko is standing there in a state of semi-shock, there is a Horde trooper that is starting to come up on her, sensing that there is an easy kill that might exist there, unaware that there is a Culinary Guardian that is also very close by that had just transformed!

Rashmi Terios has posed:
'Messy' does not *begin* to describe the madness that has exploded into shape on the beach, today.

Flitting to one side to avoid the first shot, Rashmi summons a brief disc of golden light to deflect the others, as she spirals down out of the air, to land in front of Bow.

    << *BONG!* >> << SOLAR SHIELD >>

A transparent dome resolves into being around herself and the newcomer, and briefly Rashmi glances over her shoulder to give the terminally-surprised boy an encouraging smile.

    << *BONG!* >> << TELEPATHY >>

With most of the people on her side of the battlefield being familiar faces, Rashmi reaches out to all of them -- and Bow -- her voice heard at a conversational volume, just... coming from between the ears of the people hearing her.

<< Okay so *this* is a complete hairball... Anyone recognize the jerk with the shark? Also hello sir, is this your hole into space-time and if so I'm sorry but we have to close it. ...Which is gonna cause problems for you. >>

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Sayaka smirks when she sees the robot 'draw' its sword in a challenge position. Well, who would have known robots attacking others in group had a passing mention of honour.

"Ula, I am actually being invited to a fair fight", Sayaka smiles at her companion before addressing the robot. "Sorry, you, but you are not in any position for that", she tells the robot, dropping her sword in the sand, leaving the mermaid surprised. "What do you have in mind?", the floating companion inquires.

"Just letting it know that I do not intend to accept its challenge, not when a guy is being swarmed by this one's friends", she says, a greatsword appearing in her now empty hand and striking the robot with it, trying to cleave it in half.

If she is successful in destroying the robot, she resumes running to reach Bow, greatsword ready to be tossed if it needs be.

Hinata Muramasa has posed:
    Shogun's song comes to a close, but the magic in the notes continues to persist for at least a little while. She looks over to Jolly as she dismisses her flute, the instrument vanishing into a swirl of sakura blossoms. She reaches for the two blades across her back, she draws them with a flourish and says to her partner. "Cover me."

    The samurai-girl then leaps over the wall onto the sand, and charges into the melee.

    To Rashmi, she replies in a much less dour tone than her normal speaking voice. <I have no idea, but I'm going to try and get its attention off of you.> And that's what she's doing, charging straight in at Clarthas' monster and laying into it with dual-wielded katanas.

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    Guardian Kushiage moves quickly, with spear in hand as they come to the beachside.

    Drawing up, and using her long spear to vault up to one of the snack shacks showing a large, round watermelon, the Culinary Guardian's short kimono and apron catch dramatically in the wind. Her motorcycle helmet shines, and she crouches down before she leaps up, another bounding leap from above as the blade on her yari gleams with a fiery fury, and Kushiage comes down with a cutting blow to the Robot.

    "These -- these aren't the /usual/ enemies?!" she asks in a frenzied sort of question.

    She looks behind her, over her shoulder towards Haruko.

    "Run." she instructs, and then dashes forward to face the enemy

Erika Shimizu has posed:
    A lot is happening at the moment. But there are some familiar faces in the fracas.
    "Har har, Rashmi, this be a fine time to have ye about." Jolly Roger idly greets the Device wielder as she...
    Uh.
    She gets shot up.
    The mechanical Horde monstrosities return fire and their lasers tear right into her, making the diminutive pirate jerk with each impact.
    Lesser Mahou would be killed- or at least dropped unconscious in an instant, but not Jolly Roger.
    She's *already* dead.
    Which means she takes the blaster fire standing, boots skidding two furrows in the sand as she's bodily forced backwards by the severity of the fire.
    For a moment. She sags where she stands, smoldering and sizzling. But then...

    "Yo ho, yo ho... The seas forever roll.
    Yo ho, yo ho... 'Til I'm not but skull and bones.
    Yo ho, yo ho~..."

    She starts singing as she draws a pair of flintlock muskets from her singed greatcoat.
    The Shadow Shogun asks for cover. She can do that as she takes aim...

    "From outcast to kingpin,
    Was born up on the sea!
    Ne'er was meant to walk the land,
    A pirate's life for me!Avast ye whining, up the sails,
    Don't speak to mutiny...
    Or find yourself a'wantin' quarter,
    At the bottom of the sea!"

    The pistols in her hands sing out; twin explosions aimed to pelt at the summoned shark beast and give Shadow Shogun an opening.

Haruki Hara has posed:
    Someone doesn't need to be magical to recognize a scary person rushing at them as a threat. Finally, the paralysis wears off, and Haruko turns to run, letting out a startled scream as her brain and body catch up to each other and realize this is bad bad bad place to be. Can she escape though? That person had a gun and a knife (gun arm and sword arm, but she didn't exactly have time for close inspection)! She has never even seen a gun outside of, like, anime, or action movies! Her imagination betrays her as the ocean around her goes dark, just her running through the murk of the deepest parts of the ocean, a single circle of light illuminating her like a spotlight, while her soon-to-be killer chases her down in his own tracking light.

    Predator and prey.

    She can already envision what's about to happen to her. And she can't help turning her head to look back over her shoulder at the one who will deliver her ending.

    Then someone comes down in a flurry of bubbles made of light, defeating Haruko's pursuer. She stops for a moment to stare, but when she is told to run, she doesn't hesitate. She just nods her head in acknowledgement, bows in thanks, and then books it out of there.

Natsu Oukanno has posed:
    "See?" says a red-haired young man as he stands across the street from the sidewalk by the beach. Soldiers, robots, a portal, magical types. It could still be blown off as an elaborate performance, a promotion for a movie, or even filming for said movie or TV show. Maybe even a commercial, if someone has the budget and wildin' quotient sufficient for it! But it gets harder and harder to dismiss, at least for those magically sensitive, the longer one watches.

    "It's just like I told you. Heroes and Villains. Super powers. Magic. Monsters. It's all real." he says, hands in his pockets, as he watches a cute girl with light-blue hair and eyes run away from the scene. In his pocket, he is toying with a bauble that throbs like a heartbeat, making Dark Energy faintly trickle out and surround Natsu Oukanno.

Kano Watanabe has posed:
    Stoically glaring at the display as though it personally offends him, even though he honestly just has resting B*-face and is actually struggling to take in the sudden shift in his world view, the white-haired, cobalt-blue-eyed teenager standing alongside Natsu has his arms folded. His friend had pulled him out of the Kendo Club because there was 'something going on'. How they got here is a mystery. There was a rush of air, speed pulling at him such as he had never felt before, and then some time later they were here, walking up on an invasion scene straight out of a sci-fi flick.
    As a recovering Chuuni, Kano's long years of practice at not doing and saying all the cool/embarrassing things he would like to say here comes into play.
    "Oh, yeah? So you weren't just making things up? Is that why you wanted me to join your Magic Club or whatever?" His heart is beating hard in his chest. He knows what that strange lady behind the bookstore said, and he knows what his best friend said. But how was he supposed to take any of it seriously? His brain is trying to rationalize all of this.
    It's failing.
    He reaches up to the pendant he's wearing under his keikogi top, his fingers on it causing him to feel the same rush of power and excitement. A long-held dream, nearly smothered, starts to come to the surface. "So... You're saying that I could...?" He points at the invasion, and then turns to look at Natsu, still not quite believing.
    Please say yes. Please say anime is real.

Clarthas Anode (174) has posed:
    Someone's going for the not-a-shark! It turns to meet the Shogun head-on, snapping a toothy (the teeth are white, like the eyes) maw at her, but it's not quite fast enough! It is resilient though, the katana strikes drawing an angry growl right now. Because of the look of it, it's kind of hard to tell if you're damaging it just yet. If no one else does anything, it will continue to just not quite keep up with the Shogun, and get worn down.

    <"Resonance generation is up, but--"> Clarthas nods. "I know. They don't know it's me. 'A random shark monster showed up and we fought it' isn't very impactful on anyone's story. Hype Drives, please." <"Engaging Hype Drives!">

    As Clarthas flies out of the water, wind whips up around him. A shockwave is seen in the air and water as he 'pushes off' of nothing to fly towards the fight. He takes a deep breath and--

    That familiar ringing chime sound and a Device calling spells can be heard as Rashmi begins to fight. MID-CHILDAN MAGIC?! Obsidian's intel said there was only one Agent here. A young boy. Did this person just arrive? Is she here for him?

    "Well well well! An Agent of the Time-Space Administration Bureau!"

    Jolly Roger's own song rings out. As well as gunshots that interrupt the Not-shark's movement, making it even easier for the Shogun to lay into it.

    Clarthas's voice is boosted a bit. Do 'hype drives' include a built-in megaphone? "Your hypocracy won't save you! Your foolish meddling will play right into the hands of CLARTHAS ANODE! If you think you can stop me--"

    <"Clarthas...">

    He raises the protesting gauntlet in front of him. "--Then come and try it!"

    <"Clarthas!">

    "Or is two villains happening to attack at once too much for you?"

    <"Most of my resonance supply is powering Beast Tandem right now! And you're not even controlling it!">

    For some reason, Clarthas finds this rather alarming. He turns to look at the Shogun fighting the Not-shark and frowns before holding his hand out that way. "Ugh. Barret!" The magic circle appears and a few magic bolts fly out at the Shogun, but... they barely seem to do anything, having no power behind them right now.

    Holo-screens appear in front of him in crappy low-res monochrome. "How do I make it effective?!" <"I don't know, I've never controlled a monster before either!">

Bow has posed:
Suddenly, there is a voice in Bow's head. There's a couple of confused blinks, and then a visceral shake of his head. <<No! Those are not mine! They're Horde... well, it is my portal! I don't have much time to explain! Do... do you know an Adora Rainbowfist? Or maybe a She-Ra? Either one?>> Because got to keep a girl's secrets, right? He switches from his bow to the tech pad, holding it up for it to brodcast a very milk carton like picture of Adora and She-Ra in hologram form with 'Have You Seen Us?' written in Etherian. <<I'm trying to find her to bring her home!>>

"Bow." Crystal Hope warns. "My sensors on Etheria have alerted me that the Horde has secure the chamber. If we continue to leave the portal open, we risk further incursion. Horde Prime will learn of this world if we stay this course."

"Do we have options?" Bow asks.

"Processing!" comes Crystal's response.

Sayaka and the Horde swordsman square off. He's no slouch with his blade, but as Sayaka comes in with her greatsword in her strike, the robot brings up it's sword to try to defend it. It's too much to handle however, Sayaka showing off the strength of her metal as she cleaves through the blade and into the robot, the metal giving way as it is taken out, leaving Sayaka to continue on her path towards the others.

Kushiage gioes total fruit ninja on the horde robot, slicing it to pieces as easily as she would a watermelon. They robot falls apart on the beach, collapsing in on itself.

While that is going on, the troops that are firing on Jolly Roger are confused. Usually you fill someone full of holes, they fall over and don't get back up. They don't certainetly remain standing - much less opening fire upon you with heavy musket shot that is destroying their circuitry while she sings a /shanty/ about it. There is so much dark energy about, Natsu is probably going to be able to get a nice fair share from it all.

"I have a solution!" Crystal Hope chimes. "We need to close the portal!"

"What?!" Bow says. "I mean, I can fight my way back in there and get to the portal controls, but..."

"You will most be certainetly captured. The Horde hold the Portal now. We need to close it." Crystal Hope responds. "But I will help you adapt to this world."

"What do you mean adapt?" Bow asks in confusion. "Do they... by the Brightmoon, are we on a world where people..."

"Don't continue that thought." Crystal Hope says flatly. "One moment!" And with that, she floats away from Bow, the crystalline being starting to scan the various heroes on the scene and gathering information on them. She flashes briefly for a moment as she passes by them, though she seems to linger around Rashmi longer than most.

Hinata Muramasa has posed:
    CLANK. CLANKCLANKCLANK. Magical blades strike magical hide, each side not gaining or losing much ground. The bites aimed at her are slow, uncoordinated and easily avoided, but her entire focus is on this monster, so she's opene to attacks from other angles.

    That's what she's relying on Jolly Roger for, to keep an eye on her back, because that's her blind spot.

    So much so that even with little power behind those barret spells, they connect, and knock the Shogun off balance, long enough for the shark to get its jaws on her.

    Blades come out and intercept those teeth, holding off the bite, but she's kind of stuck.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< ... ..... One moment. >> If Rashmi's mental tone is a bit distant, it's because A Lot Is Happening; robots up and down the beach, Jolly Roger and Shadow Shogun taking on a shark, controlled by... okay *literally* trying to gain power by being one's own hype-person does *not* mean you discount them, but there is just so much happening, it's getting hard to keep track.

Siiiiiiigh.

<< Nicomachea, >> she thinks, directed at her Device alone. << This is turning into a war of attrition. Let's make it easier on our people, starting with the front-line. >>

    << COMMAND INPUT EXECUTE, >> intones the Book floating just above Rashmi's open hand.

    << *BONG!* >> << DELTA STRIKE -- BOOST UP >>

A trio of wispy, foxfire-like lights shimmer into existence just outside of the perimeter of the shield, and dart toward their intended targets; Shadow Shogun, Sharpsong, and Kushiage. When they hit their intended targets, there's a feeling of warmth, of *power,* of the sun at your back and the thought that anything is possible.

<< It'll only last for a few seconds, >> Rashmi tells the three, << but that should be enough to turn the tide! >>

The flying... TSAB villain? Gets a bewildered look, and a tilted head. "So uh," she calls up, "I don't suppose there's any chance we can have this talk later, when there's *not* a potentially endless swarm of murder robots from a completely *other* dimension trying to kill everything? Like, please?"

With the teenageriest of sighs, she looks back over her shoulder. << ...She-Ra's a friend of mine, yes... Are you from her world? When? >>

*When?*

Erika Shimizu has posed:
    If there's anyone good at singing shanties and slinging heavy shot... It would be a pirate. Jolly Roger is still smoldering as she tosses away her spent pistols. No sooner than they hit the ground they dissolve into sparkles and seafoam while Shadow Shogun goes toe to toe with the sharkbeast.

    "Among the shoals of Saint Anne,
    To the eastern shores.
    I'll take my chances on the wind.
    To loot and plunder scores.
    Our flag it stands for us alone!
    And no one else around...
    We owe our honour to the sea,
    And not to any crown~"

    Jolly Roger hums a merry little tune to herself as she rummages in her greatcoat for the next weapon she can put to use.
    "Clarthas Anode, eh? Yar, well, I be the Dread Pirate Jolly Roger... Scourge of the seven seas and the lunch hall! And again I say... Stand and deliver!" She declares as she finds what she's looking for in her greatcoat.
    "Aha..."
    Or. Well. She finds *something* as she pulls out...
    IT's... It's an octopus. A cute, smiling, happy little octopus...
    "Ye ready, Davy?"
    "Mm mm!" The octopus... DAVY JONES replies excitedly as Jolly Roger reels back her arm ready to pitch her own mascot.

    "*RELEASE THE KRAKEN!!!*"

    It is with that declaration that she HURLS the octopus through the air. The adorable mascot goes SAILING the skies on an arc for the shark monster's eyes before...
    It squirts a lot of ink... Aiming to blind the monster and give Shadow Shogun another opening.

Natsu Oukanno has posed:
    Natsu turns to look at Kano, and says solemnly. "Anime is totally real, bro."

    Then he grins, and pulls out the artifact in his pocket and starts across the street. "Now, let's show them just how real it is, and make sure the Villains win this one!" With an excited grin, the redhaired boy calls out, "Oculus Obscura!" A bolt of darkness strikes down from the sky, directly on Natsu, and Dark Energy levels in the local environment suddenly max out for any devices (or Devices) or individuals who can sense it.

    A red-haired girl in black, evil-looking armor, with curled demon horns, strides out of the Dusk bolt. She reaches out a clawed gauntlet. Power at her fingertips, a mental instruction manual of how to use it, now she just needs the ability to control it to do the things she wants it to do. In this case, bolts of black lightning streak out and SLAM into the portal, wreathing it in crackling ebon energy. Trying to forcibly keep it open.

    Take that, Heroes! You're not getting away with it this time!

    She may be laughing maniacally. It's a really good evil laugh.

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    <Kushiage -- there are so many of them!>

    "What, Robots?"

<other guardian-like girls!> Panko squeaks.

    "And if they get in my way, I'll fight them too!"

    The green helmeted Culinary Guardian (the helmet isn't part of the standard attire can feel the boost to her system, though, and the Guardian stretches her arms, feeling power course through from Rashmi's assistance. Warmth, power, A FURIOUS FIRE OF VENGEANCE! Not her Vengeance, probably, but the huge amount of enemies are probably doing someone wrong, and she was the spicy Culinary Guardian Kushiage!

    WITH THE RAGE OF A THOUSAND HOT PEPPERS!

    There is a mighty kiai as Kushiage with her tabi boots begins to run through the crowd, slicing and dicing, making julienne robot pieces out of some of the remains, building herself up to release an attack!

    And someone throws an Octopus.

    "HEY! Who's throwin' around the tako?!" she shouts out, slightly muffled by the motorcycle helmet.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Sayaka has finally reach the group of heroes and a dark energy guy that is trying to learn how to pilot a shark. She looks at the crystal flashing her weirdly for a moment, though she does nothing to it, not perceiving any obvious sign of dark energy in the works.

Still though... "Ula, please keep an eye on that crystal", the bluenette asks the mermaid, not really wanting to leave anything to chance. The koi mermaid wastes no time in nodding. Too much weird stuff is going on here.

"Hi, everyone!" Sayaka says to the other mahous, keeping the greatsword to herself as she spars against the first robot that stands in her way. She would ask for a rain check, but maybe later. By then, they won't have a bunch of robots sparkling on their necks.

"You should probably leave food for the others too, if you don't want to turn the lunch hall into the launch hall", Sayaka smirks at Jolly. She wouldn't exclude a food war breaking out then. "Though I see you don't need any help in that regard!", she adds after the octopus gets thrown away to blind the shark.

"Thank you, Page Mage!" the Sharpsong Puella says when she feels the device mage's power boost reaching her. "I will deliver right up!" and then she gets close to a group of them. "Tempest Typhoon!" the Puella spins in place holding two blades outwards, striking the group she went into with them multiple times while a tornado with a 15 foot radius starts picking up around her.

Kano Watanabe has posed:
    Kano grins. The thing he has waited his entire (!6 year) life for is finally possible. He grabs hold of the amulet, tearing it free from inside his top, and calling out, "This demon heart beat cannot be restrained! It thirsts for battle! Oculus Obscura!" A SECOND bolt of Dark Energy streaks down from the sky, a lens amplifying the Dusk Zone's power into a person. Kano expands in size, armor manifesting over his body, sliding into place in a very cool, almost-mecha-like henshin, until he is a towering shogun-like figure.
    He also has the urge to monologue and boast, but the portal comes first, so he manages to suppress it for now. He holds out his own hand, and black fire roars from his palm, engulfing the gateway between dimensions! And hey, are those flames and that lightning kind of clashing a little bit? Oh, well, it's probably nothing.

    "A feast of darkness awaits!" the Overlord calls out. What does that even mean? Kano doesn't know! But it sounds rad as hell.

Clarthas Anode (174) has posed:
    Crystal Hope searches for help. Clarthas isn't trying to hide, although perhaps she assumes she shouldn't scan an enemy. It's almost like the information on how to enhance your own capabilities using dramatic narrative Resonance wants to be used here, though.

    Perhaps that only makes it more suspect.

    Clarthas is surprised he actually knocked Shogun off-balance, and so she ends up on the Not-shark's mouth, barely holding its teeth at bay.

    He fumbles with the display in front of him. "Do a powerful bite? Enhance its strength? Something?!"

    The Not-shark's already got her in its mouth it doesn't need to see her, but it thrashes, trying to shake the ink and octopus off all the same, and Rashmi's boost gives Shogun the burst she needs to break free and cut it deeply.

    Rashmi asks for a break. "Why should I... agh! No, no... Forget it! If you want a heroic duel, you got it."

    The gauntlet chimes and intones, <"Releasing Beast Tandem. Terminating Link Drives. Powering Strife Drives.">

    The red light 'collar' on the not-Shark shatters. Without magical enhancement, it is just a beast, and a wounded one at that. After Shogun's next cut it roars in pain and backs away, fleeing towards the ocean... but magical attacks can finish it easily, if someone doesn't like the idea of a Dusk-shark loose in the seas of this world.

    Clarthas, meanwhile, poses his arms crossed in front of him. <"Hybrid Sword."> Two magic armblades are shaped from magic as if extended from his arms. He charges through the air towards her and swings for the ghost pirate, curious to see her skill at defending herself. <"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Dread Pirate Jolly Roger! Show me the might of the scourge of seven seas!">

Bow has posed:
Bow is going to have to make a decision soon. There are more robots trying to make their way through the portal. Sooner or later, probably sooner, they are going to overload. "Sorry!" that offered quickly to Rashmi. She's right, they can talk later. He was trying to get info quick because he assumed that he would be here only a few moments and out again.

That is clearly not going to be the case. Pad switched out for bow, he draws back another arrow to launch, sending it flying into a Horde trooper. <<I'm from Etheria, yes!>> he offers excitedly to Rashmi. <<She's really here?!>> But apparently, he does not understand the WHEN question, because he cluelessly responds, <<Like five minutes ago?>>

Another pair of arrows are fired, even as the Horde robots are getting better with their aim as they close in on group, trying to overwhelm them with sheer numbers.

As Sayaka starts to drive the Horde soldiers back towards the Portal with Kushiage cleaving through the stragglers, and the battle is waging on the water, it seems as if things are getting more and more hopeful.

And things get worse, as Natsu decides to interfere on the //wrong// side! The portal is grabbed, and it's Crystal Hope that feels it. "Something... it's overloading! They're trying to overtake!" she warns, a crystalline shudder that races through her.

"No!" Bow yelps, grabbing another arrow, and launching it towards the red-haired girl, as it pops open, spilling out more of that sticky green fluid, trying to cause her to stop Overlord Maou from holding the portal open. But that hope quickly fades when Shogun Mogura joins in.

Crystal Hope returns to Bow's side, floating next to him. "I'm ready!" she chirps. "I'm going to shut down the panel, but you..."

"I know." he says in quiet resolution. "She's going to be our only hope."

"Have faith in her heart, Bow. She'll find our way back. Mara would do the same." And with that, there's a small crystalline chirp. "Shutting down the portal."

Flipping around an arrow, Bow arms it and draws back to aim. He can see the two trying to hold the portal open. The fight going around him. And inside the portal, the horde troopers. As the door slides open, a figure arrives. Horde Prime steps in and smiles. "Excellent. This is our prize..." he is announcing on his side, from Etheria, with visions of Earth in his eyes.

And the arrow is loose. Flying through the air, it skips off a shoulder of one trooper, and then reangles after smacking against the side of another's helmet. Flying into the portal, it disappears, slamming into the portal's control panel...

And then explodes, severing Crystal Hope's tie to it as she shimmers, the sound of crystalline noises within her. Now if they want to keep the portal open, they will have to do it themselves.

Hinata Muramasa has posed:
    Blades jammed between teeth, even as the monster thrashes from Davy's ink attack, Shadow Shogun is stuck fast... she can't get leverage to free herself, and can't release enough tension to gain any leverage with the monster literally biting down around her.

    That is until Rashmi's wisp boosts her power. <More than enough time.> she replies to the Device Mage.

    Shadow Shogun's blades light on pale moonfire, the swords becoming firebrands that burn the beasts mouth to try force it to let her go. When it does, and the control collar breaks, Shadow Shogun drops to a stance and leans forward. As she sheaths one sword at her hip, she begins to speak, her words echoing as her stance widens.

    "Showery mountain
    where a hungry, fast shark flies
    in spite of the grass"

    Her head snaps up, eyes laser focussed on the Land Shark, and she draws her blade in a blinding flash. "GRASSCUTTER!!"

    A 'Blade Beam' of moonfire slashes through the beast, cutting in in half as the arc travels across the water, then fades like the waning moon behind a cloud.

Erika Shimizu has posed:
    Jolly Roger doesn't quite have a sense for when Dark Energy is in play. All she knows is that the stuff makes the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as though she were still alive. And it's when the Overlord and the Shogun (the bad one, not the one that's her friend) use their power to try and keep the portal open that...
    The hairs on the back of Jolly Roger's neck stand up.
    "Ah barnacles..." The dread pirate growls, too locked in her own heated fracas.
    "Someone wanna deal with that?" She calls out, before Clarthas is upon her with those two magical blades.
    In an instant, Jolly Rogers draws a cutlass from her greatcoat and the two are locked in battle, the undead pirate put on the defensive as swords clash and she's forced to backpedal from his charge as blades ring against blades and...
    Well. Clarthas cuts her. He cuts her BADLY, and she's going to have to spend some time recovering from that later. But no blood splashes onto the beach, revealing that both something is off about the undead dread pirate and that this is a PG-13 setting.
    That's when she uh.
    She pulls a gun in the middle of a swordfight.
    In true pirate fashion, as she reels from the assault, she pulls a flintlock from her greatcoak and intends to unload it on Clarthas point blank.
    "Har har, hope ye weren't expecting me to play fair at least."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
...Oh no he didn't understand the question.

Oh no he's going to *strand himself here* and he didn't understand the question.

Also WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP MAKING THIS PROBLEM WORSE?!

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Rashmi draws in a deep, infuriated breath as Bow's sacrifice gets, if temporarily, undercut by -- is this meddling? Is this why all the villains get annoyed? SO MUCH IS UNDERSTOOD NOW. -- the meddling of the newcomers.

<< ...Nicomachea. We're gonna have to shut them down. >>

To Bow, she places a hand on his shoulder. "I'll be right back," she says gently... Then launches into the air, passing through the Barrier as if it were tuned to allow her through, and a Mid-Childan seal spreads out underneath her feet, intricate mandalas of revolving, ornate lines of light. Taking in a deep, deep breath, she faces the two new overlords, as Nicomachea makes the necessary calculations.

"COULD YOU--"

    << SOLAR BARRAGE >>

"JUST--"

    << GLACE SHIFT >>

"*NOT* ALREADY?!"

    << SHOOT >>

A half-dozen spheres of golden light flash into existence, orbiting the red-haired Device Mage, an with a screeching *SNAP* they turn into hunks of golden ice. And when the first of the ice-covered Barrets fires toward the Overlord pair, another is summoned in its place. And another. And another.

Pretty soon it becomes apparent that Rashmi has chosen FULL AUTOFIRE, and when a single Barret hits, it *sticks.* Ice, heavy and clinging, making it harder to move, and 'sticky' enough to be built up on when the next Barret impacts.

And Rashmi seems to be annoyed enough that she's firing multiple Barrets per second. If *any* hit, it might not be long before they build up enough to be immobilizing. It's really just a question of how long she can keep up the assault.

Natsu Oukanno has posed:
    "No, stop, I have the portal! Go keep the Heroes from interfer--Argh! The portal is closing! You aren't HELP--" she starts to rage, but then there is a STICKY ARROW exploding and spreading slime on her like something out of an ecchi series, and she sputters as her control over the black lightning starts to go awry. "Wh-what is--Is this GAK? WHAT DECADE ARE YOU EVEN FROM!? THIS IS... IS... AN OFFENSE!" Rage levels increasing, control decreasing. The black lightning goes out of control as Maou lowers her gauntlet and tries to figure out how to burn away the slime.

    Then some Touhou-looking girl comes out of the Barrier to Bullet Heck the Heck out of the Overlords. She turns a furious, firey-eyed gaze upon Rashmi as her cloak becomes a pair of bat wings that tank the sticky bullets and impacts for her. "There will be a reckoning, fool! You have earned the ire of one who brings nightmares to life!" She turns to the Overlord next to her and snaps, "Please tell me you can teleport! I will not be made to stay here and be riddled with... With THIS!"

Clarthas Anode (174) has posed:
    The Not-shark is a Dusk-tainted beast of the Outside. Something unreal that by its very existence opposes and struggles against this world that is anathema to it.

    But here it is a monster that rampages and is eventually stopped, slain by a hero.

    With Erika and Rashmi's help, the Shadow Shogun steps up to fill the role. The flashy, called attack bisects the fleeing not-landshark, and it explodes, because that's what a rampaging monster does in that situation!

    That little story is neatly finished. And Clarthas influenced it. Like ripples on a pond, the narrative resonance ripples out invisibly to be captured by Sarida and twisted into power.

    Clarthas's magic blades glow. "You're one sword short, Pirate. You're twenty years too young to challenge--" oh wait damn, he seriously cut her. "--Uhh. Are you--"

    A shot rings out. It hits his coat and Clarthas reels backwards, protected from real damage by Sarida's defensive magic for the moment. He smirks. "Of course not. You're a Dread Pirate! If you don't fight me like one, how can you expect to stop me?" He sweeps a hand towards her, remaining several feet away as a magic circle appears in the air before him. <"Barret Burst Fire."> Three magical force bullets -- this time properly powered -- spray towards Jolly Roger, before Clarthas fly-charges again trying to catch her off-balance with a couple more slashes!

Kano Watanabe has posed:
    Shogun Mogura has an instruction manual in his head for how to use his powers. But he lacks the experience of actually doing, much like Maou. But this is his first time transforming, so he's even MORE clumsy with the Phenomenal Cosmic Dusk Power he has been granted in his itty bitty brain space. With the portal becoming unstable and closed on the other end, the armored giant eventually just stops emitting those black flames and lets the gateway cease to exist.
    Then there's a Device User (not that he knows what that is) barraging them. With the bad guys having already lost, it makes sense not to stick around, gak or not. "Red trees, burning; savage battles, turning; all shall fall." is what comes from him when he speaks, instead of what he wanted to say. Wait, what? Why did he say that? He raises his left hand, a shell of Dark Energy appearing to absorb as many shots as possible, as a giant red Torii gate starts to rise up out of the earth, pushing the local environment aside. On one side of the gate, the two Overlords can be seen. On the other, there is just a swirling black and purple void.
    "The hour grows late; return home, before the Moon rises; on lost hopes." he rumbles in an inhumanly deep voice. His right hand reaches out to grasp Overlord Maou by the shoulder as gently as possible with giant evil armor hands, pull her closer, and then he charges forth, breaking free of any bonds, and entering the gateway. The two vanish.
    The Torii gate will sink back into the ground, leaving no trace it was ever there, moments later.

Hinata Muramasa has posed:
    With a flourish, as she straightens and clicks her katana back into its sheath, in perfect time with the monster exploding, because that's what cool kids do, Shadow Shogun turns to see how her friend is doing.

    And it's not good.

Shehe's too far away to help with her swords, but there IS someone who is close enough.

    "Magical fountain
    where a common, bold crow soars
    before the pebble."

    Her third haiku of the day, Shadow Shogun stands and seems to be concentrating on something, eyes closed, breath even and measured. Those who can sense magical transfer would feel a LOT of it coming out of her, and into...

    That little tengu plush she left on the wall near where Clarthas and Jolly Roger are fighting.

    The doll twitches, hops to its feet and leaps into the air, growing in size to a full eight foot tall Tengu demon as it summons its staff. It comes in to attack Clarthas from the back, attempting to take pressure off of the Dread Pirate much like she did for the Shogun earlier.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Ula has followed Crystal Hope all the way back as requested by Sayaka, and so hears Hope and Bow talking about shutting down the portal down and all the back and forth Bow and Crystal Hope are going through. Well, they certainly have their hands full without her asking them questions about where they came from and what they are doing here, so she floats there in wait for the situation to resolve with the help of everyone.

Meanwhile, now that Sayaka's spinning strikes and whirlwind has tossed back in the mass of Horde Robots, she waits for the air flow to calm itself down so she can reach out of it and see anywhere than might need intervention. As the result she misses Bow shutting down the portal. All she knows when the air clears, is the two Overlords keeping the portal opens. What are they even doing? Are they the goons of whoever is sending those robots out? She is about to tell them off, but then they start cutting the portal's life short themselves, without any input on her part.

'Well, that's a way to do it', she thinks, turning her attention towards the robots still left. A quick glance towards her Soul Gem confirms her she has way more than enough energy to continue a long while, and with a swirl of her cape, she uses her Grand Aria, seven cutlasses appearing and aiming down at what robots are there.

Bow has posed:
The portal is closing, forcing the two villains to fight to keep it open. Horde Prime, temporarily stunned by the explosion, is struggling to get to his feet, clawing at the ground as he tries to rise back to his feet. He had hoped that is unwitting new allies on the other side would hold the portal - could he too - sense the presence of the Sword of the Protection on the side that Bow is on?

Not that it matters anymore. As the two powerful villains give up on their quest to keep the portal open, it collapses on itself, vanishing in a bright green explosion that may knock the unenured off of their feet.

Bow stands here, even as Sayaka is finishing the clean up of the Horde bots with her blades, and can only stare. There went their chance home. Etheria, for all he knows, has fallen. "So. Now what?" he asks, noone in paticular.

"Now. Hope." Crystal Hope offers, coming to float in front of him. "I need to go away for a little while. But I will come back when you figure it out." A soft chirp of a noise and then...

                        "INITIATING HENSHIN PROTOCOL."                        

The crystal glows and then surrounds Bow. The pair lift off the ground as Cystal Hope scans over the Etherian rebel, and starts to absorb his bow. His armor. His guards. Every piece of him that would form a piece of a uniform. As it does so, it makes the changes it needs, adapting the quiver and bow, the armor and all is carefully scanned and asorbed into itself.

When it's finished, Bow is left only in his cloak which covers most of him (including modest undergarment) and comes to press itself to Bow's chest. A brief flash of light and then, in soft words, it chimes.

                         "For the Heart of Etheria."                          

...and then falls silent.

Here, in this foreign land. Surrounded by people he doesn't know, Bow drops to his knees, cradling the crystal in his hands. With the portal broken, the robots start to disentegrate, no longer tethered to the Horde or Etheria, they are rusting into nothingness.

Bow blinks a few times, looking up to Sayaka as she comes over towards where he is and holds up a hand. "I have so many questions."

But that will come later as he tips over and passes out face-first into the sand.

Erika Shimizu has posed:
    "Good, we be reachin' an accord then."
    So long as Clarthas understands that Jolly Roger fights like a pirate, then all is well with the world. Mostly.
    Aside from getting shot.
    A little too sluggish from the injuries she's sustained, the dread pirate ends up eating the barret burst dead on; the three shots pelting her torso and center of mass with enough force to make her jerk and reel. Then...
    Then Clarthas lunges in for the finale...

    "... Release the kraken..."
    It's a last ditch effort to not be made seriously dead. ... Re-dead? Deader?
    Jolly Roger calls upon her ever faithful mascot who has now only just been introduced in this mid-season episode, to save her skin.
    Davy Jones jumps up and squirts another blast of dark ink, intending to blind Clarthas while Jolly Roger just kind of... Staggers aside and away.
    Who said pirates have to fight to the death when they can run away to fight another day?
    Either way she's not in the path of the torii gate after she uh....
    ...Well. She bailed.
    

Clarthas Anode (174) has posed:
    <"Behind you!"> Clarthas turns mid-charge, commanding "Barrier!" before he even sees what's coming for him. Sarida chimes and a translucent sphere of amber force surrounds him. The tengu's attack breaks it apart, but Clarthas is slammed into the sand by some transfer of kinetic energy to his whole body at once instead of getting hit by the staff. And then he's inked. Gah! He can't activate his Sight fast enough to navigate that way.

    But also, he is well aware that his monster's gone, there are no more robots, and the other villains are fleeing.

    'And then the last villain got beat down by like a dozen heroes' isn't a good story, and it's certainly not one Clarthas wishes to partake in.

    He takes off flying roughly towards the tori gate. "I look forward to seeing you again, Dread Pirate Jolly Roger!" Was. Was that a joke because he's blinded by ink?

    He really does hope to fight her again, though. They can both get stronger that way.

    <"Down! A little to the left! Good!"> Sarida urges and he adjusts his flight path accordingly, flying blindly through the gate just before it disappears!

Sayaka Miki has posed:
"Ula, what is going on here", Sayaka asks the floating mermaid as she has listened in what Hope and Bow were saying. "The crystal and the guy who apparently is called Bow were discussing having to shut down the portal with the crystal seriously advising closing it, and that's when he sends an arrow flying through it, and I guess it must have it something holding it open, because it started decading right after", Ula quickly sums up.

So, this guy - Bow, apparently, even if it's likely a codename of some sort - is just stranded here now, Sayaka guesses, looking at the small explosion of the portal. He certainly didn't expect being chased here, whoever he is escaping from. "Confused?" Sayaka remarks at Bow's statement before adding "Yes, of course asks away." Though he faints right after, leaving Sayaka to catch him before he hits the ground. "I will bring him to RHA's infirmary", she states then, going away in a quick sequence of brief jumps after picking him up, Ula attached to her sleeve.

Hinata Muramasa has posed:
    Shadow Shogun has her eyes closed, so she can't directly see what's happening, but the link between her and her Familiar lets her know the danger to her friend is passed. She cuts the magic link and after a few seconds longer, the tengu shrings into its chibi-like form again, floating in mid air and squawking at Jolly Roger, that she can stop running.

    Sayaka has Bow, and bails with him back to the school infirmary... that leaves... not much else to do, so she walks over to her Familiar, letting it land on her shoulder before walking off without much fanfare or even a farewell to the others... she's vaguely following Jolly Roger's 'drunken' flight path.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Hanging in the air for a moment, Rashmi struggles to catch her breath. Not having ued that particular spell all too often, it still takes a *chunk* out of her energy reserves... But oh boy was it worth it.

The portal closes, villains start breaking away left and right, and Bow--

--faints. No, that tracks.

<< Good job everyone, talk yto you later? >> she says in one last message over the telepathic comms net, before letting most of her active spells expire, and flitting to catch up with Sayaka. "Hey... *Good work,* Sharpsong, and mind if I join you?"

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    The Culinary Guardian in Green pauses, and looks at the faining Bow. The breathless Rashmi. The... well.

    "This is not my mess." she states, and turns to walk away, leaving all those ruined robots in her wake, her spear over one shoulder as if daring anyone to come after her.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
When Rashmi asks her if she is allowed to come along, Sayaka isn't slow in replying affirmatively. "Of course! I just hope the nurse won't mind the sudden ruckus", she nods to her.