1669/A Dream Kingdom Mess Around

A Dream Kingdom Mess Around
Date of Scene:	16 June 2024
Location:	Dream Kingdom
Synopsis:	Dream Kingdom goes wild when a variety of youma go on the attack. Good thing Lacuna was ready for them! And, even better for Dream Kingdom? Cure Wing, the Princess of Sarek, and the Adollable Amy are on hand to protect the park in the battle to come. Thank goodness Katsuko saved the civilians	Today, there's no collateral damage!
Cast of Characters:	Fuyuko Yuuhi, Katsuko Takezaki, Veronica Perenna, Tsubasa Yuunagi, Amanda Faust

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Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
If you asked Lacuna, she'd say the best thing about the future, hands down, was the practically unlimited amount of prey. The world was so full of magic now that she could practically hear the hum of it. Yeah, it meant there were probably more weaksauce Mahou around than she could shake a stick at, but what did that matter? What did they matter?
Hersll that mattered was killing the monsters, rubbing it in Kyouka's face that she's the winner of this hunt, and yeah, saving people, of course.

This is what's lead her to Dream Kingdom, the ocean-based theme park not having changed particularly much since her time. There are a couple of new rides, some new paint jobs in a few areas, and a host of new food and treat stalls, as new vendors have set up shop and old ones moved on or fallen out of the business. Usually, it's a pretty exciting place, if you're normal. The rides, the sugar rush, the games, it's the perfect place for normal kids and normal families to spend a hot Sunday in June.

Usually. Today, there's a whole host of youma running wild - a trio of vending machine youma with pompadours and sunglasses spitting cans of soda at everyone who passes by, a sticky, overgrown teddy bear that was clearly the result of dark energy tapping into the hatred of an abandoned toy stealing actual candy from the hands of small children, and even a sickly glowing purple octopus with too many tentacles and three times the normal size, grabbing at people and trying to throw them out to the open ocean.

It's chaos.

It's glorious.

"Ahahaha, this is fantastic! I can't believe I found of so many of you fuckers all in one spot! What, were you planning on hiding out until you were at your peak? Chickenshits!"

The cackling voice is Lacuna's, of course - a fifteen year old girl in a pitch-black dress, with cap-sleeves, purple-and-white striped leggings and incongruously delicate looking flats decorated with a single white star. Her chin-length black hair is fine and straight, and white star-shaped earrings gleam in her ears through the pitch mass. Her face is split with a huge grin, and darkness roils like liquid from her fingertips to her elbows as she faces off against her first target, the teddy bear.

"Now die already!"

Katsuko Takezaki has posed:
    Katsuko had invited Tsubasa to come spend some time at the Dream Kingdom, Zwillingrute had wanted her to stay at home and recover, but in exchange for a promise to be careful and seek help if she got into trouble ... and insurance in the form of Zwillingrute staying home, the compromise was made. They're at the price stands when Youma begin to show up, and with no Device Katsuko has no real option to do much, she hasn't even brought along any spare tonfa. She still looks like she's about ready to fight even without magic.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
There always was more trouble in Tokyo than you could get out of, that much was true. And that meant that all the bleeding hearts that roamed the streets keeping an eye out for any sign of danger had their work cut out for them. A particular bleeding heart has put on her top hat today and has been heading for the commotion occuring at Dream Kingdom.

She has currently picked a fight with the vending machines and is actually playing at catching the cans of soda thrown her way. That is admittedly a first for all the things she has put in there in before. "Mercì beaucoup for the donations", she taunts the three youma in gratuitous, if flawless, french. "I have a gift for you too", she adds throwing her cane at one of the three youma.

Tsubasa Yuunagi has posed:
Before the youma arrived...

Tsubasa had accepted Katsuko's invitation, the pair of them arriving at the Dream Kingdom. He was surprised that she left her device behind, that was a decision he made though. It had been enjoyable so far, a few rides, some time spent talking to each other. Having arrived at a booth with large plush animals, Tsubasa was trying to win one from her. But he's terrible at throwing the ball, that is the same diameter as the opening, into the milk can.

Clang! The ball lands on the ground, as the carnie encourages. "You'll get the next one. You get the next one, you can pick whatever you want for your date there!" he gestures to the plush licensed characters, trying to encourage the boy to give it another try.

"D-Date?" Tsubasa asks, having not even considered that. As far as he knew, "Katsuko and I are friends and classmates." A firm nod at that and he was about to say something else on the matter, when the soda machine attack happened!

"I'm going to go help." he told Katsuko. He looks worried for her for a second and squeezes her hand. "Stay safe." he tells her as he grabs his Mirage Pen and runs off, as others are fleeing the scene, he's running towards it and behind a bank of food vendor buildings.

Grabbing the Mirage pen, Tsubasa presses a small button on it, announcing, "Sky Mirage!" The crystal of the pen splits in half, opening into a small orb. In the meantime, he grabs a small disk with three small wings and clicks a button on the side of it, announcing, "Tone Connect!" As the orb starts to spin and light up, Tsubasa calls out, "Hirogaru Change!" And a moment later, "WING!"

A hair clip appears on the left side of his head, as his hair changes style, a long ponytail appearing as his hair becomes brighter orange in color and his ahoge becomes smaller, making both eyes visible. Finally, the orange precure magic over his feet turn into orange boots with yellow 'claw' designs. As that finishes, Cure Wing starts the next part of his transformation.

"Sparkling HOP!" As Cure Wing hops from magical disc to disc, a small canted top hat appears on his forehead, along with a double-sphere magenta earring on each ear, the left ear also marked with an orange heart.

"Refreshing STEP!" The orange magic over his chest transforms into his outfit of shirt, shorts, vest and long, birdlike coat-tail.

"Clear and Sunny JUMP!" As the magic over his hands transform into gloves, Cure Wing leaps into the air, taking off into a figure eight and into a barrel roll before landing on the ground. He gives a wink and a bright smile before saluting with the left hand across his forehead to his right eye. And then he announces himself "Courage that soars to the heavens!"

"CURE WING!"

And with that, he takes flight from behind the food vendors, rocketting towards the scene of the attack with all due haste. Coming in on the attack, he streaks just overhead of Katsuko and Amy as he moves to intercept one of the soda machines before it can reach them, slamming into it with both fists extended and knocking it over as he twists and rises in the air before slamming down feet first into the youma to hopefully take it out.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Someone had the bright idea that maybe bringing Amy on an afternoon out of fun would help lift her spirits. Also, since she can still use magic, she's additional magical backup in the event that something does happen around Katsuko...

    She's still a doll, about 18in (45cm) tall, comparable to a medium-sized plushie. Today her clothing magic has opted for an elegant, frilly purple dress with poofy sleeves and lavender trim that at certainly looks like it belongs on a doll.

    And like. There are some moments that don't go well, like looking longingly at the cotton candy this body can't eat, but she's kind of getting into it? She's carried everywhere and doesn't have to pay for rides if she's brought along in someone's lap. She's not a burden, not taking up space, and not standing out quite so much when some folks are carrying plushies and dolls won as prizes and such.

    When the monsters show up, she hops onto a counter and turns around to give a concerned look to Katsuko. "Don't try to fight like that... you're injured!" Amy rubs the back of her head. "Ah, I guess I understand... All this started because I saw a magical girl fight and wanted to help, but..." She pats Katsuko's arm. "We'll take care of them so fast you won't have to fight!"

    And then she realizes Cure Wing already ran off. "Ah, wait! I need a ride... ah, fudge it--" She leaps off the counter and transforms in midair, a miniature version of her usual henshin sequence... although just after the first flames fade, there's a flash of a pillar of flame around her adding the thruster parts, which kick in and propel her over to the giant teddy bear. She lands several feet away from it, pointing dramatically. "HEY! Pick on someone your own... uh... okay that one doesn't work. Um. I mean."

    She looks at the kids. "Don't worry about this toy gone bad! This good toy will stop him!" She declares.

Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
A few of the children stare in slack-mouthed astonishment at Amy as she appears on the scene, one tiny toy hero versus a nightmarish toy gone wild.

"Wow," one of them, perhaps five years old, whispers, "Toy Tale is real!"

Another, speaking with the wisdom of an eight year old, scoffs, "No way! I bet it's a robot or something."

Lacuna doesn't say anything at all. What does she care about some good toy, when there's prey to fight?

But perhaps this split in attention is enough, as the teddy bear youma halts in grabbing literal candy from a literal two year old baby, it's stitched on mouth splitting at the seams so it can roar at her -

Just as Lacuna pounces forward, swinging her left arm and the darkness flowing like liquid around it at a diagonal angle, striking neck and arms and chest -

And then it's in two pieces on the ground - the massive head rolling in one direction to rest at the feet of the now screaming group of children clustered near Amy. The large, stubbby legs and cotton-and-candy filled lower body stumble and collapse in another direction, half crushing an ice-cream stall.

"What was that all about?" Lacuna scoffs, turning to the doll. "Good toy? Pick on someone your own size? You know monsters like this don't talk, don't you? Ugh, never mind, there's still more of them to kill!" There's a condescending note to her voice, even as she turns to look for the next fight.

Meanwhile, the vending machine youma that Cure Wing has power-punch-tackled reels on elongated metal legs, cartoonish arms pinwheeling as it futilely tries to maintain it's balance before it goes tumbling down. It's glass casing shatters, and Cure Wing might just find himself inside the vending machine, denting, breaking, and crushing the cans inside, if he can't stop his momentum.

The Princess of Sarek on the other hand has a treasure trove of sodas, juices, and even canned coffees now, because the vending machine she's been fighting has thrown half its contents at her by the time her cane smashes through it's glass cover as well. It doesn't fall, but does reel about, spitting 100 yen coins in distress.

The third vending machine, seeing the state of the other two, beeps in protest, and chaaaaaarges for the Princess of Sarek at full speed!

Katsuko Takezaki has posed:
    "I know I shouldn't." Katsuko tells Amy while she looks to the departing Wing, she lowers her arms right when that head crashes on the ground near them and she tries to do the second best thing. "Hey!" She shouts at the scared children. "I know this is scary. I'm scared too." She lies, "But let's all go the park entrance together. The Adollable Protector add Cure Wing will make sure nothing bad happens to us on the way there, I'm sure." She glances to Wing too there, trying to make sure she's loud enough he hears while starts trying to herd the children to the park entrance.

Tsubasa Yuunagi has posed:
Crashing into the machine, Cure Wing finds himself a little bit deeper within it than he had wanted to be. Youma are so confusing sometimes! Soda cans are crushed, spraying all over his legs, covering him in sticky sweetness. He's so going to need a shower later.

Pulling himself out of the youma, his hands gripped on the edge of the machine. He hears Katsuko call out though and he nods. "Yep! I'm going to make sure none of you get hurt! Especially your cute guide." There's a wink at Katsuko, that confidence that he has in henshin showing brightly.

He's rising back up into the air, trailing soda droplets as he sets himself. Only to see Lacuna on the attack, nearby. And he freezes in place, his eyes wide. And he's taken back to years ago, that small boy that fell out of the airplane that was saved by a girl that looked just like her.

"Hey!" he calls to Lacuna. "How are you here? I mean, I saw you when I was little! And... you haven't aged at all! Wait, do you have a partner in white and gold?" A pause of thought and consciousness as he considers ages. "Did you get your powers from your older sister who looked just like you?"

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy gives the wise eight year old a thumbs-up. "It's 2024! Robots can be toys too, you know!" Okay, she's got a plan. Summon her giant cannon, even at this size it'll be on par with the smaller rocket launchers she uses sometimes, and just spam it until the bear drops -- But as she turns back to fight the monster, Lacuna's already finished it. She opens her mouth to respond, but then the toy is collapsing, and it's going to destroy an ice cream stall! That's someone's livelihood! And they probably don't have monster insurance because that's not a thing.

    "Hey! Don't just--" No time. She flies up to it, holding it off the stall, but...

    She still has the same issue as before. Without the aid of Mid-Childan flight magic, it's not very controllable. She can't just push the body over onto another stall!

    Ugh, damn it! Conjuring and dismissing rockets inside my costume is so clunky... I'm sure it's an inefficient use of magic if I weren't so small, too... And I can't make clothing with movable articulations like directional verniers and on/off mechanisms. If there was a real jetpack like this maybe I could copy some of the design, but...

    But then, she has a realization:

    Wait... that's it! That stuff doesn't have to be part of my clothes... that can be part of the rockets! I've made stuff like homing missiles before, so... have I been overthinking this the whole time?! Can I just make thruster rockets that home in on where I wanna go?

    There are several puffs of sparkles around her costume, and just as the teddy body starts to tilt the other way towards another stall, she zips around, pushes it up, then pushes it over to fall away from the stalls, into an area screaming parkgoers already fled.

    She darts back over to the kids, and gives an extremely thruster-boosted KICK to roll the head away towards the body.

    "Hey, hey, it's alright, it's alright!" She tries to reassure the kids as she lands, turns to the kids and waves to them, and imitates... Sailor Moon's pose! It's the first thing that came to mind! "That's right! You should listen to the nice onee-san and go with her! We'll protect you!"

    That pointy-toothed smile is a little creepy, but perhaps more in a friendly monster way, in this situation?

    Then she flies off after Lacuna. "Hey! You know there's no barrier up, right? We gotta try not to destroy the park--"

    And then she catches sight of: EVIL VENDING MACHINES.

    Her eyes narrow. This is... familiar, somehow. Like a vending machine threatened a poor, innocent student before, and she's mad about someone making such a thing--

    And her eyes go wide and mouth hangs open as a memory returns to her: That has happened before! That was... the day before he became a magical girl. A monster threatened the student he now knows is Sayaka-san, and he tried to fight it...

    Now he-- this time she's armed properly! Amy points down at the vending machines: "Hey! It's time for Round 2!"

Veronica Perenna has posed:
"Uh", is all the princess of Sarek has the time to say when she notices the youma charging at her after that beep of protest. Perhaps it would have had more of a chance if it kept silent. But with Veronica's attention now on it, the magical girl jumps onto the vending machine in the midst of its rush, landing on it and then promptly abandoning ship by swinging off the roof two times and kicking into it, rolling into the floor with the momentum of the kick.

"Sorry", she says contrite after the signs of distress, knowing that they would have never been able to go on anyway. "Let me get that back", the Phantom Thief adds as she recovers the cane from the vending machine that is reeling about. If the third vending machine is still up, Veronica releases a beam of moonlight from her cane, otherwise she lets it be, going to gather the falling coin with a mental note to bring them back to the appropriate office once all of this is said and done.

"Is the bloodthirst actually necessary?", Veronica tells the young Lacuna with a side glance, before going over to Katsuko, coincidentally fetching a bottle of grape juice out of her treasure trove. "Good thinking, please lead them to a safe place and stay safe yourself", the Princess of Sarek says, offering the beverage to the one she doesn't know is a mahou herself.

Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
"A toy!" "A robot toy!" "A robot toy hero - AAAAAAAA!"

Luckily, Katsuko is nearby, and older, old enough that after the initial terror of the monster and its death, her reassuring voice is enough to win the kids over. They all start scurrying towards her, the smaller ones picked up by the older ones, and the smaller ones who can walk crowding to try and hold her hands.

Meanwhile, the Adollable Amy manages to hold off the corpse of the bear youma long enough for it to begin dissolving, taking the issue of some of the weight off her shoulders - and rockets once she knocks it away.

The kids wave at her as they crowd to Katsuko. "Thank you Robot Toy Hero-oneesan!"

Meanwhile, Lacuna casts a glance back over her shoulder, rolling her eyes. "What? Obviously there's no barrier, do you see a Device Mage around here? Who cares about the park, I'm here for the youma, and the civvies."

And then Amy is distracted enough that Lacuna just keeps on going ahead, leaping onto a stall and then down from the stall to plunge through the youma -

Yes, through the youma, as her void powers consume the majority of the chassis, leaving a whole for her to neatly dive through, canceling her power before she devours the ground so she can do a handspring flip and land beside - Cure Wing.

"A sister? Nah, my sister's dead," she says flippantly, "But I'm from the past, actually, just came through to this loser future the other day. Clearly to save the day, since this place is a mess. Just look at all the prey running around!"

The bloodthirst the Princess of Sarek criticized is clearly audible in her voice, and in her wide grin -

But there's nothing else to be killed, here, not with the Princess of Sarek blasting the vending machine youma that charged her in the back. Once she removes her cane, the youma she'd initially been fighting goes still, and the one Cure Wing struck down wobbles only a few more times before Lacuna punches through it's 'head' - not bothering with darkness, but pure henshin strength. I guess... round 2 of the vending machines is off?

"Sorry not sorry stole your kill dollface, but there should be one more around here, some octopus thing. Follow the screams, and we'll find it."

The screams?

Just then, a piercing shriek of terror, followed by a distant SPLASH!

Tsubasa Yuunagi has posed:
As Lacuna reveals herself to be the real deal, Wing manages not to throw his arms around her in s hug. That's probably for the best, though, really. There's a brief frown and shake his head. "There's a lot of youma, but there are a lot more heroes too. You're not alone!" he points out to her, hoping that may calm down her hot-blooded tendencies. Especially when she punches through the head of the youma that he had heavily damaged. Sure, it was just a vending machine, but still.

However, before he had the chance to say anything else on the matter, there's the scream off in the distance. Of them all, he's possibly the fastest, and he glances back to Katsuko. "Be right back!" he promises to her, as he squats down for a moment, then launches up into the air.

Once airborne, he turns and tucks his arms to the side, flames erupting around him as he rockets off in the direction on the scream to intercept the Octopus youma.

Katsuko Takezaki has posed:
    Katsuko hears the scream, and helpfully guides the gaggle of kids she's leading into the opposite direction. When she gets that grape juice, she Veronica a thumbs up, taking a sip before continuing on her way. When Lacuna mentions there's no device mage, she overhears it and just winces a little, but continues on anyway. Time for regrets can come later, there's kids to lead to safety. "Take care, Cure Wing!" She makes sure to yell at the boy when he says he'll be right back.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy lands on a neaby stall and slumps. "I saw one of these before. As a civilian. I was so mad about the bad programming, but that's just how Dark Energy works, isn't it?"

    She looks at Lacuna. "Geeze, you're strong, lady, but... Uh, people care about the park? That's folks livelihood! Do you think they're making all that much working carnival stands? Losing all their stuff could be the end of them! Like, the whole point of being Heroes is that because of us people can go on and live their lives, right? Imagine your livelihood being destroyed and ending up out on the street and not even knowing a monster was the reason! Just what kind of insurance is gonna cover 'crunched by a youma'?! This doesn't look like a gas leak or fire, does it!"

    She sighs. "Argue now, fight later-- I mean the other way around! Argh!" She balls her fists and stamps a foot in frustration, then takes off in the direction of the screams.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
"From the past?", Veronica says as she looks up and down the young Lacuna. She really wouldn't have penned her as someone from there, though perhaps she shouldn't be one to speak. She had met literally one other person so far who was in top hat and cane. That's a lot less that could be said about other outfit types. "How did you even end up here?"

"Red?" Veronica asks, only now having enough time to notice everyone that she notices the suspiciously similar doll with rockets. "That's a new look for you. You didn't get into another painting, did you?"

But before she can ask more, a point is made about the octopus youma, and she too drops everything else, rushing off in the direction of the screams.

Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
"Thanks for helping us, onee-san," the children tell Katsuko, the ones closest to her squeezing her hands tight, the others all crowding in enough that it's a miracle they don't outright trip over each other. They're all scared, that much is very clear.

And on the other side of the park, people are scared too - Cure Wing will see why first - the corrupted octopus, that's been working at flinging people into the sea! Luckily, there's a certain amount of anime physics involved, enough that even though these people are falling down into the water, they're not hitting with terminal velocity. They're a little bruised, very shocked, and wet, but that's all the three people in the ocean are.

Well, they're also fighting to stay afloat.

Good thing there's at least one flying hero among the group!

The dingily glowing purple octopus snags a middle-aged woman in jeans and a t-shirt by the ankle just as Cure Wing gets to the area, dragging her along the ground as she screams and tries to grab onto anything - anything - to resist.

Meanwhile, with the rest of the racing group, Lacuna snorts, "Yeah, okay. Most of these stalls are owned by the park, you know? They're the ones who are going to fix it up. And the ones that aren't will say there was a riot, or an explosion, or something. The veil will fix it, but it won't fix dead, so that's why we focus on killing. Duh. As for how I got here? Went through a door, I dunno. Clearly the world was calling for some real heroes."

By the time the rest of them catch up, Cure Wing will have had time to make the first pass at either the octopus or rescuing someone (or even multiple someones).

Tsubasa Yuunagi has posed:
This is not the Lacuna he rememebers. Admittedly, he only met that Lacuna once. But in that one time, she had inspired him. Her and Stellary both. But in his young mind, he had idolized her - that they were heroes that were keeping the evil at bay. And he's right about that. They were. He just never expected them to be so brutal. He has to dwell on these thoughts while in flight and figure out how to give them voice.

However, for the moment, he has bigger fish to fry. Well. Octopus. As he comes to a momentary halt, hanging in the sky as he takes in the situation. There are people in the sea, flailing around. There's an octopus youma between him and said flailing people. He could go around and get to the people, that wouldn't be a problem. But that takes time.

Flames erupt around his youthful frame and Cure Wing rises up for a moment, before he dives towards the octopus, picking up steam. As he does so, his hands come out in front of him, and it looks for a moment like he's going to punch through the youma, as he calls out, "Soaring Wing Attack!"

He'll still feel the punch. But it's not doing damage? There may be pushback, yes. But all and all? Soaring Wing is a purifying attack. And while it may not purify the octopus, it may stun it whlle Wing passes through, flying over the surface of the water, his hands reaching down to grab a floater in each hand and then flies over to the last person. "I'll be back for you in a moment!" he promises, as he turns to fly the two people he thought most in distress back to the beach to set them down.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Okay, Amy's kind of impressed that Lacuna has checked that the people will be okay. "...Wait, did monsters besides Witches usually kill people in your time?!"

    Amy summons a her-scale gyrojet pistol to shoot at the tentacle holding someone as she approaches, but she forgot about size for a moment and effectively .15-caliber rounds are a little underwhelming.

    Now closer, she remembers her plan for how to make this work: She hovers in place, summons a giant unwieldy recoilless cannon on her shoulder, and fires at the tentacle holding the woman! Even at this scale, the 1¼-inch explosive shells are as big as some of the smaller missiles she usually uses when she's full-size, only worse: they hit at much higher velocity than anything else she uses and then EXPLODE. And since they're so small, she can spam them at much-reduced magic cost!

    And each successive shot is more accurate as she iterates on the design, adjusting the power, adding stabilization thrusters to help her fire it better... She'll take this opportunity to learn some things she can use when she's full-size again!

    If it's enough to sever the tentacle and the octopus isn't purified, she'll turn her fire on the main body. Eat tiny artillery, monster!

Katsuko Takezaki has posed:
    Meanshile, Katsuko is trying to entertain the kids the only non-fighty way she knows how. By retelling stories she heard about Sailor V that were already skewed way from reality before she even learned them. Just trying to keep them calm. ... and pray no-one she actually knows overhears this.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
"I think your past is just as much in need of help as our present", Veronica points out, only barely paying attention to her words while she still focuses on catching up with the octopus. "How many people that you would have saved staying in the past have now been left alone?", she asks, the need for help the only thing not stopping her run once she realises that possibility.

Wing is able to get most of the octopus' victims out of the water, but even he can't carry all of them, and one more is left still. Recalling that time she became a mermaid, she feels herself change as she dives in, her own magic turning Veronica into a split resemblance of herself from that day in the painting. "It's ok, I got you", she tells the remaining civilian, keeping her afloat as she swims at speed for the nearest place of landmass. She will come back later, once she has finished checking the civilian is alright.

Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
The Octopus - well, it doesn't scream, because it doesn't have vocal chords. But there's the sense that it would be screaming, once Soaring Wing Attack lands, because the tentacles flail about, and the creature that's knocked by against the railing separating the park from open sea is about half the size it was before the purification attack struck.

It's still managed to hold it's grip on the woman, though -

Aaaaand then it's fired upon with explosive rounds, and it isn't holding it's grip anymore, one of the numerous extra tentacles disconnected.

The young woman shrieks again, and scrabbles at her ankle, the suckers keeping the now detached tentacle firmly attached.

The civlians Cure Wing saved are babbling with gratitude, and the one left behind keeps kicking, struggling to stay afloat, holding onto hope that the impossible boy will return.

Meanwhile, the children are listening intently to the stories - some of them have played the Sailor V game at a certain arcade, and meanwhile others have started collecting their own Sailor V merchandise, and others among those others have never even heard of Sailor V, so they're newly entertained!

Honestly, you could make a religion out of this.

Back with the others, Lacuna makes a move towards the Octopus, only to pause, noting the minute twitch of the Cure there, ready to intervene, and she rolls her eyes a little, looking at Amy instead.

"All monsters want to kill people. They wouldn't be monsters if they didn't. You think the people in the drink down there would be any less dead because it was the ocean that drowned them instead of these tentacles that strangled them?"

She cuts through the tentacle with a controlled swish of the void, helping the woman to her feet, and giving her a little push so she runs off with the rest of the civilians. "And - they'd better be fine. Super Cool Monster Slayers Inc. will hold shit together, even if they're down the heavy hitters."

She's sure her friends will be able to manage themselves.

"Besides - whoa!"

She actually sounds impressed when the Princess of Sarek become a mermaid and makes her dive.

The third civilian in the water mutters a prayer, when they see a mermaid come swimming to the rescue.

Tsubasa Yuunagi has posed:
Cure Wing was getting ready to intervene. In case Lacuna went into a killing strike, the orange hued Precure was about to fly in the way of the attack. Yes, it probably would have hurt, but it was better than... better than what? Cure Wing doesn't have any regrets on it and when Lacuna calls him out on it, he only straightens up, without shame.

"Life, all life is precious! This creature didn't ask to be made into a youma, and it doesn't deserved to be killed for it!" he points out to her, a frown settling on his lips. "They aren't dead, and that's the point! They're alive, and it's our responsibility to keep them safe. And when the youma are living beings, then we are supposed to purify them. If they're human, they will hopefully learn from their ways! If they're not... then they can return to the life they had before they were youma."

Standing tall and proud as he justice speeches. "It could be a small bug or a giant bear. It can be human, alien, or foilage. But if it is alive, we have the great power and responsibility to protect it from evil!" he says feverntly as new flames erupt over his body, almost pushing him into a Shining Mode. "And if we kill?"

"Then how are we better than the monsters we claim to fight?"

With that, he dives directly at the injured octopus, the flames growing as he prepares another Soaring Wing Attack, his power restored quickly by the swelling in the chest to help his friends, to heal the injured, to purify the youma and to show Lacuna there is a better way.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Lacuna points out the people will still drown. "You know, it's weird, monsters these days usually just drain people unconcious and leave them feeling tired. But yeah this is bad." Fortunately, Cure Wing is on it!

    As for Veronica's question... Amy uhhhs, "It might not work that way. The present we know may be the one where she disappeared years ago and is now here. Wait, just how many different things are messing with time here?! ...You can turn into a mermaid?!"

    She keeps blasting away at the octopus's main body. It's got to run out of MDC eventually, right?

    Although, she does pause when Cure Wing gives a heroic speech about not killing. "I mean... we try but, not all of us have purification attacks..."

    And then he starts to dive and her eyes shine and she waves a hand, "Ooh, ooh, wait, lemme ride, we can do another combo attack! Ah well maybe next time."

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Once the princess of Sarek has made sure the person she saved isn't actually at risk of any sort, she leaves the civilian there and starts swimming back to the scene of the fight, going back there in a jiffy and making a leap into the hair followed by a pirouette and a transformation in mid-air to land back onto the Dream Kingdom. Yes, she is very a show-off.

Coincidentally, she comes back just in time to hear Amy's reply to her. "Is that really how it works? If that's true, that would mean we are in a stable time loop and she has always traveled to her future", the Princess of Sarek ponders as she punches a tentacle out of the way of yet more victims. "At least, we don't have to worry about the deaths her disappearance could have caused."

"That's actually not unlike how I have used my disguise magic to copy many others. In this case, I have copied myself from the time in the painting", she explains. Then in a whisper to Amy, she adds, sounding very proud and looking the part too, "The Oresky on Clock App is actually me."

"Yeah, honestly if I could learn purification magic, that would be awesome", Veronica agrees with Amy. "Hey, is that something you can teach?", the Princess of Sarek asks Wing.

Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
"Is that because it's what the monsters want, or what their bosses want? Spontaneous youma are different from created ones, you know."

She's seen it a few times in her life - they've handled a few apocalypses in her times, seen the differences between enemies that were Mahou and the forces they created, and monsters that had it out for the world for their own reasons. But there's not enough time to discuss it, and she grates to not be handling business because of some kid.

As Cure Wing gives his justice speech, proclaiming the sanctity of life and the need to protect it, to purify those beings, she shakes her head dismissive, snorting.

Raising a hand, darkness flows up, like water, creating a wicked-looking scythe, jet-black save for the glimpses of winking light far within, dying out like stars sucked into the infinite abyss of a black hole. "Life is life and death is death. Destruction comes. Things end. That's how the world works, all that is, ends, and new things will be born to take their place."

Lower her hand, she dismisses the scythe with a silent twist of her hand.

The octopus shrinks as it's struck once more, returned to a creature the size and shape of a completely regular octopus, no longer glowing, no longer carrying too many limbs. It's looking distinctly disoriented and displeased, having been put through the wringer in the fight, but it slips itself over the edge without a problem, flopping back into the water.

The fight is over, and all the youma are down.

Lacuna ticks them off on her fingers, mutteringly mostly to herself, though loud enough that anyone can hear if they want - "Three vending machines, I got the kill off two of them, even if you kids did part of the work... and the sticky bear... yeah, I'm giving myself two kills on this one to add to my count. Would have been higher if not for you, but I guess that's one way this lame future makes up for all the prey... and my lame old hag future self is here too, so, nerds, make of that what you will with the whole time travel whatever."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "That's still really cool." Amy comments, of the Princess's shapeshifting. She taps her chin. "Huh, can you copy my current form?"

    But also, Lacuna is talking. "There are spontaneous youma?!" Amy is alarmed to learn this is a natural phenomenon. Also, she lands on the counter of a stall, or a bench, or something near Lacuna. "You dismiss life so casually, though. How would you feel if it's you that's ending?"

    She blinks. "Wait, your future self is here too? So you went back later, or..."

    Amy thinks back to discussing time travel and alternate timelines with Madoka. "Or... you're from another timeline, and the you here never went to the future. 'Hag'? Wait, when are you from? If you're old now... like, the 70's or 80's? Earlier?"

Tsubasa Yuunagi has posed:
After that second pass of his Soaring Wing attack, Cure Wing is exhausted. He should have saved it. Floating back down towards the ground, he hovers a few inches off of it for a moment before he touches down with a soft tap of his boots. "Is everyone alright?" he asks in concern as he makes note of those that are present, immediately looking for Katsuko to make sure she's about and okay. And if not, he will be leaving soon to go find her.

Yes, he is well aware that Lacuna is dismissing him. But, he's reminded that yeah. She's older than him. But by what two years? Maybe three at the most? She forms the scythe and he shakes his head. "Just because you wield the power of destruction, it does not mean that you cannot find the way that your destructive brings something better and is not just destruction for the benefit of destruction."

"Yes. We are born. We live, we eventually pass. But noone has the right to dictate to us that we are on their time table and not on our own journey. Be it because of dark energy - or a girl that wants to have a kill count." Yes, he caught on to her counting.

"It's easy to be really destructive. It's easy to simply kill. It's up to you if you want to keep doing things the easy way, or if you want to find the way to do things where you leave a difference that is an agent of good. Or just a trail of destruction that leaves a lasting stain on what people do remember about you."

When Amy speaks, Cure Wing takes in Lacuna. "...she looks to be about from the same point that she saved me from falling out of a plane. About eight years ago?" he asks to see if it jars Lacuna's memory. If not, she may be from even earlier.

When the Princess asks her question, Cure Wing considers it for a long moment and then shakes his head. "It's really just something I knew when I recieved my device." he admits with a shake of his head, and an apologetic shrug. "I'm not sure I know of anyone that know how to teach it. My team I was with, just knew."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy nods along with Wing's speech. She's the girl who's had to learn how to use a rocket launcher in more controlled ways, after all!

    When he mentions past Lacuna, though... "Wait, this is the same--20's isn't old!" She says, exactly like someone in their thirties who just heard a teenager call someone in their 20's an old hag.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Watching the octopus go away on its own, she sighs of relief before turning to Lacuna. "Well, that just solves a lot of our problems. If your future self is here, then you will return to the past eventually. So, just kick back and enjoy the sights of present Tokyo. Is am sure it will wow you, nor is it the only thing you can explore. Technology itself has made some incredible leaps and bounds till... Sorry, when are you from exactly?" the Princess of Sarek stops praising the city once she realises she never asked that much, having much the same thought as Amy.

"I think I should be able to do that", the Princess of Sarek tentatively answers as she rapidly diminishes in size until she becomes a perfect match for the doll Amy in front of her. "Well, here we are", she shares the result, raising a porcelain limb as a superfluous greeting.

"If she were from an alternate timeline, wouldn't she have found that out as soon she met the her from here?" Veronica observes. "Have you met her? What did she have to say? Does she remember traveling to the future too?" she asks to Lacuna.

"Don't worry about it", she moves her current porcelain features into a smile. "It's not the first time I get a similar answer about somebody else's powers. I am sure I will work it out somehow."

Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
That the other Mahou can copy things gets an interested glance from Lacuna, but she can't really see much use if she can't copy magic - and she probably can't. So she doesn't comment, though her copying Amy to become a doll is neat. However, Amy's bafflement does earn her a skeptical glance, "Uh, yeah, obviously, you think someone went around and turned some lost bear, an octopus, and some trashy vending machines into monsters? Sometimes shit just happens and you get a monster, and you've got put it down."

She squints, only just now taking in that she's talking to a doll. "Are you gonna unhenshin now, and stop being a doll, or what?"

That's why she hasn't asked. She's just assuming this is part of her transformation. When Wing rolls her way, she just shrugs off his obvious disapproval, clearly unbothered. "Yeah, says the kid with purifying powers. You get that most people don't have those, yeah? When the choice is saving people who are here and now or kicking a problem down the road for later because you can't bear to finish the job, I know what I'm picking. Same thing I've picked since I was twelve years old. Finishing the job."

There's a contemptuous snort, and she shakes her head.

"The second lives are on the line and the shit's real, is the time when you get real. I'm never picking some fucked up monster over a person.."

Those words are hard and determined, though she shakes some of it off when Amy asks about time, Cure Wing interjects, and then Amy objects to her calling 20s old, she shrugs. "I'm from 2015. The other me's just a totally boring bitch now, 's why I'm calling her a hag. She'd be fucking pissed about it. I didn't stick around to talk to her; me and Stellar split to see what the city has to offer us. And I don't remember rescuing you from an airplane, but I rescue a lot of people. Could be it hasn't happened yet, or maybe I forgot."

Tsubasa Yuunagi has posed:
For a moment, it looks like Cure Wing is about to argue with her, but then, just as quickly, his shoulders deflate and he frowns in sympathy. "I'm sorry. I feel bad that you cannot find a different way and that your detsructive powers are destroying your humanity as well. I hope, for the you of the future. The you that is working for the bad guys you fight against? That you find a different way. I know you cannot change that now. But perhaps... she can learn herself." the orange cure offers as he shakes his head.

"I should find my friend I came with." There's a glance to Amy. He'll give her a lift back to Katsuko as well. He doesn't want to stay here, that much is obvious.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy stares with interest at Veronica's change. "Wow. How does that even work? I mean, I don't know how this body works, it's inanimate materials and I shouldn't be able to go on thinking without a brain, let alone how am I talking? But you copy it... amazing!" She hops down to walk around her doll-copy. And then switches her outfit to a doll-size copy of the Princess of Sarek's usual. "Here! You can have this too, if you can't mix-and-match outfits on your own."

    Amy looks between Wing and Lacuna. "That much, I get. When it's time to save lives, we do. A-although, I hope when our enemies are people and not animals, that..." She looks away. "That we can save them. Because if no one does, that would be so sad. He said future you is working with the bad guys? Wouldn't you rather she had a chance to turn things around than just dying? She's... she's you but for a few different experiences and decisions, right?"

    On the subject of changing back, she rubs the back of her head awkwardly. "Uhhhhhh... A mannequin youma that's apparently been around a long time turned me into this. Fortunately I can still use magic. Hoping it wears off soon. You uh, ever heard of anything like that back in your time?"

Veronica Perenna has posed:
"Hey, leave him alone", Veronica says when Lacuna starts digging into Wing. "He is just doing his best, and just because we don't have that power is no reason to attack him. Do this instead: take this opportunity to cooperate with him instead, so that we can save as many as we can. Because that's what happened today, both the people and the octopus were fine. And sure, sometime we will fail, but that's all the more reason to cherish the times when we don't."

She crosses her arms, a scowl on her face. "We are here to save, not to condemn. How would you feel if you were the monster, turned into something you didn't want just because you got unlucky and people only cared about bringing you down?"

When Amy changes her clothes to a copy of Veronica, the princess whistles in admiration, before changing to that and bowing. "That's much appreciated, I really can't make changes on my own, I need a clear reference in my head for my powers to work".

Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
"Destroying my humanity?" She laughs at Cure Wing and it's an honestly amused sound, not even particularly mad. The idea is clearly novel and ridiculous to her. "You sound like one of those Catholics. Someone lives differently from you and therefore they're not as human as you, right?"

She smirks, brushing back her hair.

"I'd say I feel bad you're such a sanctimonious loser, but I don't. It's obvious you're into it."

And then she flaps a hand, dismissing Cure Wing, and his position, his supposed sympathy and feeling bad.

"Future me has nothing to do with me. She's her, and I'm me. If she's working for some numbnuts assholes, that's just more proof this is the shitheel future instead of the one I'm going to make when I get home."

A pause, and she squints at Amy. "You didn't turn back when you killed the monster? That sucks."

Sage wisdom.

And when Veronica turns it around on her, asks how she'd feel? She looks her right in the eye.

"If you think this is an attack, you'd be slaughtered at the Courthouse. But since you're asking, I'd hope that people understood stopping me from committing mass murder is more important than protecting me. We are what we are and if we become a threat to other people, we get deaolt with like them. If it comes down to saving all the people a monster can slaughter or saving the monster, I pick the people. But then, you kids are soft. Probably because there's so many of you."

Tsubasa Yuunagi has posed:
"It's amazing what you can do with your friends and allies and as part of a team, yes." Cure Wing responds. "I didn't say I was better than you. Or righter than you. Just that there is another way. Stop the monster will always be first. But if you can make the monster normal again? Then you save both." the young Precure offers.

"But if I ever see a monster that's actively murdering someone? We'll revisit it." he promises to her." For now, he's been dismissed, though he spares a glance to Veronica and Amy, a small smile in thanks for their support, before the self-styled knight heads off to find Katsuko.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "Geeze, lady, he's a kid." Amy objects to Lacuna. And bows to Sarek at the appreciation for the alternate copy option. "Good to know. We'll have to experiment with that sometime, if you like. Ooh, can you turn into animals?"

    Amy uhhs at Lacuna, "Well... I wouldn't treat myself that way, but... I guess I'm me and you're you."

    "...The Dark General said the curse used to transform us was a bit strong and should last a few days at most. If it's still going tomorrow... I'll use my time out of school looking into a cure."

    She looks at Lacuna, and through her. "...I always thought I would think that way, if I ever got powers. But... I just couldn't, anymore."

    She refocuses on Lacuna. "It would sound crazy to the old me, but I think I'd rather die this way than become like that. But I'm me and you're you, right?"

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Veronica can't really tell anything new to Lacuna, not when she is this convinced into her own principles. "Like I said earlier, you are missing the chance that people won't always find a way to do both, but sometimes they actually do. And if it ever happens to you, in your past-future or in your future-future, I sincerely hope for your sake that people do, nevermind you working at Obsidian."

"That sounds like a fun time", Veronica replies to Amy, her expression very interested. "A thing I have been considering is commissioning an artist to draw me in different ways and try to assimilate that. My tests haven't really included animals, but it's something we can work on later."

Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
"You mean like the monster that threw three people into the ocean, and was actively throwing a fourth into the ocean when we caught it? A monster that's actively murdering like that one?" Lacuna asks dryly, "There's this thing called drowning, see, and it kills people. Or do you need them to bleed before you consider it active murder?"

She cocks her head, looking at his retreating back.

"Also, what do you think it means to tell someone they're destroying their humanity? Are you stupid? Is that why you didn't grasp that that's insulting?"

But he's walking off, so she shrugs it off, stretching her arms above her head. Amy says that Cure Wing is just a kid, and she looks to her, cocking her head. "So because he's a kid, I should turn the other cheek when he says I'm destroying my humanity because I don't think like him? Damn, if I knew being a 'kid' was supposed to just get you off the hook, I would have been even more of an asshole as a kid."

Tsk, tsk, she shakes her head.

"You're assuming you always have people with you with different powers with you. And maybe that's how it works, in this soft time, since like, three of you all happened to be in the same place as me when this went down, but it's not how it works in my time. There's never been more than maybe, twelve of us tops in the whole of Tokyo, across like five years of fighting. Getting purified is like winning the lotto, when it comes to fights - if you play the odds, you get it good. I want to be me, no matter what. If I have to die to remain myself then so be it. Becoming someone o something else is just as much a death as bleeding out."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy nods to Veronica. She returns to her previous outfit to differentiate them. "Maybe we can train an AI on you and get it to draw stuff, too? I can look into it, if you want." Oooh, AI! Hear that, Lacuna, it really is the future!

    Amy frowns at the whole 'just a kid' thing. The painted eyebrows move, somehow. "That's not what I meant..."

    Her eyes widen a little bit at the description of the past. "I... I see. I'm sorry. I don't know if I'd have made it, then. I might be too soft." She nods at that last sentiment, though. Better to die yourself than become someone else (on the inside). She nods and gives a thumbs-up. "On that we can agree, at least."

Veronica Perenna has posed:
"Must really be an alternate timeline then", Veronica mutters when Lacuna says she didn't have those opportunities, just 9 years ago. "Enjoy being here while you still have the opportunity."

It is about time she goes back though, so she returns to her previous form. "Do you want to come with me to the school?", she offers Amy.

Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
AI? Like in movies? The future is weird. Aren't those supposed to destroy the world?

Eh, not her problem. If it's not magic, it's not her deal to destroy.

Amy's apology gets a baffled look from her, mostly on account of the pulling back.

"Yeah, maybe you would. But you're not in mine, so, I guess it's alright for you to be a soft loser. That's what Stellar and I are here for, clearly."

She digs out her phone to check the time, then curses.

"Shit! Man, I've got to go if I want to keep my numbers up. If I'm buying the ramen again, that broke bitch better know it's my benevolent winner's grace!"

And with that incomprehensible statement, she runs off.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy shrugs and watches Lacuna go, then turns back to the Princess. "Um, yes please? I could use a ride back to the Academy." She de-henshins back to the more doll-y outfit, and her festival money-pouch slung over her shoulder. "My rides just left, so..." Once Veronica changes back, she holds up her arms in the universal gesture for 'uppsies.' "Thank you."

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Incomprehensible sounds just about right. Is Lacuna having a contest with someone? And why is she spending time with someone she calls a bitch? Though maybe, that's just the kind of relationship she has with her friends.

Changing form once more, Amy will be elated to know that Veronica actually has a large schoolbag with her, unlike a certain someone who had to bring her in a much smaller one.

Lowering it so Doll-Amy has a chance to climb in, once her friend is in, Veronica gently hoists it back on her shoulders, and starts walking to the school.