2417/Fall of the Panthalassa

Fall of the Panthalassa
Date of Scene:	02 March 2025
Location:	Throne Room of the Panthalassa
Synopsis:	Trying to find the Black Moon Clan, Gaito's pain shows no end, and a group of mahoujin give it their all to break the curse of his birthright.
Cast of Characters:	Coco Kiumi, Niji Dasshu, Madoka Kaname, Cho Konishi, Amanda Faust, Gaito, NPC-Isuru, NPC-Eril, NPC-Yuri, NPC-Maria
Tinyplot:	A Requiem of Dark Roses

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Coco Kiumi has posed:
In the dim, ethereal glow of twin candelabra, the grand doorway looms like a sentinel in the depths of the palace, its marble facade adorned with intricate roses, each petal dancing in the flickering light. As the newcomers' shadows stretch across its expanse, the door stands silent, its gilded panelling standing out amidst the marble.

With a gentle push, the door yields to reveal a vast arcade, a symphony of marble and gold unfolding in the quiet expanse. Three aisles stretch into the distance, flanked by columns adorned with delicate floral motifs and sinuous vines, their intricate carvings proof of bygone opulence.

Etched upon the floor lies a cross adorned with two prominent arrowheads extending gracefully toward the ends of its arms, the crest of the Panthalassa, a gleaming emblem amidst a sea of cobalt blue, its golden hues echoing the opulence of the chamber. Guided by the gilded path around that blue floor, one's gaze is drawn toward the apse, where the ceiling unfurls like a blue canopy punctuated by golden spheres that cast a celestial glow upon the scene below.

At the heart of the apse, a throne of regal blue rises majestically, its lofty backrest reaching towards the emerald roof of the stone, watched over by painted arches in the twin walls behind. Beside it, a solitary pillar jealously holds a tiara on a regal crimson cushion, its gemless form an empty promise of an abandoned vengeance, a new one filling the Panthalassa's heart.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Much like last time, the candles gently flicker at the approach of the group of mahoujin, their shadows barely perceptible under the flames' weak light upon the palace's walls. But this time, a flow of air moves away from the throne room through the empty halls, bringing with it a fragrance of roses.

Coco however, doesn't pay much attention to that detail, and instead focuses on the door in front of them. So far, she has seen no sign of Sara's body anywhere, so that's where she must be. Her hand hesitates to rise and push the door open. They have struggled to get here, and now that they have finally reached their destination, she cannot take that final step.

Sara is beyond this door. She knows Gaito cares about her as much as Coco herself does, so it's only natural he would have kept her here, but it's another thing entirely to be seconds away from seeing her. All this time she has been in continued to smile, looking at the positive times she will have with Seira, looking at the support her friends have given her, but now that she is seconds away from seeing her body, it's like she is about to watch her die a second time.

'Sara, please forgive me. I have always dreamed of the day where you could have smiled again, and we could have spent time together, but this really won't come to pass, will it? You lie there, and now I am going to see you for real, like I have always wanted and always feared ever since I knew you had passed. Thanks for still thinking of me as a friend despite everything', Coco feels herself cry, letting out small sighs.

"Don't worry, just got a moment", she smiles preemptively to her friends, drying her tears on her sleeve. "I only had to prepare, I am not really fine, but I will be. Let's go defeat Gaito now", she tells the group, pushing the door open.

All the way to the end, Gaito is standing at the very end of the aisle, surrounded by a dark aura as his powers have been in use all this time. His expression is far from victorious, and it is as stony and pale as the long block of marble in front of him, the only trace of colour the vivid orange of Sara's hair and tail, her body immaculately preserved and surrounded by a bed of dark roses. Her eyes and mouth are closed, while her arms are in a repose position, her hands overlaid on top of her belly.

But there is one more figure in the room, an orange-haired man dressed in a regal blue tunic bearing the effigies of the Panthalassa, his eyes closed as well, but the movements of his chest indicate he actually is asleep. He is sitting on a throne next to Gaito's own, rose vines keeping him bound there tightly. He looks no more than fourteen in age.

"So, you have come, Mermaid Princess and friends", Gaito raises his eyes, glaring at all of them with intense anger. "What brings you here? Do you really care for the safety of Black Moon that much? I thought they were your problems as well, and now you are telling me you are protecting them? I would have thought better of you, and especially you, Mermaid Princess", he stands straighter, averting his gaze from Sara's serene face to look forward.

"I see your pain at Sara's death. For that alone, I will let you go back home with your friends. I will even forgive what you have done to the Dark Lovers. All I want is not leave a single stone unturned until I have found Black Moon and made them wish they shared Sara's fate", he waves his hand dismissively, the man's dark aura intensifying, fully expecting a refusal.

Niji Dasshu has posed:
    Geode Girl Loyalty is tired, but unwavering. She's been tired before. She knows what it's like, being in the last part of a team game and that's when it's really important to pull your best out, and she reasons that, walking through the Bad Guy's Palace, this is that for the team sport of Kicking Evil's Butt.

    Still though, once she arrives, it feels a little bit less like that, and a little bit more, for the moment, like a time of mourning. She's probably the most colorful - and therefore - out of place thing in the room, while there's bright yellows and pinks and greens and reds, Loyalty is very much All Of The Above.

    She shakes her head when Gaito begins. "It's not just about Black Moon, though. If you were going to stop at kicking their butts or more, we wouldn't be here. But you know that's not why we're here. We're not protecting them. We're protecting everyone else. The people on the shore, the people inland, the Mermaids. You want more than to just fight Black Moon, don't you?" she asks. "Or at least, you wouldn't be able to stop others from being hurt on the way."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Hope Blossom had taken a breather after the battle with the Dark Lovers, and in that time Kamiko had rejoined the party. Madoka was being unfair to her one most powerful Chara by calling upon her all the time, and she knew that, but considering the scale of threats she had been facing lately... she couldn't really afford to hold back.

    Still, the divine fairy was held back in reserve, floating behind her Chara Bearer along with Sio. She's not going to get called on right away.

    Madoka notices the downturn in Coco's mood, and almost moves to comfort her until told that she'll be fine. While the pink girl knows that this is a pretty important moment for her, Madoka's first instinct is to press on until the end. They can cry when it's over. For now, they have to fight.

    She follows the Mermaid Princess into Gaito's throne room. Hope Blossom watches and listens with a frown as Gaito states his demands. Somberly, she steps forward, and with a soft voice says, "I know you're in pain. I know this hurts. Sara was important to you, and the Black Moon took her away. If that was all there was to it, we'd be happy to help you, but..."

    Her eyes go towards the boy wrapped in vines, and then to the palace as a whole. "... I think we all know it isn't that simple. I wish I could convince you to go about this in a better way..."

    She side-glances at Loyalty, and then turns her eyes back to Gaito. "... but we have to protect everyone else, too. Not only from the Black Moon Clan, but also from you."

Cho Konishi has posed:
Cure Wukong would reach out as they approached the doorway. Gently putting a hand on Coco's back. They were there. She was NOT alone... Her friends were here. And upon seeing Gaito... she took in a slow, deep breath.

And then she saw Sara. And that made her cringe and sink back, just a little bit.

"... Our problem isn't with you, Gaito. Coco... Coco was Sara's best friend. She's... hurting too... Putting the whole world in danger isn't going to get revenge, it's what that clan wants. We will stop them, but we can't stop them like this. If you'd work with us, rather than like... destroying everything..."

"... Sara put her life on the line to protect people. To save them. To stop the clan from... hurting people. Hurting people to get vengeance against them isn't going to do anything to honor her memory...."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy listens to Coco griefe and prepare herself, and thinks of Molly, and offers a pat on the shoulder and a hug if Coco wants.

    She didn't actually think Gaito would keep a corpse in the throne room, but it turns out Coco indeed knows him better! She gasps at the sight of Sara.

    Gaito launches right into talking. "Please. We don't believe they're your priority for a second. You'll capture the other princesses and grow in power while we fight Black Moon, and then claim you were totally planning to help. If you were going to move against them, you'd have done so -- we've been fighting them without waiting to take over the world first."

    "And even if you do move against them... you think we'll surrender to you just because you help us once? We've seen how you treat the people under you."

    Amy looks up at Gaito standing by his throne. "If you'll really stop at taking out Black Moon... prove it to us. And tell us what, then, is your goal afterwards. How will you live in peace with others?"

    "...I know Aqua Regina was terrible to you in the past. How you were raised is unconscionable. But if you pay that forward manyfold to countless innocents... Then how can you claim you are any better?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
A smile is offered to Wukong and Puella Red from Coco in response their empathy, and then the yellow mermaid gives a look at Sara's resting body, her heart skipping a beat at the serene visage of her dear friend. She would go and hug her, with the instinct to carry her away from there as fast as possible, but she knows where they are and what they are here to do. "We can't do that, Gaito. You know fully well that you are doing far more than just looking for Black Moon. I miss Sara a lot as well, but I would never want to hurt everyone else just so her murderers paid", Coco closes her hand in a fist, keeping her breaths leveled in the face of the man's similar grief.

Gaito smiles mockingly when faced with the refusal of the group before him. He fully had expected that one, and even so, he can't help but feel disappointed. He would have thought that this would have been a common cause, but he supposes not. "I don't really want more. The destruction feels good, it makes my anger feel better, but all I care about is Black Moon, and them staying alive isn't going to honour Sara's memory either, nor will it help make them pay", he smirks, and then takes a few steps back towards his throne to grab his scepter.

"Where were those countless innocents when I was suffering?", he grimaces at Amy. "None of them were doing anything to console me. Sara, she was. Sara was the only thing that had brought fulfillment to my life. Now that she is gone, I have nothing. Perhaps I will live in peace with whoever is left after Sara is avenged, but I will think about that later." It is really not high in his list of priorities.

"Unfortunately, I don't want to give any consideration to a bunch of people that are only there to slow me down. I will not stop until Black Moon is dead, no matter who has to die for it. So if you feel you want to protect them from me, try it", the dark energy surrounding him intensifies with his challenge.

He gives Red a glare. How he treats people under him, right? "Dark Rose Requiem!" At Gaito's direction, thorny vines strike out with haste in the direction of the redhead, an aura of dark energy covering them while they seek to capture the Puella Magi in his grip, and more manifest, this time aiming for Loyalty's legs. Violent lightning strikes out towards Hope Concept and Coco, and 2 copies of Gaito appear around Cure Wukong, reaching at her to drain her directly twice over.

Cho Konishi has posed:
"You can't get them back if they're hiding! They came here and WANT to destroy this world, destroy people, to cause pain and misery! All you'll do is their job FOR them! I know you're hurting, I know this is a time of suffering... But Coco is hurting too! You both cared so, so much for Sara! This is the time that you should be able to sit together, to share stories about her! To celebrate the life she lived! You could join with us, help us fight them! We could USE your help, your power, to defeat them once and for all! Rather than fighting each other!"

Unfortunately, their calls, their requests, seem to be falling on deaf eats...

And then two more Gaito's appear. Wukong's eyes widen, and she yanks out two strands of hair. Two clones appear from her, each reaching out to grab the clones attempting to grab HER! They get a bit of a drain from the clones before they poof, but nowhere near what they could have gotten.

She took that moment to run at Gaito, her staff trailing behind her.

"I can't begin to know how much pain you're in right now! But making other people feel that pain isn't going to make things better! We don't want to have to fight you but we will!"

She leaped into the air, spinning down and bringing the staff... down into the wall by him, instead kicking out to try and kick off his face, rather than hitting him with the stick.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Hope Blossom gives Gaito a disappointed look. She expected nothing and is still somehow let down. So he really doesn't care about anyone but Sara? Not even enough to avoid collateral damage...

    "Not everything is about your grief, Gaito," says Madoka. "Every single one of those people, the ones you'll hurt? They all have pains of their own, and loved ones they can't stand to lose. For their sakes, we're going to stop you."

    Then, the time for words is over, and dark thorny vines are coming after them. Madoka summons her branch bow, and starts to move, but the lightning catches her off guard and throws her electrified body into a pillar. Kamiko and Sio both cover their mouths while looking on with worry, before Sio grabs the divine fairy and pulls her behind another pillar. That becomes their hiding place for now.

    Hope Blossom picks herself up, brushes off the back of her henshin dress, and says, "For whatever it's worth, even after this, we still intend to stop the Black Moon Clan."

    Then she starts moving and jumping, kicking off of pillars and walls, trying to stay in constant motion because how else is she going to avoid Gaito's attacks? Whenever she gets a chance, she starts firing pot shots at the sea tyrant, trying to either overwhelm him or force him to pay attention to her.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Where were those innocents when he was suffering? "They didn't know! Come on, you know humans aren't even able to be aware of magic, and--" Amy stops yelling as she has to admit, "Aqua Regina made sure no merfolk knew."

    She's not expecting thorns to just grab her. She winces in pain, "Is this really all your story is going to be? Boy wronged by queen, made to suffer unfairly, becomes tyrant? You could... show you're better than her! That you'll care about innocents! That if you were in charge, any child in your position would be saved and loved and protected!"

    Moving against the thorns is... not helpful, they just scratch more and dig in. As long as they don't scratch too deep, she can cheaply regenerate the damage, but if Gaito figures that out she's in trouble.

    Also, she can't attack while bound.

    But, Gaito's not the only one with thorns. Well. Amy's are, perhaps, metaphorical -- as the dark leviathan learned, her pearl's powers are especially effective retributively -- its purification works to shield her from those who would use violence to restrict or harm Amanda Faust, for that threat and force is an attempt to reduce her ability to act in accordance with her own moral values.

    Such is the shape such power has bent into so that it can be commanded by Amy's soul, at any rate.

    The distinctive RED light shines from the pearl and from her soul gem and then from Amanda, beginning to eat away at the vines, wilting them enough that Amy can move her arm, summoning her heavy .59 gyrojet rifle as she tries to aim one-handed at the clones attacking Cure Wukong before remembering: Oh right, homing magic bullets! And just fires. Pop! Pop! Pop!

Niji Dasshu has posed:
    Geode Girl Loyalty shakes her head. "You're not really listening to us." she says. Do they ever, though? Bad guys and gals? Not often. "We're not standing in the way of you going after Black Moon. We're standing in the way of that destruction you said makes you feel good." she says.

    "It's like Yellow Pearl Voice says - she wouldn't want you to cut a path of destruction through innocents in her memory." Probably. She has to guess. She was Coco's friend so she must have had a good heart, Loyalty assumes.

    Loyalty watches what happens to Amy Faust, and brandishes her bat to well... literally bat the thorns away. They're making inroads, though, occasionally getting through the swings of her mostly-mundane bat. She's gonna need more, and she can't use that attack again so soon. She needs something else. But Coco gave her something else.

    She closes her eyes after a fierce swing and drops her bat so she can draw the pearl and clutch it. "You know... she's right. You could be more than that. We could all be more than we are." she says, her voice starting to raise. "And you can be better... but if not... I want my friends to be better enough to beat you." she says. "Because even when things get bad... get difficult... when there's loss and pain in your heart... that's the time to be the best you! And even if you won't... I know my friends WILL."

    And now it's Geode Girl Loyalty's turn to sing; she hopes her words encourage her friends, and even if they don't bring a spark of light out of Gaito, hopefully they can give her friends the energy and power they need to solve him. That's how it works when Yellow Pearl Voice sings, right?

I know the world can get you down
Things don't work out quite the way that you thought
Feeling like all your best days are done
Your fears and doubts are all you've got

But there's a light
Shining deep inside
Beneath those fears and doubts
So just squash 'em! And let it shine
For all the world to see! That it is time
Yeah! It's time... time to be AWESOME!

    Loyalty does not have a guitar in her hands, but it doesn't seem to matter; some combination of her own magic and the Pearl's results in her air guitar providing the actual sound of an electric guitar ontop of everything else.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"We both cared so much for her, but when push came to shove, the way Sara decided she could receive help is from me imprisoning Coco for four years! I think Sara knew who of us mattered more in the end", he smirks, all to eager to present himself as superior. Coco looks down and sighs. "I know a lot of things went wrong with her, and I have been unable to be there when it counted, but I have never stopped trying, never stopped believing that the person she was was still there, and in the end, Sara chose to protect! She died one of us, and I couldn't be prouder of her for that!", Coco retorts, her pearl shining as she readies to sing.

That song from Geode Girl Loyalty really gets into her rhythm, and it's a whole infusion of vitality. "Sure, it's time to be awesome, because everyone is this planet's precious gifts! Rainbow Notes: Pichi Pichi Voice, Live Start!", Coco doesn't miss a beat, the pure melody of her voice repelling the energy of darkness just as much the light of the Live Stage is repelling the physical darkness.

After I change my clothes, I'll come and meet you.
This world, overflowing with hope and love, is a wonderland.

Seven lights reacted to the rainbow prism
If you live then, surely, you know of love.
Whether it's that coral reef of one summer, or all the birds on the cape...
I love them!!
Everyone surely is this planet's...you know, the gifts of this planet.
If a rainbow-colored morning were to come, then we would open a map made of lights
Always keep the feelings that are born and vanish everyday important to you.

The song throws off the violent lightning, disappearing before it could reach her Live Stage, and with her and Loyalty's songs, the five currently active pearls all shine brighter, enhancing the purification of the two songs to the point Gaito cannot help from recoil in pain when he feels his dark essence slip away despite the full power of the Panthalassa. Meanwhile, vines keep appearing to block all the potshots Hope Blossom make at him, even if Madoka can tell he is using a lot of power to make that many that fast.

The Gaitos Wukong drew away from her stare with annoyance at where the Pretty Cure's clones poofed, but when they turn to strike at the Monkey King, they find themself under fire by Puella Red, not yet ready to evade those gunshots, hit in the side, both copies equally distraught and pushing they hand where they got hit. Not being the original doesn't spare them from feeling.

That gives Cure Wukong the chance she needs to reach Gaito. When the Pretty Cure attacks him with her stick, he strikes out with his scepter, not expecting the feint, and when the staff swings into empty air, he is thrown back by Cure Wukong's kick, sending him crashing into the wall, and to take it all worse, with his guard finally down, her arrows reach him then in his shoulder, making those wounds burn with purification.

"Hahaha", he starts laughing drily. There is not much joy there, or at all. "I see, you are really stupidly persistent. Has nobody really taught you when it's time to give up?" He raises his scepter and slams its down on the floor, a wave of lightning and dark energy equally attacking all mahous. "I have enough of you!"

Cho Konishi has posed:
"Not a dang person," Cure Wukong said. "And if they tried? I'd probably ignore them anyway. Cure Wukong, Gaito. We've got a mermaid of our own... you know, though. Maybe she made a mistake, did you ever consider that? That Sara fought in the end, trying to make up for the harm she'd done? Because when all was said and done, she still wanted Coco to teach her new successor. To help her learn what it meant to be a princess like her."

As the dark energy struck her, Cure Wukong was driven back, using her staff to help support her while she grit her teeth. Slow, deep breaths as it washed off...

"... And we won't stop. We won't give in. We'll stand with Yellow Pearl Voice's song in our hearts. And we'll FIGHT, together, all of us. And we WILL stop the Black Moon Clan. Just like we'll stop you. I... well. I can't sing like Yellow Pearl Voice or Loyalty. But you know what I can do?"

"I can punch you in the snoz!" she yelled, before lunging forward, fist up to punch and...

She'd then duck down, sweeping out with her leg to try and kick his leg out from under him.

Niji Dasshu has posed:
    Loyalty's heart brightens a little bit as it seems like the others; especially Yellow Pearl Voice - are able to pick up on the energy she's putting out. "You think we're persistent now, you have to remember we kicked the butts of your other four people before this, and we've been kicking evil butt for months solid. You dunno how persistent we can be!" Loyalty yells.

    With Coco - Yellow Voice, the Super Idol - singing brightly, Loyalty shifts from signing her song to working with Coco to back her up - her 'air guitar' starts to almost shimmer in a rainbow colored outline of an electric guitar as she stays near the Super Idol and her music adds energy to hers, trying to push against the energy of the darkness. "Sorry, we're not done yet, you're gonna get all you can handle of us and more." she says during a slight break in Yellow Pearl's song.

    "And together we're all so much stronger than you could ever hope to be." she continues, before making a dramatic riff against her 'outline air guitar' at the appropriate point in Yellow Pearl's song, a wave of rainbow energy radiating out to press against the darkness. "You should open your heart and let us reach it, man. It's gotta be easier for you than Cure Wukong opening your guard and reaching your face, or the arrows and rockets of my other friends..." she says, smiling with a smirk. "Because you can't stop Yellow Pearl Voice. She's singing for her friends fighting at her side today... she's singing for the one you both lost... she's singing for the future - and she's even singing for you, if you can open your heart and hear it!"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Blossom's shots aren't getting through, and she didn't really expect them to, but that's not necessarily the point. The point is to keep moving, keep applying pressure, and keep pushing for momentum until some kind of actual plan emerges.

    When two of the girls start singing, Madoka remembers how the last fight went and considers if maybe the same thing will simply work. Her pearl is shining along with the others, that's for sure, and she can feel Lydian inside her mind, wanting to play along.

    Yet Gaito is no slouch. He's the enemy leader, and if Madoka wants to defeat him then she has to make sure. So even if she's hesitant to rely upon Kamiko too many times in a row...

    Blossom lands next to her Chara's hiding place, and as she reaches out with her hand Kamiko swaps with Lydian.

    Hope Concept is Here now. Her Presence is Felt as her Hope Aura spreads across her allies. Ever the supporting goddess, Hope spreads her arms wide as her wordless Voice sings backup vocals to the Loyalty/YPV mash up. The music itself is amplified, and it's almost as if one can feel the reverb in their very own souls.

    Lydian and Sio are now joining in too, moving hiding within Coco's Live Stage while Lydian plays a tiny bass guitar of her own and Sio plays a little drumset that is just... resting in the bottom half of her eggshell for some reason?

    Best not to question that. There probably isn't an answer. It's not even the most concerning thing Madoka's magic will end up doing today.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy smiles as the thorns are batted away and then watches Loyalty in awe. "I didn't know you could sing!"

    She can't speak to Sara's past, but the songs from Loyalty and Yellow have her tapping her feet.

    Focus on the everyday feelings instead of revenge and megalomania... "I think you just got lyrically told to touch grass, dude!"

    As the pearl shines, Amy conjures a lantern for the pearl to shine from, fitting the metaphor of illuminating the darkness to drive it back, light shining on Gaito with the others.

    When he strikes the ground for that wave, Amy correctly guesses what kind of attack it is and leaps into the air over the wave, "We go to a school that gathers magical girls. 'Giving up' isn't on the curriculum!"

    "Listen to them, Gaito! If you're this strong alone, imagine how much stronger you'd be together with friends you can count on than only underlings you've abused! You could prove Aqua Regina wrong... Join us and let the love flow through you, feel the power of the light side!"

    It feels kind of off to just shoot him while making this speech... But Wukong is going for a punch, so... Amy takes a couple of shots at that staff, trying to break it, then remembers: oh right, purification power and runs over to try and grab it so it can come in contact with the red pearl's power...

    She has no idea if this will work!

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Acquamarine Melody: Pichi Pichi Voice, Live Encore!", Coco keeps singing.

The aquamarine shards melt even tear drops into the wind.
Don't erase the sound of the waves of my heart.
Keep it as a memory for just the two of us.
Even if on a sunny day, sad things happen as if it were raining,
It's not like I've lost to fate.
I've expressed my love... In soprano.

Gaito sighs when Cure Wukong announces her next move. With him just having fallen victim to a feint from her, he is considering first that this attack being telegraphed is but another feint, he avoids the problem altogether, putting up a barrier of dark energy that sidesteps the issue completely. "Did you really think the same trick would work twice?" he mocks her.

"How would something as inane as giving in to your idea of love prove Aqua Regina's song, exactly?", he glares at Red, convinced completely that is just words in vain, his heart as far as possible from being swayed by the spectacle they put up, and his scepter is off-limits as wwll for someone else. Rather, the moment she touches him, he will lift it and start swinging it around, same way Amy will if she doesn't let go of the scepter, before the king of the deep slam it down on the ground with her.

"You surely don't think that just the right melody is going to change things", Gaito exclaims, making the vines grow even more sending them over Puella Red if she hasn't moved from her previous position and then towards Yellow Pearl Voice, before he cuts through the air with dark lightning for Loyalty, Hope Concept and Cure Wukong, moving through the air with very little consideration for his palace.

And the lightning starts spreading out over the area without leaving a single spare spot where they could hide, but then with the union of those melodies, and Cure Wukong's and Red's relentless spirits, the shine of the pearls reach their brightest, completely silencing Gaito's dark power.

Another light answers their own, a pure white that is the sum of all colours, and both Gaito and Coco understand, opposite looks of happiness and disdain showing up on their faces.

"Aqua Regina!", Gaito shouts, gritting his teeth at the appearance of his hated enemy. "What do you want now? Isn't it enough that you had sealed me in darkness? If there was one good thing that ever came from you to me, Sara was that. Don't you dare take this away from me! She was the only joy I had in this hellish life you had condemned me to! My only consolation is hearing the destruction of this pitiful world, and looking forward to the useless cries of forgiveness that Black Moon will have!", he screams.

"Warriors of hope, Gaito has given in to despair and is trying to use the force of his anger to destroy the whole world and himself with it", Aqua Regina speaks, compassion permeating her serene voice. "Please, accept my blessing and use it to stop him before he goes through with it, he too deserves to be saved. Part of his plight is my responsibility. Please, keep compassion in your hearts", she releases a wave of energy from her scepter that supercharges all of their powers.

Cho Konishi has posed:
"Yes! Yes I do!" Cure Wukong said cheerfully. So no, her expectations of Gaito were NOT the best. However, the barrier? Oof. She didn't have an answer for that.... Or the lightning that spread out. She had nowhere to run, so she screamed as it enveloped her, crackling all over her. OW OW OW OW OW WHYYYYYY?!

Only for the lightning... to be silenced. As a goddess appeared. And once again, Cure Wukon was happy Wuwu wasn't here. He would NOT be able to NOT make an ass of himself in this situation.

And Aqua Regina's words were said and... she... clenched her fists. Gaito was wrong. But... she couldn't help him. She leaped back, taking her spot a bit behind Coco.

Coco was a very special person, in her mind. Someone who wasn't very violent or vicious or anything like that. She was kind, gentle, someone who's music helped and protected. She didn't want to hurt people... And Cure Wukong was VERY much a violent person. But you couldn't solve this with violence, not like this.

She gripped the pearl she'd gotten before, before taking her spot behind Yellow Pearl Voice. The pearl glowed with pink light before she began to sing. And Cho... was NOT a good singer. In fact, on the best of days she peaked at a 'eh, it didn't hurt to hear'. But now? Backup singing with the pearl? Her voice was positively magnificent... And she sent her power, her magic, her will into Coco. To trust her magic to shape this song, to try and reach Gaito's heart.

    At the end of that seven-coloured ocean,
    the sun is shining brightly.
    In the paradise where life is forever,
    the beautiful legendary story.

    The birds spreading their wings and flying towards the blue sky,
    let's search for it together.
    Embracing our own dreams,
    starting a journey in the distance...

    Look in that mysterious bay that has hidden,
    a map for secret treasures.
    A night sky that no one has seen before
    The only star that is sparkling!

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Dark Lightning comes at Hope Concept again, and while her Chara are hiding behind Coco, the goddess has to fend for herself. Portals open in front of her, ringed with Witch Runes and white lace, as several human-sized Familiars appear bearing shields taller than they are. Each of them stands between Hope Concept and Gaito, bearing the violent magic that Gaito is throwing at her. Though the lightning scars and scorches their brass shields, they do not once flinch from their post.

    Aqua Regina calls for compassion, and she doesn't have to ask twice. Gaito, for all of his poor choices and destructive desires, is a tragic figure in his own right. Hope Concept isn't unaware of that fact, and it's in that spirit that she continues to support the purifying song.

    Her own pearl, glowing radiant pink, shines alongside the pearlescent glimmer of the Humpty Lock. She keeps singing backing vocals, and an angelic choir joins in. By which we mean the gateways to Madoka's Labyrinth opens up and scores of tiny biblically accurate Familiars pour out to sing alongside their goddess. All together, with goddess and angels joining the voices of a Mermaid Princess and their friends, Madoka sings.

Seven-coloured,
that beautiful story of the ocean,
will slowly start from here.
Hey look at those miracles!
That keep on appearing back.

Surely we will meet again.
Then we'll have to,
finish that long journey,
and come to the mature world of adults.
Our secret treasure box of love... Songs Of Mermaid!

On the seashore of dawn I heard it,
a beautiful pearl melody.
Just like the gentleness kindness from my homeland,
that touching lullaby.

Niji Dasshu has posed:
    Keeping compassion in one's heart isn't always the easiest thing. But it's just like sports in a way to Niji. The opponents on the other side of the field are people she wants to beat, needs to beat - but at the same time if one of them was hurt, she'd rush over to them. And she can see - and he declared it - that Gaito is hurt. Hurting on the inside, feeling pain she may not know the full measure of. But when someone's hurting she does innately want to help.

    Loyalty had grit her teeth waiting for the lightning, but it was silenced, and now it was time to break that silence. That pearl was still in her hand. Coco's feelings, Gaito's feelings, Aqua Regina's feelings... mixing with the feelings of everyone there, of Amy and Wukong and Hope Concept and Loyalty herself.

    She didn't need to know the words to this song, she didn't need to accompany it with magical air guitar work, because it came from the heart, the shared energy of everyone here. And she sang it, with everything she had left, all of her feelings poured into it, for the sake of her friends, her world, and even her opponent.

On the seashore of dawn I heard it,
a beautiful pearl melody.
Just like the gentleness kindness from my homeland,
that touching lullaby.

Don't forget that the belief from love will,
always protect you forever.
Lead us forward now,
no need to fear anymore...

Even if a storm's in the middle of the sea,
there's still my encouragements.
Even if this light is about to slowly disappear
Surely there'll be a ray of light in front of us!
Seven-coloured gorgeousness,
a sad heart that is no longer beautiful,
will slowly change into a song.
I want to cross!

Amanda Faust has posed:
    How would it prove her wrong? "She made you grow up all alone because she was sure you could only be evil, right?"

    She clings to the staff willing the red pearl to do something but it doesn't seem to be working for that, and so ends up shook around and then having thorns grow on her again. "Hey! No!"

    And then he says he's going to destroy the world. "See, I knew it!"

    Aqua Regina appears and directs them to save Gaito, supercharging the power she's lent.

    Keep compassion in your hearts... Always, she thinks, although she must confess she has at times faltered. Still, right now, she thinks of Gaito, doomed to such a lonely childhood by prophecy. "Gaito..." Amy sighs. How can she get through to him?

    And then the answer surges into her heart. Song?

    She takes a deep breath, and projects:

To the end of the seven-coloured oceans,
searching for eternal love.
Let's work hard together,
to warm all across the world,
spread the life of love.

Don't forget the memories that we have... Tales Of Mermaid!
About to disappear,
that horizon from the seven-coloured rainbow,
where our dreams will take off.

Our hearts filled with,
rain with non-stop happiness,
sharing the life of you and me.

    Her heart buoyed by Hope Concept's aura, Amanda's body shines with that pure red light, and it spreads through the vines and back to the scepter and...

    If Gaito wants to change, but doesn't know how, or needs the strength to...

    That light has a friendly warmth to it. It shines to let Gaito know that if he wants to change, if he would give it a try, there are people who want to see him succeed, and will help -- and if he'll let it, that light will pour through Amy, vines and scepter, and into him...!

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco's heart softens when the goddess of the seas makes her appearance, and when she announces to please have compassion for Gaito, the princess nods. She knows that is the man that had kept her trapped for four years, and the one that has done the same to Noel, and wrecked the lives of so many mermaids, and now humans as well, but he is also one who is distorted by pain, and he deserves to be saved from that.

Besides, she understands the love and grief he has for Sara all too well, and she has to come to terms with that commonality as well. She will sing one last time, and after Aqua Regina, she can feel their bonds are ever closer, five hearts beating in unison.

Even so, that the others would begin singing wasn't at all in her expectations, and radiance fills both her heart and smile, a shining happiness that transfers itself to the Live Stages, each of them conveying her heartfelt embraces.

The Yellow Pearl shines stronger than ever as she waits for her turn, and she gives the others one more smile, for the final song.

Then we'll have to,
start that long journey,
and come to the unknown world.
Connect the future ocean that's eternal...
Searching for dreams!

Seven-coloured,
that beautiful story of the ocean,
will slowly start from here.
Hey look at those miracles!
That keep on appearing back.

Surely we will meet again.
Then we'll have to,
finish that long journey,
our hearts won't stop sparkling either.
Our precious treasure box of love... Pearls Of Mermaid!

All of those wills and bonds and songs coming together overtakes the entire palace with complete purification, leaving no angle that is still contaminated with dark energy, and by the end of it, Gaito is left alone, the darkness that surrounded him completely gone. There was nothing to it anymore. Even if he wanted to, his chance to unearth Black Moon is gone.

"So this is how it ends", he frowns getting back up. The Lord of the Panthalassa stands again with a sigh, and walks towards the vines holding Kaito still, bringing him over to the others before doing the same with Sara's body.

If nobody takes him, a Live Stage surrounds Kaito, while Coco takes care to retrieve Sara's offered body. "You have won now. Get out of here. My palace won't stay up here for much longer", Gaito replies coldly, looking spent and tired.

Cho Konishi has posed:
together, they did it. Their song pierced through the darkness, sweeping it away. Even she'd managed to sing! Decently well! Nobody had been harmed in the making of this music! It was pretty great, for her.

And together, they'd done it.

And it seemed it reached Gaito... and he brought them the boy. She'd offer to carry him, of course. After all...

Coco had someone more important she needed to focus on carrying.

"... We will stop the Black Moon Clan. But we'll do it the same way she did... stopping other people from getting hurt."

... She wondered... with the darkness gone... would he... go too? The magic, the dark energy... or would he just... rest?

"Thanks," she finally said.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    As the wave of purification washes over the palace, Hope Concept gives it her all. She doesn't sing often outside of karaoke, but magic has a way of making sure that's not really an issue. The pearls given to them as proof of their friendship with Coco have come in handy, and though Madoka now aches from the energy spent on using Kamiko one more time, she's happy because at least one problem has been wrapped up now.

    Kaito is handed over, and Madoka blinks at him. She glances at Coco, confused, because she honestly has no idea who this guy is other than he was someone that Gaito kidnapped.

    Wait, wasn't damaging the harp supposed to make it so that Gaito could find his brother or something? Is that related to this?

    Either way, this poor guy probably should be carried back to the surface. Madoka would offer to carry Sara back, but she almost suspects Coco would prefer that honor.

    After Gaito speaks, Madoka asks, "What about you?"

    After a thoughtful pause, she says, "Don't... worry about the Black Moon Clan. We'll stop them. All our friends are fighting against them, and we'll avenge Sara."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    The song finishes, and they've purified Gaito and the palace.

    ...Haven't they?

    Gaito says, get out of here.

    "Wait, what?" Protests Amy, vines falling away from her. "We did all that and you're just gonna stay here alone and sulk? Dude, what the hell?! You being left to suffer loneliness all your life is how we got in this mess, you think we went through all that to just leave you to suffer, powerlessly?"

    "D'you think we don't care as long as the threat is ended? Just kick down your door, purify, thank you sir?"

    "...I guess maybe that's what you think you'd have done in our place, huh. You haven't known any other way to be."

    She holds out her hand. "Come on. And if Aqua Regina won't let you live among her people now, then... screw her for making this mess and leaving you. You can come to Radiant Heart and make friends. You wouldn't be the first redeemed villain there. You'll have company. I offered you another way to live... and I keep my promises."

Niji Dasshu has posed:
    Geode Girl Loyalty sung with all she had, and it seemed to... work. Her song, mixed with the song of her teammates and allies... everyone connected as one, singing with the Mermaid Princess of the South Pacific Ocean to guide them - had accomplished something wonderful.

    Gaito's darkness was pressed back by their combined efforts. The boy who was taken was returned, and the body of the other Mermaid Princess in the room would be able to be put to rest. Loyalty collapsed, the colors on her outfit even seeming to have faded from their brilliant colors, as she leaned against a wall and panted. She was... exhausted. Not hurt, though. Just exhausted. Her new attack before, and then whatever she was doing with her air guitar, and throwing everything she had into supporting the Yellow Pearl Voice... she was tired.

    But she slowly lifted herself up and took stock of the room.

    Amy's outstretching her hand to Gaito before Loyalty can even begin to do the same, and this brings a broad smile to her face. "She's right. This doesn't have to be the end for you. Just the end of the old you. We'll work it out. You don't need to kill' to avenge her." She says, looking to Sara.

    "But you can live to honor and remember her." But there's something in Gaito's eyes... maybe he's not going to take that option, sad though it is. "And if not... well.. know that we will remember her, and we'll protect this world from those who harmed her and anyone else."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Even now he is staying behind. Knowing that he will go back to the darkness and cold he has tried to escape from for all his life. Why? Why is he doing that to himself? "Will you really stay here? You don't have to, Gaito", Coco tells him, holding tightly onto Sara's body.

"I didn't ask for your concern, Mermaid Princess", he turns his back to her, stepping away from her. "I just want to stay in my palace until the very end", Gaito tells Madoka.

Aqua Regina says nothing about Amy's opinion of her. As much as she wishes she had had another solution at the time, that was the decision she took, and understands Amy seeing her that way.

"It's a bit too late for me to be a student at your school", Gaito snarks before sighing. "There is nothing for me there. I have lost Sara, and the Dark Lovers. I just want to rest now. There is nothing for me in your human world", he finally reaches his throne and sits down on it, leaning forward, his head between his hands.

"Go now, this palace won't stay up much longer", he insists harshly. "Let's go, everyone", Aqua Regina speaks softly. "I will do my best to keep the palace up, but I won't be able to do it for very long", she warms them.

Coco looks at Gaito first, and there is sadness in her eyes. "I understand", she nods reluctantly and starts turning away, but not before looking up at the goddess of the seas. "Thank you, Aqua Regina."

Cho Konishi has posed:
Cure Wukong gave Gaito a last, fleeting look. Then, gently, she gave Coco's hand a squeeze. "Perhaps... in the future... he'll be willing to listen," she said. "But I don't think we can force him to, no matter how much we want him to."

She'd then, slowly, turn to start leaving. Giving a small smile and bow to Aqua Regina and... "I would like to apoloize if Wuwu shows up later for... anything he does, really. He uhhh... has a thing... about... gods... and people... and anything, really," she'd say sheepishly before making her way back the way they'd come. At least people were saved.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka... doesn't really like this ending, but... if Gaito really can't find happiness in the world, Hope Concept isn't really going to try and force it. "I wont drag you out against your will, but if you change your mind..."

    Hope Concept hesitates for a moment. She gets the feeling that she'll never see this person again. She tries to think of what to say, and even though she hears the others trying to reach him, she feels like maybe he's already made up his mind.

    A Labyrinth Portal opens behind her, and she turns towards it. After she passes through, it stays open. In case the others want to take it. In case Gaito changes his mind at the last minute. This is probably the best she can do for him.

    Madoka thinks back to other magicals she's seen before in similar situations. She can purify, but she can't force anyone to do anything.

Niji Dasshu has posed:
    For a moment, Geode Girl Loyalty very seriously considers taking him with her regardless of his opinions. But he listed out things, and he seems to have made his mind up, and she's so exhausted that she can't be a hundred percent sure she could manage it if he fought her, and might just end up losing both of them.

    And there's something in his tone, in his voice, that makes her feel like he'd just try to dive back in. The sound of a man who is watching everything he worked for fall apart, his world, his everything.

    "...I hate to say this. But we should go." Loyalty says, after a moment. "I don't like it either..." she says, and nods at Wukong. "Sometimes you can't help people if they turn your hand away, no matter how many times you offer it..." she says, shaking her head and starting to fall in line to leave with the others.

    Some people just aren't going to be team players.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    The power of the red pearl reaches out, ready to help, but Gaito doesn't take it.

    Amy furrows her brow. "Too late? Did you ever actually get to learn to be a person? I'm pretty sure there's a whole bunch of people who remember a lot of extra years there and they get a shot. I get a shot. One of my best friends has been around a long time, drifting from place to place, never really getting to have a life until recently. Also, I think Jadeite has some of that 'learning to be a person' thing going on too."

    "Seriously? You just go back to suffering? No. That's not how this ends. Come on!"

    She stands there glaring at him, then her expression softens and she holds out her hand again.

    "Please."

    But he's done. He has nothing to live for anymore... and no fight left in him to strive for something new to live for.

    Tears come to Amy's eyes. But she remembers how she felt. Maybe still feels. That if she dies now, as herself... She'll be glad for what time she had. Whatever it was inside her, that clung so desperately to life, to survive, to make it to a future where she could be herself, just can't struggle any more now that it held on long enough to get her here. There's a part of her that is so tired.

    Tears start to run down her cheeks. "I guess I understand." She walks up to give him a firm hug. "This, too, is a choice none should take away from you. I'm... sorry we could present no compelling alternative. ...Goodbye." She turns to walk towards the portal. "We'll do better next time. We have to."

    She stops just before the portal to look at the Queen. Not angrily, just... tired. "You, too. If there's ever another prophecy that says you have to condemn an innocent to suffering... Find another way. Fight 'it has to be this way.' A world where it truly has to be this way isn't worth it."

    And she steps through the portal, frowning.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
The only reaction Gaito has to the talk that's going on around him is to block the hug that is offered to him with a thin wall of vines, a fierce glare offered back in turn if Amy dares take another step. He does not want to be pitied, or understood. He just wants them to go already.

"You are right", Coco squeezes Cho's hand back with a sigh. They tried their best, and perhaps, the fact that they have averted Gaito's cursed destiny is the best they can hope for, for now. Maybe there will be a time in the future where they will be able to hope otherwise. The yellow mermaid gives Gaito one last glance, then turns back and follows Cho.

Aqua Regina watches the goddess-to-be go with a smile. Even if she does not know what road has taken her to this point, or where the future will take her, she can sense the complete goodness in Madoka, and she is filled with admiration for the young girl. May the days ahead of her be blessed.

The defeated monarch scoffs with the barest hint of amusement at hearing Amy's words towards Aqua Regina, while the goddess of the seas looks down with sadness. For the second time she does not defend herself, nor does she avert her gaze from Amy, a look of understanding and resignation. She does not want to squash the hope Amy shows, because she fully believes in that too, even if it was beyond her means at the time.

Someone who takes it way less kindly is Coco, who looks hurt at Amy's words and puts her herself on the redhead's path. After all the time they have been together, after all Coco has shared with her, she wouldn't have thought the red-head would just talk Aqua Regina down like she hadn't been doing her best.

"Amy-san, both me and Aqua Regina have been fully open to you from the start. I don't know if hanging around Kyubey has made you lose sight of what is and isn't a trick, but you have no right to talk to Aqua Regina that way. She tried everything even if you didn't think to ask, and helped out a lot today." With that, she hurries out of the palace the normal way, diving into the sea and swimming away from there.

Aqua Regina's eyes shows regret at the discord that is unfolding in front of her. While the ephemeral pearls are still active, she can perceive the disturbance that is growing between Coco's Yellow Pearl and Amy's red one. Ultimately once everyone has gone away, she just vanishes like the mist, leaving the palace to sink.

A roar of the descending building accompanies the fall of the last glory of the Panthalassa, the palace becoming darker and darker with each meter it falls into the sea. To dream of venturing in now without getting lost would be complete folly. And yet, 4 fishes slip through the crooked doors, rapidly making they way to the throne room, either fortune or knowledge of the hallways's paths guiding them without any trouble.

Stopping in front of the last king of the Panthalassa, they look up at him with reverence and love in their eyes, and their eyes shine happily when Gaito looks back at them. "So, you are here too", a smile finally graces his tired visage. "Thanks, Eril, Isuru, Maria and Yuri", he closes his eyes, their words echoing in his mind. "We will always be at your side, Lord Gaito."