2894/Roses Turned Silver

Roses Turned Silver
Date of Scene:	28 December 2025
Location:	Kingdom of Giant Squids
Synopsis:	On Madame Taki's request, Coco, Madoka, Usagi and Amy go to Doctor Somegoro to deliver her a present. But when they find him trapped by Lady Bat, one more person comes to his rescue, and together they defeat the vampiric Dark General.
Cast of Characters:	Coco Kiumi, Madoka Kaname, Amanda Faust, Usagi Tsukino, Gaito

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Coco Kiumi has posed:
Madame Taki had strayed far and away from the Pearl Pier. Normally she never left the hotel, not as she was busy trying new ways to predict the future (yes, she could stick to the methods she knew had a reliable chance of working, but where was the fun in that?)
ut what made her change environment today is neither prophecy nor duty, but instead a letter in a bottle she had received weeks earlier when walking on the beach, containing her monthly provisions.

But no matter how much they exchanged sweet letters or they made sure things were going well, she really missed the warmth of his hand. But they both had things to attend to, and for now, those secret letters would be her comfort.

The festive mood got to her too, and this time she wanted to do something more. For the mahoujin of Radiant Heart Academy, this means that they find her sitting inside the Shed, in her usual 'seer' garb, holding her crystal ball, with a bag at her side.

The elderly woman smiles under her perpetually closed eyes at any who come in, and waves at them to take a seat. She doesn't think it will take much longer to have a suitable group gathered. She has ways to tell after all. The Shed is obviously a frequent hangout spot for any mahou, sure.

When Coco comes in, she is holding her phone to her ear, and closing the door behind herself. "I got you. I will pick up your package no problem", she replies on the phone, closing the door behind herself. She lifts up her eyes, and spots Madame Taki, her eyebrows raising to match.

"Gotta go now, Caren. Taki is here", she murmurs, and adds after a few noises from the other end "Yes, of course, I am at the Shed, I don't know why. Meet you later!" She hangs up, and puts the phone in her bag.

"Hi, Taki! I didn't expect you here. Out on a visit?" She smiles at the oyster fairy. "Quite, Coco. But I do hope you can help me out too. Let's just wait for some more of your friends." Coco nods, and takes a seat in front of Madame Taki. "Suuure", she agrees. Why all the mystery? She could have called people had Taki just asked.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    There is the sound of chatter outside the door of the Shed, just moments before Madoka and Homura walk in. Kamiko and Brai are floating behind them, and most of the conversation seems to be between them.

    "Well I think Rudolf has a lightbulb installed in his nose, and that would make him a cyborg!" insists Kamiko.

    Brai, ever practical, rebuts with, "Okay but like we have been to the North Pole. We could probably just go there and ask."

    Homura has to ask, "Kamiko-chan, does the idea of cybernetic reindeer fascinate you for some reason?"

    Madoka is the first of them to notice that they aren't alone. "Hi~, Coco-chan! Taki-san. How are things? We thought we'd check in at the Shed to see if there are any new developments."

    Madoka, Homura, and their fairy company start walking towards the seats nearest to their aquatic friend before sitting down.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy walks in after Madoka and Homura, "I think, if he's got a lightbulb in his nose, that makes him a cyborg, but... isn't it more likely that it's magic? I mean, we know people who magically glow." (if Usagi is nearby, Amy gestures 'see?' at her.) "I mean where would they put the power source? Is it batteries? Is a lightbulb really bright enough for a blizzard? You'd probably want a bunch of superbright LEDs or something, anyway..."

    Amy blinks at the incredibly rare sight of an adult in the shed, but... "Uh... Madame Taki? What are you doing here?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
It's the days between Christmas and New Years, and with the romantic part of the holidays over and done with, Usagi has been spending more time at her actual house, her and Chibiusa, the both of them doing a lot of cleaning around the house with her parents in preparation for the New Year.

It's hard to believe its already about to be a new year - so much has happened, since the previous! And the world doesn't seem like it's slowing down...

Still, those are grim thoughts, and Usagi's not planning anything grim, today. She's stopping by the Shed to the check the bulletin board, and then planning to drop in her bed at the dorms for a nap before going back home to clean... or at least, she is until she sees Coco, Amy, Madoka, Homura, Madoka's chara, and - "Hello! I don't know why I wasn't expecting to run into anyone today, but hiii?"

She's wearing a pretty simple outfit - a simple pink and white tracksuit with Bunny written on the legs and jacket front.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Wonderful! We are all here", Madame Taki exclaims when Madoka, Homura, Kamiko and Brai come in, joined by Amy and Usagi. "You can have a seat, or you can stand. I won't stay long, and maybe you won't either", she says.

Coco looks at her group of her friends and gives a shrug, before getting into greetings. "Hi, everyone! If you are looking for someone who glows, then look no more!", she says, closing her hand into a fist, and sticking her thumb towards herself. "What brought up the conversation?", she adds, curious.

"Things are good. The Pearl Pier is gathering a lot of clients for the holidays. We are full basically everyday." Coco gives a twitchy smile. "I know, you have called me on to help basically all the time. I am a princess, you know. I can't just stay around the hotel every time you want me there."

Madame Taki turns to her quietly. "Don't worry, the festivities are almost over", she tells her, to Coco's incredulous stare. So she is just gonna do as she pleases. "And about why I called you here" - she looks at Amy, and lifts a box off the floor - "I would like you to give this to Doctor Somegoro for me. Just a holiday present. Sadly I can't make the trip right now, and you girls can go there with Seira's help, can't you?"

Coco looks at the red and yellow paper wrapping the present. It's another commission, but she can't really say no in this situation. "Ok, sure, I can take care of it!", she confirms, and picks up the box. "Somegoro is the king of giant squids, and Taki's boyfriend. Do you wanna come too?", she addresses the others smiling. "I think it will be fun."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Brai points to Amy while looking at Kamiko. "See? That's what I'm saying! It's probably just magic, along with everything else Santa does."

    Kamiko crosses her arms and says, "Yeah? Well... you don't know. It could probably just be like... a super advanced light source from the future and the energy source would be... Christmas cheer?"

    Brai retorts, "That's still magical, Kamiko-chan!"

    Kamiko throws up her tiny hands into the air and says, "Fine! You win. It's magic. Probably. Anyways, hi friends." She waves at Amy and Usagi as they come in.

    To Coco's question, Brai shrugs and says, "I don't know. We were just chatting about things."

    Homura adds, in her usual cool tone, "They like to let their minds wander. They also like to think out loud."

    Madoka giggles at Homura's response before turning to Coco and Taki and listening to their concerns. "A boyfriend?" asks Madoka. "A king of giant squids? Well, if it's another trip underwater I think it's alright."

    Homura shrugs and says, "We've got time for something like that. We can give you company during the trip, if nothing else."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "Hii!" Amy greets back to Usagi with a smile.

    Amy, specifically, is looked at as the box is offered. "Huh? Me? Who is Doctor Somegoro?"

    Coco explains. "Her boyfriend is the king of squids, huh..."

    She muses, "Why is it that everyone who comes from down there is a princess, or dating royalty, or the last one to inherit Panthalassan blood, or whatever? It's never like, here's Bob, he's just someone who's studied magic a lot."

    Beat.

    "So. We're going to the squid kingdom? Are they like... mer-squids...?" She doodles on the board that's in here, a humanoid torso with squid tentacles where a mermaid's tail would be. She's not a great artist but it's a couple steps above stick figure, at least.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"It's nice to meet you, Madame Taki-san! If it's in the name of love, I guess I can put my nap on the backburner to help! What's the King of Squids like? Is he cute?"

Everyone likes to talk about their partner, after all!"

As for Amy's question?

"I dunno, maybe all the Bob's are staying down and working regular jobs?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"All of the staff you met at the Pearl Pier are mermaids", Coco tells Amy. They never really talked about it, but it's really extensively funded by the Seven Seas, as many as are willing to move all the way here. "And they are fairies too, not mermaids, so they only have animal forms and fully human forms."

Meanwhile Madame Taki is addressing Usagi. "Very", the oyster fairy tells her with a smirk. "He is my dear Dottie. And he will be very nice to you." But she doesn't want to say too much. They are going there already. She doesn't want to colour their expectations too much.

"I will leave you to it", Madame Taki says when she sees that everyone has made up their minds, and heads for the door, turning back one last time. "Thank you, girls. If you come to the Pearl Pier later, I will give you a prediction to make up for this trip", she says, and closes the door behind herself.

Coco starts opening the orange shell locket where the Orange Pearl is kept and brushes against the jewel. "Seira-chan? Are you there?" The Orange Pearl glows, and so does the space in front of her, a blur that takes the form of the unborn mermaid. "Afternoon, Coco. I didn't think you would call on me so soon. Something up?" She waves at the others, but her eyes fall on the package. "What's that?" Seira asks, leaning forward.

"Madame Taki wants us to give this to her boyfriend. Could you open the Dream Corridor for us?" Coco replies. The orange mermaid's mouth opens in an O shape. "Sure! Please tell me all about it later!" And then her voice breaks into song, letting the orange portal surrounded by rainbow swirls open. "Have fun!", Seira says, flipping backwards and disappearing.

Coco steps in, and she starts walking at a rapid pace across tiles with small gaps between each other. "We should be there quite soon", she tells the others when they come in, pointing at the end of the path, just 3 meters away.

When the other end of the Dream Corridor is crossed, they find themselves in a large underwater mansion with wide colonnades, and it's immediately clear something is wrong. Soldiers in armor are lying face down on the floor, in a line leading up to the very end of the building's backyard, where an old man is tied up to one of the columns.

In front of them, Lady Bat is twirling a strand of her hair, mouth open wide in a smile that clearly shows the pointed teeth at the side. Fuku is standing between them, surrounded by a small sphere of yellow light, and holding her wing in front of her with a feather mimicking a raised index finger. "Come on, we don't have all day. We know about your powers. Just give us the powder and we will be on our way."

The man shakes his head. "I cannot do that. In the wrong hands, that powder has severely debilitating effects. If I give it to you, you will surely misuse it."

Coco, now in her mermaid form, frowns at the sight. "That's Somegoro. What do they want from him?" She knows Somegoro is renowned, and the powder must be one of his remedies, but that's not much of an explanation. Either way, they cannot just stand there watching while they interrogate him.

Curving her hands in a vague x-shape around her shell locket, yellow light radiates in around Coco, and a kaleidoscope of colour flourishes over her form. "Yellow Pearl Voice!" Soft light spreads from her, and her tail splits into two human legs, taking a solid stance on the ground.

The rainbow energy glimmers and clings, warping into pale yellow boots that flow into overlapping fabric. Rising up, a golden yellow dress and a short yellow pleated skirt blossom onto her and her pearl gleams and expands, settling comfily into her hand as her trusty E-Pitch microphone, with the yellow jewel nestled safely in the head's center. "Let's hurry!", she exclaims, tightening her grip on the E-Pitch in her rush.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka is all too happy to go along with the group through the Dream Corridor. Kamiko waves at Seira when she appears, but doesn't say much so as to not interrupt the process.

    Sadly, once they are on the other side, it becomes clear that things have taken a dire turn. "Something's wrong," warns Homura. "Be careful. Stay close to me, Kamiko-chan."

    Brai tugs on one of Madoka's pigtails, then points down to where Lady Bat is. With the pink girl's eager smile turning into a determined frown, she henshins with Brai and becomes Hope Blossom. Homura also follows suit, activating her Soul Gem and transforming. Kamiko is grabbed and tossed into the Puella's shield for safekeeping. Homura turns her eyes to Coco and says, "Be careful that we don't lose the package," before rushing in after her. In the middle of her sprint, she vanishes.

    Hope Blossom chases after Coco as well. She notices the sudden disappearance of Homura, but she's not worried about it. She's used to that powerset by now. "That must be the boyfriend," she comments, noticing the man tied up.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi releases a little giggling coo of excitement at Madame Taki's smirking reply, bouncing a little on the balls of her feet. "Well then, I can't wait to deliver your gift to your cute Dottie! We'll tell him how much you wanted to see him, don't you worry!"

With Coco handling the gift, and Seira the transportation (she waves cheerfully to the unborn Mermaid), Usagi transforms as they enter the Dream Corridor, a flash of light and ribbons visible before she's in her paradoxically warmer Senshi form, magic ensuring she stays warm and comfortable even with the fact that they're definitely going to be underwater.

...only, once they've arrived, she's glad to be henshined or a lot more than staying warm - there are guards unconscious, and obvious signs of trouble, and -

A really cute lady that's an obvious villain, and she thiiiinks she might have fought her before but she's not sure and -

"This sucks, I should have known it wouldn't be a simple delivery job.... well! It's a good thing we're here, actually, we've got to save Madame Taki-san's cute boyfriend!" This is all said in an urgent whisper, one that's maybe just a bit too loud. "Here we go..."

Running forward, her heels a little muffled by all the water she's moving through, Sailor Moon strikes a pose.

"Evil doers beware, that cute old man has more than just guards to protect him! His girlfriend sent us to deliver her love - and now we're going to deliver him from evil! In the name of the moon, I, Sailor Moon, soldier of mystery and justice, will never let you get in the way of true love! Back off now, or face our might!"

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy nods, thinking about the other staff of the Pearl Pier. "True... I guess they can't all have princess girlfriends... wait, fairies too? How many fairy kingdoms are there? And..." Amy thinks. "A human form and an animal form..." She looks to Usagi and wonders, briefly, "Are Mauians space fairies...?"

    "Hi Seira!" Amy waves. A portal's opened -- she goes for the greyish-green swim pants and fitted red swim-top with a white stripe again, pink sparkles briefly enveloping her and leaving her in the swim outfit. And into the portal she goes!

    "[Oh, shit.]" Amy curses, briefly engulfed in fire as she henshins but is left in the swim clothes for now, although she remembers to shift ties into her hair to help keep it from going everywhere and constraining to two tails.

    "Oh, it's you again. Weren't you supposed to be gathering the power of love or something?" She conjures torpedo racks braced to her body like she's a kanmusu or something, and walks forward along the ocean floor.

    "I forget if I told you before, but Magical Rocket Girl Red won't let you do as you please. Just let him be... What are you even here for? A powder? We're under the ocean, it'd dissolve."

    Maybe she can bait Lady Bad into correcting her?

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Yes, that's him." Coco passes a hand over the side of her head as she thinks. "I can't think of any good reason they would be here though. I don't think Somegoro would be able to give them anything. She thinks back to Michel's fit of pains. This is likely related, but... Would this powder really be able to help him?

One more reason to stop him from getting it. She doesn't want anything good for him until Seira is free, and even then, so many things that he needs to pay for. There aren't many she dislikes more than the angel.

"Well, hello there, Mermaid Princess. You really like traveling with your group of friends", Lady Bat turns with that same ferocious smile. "I am glad to see you again." She stretches her wings widely, 5 meters wide on each side. "Last time wasn't really under my lucky star, so I got to give you some payback."

"The only payback here is the one you are about to receive! How dare you tie up Somegoro that way! This was supposed to be a fun time for him, and you are ruining it! You know what that means then, right? You are in for a concert!" Coco points her E-Pitch at the vampire, holding her package underarm securely, like Madoka told her.

Lady Bat just shakes her head with an amused sigh, and outright laughs at Sailor Moon's introduction. "Really? I would like to see you try. Maybe I should just pick you up off the floor and bring you to Michel once I am done with you. I am sure he too would appreciate a gift. Don't you agree?"

It's Fuku who butts in at that moment. "You. Do you really think like that? Look around you. Don't you think we would be ready for that? Anyway, I will leave them to you, Lady Bat. It's time they dissolve. The fair swims to the side, leaving Lady Bat to slightly bow. "I am Lady Bat, the Wings of Love and Pleasure, and Michel will have the pleasure of taking your powers to the last drop."

Dark energy forms as Lady Bat snaps her fingers and a cloud of bats emerges, enough to cover everyone from head to toe. "Go, my pretties!" She encourages them, and the wings of the energy bats flap rapidly towards the entire group.

Amanda Faust has posed:
You really like travelling with your group of friends.
    "...Yes? Who doesn't? Was that supposed to be an insult?"

Last time wasn't my lucky star,
    "Don't you owe us?" Amy points out.

    "...Also, can't you turn into a little squid and slip out of the rope? ...Oh right, giant squid. Uhhh... How giant are we talking? Can you be the kraken, and release yourself?"

    Michel will take your powers to the last drop.
    "Really creepy..." Amy mutters, taking a fighting stance. "You really wouldn't enjoy that at all, you knoWHY IS IT BATS WE ARE UNDER WATER?!"

    Amy fires mini-torpedoes immediately, trying to blow clouds of bats out of the.... air-water, swatting at those who get close. "Stay away!"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Homura reappears behind a pillar, hiding from the enemy. Her assault rifle is drawn and held in both hands as she tilts her head to hear the conversation. So... this man has powders that might alleviate some of Michel's symptoms? She wonders if such things could address his sleepflying problems. On the other hand... no matter the need, she cannot forgive these methods. As long as Michel is their enemy, she is strategically obligated to deny him resources.

    Besides all that, he made Lydian cry when he took Seira, so he can go jump off a cliff for as much as Homura cares. Same for that little human-headed bird thing.

    Madoka is a bit more confrontational in her approach. Not hiding behind anything, just nodding as Sailor Moon justice speeches at them and following up with, "That's right! We wont let you diminish such wonderful things as love and kindness through your selfish acts of cruelty! As Hope Blossom, I'll stop you!"

    Homura softly gazes at Madoka for a moment, but then her purple eyes go wide as suddenly Bats Everywhere. She grits her teeth as even her own hiding spot isn't safe, and draws a shotgun from her shield, holding it in one hand with the AK-47 in the other. It's a really good thing for her sake that she's a magical girl, because the weight and recoil of these weapons mean nothing to her.

    Madoka yelps and hop-steps back as the bats come her way. Her branch forms out of a flash of pink petals, and she draws an arrow which splits into many more, spreading out like fireworks. Even with such a wide area attack, some of the energy bats get through her offensive defense and start chasing her. Hope Blossom runs with her arms flailing and head ducking as the bats swoop over her head and barely miss her hair.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Of course she's with us - people with friends love traveling with friends!" Sailor Moon scowls as the beautiful, evil woman spreads her wings and declares that she'd beat her. "Well, then let's see who's going to dump who - a soldier of love and justice or the wings of love and pleasure! Because I bet it's you who be crying to your boss!"

Of course, as she says this, Lady Bat launches her batty attack, and Sailor Moon flails about trying to duck and dodge bats before she gets the idea to -

"Moon Healing Escalation!"

A wonky circle of gold is carved and purifying silver light blazes forth to strike the bats, though several make it through to batter and claw at Sailor Moon.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"I am afraid I am helpless", Somegoro raises his face to have a look at Amy. "These ropes are binding me more than physically, and I was never really a fighter." He smiles apologetically at the redhead. He really wishes he would be able to do more, but he really is only a doctor.

Puella Red's attacks care about the water as little as the bats, and their path is completely unobstructured. The mini-torpedoes explode and burn through them, leaving nothing but cinders.

"Stop focusing on them, and give up your powder! With it, we heal Michel's affliction. You gain nothing from stalling. Didn't the defeat of your people already prove that!?", Fuku shouts at him.

"Isn't it a little too late for that?", Lady Bat replies to Madoka. "It's time for us to be in charge once more. The sooner you recognise that, the less trouble you will have." She nods at Sailor Moon. "You want to make me cry? Don't cling too much to a fluke, or things can get ugly for you."

There are screeches as the rain of pink arrows pierce the bats and pin them to the ground. Their wings move fruitlessly, and after a few seconds, they lay motionlessly, and then dissolve into the dark particles that formed them. Homura's shotgun and AK-47 interrupt their flight too, and they their wings close around the projectiles before ceasing to exist.

The dark cloud of bats headed for Sailor Moon surrounds the beam of light, and for a second it looks like they have absorbed it, but then small dots of silver start piercing through, and soon there are ten, thirty, sixty, more and more until they all explode in fine dust.

Star Light!
If you gather more light,
you can surely change this world.
Even the depths of the dark seas lie in the wind ahead, but
if you never... let go of my hand.

Our dreams can begin in a super live concert!
On a stage of light and shadows.
With our super songs, we'll convey our love
and give everyone a little bit of courage... in this song of love.

Star Light!
If you believe in yourself more
You should surely be able to change your future.
In this frozen world, despite being alone at dawn
and having a small body, you won"t lose.

Coco's own song affects them, pulling out the negativity in them as they squirm in pain, and fade out, soon ceasing to exist like they were never there. Only a brief grimace shows up on Lady Bat's face, and just as quickly, she shrugs off the song's aura of positivity.

"Yes, I do find I owe you", Lady Bat replies with a flippant tone to Amy. "You must have been so stressed lately. Wouldn't it be much better to let it all go? To let your mind empty? No more bad thoughts?" She doesn't really look worried at how easily the swarm of bats is being taken out.

A deep crimson sphere surrounds her, and a headset appears on her head. The sounds of guitars mix together with techno pulses, and the vampire starts lightly tapping the ground to the beat.

More beautiful than a rose, more seductive than the moon,
If it's that precious a life, I would want to let it bloom in my hands.

The door to the world of darkness now can be opened.

One more time, I'll leave it to fate, and be reborn.

Close your eyelids, and gaze into the midnight masquerade.
Slipping into the darkness, now, come! You don't have to be afraid.
And then you will become eternity.

Once you pass through the blowing wind with doubts
I'll let you forget pure love.
Let's carve a new time in the world of darkness.
You don't have to pain your heart with worry for someone else.

As Lady Bat keeps singing, everyone can feel a strong impulse to just let go and continue listening to the song, and lose themselves more and more. A dark pull tries to drag their mind deeper into trance, to let themselves just forget any thought, no longer focus on any frustration or resistance.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco's voice falters too, as the dark music echoes deep in her ears, not leaving her pained as she learned to expect. It's really easy to just droop asleep. "Somegoro... We have to...", she murmurs vaguely, to Lady Bat's proud grin.

Those that manage to resist will find more bats going after them.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Those are a lot of bats, too many to really manage. Homura doesn't like seeing Madoka on the ropes, but she trusts her. More than that, she's being relied upon. As the swarm of bats closes in on her, she pulls the trigger on her shotgun and hears nothing but the simple 'click' of an empty tube. Tossing the weapon aside she shouts a warning, "Grenade!" before she reaches into her shield and retrieves a fragmentation grenade, pulls the pin and throws it. The resulting blast clears out the area in front of her of bats, at least for a second, though it also forces her to use magical shielding to protect herself from her own shockwave.

    One she's confident she's not being touched by anything, she vanishes again. She reappears behind the column that Somegoro is being tied to, holding no weapon in her hands aside from a very thick and sturdy looking knife. "If you can't fight, then you shouldn't be here. Let me cut these ropes and--"

    Then she hears Lady Bat's song, and she knows what the score is, but even so she can't help but fall victim. It's hard to do anything. Hard to even move. She lets the knife drop and it hangs in the water in front of her, floating in a way that reminds her of space.

    Madoka isn't faring much better, either. The song overwhelms her, and her frantic fight-and-flight turns into a slow jog and then a walk. "No... wait..."

    Around then, Kamiko floats out of Homura's shield, wearing a pair of earmuffs. "You aren't gonna fool me with that!" she declares, picking up the dropped knife and trying to cut at Somegoro's ropes. A bat notices her and starts chasing, and the divine fairy protests, "No no no no no, wait! No!"

    Kamiko drops the knife again. Witch portals open up to unleash a number of tiny Chara-sized Familiars that throw themselves at the pursuing bats. Unfortunately, they are probably the most vulnerable to the music and soon become lethargic.

    Despite not having ears.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    His people? "Surely this isn't the whole squid kingdom...?" She shakes her head at the king's apology. "It's alright, your majesty."

    "Time for Michel to rule? Really? What kind of demon are you? Looking like that, haven't you ever heard the story of the woman who told god No?" Amy's mouth runs as she swats at some few bats that made it near her,

    And then she remembers the water doesn't matter, and a pillar of fire briefly engulfs her to change her back to her usual costume.

Yes, I do owe you.
    Wait, really? Amy looks over her way, curious but wary.

You must have been so stressed lately. Wouldn't it be easier to let it all go?
    Amy raises an eyebrow. Where is Bat going with this?

To let your mind empty? No more bad thoughts?
    Amy glares at her, shouting angrily and stepping forward, "That's NOT MY THING!" Amy throws out her hand and BANG, a shaped charge launches metal just past Lady Bat, missing her as the song starts up.

    The song... it's so easy to listen to it... Slip into the darkness, forget love...

    "NO!" Amy holds a hand to her head as she shakes it, "I'm not going down this way! I'm not... after everything... I won't let..." She's slumped to her knees, and struggles to lift her pistol, like it weighs ten or twenty times what it looks, to aim at Lady Bat and fire a few wild shots.

leave it to fate, and be reborn,
    "No..." she says, tiredly, desperately, struggling to fire one more time, and then her hands drop as if holding lead weights and the gun slips from her hands to clatter on the floor.
Close your eyelids, and gaze into the midnight masquerade. Slip into the darkness, you don't have to be afraid.
    "No..." she repeats, softly, the last vestiges of fear and anger draining from her face.

Leave it to fate. Didn't she know this was her fate the whole time? Who is she kidding?
    "N..." she tries to mutter one last time.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Another time, Usagi will remember that she meant to reassure Amy that Luna is not a fairy, and that Mauians are just aliens from somewhere within this very same galaxy that they're in. (The fact that this will be a normal conversation that doesn't break her brain even a little just goes to show how much magic has sunk into her life.)

Another time is later, though, and they've got a hostage to rescue, love to save, and a villainous to send running.

"You're not even the closest to the worst villain we've faced!" Sailor Moon shoots back confidently - as bats explode into showers of light, even with her few scrapes and bruises, she stands confident and strong. Lady Bat might be fierce, pretty, and wicked, but she is not the worst that Usagi Tsukino has ever seen.

Especially with Coco's song bolstering her. As the encouraging music pours through the air, she spins in place and thrusts her rod out, not bothering to swap weapons, this time - a silver heart appears in front of her and launches for Lady Bat, taller than Usagi and easily five times as wide, and whatever it hits will be struck head on as the rest of passes through, their body having created an imprint like broken glass.

"Moon Spiral Heart Attack!"

But that's before Lady Bat's music starts to play, and her song begins to take effect, and Sailor Moon wobbles, lethargy pulling. Doesn't she want things to be different? Lighter, easier? To not have to be afraid?

"Not... not like this..."

It's been hard, these two years. Hasn't it been hard? Hasn't it been so many enemies, and now she can let it all go... away... just... skip into lethargy and peace...

    You don't have to pain your heart with worry for someone else.

"No!" She firms up her resistance, jerking her Cutie Moon Rod back up. "No, that's what love is! The pain from worrying about someone... it's worth it, because it means they're deep in your heart! You - can't take our pure love away!"

Unfortunately, a swarm of bats is plenty to knock her back off her feet and tear into her resistance.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Of course that's not all his people, but why would she care? They are not here to stop her, and the only ones who could are just falling to her song one after another. What would she have to fear, even if they did notice? They would just join the rest.

Instead she reaches out for Coco's chin, her fangs shine, and she tilts the mermaid's head, allowing easy access to her neck. Michel wouldn't mind if she took a taste...

Until Kamiko starts messing with Somegoro's ropes, and her wings beat the water out of frustration, taking a good look at her.

The vampire hums at Kamiko's attempt to help. She would have just dismissed her as just an uppity little fairy that needs to know her place, but she isn't really quite that sure looking at her. "Aren't you an interesting fairy?", Lady Bat smiles, and soon she burst in its own cloud of bats, which gathers in front of Kamiko.



An arm forms first, and her hand tightens around the Chara Guardian while the rest of the body follows suit. "So what are those things? And what are you, really?", she asks gesturing with her free hand at the Familiars that even now are falling asleep. Her purple eyes gaze piercingly towards her. She never saw winged creatures like those. "Do you think Michel would take interest?" she asks Fuku.

"Maybe, but we can worry about that later!", the fairy bird exclaims. "Now, you can give us your powder, right? You have noone left to help you. And Michel will definitely be interested in rewarding you. If not him, the Great One." Fuku flutters around him, and there is a little spark of darkness in her eyes.

Then vines sprout and lunge at Fuku, missing her by a hair's breadth as an instinct tells her to get out of the way. "What even was that!?", she screams. "Lady Bat, get ready!" Panic starts showing up in her voice. Somegoro's eyes widen as he stares at the vines decorated by rows of silver roses.

"You can keep your wings off of him. And get bent, both of you." The rough voice snaps clear, and Somegoro smiles. "Gaito, I see you are doing well." The dark-haired man sighs, and vines wrap around the arms of Coco, Sailor Moon, Red and Hope Blossom, paired with a silver aura that break the effect of the trance on them.

"This isn't fair!" Lady Bat screams, stomping the ground and squirming angrily. "You have no right to come in and steal my win! Who are you? Why do you care?", she points a finger at him.

"Silence, I don't care about your goal or your win. I don't want Somegoro hurt, and you will pay for that. Do me a favour and tell your boss Gaito of the Panthalassa Clan is protecting him."

Life returns to Coco's eyes and she jumps startled looking around. "Hey... Gaito! What are you doing here?" The Panthalassa prince scoffs. "What does it look like? I am helping. Now all of you, go and fight. I don't want to drag your weight with me."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Kamiko tries to outfly the batswarm, but it's a little difficult for the tiny fairy to get away when the rest of the team is stunned. All of Lady Bat's attention and focus is on her now, and she can't get away. As the hand closes around her, the divine fairy's translucent wings flap in protest and her tiny legs kick with fury. "Let me go! Dummy!" She turns her yellow eyes back at her Familiars and shouts, "How many times have I told you not to sleep on the job?!"

    Yet Gaito comes, and the others are snapped out of their trance. Homura spends a moment being hypnotised by the glint of her floating knife before she snaps out of it, grabs the hilt and starts cutting Somegoro's ropes again. "Good to see you again, Gaito-san," says the Puella Magi who never actually met him in this timeline.

    Madoka also snaps out of it, thanks to the silvery-rosed vines rich with Panthalassan power. Coming back to reality, she looks over at Lady Bat and shouts, "Hey, you drop my Chara right now!"

    Hope Blossom draws back an arrow and lets power gather into it. The peak of her bow ignites with pink flame as she calls out, "Pluvia Magica!" She fires the arrow into the sea above them, where it creates a wall of runic circles and lines, from which pours out a rain of pink destruction meant to bombard not only Lady Bat herself but her energy bat swarm as well.

    As for Kamiko's Familiars, they come back to their senses and start circling around their captive goddess in a panic. One of them with a ring covered in eyes rushes at Lady Bat's face and flaps as annoyingly as possible, while the other wraps Kamiko's arms in brass chains and pulls as hard as its tiny body can in order to yank her free.

    Once the Chara is loose from the villain's grip, Kamiko orders her minions, "Retreat into the Labyrinth! We can't stay here!" and opens a portal in front of her. After she passes through, her surviving minions follow suit. The last minion through the portal has a wounded wing, but it's flapping as hard as it can before Kamiko peeks through the portal and yanks it all the way in.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Sailor Moon is struggling against the music, in her heart of hearts, but her physical body is tired from the music and the energy swarm attack that took her back down. By the time she's made it back to her feet, she's just... swaying...

Until Gaito enters the scene, and his silver-vines bring her out of it. She jolts, staring at a person she'd been told was definitely probably dead, and smiles a little in pure relief that he's not dead. That he's alive, and well, and... fighting on their side.

Ha!

"Just because you don't have any friends who would come to your aid, doesn't mean we - or, at least, Somegoro, doesn't! If you needed help, you should have asked, and since you want a fight... how about you take one without messing with our heads?"

And just as Madoka fires off her Pluvia Magica, Sailor Moon tosses her Cutie Moon Rod and replaces it with the Moon Scepter, swinging the pink and red rod about, lights trailing, gleaming.

"Try this on for size! "Moon Princess Halation!""

The sweeping silver beam and spiraling pink stings is thrust out, and as Sailor Moon moves the rod, the beam changes course, cutting a path of destruction through the bat constructs and aiming to fire in a sustained blast on Lady Bat herself.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    It's so easy and she's struggled so long... but there's something kind of sad and unsatisfying about this. Not enough, ultimately, to reject it, but...

    ...

    ...

    




    "Huh?!" Amy looks around in alarm, realizing she's being held by vines. "What?! Gaito?!" She stares at him in shock as the vines unhand her. "I... thought you killed yourself." She blinks, astonished. "Why do you care abou--"

    Amy shakes her head, "no, you're right, now we deal with--"

    She looks at Lady Bat and Fuku.

    "You."

    BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG

    Explosions appear around Amy, lances of orange light extending from them for an instant as bits of magic metal are launched at Lady Bat at speeds Amy hopes she can't dodge -- the aim's not perfect but it's more aimed at the Dark General's legs so as not to accidentally hit Kamiko."You think... you can just... you think that's my fate?! An empty head, like I'm some.... rrgh!"

    She swings her hands one, then the other in clawing motions, two more explosions shooting at Lady Bat with bits of hypersonic metal, though one's off-target and zips just by her even if she doesn't dodge.

    "You think everyone your magic works on is some... some object?! That they're beneath you?!"

    "What does that make you against our magic?" She conjures a giant rocketsword in her hands. "GRAND--

    And then she shakes her head and dismisses it. "Nah. Not doin' a reference."

    But she has to voice something. "INFERNO GRENADE!" And she's suddenly holding a grenade launcher and firing grenades one after the other at Lady Bat, exploding in showers of material that sticks and clings and burns and is generally very unpleasant. Uhhhh. Is she maybe being a little vindicitive, today?

Coco Kiumi has posed:
This was going so well. If they had been alone for just a second or two. Now they will have to report that they were stopped by a Panthalassa. She doesn't really see that going well. But she still has the odd fairy. Maybe it's not all gone to waste yet. "Do tell me. Why would I? We all know that you wouldn't want to hurt her." Her eyes flash cruelly.

She doesn't expect her to actually risk the Chara being hit, and she scrambles to create a mass of dark energy. The improvised shield slows down the reach of the arrows, even if cracks are forming everywhere, making it resemble a very bad sieve more than anything.

And then the Familiars start slapping her. "Ow, ow, ow, I get it! Stop that!" The dark general splits info bat more seconds before the shield would fail and pink arrows would hit her dead-on, and she reforms on the other side of the colonnade in this place. Kamiko meanwhile has been left behind and is now free to retreat.

Gaito meanwhile waves his hand with sufficiency at Madoka's comment. "Let's not focus too much on the greetings. It's really only a coincidence our path is crossing today. I don't really think this Will happen again."

"You people really are a pain", Lady Bat grimaces. "So, you think this changes anything? I can..." The rest of the words are drowned out by her own screams, the result of being hit dead on by Moon Princess Halation.

She really doesn't have the time to voice any complaint at Red's account of the events, even more so with her own attack joining in. And then Coco sings again. The purifying voice directly assails her, and she can feel the anger and the cruelty fade like acid is being poured on them, replaced by a feeling of tranquillity that only makes her feel more nasty.

She splits again and reforms once more, but the bruises and wounds are much more evident now. My performance isn't over yet!"

Close your eyelids, and gaze into the voice that calls you
Slipping into the darkness, now, grab onto the wings I told you about.
Surely, you will become eternity.

Close your eyelids, and gaze
Slipping into the darkness, now.
Close your eyelids, and gaze at me, I'll steal what's in your heart.
Slipping into the darkness, now, I'll give you a kiss in the late-night wrapped in mystery.
And then you will become eternity.

Close your eyelids, and gaze
Slipping into the darkness, now.
Close your eyelids, and gaze
Slipping into the darkness, now.

But it doesn't really have the same feelings. With her spirit as bruised as it is, the trance is now barely even a nudge, and her affirmation only nets her a glare from Coco and Gaito alike. "Then allow me to take it over with mine", says the former. "You will wish it had", says the latter.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
The Yellow Mermaid Princess raises her right arm and calls out within herself Aqua Regina's blessing, the bracelet on her wrist shining with white radiance as a halo of yellow light moves downwards from the mermaid princess's head and her clothes change again.

Her left glove now adheres to her arm with a pattern made up of water ripples, while on her left leg a stocking has shown up with the same water ripple pattern, and on her right hand and on her legs a yellow glove and boots with flowy extensions show up.

Bathed in a golden glow, rhythmic pulses of light that give a warm embrace to the pain, soothe all the fatigue and push away the darkness.

"Pichi Pichi Voice, Live Finale!", the mermaid princess smiles gently.

At the apex of the song, purifying hearts fly out in all directions, the reach of a big circle of love that won't end. "Fine Heart Pitch!", she concludes the performance with a serene smile, extremely strong purification burning the dark energy and the one that holds it.

All my love erupting in a fountain
All my love ascending up the mountains
All my love is reaching to the bottom of the sea
All my love around you like an echo
All my love will find you if you let go
All my love I'd give to you so we can swim again

All my love across a yellow sky
Trapped inside waiting to reach your mind
All I have is what you mean to me
Our bond across seven seas
All my love across a moonlit night
Held inside waiting to set you free
All I have is what you mean to me
Our bond across seven seas
Our bond across seven seas
Our bond is everything to me
Love and loss I truly know them well
To love the lost I would break through hell

All my love across an amber sky
Looking right at all the ways you shine
All I have is you, my everything
Our bond beyond seven seas
All my love across the darkest night
Waiting just ahead to be your guide
All I have is you, my everything
Our bond beyond seven seas
Our bond beyond seven seas
Our bond is every part of me
My pearl

At the same time a multitude of vines reach out for her, thorny and trying to grip her with a lot more strength that Gaito put into it earlier, using a lot more of his reserves.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Somewhere safe inside Kamiko's Labyrinth is a tiny panicked goddess Chara who still, for the record, absolutely hates being grabbed. Grapples do not lead to good things. Grapples lead to bad things like getting stuck in a mirror, or stuck in an egg, or stuck in a cell, or... well... worse. Whatever is happening outside her private world is currently someone else's problem because Kamiko is currently hugging a wounded benotafraid as if it's a plushie and trying to recover from mortal terror.

    Meanwhile Madoka and Homura are still fighting the good fight against Lady Bat. When she starts singing again, Homura tries to shout over it by saying, "Oh I'm not falling for that one again!"

    Madoka joins in saying, "We're not falling for it! You're not getting your way this time" Then she glances towards Homura, and the Puella glances back. There seems to be some unspoken agreement between them for a moment before they both move into action. Madoka leaps onto one of the nearby pillars, and Homura joins her and stands back to back with her. The two of them unleash a barrage of arrows and firepower upon Lady Bat, exploiting the opening that Gaito and Coco is creating for them.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
The scream Lady Bat emits on being struck by the Halation makes Sailor Moon grimace - she doesn't take pleasure in the pain of her enemies. She wishes it was enough to make her reconsider - but just like no amount of Bat Attacks would make her back down and turn to the dark, she guesses no amount of being swatted around by purification can make Lady Bat decide she wants to leave Dark Energy behind.

It's not so much that Sailor Moon believes there's no hope - it's that she recognizes that she has to pick her battles, and right now, with a hostage, is not the time to even consider mercy and talking down her opponent.

"Sorry, Lady Bat, but today is not your day. Next time your boss needs medicine, ask him to see a doctor!"

And again, she spins the rod about her, striking in various points as silver energy build, before she finally stabs the Moon Scepter forward, causing the energy to blaze forth, the sparkling silver and pink light of the cosmos seeking to purify her from existence.

"MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"

In the aftermath, she glowers fiercely, and adds a chiding, "And for the record - don't you ever grab Kamiko-chan again."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy's attack is cut short after only a couple of grenades, though she glares at the reforming Bat.

    The song hits Red, and she wobbles on her feet a bit, but as weak as it is now, she shakes her head. "...Ngh. You think you can take my thoughts? Take who I am? You think my heart is some toy you can steal? You think I want a kiss from someone like that?!"

    "Oh, I'll grab those wings alright..." as Coco's song starts up, another pillar of flame washes over the Puella Magi, upgrading her costume to add thrusters, and she's off with a BOOM! trying to grab Lady Bat...

    If that actually succeeds, without even thinking her desire to see the tables turned on Lady Bat starts to draw in dark energy-- but the incoming ranged attacks see her flying back away before she can really do any sort of completely formed attack.

    Lady Bat will probably be left trying to dodge the barrage of ranged attacks coming her way. Amy's missiles zip around outside the area the others are focusing on, one flying in towards Lady Bat every time she tries to dodge out of the area, Amy flitting around too when she happens to be close enough to that side. "Nope! No escape so easily! Open your eyes, and gaze -- slipping into the light, now!"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
It really is not a good time that Lady Bat is having. She was already in a bad state before all this, and when she sees what is bearing down on her, her attempts to try and get a working shield are at best described as passable. At least there really aren't any cracks now, and it would at least pass a visual inspection.

With Hope Concept's and Homura's combined power, it is broken and scattered in the first five seconds, and the barrage of arrows and firepower bounces her around between the two of them like some sort of martial ping pong.

The second Moon Princess Halation pins her to the ground instead, and Puella Red's missiles strike her repeatedly, until Lady Bat is left laying on her back with a hazy gaze, quite bruised and battered. "We should get going", Fuku grabs her, and before anyone can do anything, teleports them out of there, leaving an orange piece to float into the shell locket at Coco's neck.

"I guess we are done here." Gaito frowns at their disappearance. "Don't really read too much in today. I was just repaying a debt. I hope you don't get your fairy stolen again. Take care, Somegoro." He raises a hand and disappears.

"A debt?", Coco repeats, looking at Somegoro, who looks back at the mansion. "You may not remember it, but Aqua Regina sent Gaito here, after you Princesses solved the conflict with his parents. He was brooding and withdrawn, but we still had hopes he would be able to heal."

While he narrates, Coco comes closer, and offers him a hand, helping him get to his feet. "He never really got out of his shell, though, so I tried to give him space instead, but then his home was unlocked, and you probably know the rest better than I do. Anyway, sorry for the lack of hospitality. What brings you here?"

"This!", Coco smiles widely as soon as he asks, and gives him Taki's present. "It's from Taki." Somegoro's eyes glimmer, and he takes the box. "Really? Thank you for coming all this way."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    By the time it's done, Lady Bat is once again retreating and they've reclaimed a fragment of Seira. Madoka stays vigilant for a moment, just in case Fuku's retreat was a trick. Homura finally relaxes and says, "This is why we travel in groups. I'm glad we got to deliver the gift."

    Madoka smiles at Homura and then hops down to get closer to the rest of the group, while the Puella follows after her. Madoka says, "Is everyone okay?" Then, to Somegoro, she bows politely and says, "It looks like we caught you at a bad time. To think we were expecting a peaceful magic trip."

    Homura steps next to Madoka and asks, "Do you think that Taki-san knew about this? She's a fortune teller, after all."

    Madoka taps her chin and says, "I mean... it seems like she would have warned us?" Then the pinkette turns to Gaito and says, "Should we still be pretending we don't know you're alive? Or are you not worried about that now? I don't normally like to lie, but keeping a secret is different."

    Homura brings up, "Sayaka might like to have confirmation that her boyfriend didn't kill someone and take their power. If she doesn't know already." With a shrug, she also turns to Gaito and says, "Honestly, I don't blame you for wanting to withdraw from the world. Not after everything." She considers mentioning the other Gaito from the other world, but... she instead holds her tongue for now.

    "Speaking of," says Madoka, "I think Kamiko-chan is starting to feel better, but she still needs a moment."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy is taunting the Dark General, which is a little weird, seemingly trying to get her to show some sign she's beaten, or at least realizes she has fucked up.

    She has to settle for the hazy gaze of their attacks leaving Lady Bat absolutely out of it which, admittedly, probably echoes how Amy herself looked under the full sway of Lady Bat's power.

    Somehow, it's not as satisfying as her anger needed it to be, and she scoffs just before Fuku teleports them away.

    Somegoro has escaped, Gaito -- who is alive -- says his goodbye and leaves, and Taki and Gaito are discussed, but it all seems distant and Amy doesn't really have anything to add, until the subject of Kamiko.

    "I hope she's okay eventually... what kind of jerk grabs a tiny fairy like that?" Amy clenches her fist and growls, looking at where Lady Bat just was.

    The subject of the box is enough to draw Amy's curiousity, though. "So what is it, anyway? Were you expecting something, King?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Lady Bat is defeated - bruised, battered, and in the ground. Sailor Moon does not raise her weapon to keep fighting. She's down. She can leave - and she does, with an orange burst going to Coco's necklace, and Usagi is glad that at least another piece of Seira was rescued...

But she doesn't have time to just be excited, since... she saw what almost happened, with Amy. Maybe she was the only one, or maybe Madoka and Homura aren't worried, but Sailor Moon saw it, and she's going to go ahead and take some action.

After all, Melona was a Puella, too.

"Moon Healing Escalation!"

The silver light passes over Amy and the walls behind her, not hitting Gaito though that's more incidental than purpose. Only after that's done does Sailor Moon hurry over, examining her friend closely...

"Sorry Amy-chan, but it's better safe than sorry," she says, once she's satisfied. "Oh, right... Gaito-san, glad to see you didn't die. I hope you're getting up to something more productive than sad! Especially with the New Year coming."