The Call, Answered

The Call, Answered
Date of Scene:	07 March 2024
Location:	Witch's Labyrinth
Synopsis:	Kyouko gets in over her head in a Witch's Labyrinth, and calls out to Kyouka Inai for assistance. Kyouka brings the force of the Senshi and Shitennou to bear for her mini-me apprentice.
Cast of Characters:	Kyouko Sakura, Kyouka Inai, Usagi Tsukino, Mamoru Chiba, Makoto Kino, Kazuo Saitou

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Kyouko Sakura has posed:
The colours started fading as soon as one stepped into this Labyrinth, and by the time the central chamber was found, the world had become a bleached out black and white landscape, with craggy sides dripping monochrome paisley. Flashes of brilliant red are all the more striking against this haze of black and white, as Kyouko ducks and weaves, her spear darting out to attack the unholy creature within. The Witch seems to be a conglomeration of overlapping torn pieces of paper, moving jerkily, with flashes of light at every point. It is as if a ransom note and a strobe light were dancing in stop motion animation, and the jerky undulations are only marred by periodic lashing out of some sort of hissing whip like lash.

The fight appears to be happening both blindingly fast and simultaneously in slow motion with the pulsing light of the Witch and it makes Kyouko’s lunge with her spear and the crack of the whip seem to come just at the same time. A co-mingled howl of pain, the sharp brittle keening from the witch, and the lower growl of frustrated pain from Kyouko as she falls back against a craggy, oozing wall leaning heavily on her spear. The witch is dripping pages, but the paella is dripping blood, the red of it stark against the black and white landscape.

Puellas can heal just about anything. If they have the magic to do it.

The calculation about the darkness of her soul gem and the severity of the wound is a quick one, and the devil is in those details. Heal, and don’t have enough magic to fight anymore. Fight, and don’t have enough blood or stamina to maintain it for long.

“Kyouka.. I need help.” They aren’t easy words to say, and Kyouko isn’t quite sure what she expected in those seconds after she called out to the universe.

The silence is about what she expected. Perhaps feared. It’s only a moment, before she squares her shoulders, and pushes off on her spear to launch herself anew at the Witch. If she’s going out, she’s going out with a flash and a flurry.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka hears the call for help the way she always does- a voiceless 'ping' for attention, an attention-grabbing prickle at her awareness that comes with a sense of direction and distance. Oddly, its fainter than usual, as if there's some kind of interference. She's never experienced that before.

    She doesn't know who the call comes from- she never does. That doesn't matter. Despite her own stress, her own fraught situation, she doesn't hesitate. Her personal struggle has no bearing on Work. Work is Work and Kyouka shows up for Work.

    She henshins before she travels, and then she travels. And finds herself... in an empty alleyway. Well. This is quite unusual. Frowning, Stellar pauses and closes her eyes, breathing deeply- and senses it. The Witch Labyrinth, difficult to perceive perhaps for non-Puella but definitely there. Her magic sense lets her locate the entrance, and she's sure she can enter once she knows where it is, but.

    Whoever called her must be inside. That would explain the strange interference. The mental list of Puella who have her cards is fairly short- Homura, Sayaka, Kyouko. Of the three, Sayaka seems the most likely to reach out for help but... it doesn't feel right. And if one of the other two is calling her for help that speaks very ill of the situation waiting on the other side of that portal.

    On top of that, Kyouka has no access to offensive magic. Which means going into what is likely to be a very dangerous Witch Labyrinth alone to the aid of someone desperate enough to call for help and therefore unlikely to be in top fighting form seems like a very poor idea indeed.

    All this consideration takes but moments. Stellar has her phone in her hand and is sending out texts.

TXT from Kyouka: hey i need help TXT from Kyouka: someone called for help and theyre in a witch labyrinth

TXT from Kyouka: going in alone seems unwise

The text goes out to Mamoru and Usagi first. They are most likely to come.

And most likely to bring help.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi gets the text in the middle of studying for the upcoming exams. She's in her room, in her jimjams, comfortable for the evening and having teamed up with Makoto so the two of them could power through the work together. But maybe what they're doing is actually studying, because sure, they've completed their Ami provided math worksheets and most of their homework, but also, Usagi's demanded a break every ten minutes with Makochan's approval to overthrow Luna's disagreement, and they've spent the last fifteen kicking their feet over an especially juicy volume of Sho-Comi, that famous distributer of weekly Shoujo manga. Usually Luna would have already gotten on them about this, but she's been awfully preoccupied since she came back Ami's place, and Naru-chan is out with Adrien. There's nothing and no one who can stop them.

And then, the aforementioned text.

"Huh? Lemme see - oh! Inai-sensei says someone called for help in a Witch's labyrinth and she wants back up! Makochan, let's go help!" FLEE, FLEE FROM THE CRUELTIES OF STUDYING!

    TXT from Usagi: coming! bringing jupiter too!     TXT from Usagi: where are you?

Once they have the address, she and Makoto will be out of her dorm and heading for the labyrinth.

Makoto Kino has posed:
With Luna unusually preoccupied and without Ami or Naru actually present to provide some focus, "studying" with Makoto tends to involve a lot of breaks for... everything. Snacks. Tea. Spontaneous tidying. Mutual feet-kicking over the latest shoujo manga.

In short, Makoto is on her feet by the time Usagi says 'someone called for help', already pulling out her Jupiter pen. "That sounds dangerous," says Mako, with no real conceptualization of what a Witch's labyrinth even is. "Tell her I'm coming with you!"

As soon as Usagi has the location, they're transformed and away, hopping rooftops across the city.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru hates witch labyrinths. Oh how he hates them. He's only ever been in two and that was more than enough. But it means that probably whoever called for help is a Puella, and he's already gone far on the path of 'let me heal you so you don't use up your magic,' so a labyrinth it is.

He shuts the book he got out of the library for supporting evidence for one of his final papers, shuts his laptop and notebook, and shoves all three in one of those big ziploc bags in a desk drawer. He texts Kazuo:

    Mamoru TXT: inai needs help

and then climbs out the window and drops from the second floor. Landing in a crouch, he immediately sticks his hand in the dirt, looking for Kyouka, and it's a only seconds before he finds her and gets his phone out again. He texts Kazuo:

    Mamoru TXT: witch at <location>

and starts running before he henshins, and the light overtakes him, and his cape unfurls and he leaps up just before he would have slammed into the outer wall of the school grounds.

It's definitely under a minute before he and Kunzite get there, landing next to Stellar from out of nowhere (as one does), probably right as the girls do

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
Kazuo has ... not been in a witch labyrinth. Which means that when Kunzite lands by Mamoru's side, his eyes are alight and intent, rather than grim. And he's got that little smile.

He'll be losing that in a hurry.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
Inside the labyrinth, things are going about how Kyouko feared they might. She’s in pain and she’s slow.. although slow is a bit of a relative term. Kyouko stabs again, her spear cracking out against the sinuous Witch’s pages, the action strobing with the bursts of light. More pages fly off, but what should be a flick of the tail that’s relatively easy to avoid, catches her shoulder as she doesn’t quite have the right level of oomph to her jump, coming from just one good leg.

Kyouko is thrown off on her landing, not only by the catch to her shoulder sending her ricocheting off course, but she lands back against the wall, trying her level best not to end up on that injured leg. It doesn’t hold her weight especially well anyhow. She’s breathing heavy, holding steady there as she evaluates her next move, trying to be more tactical about her strikes, rather than her usual flurry of insane stabbings. She doesn’t have that in her right now.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka is waiting by the entrance to the Labyrinth. She does not appear, at first glance, apparently impatient. Those who know her would be able to see the lie in that in the tension of her posture and the tapping of one finger on the opposite crossed arm.

    Not that she thinks the cavalry is unnecessarily slow in arriving. If anything its the opposite. Its just that in this sort of situation, every moment feels like one moment too long. But soon it is arriving in the form of Moon, Jupiter, Tux and Kunzite. Probably more help than she anticipated having, which is not at all an unwelcome surprise.

    She glances around at the group, and her gratefulness for their willingness to come at once and put themselves in danger is visible in her eyes. "Come on." Is all she says, before turning and stepping into the portal and the Labyrinth beyond.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
It's more of a cavalry than was expected. "Let's dl this - even a creepy labyrinth won't be too scary with all of us together!"

Sailor Moon throws Tuxedo Kamen and Kunzite bright smiles, but unfortunately it's Be Serious time, and she can't take the moment to hug and kiss. Even if she does grab Tuxedo Kamen's hand and squeeze tight before following Inai-sensei into the labyrinth.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Sailor Jupiter hangs back just a little, letting Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen follow Kyouka through the portal ahead of her. A brief glance towards Kunzite and then she forges on ahead, shoulders squared, braced for trouble.

Her eyes widen at the surreal monochrome landscape that unfurls within the labyrinth. "What on earth...? This is what you meant by a Witch's labyrinth?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Tuxedo Kamen squeezes Sailor Moon's hand right back, then takes Kunzite's hand in his other; he looks at the taller boy and his expression is serious behind the mask. "These are a nightmare. I can't navigate in them very well. I'm going to be following Stellar and Sailor Moon. Don't get separated," he says, his voice full of 'don't want to be here' but his stance determined.

And then there's going into the labyrinth after Makoto and Usagi, after Kyouka, and he doesn't let go of Kazuo's hand until they're inside and he's sure he can find him, can find Usagi. He's telling Makoto too, when he says, "There are probably a lot of monsters in here, called Familiars? But there's the one in charge of the labyrinth, and that's probably who the probable Puella is fighting, and killing that one will collapse the labyrinth."

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
Kunzite's hand clasps Tuxedo Kamen's in turn, holding close till the connection is clearly purposefully severed. He matches the fading colors and the nascent monochrome all too well. "So we go toward the screaming," he says, stepping carefully where (paper?) layers overlap and might provide more support. "Right. I'll watch our backs." And up. And down. Because each of them only has one pair of eyes - they'll need two on defense and one to navigate, along with Moon and Jupiter to dispose of threatening Familiars.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
There are few enough familiars between the entrance and the Main Event. Clearly someone cleared out most of them on the way through the first time, although what evidence there might have been for previous fights has melted into extra oozes and crags, leaving the terrain just that little bit more rugged as the intrepid crew pass.

What familiars they do find are a speed bump for the general fire power that is tromping, with some loops and turns, towards that central cavern. More bluster than actual threat, hissing and screaming before getting blown out of the.. well.. ooze? Paper? Something?

Within the main event, Kyouko has paused long enough catching her breath. Nothing is going to help the pain at this point, so she's ignoring it, as best as she can. Not that its making itself easy to ignore, still providing drops of red into the monochromatic scene. A breath. A breath. A breath.. Kyouko watches from her awkward crouch, her injured leg at an angle . A breath. An Opening.

Kyouko pushes off with her good leg and her spear, hurtling herself into the air and towards the Witch as it rears up, reading to snap at her with jaws that open wider than seems at all possible. The strobe light highlights that moment, Kyouko hanging in the air, her spear extended out into many segments, the maw toothy and jagged and looking to swallow her whole.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Stellar leads the way through the Labyrinth. She seems to have an unerring sense of where to go, following the scent of magic like a sniffer dog on the heels of the condemned.

    The few Familiars they encounter are easily dispatched. With Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter, Tuxedo Mask and Kunzite at her back, there's few enough youma that would stand a passing chance of being more than speedbumps, and these ones are the defeated remants regardless.

    The group makes good time to the Witch's lair, arriving just in time to have a moment to gape in horror at the sheer absurdity of the thing in its home. Even Stellar pauses and stares for a moment, not open-mouthed or otherwise appearing shocked but with a hard, narrow-eyed hesitation. But that changes when she sees Kyouko, sees how badly injured she is, and sees her hurl herself directly into the beasts' jaws in what looks very much like a "If I go down, you go with me" moment.

    "Kill it." She tells the four behind her. And then she's gone. She doesn't teleport- her speed and precision is inadequate for the situation. She just runs, and leaps, and she's fast. Lighting sparks to life down the length of her arms, sheathing them in golden light, and she jumps at just the right time, just the right angle.

    She crosses Kyouko's path mid-air. She uses one arm to deflect a snapping segment of Kyouko's own spear that gets in her way, turning in mid air and grabbing Kyouko around the waist with her other arm, her magic winking out at just the right moment to avoid burning the girl. They're now both within the beasts mouth, Kyouko still in mid-leap, Stellar having grabbed her around the middle, and there's no way they're getting out of there as the thing's jaws snap closed, seemingly swallowing them both.

    Only a second later, they both appear out of thin air, several meters away on the ground, Stellar on one knee and still grasping Kyouko.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"This is a labyrinth," Sailor Moon confirms for Jupiter, grim as they follow Stellar. "Mamochan's right; these places are like - many worlds or something that a Witch controls. She'll be the big boss to take down to make this place vanish..."

She hasn't really had a lot of time to think about the revelation of weeks before, and now is still not the time for it. There's someone here who needs help - someone who must have braved the Labyrinth alone. The familiars they pass along the way are easily destroyed, between roses and tiara and lightning and two different people capable of shielding from attacks, and before long they find the central chamber. Sailor Moon's eyes widen to see the enormous maw gaping open to swallow the fighting Puella.

"Good news is, we don't have to worry about property damage here," she tells Sailor Jupiter, before grabbing her tiara.

[ansi(#ff5fdf,"Moon Tiara Action!")]

The gleaming discus of cosmic love and energy goes flying for the witch, aimed directly for it's jaw. No more biting!

Makoto Kino has posed:
"Thanks," is Sailor Jupiter's tight-lipped reply to Mamoru and Usagi's explanations about their surroundings. "I think I hate it." She forges grimly on with the group, battering the occasional stray familiar into oblivion with her fists if any of them survive through roses and tiara and lightning to even get that close in the first place.

By the time they find the Witch itself, Makoto is long past being surprised. Even as Sailor Moon gives her the clear to go all out, she's already gathering a charge between her hands, threads of electricity hissing and snapping around her fingers.

"Supreme Thunder!"

She releases the charge in a torrent of lightning, chasing in the tiara's sparkling wake for half a heartbeat before it overtakes and wreaths the flying disc in raw electricity.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
There's a tremendous amount of stuff going on, but there's also the all-clear from Kyouka to kill it and Tuxedo Kamen... doesn't throw a rose this time, no. This time, he puts a hand on Kunzite's shoulder and pours energy into his guardian for a combo. "We should practice this more often--!" he says over the noise, over keeping his balance on the crackling paper Dave McKean floor, over focusing on a triangulation of location in this labyrinth he can't find himself in, this piece of space insulated from Earth's reality (he really hates labyrinths). "Aim for its head-- OH THEY'RE OUT GOOD--"

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
Two different people capable of shielding from attacks. Yes. Because Kunzite is still capable of shielding from attacks after he's caught by surprise, once... not by an attack, no. The familiar that flung bizarre and probably lethal confetti at them, he was able to shield against. The surprise came in the instant after, when his shield had swallowed the energy manifesting as shreds of paper - and abruptly spat it back out, not as a coordinated return of attack, but as a vague foggy cloud of paper dust accompanied by a hiss of pain.

After that, he's limited himself to letting attacks bounce off his shields. Until, that is, Tuxedo Kamen put a hand on his shoulder. Fortunately, that's not skin-to-skin contact.

Kunzite takes a breath, and reaches inside himself for Pasokon's purified lightning; there's not much of it, but it's something he can use to channel his prince's energy into, to let grow with it and --

Supreme Thunder remains far and away the most predominant form of lightning. But golden-edged threads crackle among the blue-white, amplifying Jupiter's attack in much the same way Tuxedo Kamen is amplifying Kunzite's.

Paper burns so nicely.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
It all happens in a blink. One second Kyouko was fully prepared to go down swinging, from inside the Witch if necessary and the next.. there's a strong grip around her and while the snap of the jaws around her is there, she's not alone. And barely a heartbeat later, there's no more jaws, no more maw and instead Kyouko slumps heavily against Kyouka where she's crouched, relying wholly on the woman for support. She's breathing hard, and her eyes are closed for the moment. Perhaps this is death? It's a lot noisier than one might have expected and painful.

The writhing form of the Witch snapped around the pesky puella and a bonus too and then poof. Denied! It rears up, maw opening again to keen out its roar of protest that becomes a bellow of pain as the double blast of cosmic love is reinforced with extra juiced electricity.

It is relatively short business to watch the burning of the papery scales, each curling up and smouldering in turn as they get loved and zotted in turn. The smell is truly something else as it starts to burn, lashing and writhing and sending bits of ash and smoke and embers all over the melting chamber.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka kneels on the ground, cradling Kyouko against one arm after appearing from directly inside the witch's mouth. "That was.. grosser than I wanted it to be." She mutters to herself, sparing only a bare glance over towards the witch.

    She trusts the kids she brought with her. She isn't worried about them failing to take the thing down in short order. The profusion of flashing lights, booms and shrieks seem to indicate this is going exactly as planned.

    Her attention returns to Kyouko, supporting the girl on her arm and giving her a glance over, taking note of her wounds. She makes a 'tsk' noise, but doesn't bother berating the Puella just now. Instead she glances up as the Labyrinth begins to disintegrate around them, gesturing to Mamoru in a 'come here' motion. Healing is required.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Sailor Moon raises a hand to shield her eyes as the paper Witch, and the paper labyrinth, both go up in flames, burning away as the Witch writhes. She shuffles closer to Sailor Jupiter, a little nervous about those flames, honestly, but this... so far this is seeming pretty good? The Witch is dying, the labyrinth is collapsing, Inai-sensei got the girl -

"I think we did it?" She says tentatively, hoping the universe doesn't decide to punish a bit of optimism.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Sailor Jupiter gives it another little bit, standing sturdily next to Sailor Moon as they watch the destruction spread through the Labyrinth. "I think so," she agrees, only a little cautiously, before looking over to where Kyouka is supporting Kyouko and waving Mamoru over.

"Is she okay?" Silly question, considering that Stellar is currently gesturing for the healer, but Makoto asks it nonetheless.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Tuxedo Kamen is a little startled -- not over the paper-dust Kunzite's shield spits out, but over the lightning -- but then Kyouka's calling him over to the Puella whose witch fight this was, and he squeezes Kazuo's shoulder before jogging over, picking his way past or over burning paper as he goes. "She will be!" he tells Makoto cheerfully, firm in his hope.

No more words: he finishes his scramble over and lands on his knees next to Kyouka and Kyouko, pulling his gloves off as the labyrinth comes apart all around them. One hand, warm and solid and businesslike, takes Kyouko's -- and the pain is immediately gone, traded out for a warm golden peace like a breezy rooftop on a summer day. He starts to look for what damage there is that he can fix first, what she's in the most immediate danger from, and he murmurs, "Someone else will get the grief seed for you. None of us are Puellae, it's all yours. Please don't use your magic to heal yourself right now."

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
Someone else. Stellar is busy. So is Tuxedo Kamen. Sailor Moon does not need to deal with this. That only leaves two people, and Jupiter has by far the better ability to keep watch by now m.. so Kunzite picks his way forward warily, ash clinging to his shield in silvery outline against shadow, embers flattening and flaring up brightly as their heat is reflected back into them.

He's careful not to step into anywhere that doesn't exist, while he hunts for something out of place enough to be ... something he's only heard about. But something required in order to support the healer-Prince he's sworn to.

... stifling coughs is a physical effort, mind. The smoke is nothing next to the smell.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
There's oozing fire dripping down the walls as everything starts to melt around them in faintly flaming goo, with the smell of burnt paper mixed with that awful burnt hair smell tangled into it. Once a pack of mahou was directed at it, the last of the fight was a negligible thing. The stars start to peek out above as they emerge out into the alley where they started, the dichotomy of the last of labryinth mixed with the walls of the buildings around them looking a bit like a really bad green screen SFX. It's a bit of a hunt to find the elaborate seed pod amongst the wreckage, made easier as reality exerts itself more firmly, but Kazuo is a determined sort.

The worst of Kyouko's injuries is a horrific looking gash across her hip and into her thigh, deep into the muscle. There are other puella who heal faster than she does, but all of that healing comes at a cost of magic, and she is out, or so nearly out as to make very little difference. Her soul gem holds the tiniest sliver of colour left in it.

"Ah!" Kyouko startles as the pain is suddenly gone, that's far more startling than just holding onto it and she squeezes Mamoru's hand. She just nods at the gentle reminder that she'll get the seed from this fight, her attention turning to Kyouka while she ensures that Kyouko doens't fall. "You came." There's just a hint of wonder, as if she still doesn't wholly believe it, no matter that there are literally a group of people right here, right now.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
@emit     Kyouka glances up as the world begins to melt around them, and calls back to Sailor Moon, "The melting means you did it, yes. Good work!" and, echoing Mamoru, she tells Sailor Jupiter "She'll be fine." Kyouko is manifestly not 'all right', considering her wounds, but with Mamoru beginning his work that should be changing rapidly.

    She gives the boy a grateful nod, but directs her words to Kyouko as the girl speaks to her. "Of course I did. That's my job, you know. Even if it wasn't, I would have. I rather like you, kid." She then adds, in a more contemplative tone, "Plus I learned a few things. Can't teleport into a Witch's Labyrinth, for one. Sorry about the delay."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Whoo! Victory!" Never forget to celebrate your wins! Sailor Moon promptly thrusts both fists to the air before jumping Makoto for a hug. "Your first witch down! We were awesome, Jupiter-chan!"

They all did such a good job, and she's naturally pleased with herself, though over her shoulder she can see Mamoru tucked in with Inai-sensei and the girl they'd rescued. %d"I hope she's not too hurt," she says with a little frown. "I don't really want to distract anyone since I can't help with this part, but..."

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto catches Sailor Moon almost on reflex, holding her up off her feet long enough to return the hug with a big bear squeeze of her own before she sets Usagi back down. "We were awesome," she agrees, laughing.

Her eyes slide back towards Kyouko and the others, and she lets out a breath as she nods. "Mamoru-san would tell us if it were worse than he could handle. Maybe we could help Saitou-kun?" She peers through the smoke and the distintegrating paper to where Kunzite is hunting through the ash. "...what's he doing, anyway? Looking for something?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
The smell is still pretty bad, but Tuxedo Mask is concentrating, and as the real world starts to begin to assert itself from behind the burning, globbing, ashy remains of the labyrinth and the Witch, he can ignore the last of the oozing fire and the bad smells in favor of paying attention to that gash, and all the other injuries but that gash, deep through muscle.

Of course he stops the bleeding first.

And then of course his hand gets brighter, holding Kyouko's, and his other hand stays in the air just over that terrible injury, glowing too brightly to look at. It'll feel weird for Kyouko, the flesh knitting itself carefully together and veins hooking back up and nerves regenerating, all without pain but not entirely without sensation. It takes a while. It'll take time past the last melting of the labyrinth, it'll take time past Kunzite finding the grief seed, it'll take time past everyone coming closer, if they do--

And for it, there's this sense of connectedness and surety, of a long history that Kyouko is part of, of the long story of humanity itself on this green earth and the life that depends on the bedrock below the dirt as much as on the dirt and the sun and the sky-- a sense of connectedness with life as it is now, of cities and towns and powerlines and telephone wires, of underground rivers and the trains that rumble past only meters away from them, of people and people and people-- it's a home, it's history and belonging, it's a shared origin that won't change...

And then the warmth and connection fade with the light, and there's only the last sealing up, cursory attention paid to much smaller injuries, cuts and abrasions and the bigger bruises, and then even that flickers away and Mamoru squeezes Kyouko's hand and lets go.

"You should," he says matter-of-factly, "be able to take care of the rest by just waiting. But you lost blood, so be careful." He sounds tired, but he's smiling.

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
Looking for something," Kunzite agrees to Makoto. "Not sure what it looks like. Smallish, dark. Fragile-looking. Don't touch it if you spot it, just in case."

Mamoru's glow helps. Differentiating a dark thing from the dark by itself isn't easy. Whichever of them finds it, it's gathered up carefully in a fold of Kunzite's cloak, the pointed spindle held parallel to the fold, and and fetched back to the little gathering around Kyouko.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"Can't teleport.. " Kyouko starts to answer Kyouka before Mamoru makes her gasp all over again and she is visibly shaken as she starts to get healed. Her eyes are wide and her expression moves from Kyouka over to Mamoru and stays there with growing levels of what can only be described as panic in them and she desperately wants to flinch away from the flood of connection, and warmth and being part of a long and storied history. She cowers back into Kyouka, very much looking like that feral creature that she's often joked about being, and right now.. it's a very apt description.

The physical healing might be complete, but based on how she's coped with a whole lot of emotional well being shoved into her nervous system, that healing still has a way to go.

The alley has largely set itself back to reality, save for faint lingerings of the smell of burnt hair and paper that waft on the night air. Kazuo has the grief seed, and contrary to its delicate appearance, it feels solid in his grasp, still faintly warm.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka watches with something of a grim set in her expression as Mamoru heals Kyouko. She's been healed by him before- she knows what the girl is feeling. She also knows- or at least suspects- why Kyouko finds it so uncomfortable, especially in a moment of weakness. She can sympathize.

    She supports the girl until it is done, either way. "C'mon kid," She says gently after a moment. "Chin up. You're alive and you got a Grief Seed. That's all that matters, right?" Slowly she starts to rise up to her feet, helping Kyouko to do the same.

    She shoots Mamoru a grateful look, though it also carries a silent request that he back off a step or two and give Kyouko some space now that she's not bleeding out.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Oh, the grief seed!" Sailor Moon slaps a hand to her forehead, having totally managed to forget - "Thanks, Kunzite-kun! She'll definitely want that."

Tagging along after Jupiter, Moon explains, picking her words carefully, "Witches leave behind these seeds that Puella need for their magic. They don't do anything for the rest of us, and I think they're like, dangerous without Puella, so if you ever find one, it's worth it to give 'em to a Puella, like Amy, or Sayaka, or - this girl!"

It isn't lost on Usagi that she doesn't know the girl they rescued, which is impressive - but now doesn't seem like the moment! For! Introductions! Particularly as the other girl practically bolts away - Sailor Moon hurries over, the clickclack of her kitten heels loud in the alley. Her hand catches Mamoru's, and he'll feel her concern and warm affection, easy and honest pride in him.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Jupiter listens closely to the explanation from both Kunzite and Sailor Moon, nodding gravely. "Got it," she says, and for a little bit joins in thy search until the grief seed is found and secured in Kunzite's possession for delivery.

Once that's done, she's at loose ends again, especially with Sailor Moon rushing to Tuxedo Kamen's side. Makoto trails along in her wake, letting Kunzite ahead of her since he's got the important thing, while she keeps a cautious eye around what is now mostly a normal alley.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Tuxedo Kamen immediately backs off as soon as he's done -- he doesn't have to be told twice, he doesn't even really have to be 'told' once. He's seen something like that look on another girl's face before, and she ran away from him, crying. Mamoru gets up and nods to Kyouka, and squeezes Sailor Moon's hand lightly. There's resignation and rue and a returning warmth in his own touch, and he glances down at Usagi with a faint smile as he steps away from the two Kyous. "I need to figure out how to use my power without it feeling like I'm using my power," he murmurs as Kunzite and Jupiter come up closer, the former with the grief seed; he glances briefly at Kunzite, then frowns a little at the way the other boy is moving, but leaves it for now. "This is the third time it's been a problem," he finishes.