Shalott was happy with the progress they were making and watched as Antares performed her attack. She was still in pain but a woman that managed 14 hours of labor, twice, could manage this and more. She was strong enough to push through it and had moved to attack again when Ganymede powered up. She felt the new aura and looked over at her, her eyes widening.
"Holy..."
She was beautiful.
It never ceased to amaze her when someone attained that level. The aura felt whole and pure and she basked in it, just as she did when Camelot powered up to his Royal Knight incarnation. She was momentarily sidetracked from her mission, an easy target for anyone that wanted to hurt her. And it seemed the tree was not done with them.
It was the concussive force of the wave that got her more than the electricity.
Fiction1119
Sunshine Allouette
Shanyume rolled 1 20-sided dice:
6Total: 6 (1-20)
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2015 9:53 am
The sudden shift in aura strength was startling; such unexpected power.
Where once stood the Eternal Senshi of Lust, with her red and black uniform, now stood a girl much like Cinderella with large white feathery wings.
This had not been the first time Acrucis had encountered someone like Ganymede. There had been one other incident, at a warehouse, where a Dark Mirror senshi much like Remarque had donned a signature just as magnanimous. The only difference between the one fighting with them, and the one she had seen before was what side their signature aligned with and the color of the plumage. Even so, the knowledge did little to keep her from looking on in a bit of a stupor.
It was Maia’s screams that brought Acrucis back to the here and now; such a painful cry made the Senshi of Prayer’s heart chench.
I don’t know what to do… More than anything she wanted to cast a heal on her friend but knew in doing so, mending Maia would also put her comrades at risk so long as the tree was still alive.
Lost in the battle between heart and mind, knowing she needed to support those attacking the tainted tree and wanting to stop her friends’ pain, Acrucis was left helpless to the wave of electricity that burst out towards the small group. A scream pulled fourth from the excruciating pain it caused. The Senshi of Prayer fell to her knees before falling over onto her side and the last thing she saw, before darkness clouded her vision and her eyes flitted shut, was the Eternal Senshi with red markings falling to her knees.
Penthesilea could not have prepared herself for the Princess's magic. There was no way to steel oneself against a fire that burned from the inside out, from a moment of all-consuming desire that took the metaphor of setting aflame to a new, agonizing level. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before - rarely had Penthesilea been caught in Senshi magic, because usually she didn't fight Senshi. And Chariklo's battering magic seagulls couldn't even come close to comparing to whatever it was that Ganymede's crystal was doing to her - because surely that was the only possible source, no one else had thrown a spell that could have hit her, as far as she could tell.
She would have had Words for the Princess, but finding her voice for words was incredibly difficult right then.
The Senshi of War fell to her knees and screamed, and the powerful shockwave from the tree felt like nothing more than another layer of pain on top of what she was already suffering. She remained on her hands and knees, eyes squeezed shut, waiting for the pain to pass.
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2015 12:01 pm
Athene had been looking for something else to throw at the tree, but had found himself turning at the sound of screaming.
Or at least he had started to, was in the process of half turning, a part of him of him processed that the screams seemed to be coming from two different sources...
He missed the malevolent tree turn purple, was unaware of the fact that the demented thing had not finished with them just yet.
But he was very much aware when his world suddenly turned to pain, the pain worse than the tendrils of lightning from earlier and worse - so very much worse than the shock from the black seeds.
He could hear someone screaming from almost on top of him, a small part of him realising dimly, belatedly that the screams were those of his own... And then finally - almost mercifully everything faded to black.
Athene fell, tumbling downwards, before hitting the ground in a crumpled heap.
His attention on the tree he was shocked, very shocked, to hear screams and noticed, when he turned his head, that it was the red haired senshi covered in markings. Well, that wasn't expected. How did a senshi's attack hit her? it had to be Ganymede, which he didn't understand, but Ganymede was not even near her and wasn't aiming for another senshi...so how? maybe he'd ask the princess...eventually...yeah - eventually.
It was just as he was turning back toward the tree that something struck him and hard. More pain that he'd ever felt coursed through him in the form of an electrical currant that brought him not just to his knees, like before, but it brought the blue and white senshi to the ground as his scream of pain was cut short as he lost consciousness.
Falling to the ground, unconscious, he was unable to avoid the rock he landed on. He'd have a bruise later from that, a really nasty one too, but at least it wasn't his head he hit or something vital.
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2015 5:17 pm
The combined efforts of everyone seemed to be working in destroying the tree, but in that same effort, it was causing it to become more violent and desperate. Ganymede used her magic, and Valhalla could only watch in horror as the chaos inside Maia caused her to be affected as well. This was the first time he could remember seeing Ganymede use her magic, and as powerful as it was there were some obvious ill effects on their allies. At least it only seemed as though Maia and the other senshi with the orange hair and markings reacted to it.
Valhalla struggled to keep Maia from flailing around too much, but also concerned about hurting her. He wasn’t prepared for the tree to let out a huge burst of energy, and he let out a cry in pain as he fell to his knees. Trying desperately not to fall on top of Maia, he used the last of his strength fall on his side instead of forward.
He was unconscious by the time he hit the ground.
Kaori_luv
Sunshine Alouette
Guine
Crew
Lonely Explorer
Offline
Sunshine Alouette
Eternal Senshi
Offline
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2015 5:20 pm
Maia and Penthesilea were screaming.
Their screams broke through Ganymede's concentration and sent her heart sinking in her chest. It didn't take her more than a few seconds to realize that her power was the cause of Maia's pain, at least. Those screams couldn't have been caused by anything else. But then that made sense, if Maia was currently under the influence of Chaos.
Then why Penthesilea?
“I'm sorry!” Ganymede shouted, appropriately horrified. She almost dropped her crystal in her panic. “I meant to attack the tree!”
And she had. She knew she had. The sounds the tree was emitting now were those of agony, proof enough that her magic was working. Yet it seemed with greater power came a greater range in her magic. Ganymede looked around to see who else may have been affected, but other than Maia and Penthesilea, everyone else seemed unscathed. (At least as far as her powers were concerned; the tree was giving many of them a rough beating.)
Then one by one, in quick succession they all fell, victims of a powerful shockwave with the tree at its epicenter. Penthesilia, Athene, Maia's brother, the other knights and Senshi who'd come to save Maia, Valhalla...
“Val!” she cried, and she was at her husband's side in moments, putting her fingers to his neck to check his pulse. She felt the steady thrum of his heartbeat and was relieved. She looked around wildly, quickly scanning the scene for all the tree's other victims.
Who else remained standing?
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2015 6:09 pm
Babylon. Babylon was still standing, which was surprising to himself most of all. The latest shockwave had hit him just as hard as any of the others, and all around him, people were dropping like flies. He braced himself, ready to lose consciousness, prepared to lose his fight with the crackles at the edge of his vision - but it never happened.
Babylon blinked a few times, swallowed tensely, and looked around. Who else had withstood the shock? He counted Ida, Penthesilea, and Ganymede, their transcendent markings bright against the gathering dark.
He doubted it was a coincidence that the only ones left conscience were the ones beyond Chaos's reach in the first place. s**t, he thought. Does that mean we failed?
Antares was contemplating her next attack when a scream tore through the glade. The senshi spun around on heel and saw Maia yelling as if fire was running through her veins. something the princess was doing was hurting Maia! With a growl she started towards them only to be brought up short when another hollar of pain starred up. "Shang!"
No way in hell was she going to let whatever was affecting the two siblings survive. The blond started to race towards Shang, he was closer, but was once more brought up short this time from pain.
Her inattentiveness towards the tree had her missing the pulse of electricity so when the jolt struck she wasn't prepared for it. The pain laced through her body, it was no longer in her control. Silver flashed across her vision as her whole body went taut with pain, blackness creating up the edges as the pain overwhelmed her system. The last thing she realized as her knees finally gave out and unconsciousness began to claim her was the cacophony of screams around her, her own joining them. Blissfully the darkness sucked her down and Antares felt no more as her body hit the grass limp and unresponsive.
~~~~~~
Pompeii had been lobbing rocks tag the tree, doing her best to avoid the worst of the shocks but when the screams started she jumped in startlement. The shocks hurt yes but not that badly to let out a blood chillingly, heart wrenchingly, pain filled scream. Before her mind could even register what was going on all hell broke loose.
Shang hollered something, she couldn't make it out over the scream, the tree pulsed an ominous purple, and then pain... All she knew after that was pain. The worst pain in her life. Dimly she was aware of others yelling out in shock and agony but Pompeii was so focused on trying to breath she could do nothing about it. Her legs gave out on her and she landed hard on the ground as the lash of electricity continued to torture ever cell in her body, her breath came in ragged gasps as her lungs and heart seemed to studded to a stop. Pompeii didn't even have the breath to scream out her pain. She quickly succumbed to unconsciousness and knew nothing more.
Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 9:36 am
To be fair, no one could blame the little senshi in white for her attacks against the tree when it struck out one more time. They were hardly doing any damaged but still...she felt silly trying to kick a tree and it wasn't like she had a weapon.
The shock should not have come as a surprise but it felt different this time. Going up and through her body, Phact felt her muscles begin to give out. She hurt. She really hurt...Even more than a physical pain. This wasn't something she could shake off.
Others were dropping around her as she felt her knees give out. A haze came over her mind. She too was done.
"No....Maia..." Phact managed to get out before her body went limp and she fell among the roots of the tree.
Power from the tree surged outwards and Ida felt it hit her like a physical wall. Deep inside, however, that power was met with something bright and shining, something that pushed back and kept her on her feet. She gasped as she stumbled, straightening up with difficulty. Others didn’t even make it that far… Senshi and knights were falling all around her, overcome by the power of the tree.
Ida’s head snapped up as a familiar voice screamed in pain, the sound ripping through her with almost physical pain.
“Athene!” She shouted as she darted forward, watching her friend, team- and room-mate fall to the ground. Fear made her chest squeeze tight as she dropped down beside him, her hands immediately going to check his vitals as she held her breath. Please… please be okay…
Her breath rushed out in a ragged sigh as she felt the thin pulse under her fingers, filled her with relief.
“He’s alive!” She called out to whomever was still standing. Ida glanced up, taking in the others around them. “They’re all alive! Just knocked out.”
Thank God.
Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 10:25 am
Maia went down with Val, unaffected by the wave of electricity, but riding out the pain of Ganymedes attack. He fell to the ground beside her and she looked at him wide eyed before Ganymede raced over to him and checked his heartbeat.
He her heart was thundering in her chest as she looked around. Her brother laying on the ground. Antares, Acrucis, Pompeii ... everyone. Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes. "They just wanted to help me ..."
She looked to Ganymede and Valhalla, "I'm sorry ... I didn't."
She looked around slightly confused after a moment because Babylon, Ida, Penthesilea and Ganymede were still standing. All those glowing ... were they not affected by this monster.
She balled her fist up shaking slightly, fighting for control. She could feel the darkness as she was sure they all could, getting thicker. It was spreading, wanting to take her friend like it had her, to take her planet.
"No," she shouted, "I won't let you win."
Then suddenly she seemed far away although she stood in the middle of the grove ... she was watching something.
Forza stood, a teen now, in the middle of the grove. She plucked a crystal fruit from one of the tree and threw it hard at the ground but it didn't break. She frowned pulling out her pen and growling at it, before she pulled her arm as far back as she could and launched it watching the pen sail of into the distance.
Forza screamed out, "I hate this stupid planet! I hate being Sailor Maia!"
She lifted her heeled foot and slammed it down hard on the crystal fruit lying on the ground, crushing it and watching on of the planets greatest resources absorb into the ground.
"Diplomacy and ceremonies and protect the people. Ungrateful, wretched, miserable planet. Once I board that ship ... so long Maia, nice knowing you. May chaos swallow you whole."
In the grove filled with darkness Maia looked shocked, so much so that she took a step back. "I'm not her," she whispered, "she was young and angry and blind. I would never wish such a thing on this beautiful world. I bet she let it happen."
It was probably a strange sight to see because Maia seemed to be talking to herself, but there were something else. Her tainted aura seemed to be changing, it was becoming something else. Lighter, more sweet, more pure.
Maia still watching Forza seemingly destroying the grove without a care to the violence she displayed against the world she was suppose to protect. Until her parents found her and pulled her away concern plainly written on there faces.
The vision faded and she stood staring at the tree, "I will fight until my very last breath to keep my friends and my planet from being corrupted by this chaos or any chaos. This I swear."
In the moment, her tiara disappeared with replaced with a glowing symbol. The symbol of her planet. Her face glowed with marking that also appeared on her, neck shoulders and arms. Maia stood transcended and free from the chaos that plagued her, but the tree still remained.
She looked in awe at her hand and arms before looking at the other's. She wanted to ask what exactly this was, what happened, but now wasn't the time.
"We have to finish it, I think that's the only way," she said determined.
"Haunting Melody," she called out her eternal attack, singing and watching the notes appear and swirl towards the tree. It hit directly and the tree shrieked an awful melody, but it always shot for another wave of electricity that shocked Maia making her cry out and crumple to her knees.
She frowned, not knowing what to do, but she remembered when the other's giving her energy and she wondered if she could overwhelmed the tree. Tip the scales to much and watch the tree be destroyed. She wasn't sure.
She stood and marched right up to it, putting her hands on the bark and being shocked for her effort, but ignoring it and gritting her teeth her against the pain. She pushed with everything she had, glowing and pouring energy into the tree. It screamed horridly at first, but after a moment, it seemed to be fight a beautiful melody.
Maia didn't know how much she had to give, but she closed her eyes and pushed, "Maia send them home should I ..."
Hit it with whatever they've got left in them or join in trying to overwhelm it! This tree goes down tonight!
If Maia could shake the Chaos and come out transcended, then Babylon was ready to follow her into whatever magical hijinks it took to beat this thing once and for all - and, he hoped, save everyone who'd come with them. "Get to the tree!" he hollered, looking around for the others still standing. The battle had left them scattered, and it was tempting to care for the fallen, but - Maia needed their help more.
Babylon trudged against the lightning pouring off the tree until he reached Maia's side. He planted one hand over hers and one over the bark, gritting his teeth against the shockwave that came with making contact.
"Hey," he said to her, pushing energy through his hands. "You're doing great. Just a little bit more."
Kaori_Luv
Whimsical Blue
Noir Songbird
Sunshine Alouette
Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2015 10:10 am
Ganymede cradled Valhalla's unconscious form in her lap. She put a hand to his chest to feel it rise and fall with each breath; she carded her fingers through his shaggy hair; she checked him over for injuries but saw nothing overly concerning, yet there he remained without waking.
“What happened...?” she asked, still staring around at the others. She, Babylon, Ida and Penthesilea were the only ones who remained conscious.
And Maia...
Maia who suddenly glowed as beautifully as the others, whose aura turned bright and pure.
Gently, Ganymede guided Valhalla to the ground. She stood to her feet and took a few steps toward Maia, her attention returning to the tree. It was time to end this before the tree hurt anyone else, before it took their unconscious allies and turned them into puppets of Chaos.
She'd almost lost Valhalla to Chaos once before. She wouldn't go through that again.
Ganymede stumbled forward and joined Babylon and Maia at the tree. She placed her hands upon it, pushing energy into the tree along with them.
“We're with you, Maia,” she said. “We're not going anywhere until this is done.”
Even as she watched, Maia changed before her eyes and Ida stared, only able to wonder if that’s how she had looked during her own transcendence. Maybe she’d ask Hver, next time they were together.
The lights danced beautiful across Maia’s skin, marking her out of the reach of chaos. Ida was only able to pull herself away from staring as the other eternal shoved her hands to the tree and the others began to join her, Babylon calling for them. The dark-haired senshi pushed herself shakily to her feet as she watched them, only realizing after a few moments that they were pushing energy into the tree. Pure, untainted energy, to burn it from the inside out…
Ida didn’t know how much she had left to give, after sharing with Maia at the start and using all three of her attacks, but she was not going to stop now. Not while there was still work to do, still people who needed her. Stumbling forward, the eternal made it to Babylon’s side and slammed both hands against the bark of the tree. It burned her hands, itching up her skin with electrical discharge, but she held on, her teeth gritted. Despite the pain, despite her exhaustion, Ida opened herself and let the clean, green sunlight of Ida’s energy pour down her arms and out through her fingers.
