Fuka: the Final Chapter (Haruka)

[Corwin]

<--->

[19:23] Mai is looking around with those inhuman eyes, when she recoils suddenly. She gestures to the right, and fiery sparks detach from her limbs, shooting off in that direction. There are other light sources, three in number, that Haruka can tell are approaching them from there; missiles, she discovers, as they come closer. The first of them is detonated by Mai's preventative measures.
[19:26] There's probably not a lot Haruka can do about those given that she's needed to stabilize Kagutsuchi right now. Of course, they ARE in space, it's not like Kagutsuchi has to deal with wind resistance anymore. If it seems like he's having an easier time of flying up here in the void, then Haruka would probably be better off standing ready to fend off any attacks.
[19:30] An aerodynamic design seems meaningless outside the atmosphere. Mai strikes once more, taking out the second missile, but the third closes in too far within that time, and she begins to form another shield before her outstretched arms.
[19:34] Haruka quickly reforms herself, then takes aim at the third missile and fires back with one of her own. She's trying to be conservative and avoid diminishing herself too much, but they can't afford to be shot down now. A liquid metal dart shot head-on into the missile will hopefully make it detonate before it reaches them.
[19:42] Haruka is pushed relentlessly back, her feet digging trenches in Kagutsuchi's back as she halts her backward momentum. The dart she shot is spot on, eliminating the chasing missile far enough from Kagutsuchi to avoid any damage. Mai nods at Haruka, dispelling the shield.
[19:42] Looking at the origin of the attacks, Haruka sees what can only be described as a largely-golden UFO, flashing lights adorning its surface. Kagutsuchi's flight takes them away from it.
[19:44] Any extraterritorial friends the Star brought with it will have to be dealt with later, presumably. In the meantime, she'll watch the UFo for any further attacks.
[19:47] That proves difficult as Kagutsuchi's course increases the distance between them, and even something golden and glittering in a vast nothingness can be hard to spot as it becomes farther still.
[19:48] That's a fair trade if it makes it harder for the object to attack them!
[19:54] Mai seems to agree, returning her attention to steering Kagutsuchi. As she makes adjustments to its course, Haruka finds her attention wandering to the Earth below. The angry glare of the Hime Star is blocked by the curvature of the Earth, and the same happens to the sun as well.
[19:56] So much for that Don't Look Down plan. Could Haruka actually be hurt by the fall in her present state? Probably not, but burning through the atmosphere might do it. Not a pleasant thought either way.
[20:08] Haruka is getting tired of all the ocean below them, when she spots a coastline ahead. The American continent is lit with the dawn's first rays, but as Haruka admires it, it is as if another sun has risen in tandem with the first, bathing the western coast with its warmth.
[20:15] Correction: wannabe sun! And the only warmth it can provide is the warmth of, uh...SEETHING CORRUPTION AND INJUSTICE. In short, it must be destroyed! This is presumably the Hime Star.
[20:20] As Haruka glares at the wannabe sun, she can't help but think that it pulses, almost as if alive, flashing with each beat. Kagutsuchi draws closer still, and the second sun fades away, as if it was but an illusion.
[20:22] Maybe she's just seeing things...? Well, whatever, if it's on the ground, it's not really her concern right now.
[20:26] Kagutsuchi completes its pass, Japan's familiar shape hanging below them on the ground. No beams or strange UFOs accost Kagutsuchi and its passengers, but rather than relieved Mai seems worried at that fact. She keeps on adjusting their course, however, her attention unquestionably on the Hime Star.
[20:26] The star itself looks even closer, now, and the sense of terror and loss it instills in Haruka is greater.
[20:29] There'll be even more terror and loss if they fail here! It doesn't matter how uncomfortable Haruka gets, or even what happens to her, just as long as they succeed in averting the worst possible disaster. Whatever it is that she's feeling, she'll just have to soldier through it.
[20:33] Mai gestures at Haruka to get her attention, holding two fingers up before lowering one. She then nods in the direction of the Hime Star.
[20:33] Kagutsuchi continues slowly gaining speed, unimpeded by wind resistance or other issues in space as it is. As it passes high above America, Haruka doesn't see a second emergence of a new sun; instead, there is a massive cloud covering much of what is southern California.
[20:35] ...That's...well...it's hard to refrain from thinking, "At least it wasn't Fuka," and Haruka isn't particularly proud of that.
[20:37] The second loop is almost complete. America has been left behind, while ahead is Japan and the Hime Star headed for it. Mai firms her jaw, sparks escaping into the vacuum surrounding them, and Kagutsuchi puts on a final burst of speed, headed right for the mystical red star!
[20:41] Haruka holds on for dear life (or what passes for such in the case of animate globs of liquid metal), suddenly overcome by unsettling memories of being in the car with Midori. This is the perfect time for some kind of dramatic battle cry, but that's not really an option out in space so Haruka will just have to concentrate and GLARE REALLY HARD at the star as they bear down it!
[20:43] The star grows to occupy their entire view, to the point where even looking out the corner of her eye, Haruka still sees nothing but its red glare. Grimly, Mai crosses her arms in front of her head, and around them, Haruka can see Kagutsuchi's tattered wings move, their metallic feathers reshaping into spears aimed forward!
[20:45] For whatever good it will do, Haruka moves to occupy a position near the front of Kagutsuchi, fashioning a scythe-arm ready to slash and tear as soon as there's something within range.
[20:50] Haruka positions herself at Mai's flank, as Kagutsuchi rams the Hime Star! The Child's wings come to life once more, and even as the tips crumble and break at the impact, the stumps stretch out, slicing through the Hime Star's shell and widening the opening.
[20:51] Mai stands still, as if glued to Kagutsuchi's back even as Haruka has to reshape her feet into claws and sink them into the Child to remain atop it. Her focus is absolute, which might be why she doesn't react when an Orphan rushes out of the gutted Hime Star, aiming at her!
[21:00] Haruka is ready, though! They didn't come all this way just to be cut down by the small fry. Haruka steps in front of the other girl to protect her, slashing at the Orphan when it approaches.
[21:03] The Orphan is dispatched. Mai slashes down violently with her arms, and sheets of flame slice ahead, carving out a path. It begins to close, but Kagutsuchi makes it out, darting back into normal space. Behind them, the Hime Star bleeds debries, but Kagutsuchi already chases down its preset course!
[21:07] Take that, you stupid...giant obstacle thing! Haruka hangs on (surely Kagutsuchi doesn't mind having stakes driven into its body!) and watches for any more stray orphans.
[21:10] If Kagutsuchi minds, the Child endures the indignity and pain stoically. Some of the debries could well be Orphans, but the ever-increasing distance between them and the Hime Star doesn't allow Haruka to make a positive identification. In the tense time that follows, the Hime Star disappears, hidden by the Earth. America is as she'd seen it last, except the cloud continues to rise up and spread.
[21:14] Worst-case scenario, that's a cloud of radiation, and that means problems for everyone...Sabotaging the Hime Star suddenly seems like much less of a victory if there's some kind of disaster already going on down on the ground.
[21:20] Before long, Kagutsuchi is lined up with the Hime Star once again! The debries Haruka had glimpsed earlier are burning up as they enter the atmosphere, but the large threat to their planet is not diverted! Kagutsuchi's wings reform once more, and Haruka can't help but notice that the spears are shorter this time, and there are fewer of them. Mai seems to notice the same thing, and gestures ahead, lowering her palm as she goes. Haruka feels Kagutsuchi fire its engines in a brief burst, its course adjusting; they wouldn't be going through the Star again, it seems, but under it. Mai gestures for Kagutsuchi's benefit, this time around, and its wings come together, forging a sleek dome above the two Hime through which only the Child's massive sword is allowed to peek.
[21:27] Just as long as Kagutsuchi holds out long enough for them to complete their mission...Haruka again stands ready to protect Mai in case anything breaches their defenses, her arms twin spears to impale any attackers.
[21:33] Kagutsuchi collides with an object that dwarfs it as much as the Child itself dwarfs an ant, and its wings tremble under the pressure. Cracks appear, and Mai focuses her powers on creating a shield above them. It burns so brightly that it manages to blot out the Hime Star, but Haruka nevertheless knows it is there, still maintaining its own course.
[21:33] Mai strains; so does her shield. It fragments. Even though the Star remains held off, dark shapes emerge from it, dropping down on Kagutsuchi.
[21:39] Ugh, so they're going to try and swarm the Child this time? Well, Haruka's ready for them. Having multiple opponents calls for different weaponry: Haruka morphs her arms into great, long, barbed lashes that she can whip out from afar without having to be everywhere at once. It might not be quite as effective as Mai's shield, but anything trying to get past her flailing arms is going to get cut up something fierce.
[21:43] Metal whips, seemingly with a mind of their own, eradicate the first wave of attackers. The Star presses down upon them, and Kagutsuchi is pushed down further towards the planet. They enter the atmosphere, still at the edges, but enough of it surrounds the Child that Haruka's vision is consumed with fire from all over from the friction.
[21:43] The second wave of assailants splits in two, ten swarming Haruka to seal off her movements, while seven others attempt to dogpile the concentrating Mai!
[21:49] If only Haruka could be in two places at once! Well...maybe she could be, but this isn't the time to experiment with cloning. It strikes her that there's no obvious reason that she shouldn't be able to fire projectiles from the rest of her body while still defending herself with the whips. (Heck, why does she even need to restrict herself to just having two arms anymore, on that note? It's not like she's human anymore!)
[21:51] Haruka decides to fend of her own attackers as best she can with her arms while ejecting darts from her back at Mai's attackers, assuming she's able to divide her attentions so. Obviously she has to focus a little more on the latter though, as she doesn't want to strike Mai by mistake.
[21:53] A dart comes too close, brushing just past Mai's arm, but Haruka manages to exterminate all of the fiery girl's assailants. She, herself, is not as lucky. Her divided attention and greater number of attackers allow two of them to get past her defenses, and she realizes their true intentions as they wrap around her head before exploding!
[21:56] In space, no one can hear you swear profusely. Especially after you've been decapitated! Granted, Haruka can no doubt reform a new head anywhere she wants, but there's a finite amount of Harukaness to go around and she's probably just lost a good chunk of it. Ultimately, of course, any sacrifices don't matter if they lead to the Hime Star being successully impeded.
[21:57] As Haruka reforms her body, she becomes aware that the explosion shook her loose from her perch upon Kagutsuchi.
[21:59] Uh-oh. She whips around and sends a pseudopod into the creature's body to keep her connected, after which she'll draw herself back in--hopefully she can avoid hurting the creature too badly.
[22:05] It pierces Kagutsuchi's side, going through a fin and into its main body. The Child jerks, yet Haruka's freefall is arrested. Then they are through. The Hime Star begins entering the atmosphere in earnest, and Kagutsuchi's engines flare up, flipping the Child over.
[22:05] Its inertia is impossible to get rid of, even with the engines now working to eliminate all of its gathered speed, but it manages to remain in effective range just a bit longer. That time is well spent, as a fireball appears in its core. Haruka can see the glowing ball of destruction travel up Kagutsuchi's neck, where it releases it at the Hime Star.
[22:05] Mai gestures after it, sending her own retributive energy whips to scour the Star's side just as the main attack collides with its side, blasting up more of the outer shell.
[22:07] There's not much Haruka can do to help their efforts, so she can only concentrate on pulling herself back onto Kagutsuchi, hopefully securing a safe place on the Child's back where her presence will hinder it less.
[22:10] Haruka makes its way onto Kagutsuchi just as the Hime Star submerges in the atmosphere completely. She can only hope that they have reduced its speed and mass enough to give those on the ground a fighting chance, before her immediate concern shifts as Kagutsuchi's remaining engine explodes spectacularly! Burning jet fuel covers Haruka liberally;
[22:10] Mai seems to be yelling, but there is no way to hear her in the depths of space.
[22:15] For what it's worth, Haruka will try to slough off a layer of herself to try to shed the burning areas (attempting to smother the flame is no doubt useless, since it's clearly capable of burning in a vacuum). She's not sure how much that's going to matter, though, given the likelihood of burning up on reentering the atmosphere...
[22:19] Haruka expels her outer layer, the results being as spectacularly explosive as Kagutsuchi's misfortune. The Child still follows its adjusted course, but with no means of propulsion and a degraded orbit from their efforts, it is bound to drop back into the atmosphere inevitably. Its attempts at breaking to take a shot at the Hime Star only served to hasten that.
[22:19] Mai sags to her knees, holding her left arm at the shoulder. She looks pained.
[22:24] If there's any chance of anyone coming out of this alive, it probably lies with Mai right now. Kagutsuchi still has its wings, right? If it can at least be told to attempt a gentle glide, maybe their descent won't be fatal. Haruka moves to prop the other girl up. This is the perfect time for a motivational speech. How inconvenient it is to be working in a total vaccum! She wants to grab the other girl and tell her to KEEP FIGHTING, and LIVE FOR TAKUMI'S SAKE, and so on, but this is sadly not possible. She tries anyway!
[22:30] Gesturing wildly as she attempts to motivate Mai, Haruka notices the disturbing fact that Mai's left arm quite literally only hangs by a thread. Observing Kagutsuchi, she can tell that while its right wing took the brunt of the damage in the opening phases of their assault, it was the left that was battered relentlessly in the subsequent encounters with the Hime Star.
[22:32] Haruka wonders if patching the wing up with herself would work again or if the damage is just too dramatic by this point...even if it's a possibility, Mai's not likely to remain conscious long in that state. Haruka could try taking charge of Kagutsuchi again, but it would do her little good if the creature is physically unable to stabilize itself.
[22:35] If she spreads herself out, Haruka could get the wing in working order. Enough for it to survive reentry, at least, she figures. Unfortunately, she isn't quite so sure of her own chances in that scenario. Keeping her mass thinned out and separated and doing away with the relative protection of having Kagutsuchi's body shield her from the worst of the heat, there would not be enough of her left afterwards.
[22:40] But Kagutsuchi's going to spiral out of control anyway if she doesn't do that. Either Haruka dies, or they all die. This is not a difficult decision. She moves to fill the gaps in the dragon's wing. Hopefully Mai will at least remain coherent enough to guide herself to the ground once she's past reentering the atmosphere...
[22:42] Coherent or not, Kagutsuchi's decaying orbit forces the issue, and the Child enters the atmosphere, as Haruka experiences the agony of being burnt alive yet again....

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[16:23] Expressionless, Akane mounts her Child, which leaps away without further prompting. Akira looks cross, but she has finished working on Nao's arm by then, and stands off to the side, making no indication of following.
[16:23] Midori, on the other hand, gestures after Harry. "Let's go before we lose sight of her!" the teacher announces, speeding off after Akane's Child on Gakutenoh.
[16:25] Nao struggles to put a hand onto Natsuki's shoulder, and tries to pull herself to her feet. "C'mon, Kuga," she mutters, leaning heavily into the older girl. "You promised me a ride once, you know."
[16:30] Natsuki rolls her eyes, yet Duran appears at her beck and call just the same. Rather than his normal, wolf-like form, Natsuki's Child is summoned as a hoverbike, which she promptly mounts. Shizuru looks in Midori's direction, before sighing quietly. "I will check on the students, then," she voices. Natsuki nods, and looks away, offering Nao a hand.
[16:35]  Nao grabs it, and manages to clamber onto the back of Duran, whereupon she puts her good arm around Natsuki's waist. "Yeah, great. See you in a few, Fujino," she replies, a little uneasily. "Don't let your guard down."
[16:38] Duran swiftly leaves Akira and Shizuru behind, as the latter waves after them with her own good arm. Natsuki's Child could easily catch up to and overtake Gakutenoh, but the need to weave around the various obstacles left in the wake of a mystical planetoid crashing upon Earth kills most of its ability to speed up.
[16:38] Thus, Natsuki struggles to keep up the entire trip; all things come to an end, however, and so does their journey as the Hime reach the island's opposite coast. In the distance, a fiery speck resolves into a dragon of flame, dropping at an angle far too steep to realistically pull out of.
[16:44] Nao's grip on Natsuki unconsciously tightens, and she grits her teeth. Even if they crash-landed, she didn't think Mai or Haruka getting too badly hurt as a result- but her own injuries have put her in a foul mood, and imagining the worst comes easily.
[16:47] The dragon hits the ocean, sending massive waves in every direction from the point of impact!
[16:51] Out in the water, what's left of Haruka reforms and immediately searches for Mai's body. Hopefully she can keep the other girl from drowning if Mai's still unconscious.
[16:51] Of course, life never fails to provide an alternative calamity as far as the Hime are concerned, as Nao should know by now. She squints into the sky, seeking out a speck that could indicat Gakutenoh; whether or not a whirlwind would counteract a miniature tsunami or just make things worse, she's not sure.
[16:56] There is no sign of Mai or Kagutsuchi, as far as Haruka's remnants can determine in the chaotic environment they find themselves in.
[16:56] Midori seems to have the same idea as Nao, already en route to counter the effects of the wave.
[16:56] Natsuki takes a few moments longer, before she calls out, "Duran, shooting mode!" and reconfigures her Child yet again, carelessly depositing Nao on the ground as the wolf becomes a massive tripod-equipped sniping rifle. Natsuki takes position by it, and adjusts the barrel's direction before taking a shot. The silver projectile speeds off, and Nao feels a chill from its passing!
[17:00] If it was a wall that was needed, Arach could become one. But even his tremendous bulk couldn't protect more than a relatively small segment of land from the effects of the wave- although it may well be that only Nao and Natsuki need protection along this line of coast.
[17:00] What, did she crash into the ocean all by herself? They have to be somewhere. Maybe they've already sunk out of sight? Haruka didn't go to all that trouble slowing re-entry just to let Mai sink to the bottom of the ocean! She dives deep under the water, in the same direction as Kagutsuchi's impact, to search further.
[17:03] Haruka changes her composition, sinking faster than a rock, while Natsuki's projectile makes contact with the waves... and the waves freeze. The ice spreads faster than Nao would have thought possible, eagerly consuming the water near it. Midori times her own wind perfectly, shattering the frozen wave with a tornado! The results are a series of smaller waves, further disrupting the original one.
[17:05] No trace at all? This doesn't make any sense, but what has, recently? Haruka heads back to the surface to investigate the totally unseasonal layer of ice crystals floating on the surface.
[17:09] Shaped as a jellyfish, Haruka breaks through the surface. The ice is fading quickly, as if by magic.
[17:09] "Can you see anyone?" asks Nao, squinting towards the water herself, and cursing her ruined vision once again. "The fall shouldn't have killed anyone, that's just..."
[17:10] Strange. Haruka morphs into something more streamlined and hydrodynamic, then races towards the shore. She has to find the others and see what else has been happening since she went into orbit.
[17:12] "I think there's something movin--" Natsuki sucks in air. "Wait, it's coming over!" There is the unmistakable hum of Duran loading a cartridge.
[17:14] "It's got to be Mai or Haruka, though," replies Nao, a little uncertainly. "That was definately Kagutsuchi that fell, and no orphan could've come down with it," she adds, firmly. "It'd be roasted!"
[17:15] Natsuki seems uncertain, but she holds her position, even as a bronze dolphin washes ashore, where she just proceeds to stare.
[17:17] "Definately Suzushiro. Haruka! Grow some legs!"
[17:18] The bronze creature soon reforms into something more recognizable, ableit probably a bit shorter than anyone's used to. Haruka spots her fellow Hime and staggers up the shore towards them, feeling tired from everything despite no longer having a body that could actually suffer such a sensation.
[17:19] Natsuki curses much like Nao would expect of a sailor as Haruka reforms, demonstrating a firm grasp of at least two foreign languages. That might be because she had just seen Haruka reform from a sea creature, or because Haruka is a dwarf.
[17:20]  Haruka looks up at Natsuki and scowls. "You can't talk to me that way! It doesn't matter how short I am, I'm still a member of the Executive Committe."
[17:21] "Yeah, but you look like shit," surmises Nao, fully aware that with her arm in a sling, baggy eyes, and a shirt and skirt ripped in multiple places, she ain't a prize catch herself. "Mai?"
[17:22] "Of which circus?" Natsuki snaps at her. "Shut up about the damn rules, I never listened to you when you were your normal obnoxious self, anyway."
[17:25]  Haruka slaps Natsuki. Admittedly this now requires some effort. "This isn't the time for us to stand around insulting each other. What's happening down here? I lost track of Mai when we were falling. I thought I was right with Kagutsuchi...Actually, I didn't expect to make it back with them...But when I hit the water, I was alone."
[17:28] Handguns appears in Natsuki's hands in a flash, and she points them at Haruka's forehead point blank.
[17:29]  Haruka just ignores Natsuki. Maybe Nao will answer her question.
[17:29]  Nao has her face in her palm, which is twitching, and she seems to be ignoring the outside world.
[17:31] "Well? Is anyone going to fill me in here?" Haruka asks impatiently, still pointedly not acknowledging the guns in her face. "Look, I did my part and helped divert the star. What's been going on down here?"
[17:32] Natsuki twitches, perhaps in annoyance, and then suddenly calls out Duran's name. The wolf reforms, overshadowing the three Hime, and then bites down to clamp its jaws around Haruka's right shoulder. "Acknowledge your position some more before demanding things," Natsuki says through gritted teeth.
[17:33] "We destroyed the star. No casualties amongst us," replies Nao, blearily. "Akane showed up, all brainwashed. You won't make the same mistake again, right? We're not going to start killing each other after the hard part is over, right? I might actually cry."
[17:34] Natsuki starts. "No casualties?" she asks carefully.
[17:34] "Oh, there's me," mumbles Nao, glancing dismally at her arm.
[17:35] Natsuki looks uncomfortable. "Then no one told you...."
[17:36] "No, Kuga, nobody told me," replies Nao, as icy as Duran.
[17:36] "And no one's told ME anything," Haruka complains. "Please make your dog behave, Natsuki. I've had enough trouble for one day and I'd rather get into fights with other Hime."
[17:37] "That's not get into fights, Haruka-chan."
[17:38] "Duran is a wolf!" Natsuki exclaims, before taking several deep breaths. "This is such a bad time. And I'm just, I'm bad at this. Listen, Sister Yukariko, she stood her ground to try and stop the Hime Star. It could even be why we managed to stop it at the mountain. Midori said that she refused to abandon her post...."
[17:42] "Oh...I'm surprised she coagulated. She always acted like a lunatic when I tried to talk her into helping us. That was good of her."
[17:43] Natsuki looks quite cross at that, and Duran's jaws close in tighter around Haruka's metallic shell.
[17:44]  Haruka frowns. "What?"
[17:45] Silent for a long moment, Nao speaks up, sharply. "We'll remember her as a hero, Haruka." She twists back, to look at the wreckage of the mountain range. "I couldn't have done something like that, after all."
[17:48] "Isn't that what I said, Nao?"
[17:49] "We should be looking for Mai," replies Nao, abruptly turning back to the sea. "I mean. You two should be. I can't really swim that well... and what about Mikoto? I haven't seen her around..."
[17:51] "I'm not sure," Natsuki says, taking her eyes off glaring at Haruka for a moment. "Kanzaki assured me that he would keep her safe. If anyone would know about Mikoto, it would be him."
[17:51] "I DID look. I didn't find her. I don't understand what could've happened to her. I was with Kagutsuchi when it hit the atmosphere."
[17:52] "Forget the atmosphere, it was Kagutsuchi that hit the water!" Natsuki exclaims. "I'd recognize it anywhere! It couldn't just vaporize on impact!"
[17:54] "I know! Which is why I'm confused!"
[17:54] "Where was Mai? Was she with you during the crash?" asks Nao, once again finding herself setting aside the issue of Mikoto and Kanzaki.
[17:55] "I dove underwater to search but didn't find it anywhere!" Haruka adds to her last statement. "The last thing I remember, Mai was riding Kagutsuchi."
[17:56] Natsuki lowers her hands all of a sudden, guns disappearing. "Maybe she could," she mutters to herself, before raising her eyes to look at Haruka and Nao, her previous ire seemingly forgotten. "I think she did it, once. Become entirely vaporized. Except she got better."
[17:57] "She couldn't get vaporized. Kagutsuchi is huge. If I survived reentry, he should've too."
[17:58] "But would Mai?" asks Nao, suddenly. "Hitting the water at that speed would kill an ordinary person, and I can't be sure even a Hime would survive. Maybe using that power was the only way out."
[18:00] "I...suppose she could have."
[18:00] "Then it really happened?" Natsuki wonders, pressing the heel of her left hand to her forehead. "That's impossible...."
[18:03] "You suggested it," points out Nao. "I'm pretty damn accepting when it comes to weird shit... well. The harsh reality is that if Mai is down there, she'd have drowned by now or found her own way out."
[18:04] "She is NOT down there, or I would've found her."
[18:05] "Not that, I mean--" Natsuki abruptly cuts off, shaking her head. "Never mind. Back to the school, then? There's nothing more we can do here."
[18:07] "Hey, you called Reito 'Kanzaki', just now," notes Nao, suddenly. "Wasn't he a Minagi?"
[18:07] Haruka casts one last glance at the sea. "Yeah, let's go."
[18:08] Natsuki doesn't respond, dispelling Duran and striding back towards the Fuka Academy without a backwards glance.
[18:14] <--->
[18:14] Midori opts for conducting an aerial survey of the island, while Akane wordlessly disappears, her handler promising the Hime to stay in touch. Returning to the Academy, the three remaining Hime discover that it has not escaped unscathed;
[18:14] there are craters, likely from debries, and even scorch marks from what quite likely were suicidal orphans, barring any metallic remains to indicate a more technological source.
[18:17]  Nao heads towards the remains of the library, intent on checking to see if the control room remained intact.
[18:18]  Haruka eyes the destruction as they walk through the school grounds. "It makes me sad to see Fuka in such a state again. But at least this time we can rebuild."
[18:19] "As long as less people died this time, it's a win for us," replies Nao. "But I want to know why we still have our powers. I was under the impression we got them from the star."
[18:21] At first glance, there are a few onlookers on the scene, but as the Hime come closer they realize it's members of the Executive Committee. The library itself is gone, as is everything surrounding it for over two dozen yards. A gaping hole is opened in the Earth, and neither Nao nor Haruka can see the bottom.
[18:21] "Get away from the edge!" a familiar voice commands, as Yuki approaches, her hands loaded with what looks like police tape. "It's dangerous, you know that!"
[18:22]  Haruka rushes right up to the edge and looks down. "What...what happened here? The library...Yukino was in there!"
[18:23]  Nao kicks a nearby bit of debris into the hole, and listens to see if she can hear it hit the ground.
[18:24] Yuki's eyebrows climb impossibly high. "Well, Kikukawa-san sure isn't there anymore..." she manages to say. The small rock Nao had kicked over disappears into the yawning chasm.
[18:24] "I can see that!" Haruka barks. "Did anyone get out of the building before...whatever happened?"
[18:26] "When rocks fell from the sky, I'm afraid making sure the library did not suddenly attack us with its dangerous collection of books was not a priority, and we lacked the manpower to properly observe it, lest it made a hostile move," Yuki responds.
[18:28] Haruka once again proves that she is immune to sarcasm, among other things. "What?"
[18:29] Yuki begins to distribute the tape, which gets the stupefied Committee members to tear their gazes away from Haruka and to refocus on their task. "Move it, Shorty, you're in the way," Yuki tells the bronze Hime.
[18:29] Nao thinks she hears a slight tink from the chasm.
[18:29] "We'll be sure to let you know about the peril next time around," replies Nao, squinting at the edges of the hole. "Ah, there is actually a bottom. I was wondering."
[18:30] "'Shorty?'" Haruka reforms into a taller--albeit nightmarishly emaciated--version of herself that's approximately her normal height. "Fine, is THIS better?"
[18:31] Yuki sighs. "We were evacuated into the the catacombs. Until the President came back and told us it was safe, we didn't even know what was going on, just that there were these earthquakes." After witnessing Haruka's change, she appears ill and looks away.
[18:32] "Looking good there, slim. I kinda want to check out what's down there. You guys got a torch?"
[18:33]  Haruka just scowls and reforms to her previous height. It's easier to move around when her body's properly proportioned, after all.
[18:35] "I don't know," one of the other Executive Committee members admits, sneaking glances at Nao's torn shirt while studiously ignoring Haruka. "Fujino-san said to let no one near it. She said that it was dangerous, so it's really for your own good. If you want to ask her for permission, she is at the student council room."
[18:35] At those words, Natsuki heads for the building housing the council.
[18:36]  Haruka doesn't want to ask Fujino's permission for anything! But she might know something useful, so Haruka accompanies Nao.
[18:37]  Nao would just love to show off to the crowd that seems to think anyone has authority over her, or that mere tape could stop her, but she's feeling so tired that wandering after Natsuki is all she can do.
[18:39] "Haruka," states Nao. "What exactly happened? In space, I mean."
[18:41] As the two Hime walk, they see their target come up ahead. The building is not damaged, though there are several impacts just near it. In fact, so many of them that it would be statistically improbable it escaped without a mark on it.
[18:42] "Orphans happened. Lots of them. It was pretty much my job to fight them off while Mai focused on alerting the asteroid's course, and I mostly did, but even I can't fight off an army and a few got through. Also, some of them liked to explode when they died. Everyone was hurt bad by the time we were done; I don't think Mai was even conscious when we started falling, and Kagutsuchi had a big hole in his wing."
[18:46] "There wasn't anything else up there, right? No Searrs sattelites or anything like that?" asks Nao, unable to dismiss a feeling of unease. "We had to fight armies of orphans down here, too. The star created the things infinitely, until I broke the core. The fallout cost me my arm- I haven't tried calling up the fire yet, but I don't think it'll work."
[18:52] "Well, something was shooting giant laser beams at us."
[18:53] "And I think there may not be all that much of America left."
[18:53] "This is the part where I ask you to explain in detail."
[18:56] "Something was going on in California when we passed over it. Something that involved giant fireballs or possibly nuclear weapons being delineated. It was hard to tell from miles in space."
[18:59] Nao seems to stiffen. "I think this happened before, too. But I thought it was because of the star falling, or something like that," she mutters. "You know, acts of god. But Searrs was based in America, and the FD woman told me they weren't a problem anymore. If they'd taken drastic measures..."
[19:00] "That might be what happened," Haruka admits.
[19:02] "I have to believe this is still better. It has to be," murmurs Nao. "What about the laser beams? Were they from space, or maybe from the ground?"
[19:04] "Not from the ground. They came from above."
[19:05] "But they weren't from orphans or the star?"
[19:07]  Haruka shakes her head. "Orphans don't have that much power. The star maybe, but I wouldn't count on that being the only thing up there."
[19:11] "We need to plan our next moves," murmurs Nao. "It's clear there's still some hostile supernatural force out there, if you're right. I don't know if it's the obsidian lord or something else. And we need to suborn the First District as quickly as possible."
[19:13]  Haruka sighs, sounding uncharacteristically fatigued. "Our work is never done, is it?"

<--->