Frigid Climax(Ami, Haruka, Natsume thread)

[Anastasia]

"We could use my coat, but...." Viluy trails off a moment, glancing at Natsume, then just shakes her head. "I guess that doesn't matter now, does it...?"

One more thing...and we can go home. Right?

Shimmering as her transformation ends, Viluy quickly removes her coat, taking it over and draping it over Miss Nakahime.

Ptilol nods, as Artemis voices much the same sentiment. "We can try and give her energy to help...fight whatever it is she's fighting."

Natsume - There isn't much around at the moment, sadly. It's a pretty barren room, save for the remnants of the statues you busted up.

[Liddo-kun]

Haruka gives Viluy a soft, slightly tired, smile.  "After all this is done, I'm stealing you away to my apartment," she begins, her tone shifting to a teasing one, "you owe me a cup of hot chocolate, at the very least, for this mall adventure, missy."

At Ptilol's suggestion she nods.

I know you can do this, Haruka whispers mentally, casting a glance at the Talisman that sat besides her.  I know you can help Ami, she told it.

But my life if I have to? she wonders, repeating the words of their temporary teammate.  A quick glance at the distressed Artemis cradling Ami's inert body firms her resolve.  Yeah.  Let's do this.

Haruka kisses the top of Viluy's head affectionately, passing Miss Nakahime to her partner.  "Here, watch her while I go and see if I can help wake our brave and reckless princess," she tells her with Space Sword already in hand as she stands.

Now beside the distraught and transformed Mau, she places a comforting hand on his shoulder.  "We'll get her back, Artemis," Haruka says, exchanging glances with the Twins to indicate she was going to begin.

Ruffling the catman's girlish hair playfully, she adds, "Besides, we're the good guys.  It's in our contract to get happy endings after all."

The statement was meant to soothe both their flayed nerves what with the daunting task that awaited them.  She wasn't really sure how this would turn out, but....

Holding the Space Sword with blade directed towards Ami, Haruka closes her eyes to concentrate.  Focusing on the flow of power within her and the rhythm of her own heartbeat she wills the Talisman's powers forward.

This HAS to work!

[Anastasia]

The group gathers around Ami, even as she half coughs, half cries, "I...won't...give up..." Viluy stays with Miss Nakahime, her coat warming the victim of Celcia's attentions.

Artemis has a reply, but it's lost as you begin your concentration...

Energy begins to glow in the blade, flowing from Haruka into Ami, joining the flow of cold that is already arcing into her freezing body! Yet a moment later, Ami's body goes rigid at it, glowing warmly...and then joined by a third string, managed by Ptilol who holds Natsume's hand to help direct and merge it into Haruka's effort.

[Anastasia]

The energy flows into Ami! Her color begins to return, warmth spreading off from her and heating the area around you. Her body twitches, as if caught in something....Talisman glowing...

Slash!

There is a moment as Ami's left side and stomach are slashed up by an unseen force, the skin there turning Celcia blue and bleeding hot blood out...

"Ami," Artemis hisses, some of the blood staining his white clothes as he holds her. "Haruka, Ami needs more help," he says, even as he supports his ward.

[Liddo-kun]

Hearing the plea from the Mau she re-doubles her effort, pouring everything she can muster into Ami.

[Anastasia]

More power goes into Ami, even as a chest gash rakes her body...she's bleeding and the blue is spreading, even as all the enegies flood her body and Talisman!

"Ami needs more," Artemis calls, looking wildly, worriedly at Haruka then at Natsume and Ptilol. "Please!"

[Midnight Sun]

She can feel the strength draining from her muscles as she transfers every drop of energy she has into the azure haired girl before her. It was a disorienting feeling, but she could not allow herself to fall, not yet. The senshi had given so much to Tokyo, she would not stand by allow one of them to die for doing it yet again.

[Liddo-kun]

The panic and desperation in Artemis' voice gets Haruka to release everything.  Calling on her powers as Uranus, her very life energy, she pushes all of it through the connection.

But....

Like an engine with nothing further to feed it, Haruka can feel herself grind to an abrupt halt as the noise and her surroundings begin to haze over as her mind drifts.

Maybe I overextended myself..? she muses as the Space Sword clatters noisily, slipping from numb fingers.

She opens her eyes to see if her efforts have awoken the sleeping princess, but the sight of the onrushing ground is the only image revealed before blackness.

[Anastasia]

Sailor Uranus falls to the ground, Haruka Ten'oh appearing in her place as she flops listlessly. A cry of "Haruka!" is heart throughout, as the glow around Ami reaches a fever pitch, the world seeming to be sucked into her starbright Talisman!

....

.....

.....

"Oh..." Natsume murmurs, as her eyes clear. Leaning against Ptilol, she feels exhaustion as she sees the scene in front of her. Bleeding and wounded is Ami/Sailor Mercury, breathing and opening her eyes slowly despite her injuries.

"Ami," Artemis says quickly, pulling the wounded girl into a hug of relief, even as Viluy gently puts down Miss Nakahime and goes over to her downed love, as her Space Sword fades back into her.

"Hey...we finally did it," Ptilol murmurs, as the chill and ice in the room simply fade away. Light bursts in from above, the relative gloom of the mall a siren spot of light compared to the darkness you were in momentarily before. The mall is returning with haste, the frozen keep of the Ice Queen vanishing into nothingness...yet as it does, there is a final burst of energy from Ami's Talisman! It spreads blue energy all about, taking a mere second to soak into everything around you and far farther afield.

When it's cleared, a ice blue bracelet rests on Ami's wrist, covered with intracate designs of falling snowflakes...

[Midnight Sun]

"Th...Thank God," Natsume sighs as she allows her legs to give out completely. Her body felt numb, to say the least. She doubted she would be able to move for a while. "Is...it all over?"

[Bean Bandit]

Ami dizzily opens her eyes, feeling...exuberant, but almost depleted. A sudden pressure around her abused torso makes her hiss in pain, but when she hears Artemis' voice, she smiles weakly. "Artemis..." she groans. "...Sorry...made you worry..."

[Anastasia]

"You'd better not again," he murmurs, letting go a bit. HIs face is lit up and smiling now, even a the normality of the mall reasserts itself over what was her palace, as it always was and always should have been.

"Yeah," Cyprine manages back in the direction of Natsume and her sister, as she goes to check Miss Nakahime. "She's still cold...and it looks like we need to make an exit now, before everyone recovers...."

Artemis nods, rising slowly and giving Ami a hand. "Come on, Ami-chan," he says quietly. "We're not quite done yet...we need to get out of here."

[Bean Bandit]

Ami nods, and takes the assistance, wishing the world would stop spinning and let her off, looking around. As she manages to make out a few still forms, sudden worry rears up. "Are they okay?"

[Anastasia]

"Hope so," Artemis murmurs, as you lean on his side. "We're going to have to help them...." Cyprine is wearly rising, holding the downed Miss Nakahime in her arms, and perhaps aided by the last of her magics. Viluy is also slowly rising with Haruka, who is breathing, if clearly drained.

Surveying everyone, Artemis sighs. "We did it...so let's go home."

[Midnight Sun]

Natsume manages to get back up on wobbling legs. As long as she took it slow and easy she would not have to worry about falling over...much. After this, she finally gets a chance to take a good look at everyone assembled, now dehenshined. Here were the senshi, standing there 'naked' in a sense, and she could only wonder what she should do in a situation like this...

'Play dumb?' she thinks. 'Yeah, that'd probably be best...'