Senshi Training, Take #1!

[Corwin]

It doesn't take more than ten minutes for Genkai to enter the senshi training complex, now alone. An intricate red key is hanging on a chain over her neck, and she approaches the third door in the main room, opening it and beckoning the two princesses inside.

[Ebiris]

Rei follows Genkai without a word, looking around the new room as she enters.

[Corwin]

The room is empty, its walls black. Then, Genkai barks a few commands in a language Rei doesn't recognize, to her surprise, and the room changes around the three. Suddenly, Ami, Rei and Genkai find themselves on a sandy planet. Looking up, the princesses see several rings hanging high in the sky.

[Ebiris]

"What the?!" Rei looks around in alarm as their surroundings abruptly change. "Those rings..." she looks up at the sky, noting their distinctive appearance and recalling pictures she's seen from other planets. "Are we on Saturn? Or some sort of illusion?" She bends down and runs her fingers through the sand as she speaks.

[Corwin]

The sand feels real to Rei's fingers.

"There are three levels of technology," Genkai says in a serious voice, which reminds Rei of her lessons with the old woman. "Commercial technology, military technology... and one above it. The senshi get the Moon Kingdom's very best."

[Halbarad]

Ami looks around at the setting in obvious approval at the sudden change. "Some sort of holoprojection, or a literal translocation field?" she murmurs to herself.

[Corwin]

[23:08] <Genkai> --------------
[23:09] <Genkai> "It's a projection, all right," Genkai says with a smile. "But the question you two need to ask yourselves is... would it hurt to be hit by that?" she adds, pointing behind Ami and Rei.
[23:09] * Rei-chan turns around.
[23:10] * Ami-chan follows Rei's movement to see what's behind her.
[23:10] <Genkai> The two see a youma rushing at them, just like in the old stories!
[23:11] * Ami-chan shrieks and cowers down on the ground, too terrified to move!
[23:11] * Rei-chan quickly falls into a fighting stance in front of Ami, remembering that the sand felt solid enough.
[23:12] <Genkai> The youma reaches the pair, and throws a punch at Rei's head!
[23:13] <Rei-chan> Hopping backwards, Rei just barely avoids the blow, before lashing out with a vicious roundhouse kick towards the creature!
[23:14] <Genkai> The demon is staggered by Rei's mighty kick!
[23:14] <Rei-chan> "Genkai, what the hell is going on?" Rei calls, not taking her eyes off the youma.
[23:15] <Genkai> There is no response from Genkai.
[23:19] <Rei-chan> Grimacing at the lack of response from Genkai, Rei calls forth her flame whip, quickly striking at the youma with a loud crack as flames ripple along the length of the weapon.
[23:22] <Genkai> Rei's whip strikes the youma, and wraps itself around the shocked creature's neck, tightening. There is an audible pop, and the youma disintegrates into dust.
[23:23] <Genkai> "Most impressive," Genkai comments, clapping.
[23:23] * Rei-chan grins. "About time things started going my way," she says, turning around. "So what was all that about?"
[23:23] * Ami-chan looks up at the sound of Genkai's clapping, glancing over at where she last saw the youma.
[23:24] <Genkai> "Just a reenaction of a scene that happened on that planet, a long, long time ago," Genkai says, her voice strangely melancholic. "You handled yourself much better than that senshi did, that's for certain."
[23:26] <Rei-chan> "I'm really not getting a good feeling about the effectiveness of Sailor Senshi..." Rei says, recalling how miserably she tends to perform whenever she becomes Sailor Mars...
[23:26] * Ami-chan looks around. "I-is it gone?"
[23:26] <Rei-chan> "Don't worry, Ami-chan. I took care of it," Rei reassures the other girl.
[23:27] * Ami-chan slowly stands up, still trembling slightly.
[23:27] * Rei-chan returns her whip to its subspace pocket.
[23:28] <Genkai> "That senshi was only at the very beginning of her journey, as you two are now," Genkai says, looking over Ami and Rei. "And regular combat training is certainly on the menu. But so are tactics."
[23:28] * Genkai says a few words in that unfamiliar language again, and a pair of youma appear behind her, immobile.
[23:28] * Rei-chan brightens a little, looking forward to learning some of Genkai's tricks so she can take the old woman down once and for all!
[23:30] <Ami-chan> "But I've never been in a fight before in my life! How am I supposed to be able to fight these... things?" Ami shrinks away from the motionless youma.
[23:31] * Genkai looks at Ami with sympathy. "We all have to start somewhere, Sailor Mercury."
[23:32] <Rei-chan> "Shouldn't she start with something a bit easier?" Rei asks, giving an apprehensive look between the young Princess and the two youma.
[23:33] <Genkai> "Compared to Metallia and her Seven Shadows, this is nothing," Genkai replies. "And I wouldn't give you two something you couldn't handle."
[23:33] <Rei-chan> "Seven Shadows?"
[23:34] * Ami-chan continues to edge away from the two youma, eventually coming to stand behind Rei.
[23:34] * Genkai smiles mysteriously. "We'll leave that for our Lunar History lesson, why don't we?" She suddenly leaps back over the youma, and they begin moving.
[23:35] * Rei-chan once more summons her whip, eyeing the youma warily as she keeps herself between them and Ami.
[23:42] <Rei-chan> Not moving from her current position, Rei cracks her whip at the youma to the left, striking at it's legs and trying to entangle them.
[23:44] <Genkai> The youma is struck, and like it's predecessor, is too shaken up by the attack to resist the second part of Rei's plan. Its legs entangled by the whip, it falls to the ground, struggling ineffectively.
[23:46] <Genkai> The youma to the right reaches the Martian Princess, and raises both arms over its head, before bringing them down on Rei.
[23:47] <Genkai> Rei's attention divided between defending and holding the other youma captive, she is unable to avoid the hit, which drives her to her knees.
[23:50] <Genkai> As she tries to rise to her feet, Rei suddenly feels her body growing weaker! Her eyes widening, she senses that the youma held by her whip is draining her energy at an alarming rate!
[23:55] <Rei-chan> Growling, Rei rises to her feet, unloading a massive haymaker at the nearest youma's head.
[23:56] <Genkai> Rei launches a haymaker into the closer youma's face, only to see her fist pass through its afterimage, as it teleports back towards its companion.
[23:56] * Rei-chan gasps in shock at the teleport.
[23:59] <Genkai> Rei, shocked from the teleport, is still holding onto her whip when another attempt to drain her energy comes through it. Once the attack passes, she is back on her knees, having to support herself on the ground with one arm.
[00:04] <Rei-chan> Barely hanging onto consciousness, and knowing any attack would be futile, Rei remembers a certain ability her Flame Whip also possesses... Giving a crooked smile to the youma she has entangled, Rei tosses the handle towards it with a gentle underhand throw. "Here, catch."
[00:05] <Genkai> The youma stares at the handle of the whip fly through the air and land next to it, stopping its struggles to get its legs free.
[00:06] * Ami-chan simply looks between the two youma and Rei in horror, almost petrified with fear now that her protector has been dropped to her knees.
[00:08] <Genkai> The youma to the right approaches the pair of princesses slowly, wary of Rei.
[00:11] <Rei-chan> Standing on wobbly legs, Rei spares a disdainful glance at the youma that was too stupid to fall into her cunning trap. Oh well, maybe she'd get lucky and it'd pick up the whip and try to use it... Dismissing it, she moves to engage the other youma, striking with a thrust kick at it's chest.
[00:13] <Genkai> The youma slides past the kick, which goes wide, and strikes at Rei's chest, the princess barely able to block the attack by crossing her arms in front of it.
[00:17] <Rei-chan> Backing off from the youma she is currently fighting, Rei turns her attention to the stupid one, pushing her tired body as she dashes towards it, leaping into the air and coming down with a devastating flying kick! Incidentally showing off her underwear to anyone who would care to look as her skirt flares up...
[00:19] <Genkai> The youma certainly seems fast enough to avoid that attack, though he is stopped at the last moment -- whether because it had forgotten that its feet were tied or due to getting a glimpse of something it shouldn't have seen, Rei would never know.
[00:21] <Genkai> The first youma teleports over to Ami, looming over the young girl menacingly!
[00:23] <Genkai> Rei feels the now-familiar attempt of an energy drain from the youma she landed on, but then it dissipates suddenly! Looking down in shock, she sees the youma disintegrate into dust, and almost instantly feels some of her strength flow back into her!
[00:31] * Ami-chan thrusts her hands out in front of her, trying to shove the leering youma in front of her. "Go away!"
[00:34] <Genkai> The sigil of Mercury appears on Ami's forehead, glowing, and water splashes in all directions from the young girl. Her attempt to drive the youma away seems ineffectual, though, as it leers at her.
[00:40] <Genkai> A cry of "Rei Ko Dan!" resounds through the desert of Saturn, followed shortly by a massive wave of azure energy, which passes through Ami's body harmlessly and blasts the youma away! "Now, Sailor Mars, Sailor Mercury!" a young female voice shouts.
[00:41] * Rei-chan turns at the sound of the voice, shock and confusion on her face.
[00:43] <Genkai> A short, sailor-suited teenage girl stands there, her features distorted by the sun at her back.
[00:43] * Ami-chan shakes her head as the youma is blown away from her. "What... who?"
[00:45] <Genkai> The youma attempts to rise to its feet, having been thrown a fair distance away.
[00:47] <Rei-chan> Still puzzled over the girl's appearance, Rei nonetheless notes that the youma is beyond her range even with the whip, and recalls the attack she had used as Sailor Mars... With the Mars Pen in her hands, she cries "Mars Planet, Make Up!" Transforming into Sailor Mars with a bright flash of flame!
[00:47] * Rei-chan is now known as Sailor_Mars
[00:48] * Ami-chan finally registers the words she's heard twice now, and fumbles in her dress for the pen given to her by the Queen the day before. As she takes it in hand, the words come to her mind, unbidden. "Mercury Power, Make UP!" she calls out.
[00:48] * Ami-chan is now known as Sailor_Mercury
[00:50] * Sailor_Mercury appears in her senshi uniform, a dark blue visor covering her eyes and a small handheld computer in one hand. A series of readouts begins to display itself across the visor as Ami looks around in surprise.
[00:51] <Sailor_Mars> Coming out of her transformation in a suitably dramatic pose, Mars points accusingly at the youma. "You might only be a simulation, but I still won't let you menace young girls! In the name of Mars, I'll chastise you!" raising her hands, she concentrates briefly and calls out "Fire Soul!" shooting a spiralling fireball at the youma.
[00:52] <Genkai> Ami registers the strength of the attack, and the youma's basic stats, namely its fairly low energy and health.
[00:53] <Genkai> The youma rolls out of the way of the attack, and attempts to rise again.
[00:53] * Sailor_Mercury feels much calmer after the transformation. She quickly begins to assess the readouts in the visor, starting to analyze the information as it appears.
[00:56] <Genkai> "Fight bravely, young warriors! You're not alone!" the mysterious senshi calls out encouragingly.
[00:58] <Sailor_Mars> "Dammit... every time I become Sailor Mars, everything goes wrong!" the fiery senshi curses.
[00:58] <Sailor_Mars> Sailor Mars dashes forward, scooping up her whip as she does so. Her body is covered in translucent red ribbons for a moment before she once again becomes Princess Rei, and cracks her whip over at the youma as she gets within range.
[00:58] * Sailor_Mars is now known as Rei-chan
[01:00] <Genkai> As Rei's attack goes wide, missing the youma, Ami's visor suddenly shows her a peak of energy!
[01:03] * Sailor_Mercury quickly breaks down the readings she's getting and concentrates, extending her ability to control water and ice towards the youma. She does her best to interfere with the youma's attempts to manipulate ice, unsure of what it might be trying to do.
[01:05] <Genkai> The youma's right arm becomes covered in ice, hardening, before it shatters with no warning! The youma clutches the stump of its right arm, which disintegrates before the senshi's eyes, and stumbles back.
[01:08] <Rei-chan> Rei continues sprinting forward, and is on the youma in no time at all with a charging elbowjab!
[01:09] <Genkai> The youma, still stunned from losing its arm, is sent flying back from Rei's attack!
[01:10] <Sailor_Mercury> After seeing the results from the youma's arm being frozen, Ami concentrates, trying to encase the creature's legs in ice.
[01:11] <Genkai> Snowflakes appear over the youma's legs, making it groan in misery.
[01:13] <Rei-chan> Recovering from her ebowjab, Rei spins completely around before unloading a roundhouse kick at the creature.
[01:15] <Genkai> The youma is unable to avoid the attack, and becomes dust as the heel of Rei's foot makes contact with its torso.
[01:16] <Genkai> "Not bad," Genkai comments, her rasping voice coming from behind Rei.
[01:17] * Sailor_Mercury breathes out a sigh of relief as the youma dissolves into dust.
[01:17] <Rei-chan> Getting her breath under control, Rei turns to Genkai, ignoring the appraisal of what she considered to be a pretty poor performance. "Who was that girl who showed up? She looked like a Sailor Senshi..."
[01:18] <Genkai> "Who knows?" Genkai asks with an intolerable smirk playing on her lips. "This is a mystery!"
[01:19] * Sailor_Mercury studies the visor display and computer in her hands far more closely, now that she's not in fear for her life. Typing a few commands into the console, she runs a scan over both Rei and Genkai, curious as to what the device will reveal.
[01:20] <Rei-chan> "Right..." Rei says slowly. "Still, I have to admit, that was kind of a fun workout... I'm impressed that a simulation like this exists."
[01:21] <Genkai> The visor shows an aura of fire surround Rei, coiling around her form. She seems fairly stronger than a normal human from the scan, though Ami gets second thoughts about her mental power. As she moves her head to use the visor to examine Genkai, however, the display suddenly develops a bad case of indigestion.
[01:23] * Sailor_Mercury ignores Genkai for the moment and turns back to Rei, a smile forming on her face as she deepens the scan. 'How much information can this thing come up with?' she wonders to herself.
[01:25] <Genkai> "You will spend many more hours battling simulated youma, before you'll ever face the real thing," Genkai tells Rei, her smirk fading. "And while we should work on your magical abilities, perhaps something could be done about your atrocious defense." She snaps her fingers, and a pair of brass knuckles appear in mid-air, floating. "These will do."
[01:26] <Genkai> Ami discovers that Rei doesn't have any major wounds, and all the damage from yesterday's fight with Alita seems to have healed. The Martian Princess's life energy is fairly low, though.
[01:29] * Rei-chan recognises the weapons, but frowns. "Those aren't very noble weapons, Genkai. And how would they help my defence?"
[01:30] <Genkai> "Just put them on, and say, 'Martian Girl Power Puff Make Up.'," Genkai tells her, collecting the brass knuckles in her hands and handing them to Rei.
[01:31] <Rei-chan> Giving Genkai a dubious look, Rei dons the thuggish weapons, repeating "Martian Girl Power Puff Make Up," in a very unimpressed tone.
[01:33] * Genkai nods impassively, as flame covers Rei's hands to the elbow once she puts both brass knuckles on.
[01:36] <Rei-chan> "Okay, so I can burn people when I punch them, as well as hit harder because of the metal over my knuckles. I don't really see how this helps my defence, though..." Rei says, before adding, "Besides, if I want to burn someone, I have my Flame Whip."
[01:37] * Genkai doubles over laughing.
[01:37] <Genkai> Ami's computer shows that the brass knuckles create some kind of a defensive field around Rei's arms, corresponding to the sections where the flame is covering them.
[01:38] * Rei-chan sighs at Genkai's laughter. "Right. So how do I turn them off?"
[01:38] <Genkai> "She said it... she actually said it!" Genkai gets out between guffaws.
[01:39] <Rei-chan> "Said what?" Rei asks peevishly, still holding her arms out for fear of setting fire to her clothes.
[01:40] <Genkai> "Martian Girl--" Genkai begins to say, before a fresh round of laughter shakes her small frame.
[01:41] <Genkai> "It's an activation phrase, all right," she says, desperately wiping tears from her eyes. "It summons comedy!"
[01:50] <Rei-chan> "Hilarious," Rei replies dryly, deciding to just try removing the brass knuckles. "You must knock 'em dead at the senior citizens comedy club. When Alzheimers doesn't get to them first, anyway."
[01:52] * Genkai snorts. "I try, my dear, beloved granddaughter," she responds, straightening up and working out the kinks in her old bones.
[01:53] <Rei-chan> Rei's eyes bug out. "Granddaughter? Ugh... if I thought you were serious, then the old family tree would be in desperate need of pruning..."
[01:54] <Genkai> "How the young treat us these days," Genkai laments, putting a hand over her eyes theatrically. "Where has my sweet, caring Rika disappeared to?"
[01:55] * Rei-chan twitches. "I had managed to forget that traumatic experience as well..."
[01:56] <Genkai> "I'll never forget!" Genkai proclaims. "For as long as I live, the memory of that nice girl will be burnt into my mind!"
[01:57] <Rei-chan> "Nice girl? She didn't sound very nice by what you implied of her medical condition..." Rei sighs, rubbing her temples.
[01:59] <Genkai> "When I think of Rika, I think baby pictures!" Genkai says, sighing happily. "The first time she wet her bed, and the last. The commemorations of those happy events. The beautiful childhood!"
[02:01] <Rei-chan> "Just curious," Rei remarks casually, "But what would it take for you to never speak of Rika again? It's getting plain creepy, now."
[02:01] <Genkai> "A hug and a kiss?" Genkai suggests, puckering her lips.
[02:04] <Rei-chan> "I don't think your poor, tired, withered, old heart could stand the stress if I kissed you," Rei says, smirking.
[02:07] <Genkai> "I'm hurt to the very core of my beind," Genkai deadpans, dropping her theatrics. "I think I'll go sulk now and leave you two to fight the rest of the prescheduled youma." She smiles. "Good luck!"
[02:08] <Rei-chan> "How many more youma would that be?" Rei asks, a slight trace of nervousness in her voice.
[02:11] <Genkai> "The simulation is designed to increase the difficulty incrementally," Genkai comments idly, observing her fingernails.
[02:12] <Rei-chan> "More youma, or stronger youma?"
[02:12] <Genkai> Genkai's smile widens, as she looks up at Rei. "Yes."
[02:13] * Rei-chan deflates as she takes Genkai's meaning. "I'm kinda tired..." she points out.
[02:14] <Genkai> "A true Sailor Senshi never declares defeat when she's tired," Genkai points out in a lecturing voice. "Instead, the Sailor Senshi use every means available to them, and battle the threat together, as a group!"
[02:15] <Rei-chan> "One member of our group just went to Metis. The other is still on the 'My Dear Baby Girl Serenity'," Rei points out with some irritation.
[02:18] <Genkai> "She's with the Queen now, actually," Genkai corrects her young charge. "And does widdle Rei need someone to hold her hand as she trains?"
[02:21] <Rei-chan> "No," Rei says through gritted teeth, "But lecturing me about 'fighting as a group' when there is no group present is pretty annoying. But fine, have it your way. Bring on the youma! I'll fight until I drop, and maybe I'll get horribly maimed or worse, and my parents will finally have you thrown in the dungeon or executed!"
[02:25] * Genkai turns away from Rei, hiding a genuine smile. "Sailor Mercury!" she calls out, beckoning the other girl with a wave. "Please join us!"
[01:03] * Ami-chan approaches the other two, one eyebrow raised behind her visor. "Yes?"
[01:05] <Genkai> "You two are going to face three youma now, Sailor Mercury," Genkai says, patting Ami's shoulder. "Show Sailor Mars that you're part of the team and belong on it just as much as she does."
[01:06] <Rei-chan> "I still think Ami-chan should actually get some proper training before she has to actually fight anything," Rei says worriedly, remembering how real the youma's attack had felt.
[01:07] <Genkai> "See?" Genkai continues, not looking at Rei. "She does worry about you, in a condescending kind of way."
[01:07] * Ami-chan takes a deep breath.
[01:08] <Ami-chan> "I suppose I can try at least, although I'm not sure how much use I'll be." She sighs.
[01:08] <Rei-chan> "I'm not being condescending! I'm just pointing out that normally people practice things before moving onto full contact sparring," Rei points out irritably.
[01:10] * Genkai moves past Ami, whispering, "You wouldn't be here if you weren't worthy," as she passes the young princess. She then yells something in that strange language again, and three youma appear around the senshi, putting the two in the center of a large triangle. The youma are not frozen, but don't attack either, taking in their prey.
[01:10] * Rei-chan cracks her whip threateningly.
[01:10] * Ami-chan braces herself, and turns to briefly scan each of the youma.
[01:13] <Genkai> Ami's visor reports a familiar energy to the spike it registered in the previous battle from a youma she scans first. Another of the youma has an unfamiliar energy pattern, and so is the third, though she could tell that the last youma is the strongest of them all.
[01:15] * Ami-chan quickly analyzes the readings and speaks to Rei. "The one behind us on the right is the strongest. I'm still working on the other two."
[01:17] <Rei-chan> Nodding in response to Ami, Rei swivels on her heel and cracks her whip out at the youma to the left, deciding to take out the weaker ones first so she can focus exclusively on the stronger one later.
[01:20] <Genkai> The youma suddenly teleports away, reappearing behind Rei!
[01:22] * Ami-chan is now known as Sailor_Mercury
[01:23] * Sailor_Mercury turns her attention to the youma which just teleported behind the older princess, taking her time to try to break down exactly what its energy signature means.
[01:24] <Genkai> As Ami scans the second youma, she notices with some confusion that it's energy level has dropped drastically. It's aura finally shows up as sparks on her visor.
[01:26] <Sailor_Mercury> "That one is electrically based! And I don't think it's going to be able to teleport like that again, sempai!" Mercury calls out.
[01:29] <Genkai> The first youma rushes at Rei, swinging its fist at the princess.
[01:29] <Genkai> And it goes wide, Rei avoiding the attack flawlessly.
[01:30] <Genkai> The third youma stays in place, keeping very still.
[01:34] <Rei-chan> Spinning around, Rei again strikes at the same youma with her whip!
[01:35] <Genkai> The youma, which looks very tired, is unable to dodge in time and receives a nasty slash across its chest from Rei's whip!
[01:36] <Genkai> It groans, and dissipates into dust.
[01:37] <Genkai> Suddenly, dark clouds cover the desert, throwing the pair of senshi into darkness!
[01:39] * Sailor_Mercury panics for a moment as the youma disappears, but tries an idea. She adjusts a setting on the visor and begins to scan outside the visible spectrum, in case the youma might still appear in other frequencies.
[01:42] <Genkai> Ami's visor goes through the frequencies, and when the the display suddenly lights up. A few paces to her right, Ami sees a bright fiery aura, and a bluish one almost on top of it, the second one oozing with menace to her trained senses.
[01:45] <Sailor_Mercury> "Sempai! Watch out, it's right on top of you!" Ami yells out.
[01:48] <Genkai> The youma's ice-covered arm comes down on Rei's head, and only Ami's quick warning gives her enough time to cross her arms over her face. Rei takes the blow on her forearms, wincing as bruises form there.
[01:51] <Rei-chan> Grabbing out for the arm of the youma that just attacked her, Rei pulls it forward before throwing it hard over her shoulder.
[01:53] <Genkai> The youma is thrown forward, and disappears into the dark cover of the clouds....
[01:54] <Genkai> Ami suddenly feels a chill.
[01:55] * Sailor_Mercury whirls around, startled.
[01:55] <Genkai> A youma emerges from the clouds, its hand reaching for her throat.
[01:57] * Sailor_Mercury lets out a small shriek of surprise and hops backwards a foot or so, away from the grasping hand.
[02:01] <Rei-chan> Turning at the shriek, Rei barely manages to keep from stumbling over Sailor Chibi Mercury. Not having much else to go on, she assumes the girl was heading away from a youma, so swings her whip in a wide arc in that direction over Ami's head.
[02:02] <Genkai> Rei feels her whip connect, but as she tries to wrap it around whatever she hit, its grip loosens.
[02:08] * Sailor_Mercury glances around the area with her visor to locate the youma; once she spots it, she points her finger, attempting to fire a blast of freezing-cold water at it!
[02:10] <Genkai> There is a silence after the attack, and then the clouds disperse suddenly.
[02:13] <Genkai> Looking around as visibility returns, Rei sees that the youma she threw over her shoulder is up on its feet again, a few ways off. Ami notices it as well, though it registers as a bluish aura on her visor.
[02:14] <Rei-chan> Moving within range, Rei attacks the last youma with her whip.
[02:18] <Genkai> The youma blocks the strike on its left arm, and wraps the other end of the whip on it, before gripping it hard and pulling!
[02:28] <Genkai> Surprised by the youma's strength, Rei is yanked off her feet!
[02:34] <Rei-chan> Spitting out some sand, Rei growls as she gets to her feet, before dashing towards the youma and bringing up her foot to kick it between the legs.
[02:36] <Genkai> Though it doesn't seem pained from the strike, the youma becomes dust, and the sand disappears as the simulation room reverts to its original state.
[02:36] * Rei-chan is pleased to note the sand in her mouth also disappeared as she goes to pick up her Flame Whip.
[02:37] * Sailor_Mercury takes a deep breath and falls to her knees as the adrenaline rush she's been operating on dissipates. "That was..."
[02:38] <Rei-chan> "Pretty fun," Rei says with a grin, walking over to the other girl.
[02:38] <Genkai> "You carried yourselves well," Genkai commends the two, opening the door leading into the main complex.
[02:39] <Sailor_Mercury> "Fun isn't exactly the word I'd use." Ami shakes her head.
[02:39] <Rei-chan> "Well, maybe you can get some proper training to learn how to fight before next time," Rei offers consolingly as she heads back into the main room.
[02:41] <Genkai> "That Filia woman," Genkai says, jumping on top of a treadmill. "She mentioned something about training you...."
[02:42] * Sailor_Mercury manages to climb back onto her feet after a few false starts, the transformation dissipating as she does so. "She has given me some training in consulting with the spirits - certainly nothing that would be of any use here."
[02:42] * Sailor_Mercury is now known as Ami-chan
[02:44] <Genkai> "You would be surprised," Genkai comments, before shaking her head. "And so am I. Really, Rei dearest, is your pride even more important to you than triumph over evil?"
[02:45] <Rei-chan> "What are you talking about?" Rei asks curiously.
[02:46] <Genkai> "I do remember warning you about your defense." Genkai shakes her head. "Honestly, what were you thinking, blocking that thing's arm on yours?"
[02:47] <Rei-chan> "It was an instinctive reaction, I couldn't see well enough to do much else," Rei says peevishly.
[02:50] <Genkai> "That's another issue," Genkai says with a hint of irritation in her voice. "One of Sailor Mercury's place on the team, which I hope has been settled." Genkai shakes her head. "Girl, did you think what would've happened had it been a real combat and that ice blade were as sharp as the real youma can make them?"
[02:51] * Ami-chan gets a thoughtful look as she considers 'Sailor Mercury's place on the team' a bit more thoroughly.
[02:53] <Rei-chan> "Look, I know Ami has far more potential with magic than I'll ever have," Rei says, some annoyance, her magical ineptitude being a bit of a sore spot, "But she still needs a lot of training before risking herself in combat!"
[02:55] <Genkai> "And train is what will do here," Genkai asserts, "while I'll be the judge of your potential."
[02:58] <Ami-chan> "I'm really not all that good with magic, sempai." Ami sighs. "Most of what I can do has come through a lot of practice and experimentation. And I don't think I'll ever be able to learn to fight the way you do."
[03:00] <Rei-chan> "Well, I can't do a thing with magic. I thought that changed when I became Sailor Mars, but if anything it just made me even worse," Rei admits glumly. Shaking it off, she looks at Genkai, "So can all youma do things like that? Make you feel tired and teleport and stuff?"
[03:00] <Genkai> "Well," Genkai drawls, puffing out her chest, "you will be studying with the best combat and magic instructor the Kingdom has ever known...."
[03:02] <Rei-chan> "We will? When does the instructor arrive?" Rei asks earnestly.
[03:03] * Genkai coughs. "Anyway... you were asking about the youma?"
[03:04] <Rei-chan> "Yes," Rei says, smirking a little at Genkai's discomfiture, "Do they all have abilities like those ones in the simulation?"
[03:05] <Ami-chan> "And those readings I was getting from them -- are those like the real thing as well?"
[03:06] <Genkai> "All youma can potentially do all that and more," Genkai lectures the pair. "Never underestimate your opponents, no matter how stupid they look or how awkwardly they carry themselves." She points at Ami. "Sailor Mercury's specific abilities and training would prove invaluable in discerning between the potential and the real."
[03:06] <Rei-chan> "Are there ways to nullify their abilities? Besides just killing them, which seems to nullify pretty much everything..."
[03:07] * Ami-chan points at herself. "Me? You mean what I was doing with the visor?"
[03:09] * Genkai nods at Rei curtly. "Indeed. There are ways, and you will need to master your magic further to do that." Turning to Ami, she smiles. "That, and I spotted Miz Mishtal's influence in the way you carried yourself, which only served to confirm your caretaker's words."
[03:10] <Rei-chan> "You mean that crappy fireball thing which has yet to succeed in doing anything useful except burning the library down?" Rei says, thinking of how much fun mastering her stupid worthless magic will be.
[03:11] <Ami-chan> "You can create fireballs?" Ami is clearly impressed. "I've never been able to so much as light a candle magically myself."
[03:12] <Rei-chan> "You saw that blast I shot at the youma when I was Sailor Mars, right? The one that missed completely?" Rei says irritably.
[03:13] <Genkai> "Well, I wasn't going to comment...." Genkai shrugs. Hearing Ami's words, she continues, "Come to think of it, maybe I should. Rei dearest, what makes you think you can use your 'crappy fireball' effectively without any prior training?"
[03:13] <Ami-chan> "I... remember, but it's all just a blur right now. It's hard to recall exactly what happened, to tell the truth."
[03:14] * Rei-chan opens her mouth to reply, then abruptly snaps it shut. The old ghoul had a point, damn her.
[03:17] <Genkai> "Your potential as a senshi got unlocked by a pen," Genkai says in a much gentler voice than before. "But you can't gain new skills by magic. You must train with your abilities and familiarize yourself with them fully, first."
[03:18] * Rei-chan sighs. "I suppose that's right... I thought I could control fire well enough to stop the library from burning, but instead I just made it worse. I was just sort of guessing what I was doing..."
[03:19] <Genkai> "You may as well have turned the valve in the wrong direction."
[03:19] * Genkai shrugs again. "That says nothing negative about your abilities or potential."
[03:20] * Ami-chan smiles slightly, remembering what had happened the first time she'd attempted to summon water from nowhere. "You definitely have to learn control."
[03:21] <Rei-chan> "Yeah... I've just never been able to do ANY magic before. I suppose as Sailor Mars I'm more powerful than a beginner, but I don't have the most basic idea of what I'm doing with that power..."
[03:22] <Genkai> "And Ami need to learn the basics of combat. Luckily, you both have plenty of time to train."
[03:25] <Genkai> "A word about those youma you've just faced," Genkai says, tapping her lips. "While they were of the weakest variety, even one of them is enough to go through many soldiers before it is stopped. Civillians would likely have no way to handle them, at all."
[03:26] * Rei-chan nods. "Yeah, they did seem a bit tougher than the guards back home... and their magical abilities only make the difference worse."
[03:26] <Ami-chan> "Those were the WEAKEST kind?" Ami looks a bit pale. "I definitely don't want to meet the stronger ones, then."
[03:29] <Genkai> Genkai's expression becomes grim. "And there is no one stronger than their dark lord, the Hive Queen Metallia."
[03:30] <Rei-chan> "We'll certainly need a lot of time to train if we want to have a prayer against Metallia..." Rei sighs again, before shaking it off and looking at Genkai. "So why haven't you ever told me you had all these skills? I mean, you've always just been the knowledgable but feeble and bitchy old woman, and all of a sudden your a martial arts master and magical genius? Why'd you never mention any of this before?"
[03:30] * Ami-chan shudders, closing her eyes at the mention of Metallia.
[03:32] <Genkai> "I could go with the usual excuses of the time not being right...." A mischievous smile appearing on her face, Genkai exclaims, "You know something, I think I will!"
[03:33] <Rei-chan> "You were just lulling me into a false sense of security!" Rei exclaims, pointing an accusing finger at the crone, "Admit it!"
[03:33] * Genkai cackles. "I admit nothing!"
[03:38] * Rei-chan clenches a fist angrily. "You'll get yours, one day, old woman..." she swears.
[03:39] <Genkai> Ignoring Rei and her anger completely, Genkai leaps off the treadmill and lands next to Ami, putting an arm around her shoulders. "I was scared too, when Metallia came last time," she tells the young girl.
[03:40] * Ami-chan looks up at Genkai in amazement. "You... were there?"
[03:40] <Rei-chan> "How can you look at that wrinkled face and doubt she's that old," Rei stage whispers to Ami.
[03:41] <Genkai> "At the dawn of the third age, yes yes." Genkai snorts. "I've been here when it happened."
[03:42] * Ami-chan looks down and closes her eyes again. "I don't want to be here when it happens again... but I'm going to, aren't I?"
[03:43] <Genkai> "Did Serenity tell you why she won't just use the Ginzuisho to make all this go away?" Genkai asks, leading Ami gently to a small couch off to the side next to a wall.
[03:44] * Ami-chan shakes her head gently.
[03:45] * Rei-chan drifts a bit closer to Ami and Genkai, but remains uninvolved in their conversation.
[03:46] <Genkai> "It's not that she won't," Genkai says, sighing as she pushes Ami to seat, doing the same next to her. "She just can't. Not without a heavy price."
[03:49] <Ami-chan> "Then what good is any of this?" Ami indicates the gym with a wave of her hand. "If Queen Serenity can't do it, what use is training us? We could never hope to match anything she could do with the ginzuisho, if we all trained for the rest of our lives." Ami sighs bitterly. "Besides, I've seen the ending for myself - you'll pardon me if I'm not exactly eager to start down that road."
[03:50] * Rei-chan winces, Ami's sentiments echoing her own from yesterday...
[03:52] <Genkai> "Using the Ginzuisho means death for the colonies," Genkai says simply. "There isn't enough power to both sustain them and fight off Metallia. However, there is another way... a way that was developed five hundred years ago by the senshi of old."
[03:53] * Ami-chan tilts her head up slightly, just barely looking at the old woman.
[03:54] * Rei-chan gasps, "But... that would be no better than letting Metallia run rampant! It's..." the sheer scale of death boggles her, and she only manages to blurt out "It's unthinkable!"
[03:55] <Genkai> "Precisely. But a loophole was discovered by the senshi, accidentally." Genkai smiles. "Rather, the senshi _are_ the loophole."
[03:56] * Ami-chan looks up a bit more, curious despite her dark mood.
[03:57] <Genkai> "On her own, no senshi can take on Metallia and hope to win...." Genkai's grin turns predatory. "But senshi can do something none other can. They share an inseparable bond, and through that bond, they can lend each other their powers!"
[03:57] <Ami-chan> "A... bond?" Ami glances over at Rei. "Between us?"
[03:58] <Rei-chan> "And our combined powers, of all the Sailor Senshi, can equal the Ginzuishou?" Rei asks, amazed at the concept.
[04:00] * Genkai nods. "Surely you've felt it already, yesterday?" The old woman turns her head towards Rei, while patting Ami's shoulder. "It is unknown whether the true power of the Ginzuisho can really find another equal aside from Golden Crystal, lost forever in the ashes of a great battle more than a millennia ago... but the combined powers of the senshi are more than enough to drive Metallia away!"
[04:02] * Ami-chan looks hopeful for a moment, then her face slips into a frown again. "Perhaps it can... but either way, win or lose, I..." Tears form in her eyes, and she is unable to complete the sentence.
[04:03] * Rei-chan walks over and puts a comforting arm around Ami. "The future isn't set in stone, Ami-chan," she says softly.
[04:06] <Rei-chan> "Still... I can't believe that all the planets are dependant on the Ginzuishou for survival... if people knew..." she trails off, imagining how the billions of people across the solar system would react to discovering how precarious their existences really were.
[04:06] * Ami-chan shakes her head. "No one knows for certain, sempai - believe me, I've tried to find out ever since it happened. There's simply not enough information about time travel available."
[04:06] <Genkai> "That was just a possible future," Genkai says in a detached voice. "One of many. Perhaps one where you stayed on Mercury after receiving Artemis's poorly-worded invitation, until it was too late to train properly?"
[04:09] * Ami-chan gives a short laugh. "Not to be rude, Ms. Genkai, but you don't know that any more than I do. There have been rumors of chronomantic experiments here on Luna, but there's never been concrete evidence of anything. Perhaps whoever or whatever is behind those rumors might know... I certainly don't."
[04:10] <Genkai> "It's alright, I'm used to the young treating me rudely," Genkai replies, patting Ami on the head before standing up.
[04:13] * Ami-chan only sighs in response.
[04:16] <Genkai> "I think I'll go treat myself to a delicious chocolate-chip icecream," Genkai says, headed towards the kitchen, whistling.
[04:18] <Rei-chan> "I think I could go for some of that myself," Rei says, "How about you, Ami-chan?"
[04:19] * Ami-chan simply shakes her head. "I'm not all that hungry right now, thank you all the same."
[04:20] * Genkai back-tracks, picks Ami up, puts the young girl over her shoulder and then heads back into the kitchen, still whistling.
[04:21] * Rei-chan follows the pair bemusedly.
[04:21] * Ami-chan squawks in surprise. "What are you doing?!"
[04:21] <Genkai> "Ice-cream is the greatest!" Genkai exclaims, as she disappears into the kitchen.
[04:21] <Genkai> ---------------
[23:14] <Corwin> It's the kitchen, an hour later, you're all eating ice-cream. Ami's grumpy, but
 not scared and depressed anymore.
[23:15] <Rei-chan> "Oh, Genkai, I was meaning to ask you, how can I get a secure channel to Mars?
 I want to talk to mother or father about these peace talks," Rei says, setting down her now
 empty bowl of icecream.
[23:16] <Corwin> Genkai smiles at Rei, literally bristling with joy. "I was afraid you'd never
 ask."
[23:16] <Rei-chan> "Well, I just did," Rei deadpans.
[23:17] <Corwin> "There is a safe place you could use to communicate with anyone outside the
 complex," Genkai responds. "In fact, it's in this very wing!"
[23:18] * Rei-chan nods, waiting for Genkai to elaborate.
[23:19] <Corwin> Genkai's smile widens. "Surely, you didn't think the senshi needed more than one
 bathroom?"
[23:21] <Rei-chan> "I don't know, what if one person was already using it and someone else really
 needed to go?" Rei shrugs, "There are four of..." she trails off, looking down the corridor at
 'Rika's toilet'. "Oh."
[23:22] <Corwin> "I call it the Genkaicave!" the old woman says happily. "I'm sure you'll spend
 many happy hours there, my dear."
[23:23] * Ami-hime looks over at 'Rika's' door in disbelief.
[23:23] * Rei-chan sighs. "Yes, such a cunning ploy of misdirection as well. Why, any
 infiltrators would never suspect to find anything of note in the toilet reserved exclusively
 for your dear, sadly hospitalised, granddaughter."
[23:24] <Rei-chan> Shaking her head, Rei heads over towards Rika's toilet.
[23:24] <Corwin> "Don't forget to flush!" Genkai calls after her.
[23:24] <Rei-chan> "Stupid old woman..." Rei grumbles as she opens the door and enters.
[23:25] <Corwin> Inside, Rei finds a toilet, much like the one to its right.
[23:25] * Rei-chan looks around for any communications equipment.
[23:25] <Corwin> Rei finds standard equipment one wouldn't think out of place in a toilet.
[23:26] * Rei-chan opens the door and pokes her head out. "I'm not seeing any communications
 equipment here, old woman," she calls over to Genkai.
[23:27] <Corwin> "Lazy youngsters," Genkai's voice drifts over to Rei from beyond the open
 kitchen door. "Always have to get others do things for them...."
[23:35] <Rei-chan> "It is what servants are for," Rei reminds the old woman.
[23:36] <Corwin> Muttering something under her breath, Genkai walks out of the kitchen, brushing
 past Rei and inside the Rika toilet.
[23:38] <Corwin> Genkai, sighing, stares at Rei impassively through half-lidded eyes, and flushes
 the toilet.
[23:39] <Rei-chan> "Yes, well if I had actually used the toilet for its intended purpose, you can
 be sure that's what I'd have done," Rei says peevishly. "There's no point flushing it if you
 haven't used it."
[23:39] <Corwin> Almost instantly, vibrations pass through the floor, and Rei falls through the
 now-immaterial floor.
[23:39] <Rei-chan> "Eeek!"
[23:39] * Ami-hime hears the cry and comes running to the door of the toilet. "What happened?"
[23:40] <Corwin> Rei drops through the ether, lights flashing all around her, until she lands on
 her bottom unceremoniously. Genkai's feet touch on her head lightly, before the old woman jumps
 off her charge and onto the floor.
[23:40] <Corwin> Ami finds a recently-flushed toilet. An empty one.
[23:41] <Rei-chan> "Ugh..." Rei wipes her head, remembering the crap she had gotten all over her
 the last time she had come into contact with Genkai's feet.
[23:41] <Corwin> Rei's hand comes surprisingly clean.
[23:41] * Rei-chan stands up, dusting herself off, and looks around.
[23:42] <Corwin> "I had this made especially for you..." Genkai growses from behind her. "But do
 they ever say nice things like thank you?"
[23:42] <Rei-chan> "Tell you what," Rei offers reasonably, "I'll be sure to read a wonderfully
 moving eulogy for you. That fair?"
[23:43] <Corwin> "Bah!" Genkai exclaims. "I'm good for another millennium!"
[23:44] <Rei-chan> "Well if I ever develop an unreasoning hatred for my future children, you can
 be sure to find continued employment with the Martian royal family..." Rei mutters.
[23:44] <Corwin> "Oh, goody!" Genkai says, her spirits seeming high once more.
[23:45] * Rei-chan continues looking around.
[23:45] <Corwin> As she looks around, Rei finds a pretty impressive computer system taking a
 corner of the room. Communications equipment are in an opposite corner.
[23:46] <Corwin> The remaining three corners of what seems to be a pentagon are empty.
[23:46] <Rei-chan> "Okay..." Rei heads over to the communications stuff and examines it,
 wondering if this is more of the ultra high-tech stuff she doesn't have a clue how to work.
[23:48] <Corwin> The technology seems pretty intuitive to use. In fact, Rei has doubts it's more
 advanced than her glove.
[23:49] * Rei-chan tries to get a connection to Phobos Deimos Castle.
[23:51] <Corwin> "Hello, how may I redirect your ca-- Princess!" The receptionist at the
 Phobos-Deimon castle blushes, averting her eyes once she sees Rei on the screen.
[23:53] <Rei-chan> "Good afternoon," Rei says pleasantly, "Are either of my parents available
 right now?"
[23:54] <Corwin> The girl nods. "Your father is in his study, Highness."
[23:55] <Rei-chan> "Good, put me through to him."
[23:57] <Corwin> Rei's request is quickly fulfilled, and King Hikaru's face appears on the
 screen. "Ah, Rei, what a pleasant surprise," he says, smiling. "I trust you haven't been giving
 Miss Genkai any trouble?"
[23:59] * Rei-chan twitches slightly. "No more than usual, I suppose, Father," she replies
 uneasily before composing herself. "Anyway, I thought I should call you to let you know what's
 happening here on the Moon."
[00:01] <Corwin> He nods, and his hands move out of Rei's field of vision. She sees a small
 subtitle appear on the screen afterwards, claiming that the channel is now secure.
[00:01] <Corwin> "Go ahead," Hikaru says.
[00:01] <Rei-chan> "Queen Serenity has invited a delegation from Earth to discuss peace with
 them, and this could possibly lead to an end to the ban on travel to and from Earth. I was
 curious as to how you or Mother would feel about this."
[00:03] <Corwin> He is silent for a moment, contemplating her question. "I can't speak for
 Hikari," the King finally says, "but I think it's about time. I never believed the rumors about
 them, as you well know."
[00:05] * Rei-chan nods, "Well, having met a few of the people from the Earth delegation, I can't
 help but feel the Silver Millenium would be enriched if we were to have more dealings with
 them. The Earthlings certainly are an interesting group. I just wanted your opinion so I know
 how to comport myself during these talks as a representative of Mars. There is another reason
 for these peace talks, however..."
[00:07] <Corwin> Hikaru twitches slightly as Rei mentions being a representative of Mars for the
 Earthlings, but then looks at her curiously. "Oh?"
[00:10] <Rei-chan> "Ah, I'm really not sure how much I can say, even on a secure channel..." Rei
 hedges, thankfully not noticing the twitch, "But you remember why Luna came to see me? Well, it
 involves quite a bit more than Princess Serenity.
[00:10] <Rei-chan> "Actually... well, if you can find information on a being called Metallia, it
 seems it is going to return soon, and Queen Serenity doesn't want to risk the possibility of
 hostilities with Earth while our attention is elsewhere..."
[00:12] <Corwin> "I... see." Hikaru sighs. "Then it's finally that time...."
[00:12] <Rei-chan> "You knew?" Rei asks in surprise.
[00:20] <Corwin> The King rubs at his temples tiredly. "It is a prophecy every ruler of Mars
 learns of during their ascention," he says. "But given the time of the foretold events was
 rapidly approaching, Hikari and I took it a bit more seriously. Unlike, say, my parents," he
 adds, with a bit of bitterness creeping into his voice.
[00:22] <Rei-chan> "Yes, well it seems the time is nearly upon us. And guess who drew the short
 straw and has to fight the all powerful force of evil destruction?" Rei says with a slightly
 cracked grin.
[00:28] <Corwin> "Whenever in doubt, Rei," he says, his tone serious, "don't forget that you are
 in the presence of the greatest person in the Moon Kingdom. Serenity may have been born to the
 royal line of Luna, but we chose her to lead us. I know the other houses did the same." The
 King smiles at his daughter. "She'll keep you safe, even if all else fails."
[00:31] <Rei-chan> "I don't doubt her abilities as a leader," Rei replies honestly, "But I also
 learnt something else today that I shouldn't have discovered until my ascension to the throne.
 The cost if Queen Serenity tries to stop Metallia by herself is unimaginable..."
[00:33] <Corwin> "Ah." He nods grimly, the smile disappearing. "So now you know." He is silent
 for a long moment. "Luna will remain safe, even if we all fall. Your mother and I want you to
 remain there, Rei, instead of trying to do something foolish."
[00:35] * Ami-hime is now known as Halbarad
[00:36] <Rei-chan> "I won't lie, Daddy," Rei says, suddenly looking a lot more uncertain, and
 leaning closer to the image of her father. "I'm terrified by all of this. It seems my whole
 world has been pulled from under my feet, and I'm scared I don't have what it takes... but
 there's so much at stake, I can't possibly afford to fail..."
[00:38] <Corwin> "You're lucky Miss Genkai is there to guide you, then!" he says suddenly,
 nodding at something just over Rei's left shoulder.
[00:39] <Rei-chan> Rei's eyes suddenly bug out, and she barely restrains herself from turning
 around. "I forgot she was here..." she whispers.
[00:41] <Corwin> Genkai nods solemnly, her hands crossed in front of her chest. "I'll do my best,
 Your Highness," she says.
[00:43] <Rei-chan> "Ah, anyway... gotta go!" Rei says, quickly closing the connection and
 marching over to where she arrived in the room. "How do we get out of here?" she asks, not
 wanting to hear Genkai's snide remarks after her little display of vulnerability.
[00:44] <Corwin> "D'oh!" Genkai exclaims. "I _knew_ I forgot to install something!" She smiles
 infuriatingly at Rei. "Oh well. Such is life."
[00:45] <Rei-chan> "Not funny."
[00:45] <Corwin> "I'm serious," Genkai deadpans.
[00:47] <Rei-chan> "Well you'd better think of something, then!" Rei nearly yells.
[00:49] <Corwin> Genkai sighs. "You're no fun." She presses her right hand to the jewel on her
 glove, the latter glowing a soft pink in response. "Hold on, unless you really want to kick
 back and relax in the Genkaicave," she tells Rei, before speaking a few words in her foreign
 language into the air.
[00:50] * Rei-chan reluctantly grabs onto Genkai's arm.
[00:52] <Corwin> Rei's vision is covered briefly by a whirlwind of sakura petals. She blinks, and
 finds herself outside of the entrance to the Genkaicave, the old woman standing next to her.
[00:55] <Rei-chan> "Right, that's that... I suppose I have some time to kill before the Ball
 tonight... what time is it, do you know?" she asks Genkai, letting go of her.
[01:00] <Corwin> "Around one thirty-five in the afternoon, give or take a few milliseconds,"
 Genkai says offhandedly.
[01:01] <Rei-chan> "I meant what time the Ball is being held tonight," Rei clarifies her meaning.
[01:03] <Corwin> "I believe it is to begin at seven," Genkai responds. She moves towards the
 bedroom, only to stumble along the way.
[01:05] * Rei-chan instinctively moves to support Genkai, before realising what she is doing and
 scooting away. No doubt the old woman is planning something evil...
[01:06] <Corwin> Genkai straightens herself, and heads towards the bedroom once more, only slower
 this time.
[01:07] * Rei-chan wavers slightly, then against her better judgement catches up to Genkai. "Are
 you alright?" she asks, keeping on her guard in case the old woman is just trying to lull her
 into a false sense of security.
[01:08] <Corwin> "Of course I am," Genkai responds in a hurt voice. "Never been better."
[01:10] <Rei-chan> "Right..." Rei nods dubiously, before deciding to just forget about it.
 "Anyway, I'm going to catch some sleep before the Ball. I still feel pretty worn out from what
 those simulated youma did..."
[01:11] <Corwin> Genkai nods. "That was an unexpected workout."
[20:21] <Corwin> ---------
[20:23] <Corwin> After a refreshing nap, Rei wakes up half an hour before the ball is to start. On the adjacent bed, Ami is sleeping soundly, tired from the battle earlier and the revelations which followed.
[20:26] <Rei-chan> Recalling that Ami doesn't really like ball's, and the fairly hard day the young girl has had, Rei decides to let Ami sleep. Looking through her clothes, the Martian Princess settles on a shimmering red ballgown, and quickly gets dressed and applies her makeup and jewellery before leaving the room.
[20:27] <Corwin> As the elevator's doors open at ground level, Rei finds an escort of four guards waiting for her.
[20:28] * Rei-chan nods slightly to the guards, allowing them to lead her onwards.
[20:30] <Corwin> The four bow, and one of them, the apparent leader, addressed the princess. "Where is Princess Ami Hermesia, Highness?"
[20:31] <Rei-chan> "Princess Ami is feeling slightly unwell, and will not be present this evening, I'm afraid," Rei tells the guard.
[20:33] <Corwin> "Most unfortunate." He bows once more. "Please follow me then, Princess." He begins leading Rei in a direction she hadn't been to before, the other three guards following.
[20:34] * Rei-chan follows gracefully.
[20:34] <Corwin> ---------
[20:35] <Corwin> Beryl has just gotten off the videophone, after a lengthy chat with her superiors, when she notices it's almost time for the ball.
[20:37] <Beryl> "Oh, right. The ball. Hm, what to wear..."
[20:38] <Beryl> Deciding to forgo the little red number for a more festive occasion, Beryl slips into a simple, snug white dress with an intricate lily design across the left upper portion.
[20:38] <Beryl> After checking herself in the mirror she nods and heads out the door.
[20:40] <Corwin> An escort of two guards is waiting for her, both of them the same as earlier. They smile at her, bowing. "Shall we be on our way, Milady?" one of them asks.
[20:44] <Corwin> Beryl recalls that the guard who had spoken, a blond male appearing in his early twenties, is called Gren. His chubby, dark-haired companion never gave her his name, though she heard Gren call him 'Gor' once.
[20:45] <Beryl> "Certainly, Gren," Beryl says, smiling at the blonde kindly. "We wouldn't want to keep the others waiting," Beryl says, taking his arm. She nods to other other as well.
[20:48] <Corwin> 'Gor' nods in return, and lets his friend lead Beryl to a distant ballroom, falling back behind the two.
[20:48] <Corwin> ---------
[20:49] <Corwin> "Aren't you ready yet, Mina?" Artemis asks the blonde princess through a bathroom door. "We don't have much time."
[20:50] <PrincessMinako> Minako checks her reflection in the mirror, smiling brightly at the masterful job she's done. "Almost ready, Arte!"
[20:51] <PrincessMinako> "One last minor adjustment," she says to herself. Her hands move deftly, fixing the last of her mascera.
[20:51] <PrincessMinako> "Coming!" she yells as she walks out of the bathroom.
[20:52] <Corwin> Artemis is waiting for her on the floor. As Minako exits, he looks up at her, and sighs. "What were you doing there for two hours, anyway?"
[20:53] <PrincessMinako> She smiles brightly, "A woman never knows when she needs to look her best. So I always look my best!"
[20:53] <PrincessMinako> "Are you ready kitty?"
[20:55] <Corwin> Artemis looks distinctly hurt when she asks that. "Of course! I'm always ready!"
[20:56] <PrincessMinako> Minako chuckles to herself, happy to see that she can still ruffle his fur. With that thought, she bends down and scratches him before walking past towards the door. "Let's get going then!"
[20:58] <Corwin> As the two leave the quarters assigned to Minako for her stay on the Moon, an escort of Lunar Guards awaits them. Artemis acts like a normal cat, giving them an innocent glance.
[20:59] <PrincessMinako> Minako pauses at the sight of them. "Will one of you wonderful men show me where I'm supposed to go," she says sweetly.
[21:00] <Corwin> "Of course, Highness!" The two salute. "Please, follow us to the Tranquility Ballroom."
[21:01] <PrincessMinako> "What gentlemen you are," she says happily, her gloved hand extending for one of them to take it.
[21:03] <Corwin> The guard to her left takes it, his slightly slower companion shooting him a glare.
[21:03] <Corwin> "Allow me, Highness," the guard holding her hand says.
[21:04] <PrincessMinako> Minako ignores the other guard while giving the curteous one a polite nod of the head. "Shall we?" She smiles to the man, ready for him to lead her to Tranquility.
[21:06] <Corwin> ---------
[21:59] <Corwin> As Rei enters the Tranquility Ballroom, the first thing she sees is a huge banner welcoming 'Serenity's Friends From Earth' hanging overhead. Balloons of all colors and glowing minatures of stars are floating in the room, some of them low enough that one could reach up and touch them. Despite a myriad of guests, she can still easily spot Queen Serenity, who chose to wear her simple white gown.
[22:02] <Rei-chan> Leaving her guards behind, Rei makes her way over to Queen Serenity and curtseys once she has the monarch's attention. "Good evening, your Majesty," she greets her politely.
[22:03] <Corwin> "Welcome, Rei-chan!" Serenity greets her warmly. "I'm so glad you could make it!" Looking around, she asks, "And where's your friend Ami-chan?"
[22:05] <Rei-chan> "It's my pleasure to be here," Rei replies in an equally warm tone, seeing Serenity isn't in one of her 'serious' moods. "Unfortunately, Princess Ami wasn't feeling too well. It has been a trying day for her, and she didn't feel up to any social events. She did ask me to pass on her apologies for not attending," she explains, deciding to try and talk Ami up a bit, lest the Queen find any reason to be upset with the poor little girl...
[22:07] <Corwin> The Queen frowns slightly. "I guess I shouldn't jump to conclusions... she certainly doesn't seem evil, so she wouldn't be planning some nasty prank while pretending to be sick...." Serenity shakes her head. "Nevermind all that. Oh, there's Minako-chan!" She turns towards Rei. "You haven't met yet, right?"
[22:09] <Rei-chan> "Princess Minako of Venus? I thought she was still aboard the 'My Dear Baby Girl Serenity'..." Rei says, looking in the direction the Queen was when she noticed Minako.
[22:11] <PrincessMinako> Minako leaves her escorts, thanking them pleasantly and enters the ballroom. Looking around she spots her Queen. Being the extra polite person she is, she walks up to the women talking and waits to be recognized.
[22:13] <Corwin> "Minako-chan, this is Rei-chan. Rei-chan, this is Minako-chan!" Serenity smiles.
[22:14] <PrincessMinako> Minako nods her head respectfully. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
[22:14] * Rei-chan smiles indulgently at the Queen before curtseying to her fellow Princess. "It's very nice to meet you, Princess Minako."
[22:16] <Corwin> Beryl arrives to the ballroom, the large pink banner welcoming Earthlings being nigh-impossible to ignore.
[22:16] <Rei-chan> "So, will you be staying with us on the Moon, now?" Rei asks Minako, "I heard the 'My Dear Baby Girl Serenity' departed for Jupiter earlier today."
[22:18] <Beryl> 'So... pink,' Beryl thinks, looking the the abom-er, banner.
[22:19] <PrincessMinako> "I believe I will be here at least through the negotiations. After that, I don't know what my life will be like," Minako responds.
[22:20] * Beryl shakes her head slightly, glancing around at the rather tacky decore. It reminded her of highschool for some odd reason. 'Good call on the dress.'
[22:20] <Corwin> "Oh, I think you'll certainly be staying with us afterwards," the Queen interjects, still smiling. "Unless Artemis didn't fill you in on all the details, Minako-chan?"
[22:20] <Corwin> Artemis shivers in Minako's arms.
[22:21] * Beryl looks for the Queen.
[22:22] <Corwin> The Queen is easily found, as she seems to almost glow in her pristine dress.
[22:22] <PrincessMinako> "Darn," Minako thinks to herself, "I should listen to the silly cat more often." Looking innocently at the Queen, she says, "I was just being cautions, My Queen, trying _not_ to have too many expectations."
[22:23] * Beryl makes her way over to Serenity, taking Gren along with her.
[22:23] <Rei-chan> "I think we're all having our expectations changed..." Rei says, thinking of how different things are for her than they were just a few days ago.
[22:24] <Corwin> Just before Beryl reaches Serenity, a young girl runs in front of the Earthling, headed for the Queen. "Aunty!" the girl shouts, her long dark-green hair swishing behind her.
[22:25] <PrincessMinako> Minako quirks and eyebrow at Rei-chan. "How have your expectations changed, Rei?"
[22:25] * Beryl pauses, letting the girl pass.
[22:26] * Rei-chan looks around slightly, noting that any number of people could overhear her. "Let's just say I've developed a new appreciation for how the Silver Millenium works," she says evasively.
[22:26] <Corwin> Serenity frowns at the energetic girl. "How did I tell you to call me, Setsuna-chan?"
[22:27] <Corwin> "Well, I still remember when I called you gramma..." Setsuna replies, wincing. "Right, I shouldn't do that. Ever again."
[22:27] <Corwin> Serenity just sighs, shaking her head. "Rei-chan, Minako-chan, meet the future ruler of Pluto. The pleasure is all yours, I'm sure."
[22:29] * Rei-chan covers her mouth to hide a small chuckle at the interplay, before composing herself. "Good evening, Setsuna. It

[Corwin]

[22:40] * Beryl looks for the source of said tugging.
[22:41] <Corwin> "Are you from Earth, Aunty?" Setsuna asks, looking up at the towering red-head.
[22:42] * Beryl kneels, bringing herself down to Setsuna's height. "Yes, I am. They call me Beryllium sweety. And who might you be?" Her voice holds the same warm she's used to using with the younger members of her family.
[22:44] <Corwin> "I'm Setsuna! Setsuna de la Mare!" the girl answers. "I heard a lot about you from great-gramma!"
[22:45] <Beryl> "Oh?" Beryl glances toward Queen Serenity for a moment before bringing her attention back to Setsuna. "Good things I hope."
[22:46] <Corwin> Queen Serenity has a tired expression on her face, which is smoothed over quickly once she notices Beryl's glance.
[22:47] <Corwin> "Yep!" Setsuna replies. "She told me you were really weak! 'Easy pickings', or something. Great-gramma likes to use those words."
[22:48] * Beryl continues to smile, if a bit forced. "Is that so?"
[22:50] * Rei-chan dearly hopes Setsuna's 'great-gramma' is the senile Queen Mother of Pluto or something like that, and not in any current position of authority...
[22:50] <Corwin> Setsuna nods eagerly. "She said she'd teach me how to blast them with the Chr--"
[22:50] <Corwin> Serenity comes up, and puts a hand over the green-haired girl's mouth. "I think I'll have a chat with your 'great-gramma' later, Setsuna-chan," she says, her left eyebrow twitching.
[22:50] <PrincessMinako> Minako tries extremely hard to supress a laugh, and barely succeeds.
[22:50] <Rei-chan> "Kids, eh?" Rei gives Beryl a slightly pained grin.
[22:51] <Corwin> Serenity whispers something into Setsuna's ear, the little girl going white and bolting for the exit. She almost makes it, before the effect of a teleport washes over her fleeing form.
[22:52] <Beryl> "Indeed," Beryl says, rising. "Spirited little thing. Reminds me of someone."
[22:53] <Corwin> "I know," Alita speaks up suddenly from behind Beryl.
[22:53] * Rei-chan brightens. "Ah, hello Alita! How are you?"
[22:53] <Corwin> "Confused," the short woman replies. "That girl seemed really familiar...."
[22:54] * Beryl turns. "Ah, Miss Alita. I had wondered where you'd gone. Enjoying yourself?"
[22:54] <Corwin> "I guess," Alita replies, shrugging. Noticing Serenity nearby, she waves at her.
[22:54] <Corwin> Serenity returns the wave, smiling once more.
[22:54] <Beryl> 'Probably not. Bet she hasn't harrassed the prince since he became ill,' Beryl thinks.
[22:55] <Corwin> "I heard you got promoted," Alita comments, taking a glass from a passing waiter and sipping from it. "Congrats and all that."
[22:57] * Beryl waves it off. "Just a bit more responability, that's all. What have you been up to?"
[22:59] <Corwin> Alita shrugs. "Oh, you know. Visiting here and there, beating up guards for fun. The usual."
[23:02] <Rei-chan> "Beating up guards...?" Rei casts a nervous glance between Alita and Queen Serenity.
[23:02] <Corwin> "It's all to further their training," Serenity says, though Rei notices an almost imperceptible wince.
[23:03] <Beryl> "Oh?" Beryl leans toward Gren and whispers, "You may go now, though I may need an escort back to my room later." She winks.
[23:05] <Rei-chan> "So, did you visit anywhere outside the palace?" Rei asks Alita. "Chances are you've probably seen more of the Moon than I have... I haven't really gotten the chance to do much sightseeing," she laments.
[23:06] <Corwin> Gren bows to Beryl and the gathered royalty, and leaves quickly.
[23:07] <Corwin> "Only to the library," Alita says mournfully, while Serenity looks alarmed nearby. "I've been told really strong fighters were there, but when I got to the place, it was deserted."
[23:07] <PrincessMinako> "The library?" Minako asks flaberghasted by the conversation.
[23:07] <Rei-chan> "The St Claire Library?" Rei asks, paling.
[23:08] <Corwin> "Yeah, that's the one," Alita confirms, nodding. "The guards wouldn't let me in, of course. Something about planetary security." She waves her hand in a gesture of dismissal. "But no one was inside, and the place was just covered with foam."
[23:09] * Rei-chan blushes.
[23:09] <Beryl> "Foam? Perhaps a fire caused them to leave," Beryl comments.
[23:10] <Corwin> Serenity blanches. "They wouldn't!"
[23:10] <Beryl> "Hm?"
[23:10] <Rei-chan> "They couldn't!" Rei turns to Serenity, panicked, "Right?!"
[23:11] <PrincessMinako> Minako slides up to Beryly. "Do you have any idea?"
[23:11] * Beryl glances between the two. "Why wouldn't they? Certainly anyone with a bit of sense would vacate a burning building?"
[23:12] <Corwin> "Rei-chan," Serenity says in an unnaturally calm voice. "Please tell me how the fire was put out."
[23:14] <Rei-chan> "Ah..." Rei wracks her memory, since she was pretty out of it back then. "I think Priestess Misha said something about emergency sprinklers, and then Makoto-chan and I were teleported outside?"
[23:14] <Corwin> "Misha," Serenity says, before laughing to herself. "Misha! Of course! If anyone could do it--"
[23:15] * Beryl hangs back, no quite following the conversation.
[23:15] <Rei-chan> "Please, please, please tell me they aren't loose," Rei begs the Queen.
[23:17] <Corwin> "Sylphiel!" Serenity calls out loudly, silencing the conversations nearby.
[23:17] <Corwin> A few moments later, the head priestess appears kneeling in front of Serenity. "Yes, my Queen?" she asks, looking up.
[23:18] <Corwin> "Investigate the St. Claire Library at once!" Serenity commands her "Take all available trainees with you."
[23:19] <Corwin> Sylphiel pales, but nods. "Is there anything else, Queen Serenity?"
[23:20] <Corwin> Serenity smiles. "Oh yes. Indeed. Find Priestess Trainee Misha, and bring her to see me at the earliest possible convenience."
[23:20] * Rei-chan has an inner battle with her conscience, not wanting to face those perverts again, but feeling for Sylphiel and the trainees... "Ah... I'd be willing to help as well," she offers. In a way, it is kind of her fault, anyway...
[23:20] <Corwin> "You will?" Serenity asks in surprise. "Do you feel up to it, Rei-chan?
[23:21] * Rei-chan steels herself, and takes a deep breath. "I can't say I'm fully confident, but I want to at least try to bring those fiends to justice."
[23:21] <PrincessMinako> Minako, still in a hazy fit of confusion asks, "How hard can investigating foam be?"
[23:22] <Corwin> "Yeah, it didn't look that scary to me," Alita pitches in.
[23:23] <Rei-chan> "It's not the foam, it's the librarians..." Rei says uneasily.
[23:23] <Beryl> "I believe she is refering to the 'strong fighters' you mentioned earlier," Beryl says.
[23:23] <Corwin> Alita laughs. "Strong librarians? Why the hell not? I wanna meet them."
[23:24] <PrincessMinako> "Soo... some librarians started a fire, and Rei-chan had trouble bringing them to justice? Is that right, Rei-chan?"
[23:24] <Beryl> "I wonder..." Beryl says quietly.
[23:24] * Rei-chan turns to Minako. "Ah, not quite. The librarians attacked me, and in the fight, a fire was started..." she says, blushing.
[23:25] <Beryl> 'First ninja cooks and now criminal librarians.' "The universe is a strange place indeed."
[23:25] <PrincessMinako> "Why did they attack you? Did you forget to return a book?" Minako asks. Her confusion, not, going away.
[23:26] * Rei-chan frowns. "The librarians are perverts. Not to be immodest, but I'm an attractive young woman. Do I need to explain further?" she asks, her tone becoming noticably cooler.
[23:27] <Corwin> Serenity pats Rei's shoulder reassuringly.
[23:28] * Rei-chan gives Serenity a somewhat grateful smile. "Anyway, I suppose I should leave with Sylphiel now. I hope everyone enjoys the ball," she smiles at everyone else before moving towards Sylphiel.
[23:29] <Corwin> Serenity gives her a curt nod. "Good luck, Rei-chan, Alita, Sylphiel. May you punish them in the name of the Moon."
[23:29] <PrincessMinako> "Do you need any help," Minako asks, "I mean from the perverts?"
[23:30] * Rei-chan takes out the brass knuckles Genkai gave her. They might be an uncouth weapon, but the perverts deserve no courtesy. "If you're willing to help, I won't refuse any, but you do know the risk you're putting yourself at?" she asks Minako.
[23:31] <PrincessMinako> "Life without risk is boring," she says. "I think I should change, first. Is their a good place to meet you?"
[23:32] <Beryl> "Knuckle Dusters?" Beryl says, surprised. Really, you'd think she'd have a sword or something.
[23:32] * Rei-chan dons the knuckles, seeing her arms becoming wreathed in flame, she nods in satisfaction before also producing her Flame Whip, coiled and ready. She looks at Sylphiel to answer Minako's question, since the Priestess seems to be in charge of this mission.
[23:33] <Corwin> "There is no time to waste," Serenity says grimly. "Sylphiel will just have to provide for you."
[23:34] <Corwin> "I understand, my Queen," Sylphiel replies. She offers her hands to those coming. "Please, hold onto me."
[23:34] <Corwin> Alita is the first to grab onto Sylphiel's arm.
[23:35] <PrincessMinako> Shrugging her shoulders, Minako takes a hold of Sylphiel.
[23:37] <Beryl> "Good luck?" Beryl says uncertainly, not exactly sure why the princesses would be running off to fight criminals.
[23:37] <Beryl> 'They certainly do some odd things up here.'
[23:38] * Rei-chan puts a hand on Sylphiel's shoulder.
[23:38] <Corwin> "Rei wouldn't need luck, if what I saw of her was any judge," Alita tells Beryl with a confident smile.
[23:38] <Corwin> Sylphiel closes her eyes, and the four disappear from the ballroom.
[23:39] <Corwin> ---------
[23:40] <Corwin> Alita, Rei and Minako find themselves in front of a small reception desk, much like one hotels often use. It's strangely vacant.
[23:40] <PrincessMinako> Minako releases her hold upon Sylphiel and looks around the room.
[23:40] * Rei-chan notices that the flames on her arm have moved away from her hand after she touched Sylphiel, and she experiments with moving them around her body a bit after letting the Priestess go.
[23:41] <Corwin> "Silvia? Mariko?" Sylphiel calls out. "Greta?"
[23:42] <Corwin> Rei manages to move the fire a few centimeters, before it returns stubbornly to its original location.
[23:43] <Corwin> There's a yawn from Minako's arms, and Artemis opens his eyes, looking around blurrily. "Where are we, Mina?" he asks.
[23:43] <Rei-chan> "That was nice of you to say, Alita," Rei says to the other girl, after she finishes with the knuckle dusters, "But these librarians are a LOT better than me. I could barely touch the one I fought yesterday, though he had no problems touching ME," she shivers at the memory.
[23:43] <Corwin> Sylphiel disappears further into the building.
[23:44] <Corwin> "Don't worry, I'll protect you, then!" Alita says cockily.
[23:45] <PrincessMinako> Minako looks down at the feline. "We're looking for some priestess, Arty. And then we're off to fight some perverts," she says cheerfully.
[23:46] <Corwin> "Oh no!" Sylphiel exclaims, returning, her eyes wild. "No one's around! They must've heard, somehow, and ran away!"
[23:46] <Rei-chan> "I'm sure with all of us we'll be able to handle them," Rei says, sounding a bit more upbeat.
[23:46] * Rei-chan stumbles slightly.
[23:47] <Corwin> "What should we do? What should we do?" Sylphiel repeats to herself. "I'm too young to die...."
[23:47] <Rei-chan> "You'll only _wish_ you were dead after dealing with those perverts," Rei says grimly.
[23:47] <Corwin> "Perverts? Dying?" Artemis snorts. "I'll wait here, thanks." He jumps out of Minako's arms and onto the floor.
[23:48] <Corwin> "You know, your cat talks," Alita comments conversationally to Minako.
[23:49] <PrincessMinako> "But what if they're gone because the perverts came here and tied them up. Just waiting for us to come rescue them and they leap out at any moment," Minako calls to Artemis. "Unfortunately, I know," Minako replies to Alita without missing a beat.
[23:49] <Corwin> "It must be a pain," Alita says, nodding.
[23:50] <Corwin> Artemis, however, is fast asleep on a sofa found in the reception room.
[23:50] <PrincessMinako> "You have Nooooo idea," Minako says as she lowers and shakes her head sadly.
[23:51] <Rei-chan> "Where will we start looking? They could be anywhere..." Rei muses, looking at Sylphiel for any suggestions.
[23:52] <Corwin> "First, you must change," Sylphiel says, handing out three priestess outfits she materializes seemingly out of thin air. "Then, we'll have to teleport over to the library."
[23:53] <Corwin> Sylphiel holds up a strange device which reminds Rei of the Mercury Computer. "I can track them with this, if I'm close enough. Or, at the very least, pick up their trail."
[23:53] <Rei-chan> Looking around, and noticing no one else is around but 'us girls', Rei shrugs and quickly removes her dress, throwing it on top of Artemis before donning the outfit Sylphiel provided.
[23:54] <PrincessMinako> Minako takes the proffed outfit, noting it can't be worse to fight in then her current attire. Follwoing Rei's lead, she quickly changes.
[23:54] <Corwin> Alita changes as well.
[23:55] <Corwin> "Hold on to me again," Sylphiel asks, and once the three do so, yells, "I hate you all, you cowards! I'm never buying you lunch again!" just before she teleports away.
[23:55] <Corwin> ---------
[23:56] <Corwin> Rei and Alita recognize the reception desk of the library as soon as their eyes clear. Minako, however, just stares at the foam-covered place.
[23:56] <Rei-chan> "Can you track them?" Rei asks, letting go of Sylphiel.
[23:57] <Corwin> Sylphiel tinkers with her device for a few moments. "I'm getting a reaction... my God, there are five-- how?!"
[23:57] * Rei-chan chokes. "Five?! I thought there were just the two of them?!"
[23:58] <Corwin> Sylphiel laughs hysterically. "They couldn't have interbred. It's impossible!"
[23:58] <Corwin> The priestess begins typing furiously.
[23:58] <PrincessMinako> Minako looks wide-eyed at Sylphiel.
[23:59] * Rei-chan turns green at the thought of them breeding.
[23:59] <Corwin> "Games... to Misha, collection of dresses to Serenity...." Sylphiel mumbles, typing.
[00:00] <Corwin> "Hey, where's the closest one?" Alita asks.
[00:03] <Corwin> "At Serenity's Enemies," Sylphiel replies eventually, snapping out of her hysteria. "How fitting."
[00:03] <Corwin> Alita nods. "I'll go scout ahead. You three follow me and watch my back, k?"
[00:04] <Rei-chan> "Well, at least they're still in the library, right?" Rei says, following Alita while looking around warily.
[00:05] <Corwin> Alita jogs ahead, while Sylphiel follows at a normal pace, her nose buried in the device.
[00:05] <Corwin> "Oh my!" the priestess exclaims.
[00:06] <Rei-chan> "What?" Rei asks in alarm, her nerves pretty frayed.
[00:06] <Corwin> "There are ten of them now!"
[00:07] <Rei-chan> "That thing has to be broken!" Rei yells, half hysterical as she points at the device in Sylphiel's hands.
[00:08] <Corwin> Sylphiel drops it at Rei's yell, the device slamming against the ground. "Well, it certainly is now," the priestess whines.
[00:09] * Rei-chan groans. "I'm sorry, but... ten?! How is that possibly possible?!"
[00:10] <Corwin> "Well, amoeba--" Sylphiel cuts herself off. "Something's coming!"
[00:11] <Rei-chan> "Where?" Rei spins around, looking in every direction she can.
[00:12] <Corwin> Sylphiel releases a beam of light to the left, catching a diminutive form with it. However, instead of pushing the attacker back, it doesn't seem to halt him the slightest!
[00:21] <Corwin> With a battle cry of "Breast imprints!" the tiny pervert flies at Rei, his little hands outstretched!
[00:23] <Rei-chan> Nimbly ducking under the flying pervert, Rei then spins round and lashes out with her Flame Whip, hoping to entangle him and hinder his damnable mobility, in addition to causing a world of pain!
[00:25] <Corwin> The pervert moans, getting wrapped up in the whip and then slammed against the ground.
[00:28] <Corwin> "D-Damn you," Lucky gasps, glaring daggers at Rei.
[00:31] <PrincessMinako> Minako watches, impressed with Rei's dexterity, running up she raises a fist and smashes it into his face.
[00:33] <Corwin> Minako's fist slams into the ground next to the aged pervert, as she misjudges his height.
[00:37] <Corwin> "Feel the wrath of an artist scorned!" the diminutive thing cries out, his arms freeing themselves from the whip and pink energy gathering between his cupped palms.
[00:38] <Corwin> A large, panty-shaped pink blast erupts from his outstretched hands, headed for Rei!
[00:39] <Corwin> Rei tries to duck under the blast, but the panty of pink grows as it travels towards her, smacking Rei in the face.
[00:41] <Corwin> "And you!" Lucky exclaims, turning his head to glare at Minako. "You tried to take an old man's remaining pleasure from him!"
[00:41] <Corwin> Minako is blasted back with a glowing, pink bra, which burns off a considerable portion of the top of her outfit.
[00:43] * Rei-chan is too busy with her own pain to notice the otherwise distracting sight...
[00:44] <PrincessMinako> Straightening herself, a now furious Minako takes aim and fires a crescent beam at the little old lech.
[00:47] <Corwin> Lucky bounces his feet against the floor, and twists out of the way, the beam cutting through the whip instead. He stands up, dusting himself off, and suddenly leers at Minako.
[00:49] <Rei-chan> Growling with rage, Rei lunges at the pervert, her brass knuckle wearing fist reared back to deliver a punishing blow to his tiny frame!
[00:50] <Corwin> Lucky easily bounces out of range, not even acknowledging Rei as he keeps on leering at Minako's chest.
[00:53] <Corwin> "I forgive you, baby!" Lucky cries out, flinging himself at Minako's chest with what looks like a clay mould.
[00:55] <PrincessMinako> Minako looks at the decrepit old man and blanches, barely recognizing his words as she attempts to jump out of the way.
[00:59] <Corwin> Minako almost manages to escape the old man. Just as she thinks she's in the clear, a cold sensation from her chest informs her otherwise. Looking down, she sees the pervert smile at her, his eyes shining with unshed tears, as he makes a breast imprint.
[01:00] <Corwin> "By all that is holy, begone!" Sylphiel calls out then, having chanted from the beginning of the battle.
[01:01] <Corwin> A corona of light surrounds her, and then lashes out at the pervert, which leaps away just in time, sans his clay which takes the brunt of the attack.
[01:02] <Corwin> "Oh no," Sylphiel says in fright, stepping back.
[01:03] <Rei-chan> Still crouched slightly from her previous attack, Rei strikes out with her whip at the evil little troll.
[01:05] <Corwin> The whip misses the aged pervert, who seems to be taking Rei seriously again, now that his precious clay had been shattered.
[01:06] <PrincessMinako> Growing more and more upset by the minute, Minako fired off another shot at the pervert.
[01:08] <Corwin> Lucky barely manages to dance out of the way, scowling at Minako. "You're being a naughty girl again," he lectured the blonde.
[01:12] <Rei-chan> Drawing her whip back from it's last wild attack, Rei cracks it out once more, desperately trying to end the little bastard's wretchedly overlong life.
[01:13] <Corwin> Moving past the whip, Lucky fires another bra-shaped blast at Rei.
[01:14] <Corwin> The blast eats away at Rei's top, just like it had for Minako. The pervert stops, a second blast he had been preparing dissipating.
[01:18] <PrincessMinako> Minako, wonders what she did to the gods to have her aim and luck leave her so harsly, fires anotehr crescent beam at the opervert.
[01:19] <Corwin> Lucky, distracted by Rei's bare chest, doesn't even move to dodge as he is blasted by the golden beam.
[01:20] <Corwin> Holding a heart-shaped rod, Sylphiel tries to slam it against Lucky's head, missing due to the fact that she's shaking too much.
[01:21] <Corwin> "I'm angry now!" the old pervert proclaimed, shaking his head and giving all three a glare. With uncanny agility, he sped around the room, sending a groping hand at each of them.
[01:23] <Corwin> Sylphiel shrieks and draws away on pure instinct before Lucky could touch her, and the other two women slap his wandering hands away.
[01:24] <Rei-chan> Even though she is severely pained from those two energy blasts, Rei still manages to focus enough to punch out at Lucky, aiming to pulp his rotten little head.
[01:26] <Corwin> The pervert brings up his tiny hands to block Rei's punch, grunting from the effort. "It'll take more than that to do me in, girly!" he boasts.
[01:27] <PrincessMinako> Enthused from the success of her last attack, she attempots to blast the pervert away with another crescent beam.
[01:28] <Corwin> Due to the pervert's position, he doesn't manage to twist out of the way in time, and is blasted by Minako's attack, bouncing off the floor and into Rei's chest.
[01:29] <Corwin> Sylphiel tries to strike Lucky again with her heart-shaped rod, but doesn't reach him, afraid to tag Rei as well.
[01:32] <PrincessMinako> Worried about her potential teammate, instead of a convertial attack, Minako attempts to grab the pervert and slam him into the ground.
[01:36] <Corwin> Batting Minako's hands away, Lucky shook his head, before nuzzling Rei's chest lovingly.
[01:37] <Corwin> As he kept on nuzzling it, Lucky idly batted away Sylphiel's strike, murmuring something unintelligible.
[01:39] * Rei-chan brings both her arms out, before swinging them in to crush the little bastard's head between her two fists.
[01:40] <Corwin> Lucky leans further into Rei's cleavage, narrowly escaping the attack.
[01:42] * Rei-chan tries to grab Lucky off her chest before drop kicking him away.
[01:44] <Corwin> Lucky doesn't resist as Rei grabs him. He begins protesting as he's pulled away from her bosom, but her foot silences his objections. The old pervert is sent flying into a bookcase far into the distance, splattering against its side.
[01:45] * Rei-chan feels her heart burn with justice as the pervert meets his deserved fate!
[01:46] <Corwin> "Yay! Yay! The pervert's dead!" Sylphiel cheers, waving the heart-shaped rod like a baton.
[01:46] <Corwin> "Only nine more to go!" she continues happily.
[01:48] <PrincessMinako> Minako looks at Sylphiel and snorts.
[01:48] <Rei-chan> "We'd better catch up with Alita," Rei says, wincing slightly in pain as she wraps her cloak around her front before running onwards.
[01:48] <Corwin> "Make that seven," a female voice says grimly. A second later, Alita emerges from beyond another bookshelf.
[01:48] <Corwin> She gives a glance at the splattered pervert, and snorts. "Nice job. Your finishing touch, Rei?"
[01:49] <Rei-chan> "Alita!" Rei stops short, "You fought two of them?!" she asks, her estimation of the girl rising sharply, before adding, "Yeah, I got that one."
[01:49] <Corwin> Rei, Minako and Sylphiel see that Alita looks like hell, her cape torn off and the rest of the outfit in tatters.
[01:49] <Corwin> Somehow, she still looks more presentable than either Rei or Minako.
[01:51] <Corwin> "I think a strategic retreat is in order," Alita suggests, heading towards her companions. "We won't get them all before it's too late."
[01:51] <PrincessMinako> Minako nods in agreement
[01:52] <Rei-chan> "I hate to let them live, but you're probably right... I haven't taken a beating like today in a very long time..." Rei says sadly. "Maybe they can seal the library and bomb it from orbit after we leave?"
[01:53] <Corwin> "One of them talked before he dropped," Alita says. "They've found a way to teleport their buddies in. It's not going to be pretty."
[01:53] <Rei-chan> "Teleport from where?" Rei asks, moving towards Sylphiel so the priestess can teleport them all the hell out of here.
[01:54] <Corwin> "All over." Alita shrugs. "How the hell would I know where you guys grow these freaks?"
[01:55] <Corwin> Alita turns to look at Sylphiel. "Now would be a good time for that neat teleporting trick."
[01:56] <Corwin> Sylphiel blushes. "Umm... I kinda spent all my energy on that blast? Which missed?"
[01:56] * Rei-chan shakes her head. "Wherever they came from, if they're all here, I think losing a few books to wipe them all out is an acceptable loss."
[01:58] * Rei-chan looks at Sylphiel, then back towards the entrance. "Think we can make a run for it?"
[01:58] <Corwin> Sylphiel looks at Rei, then at the long corridor leading further inside the building, and bolts for the exit.
[01:59] <Corwin> "There's your response," Alita says, chuckling, as she takes off after Sylphiel.
[01:59] * Rei-chan follows, running as fast as she can.
[01:59] <PrincessMinako> "Should you just teleport us out of here...." Minako interjects, but decides chasing after the others is better than asking.
[18:47] <V-chan> ---------
[18:48] <V-chan> Ami is woken up by a slight chill touching her forehead.
[18:48] * Ami-hime blinks owlishly as she awakens, wondering what is causing the sensation on her head.
[18:49] <V-chan> Awake, she is fairly sure there is a wet compress on her forehead.
[18:49] * Ami-hime slowly sits up, taking the compress from her head with one hand.
[18:51] <V-chan> "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Genkai asks, sitting on the other bed.
[18:52] * Ami-hime shakes her head slightly. "It's all right... how long have I been asleep?" Ami blinks a bit more, still trying to wake up completely.
[18:53] <V-chan> "The ball's just started a few minutes ago, by my reckoning," the old woman replies. "You seemed like you needed the nap, though."
[18:55] * Ami-hime nods. "I appreciate you letting me sleep, Ms. Genkai. I... suppose I should apologize for snapping like that earlier."
[18:57] <V-chan> Genkai shrugs. "All senshi experience a crisis of some sort when they assume their roles. I didn't expect it to be so literal in Makoto's case, however...."
[19:01] <Ami-hime> "It's just... there's so much that's happened recently, I don't know what to do anymore." Ami sighs. "Everything's become so complicated all of a sudden."
[19:02] <V-chan> "On the contrary," Genkai says suddenly. "I'd say everything became much simpler now... wouldn't you?"
[19:04] <Ami-hime> "I suppose so, in a way." Ami smiles a bit. "All I have to do is the job that's in front of me now."
[19:05] <V-chan> "And you know the stakes. The truth sets you free, or so I've heard." Genkai gives the young girl a wry smile.
[19:09] <Ami-hime> "It certainly does." Ami nods. "My only question is, what comes next?"
[19:11] <V-chan> "A senshi is always needed, in one function or another," Genkai replies cryptically.
[19:12] * Ami-hime blushes as her stomach rumbles. "Perhaps so, but this senshi could use a bit of dinner."
[19:14] <V-chan> Genkai smiles and stands up, offering her hand to the girl. "I've been known to prepare a mean dinner, back in the days."
[19:15] * Ami-hime takes Genkai's hand as she gets up and smiles. "I suppose we'll get to find out whether you've still got it in you then, hmm?"
[19:16] <V-chan> ---------
[19:17] <V-chan> About twenty minutes later, as Genkai and Ami are in the middle of a simple meal the old woman had whipped up quickly with what was available in the kitchen, they hear a shrill yell coming from the bathing area.
[19:17] <Ami-hime> "What on earth was that? I thought there was no one down here but us!" Ami quickly gets up and heads towards the baths.
[19:26] <V-chan> Ami doesn't waste time to get to her destination, and as she opens the doors, she sees a girl older than her splash in the bath, spluttering.
[19:27] * Ami-hime blinks in surprise at seeing the dripping girl in the tub. "Uh... do you need any help?"
[19:29] <V-chan> "Aunty is a meanie!" the girl screams, not noticing Ami's arrival.
[19:30] * Ami-hime tries again, puzzled at the girl's response. "Are you all right?" she says, a bit louder this time.
[19:31] <V-chan> "Huh?" the girl asks, noticing Ami for the first time. "Hi! I'm Setsuna, who are you?" Her old anger seems to be forgotten.
[19:33] <Ami-hime> "I'm, er, Ami. Um... how did you get here, Setsuna?"
[19:34] <V-chan> "Aunty said that if I wanted to learn to fight so much, she would help." Setsuna shivers. "Aunty was using a really scary voice, so I ran. And I ended up here. Aunty is a meanie!"
[19:34] <Ami-hime> "Aunty? Who is Aunty?"
[19:35] <V-chan> "Aunty Serenity?" Setsuna asks, blinking. "You don't know her?"
[19:37] <Ami-hime> "The Queen is your aunt?" Ami shakes her head slightly. "I do know her, I just didn't know who you meant by Aunty." She eyes the dripping girl. "Do you need any help there?"
[19:38] <V-chan> Setsuna offers her hand innocently to Ami.
[19:38] * Ami-hime takes Setsuna's hand and braces herself to help the girl get out of the bathtub.
[19:39] <V-chan> Setsuna falls backwards, holding onto Ami's hand and pulling her into the bath with her.
[19:40] * Ami-hime gasps in surprise, spluttering as she gets soaked to the skin. "THAT worked well..." she mutters.
[19:41] <V-chan> Setsuna giggles, splashing in the water. "We're both wet now!" she exclaims happily.
[19:43] * Ami-hime sighs. "Yes, I noticed." Ami grumbles to herself as she climbs out of the tub with difficulty, her sodden dress clinging to her.
[19:44] <V-chan> "Is great-gramma gonna teach me?" Setsuna asks eagerly, jumping out of the bath, water splashing everywhere. "Is she going to teach you too?"
[19:46] <Ami-hime> "If you mean Ms. Genkai, then yes, she's going to teach me. Just hold still for a moment, if you would." Ami closes her eyes and concentrates for several seconds, drying the two girls out completely.
[19:47] <V-chan> "Wow! Neat!" the other girl says in awe. "All I can do is stuff like this...."
[19:47] <V-chan> Ami blinks, and finds herself back in the bath.
[19:49] * Ami-hime looks down at the water beginning to soak through her dress again. "How did I end up in here?" She sighs and climbs out of the tub before drying out her dress again.
[19:49] <V-chan> "Wanna see it again?" Setsuna asks eagerly.
[19:51] <Ami-hime> "No, that's quite all right!" Ami says quickly. "Come on, we'd better let Ms. Genkai know you're here." Ami motions to the green-haired girl as she heads back into the kitchen/dining area.
[19:54] <V-chan> Setsuna follows Ami into the kitchenette, looking around eagerly. There, however, Ami doesn't find Genkai. She does notice a note, held down by a half-empty mug.
[19:55] * Ami-hime picks up the note and reads it.
[19:57] <V-chan> The note is from Genkai, and she orders Ami and Setsuna to not leave the complex under any circumstances. It seems as if it had been written hurriedly, the scrawl barely legible.
[19:57] <Ami-hime> "I wonder what's going on?" she says half to herself. "I suppose it doesn't matter, really. It's not like I have anywhere else to go as it is."
[19:57] <V-chan> Ami doesn't have much time to wonder about Genkai's note, as Setsuna begins questioning her about it loudly, badgering the younger girl while bouncing all over the kitchenette....
[19:01] <Corwin> ------
[19:02] <Corwin> As the four escape from the library, they notice it's unusually dark for that
 time of the day. Just then, Genkai's voice comes from Minako's and Rei's gloves. "There is no
 time!" she says hurriedly. "You must teleport away!"
[19:03] <Corwin> Sylphiel shivers suddenly, and looks over her shoulder, her face going white at
 what she sees.
[19:03] <Rei-chan> "I'd like to, but the only one here that can do that doesn't have the energy!"
 Rei replies, glancing at Sylphiel.
[19:03] * Rei-chan follows Sylphiel's gaze.
[19:03] <Corwin> "Combine your powers!" Genkai calls out. "That's the only way!"
[19:04] <Corwin> Rei feels more than sees an immense perverted aura from inside the large
 building.
[19:05] <Rei-chan> "How?" Rei asks desperately, wishing for an orbital bombardment to destroy the
 library.
[19:06] <Corwin> Sylphiel grabs Minako's arm, and yells, "Follow my lead!" Minako nods after a
 moment, coming to a halt and closing her eyes, an orange aura appearing around her to match
 Sylphiel's white one.
[19:07] <Corwin> "I'll take my chances," Alita calls out over her shoulder, speeding off.
[19:08] <Corwin> The orange and white auras begin to combine, covering Minako's and Sylphiel's
 bodies with light. "Grab on to me!" Sylphiel yells to Rei.
[19:08] * Rei-chan grabs Sylphiel hurriedly.
[19:09] <Corwin> The trio suddenly feel weightless, and rush into the sky as a beam of light,
 just as many beams come down on the surface from orbit....
[19:09] <Corwin> ------
[19:09] <Corwin> The first thing Rei notices when she comes to is that she seems to be drowning.
[19:10] * Rei-chan tries to scream and thrashes about wildly.
[19:11] <Corwin> Some more water gets into Rei's mouth. She idly notices it's warm, and seems to
 smell of chlorine.
[19:12] <Corwin> Ami startles, as she hears another splash and screaming from the bathroom.
[19:12] * Rei-chan tries to take in her surroundings, despite her almost total panic as she
 continues thrashing about.
[19:13] <Corwin> Rei sees lots of water all around her, and even some above her.
[19:13] * Ami-hime quickly runs into the bathroom to find out who's screaming.
[19:13] * Rei-chan tries to propel herself to the surface by desperately waving her arms and
 kicking her legs.
[19:14] <Corwin> Rei finally reaches the surface, coughing, just as Ami enters the bathing area,
 Setsuna peeking over her shoulder. "Oh, it's Aunty Rei!" the green-haired girl exclaims.
[19:15] <Ami-hime> "Sempai! Are you all right?" Ami runs to the side of the bathtub. "What are
 you doing in the bathtub?"
[19:15] <Rei-chan> "Help!" Rei gasps weakly, trying to reach the side of the bathtub so she can
 anchor herself.
[19:16] * Ami-hime quickly reaches in to pull Rei out, bracing herself against the side of the
 tub so she doesn't get pulled in again herself.
[19:17] <Corwin> Ami suddenly gets pushed into the bath, landing atop Rei.
[19:17] <Corwin> From behind her, she hears a giggle.
[19:18] * Rei-chan swallows a load of water before being submerged, thrashing about even as her
 vision starts to fade...
[19:20] * Ami-hime begins to tread water quickly, just as she notices Rei starting to sink.
 Taking a deep breath, she dives under the water, before attempting to grab the older girl in a
 lifeguard's carry and swim to the surface.
[19:21] * Rei-chan is almost totally limp by now.
[19:21] <Corwin> Ami eventually manages to rescue the older girl, the two reaching the surface
 near the edge of the pool-sized bath.
[19:22] * Ami-hime manages to slowly drag Rei's inert form to the very edge of the bath.
 "Setsuna, help me get her out of the tub!"
[19:23] * Rei-chan looks unnaturally pale, and her eyes are closed. She coughs up a load of water
 after reaching the surface, and breaths shallowly.
[19:23] <Corwin> Setsuna pouts, but helps pull her Aunty out.
[19:24] * Ami-hime carefully lays Rei on her back and begins to push on her chest to help expel
 the water in Rei's lungs. "Come on, sempai... breathe!"
[19:25] <Corwin> Setsuna gleefully helps Ami push Rei's chest, giggling again.
[19:26] <Ami-hime> "Setsuna, not now! I'm not playing around!" Ami tries to bat the other girl
 out of the way.
[19:26] * Rei-chan coughs up the remainder of the water in her lungs, and weakly tries to crawl
 away from the two younger girls. "Sylphiel... Minako... where are they?" she rasps, cracking
 open her eyes.
[19:27] <Ami-hime> "I have no idea... I just heard you scream, and then I saw you floundering
 around in the bathtub. I tried to pull you out, but SOMEONE shoved me in on top of you." Ami
 glares at the green-haired girl.
[19:27] <Corwin> Setsuna smiles innocently, before exclaiming, "That was fun! Let's do it again!"
[19:29] * Ami-hime sighs. "Let's not right now. Perhaps later, all right?"
[19:29] <Corwin> "Aunty, you drown funnily," Setsuna tells Rei with a giggle.
[19:30] * Rei-chan ignores Setsuna, tapping the jewel on her glove. "Genkai," she mutters.
[19:32] <Corwin> Strangely, there is no response.
[19:34] <Rei-chan> "Dammit..." Rei curses, "I have to go see the Queen..." Standing up on wobbly
 legs, she wraps her cloak around her front to preserve her modesty, and starts heading for the
 elevator.
[19:34] <Ami-hime> "I don't know where she is, sempai. She made some dinner for me, then Setsuna
 showed up in the bathtub and when I got back to the kitchen, she was gone. There was just a
 note telling me to stay here."
[19:35] <Corwin> "There was a note! A note telling everyone to stay!" Setsuna echoes Ami.
[19:35] <Rei-chan> "She contacted me a minute ago, before I showed up here," Rei tells Ami.
 "Things are getting pretty dangerous out there..." she says, still walking on her way.
[19:36] <Ami-hime> "What's happening? Why did she leave?" Ami runs along behind Rei.
[19:38] <Corwin> Rei reaches the elevator, but it doesn't seem to be working at present.
[19:38] <Rei-chan> "Incredibly powerful evil perverts are on the loose," Rei says curtly,
 repeatedly pushing the button to summon the lift in the main room. "We thought there were just
 two of them, but there were a lot more..."
[19:38] <Corwin> Pushing the button doesn't help....
[19:39] <Rei-chan> "Ami, you're good with technical stuff, right?" Rei inquires casually.
[19:39] * Ami-hime nods. "What did you have in mind?"
[19:39] <Rei-chan> "Can you make this lift work? I think it's been locked out," Rei gestures to
 the door.
[19:41] <Ami-hime> "It'd be difficult without some sort of computer access..." Ami inspects the
 elevator panel for any sort of interface. "That sort of lockout is usually set inside the
 control system for the elevator, and just about the only way to get to it is through the main
 control computer for the palace."
[19:41] <Corwin> "Lift doesn't work! Lift doesn't work!" Setsuna cries out, running in the main
 room in circles, her arms spread out.
[19:42] <Rei-chan> "Can't you hack into the main computer?" Rei asks, throwing an annoyed glance
 at Setsuna.
[19:43] <Ami-hime> "I could try it, but it would take some time." Ami sighs.
[19:43] <Corwin> As Ami tries to find an interface, her glove accidentally brushes against the
 lift's panel. The glove flashes red, and a mechanical tone informs her that a lockdown is in
 progress.
[19:44] * Ami-hime frowns. "I don't like the sound of that. If this is part of a general lockdown
 procedure, it's going to be very difficult to reactivate this one elevator without turning off
 the lockdown in general - and if there really is a ton of these perverts up there, that may not
 be such a good idea." Ami heads back towards the bedroom to retrieve her own personal computer.
[19:45] <Rei-chan> "Damn... isn't there some sort of override?" Rei asks the unfeeling computer,
 before pushing the jewel on her glove and requesting "Palace Security."
[19:46] <Corwin> Rei quickly finds out that the communication systems are down.
[19:49] * Ami-hime returns a few moments later with a small blue laptop computer, which she flips
 open and begins to type on rapidly. "I just hope they have RF network ports here, or this is
 going to go nowhere fast."
[19:50] <Rei-chan> "There looked to be a lot of computer stuff in the communications room, but I
 don't know how to leave the room without Genkai..." Rei says with some annoyance.
[19:51] <Corwin> "Rika's toilet! Rika's toilet!" Setsuna exclaims, passing them yet again as she
 continues circling the room.
[19:52] <Rei-chan> "Setsuna, shut up!" Rei snaps, in no mood to be dealing with this kind of crap.
[19:52] <Corwin> "You're mean, Aunty Rei," she says categorically, stopping to glare at her. "I'm
 telling great-gramma!"
[19:53] <Rei-chan> "And I'm telling you to sit down and shut the hell up!" Rei yells forcefully,
 her patience now non existent.
[19:53] <Corwin> As Ami scans with her computer, she discovers that the complex she's in is cut
 off from the outside world. Two more places inside the complex appear to be hidden from her --
 the simulation room, and another one she hasn't been to before.
[19:54] <Corwin> Setsuna blows a raspberry at Rei. "Make me, Aunty!"
[19:55] <Ami-hime> "Will you two be quiet! I'm trying to concentrate!" Ami snaps.
[19:56] * Rei-chan is almost about to reach for Setsuna when she hears Ami, and restrains
 herself. Barely.
[19:56] <Corwin> Setsuna settles for doing backflips in the room, giving Rei the evil eye
 occasionally.
[19:57] * Rei-chan ignores the little brat.
[19:59] <Ami-hime> "Great, they seem to have this area on an isolated net." Ami mutters. "It's a
 good idea for security reasons, but it's going to make this near impossible to unlock if the
 elevator controls are part of the palace's system."
[19:59] * Ami-hime types a few more commands into the console, attempting to open a port on the
 complex's central computer.
[20:00] * Rei-chan waits for Ami to do her work, still filled with nervous energy as she wonders
 what happened to Sylphiel and Minako. And Alita, if what she saw before the teleport was real...
[20:06] * Ami-hime grins quickly as she gains access to the central computer. "Got it! Now, let's
 see..." She quickly scans the system, looking for any programs related to elevator control.
[20:07] <Corwin> The words 'I thought I told you to stay inside' appear on Ami's screen suddenly.
[20:08] * Ami-hime grumbles. "Genkai left a little reminder for us." Ami points to the small
 message on the computer screen. "Should I keep going?"
[20:08] <Rei-chan> "Yeah, we won't get anything done sitting around here," Rei says, then quickly
 heads into her room and emerges after a moment, still in the wet priestess outfit and cape, but
 now with a black blouse as well so she doesn't need to keep holding the cape in front of her.
[20:10] * Ami-hime nods, closing the message as she continues to scan for the elevator control
 system.
[20:11] <Corwin> Ami discovers that under the current alert, she can't reactivate the elevator
 without throwing the main switch back up. It also seems that the main control for the system is
 password-protected. She isn't sure her computer could break through that protection.
[20:11] <Corwin> Setsuna shows back in the room, munching on a sandwitch.
[20:12] * Rei-chan wonders what in the hell the little brat is doing in the 'super secret sailor
 senshi' place, but otherwise pays her no heed.
[20:12] * Ami-hime mutters a very unchildlike curse as she discovers the only solution to the
 lockdown is nearly unusable.
[20:13] <Corwin> Setsuna points at Ami, giggling.
[20:13] <Rei-chan> "Problem?" Rei asks.
[20:14] <Corwin> Words appear on Ami's screen again. 'What do you hope to achieve by going up?'
[20:16] * Ami-hime nods. "The only way to reactivate the elevator is like I thought - we'd have
 to terminate the lockdown entirely, which is probably a very bad idea right now. I THINK I
 could do it given time, but it could easily take an hour or two to crack the password. And it
 will shut down any additional security measures in place down here."
[20:16] <Rei-chan> "So they expect us to just sit here while who knows what happens up there? I
 think not!" Rei declares. "There has to be an emergency exit in case of elevator malfunction. I
 don't suppose you could find it with your computer?"
[20:17] * Ami-hime notices the blinking message on the screen. Sighing, she clicks on the window
 and types a reply. "Don't ask me, Rei is insisting on going back up. I don't plan to leave
 myself."
[20:18] <Corwin> Soon, a response appears, in the form of a single word. 'Why?'
[20:19] <Ami-hime> 'I suppose she just wants to help with whatever's going on up there.' Turning
 to Rei, she repeats the question. "Why are you so insistent on leaving, sempai?"
[20:20] <Corwin> 'Above, there is only chaos. You exist to put order into chaos. But you are
 needed here, until the right time comes.'
[20:21] <Rei-chan> "I have to find out what happened to the others," Rei answers. "Besides, I
 told the Queen I'd help deal with this crisis."
[20:22] <Ami-hime> "Genkai is still telling me that we should wait here. Personally, I'm inclined
 to agree with her - there's nothing I could do on the surface anyway. But if you want, I'll
 keep looking for a way out."
[20:23] <Rei-chan> "Genkai?" Rei looks at Ami curiously. "She has time to type stuff to you on
 the computer but can't be bothered to answer me when I call her? Feh, who cares what she
 thinks..."
[20:24] <Corwin> 'I bet she's badmouthing me now, the mean girl.'
[20:24] <Ami-hime> "It's not that she can't be bothered, it just looks like the palace
 communications net is down at the moment." Ami giggles a bit as she sees Genkai's latest
 message.
[20:26] <Rei-chan> "Damn... things are really going to hell up there, and we're cooped up down
 here..." Rei grumbles. "Fine, I'll make my own way out."
[20:26] * Rei-chan concentrates for a moment, her hands becoming wreathed in flame from the brass
 knuckles she wears, and then with a mighty yell, punches the elevator door!
[20:27] <Corwin> The door, though appearing somewhat run-down, doesn't seem to be affected by the
 punch. Ami, from Rei's side, notices Rei's fist was stopped a few millimeters from the door's
 surface.
[20:28] <Ami-hime> "Wait a moment! I can still look for other ways out!" Ami quickly types a
 reply to Genkai. 'I'm sorry, but it looks like Rei insists. I'll have to keep looking.' Closing
 the message window, she begins to scan for a blueprint of the underground complex.
[20:29] * Rei-chan sighs. "Well, I suppose I should be grateful, since the door would keep
 intruders out..." she glances at Setsuna. "At least it should."
[20:29] <Corwin> Another one-word message, 'Children', appears on Ami's screen, and she can
 almost hear a sigh accompanying it. The link to the complex's main computer then goes dead.
[20:30] <Corwin> Setsuna blows another raspberry at Rei. "I belong here, you mean old woman!"
[20:30] * Ami-hime snorts. "She's cut me off from the computer. It looks like... no, wait - you
 said there was a computer somewhere else down here?"
[20:31] <Rei-chan> "You belong in a zoo, you little brat," Rei mutters, before turning to Ami.
 "Yes, but I don't know how to leave the room it's in without Genkai..."
[20:31] * Ami-hime shakes her head. "You don't need to go in with me, just tell me how to get to
 it."
[20:32] <Rei-chan> "Okay, just go into 'Rika's Toilet' and push the flusher. Take some food down
 there, since you might be stuck for a while, though..." Rei suggests.
[20:34] <Corwin> "Yay! We'll have a party there!" Setsuna grabs Ami's arm. "I'll come, I'll come!"
[20:35] <Ami-hime> "I should be all right, I just ate a little while ago. Wish me luck then." Ami
 dashes off to the bathroom, entering the stall marked 'Rika' where she flushes the toilet.
[20:35] <Ami-hime> "Not now, Setsuna! I don't need any distractions while I'm working in there!"
 Ami quickly shakes off the older girl's hand.
[20:35] <Corwin> Setsuna frowns. "I'm going and you can't stop me."
[20:36] * Ami-hime gives Rei a pleading look.
[20:36] <Rei-chan> Not wanting Ami to be distracted, Rei grabs Setsuna's shoulder. "She doesn't
 want you around."
[20:37] <Corwin> Ami and Rei blink, and then they hear the sound of a toilet flushing. Setsuna's
 nowhere to be seen.
[20:37] <Ami-hime> "Great... looks like I have to work around her anyway." Ami sighs.
[20:38] <Rei-chan> "Damn... that little brat is really starting to piss me off," Rei snarls.
 "Well, good luck. I'm counting on you, Ami-chan," she manages a smile at the younger girl.
[20:39] <Ami-hime> "Thanks, I'll do my best." Ami gives the raven-haired princess a wan smile
 before walking over to the toilet and flushing it.
[20:41] <Corwin> ------
[23:09] <Corwin> The first thing Ami notices when she regains her senses after flushing down the
 toilet is that she's landed on something soft and moaning.
[23:10] * Ami-hime scrambles to her feet quickly, moving off of whatever it was she's landed on.
[23:11] <Corwin> Setsuna whines as Ami scrambles off of her, but seems to be strangely subdued.
 Ami figures it might have something to do with Genkai's presence in the control room.
[23:11] * Ami-hime 's face quirks into a crooked smile. "This explains quite a bit."
[23:12] <Corwin> "Someone had to be here," Genkai says simply.
[23:13] <Ami-hime> "So what exactly are you doing down here?" Ami asks, approaching Genkai.
[23:14] <Corwin> "Keeping a lid on things, hopefully," the old woman replies. "This station still
 maintains contact with Serenity."
[23:15] <Ami-hime> "So what exactly is going on up above? All I know is that Rei appeared in the
 bathtub looking like her clothes had been through a blender."
[23:15] <Corwin> "I wouldn't know about her clothing," Genkai says, frowning. "As for her
 appearance, I'd hazard a guess that she was left out of the teleport, somehow. Maybe she was
 too late to combine her powers with Minako and Sylphiel...."
[23:17] * Ami-hime gives Genkai a level look. "That still doesn't answer my question. What is
 happening on the surface?"
[23:19] <Corwin> "The ancient library is being systematically reduced to rubble from orbit,"
 Genkai says, sighing. She leans into her chair, massaging her temples. "Serenity was afraid of
 them escaping, and I can't say I deny the possibility existed."
[23:20] * Ami-hime gasps in horror. "The St. Claire library? But there are books in there that
 exist nowhere else! I thought the two perverts inside weren't that dangerous!"
[23:21] <Corwin> "They could be dealt with... while they were alone." Genkai presses a few
 buttons, and two faces appear enlarged on the main viewing screen in the room. "We believe
 these are the two ringleaders of a large invasion force... the so-called 'librarians'."
[23:21] <Corwin> The captions 'Happy' and 'Lucky' appear below the faces.
[23:22] <Ami-hime> "Invasion?!" Ami sputters.
[23:22] <Corwin> Genkai laughs suddenly. "Couldn't happen at a better time, wouldn't you say,
 young Sailor Mercury?"
[23:24] <Ami-hime> "Not with the Earth having sent a negotiating party for the first time in
 years, that's for certain." Ami sighs. "But how did Rei-sempai end up like that?"
[23:24] <Corwin> Genkai shrugs. "As I've said, I really can't explain the state of her clothing.
 In fact, I haven't even seen them. There are no recording devices of any kind in the complex."
[23:27] * Ami-hime sighs. "That would explain the lockdown then. I wondered why she was so
 insistent about getting back to the surface."
[23:29] <Corwin> "We expect quite a bit of chaos on the surface." Genkai frowns, and swerves in
 her chair to look at Ami. "In fact, Serenity and I believe some of them escaped in time. It was
 the Queen's request that you be kept here safely, just as Minako and Sylphiel are on her ship."
[23:30] * Ami-hime thinks for a minute. "What about those tasers that Rei mentioned when she
 reported to the queen yesterday? Would they be any use?"
[23:31] <Corwin> "They would," Genkai replies, nodding. "But things have gone too far. I'm not
 interested in containment anymore."
[23:32] <Ami-hime> "Perhaps I could modify one. The Queen only said that the technology hadn't
 been used much since there was no need for it... perhaps I could increase the power on one or
 two of them, if it's not too complex."
[23:34] <Corwin> "Perhaps, if we had more time..." Genkai says mournfully. "You said that girl
 wanted to leave? I can't hold her, if that's her wish. She'd probably ruin the fridge if she
 doesn't get what she wants and I would be hungry until I could leave."
[23:34] <Ami-hime> "She was about ready to start beating down the elevator door when I came down
 here." Ami sighs.
[23:36] <Corwin> "Well, the elevator's door is safe, at least." Genkai sighs in relief. "This
 complex also doubles as a shelter, after all."
[23:38] <Ami-hime> "It shouldn't take me long to modify one of the tasers, if they're not too
 complicated. All I need is a taser and a supply of parts.
[23:38] <Ami-hime> "
[23:40] <Corwin> "A single taser I could spare," Genkai tells the girl, pulling one out of her
 pocket and placing it on the communications station in front of her. "Parts, however...." She
 shrugs helplessly.
[23:41] <Ami-hime> "How do I get back up to the training facility from here? I've got a small
 toolkit in my bag; once I get a look inside I'll have a better idea of what I need."
[23:44] <Corwin> Genkai frowns. "The only way out is a teleport. I have a little something to
 make it easier, though." She fishes in another pocket, this time withdrawing a small scepter.
 "The priestesses on Luna use this for certain magic, including teleportation." She pauses,
 giving Ami a level look. "Be careful not to exhaust yourself, however."
[23:46] * Ami-hime nods, taking the small scepter and the taser. "I will... thank you, Ms.
 Genkai. I hope this works." Ami closes her eyes, holding the scepter as she concentrates on
 teleporting back to the gymnasium.
[23:47] <Corwin> As Ami concentrates, she can almost see the magic activating, and then there's a
 pull....
[23:47] <Corwin> -----
[23:48] * Rei-chan starts as Ami suddenly appears. "Dammit, everyone can teleport these days..."
 she mutters. "What happened?" she then asks, more loudly.
[23:49] <Ami-hime> "Genkai was down there - she said she's monitoring what's going on up above."
 Ami calls over her shoulder as she quickly hurries into the bedroom and starts digging through
 her suitcase.
[23:50] <Rei-chan> "Genkai's down there?" Rei cries, "That sneaky old woman! She should be up
 there fighting the perverts!"
[23:52] * Ami-hime doesn't reply as she roots through her bag, finally drawing out a slim
 briefcase-like bag with a small cry of triumph. She quickly unzips the case and pulls out a
 small screwdriver from the toolkit within, opening the case of the taser in her other hand.
[23:53] <Corwin> Ami is completely buffled by the technology. It seems as if the taser was
 designed by a madman. The young princess figures she'd need at least an hour to understand the
 workings of the taser.
[23:53] * Rei-chan follows Ami into the room. "So what about the lift?"
[23:54] <Ami-hime> "It's still locked down for the moment, but we may be going up in a bit." Ami
 says shortly as she tries to make sense of the taser's inner workings.
[23:55] * Rei-chan looks at the taser, but is totally clueless, so elects to remain silent while
 Ami does her work.
[23:55] <Corwin> Ami gets into the ancient madman's head, somehow.
[23:56] * Ami-hime spends several minutes in silence, tinkering with the cantankerous device
 before finally figuring out the power-routing circuitry. "Aha!"
[23:59] <Corwin> Ami is fairly sure she could do quite a bit of damage with a tinkered taser.
 Now, if only she had the needed parts....
[00:02] * Ami-hime pulls out her laptop again, quickly attempting to open a port to the complex's
 central computer once again. Unfortunately, she has no success at doing so this time.
[00:04] <Ami-hime> "Hmm..." Ami thinks out loud. "I know what I need to modify this now, but I have no
 idea where they keep things here on Luna. And I don't think I could get out of Genkai's room
 again if I went down."
[00:06] <Rei-chan> "Maybe in an armoury?" Rei suggests uncertainly. Surely she could cannibalise
 some other weapons to improve the taser?
[00:08] <Ami-hime> "Possibly, but those tend to rely on magical power sources - it's a different
 method of power manipulation. Some sort of ship would be ideal - those tend to rely more on
 technology than magic, and these sorts of crystal capacitors are very common on almost any size
 of ship."
[00:10] <Rei-chan> "We could try the Spaceport, I suppose..." Rei says, "But it'd take a while to
 get there..."
[00:11] <Ami-hime> "Yes, and Genkai said she thought a few of the perverts escaped from the
 library before the bombardment." Ami looks a bit sad at the thought of the library reduced to
 rubble.
[00:12] <Rei-chan> "They've probably scattered throughout the city..." Rei says, not relishing
 the prospect of hunting them all down.
[00:13] <Ami-hime> "Well, if this idea works, we can modify more of these tasers and send more
 people out to take care of them, I suppose." Ami takes the taser and her toolkit in hand and
 walks over to the elevator, pushing the button once again.
[00:14] * Rei-chan follows Ami impatiently. "First I'll have to report to the Queen..." she
 fidgets nervously, "And hopefully find out what happened to the others..."
[00:14] <Corwin> The jewels in Rei's and Ami's gloves flash red, then green. Then, there is a
 sound of an elevator moving.
[00:15] * Ami-hime takes a deep breath, then, almost as an afterthought, pulls out her pen and
 transforms.
[00:15] <Ami-hime> "Mercury Power, Make UP!"
[00:15] * Ami-hime is now known as Sailor_Mercury
[00:16] <Sailor_Mercury> "Hmm? Do you mean Minako and Sylphiel? Genkai mentioned that you were
 with them - I think she said they were on the flagship now."
[00:17] <Rei-chan> "I still don't understand what went wrong with the teleport," Rei frets, "And
 I have no idea what happened to Alita..."
[00:18] <Sailor_Mercury> "She didn't say anything about Alita, although she said you probably
 ended up here because you were too late to join in the teleport, whatever that means."
[00:18] <Corwin> The lift's doors open at last.
[00:18] * Rei-chan enters the lift. "Like I'd know how..." she grumbles.
[00:19] * Sailor_Mercury follows Rei into the elevator, pushing the button for the surface as she
 gets inside.
[00:20] <Corwin> The ride to the surface is uneventful. As the lift's doors open there, an
 unnatural silence greets the pair.
[00:21] * Sailor_Mercury glances down at her fuku, then at Rei. "Um... sempai, you might want to
 transform yourself. If anyone is around, it might raise questions why you were running around
 with me."
[00:22] <Rei-chan> "Why?" Rei asks, "As far as anyone knows, you're still Princess Ami. We're
 supposed to be keeping the Sailor Senshi thing secret, remember?"
[00:23] <Sailor_Mercury> "Yes, but if we run into any of those perverts up here I wouldn't stand
 a chance against them as Princess Ami - not that I'd do a lot better this way either, but
 still. I'd rather be prepared, myself."
[00:24] <Rei-chan> "They'll probably leave you alone..." Rei mutters. "Anyway, I think our first
 stop should be the command room we met the Queen in yesterday. I rather suspect the Ball has
 been cancelled by now."
[00:25] <Sailor_Mercury> "I was... all right, I suppose we can head to the command room. If
 nothing else, the Queen can tell me where to find what I need, I expect."
[00:26] <Rei-chan> "Right, let's go," Rei says, taking off at a jog slow enough for Ami to keep
 up.
[00:27] * Sailor_Mercury scurries after Rei as quickly as she can manage.
[00:27] <Corwin> The halls are silent and bare, a clear change from earlier. After a brisk ten
 minute walk, the two reach the command center, the entrance to which has been closed off.
[00:28] * Rei-chan looks at the access panel. "This better not have been locked down as well,"
 she mutters.
[00:28] * Sailor_Mercury summons her computer and visor, scanning the access panel.
[00:29] &

[Corwin]

[00:39] <Ami-hime> "We need access to electronic parts, or if there's no place to get to them, a
 ship with a 5 gigawatt drive or better. Can you help us?"
[00:40] <Corwin> "There is no longer a St. Claire Library," he responds crisply to Rei. "The
 crater is surrounded by containment fields set up by the Queen herself, from her ship."
[00:40] <Rei-chan> "And you've confirmed none of the... librarians... escaped beyond the fields?"
[00:41] <Corwin> He then turns to look at Ami in disbelief. "That queer technology? The military
 doesn't peddle in that... that fraudulence!"
[00:41] <Corwin> "Unfortunately, no," the female admiral interjects, approaching them. "It was
 impossible to take sensor readings immediately after the orbital bombardment."
[00:41] * Ami-hime narrows her eyes. "Fine then. Are there any ships still in the spaceport?"
[00:42] <Rei-chan> "Is there any way to detect them now? Either within or beyond the barrier?"
 Rei asks the female admiral, deciding to ignore the annoying admiral for now.
[00:43] <Corwin> Roza shakes her head. "Not inside the barrier. And our technology isn't built to
 distinguish between normal people and evil midgets."
[00:44] <Corwin> "I told you we should have adopted those religious gadgets," another admiral
 mutters, turning away quickly as two of his colleagues glare at him.
[00:44] <Rei-chan> "I recall Priestess Sylphiel had a device which detected them, though it only
 worked at short range..." Rei says regretfully.
[00:44] <Corwin> "That sounds about right," Roza says, agreeing.
[00:45] <Rei-chan> "Very well, you've been most helpful, Admiral Roza," Rei smiles at her, before
 turning to Ami, "Shall we proceed to the Spaceport now?"
[00:45] <Corwin> "It's also one of the main reasons that technology isn't in use by the
 military," she adds.
[00:45] <Ami-hime> "I suppose so, sempai." Ami gives the admiral one final glare before heading
 out of the command center.
[00:46] <Rei-chan> "I'll be sure to inform the Queen of your helpfulness," Rei says to Roza,
 shooting a look at the other admiral which promises the exact opposite for him, before
 following Ami.
[00:46] <Corwin> -----
[00:48] <Corwin> Ami and Rei reach the spaceport, where they see a flurry of activity, a sharp
 contrast to the quiet inside the palace proper and its grounds. A military patrol stops them
 occasionally on the way, but they have no problem of establishing their identity and moving on.
[00:48] <Rei-chan> "Okay, can you tell at a glance which ships will have the equipment you need?"
 Rei asks the younger Princess.
[00:49] <Ami-hime> "We're more likely to find the right parts on older ships - and apparently
 they've converted military equipment over to full magical drives, so we can pass those over.
 Anything the size of an orbital shuttle or better should do."
[00:51] * Rei-chan looks around, hoping they can find something nearby. If all else fails, the
 Millenium Frog would probably have outdated stuff like that, though...
[00:52] <Corwin> Rei notices the Millennium Frog on its separate runway.
[00:54] <Corwin> The rest of the runways are full with military personnel, and there's quite a
 bit of movement of spacecrafts, both taking off and landing.
[00:54] <Rei-chan> "What about that ship?" Rei points at the Frog, "I don't think anyone will
 mind if we cannibalise it for parts..."
[00:55] * Ami-hime gives the ship a careful look. "Actually, that may be better than I thought.
 An old clunker like that is likely to have larger capactitors than I thought I could find." Ami
 grins.
[00:55] <Rei-chan> "Alright, let's go," Rei says, taking off at a run towards the Millenium Frog.
[00:56] * Ami-hime quickly follows Rei, trying to keep up with the long-legged princess.
[00:56] <Corwin> Potato peelings cover the runway near the Millennium Frog.
[00:57] <Ami-hime> Once at the Frog, Ami examines the beat-up old ship carefully, then down at
 her dress. "This was a good dress, but sacrifices must be made." Opening up her toolkit again,
 she extracts a wrench and begins to remove one of the greasy engine casings.
[00:57] <Corwin> The ship itself is as Rei had remembered it, though its cargo area is scorched
 and there are a few holes in the hull.
[00:58] * Rei-chan stands nearby, again feeling useless. "Need a hand with anything?" she asks
 hopefully.
[00:58] <Ami-hime> "Good grief, this ship is ancient. Yes, can you help me lift this casing off?
 It's a bit heavy for me alone."
[00:59] <Rei-chan> "Sure," Rei steps over and hefts the casing away from the ship, dropping it on
 the ground beside her.
[01:00] <Corwin> The casing splits into two, as it hits the ground.
[01:02] * Rei-chan peers over Ami's shoulder at the actual innards of the ship.
[01:03] <Corwin> The innards remind Rei of the inner workings of the taser.
[01:14] * Ami-hime shakes her head as she sees the absolute tangle of circuitry inside the ship.
 "They don't build them like this any more, that's for certain. Thank god for small favors." She
 pulls aside a few wires, looking for the main power converter.
[01:16] <Ami-hime> roll 2d6
[01:16] * Musk-bot --> "Ami-hime rolls 2d6 and gets 9."
[01:17] <Corwin> It takes the better part of twenty minutes, but several more ripped casing
 later, Ami finally finds her goal.
[01:17] * Rei-chan stands around impatiently, looking over towards where the St Claire Library
 once stood and wondering how things are going.
[01:18] <Ami-hime> "Good lord, I'm surprised this thing is even capable of taking off and
 landing. I've never seen a ship in such bad shape." Ami, now covered nearly head to toe in
 grease, extracts the main power converter crystal from the ship. "Found what I needed though."
[01:19] <Corwin> Rei notices a pentagram-shaped barrier of white light where the library once
 stood.
[01:19] <Rei-chan> "Can you fix up the taser now?" Rei asks, her attention still preoccupied.
[01:20] <Ami-hime> "Should just be a minute." Ami opens the taser casing, wiring the crystal in
 line with the existing crystal. "It will take a little longer to charge between uses, but it
 should deliver a much larger shock now."
[01:21] <Rei-chan> "Alright then, lets head off to the library and see what we can see," Rei
 suggests, before noticing Ami's state. "You might want to do that trick you did on me when we
 first met so you can clean yourself up, though..."
[01:22] * Ami-hime looks down and her dress and sighs. "It wouldn't work unless you've got some
 soap handy. Grease never comes out with JUST water."
[01:23] <Rei-chan> "Maybe transforming will clean you up a bit? At least your clothes..." Rei
 then offers.
[01:24] * Ami-hime shrugs. "A little grease is hardly going to kill me. The question is, where to
 from here?
[01:25] <Rei-chan> "Okay, fine," Rei aquieses. "We'll go to the library and see if we can find
 any sign of the perverts either inside or outside the barrier. We'll figure it out from what we
 find there."
[01:26] <Ami-hime> "You lead the way then." Ami hands the taser to Rei. "It would probably be
 better if you used this, since you're more used to fighting than I am."
[01:27] * Rei-chan refuses the taser. "I don't trust those things. When Mako-chan used it it hurt
 me... It'd be better for you to use it, since I can defend myself without it."
[01:29] <Ami-hime> "All right, if you insist..." Ami shrugs.
[01:31] * Rei-chan nods, taking off at a lesuirely jog towards the library so that Ami can keep
 up.
[01:31] * Ami-hime follows along behind, the taser and toolkit in her hands.
[01:32] <Corwin> Their journey takes the girls through a part of the city. It's deserted, quite
 unlike the chaos Genkai had predicted. As the two cut through an alley, Ami's senses suddenly
 go off.
[01:32] <Ami-hime> "Hold on, sempai! Something's wrong!" Ami stops suddenly.
[01:32] <Corwin> The pair are about ten minutes from the library, by Rei's estimates.
[01:32] * Rei-chan halts, turning a quizzical look at Ami.
[01:33] * Ami-hime looks around warily, trying to figure out what tripped her senses.
[01:34] * Rei-chan looks around as well, still puzzled.
[01:34] <Corwin> "Surrender the silky darlings for our lord and master," a deep voice says from
 Ami's right. The girl's senses put him at a dozen meters away.
[01:35] * Rei-chan quickly interposes herself between Ami and the voice. "Who would your master
 be, pervert?" she spits.
[01:35] * Ami-hime fumbles with the taser, pointing it at the source of the voice. "Who's there?"
[01:35] <Corwin> "Isn't it custom to give one's name first?" the voice asks.
[01:36] <Ami-hime> "You're the one approaching us, not the other way around." Ami says.
[01:36] <Rei-chan> "I don't give my name to scum like you," Rei retorts, bringing up her brass
 knuckle clad fists.
[01:37] <Corwin> "Defeat me in combat, and I'll be happy to make your acquaintance, pretty lady!"
 he exclaims, before adding, "And jailbait."
[01:40] * Rei-chan bats the pervert away with her forearm, before following up with a punch.
[01:43] <Corwin> The midget pervert is batted away, blowing Rei a raspberry as he evaded her
 attack.
[01:44] * Ami-hime drops the tool case, holding the taser in both hands as she carefully aims it
 at the pervert and pushes the switch!
[01:47] <Corwin> Ami finds the recoil particularly brutal, and her aim goes wide, scortching a
 wall behind the old man.
[01:48] <Corwin> The pervert powers up, and launches an apron-shaped blast at Rei!
[01:49] <Rei-chan> Recalling how much those other blasts had hurt, Rei tries to dodge to the side!
[01:51] <Corwin> The blast catches Rei in the side, burning off her cape and sending her flying.
[01:53] * Rei-chan groggily picks herself up, feeling like utter hell. She tries to summon her
 whip to retaliate, but finds it isn't in her subspace pocket anymore.
[01:55] * Ami-hime curses quietly as the taser recharges. Shifting the device to her left hand,
 she picks up a good-sized rock with her other hand, hurling it at the pervert!
[01:55] <Corwin> The old pervert directs a hurt look at Ami. "What did this frail old man ever do
 to you?" he bemoans.
[01:56] <Ami-hime> "You just hurt my sempai!" Ami shouts back.
[01:56] <Corwin> "She hurt my precious feelings!" he complains.
[01:57] <Rei-chan> "Bastard," Rei spits, picking herself up, "I'll hurt more than that," she
 yells, running over to boot the midget into the wall.
[01:58] <Corwin> The pervert is taken by surprise, becoming one with a nearby wall. He slides
 down slowly, spitting out concrete, and glares daggers at Rei.
[01:59] * Ami-hime glances at the taser once again, and finding it useless, quickly summons the
 Mercury computer and scans the pervert for any weaknesses.
[02:01] <Corwin> The little man's punch is blocked on Rei's forarms.
[02:03] <Corwin> He jumps back, crying out in shock as his tiny fists get slight burns.
[02:05] <Corwin> Ami's computer claims that a mental battle with the pervert would be won quickly
 in her favor. It also seems to suggest that if she attacked alongside Rei, or somehow robbed
 the pervert of his speed, their chances would improve by 68%....
[02:06] <Rei-chan> Still frustrated by the loss of her whip, Rei advances on the pervert and
 delivers a crushing punch down on his tiny form!
[02:08] <Corwin> Distracted by the princess's heaving bosom, the tiny pervert is unable to bring
 his arms up to block in time! Rei's punch sets his remaining hair on fire, and drives him into
 the ground to his waist.
[02:10] * Ami-hime grins, setting the computer aside as she braces herself and fires the taser
 once again at the trapped pervert!
[02:11] <Corwin> Ami leaves a dark scorch mark on the ground, missing the pervert again. He seems
 blinded by the flash of the explosion, however.
[02:13] <Rei-chan> "Close your eyes, Ami-chan," Rei says to the other girl in an unusually
 serious tone, before making a vicious kick at the grounded pervert's head.
[02:13] * Ami-hime obeys, closing her eyes tightly as Rei draws her foot back.
[02:13] <Corwin> The old man shakes his head several times, Rei's foot missing it by a hair's
 width.
[02:13] * Rei-chan curses her rotten luck.
[02:14] <Corwin> "It's really mean to try and kick an old man while he's down," he lectures Rei,
 leering upwards.
[02:14] <Corwin> There is a blast, and the pervert uncovers himself from the ground, leaving a
 small crater in his wake.
[02:16] * Ami-hime opens her eyes at the sound of the explosion. Quickly taking up a piece of
 rubble, she hurls it at the tiny man.
[02:16] <Corwin> He ducks under it, sending Ami another of his reproachful glances. "Seems like
 I'll have to teach you manners, girly," he says grimly.
[02:19] * Rei-chan once more kicks at the pervert, aiming to turn him into a greasy smear.
[02:21] <Corwin> Rei's righteous kick literally splits the pervert in two, sending up a fountain
 of blood.
[02:21] * Rei-chan hops away. "I hope you kept your eyes closed, Ami-chan..."
[02:22] * Ami-hime goes pale green, turning her head away. "I wish I had..."
[02:22] <Rei-chan> "Trust me, Ami-chan, with what he planned for us, he got no less than he
 deserved," Rei says, ushering the other girl back towards the library.
[02:22] <Rei-chan> Or what's left of it.
[02:23] <Corwin> -----
[22:49] <Corwin> Rei and Ami reach the edge of the barrier... or as close as they can get towards
 it, due to the glare from it.
[22:49] * Rei-chan looks around for any evidence that more perverts escaped outside the barrier.
[22:49] * Ami-hime holds up a hand to shield her eyes. "It certainly doesn't look like anything
 will be getting out of that any time soon."
[22:50] <Rei-chan> "I'm just worried about what's already out..."
[22:51] <Corwin> As she speaks, Rei's glove beeps, giving Ami a bad feeling....
[22:51] * Rei-chan taps the glove, hoping communications are finally back.
[22:53] <Corwin> "How good to see you again, Rei-chan," Queen Serenity says, a small hologram of
 her appearing above the glove. "I've been worried about you, until Genkai told me you were safe."
[22:53] * Ami-hime listens to the message with dread anticipation.
[22:53] <Rei-chan> "Your Majesty!" Rei gasps, "I'm sorry, but we weren't able to stop the
 perverts..."
[22:55] <Corwin> She raises her hand to forestall Rei's protests. "It was my problem to begin with.
 I should've dealt with them sooner... but now--" Serenity sighs. "Well, we're dealing with them."
[22:55] <Rei-chan> "We already encountered one outside the barrier. There may be more..." Rei says
 darkly.
[22:57] <Corwin> "There are," she responds, frowning. "Priestess Trainee Sheina reported...
 encountering... a trio of them a few miles south of the library." Her frown deepens. "It's a
 residential area, and we can't use orbital weaponry there."
[22:58] <Rei-chan> "Three?!" Rei gasps. "I'm sorry, Majesty, but I'm in no shape to take on three
 of them. The last two have nearly put me past my limit as it is," she says, bowing her head in
 shame.
[22:58] <Ami-hime> "Three?" Ami says incredulously.
[23:01] <Corwin> "I regret hearing that," Serenity says, looking at Rei with concern. She then
 turns to look at Ami. "Yes. It is our hope that no more have escaped, though we cannot be sure of
 this yet."
[23:03] * Ami-hime sighs, looking very nervous. "We barely managed to beat one of them just now.
 How are we supposed to fight three at once?"
[23:05] <Corwin> "Minako-chan will help, of course, but she alone wouldn't be enough." Serenity
 sighs. "Should we turn to the Earthlings for assistance? I've heard they have strong fighters
 among them."
[23:06] <Rei-chan> "Apparently Alita killed two in the library by herself, but I don't know what
 happened to her after we left..." Rei tells the Queen, still looking down.
[23:07] <Corwin> "She'll turn up," Serenity says with a smile, trying to pick up Rei's spirits.
 "If only Mako-chan didn't have to leave...."
[23:09] * Ami-hime falls silent, feeling very much like a fifth wheel.
[23:09] <Rei-chan> "So is there any plan for dealing with the perverts still at large?" Rei asks,
 "Ami-chan and I have been trying to figure out the situation down here, but we're really just
 acting at random..."
[23:12] <Corwin> Serenity nods. "I'll try to keep the most of them boxed in, though it kinda limits
 my other options. Genkai will direct the priestesses' search teams to sweep the capital and
 locate those who escaped. Unfortunately, what we lack the most is trained fighters who could deal
 with the threat, before the invaders establish a foothold." The Queen shrugs. "Of course, we
 could just send the army in, but to do it in the city... besides, the losses amongst the troops
 and bystanders for fighting in these conditions...."
[23:14] <Corwin> "Besides, the losses amongst the troops and bystanders for fighting in these
 conditions...." She shrugs helplessly again. "You've gotten a chance to talk to the military,
 Rei-chan. You know how they think. Subtlety is not one of their strong points, and their weapons
 were not designed for urban combat."
[23:16] * Rei-chan looks up, trying and failing at an expression of grim determination. "If you
 wish it, I will got to try and deal with the other perverts myself," she says, her voice only
 quavering a bit.
[23:19] <Corwin> "I would consider it a personal favor if you did, Rei-chan," the Queen tells her.
[23:20] <Rei-chan> Rei's bottom lip trembles, and she barely keeps from bursting into tears. "I
 understand, my Queen," she says sollemnly.
[23:21] <Corwin> Serenity nods, and her image disappears. A holographic map appears in her wake,
 detailing the location where the last sighting of the perverts occured, along with the time, some
 twenty minutes previously."
[23:22] * Rei-chan turns a serious look at Ami. "Ami-chan... I think you should return to the
 palace."
[23:23] * Ami-hime shakes her head. "I won't let you go alone, sempai. I... I know I'm not much
 use, but I just can't let you go by yourself."
[23:24] * Rei-chan cracks a wan smile. "That's nice of you to say, Ami-chan... but you saw what
 happened to me in the last fight. The ones before that were even worse... if you come with me,
 you'll only share my fate."
[23:26] <Ami-hime> "And I can't let you do it alone, sempai." Ami smiles through her tears. "You're
 one of the few people that's ever bothered to look past the fact that I'm a child. I want to do
 what I can to help you."
[23:27] * Rei-chan has a brief moment of inner debate, but decides not to fight it. "Okay, but I
 want you to promise me, if things go badly, you're going to run away, right?"
[23:28] <Ami-hime> "A-all right." Ami nods, resolving to do exactly the opposite.
[23:29] * Rei-chan takes out her Mars pen and eyes it warily. "Sailor Mars seems to be jinxed...
 but I need every advantage I can get, I think." Holding it up, she cries out "Mars Planet, Make
 Up!"
[23:29] * Rei-chan is now known as Sailor_Mars
[23:29] * Ami-hime follows Rei's lead, bringing out her own pen. "Mercury Power, Make Up!"
[23:29] * Ami-hime is now known as Sailor_Mercury
[23:32] <Corwin> -----
[23:34] <Corwin> The two senshi make their way towards the target area, Mars matching her speed for
 Mercury's. As they begin crossing the third mile towards their destination an hour later, they
 spot movement in the shadows of another alley.
[23:34] * Sailor_Mars pauses, calling out, "Who's there?" towards the alley.
[23:35] <Corwin> "Don't shoot me!" a strangely-familiar male voice cries out, and Mars notices the
 figure raising his hands.
[23:35] <Sailor_Mars> "Come out where I can see you," she calls, still wary.
[23:35] * Sailor_Mercury gets the taser ready, pointing it in the direction of the voice.
[23:36] <Corwin> A man who Mars remembers traveling with her onboard the Millennium Frog exits the
 shadows, quivering slightly. "I'm not with them!" he says frightfully.
[23:38] <Sailor_Mercury> "Have you seen them? Where are they?" Mercury asks.
[23:39] <Corwin> "T-That way!" he stutters, pointing at a butchery across the street. "Evil, evil
 midgets!" The man shivers.
[23:41] <Sailor_Mars> "Mr Vir?" Mars asks in surprise, before composing herself. "Yes well, you're
 a man, you don't need to worry too much about them. You should find someplace safe, anyway," she
 cautions.
[23:42] <Corwin> "Do I know you, Miss?" he asks, blinking in confusion and stopping shaking. Then,
 her latter words catch up with him, and he nods hurriedly. "Of course, of course."
[23:43] * Sailor_Mars nods, not answering verbally as she starts off in the direction Vir indicated
 the evil midgest went.
[23:43] <Corwin> Vir quickly scampers out of sight, and back into the alley.
[23:43] * Sailor_Mercury follows Mars, with one last glance back at the man as the pair hurry off.
[23:44] <Corwin> Mercury notices he doesn't seem to run away, though she isn't sure there's another
 exit out of the dark alley.
[23:46] <Corwin> -----
[23:47] <Corwin> It's quiet inside Robert's Paradise, a normal-looking butchery. Mars and Mercury
 gain entrance easily, as the door hadn't been locked, and find themselves in front of a cash
 register.
[23:48] * Sailor_Mars looks around for any sign of a struggle.
[23:48] * Sailor_Mercury summons her visor, scanning the room for anything out of place.
[23:48] <Corwin> Mars finds nothing out of place. Perhaps the owner evacuated, like those palace
 residents?
[23:49] <Sailor_Mars> "Can your computer detect any trace of them?"
[23:49] <Sailor_Mercury> "Hold on a moment, I'm scanning right now."
[23:50] <Corwin> Mercury notices nothing unusual, except that the area where the butchered animals
 are normally stored seems a be warmer than what her visor decides as 'standard temperature' for
 such a place.
[23:50] * Sailor_Mercury frowns, and begins a more intensive scan of the area.
[23:52] <Corwin> Mercury notices two of the animals moving slightly, as she switches her visor to
 x-ray vision. She also detects an anomaly in the CO2 levels inside that area.
[23:53] <Sailor_Mercury> "There's something odd about the stockyard, sempai." Mercury murmurs.
[23:54] <Sailor_Mars> "Might as well check it out. Stay behind me, Ami-chan," Mars says, heading
 towards the storeroom.
[23:55] * Sailor_Mercury nods, continuing to scan for the origins of the various anomalies as she
 slowly follows Rei.
[23:56] <Corwin> Mars reaches the door, and finds it wouldn't bulge. The lock on the door from
 outside is open, though.
[23:58] <Sailor_Mars> Putting her back into it, Mars tries to pull the door open as hard as she can.
[00:00] <Corwin> The door seems determined to stay where it is.
[00:00] <Sailor_Mars> "Can you actually detect anything inside there?" Mars asks, having no luck
 opening the door.
[00:02] <Sailor_Mercury> "Hold on, let me check." Mercury begins an x-ray scan of the room on the
 other side of the door.
[00:03] <Corwin> Mercury reasons the door is probably frozen in its place, after her scans.
[00:05] <Sailor_Mercury> "It looks like the door is frozen shut. I have no idea what's on the other
 side though. I can probably get rid of the ice if you want me to, sempai." Mercury tells the
 older senshi.
[00:06] * Sailor_Mars wonders why the perverts would be in a sealed cold room, but then considers
 that they might put their victims there... "Do it," she orders, stepping back from the door.
[00:07] * Sailor_Mercury places one hand against the door, concentrating as she wills the ice on
 the other side to sublimate.
[00:08] <Corwin> The door feels cold to Mercury's touch. After a few minutes, it moves slightly.
 Just then, Mercury also notices a movement from within the room.
[00:09] <Sailor_Mercury> "There's someone in there, sempai!" Mercury whispers to Mars.
[00:09] <Sailor_Mars> "Stand back," Mars says, stepping forward and pulling the door open.
[00:10] <Corwin> The door opens, and Rei notices a frozen chicken flying out of the room.
[00:11] * Sailor_Mars ignores the chicken, glancing around inside the room.
[00:13] <Corwin> As Mars peeks into the room, she sees a diminutive form dart around the large
 shapes hanging in the room from meathooks.
[00:14] <Corwin> A thump is heard, as something thrown in the room impacts against the doorway.
[00:15] <Corwin> Rei can see it's another chicken.
[00:15] * Sailor_Mars tries to make out the details of the diminuitive form, in case it too is a
 chicken.
[00:16] <Corwin> The form is hidden behind the hanging meat now, though Rei is pretty sure it
 looked like a midget at the time she could see it.
[00:16] * Sailor_Mars steps back and slams the door shut. "Ami-chan," she asks sweetly, "Do you
 think you could make it a LOT colder in there?"
[00:37] <Sailor_Mercury> "I can give it a try, sempai." Mercury grins. "Give me a minute or two."
[00:37] * Sailor_Mercury places her hands against the door, picturing thick, cold ice forming
 throughout the room within.
[00:38] <Corwin> As she checks the room with her visor, Ami finds it a lot colder than before. Two
 small forms seem to be shivering inside.
[00:39] * Sailor_Mercury redoubles her efforts, dropping the temperature inside even further than
 before. Frost begins to appear on the visible surface of the door as she continues.
[00:41] <Corwin> The door becomes even colder, but the temperature inside the room doesn't seem to
 be changing. Just as she's about to concentrate again, Ami spots the two forms heading for the
 door.
[00:42] <Sailor_Mercury> "Here they come!" Ami jumps away from the door quickly.
[00:42] * Sailor_Mars braces herself against the LOCKED door. "Keep going, Ami-chan!"
[00:43] <Sailor_Mercury> "Not yet, sempai!" Ami turns around to face the door once she's a few
 paces away from it.
[00:43] <Corwin> The door is rocked by two hits, though Mars's efforts keep it in place. She
 doesn't think the door will handle another assault like this, after all the abuse it's taken from
 the unnatural cold and the hits.
[00:43] <Sailor_Mercury> "Move away from it, sempai! It's not going to hold!"
[00:43] * Sailor_Mars steps back and raises her hands, ready to blast a Fire Soul large enough to
 completely engulf the door as soon as it opens.
[00:44] * Sailor_Mercury concentrates, attempting to form a thick barrier of ice covering the
 entire doorframe on the near side of the door.
[00:44] <Corwin> The door groans from more abuse to it.
[00:45] <Corwin> The door holds against another strike, but finally goes down at what had to be a
 particularly nasty kick.
[00:45] <Sailor_Mars> "FIRE SOUL!" Mars cries, unleashing a blast of flame at the doorway and
 whatever is emerging.
[00:46] <Corwin> A pervert screams as he is engulfed by flames! His comrade, though, hid behind him
 and glares at Rei through the fire.
[00:47] * Sailor_Mercury carefully aims the taser at the charred pervert, hoping to knock him out
 with a single shot!
[00:48] <Corwin> The taser fires, hitting the fallen door and breaking it into splinters!
[00:50] * Sailor_Mars continues her attack, emitting a continuos stream of flame from her fingers
 at the two perverts.
[00:52] <Corwin> The pair scampers off, as the fire consumes the doorway. "Once bitten, twice shy!"
 the healthy pervert jokes, earning him a smack from his charred companion.
[00:53] <Corwin> While the healthy pervert lies on the floor, dazed, the charred one leaps at and
 over Sailor Mercury, landing near the cash register.
[01:04] * Sailor_Mercury turns around, attempting to shove the midget into the cash register while
 he's off balance!
[01:06] <Sailor_Mercury> But she stumbles, not even managing to reach the wizened pervert.
[01:07] <Corwin> The healthy pervert shakes his head, and then stands up, launching a clumsy punch
 at Sailor Mars.
[01:08] * Sailor_Mars deflects the punch, easily knocking the fist away with her forearm.
[01:10] <Sailor_Mars> Ignoring the pervert who just attacked her, Mars makes a flying kick at the
 charred one menacing Ami.
[01:12] <Corwin> The pervert blocks the kick with a sneer, before punching at Rei's midsection. She
 idly notices that for perverts, they don't seem as lecherous as the previous ones she fought.
[01:13] * Sailor_Mars swiftly dodges backwards from the punch, angling herself so she can still see
 what both perverts are doing.
[01:14] * Sailor_Mercury steps up, directing a swift kick at the charred midget's shin!
[01:14] <Corwin> The midget doesn't even register the kick, which passes behind him.
[01:15] <Corwin> The other pervert tries to attack Mars, but trips and slides across the floor
 almost all the way over to her.
[01:17] * Sailor_Mars brings her burning fist down on the pervert who just tripped, aiming to pulp
 his head!
[01:19] <Corwin> The healthy pervert doesn't look so healthy after Mars's strike smashes his head
 through the wooden floor. He groans weakly in response.
[01:20] <Corwin> The burnt pevert screams in rage, and kicks at Mars's back.
[01:20] <Corwin> ...and misses, in his anger.
[01:22] * Sailor_Mercury runs over to the half-dazed pervert, pressing the tip of the taser against
 his back before depressing the firing switch.
[01:23] <Corwin> The midget twitches, Ami seeing his spine contort via her ever-helpful visor,
 before he goes silent, his body smoking.
[01:26] * Sailor_Mars reaches to grab the charred pervert, picking him up and spiking him with her
 other fist.
[01:28] <Sailor_Mars> Hefting his diminuitive frame, Mars then brings her other fist to meet him,
 letting go just as it impacts and sending him crashing to the floor at her feet.
[01:29] <Corwin> Ami, watching the scene, sees a sudden rise in the pervert's energy, leaving his
 inner resources drained.
[01:29] <Corwin> The midget crawls to his knees, then rises to his feet slowly, glaring at Mars
 from bloodshot eyes.
[01:30] <Corwin> "You'll never defeat the Master," he rasps, and then launches his body in a
 desperate attack to strike at Mercury!
[01:31] * Sailor_Mercury tries to twist out of the way, bringing her hands down in an attempt to
 knock the pervert to the floor.
[01:33] <Corwin> Mercury's attack fails, and she is off-guard when the burnt pervert crashes into
 her, bringing her to the ground with him dangerously close to her.
[01:41] <Sailor_Mars> "Get away from her!" Mars yells moving to grab the pervert and repeat her
 earlier move, this time smashing him into the wall.
[01:44] <Sailor_Mars> Grabbing the pervert away from the younger girl, Rei lifts him up before
 smashing her fist into him, splattering him against the far wall.
[01:45] <Sailor_Mars> "Are you all right, Ami-chan?" she reaches down to help her friend up.
[01:46] * Sailor_Mercury takes Mars' hand, standing up shakily. "I'll be all right in a minute...
 just knocked me down, that's all."
[01:48] * Sailor_Mars nods. "I'll contact the Queen," she says, tapping the jewel on her glove and
 asking to speak to Queen Serenity.
[01:50] <Corwin> Just as her patience is about to expire, Mars is finally transferred to the Queen.
 "Yes?" Serenity asks. "Do you need anything, Sailor Mars?
[01:51] <Sailor_Mars> "We just dealt with two of the perverts near the area you directed us to,
 your Majesty. Have there been any more reports of their activity?" Mars asks, businesslike.
[01:55] <Corwin> "Not as of yet." Serenity sighs. "I don't know if I should be overjoyed of
 worried." She smiles then. "You've done well, Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury. The priestesses
 should be done with their initial sweep soon, and ready to respond to disturbances in larger
 groups."
[01:56] <Sailor_Mars> "Well, we'll continue searching throughout this district," Mars says, "Let us
 know if anything new turns up."
[01:57] <Corwin> She nods. "You've done a lot for the Kingdom already. I appreciate your efforts,
 Sailor Senshi." With another smile, she disappears.
[01:58] * Sailor_Mars brings up the map of the district she had before, looking to see how far they
 are from the area the Priestess encountered three perverts at.
[01:59] <Corwin> The area indicated is another mile or so to the south.
[02:00] <Sailor_Mars> "Okay, we might as well head to that area and see what we can find out there,
 that okay with you, Ami-chan?" Mars asks, glancing to see if Mercury has recovered yet.
[02:02] * Sailor_Mercury nods slowly. "I suppose so... I'm a bit tired, but I can keep going for
 now."
[02:03] <Sailor_Mars> "Are you sure?" Mars asks in concern, "You could head back to somewhere safe,
 or maybe you could get teleported to the Queen's ship?"
[02:04] <Sailor_Mercury> "I'm sure. I'll be fine, sempai." Mercury smiles.
[02:04] <Sailor_Mars> "Okay," Mars nods doubtfully, "Just remember your promise."
[02:05] <Sailor_Mercury> "I remember it. And I'll stick to it." Ami nods.
[02:06] <Corwin> And so, the two senshi leave towards their original destination....
[02:06] <Corwin> -----
[04:35] <Corwin> -----
[04:38] <Jam> Jam comes back from some other conversation.. "Excuse me, Princess, there was some
 urgent business I had to deal with.."
[04:38] <PrincessMinako> "No Problem. What else can I do for you?"
[04:39] <Jam> "Who exactly were the people attacking? What did they look like? Did they wear some
 kind of uniform?"
[04:40] <PrincessMinako> Minako shudders involuntarily. "THe only one I saw was a perverted old
 man. He wore nothing that resembled a uniform."
[04:41] <Jam> "An old man?" Jam blinks.
[04:41] <Jam> "How old?"
[04:42] <PrincessMinako> "He was very wrinkled. Hard to determine because of that. Maybe a thousand
 years or so."
[04:42] <Jam> Jam blinks again. "Is that an exaggeration?"
[04:43] <PrincessMinako> "I wouldn't be surprised... to get that decrepid looking..." Minako
 blanches and looks like she's about to retch.
[04:44] <Jam> Jam shrugs. "Do you believe they were all as old as this figure?"
[04:45] <PrincessMinako> "Princess Rei-chan seemed to think the one or two she lost to earlier in
 the day were similar. Alita didn't mention the ones she faught, and I didn't see the others.
 Could be?" Shrugging, she looks deep in thought.
[04:46] <Jam> Jam sighs. "Well, hopefully, we'll never have to find out," she replies. "Good day,
 Princess."
[04:47] <PrincessMinako> "Good day, Jam."
[04:47] * Jam closes comms with the woman and glances over at her techs.
[04:47] <Corwin> -----
[04:47] <Corwin> "Minako-chan?" Serenity asks, walking over to the girl.
[04:48] <PrincessMinako> MInako startles, not noticing Serenity before. "Yes?" she asks politely.
[04:50] <Corwin> "I need to ask you for a favor," she says, handing her a datapad.
[04:51] <PrincessMinako> MInako takes the pad, but continues to look her Queen in the eye. "Yes?"
 Her voice shakes slightly.
[04:52] <Corwin> "Rei-chan and Ami-chan are going to respond to a threat in the city," Serenity
 says. "A group of three perverts. Would you assist them, Minako-chan?"
[04:55] <PrincessMinako> Minako's jaw drops slightly, before nodding her assent. "I don't suppose
 you have any weapons to spare." Minako wonders if a grenade laucher and machine gun battery is
 too much to ask for.
[04:56] <Corwin> "Nothing fast enough to work on them, or that wouldn't destroy a lot of property."
 Serenity sighs. "They're in a residential area, Minako-chan."
[04:56] <Corwin> "We're here to protect all those lives."
[04:57] <PrincessMinako> Minako absently covers her bussom with her arm. "Yes, Ma'am. I'll leave
 right away."
[04:57] <Corwin> Serenity nods. "Take one of the shuttles, then," she says. "I wish I could beam
 you down, but with having to hold the barrier...."
[04:58] <PrincessMinako> "Of course, My Queen." Minako curtsies gracefully before turning and
 walking briskly to the shuttle.
[04:59] <Corwin> The datapad in Minako's hand proves useful by detailing the layout of the ship,
 and provides information on operating a shuttle. It also has a map of the city, plus the
 coordinates for her destination.
[04:59] <Corwin> -----
[05:00] <Corwin> The techs are busy working, not one of them looking up to meet Jam's eyes.
[05:01] <Jam> Jam paces back and forth anxiously.
[05:01] <Jam> "Someone analyse this map," she orders.
[05:02] <Corwin> Two sensors and communications technicians begin working on it right away.
[05:03] * Jam starts playing back what the comms recorded after she left the earlier conversation
 with Endymion..
[05:05] <Corwin> "The map shows a section of the capital," Jam hears after approximately ten
 minutes, once the recording she was playing back ends. "We believe the X marks a target... either
 one to be invaded, or a place already taken by those invaders."
[05:05] <Jam> Jam nods. "Is it near the library?"
[05:06] <Corwin> "Assuming the library was the complex destroyed by the orbital bombardment,
 Ma'am," a tech replies, "the location indicated on the map is some four miles south from it."
[05:06] <Jam> "Can we get a visual on it?"
[05:08] <Corwin> "Only of the general area, Ma'am. We simply don't have the equipment necessary to
 see much on the surface from orbit."
[05:09] <Jam> "Pull it up, anyway," replies Jam.
[05:10] <Corwin> Jam sees a blob which the technicians swear is a residential neighborhood on the
 Moon.
[05:10] <Jam> "Get me comms with Lunar Command," she says.
[05:13] <Corwin> "Belay that order," Kunzite says, entering the bridge. "Jam, come with me." Not
 waiting for an answer, he heads into his ready room.
[05:13] <Jam> Jam blinks, then follows.
[05:14] <Corwin> "The Moon is being invaded by short, perverted aliens," Kunzite deadpans, once
 they're in the room and the door closes behind Jam.
[05:14] <Jam> "You forgot 'Old'," she replies, giving him a flat look.
[05:15] <Corwin> "Age is of no importance," he says, shrugging. "They seem quite agile, from the
 reports I've been getting."
[05:16] <Jam> "So agile as to require an orbital bombardment?"
[05:18] <Corwin> "More than a few escaped even that." Kunzite sighs. "My sources have been telling
 me that the invaders seem quite dangerous."
[05:18] <Jam> Jam raises an eyebrow. "So it would seem. What are your intentions?"
[05:19] <Corwin> "I've been monitoring the communication channels," he says. "No harm must come to
 Princess von Magellan or her allies."
[05:20] <Jam> Jam eyes Kunzite. "Are you going to send a bodyguard? Perhaps to indicate our
 generosity and goodwill?"
[05:21] <Corwin> "And to collect data on their fighting ability," he adds with a smirk. "How would
 you like to try a teleport, Jam?"
[05:23] <Jam> "Can I? Really?" deadpans Jam.
[05:25] <Corwin> "As a one-way trip," Kunzite replies. "Stay in touch with your datalink, and if
 you are in too deep, I'll lead you to an area you could be picked up." He pauses. "If
 communication is cut for any reason, head towards the Divine Wind."
[05:26] <Jam> Jam nods. "As you say, General."
[05:26] <Corwin> He nods, and Jam hears Kunzite say "Good luck" before light envelops her....
[05:26] <Corwin> -----
[05:27] <Corwin> Two hours after leaving Lunar surface with Sylphiel, Minako finally returns to it,
 her shuttle landing next to the area marked on her map.
[05:28] <Corwin> It's the closest she could get without crushing anyone's home, she thinks.
[05:29] <Corwin> Jam, who has been sneaking around the area for a while now, notices the shuttle on
 its way down.
[05:29] <Jam> Jam looks out at the shuttle from her hiding spot.
[05:30] <PrincessMinako> Minako vebtures out of the shuttle looking around to get acquainted witht
 he area and to try and spot either the perverts or the princess' she is here to help.
[05:30] <Jam> "Princess Minako?" says Jam, emerging from her location.
[05:30] <Corwin> Strangely, the other princesses aren't around.
[05:31] <PrincessMinako> Minako turns ar the voice. "Jam!" she exclaims, "What are you doing here?"
[05:32] <Jam> Jam shrugs. "I have specific orders to keep you and the other Princesses from harm,"
 she replies. "General Kunzite sent me as a bodyguard."
[05:34] <PrincessMinako> A soft smile forms on MInako's face. "Well, let's ind the other
 princess'," she indicates the direction that was marked on her map, "shall we?"
[05:35] <Jam> Jam shrugs. "I've been here a short while and scouted out the area, but I havn't seen
 them," she replies. "However, I've located three hostiles a short ways from here."
[05:36] <PrincessMinako> Minako slumps her shoulders as a frown creeps upon her face. "What were
 the little perverts doing ? Were they together or seperate?"
[05:39] <Jam> "I'm not entirely sure what they were doing," replies Jam. "But they were together."
[05:39] <Jam> "They had some weird equipment, like they were building or establishing something."
[05:41] <Jam> "They were in a cellar of a tall building, about five stories.."
[05:41] <PrincessMinako> "That can't be good..." she moans. "We can't let them finish whatever they
 were doing. You lead?" she asks. "This is turning out craptacularly," she mutters under her
 breath.
[05:41] <Jam> "As you say," replies Jam, stealthily leading Minako towards the building..
[05:41] <Corwin> -----
[05:42] <Corwin> Once the two are close to the building, the jewel in Minako's glove flashes orange
 once.
[05:44] <Jam> Jam creeps into the building, doing her best to Not Be Seen or Heard.
[05:45] <PrincessMinako> Minako looks at the jewel and signs. "They had to be inside. You said you
 scouted, is there something else I should know before we play heros?"
[05:45] <PrincessMinako> Minako follows along as she whispers to Jam.
[05:46] <Jam> Jam shakes her head and puts her finger to her lips, indicating Minako stays silent.
[05:46] <Jam> She continues creeping to where she saw the hostiles..
[05:47] <Corwin> Soon, the two are at the entrance to the basement. Minako can see it's just as Jam
 had described.
[05:47] <Corwin> Jam, however, notices that the construction of the strange device has been
 complete.
[05:47] <Jam> Jam eyes the device, looking to see if anyone is operating it..
[05:48] <PrincessMinako> Minako looks around the room for the perverts.
[05:49] <Corwin> Two diminutive men are huddling around it, the third giving them orders in some
 strange tongue. As Jam and Minako watch, he barks out what seems to be the last set of
 instructions, and walks through a door on the other side of the room.
[05:49] <Corwin> The two remaining are observing the device, prodding it occasionally with...
 tweezers?
[05:50] <Jam> Jam produces a pair of chopsticks from somewhere and holds them like darts, aiming at
 one of the tiny men..
[05:50] <PrincessMinako> Minako, seeing Jam begin to act, prepares to fire a crescent beam at the
 man on the left.
[05:52] <Corwin> Two chopsticks fly at the midget to the right, missing him by a mile, while
 Minako's crescent beam digs a trench in the room, not even close to the man's companion.
[05:56] <Jam> Jam rushes straight at the nearest perv, aiming to deal some serious damage to his
 face..
[05:59] <Corwin> The midget crumples under Jam's fists, dropping to the floor, though she can see
 he's still alive.
[06:00] <PrincessMinako> Minako fires another crescent beam at the remaining pervert.
[06:01] <Corwin> The pervert is completely floored by Minako's attack, just as his companion had
 been by Jam's.
[06:03] <Corwin> Jam's opponent smiles, coughing up blood, and launches a panty-shaped blast at Jam
 from his supine position.
[06:04] <Corwin> The blast relieves Jam of most of her uniform, leaving it completely in tatters.
 She's also the one flying back, now.
[06:05] <Corwin> The pervert stops moving then, the smile etched on his face.
[06:06] <Corwin> His companion throws a bra-shaped blast at Minako, cursing.
[06:08] <PrincessMinako> Seeing the incoming... brasire, Minako attempts to dodge it.
[06:09] <Corwin> The blast impacts against the opposite wall, Minako dodging it easily.
[06:12] <Corwin> "What's going on here?" an aged voice exclaims, as the door facing Jam and Minako
 opens. "Perky! No!" he yells, seeing his downed comrade. "You will pay for this!"
[06:14] <Corwin> Seeing the one of the attackers was standing, while the other still trying to get
 up, he turns to face Minako, glaring daggers at her. "Try this on for size!" the pervert yells,
 creating a pink blast in the form of a corsage and sending it flying at the blonde!
[06:16] <PrincessMinako> Minako squeeks at the horrifying use of flowers, uses her cape to help her
 defend against the coming attrocity.
[06:19] <PrincessMinako> Minako deftly moves to her left, ushering the cape in front of her, she
 succesfully blocks the attck, diffusing its destructive power.
[06:22] <PrincessMinako> Minako returns to the offensive, sending another crescent beam attack at
 the old man she already hit.
[06:23] <Corwin> The pervert was recovering, and a second Crescent Beam didn't help, at it dug deep
 into his side.
[06:27] <Jam> Jam rushes the next punk, throwing a kick at his head.
[06:29] <Corwin> He avoids it, perhaps due to his skill, or maybe due to Jam's lack of practice
 with such short opponents.
[06:30] <Corwin> The pervert already hurt by two Crescent Beams slowly drags himself off the
 ground, and forms another bra-shaped blast grimly.
[06:31] <Corwin> But the blast goes wide, hitting another wall.
[06:33] <Jam> Jam converts her kick into a stomp, hoping to squash the accursed midget.
[06:34] <Corwin> This time, Jam gets results, the pervert groaning under her boot.
[06:35] <Corwin> As Jam attacks the leader, the other pervert curses loudly, and throws yet another
 bra-shaped blast at Minako.
[06:36] <Corwin> In his anger, the midget somehow manages to blast himself.
[06:37] <Corwin> When the dust from the attack settles, a nude, aged pervert is standing in front
 of Minako, tilting slightly to the left.
[06:40] <PrincessMinako> Minako, hoping to remove this affrontery to all woman, fires another
 crescent beam at the nude pervert.
[06:43] <Corwin> The pervert is history, finally succumbing to the abuse showered on him.
[06:44] <Corwin> The leader, however, is energized after getting a perfect view of Jam from below
 her, and sends a bouquet of flower at her as a sign of his appreciation.
[06:47] <Corwin> Jam is covered by pink flowers, unable to defend from her position. They explode
 all around her, launching the girl into the air, until a wall breaks her flight. Jam also notices
 in her dazed state that the tatters of her clothing didn't make the flight.
[06:48] <Jam> Full of furious anger, Jam smashes both her hands on the punks head.
[06:50] <Corwin> She aims low, and while one of the punches bats the pervert away, Jam manages to
 hit her own foot with the other. The pain overtakes her, and then, there is only darkness....
[06:52] <Corwin> A black eye developing, the last pervert glares at Minako. "You're the only one
 left now, Girl," he rasps. "Hail the Master!"
[06:53] <Corwin> His flower bouquet-shaped blast goes wide, however, striking the basement's
 ceiling.
[06:54] <PrincessMinako> Wasting no time, and conscious of her falling energy levels, Minako fires
 at the pervert, hoping a hit is enough.
[06:54] <Corwin> He leaps over the golden beam, taking his opponent seriously.
[06:56] <PrincessMinako> Praying to her Queen, Minako fires at the pervert, one last time.
[06:57] <Corwin> Like his companion before him, the midget finds out that a Crescent Beam hurts.
[06:58] <Corwin> It picks him up and carries him through the door opposing Minako, breaking it in
 the process. A few seconds pass, and he doesn't come out.
[07:00] <PrincessMinako> Minako cautious moves to the contraption that was erected in the basement,
 keeping an ear out for any noise, she examines it. She hopes to find some way to make sure it's
 off, or some part she can easily remove from it.
[07:01] <Corwin> As Minako attempts to approach the machine, a strange forcefield pushes her away!
[07:04] <Corwin> Minako lands safely, unharmed by the forcefield's energy.
[07:06] <Corwin> "You are too late!" a female voice gloats. "Too late! Soon, the Gate would open,
 and then, your pathetic kingdom would have a new ruler! One to make it strong once more!"
[07:07] <PrincessMinako> Minako looks around for the source of the voice.
[07:07] <Corwin> It seems to be coming from the device.
[07:07] <PrincessMinako> Feeling extremely insecure in this situation, Minako decides a retreat is
 in order. She moves over to Jam, checking her vital signs and trying to determine if she could
 carry the other woman, if alive.
[07:08] <Corwin> Jam is out like a light, and Minako isn't sure moving her won't aggravate her
 injuries... but she figures that she'll live.
[07:10] <PrincessMinako> Considers searching Jam for something that could be used to destroy the
 object, but decides if the woman had had such on object, she would have used it. Moving as
 quickly as possible, Minako lifts the other woman and moves back to the shuttle, wary for any
 more opponents as she travels.
[07:12] <Corwin> Minako makes it to the shuttle without further trouble, her glove flashing orange
 again as she approaches it. Immediately, it begins to flash green, beeping.
[07:14] <PrincessMinako> Minako moves to place Jam saftly into the shuttle before she fiddles with
 the glove.
[07:14] <Corwin> Queen Serenity's image appears on it. "What happened, Minako-chan?" she asks.
 "Where did you disappear to?"
[07:15] <PrincessMinako> "I went to investigate and fight the perverts like you ordered. I never
 found the the other Princess, but I need them now," she speaks quickly, desperation apparent in
 her voice.
[07:16] <Corwin> "What's wrong?" Serenity asks in concern.
[07:18] <PrincessMinako> "The built some sort of teleportation device, thaqqt they're threatening
 to invade with. I've used all my energy and Jam was knocked unconcious. Where are Rei and Ami?"
 she speak, her voice rising in either fear or frustration, it's not apparent which.
[07:19] <Corwin> "Jam?" The Queen frowns. "Was a bystander endangered, Minako-chan?"
[07:19] <PrincessMinako> "Queen, you can chastise me for that later. I need help, now," she
 responds quickly and forcefully.
[07:20] <Corwin> Before Serenity can respond, the shuttle is rocked by a strong explosion in the
 distance.
[07:21] <PrincessMinako> Minako moves to secure herself inside the shuttle while she waits for
 Queen Serenity to respond.
[07:24] <Corwin> "We're registering a detonation in the target area," Serenity says, frowning.
 "What's happening on the surface, Minako-chan?"
[07:25] <PrincessMinako> "There was an explosion. It was strong enough to shake the ground here.
 Where are the other princesses?"
[07:27] <Corwin> "They're headed for your direction, just after another battle." Serenity sighs,
 massaging her temples. "A lot more escaped than we hoped."
[07:27] <PrincessMinako> "Are there any weapons on board here?"
[07:28] <Corwin> "Outside of the standard issue sidearms, none that I'm aware of," Serenity replies
 in a businesslike voice.
[07:30] <PrincessMinako> "Gotcha. Well, Queen. It was nice knowing you," Minako says softly. "How
 long until the other Princesses reach here?" Minako begins searching for the firearm and any
 extra ammunition that might be around.
[07:31] <Corwin> "Half an hour, judging by the distance they still have to cover."
[07:32] <Corwin> Minako finds the location of the gun after consulting her datapad.
[07:33] <PrincessMinako> Minako takes the gun and remembers Jam. Consulting her datapad, she tries
 to determine if there are any bandages, extra clothing, healing potions that might be useful in
 helping the poor girl.
[07:34] <Corwin> "I have to go, Minako," Serenity says. "We're getting reports from the capital.
 Stay safe."
[07:34] <Corwin> Serenity's image disappears.
[07:34] <PrincessMinako> "Bye..." Minako answers belatedly and absently.
[07:35] <Corwin> Minako manages to find both a Lunar military uniform and a first aid kit. Getting
 Jam dressed is easy, but understanding how to operate the medical kit takes some time....
[07:35] <Corwin> -----

OOC: Rei, Ami and Minako can act, Jam's still unconscious for a while, and Makoto will arrive shorly....

IC: As Rei and Ami approach the area specified on the map Serenity sent them, they spot a slowly-blinking green dot on it during one of their periodic checks for their current location. Before they can do anything about it, they see a flash of light from the direction they are travelling towards, a shockwave going through the ground beneath their feet afterwards and almost causing them to lose their footing.

[Ebiris]

Stumbling slightly, Rei's jaw drops as she see's the flash and feels the shockwave. Shaking herself out of her stupor, she taps the jewel on her glove, deciding to see if she can get some information on what's happening from Serenity.

[Corwin]

Rei gets a busy signal, as if Serenity is talking with someone at that moment.

[Ebiris]

Rei grumbles under her breath before turning to Ami. "Okay, it seems pretty obvious we should be heading in that direction. Now are you absolutely sure you want to come along?"

[kpjam]

Minako finishes dressing Jam's wounds and body.  She then goes about determining how much ammunition is in the gun she pocketed and looking to see if there is any spare ammunition.



ooc: edit and saying, this is the right place to post, right?  Ohh, does Minako know how to use her little communicator to get in touch with Rei?

[Corwin]

The gun seems to be an energy weapon of some sort, and Minako is fairly sure she won't need to carry spare ammunition with it, unless she plans on taking over the Moon.

OOC: She hasn't contacted Rei directly with it, but it's logical to assume the communication device can communicate.  >_>

[kpjam]

Minako looks satisfied about the charges in the gun, although she is less then sure of her ability to aim and destroy things with it.

That being settled, she attempts to contact Rei with her communicator.