3271/Sakura and the Wave

Sakura and the Wave
Date of Scene:	24 October 2015
Location:	Tomoeda-865
Synopsis:	Some time after the seas begun receding from around Japan, Sakura receives a threat from the Purple Pentacle. With the help of the Union they head to the appointed place to face the organization down and secure her final card once again.
Cast of Characters:	Crys Gattz, Staren, 165, 172, 411, Tomoyo Daidouji, 707

---

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     Satellite imagery from above Japan starts picking up some unusual readings. At first, it looks like massive waterspouts have risen up and assumed a fixed, stable position. But, reports from nearby boats paint a more complete picture.

    Massive towers made of water have erected themselves.

    By towers, they mean actual buildings. The structures are fully realized in the French Baroque style (this fact courtesy of a sailor with an arts degree) with massive magical circles in dye, with sloping windows, a wide front door, and a pointed roof topped with a flagpole, each one flying a flag made of water with a purple pentagram within, also formed by some kind of dye. The sailors even report what appears to be silhouettes of people moving around inside the towers.

    Soon after, a message is issued across the Multiversal broadband. It's simple, and encrypted (but easily cracked by anyone with skills in such things). Jean of the Purple Pentacle says, "Sakura Kinomoto. You have one hour to turn yourself over to us. If you do not comply, we will ravage the ecosystem of the waters around Japan. I know you're not the studious sort, so let me make it clear. This will ruin your economy, and take food out of your stomachs."

    "Again, one hour." And then the message ends.

Sakura Kinomoto (172) has posed:
    It's amazing what you can do when given an hour. Case in point, Sakura has somehow managed to get a -ship-. Or, well... it's more of a boat. A fishing boat, specifically. Sakura is standing on its deck, staring intently at one of the towers. She's dressed in a white cloak, under which she's actually wearing armour. Thin leather armour, but still - she's expecting trouble.

    The armour is stained pink because of course it is.

Staren has posed:
    Staren doesn't know enough about what's going on to really prepare specifically for whoever issued the message... but he's met up with Sakura and is standing on the same boat, wearing his armor. The Star Hawk may be parked on the coast in case he needs to call it.

    Staren gives Sakura a sympathetic look. "I think, maybe, after we deal with this, we should track down these Purple Pentacle folks and have a little talk. We can't have people who think they're in a position to do this just... running loose. Especially singling you or anyone out like this, trying to make it seem like it's your fault if you don't do what they want."

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     Twilight Sparkle, when she heard the message, hurried to meet up with Sakura. With the boat already setting sail when she arrives, Twilight has to teleport a couple of times to catch up. And...since she didn't have time for a water-walking spell, she is dripping wet when she appears beside Staren and Sakura.

     "I don't care what your goal is. Destroying thousands of innocent creatures and endangering many more innocent people in the process is barbaric!" Twilight says when she appears, then starts to shake off the water. Possibly getting Staren and Sakura a bit damp in the process. "We must stop them, even if they have some legitimate reason for wanting you to turn yourself in."

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
The broadcast was more than enough to draw Xiaomu's attention; upon arriving in Tomoeda and seeing the news coverage of those water towers, she doesn't even think of turning around and leaving - she just gets all the more determined to help Sakura out.

She doesn't have flying equipment, but she DOES have water and ice magic; rather than put the extra energy into trying to freeze the seawater, she just conjures a block of ice and 'rides' it out to rendezvous with Sakura's boat. Once she makes it on board, she ...

... hands out pieces of fried tofu?

"Going into battle on an empty stomach is never smart," the sage fox states. "Have we got a plan for taking them down without setting off their Operation: Wreck Japan's Ecology Out Of Pique? With this much water magic at work, it shouldn't be that hard to home in on the ..."

She pauses, looking at the 'building' which Sakura was staring at with such intense focus. "... you already zeored in on that, I'm guessing," Xiaomu grins wryly. "So what *is* our plan? I'm hoping it doesn't involve 'drown everyone who seems to be on the Purple Pentacle's side,' because that wouldn't do the environment too many favors either." She munches on another piece of fried tofu, and offers seconds to the others.

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meb_4cEriyw
    Fog Bound - Hans Zimmer
    Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl
    and other subsequent songs

    "Plan for peace, prepare for war," comes a voice from... nowhere, really. A voice from the shadows. Ren's voice.

    Whatever he's doing, he's doing the job of 'hiding where he is' pretty well. Judging by the tint in his voice, he might not-

    He's probably not even /on the boat/.

    "Sakura and I- well, she can explain it to you all better than me. Sufficed to say we don't want to go in there and try to blow them all to bits. The Pentacle have always been testing us, trying to figure out if we're agreeable to their blinkered standards, as far as I can guess anyway."

    "Don't throw the first punch. Always try to be dignified and reasonable. And if that's not the ball game they want to play, then react accordingly."


    Out on his own on a little one-man raft, piloting it Excellently as he moves his own personal war barge under the PP's noses, Ren is aiming to do what Night castes do best- sneak.

Crys Gattz has posed:
Crys Gattz has not seen Sakura in a long time but she's come once more to help she was not expecting osmething quite like this but here was the hot pants wearing numan and she seems to be keenly aware somethingu's up givne from how Sakura's moving she's likely wearing armor there.

"So looks like they are comming for you and hitting those who can't fight back. They can't beat us in a straight up fight."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Tomoyo is on the boat too, because of course she is. She looks a little tired, but she's not letting that distract her from her duties as Sakura's Filmographer (not an official or recognized title). Right now, she's kind of fawning over the ridiculously adorable and dramatic figure Sakura is cutting.

    Though there are multiple towers, one is giving off far more magical readings than the others. One of which feels intimately familiar to Sakura. The Wave is at this tower, the final card in the set. As her commandeered ship approaches, everyone can see that they have something of a peanut gallery. A fishing boat has weighed anchor to observe, and the people on-board are cheering when they spot Sakura.

    It's unclear if they're cheering her to stop them, or cheering her for turning herself in. But it makes for a nice atmosphere at least.

    A dock made of water rises up to greet their ship. However, it does not manifest any steps for Ren. Maybe he's gone unnoticed? He could probably sail under it to maintain that if he liked! Stepping off onto the water leaves a curious feeling underfoot. You know when you're on the beach and the water pulls out, dissolving the sand under your feet? Standing on it is like that feeling all the time.

    After that, it's a straight shot to the tower interior! Right away, they are greeted by a welcoming committee of four people in hooded purple robes. Their chuckling is not terribly welcoming. "Welcome, everyone. Kinomoto, you certainly don't look like you're here to give up," says a male voice from under one of the hoods.

    "But that's okay," says another female voice. "Because we're under orders to treat you the same no matter what. Everyone in here is trained in water magic, and you're surrounded by it! You have no chance. On three everyone! One... two... THREE!"

    And with a combined shoving motion, a wave rises up from the watery ground, rushing onward at the group! It would be a huge threat... to a toddler, because it would actually come up to their chin. But for everyone here, it might only make them stumble back a little as it crashes against their legs.

    Where does Jean find these losers?

Sakura Kinomoto (172) has posed:
    Sakura is soon munching on fried tofu. "I... don't think they'd do the whole 'destroy the ecosystem' thing out of... pique? ... I'm not entirely sure what that word means but..."

    Ren is talking! "...Yeah. Like Ren said. I think it's just meant to, like, motivate me to come, not a real threat...? Or I could just be completely misinterpreting them but..."

    Sakura wobbles a little bit as she steps out onto the dock. And then just gives the Purple Pentacle mages a blank look. "...Ookay so I guess my plan to 'hand myself over' so I could be taken to Jean isn't going to work..."

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
Xiaomu gives the welcoming committee a decidedly unimpressed look, then twirls that monk staff she's always carrying, the rings on its headpiece jingling with the movement. "Let me guess," she says casually. "- Well, actually, no. You don't get to hear me guessing. You just get to fail."

She actually takes the trouble to jump over the approaching 'wave' (more of a ripple, honestly). "Sakura, want me to put these losers on ice for a while? Salt water won't melt as quickly, but it'll take more effort to freeze it in the first place."

Sakura Kinomoto (172) has posed:
    Sakura shrugs. "Go ahead. It's not like they're a threat, but we should probably make sure they don't get hurt." Yes she's intentionally antagonising the bad guys.

Crys Gattz has posed:
Crys Gattz has an idea of the sort of people they are dealing with they are extreamist to put it mindly. She looked out at the water and pondred for a moment but it didn't take long as they make for the dock by the strange people in purple cloak she's rying them up for a moment. she'll fall in with Sakura and looks at them as they make threats and just shakes her head without an actual barb back.

Staren has posed:
    Staren smiles when Twilight arrives. For a split-second, he starts to step forward and raise his arms for a hug, then he sees she's wet and his arms fall to his sides again. "Um..."

    When he realizes what she's about to do, he closes his visor. His armor is splattered with water. It's okay, it's waterproof. He reaches into his bag and pulls out a towel, offering it to her.

    To Ren, Staren responds, "...I was thinking about that, actually, but I don't think this is going to go well. There's a first time for everything, though..."

    Staren gives an uncertain wave to the audience as they pass.

    And they're in. The purple robed jerks don't even /try/ to talk, they just go straight for the attack. Staren attempts to grab Twilight and leap, thrusters and wings letting him leap over the...

    That's just a wave.

    Um.

    Still, he's slowly pulled down by the extra weight until he's standing in the water, unless Twilight teleports or something. Or dodged the wave in the first place.

    Staren looks down at the water, then at the mages. "...So, look. You're willing to kill a whole country full of people, and that's not fine, but some of us have decided to give you a chance anyway. So how about we talk about what you /actually/ want and see if there isn't a way we can get it without hurting /anybody/?"

    Ren said not to throw the first punch, and Staren doesn't seem to have considered that a punch.

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     After getting mostly dry thanks to her shaking and Staren's towel, Twilight hops out onto the watery dock. She wobbles similarly to Sakura before following the card captor inside. Twilight is just about to react to the wave when she is grabbed and yanked up into the air. She blinks as she watches the wave flow by underneath them, then looks at Staren and smiles. "You can set me down now." she says, then she looks over at the Purple people.

     "Whatever happened, it can't be worth all this trouble. Just stand down and we can work this out peacefully." she says, agreeing with Staren. Twilight has to admit she's a bit surprised. The fact that they are in a building made of water gives the impression that the people inside should be amazingly powerful with water magic. But, all these guys could make was a knee-high wave? If that? Sakura is in the lead here, though. So, Twilight just teleports back onto the watery floor near Sakura. "Should we continue on?"

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
By placing the agency- onus is probably too dark a word- on Sakura, Ren was /hoping/ to bolster her confidence. He knows that she needs to be the person in charge of this mission, here. Hopefully he's done a good job.

    As he approaches the building forged out of water, his brain is already whirling. He's planning out his- their- escape when this inevitably goes down, he's thinking that it's less likely there is, say, a Kaibaland-esque machine in the depths of this water castle.

    (Like a sculpted ice castle, except warmer.)

    He can't see the others being antagonized from the angle he's approaching and doesn't intend to. He switched off his radio after sending that message, because he doesn't know if the PP- or more specifically, Jean-you-pronounce-it-John- could snipe the signal. As he...

    Glides in on his own, clad in his Somebody Else's Problem field. It's hard to sneak in a semi-transparent structure. But that's what he's going to do- normal mortal ingenuity accented with choice applications of superhuman essence.

    His plan, such as it is, is to find an alternative entrance, go on ahead now while negotiations are attempted, and remain quiet for the moment he's needed, whatever that may be...

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    It's hard to tell if the mages are ashamed by their poor display... but one certainly can't fault them for determination. "Don't take us lightly! Again everyone! One! Two! THREE!" Another push! The ground ripples once more! But that's all that comes of it, as the four slump to the ground, clear symptoms of magic exhaustion.

    Meanwhile, outside? Ren can't find another door. But, there are windows higher up in the tower. Obviously, to facilitate the keeping of an eye out for approaching ships. Obviously, it's hard to climb water, so perhaps they through them in accessible. But an Exalt may have means...

    But, inside, steps begin to rise up from the water to allow everyone to ascend (after making sure the four on this floor are unlikely to try and flank them, perhaps). Upon ascending, they run into a crew of eight hooded figures this time! Four of them seem to be concentrating on maintaining massive globes of water in the air.

    "You beat the four downstairs huh? No big surprise. The best they could do was emulate how water acts in nature," says one in a smarmy tone. "Us, however? We have more creativity than that. What's the point of magic if you're not using it to make things normally impossible in nature happen?!"

    And now, the other four begin their casting. The globes of water begin to condense, becoming smaller and smaller, but still retaining the same amount of water. "You ever see a water blaster folks?" asks the smarmy one in a voice packed with exertion. "They use those to strip paint! Imagine what they could do to bone!"

    Narrow beams of water erupt from the condensed globes, flying at the crew! Certainly, this would be dangerous, if the beams maintained their integrity. But they suddenly fall apart, exploding to release all the water packed into them. As a result, the attack loses a lot of its potency, the water crashing down with the force of a hard slap.

    A for effort, one supposes.

Sakura Kinomoto (172) has posed:
    "I... Are you seriously not going to talk?" Sakura wonders. "...You know we could ALL defeat you single-handed, right? I mean..." Sakura just sidesteps the attack launched by the mages on the next floor. She seems mildly bemused. "Are you guys even trying?"

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
She COULD be really mean and actually encase the four mages on the first floor in enough ice to actually endanger their lives ... but when they collapse from exhaustion on the second effort, Xiaomu doesn't even go to that length; instead, the sage fox just spreads a reasonably thick layer of ice across the collapsed mages' ankles, 'binding' it into the water beneath them.

The second floor is a greater source of worry ... at least, until the attack falls apart. Literally.

With a great effort of restraint and dignity, Xiaomu refrains from facepalming. "Basic physics, guys, water doesn't compress the same way air does. You seriously didn't read The Hunt for Red October, or anything else where they actually TALK about that kind of thing? Seriously?"

She pauses briefly, then unslings her carrypack, taking her guns and grenades from their places in her vest and arranging the pack's contents to make room for everything. She also has to do this without getting anything wet, but the pack is sized such that she can support it on one arm. (She also hands out some more fried tofu; how much of that is she carrying? ... Or is it better not to ask?)

Once she's made room for her guns, grenades, and ammunition, she seals the carrypack up again - and with a *POOF* of gold-colored smoke, she shapeshifts.

The sage fox from Shinra is now wearing .... a school swimsuit. And she's barefoot, her sandals having vanished along with her other outfit. "Might as well be dressed for the occasion, right?" she smirks as she settles the carrypack across her back again and takes her staff back in hand. "Now, where were we ..."

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     Twilight Sparkle heads upstairs with Sakura after scolding the four downstairs. "Magic should not be abused in such a manner! If you have magical powers, you should not use them to attack others for no good reason! If you like, I can offer some training in magic, but only if you promise to use that knowledge to help others and defend those weaker than yourself." she says before moving on. She is certain they are both too tired and too ashamed to be any more trouble.

     When they meet the second group, Twilight prepares an actual defensive spell. Turns out it is not needed, though. Twilight sighs softly. "Look, I am sure you are proud of your abilities and determined to do whatever it is you are trying to do here, but this is no way to greet guests!" she scolds, then nods. "And Xiaomu is right. Water, like most things that can be fired in a compressed stream, will naturally try to expand as soon as the force compressing it is gone. You need much more practice if you wish to make a cutting beam with water."

     Like those downstairs, Twilight continues onward after lecturing this group.

Staren has posed:
    Staren ums, "We're not taking you lightly, we're trying to reach a peaceful resolution here..."

    They collapse.

    After a moment, Staren walks past with the others. "Maybe keeping this tower going is sucking up all their energy or something.

    The next group has water balls. "So, we'd like to--" oh wait no they're monologuing. Staren quirks an eyebrow slightly when they say they're imaginative, and then they CRUSH WATER. Staren stares and backs up. He runs to the side to avoid the jet and then... The waterballs explode with much less force than he expected. Staren looks at the sadly soggy mages and puts his hands on his hips.

    "Can we talk now?"

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
    As long as it's a surface, no matter how insubstantial, he can indeed scale it. Believe it or not, he's climbing on water. He never thought this can be so simple. Believe it or not, he's climbing on water, while everyone else gets sprinkled.

    (not walking on water, that's the big guy's schtick)

    Brain continues to race. Were they wrong? Do they really plan on the lethal option after all? Why? Why, after twenty nonlethal attempts? What's changed? Please don't say it's just that one thing, you fickle, horrible bastards.

    He hopes Xiaomu saves some fried tofu for him.

    Ren knows that while the regular mages' threat level dwindles with every damp squib, Jean's has risen exponentially. Is he capable of making this whole castle himself? How much effort is that taking for him? How easy will it be for him to remain undetected? All knife-edge questions, and he won't let himself be the weak link.

Breathe like a whisper. Step like a breeze. He is a pearl in the seafoam.

Crys Gattz has posed:
Crys Gattz is welcome in with the rest she looks at them as the ground ripples she looks eight at them and calmy says.

"You best be wary, if you ran into someohe who had far less mercy than us."

She says nothing more as she keeps with the group he looks at them for a moment and peers at them. She looks at them long and hard and her look softens slightly though as she moves in to look them over some more.

"That really was your best? So can we talk now rather than this?"

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    The eight seems to stare blankly as the group weather their water blast. The smarmy one (suddenly sounding much less smarmy) says, "Uh... sure! Let's talk!" He walks right up to the group, as if trying to obscure their view of the other seven bringing up another globe of water to try again.

    He turns to stare at Xiaomu, managing an offended tone. "O-Of course I know that! And uh... I only saw the movie. Did they talk about it in that? It's been a while." An awkward laugh, cloaked arm coming up to scratch the back of the hood (and also to try and hide the shenanigans of his comrades some more). He also seems to stare a lot longer than necessary as Xiaomu changes outfit.

    But, then he looks to Twilight and Staren, letting out a dismissive snort. "Oh yes, I'm sure you have a lot to teach us. God, listen to yourself." He affixes a falsetto to his voice and says, "Ahahah look at the peons with hardly any magic trying to stand up to us isn't that adorable let's encourage them like they're pets."

    Back to normal, he sounds pretty angry now. "People like you and Kinomoto make me sick! Not all of us benefit from some scheme across time and space or being told exactly what our purpose is. We have to do our best with what we're given! People like you can never understand."

    He sighs angrily. "Look, Jean took us in, encouraged what little gifts we have. We can't turn our backs on him, and we'll do our best to follow his orders! And his orders were to try and stop you. You want to talk? Take it to him, because we're not budging. Right?"

    The rest all say 'right!' in unison, as the sphere is completed. Mister Smarm backpedals, and helps in the next attack! To be fair, they did learn their lesson. The beam is less tightly packed, but that means they can maintain the form of it. However, now it's nothing more than a fire hose. It might knock you down if you're not bracing, but it doesn't really hurt.

    Ren would probably see all this during his ascension through a window. He could jump in here, or keep climbing!

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
Xiaomu smirks a bit as she sees the second-floor 'leader' staring at her, and actually flaunts her figure a little more during the conversation. But she's not focusing ENTIRELY on the speaker - she sees the others setting up for something, and she's ready when they turn it loose.

"XIAOMU BLIZZARD!!"

Ice magic meets water; Xiaomu's trying to freeze the spray into a wall to block the REST of the spray from hitting anybody.

"So the Purple Pentacle is all about 'power for the people,' then?" the sage fox asks as the wall reaches a size where it can remain stable on its own. "Okay, NOW your grudge against Sakura is starting to make some sense. On the other hand, you don't ... really, *have* to budge, do you?"

Or are the mages actually between where the group is standing now and the stairs to the next level?

Sakura Kinomoto (172) has posed:
    Sakura listens to Mr. Smarm as he talks - and then starts ranting as Staren and Twilight set him off. Her eyes narrow slightly. And suddenly... "Dash." Blip! She's standing amidst the Purple Jerks. "Sometimes I hate being 'special', you know? Magic is amazing. I wish that everyone could have it, honestly. I know that's probably not a good idea... After all, the world is full of people like you. But. Magic separates me from most of my friends, you know? I have all these experiences I can't really... share. I don't have the words."

    "My life's dream is to share magic with the world." Snikt go her Hidden Blades. "And you're IN MY WAY."

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
Sound carries.

    If Ren wasn't so inclined to dislike them, he'd almost feel kind of sorry. He's misjudged the PP, he feels, listening in on their cries- and Sakura's, in turn. Not massively, perhaps, but still, it's... it's people reaching far beyond their means and, more importantly, using force and malice to accomplish their goals. That's what makes them fundamentally in the wrong.

    "I wish I had someone around to actually say this to," Ren whispers to himself. He's not HOPING to find Jean, at least not on these terms, but...

    Sigh. People. And, at the end of the day, malice. Darkness in the heart can spoil even the most noble of ideals, can't it?

    He carries on. He has to find Wave, or Jean, if only so he can signpost the others to her. Slash him.

Staren has posed:
    Staren sighs and holds a hand to his forehead as the mage rants... until he says something.

    Staren looks right at him. "/I/ don't understand?!"

    The rant continues, and finishes. "/I/ don't /UNDERSTAND/?!"

    Staren starts walking towards Mr. Smarm. Using the wings for brief moments to sideslip away from the water blasts. "/I/ have a purpose. People need help. The world needs fixing. Bad people need stopping. /Some/ people are born to some species with endless strength and toughness, or magic powers. /Some/ people can just turn their /determination/ into power and warp reality. And yeah, /some/ people," he waves a hand at Sakura Kinomoto, "Have a talking animal show up one day and tell them they're destined to be heroes," he lowers his hand, "or can wield the power of love and compassion or friendship or something to purify their foes so they can win without /killing/."

    "While /I/ search the multiverse for powers I can understand and control, and use to achieve my goals, and yet no matter /how/ much power I hold, there are some things I /just can't do/, like make a fight end with talking."

    Staren tries to lift Mr. Smarm up by the collar of his robe. "/Some/ people work hard too, to use their gifts. But that doesn't fix our problem, does it? There will always be things others can do that we wish we could too." He lowers the mage, slowly.

    "...But you hear that? The one you hate so much /agrees/ with you. She's trying to /fix/ it. And besides that... You would really kill a nation of innocent people because /one/ person helped you do, um..." He waves a hand at the water. "That? Have you sold your /soul/? Because man, if you wanted to do /that/, I'm sure you could get a /much/ better deal."

Crys Gattz has posed:
Crys Gattz is keeping back and looking to Xiaomu as she brings in some pretty heavy magic and she starts to focus she might need to make use of some of her own talents she doesn't yet summon a weapon however as she scares off.

"Power can divide a group can isolate one who has not been taken by it. You should be wary of what you wish for you might just get it."

She seems to be speaking from hard earned experiance here too. Crys often one to go charging in with her blades ready yet today she seems to talk.

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     Unlike Sakura and Staren, Twilight Sparkle doesn't get angry at the group of misguided mages. She is preparing a response of her own when Xiaomu freezes that water jet, but even after that Twilight just sighs softly then looks at the group sympathetically. Staren and Sakura go with the intimidation route, and Twilight realizes that is fine for them, but sometimes people just need a little understanding and compassion.

     "If a friend asks you to do something that they know is wrong, then that person is not a good friend. You should not turn your backs on a friend, but you should question that friend when he says something like 'Defend me while I attempt to destroy an entire country's monetary and food system'." the purple pony says, smiling just a bit. "Whatever his problem is with Sakura, it isn't worth all of that trouble, for you or for those who might be hurt. Instead of fighting us, you should be trying to save your friend from himself. I know from experience that this path leads only to misery for all involved."

     Twilight steps toward the group, looking up at Mr. Smarm. "It isn't turning your back to say no to an unreasonable request. It is actually helping your friend if you help them to see why a course of action is wrong, or stop them from taking such a course of action. They may not always appreciate it, but in the end all of you will be happier."

     Then, she giggles a bit. "Not to mention...there is no way you could know, but it took me years of studying and practice to get to where I am today in terms of magical power and friendships. You may think that we do not understand you, but we do. We have all been frustrated by the abilities of others, and been placed in tough situations thanks to our friends. The important thing is to work together to come to a peaceful solution that leaves no one out."

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Water meets ice, and ice wins! The whole beam, and the condensed sphere freeze over, the mages letting it fall from surprise. When it hits the ground, it actually sinks through it, falling down further to the first floor! Thankfully, it misses the mages that Xiaomu froze to the ground.

    Now that their offense has been totally nullified, the group seems a little spooked, so Sakura chooses a good time to be scary! The only trace of her movement the ripples she leaves across the watery ground, the Purple Pentagram mooks actually take a couple of seconds to relocate her.

    You would think that such shockingly pink armour would stand out more.

    Her words definitely inspire fear, but also... confusion? That certainly doesn't sound like the selfish, untested mage Jean said she was! But that means ohgodStarenisangry. Mr. Smarm is lifted, hood falling back to revealed a ratfaced fellow with curly red hair, looking quite intimidated as Staren monologues at him.

    Twilight's words reach the rest of the group, as does Crys's. They all hang their heads a little. "I-I don't think Jean actually wanted to ruin Japan. He..." They stop there, and sigh. The words of the Elites, as well as their actions, have truly shaken the group's faith in things. Finally, Ratface Smarm says, "... we'll hold you to that, Kinomoto." And then, more stairs form. Looks like they're letting them pass. It's a long climb this time, all the way to the top! The Purple Pentagram probably could have made the tower much smaller... but then it wouldn't be as cool.

    The final floor. This one overlooks the surrounding sea, and has only two occupants. One is Jean, looking pleased as punch made from the cat who ate the canary. The other is The Wave, confined to a massive tank filled with portals leading who-knows-where. The group stand before them, but Ren's path has placed him at the window behind them.

    Hello /Master/ says The Wave, in a voice like waves crashing violently against the rocky shore.

Sakura Kinomoto (172) has posed:
    Sakura retracts her Hidden Blades after a few moments. Was she actually going to use them if they didn't back down...? It's... really hard to say. Her expression is rather unreadable at the moment.

    They head up the stairs! ... Up and up they go... "What is it with Mages and -towers-, anyway?" she grumbles to herself. When they reach the top, her eyes go wide. "Wave!" she calls out, taking a step forward - and then she freezes in her tracks.

    "...YOU CAN TALK?!"

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
    OK, so. Here we go- the gang's all here. Assuming that Jean hasn't noticed him so far- and boy, the more Ren looks at the guy's face to make sure that he hasn't the more he wants to just leap out of the shadows and punch him- the sneaky Solar simply stands 'in situ'. He's here, he's ready- but now he needs to evaluate the situation. He can't, for example, see any explicit mechanical controls connected to this tank. So Ren instead coils like a viper, hoping he won't need to bite Jean in the clinch.

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     Twilight smiles brightly when the Purple Pentacles agree with them. She raises a hoof to shake Ratface Smarm's hand. "I promise. You will feel much better after everyone is safe and this ordeal is over." she says to him and the others. Then, she takes Staren's hand and follows Sakura up the stairs. She looks over at Crys as they go. "Did you have a similar situatio with your friends?" she asks.

     Once at the top, Twilight hangs back and lets Sakura step forward. She watches Jean closely, since he is the one who is supposedly the cause of all the trouble. Until she hears the name of the card. Wave? Could the card have been the actual instigator, just using Jean and the others for something? Either way, Twilight's horn is glowing with magic. She is ready to defend her friends at a moment's notice!

Crys Gattz has posed:
Crys Gattz does not pull her weapons it's odd she doesn't seem to need to at this point ion time. She nods to them as they move to let them path nd she tilts he rhead at them on her way past commenting.

"You have made a good call."

They also proved they were smarte than many goons she's run into they knew they were out classed and backed down when they got a very good offer made. She now moves on ahead knowing they will likely have to fight at the end.

"In a way, it's not a story with a happy ending I'm afraid. I saw a hunter get the power he wanted, the power destroyed his mind."

She seems sad Kreeik was a bastard and a monsater but to see someone lose htier mind into an animal like form like that was horrific.

She doesn't pull her wepaons from her photon trap yet but she's clearly eyeing the situyation before her.

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
Xiaomu waves casually to The Wave, trying to judge the elemental's mood. "It's an ego thing, I think," she answers Sakura ... then focuses her attention on Jean.

It's the kind of look you'd expect if she were sighting along one (or both) of her handguns, but she doesn't go on the offensive ... not quite yet, at any rate.

She's holding her staff at the ready, though, whether to start striking with it as a melee weapon or simply to smack its butt on the watery floor before she starts casting something. Even in a school swimsuit, she clearly means business.

But she'd still be happy to see this resolved WITHOUT a general throwdown.

Staren has posed:
    Staren glares at Ratface Smarm. He's a little surprised as Twilight comes up with an /even better/ argument that in retrospect... in the right frame of mind, he might have been able to think of. He lets Smarm go, anger starting to turn to pity as he sees how /terrified/ the man is. And when the man actually /listens/... It gives him hope. "...Even if what you want turns out to be impossible... I'm sure we can work something out."

    Staren walks on with the others. He stops, and looks back at the soggy mages for a moment, then turns away and follows his allies.

    So that's The Wave. And this Jean. "Did you hear all that? I'm gonna ask the same thing to you: What do you want? Why are you really doing this?" He glances at his allies, then at Jean.

    "I really mean it. I'm not just doing the 'good guys talk first' thing." He uses finger-quotes. "Do you know why I fight? Well, a lot of reasons. But one of them is to try and give people a better life. To make a better /future/. And the thing is... Well, obviously, the future where you destroy Japan is the worst one. And, the future where you do... whatever it is you want with Sakura, is pretty bad. And the future where you go to jail, or are dead, and can never hurt anyone again, is better still. But you know what? Someone happy and helping people is better than someone dead. Maybe, if you really care for the people downstairs, you can help them more. So I'll tell you what... This," he waves a hand around, "Has got to stop, one way or another. I've got to help all those people," he points towards Japan, "And so do they" he gestures to his allies. "But you can choose /your/ future. So what's it going to be?" He holds out a hand, looking at Jean...

    This /never/ works. But today he's feeling a little more hopeful than usual.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
     "Oh, you didn't know? Of course you wouldn't..." The Wave says, voice filled in anger and bitterness. Xiaomu would be able to gauge that easily. Jean's smile only grows as he hears it. "Everyone," he says. "The Wave has some things she needs to say. Some awful truths that must be shared before we can move on." He certainly does sound pleased to deliver such bad news... but, he looks to Staren, and crosses his arms, lips curling into a nasty sneer. "Well now... for my future? I choose to be quiet and listen." Well... he's not saying 'no.' That's a start, right?

    "You... never used me." Wave says, her voice like the gentle lapping of water against a sail boat caught in the doldrums. Despondent. Hopeless. "When I was a Clow Card, you never used me. You turned me into a Sakura Card... and still never used me. All these years... and I've never heard you call my name."

    Her voice is picking up now, filling with the fury of a sudden storm. "Not like a weaker Watery could /ever/ be of use, right? Just take the most direct path! Fly, Dash, Sword! Cut them down, that's the fastest way, right /MASTER?!/" The whole room is starting to shake and shudder, her power extending out and making the structure ripple. Jean is smirking even wider.

    "Well, let me show you what a useless card like me can do!" And suddenly, waves. Massive waves, erupting from every surface of the room. Not just the floor, but the walls and roof, the wakes reaching out like fingers to crash violently against the Elites! Jean is protecting himself with a bubble of portals, and seems to be laughing to himself.

Sakura Kinomoto (172) has posed:
    Sakura's eyes go progressively wider as the Wave rants. She visibly cringes, as if struck, at each accusation. She's even taken a couple of steps back, nearly walking right into Xiaomu in the process. "That's... that's not what..." She can't finish. She can't bring herself to -lie-. When she was younger... before she really realised that all of her Cards were truly PEOPLE...

    But she'd changed in the past four years! Hadn't she? Although, as she thought about it... how could the Wave know about that?

    Sakura is too busy mentally reeling to do anything to defend herself from the Wave's attack...

    The Watery appears in front of her, teeth gritted, hands thrown up in front of her. There's a faint dent made in the onrushing wall of water, the water sprite visibly straining... but it's no good.

    Sakura's wand is suddenly enveloped by chains, until the Sword appears in her hand. There's a bright turquise aura about her. Wings appear on her ankles... and she leaps into the air, eyes dull, as if moving automatically. And suddenly, the Earthy has appeared, forging a floating platform to catch Sakura...

    ...Are her Cards acting by themselves? Are they allowed to DO that?

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
Doesn't it suck when the 'bad guys' have a valid point AND the power to make you regret not agreeing with them sooner?

Apart from that, Xiaomu is sort of glad she's in a swimsuit at the moment and that her guns and ammo are safely stashed away. The carrypack isn't exactly waterproof, but it's better than nothing at all as far as protecting her stuff - and there's still enough fried tofu, each package wrapped in a plastic bag, to help keep the water out a little longer.

Of course, what good is protecting your inventory if you're not alive to make use of it? The question of how to handle the waves slamming in from every direction is actually the primary thought on the sage fox's mind; all she can really do is curl up against the initial series of waves, and then try to prevent follow-up attacks - if she can. Xiaomu's first objective would to be trying to freeze the floor solid, gambling that The Wave's power can't do anything with FROZEN water. On the other hand, depending upon the architectural charms, that might also mean that 'solid ice' is no longer going to hold its place within a structure of liquid water ...

She's a little too preoccupied with protecting herself, and potentially her allies, to take full conscious note of what's happening with Sakura. What glimpse she gets of the cardmistress isn't enough to make her switch priorities - somebody else will have to intervene at this rate.

Staren has posed:
    Okay, this is /completely/ unexpected. What do you even say to powers you don't use much? This is why Staren uses machines. Staren has no idea what to say.

    And then water attacks. "Keep air ready!" In case they're drowned... Sakura and Twilight's magic should be able to cover it. Water knocks Staren over, he tries to get up and move towards Tomoyo.

    "Wave... is hurting people really all you can do? Attacking us... helping Jean threaten a nation of innocent people... Is that all you are?"

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     Twilight's ears splay as she listens to Wave. She doesn't know all the history between Sakura and the cards, but that doesn't sound like the Sakura she knows. When those waves come crashing in towards them, Twilight reacts quickly. A purple-ish translucent barrier appears around her and those around her. It only extends about 10 feet from her in a spherical shape, so those farther away than that may have to find their own cover. She of course tries to cover everyone she can, and expected Staren could handle himself. But, the power of those waves washes her and her shield bubble about the room like a tiny submarine caught in a hurricane.

     "Wave! This can't be what you want! You want Sakura's attention, but you don't really want to hurt her or anyone else, do you?" Twilight calls out as her shield bubble, along with her and anyone else inside, is washed around the room. Twilight is straining to maintain it against the force of the water, and cracks are starting to appear in it. Twilight turns her head to look at Sakura and...something is wrong! "Sakura! Don't hurt Wave! She's just upset! You just have to show her that you do value her!" she calls out, then looks back to the Wave. "I don't know what happened, or what didn't happen, but I know that Sakura loves all her cards!"

     Then, a Twilight realizes. Wave is just hurting, confused, feeling abandoned. Jean...he may be manipulating Wave somehow. He just happened to have that portal spell ready? While still fighting to maintain the shield bubble, Twilight fires a counterspell at Jean's portals, trying to destabilize them enough that he is caught in the waves as well. If he is exerting some kind of control over Wave, then this may break it. If they are truly allied, this may still help calm the Wave down.

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
Oh. It's all gone pear-shaped.

    In a stroke, an awful lot of Sakura and Ren's speculation is broken open, and surely chaos is going to ensue.

    Ren barely has time to react as the room itself begins to explode into incoherent waves of water. Even for him, there's no way of avoiding being flushed out of his place, as he scrambles! He has to find solid water!

    But Ren Tanaka is nothing if not a quick sharp thinker.

    He widens his eyes, pleased despite the chaos, as exactly what he was hoping to happen, happens.

    "There are people here whose, I think, voices need to be heard!"

    He's drenched in water, but he does his best. He needs to stand firm- he can't punch the river in two, but he can definitely create a person-sized bulwark for Tomoyo, Twilight- whoever needs it.

    "Time is a strange thing. Means different things to different people. Especially how you measure it. Not... not seconds and minutes, I'm talking about growth. Experiences. Change."

    He thumps his chest- there's a clear signal there, to people who might wish to pay attention to it. A battery of essence. "Jean, Wave! Please- for some perspective, you need to talk to the right sorts of people! Alright, please! Sakura Cards! YOU HAVE THE FLOOR!"

Sakura Kinomoto (172) has posed:
    A magic circle erupts at Ren's feet.

    ...Wait, WHAT

    For some reason the sun symbol is glowing brighter than the star or the moon. But that's probably just a coincidence.

Crys Gattz has posed:
Crys Gattz looks for a moment at The WAve she'll wait to see what they have to say she pauses for a moment as Wave speaks up and stares this card is angr y for not being used? For being considered useless? She's suddenly glad her weapons do not have minds of their own as she summons a pair of bright blue energy sabers appear in hand.

"You made your choice."

Crys then startt to charge but then the cards seem to be up to something and she falls back halting mid charge.

"Wait what's going on here?!"

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Jean regards Sakura with slight bemusement as she makes her way towards he and Wave. "Some 'master of the cards' you are, if you're allowing them to manipulate you like this," he remarks dryly, even in this very wet atmosphere.

    And then Xiaomu freezes the ground. Her theory seems to be correct, as all the waves that came from it totally stop upon being frozen. But, this presents a new issue. The tower is made from water that constantly rises from the sea... but the ice is starting to sink down through it, and not at an even rate either. Certainly, the ground is now safer, but still very treacherous as it shifts while sinking.

    But Wave is not deterred! She continues lashing at the party with waves from the walls, now that the roof is out of reach. "The Clow Cards were to cause chaos if left to their own devices! You're arguing with a natural disaster!" she yells at Staren. Twilight's appraisal seems correct though, as there's a sob being choked back as she says this. "A natural disaster always hurts people... and I already have her attention!"

    Jean is trying to keep his balance on the icy floor, so he doesn't notice at first as Twilight applies her counterspell. When he does, he tries to block it... but she's already weakened his portals enough for a wave to smack him in the head, ruining his concentration! His personal defences, and the portals in the tank blink out of existence!

    And boy, is he not happy.

    "Accursed Multiverser!" he snarls, assuming a stance that is reminiscent of a kickboxer. Even though he's a room away from Twilight, her starts to kick! And then suddenly, he's in range, said kick still going, aiming to hit Twilight in the side of the head!

    Tomoyo meanwhile, is quite thankful to Staren and Ren, flashing them a smile before hunkering under a frozen wave. She's still filming, in spite of all of this.

Sakura Kinomoto (172) has posed:
    The room is suddenly filled with Sakura's Cards.

    Yes, ALL of them. Taking their embodied forms at the same time. Sure, they're apparently drawing power from two highly magical people, but even still...

    Sakura seems to come to her senses. She reaches up to rub at her eyes a bit. "...Hweh?" She looks down. Huh. Her magic circle. She sure didn't summon it herself...

    "Our Master has not always been the most considerate. Did you know I was once forced to pretend to be her for over a year?" Oka says. Oka you are NOT HELPING jeez. "But... you should have seen her. Do you know what she was thinking, when Jean's manipulations almost caused the Voice to fade away? 'I hope Wave is okay'." Okay maybe you are helping.

    "It feels almost blasphemous to say this, but... I don't think our Creator was always in the right," says the Light card, hovering there, shining her radiance on the group. It feels uplifting, at least. "Why did he make us 'natural disasters', anyway? He created us. He could have designed us however he wanted."

    For some reason none of the Cards seem to be being particularly bothered by the waves splashing about everywhere. It hopes that most of them can fly.

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Atc51MxhoAE&t=2m50s
    A Song of Storm and Fire - Yuki Kajiura
    Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle

    Don't ever regret it for a second.

    Ren is surrounded by the magical circle. He knows what's going to happen and he pays it gladly! After all, some things you just can't help but help your friends do.

    Power flows from Ren, through Sakura and into the cards- warmth and reassurance and strength. But it's not just him.

    We are all here, now, to challenge malice; to prove that kindness and friendship are stronger. That no matter how much distance there is between us, it can be crossed by just one hand reaching out.

    To make the invincible spell real and to prove that together we can do the impossible.

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     Slippery floor doesn't bother Twilight inside her shield bubble. And she lets out a little triumphant 'Hah-hah!' as Jean is hit with a wave which results in him losing his concentration. All as planned!

     What she didn't count on was his teleporting right into her shield bubble. Twilight blinks in surprise just before being kicked right in the head! Her bubble shatters as if Jean had kicked it instead, and Twilight is sent sliding along the frozen floor. Hooves are terrible for gripping ice, and Twilight goes sliding along uncontrollably. One can almost see the stars swirling around her head from the strike.

     But, a quick shake of her head clears them out, then she fires a beam of magical energy at Jean. Like a long distance punch with searing undertones. "You are the Wave! Destruction is only one side of you! Waves can also be gentle, playful, consoling! Any force is destructive if it wants to be! The question is, what do you want to be? Do you want to be a disaster? Or, do you want to be part of Sakura's card family? Sakura came all this way just to get you back! Surely that shows that she cares about you!"

     Twilight says all this with interjections of 'woah' or 'yiiieeeeh' as she slides about on the ice or gets hit by a wave. Until she gets washed passed Ren. She reaches out quickly to grab around one of his legs since he seems stable somehow.

Staren has posed:
    A natural disaster... Where has he heard that before...?

    Staren shakes his head. "N-NO!" Staren tries to stand. And also to ignore the /sinking ice how does that even work./ "You're a person too! You can be more than hurting people! You can have friends! You can be what you want to be! If you don't want to be stuck in a card anymore, we'll find a way to free you!" His message may be getting a bit mixed with the others.

    Also he sees Jean out of the corner of his eye. "Hey! Don't kick my girlfriend--oof!" He tries to move suddenly and slips and falls.

    Water levels, man. There's always a water level and it's always annoying.

Tomoyo Daidouji has posed:
    Wave presses her face against the glass of the tank as all the other cards manifest, shining with the radiance of both the stars and sun. The thrashing of the watery walls actually ebbs a little. "He... he always had a plan... she's probably just ruining it." she mutters softly, far less venom in her voice. Was Jean really manipulating her, or was the sight of her sisters enough to calm her enough to listen?

    Wave looks to Twilight next, blinking blearily, like she's only really looking at the pony for the first time. That's true, but... The walls have totally stopped now, the ice now sinking at a much more even rate as a result.

    Jean is still not happy.

    "Don't listen to them," he says to Wave, his voice full of spite. She looks at him... and only now seems to recognize that she's stuck in a tank. You did this to me," is all she says, before the walls suddenly erupt with a huge wave, swatting at him! He teleports to avoid it, of course. "Feh... this isn't over Kinomoto."

    Now, the whole tower is fading away, and reports over the radio indicate that the other ones have been doing the same since Twilight destroyed the portals. With a splash and a shake, their ice platform touched down on the sea's surface, floating gently upon it. Wave seems pacified, though still stuck in the tank.

    "I'm so sorry..." she whispers.

Sakura Kinomoto (172) has posed:
    Sakura breathes a sigh of relief. She looks around at her friends - the Cards included - before walking up to the tank. She places her hand against it, before reaching her hand back. Is she... planning on trying to break it? With her bare hand?

    ...Luckily, she doesn't have to, as the Sand card lightly taps the glass tank - and it dissolves into a pile of wet sand.

    And then Sakura is hugging the Wave. It's adorable. Especially as the Wave is taller than she is.

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
    So, we've all learned something today, I hope. Hopefully, we all learned to swim before today, though, and possibly how to swim with someone alongside you who can't. It's all over bar the paddling, and so Ren can finally admit that he has no legs.

    Staggering, completely tapped for energy, he sways and almost falls. He's definitely going to need someone to help him back to the boat-

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
Well, turning the 'floor' they were standing on from water to ice WAS a calculated gamble on Xiaomu's part - but she figured having something that could pass for solid footing (and couldn't be used to send wave after wave of water pummeling the party) was more important than honoring the architectural integrity of a conjured tower.

The biggest downside for Xiaomu personally is that she's *barefoot* on the ice - which is, well, unpleasant. She can put up with it, although keeping her balance means she can't really do anything further to help resolve the confrontation with Jean. If he happens to portal into arm's reach of the sage fox, though, she's gonna suplex him. Hard. Otherwise, he gets away from her righteous wrath, to be punished another day.

Once the ice-floor settles at normal sea level, Xiaomu takes a moment to look around ... then smirks. "Hey, Sakura, have you ever gone surfing? Waves don't HAVE to be destructive ..."

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     Twilight clings to Ren as the ice floor makes its way down to the water's surface. When it finally stabilizes, she blinks a few times before cautiously getting back to her feet. She is a little unstable, but smiling. Especially as Sakura hugs Wave. Then, she looks around for Staren and finds him...flat on the ice. She carefully makes her way over to him, then wraps him up in a hug. "See? Friendship can overcome anything!" she says happily.

Crys Gattz has posed:
Crys Gattz is happy that talking has settled this without a body count, she's seen far too much of that in her short life. She banishes her weapons and seems to have no issue on the ice in her boots she looks at Twilight sadly but doesn't say a thing, she's just happy this has ended well and is going to live with that.

"So we going to have a beach party now?"

Staren has posed:
    "Maybe it wasn't a good plan..." Staren comments, after the other cards have admitted that Clow wasn't always the nicest dude. "It happens... I guess life's not easy, being a sentient magic spell-card." Staren starts to get up, but the ice is sinking, so he sort of waits awkwardly on his hands and knees for everything to stabilize. And then, pony hug! His visor retracts and he smiles, "Yup! I guess we did it... Although Jean /did/ get away..."

    Would Jean kill the followers who dared defy him? The thought is a troubling one. Then again, if he worked that way, wouldn't he mess with Sakura by trying to kill her brother or people in her class or something?

    A chilling thought. More chilling than the ice, since he's in an environmentally-controlled, sealed suit of armor.

    Why does his mind have to think that way... He hugs Twilight back, and then stands up, and looks around. "Aren't you guys cold? We're standing on ice, soaked with sea water, and some of you are barefoot..."

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
"You stop feeling it after a while," Xiaomu answers Staren. "But there'd be more comfortable footing, won't argue that. As it is, though -" She glances at Wave, grinning. Her prior question could still use an answer ... and even without surfing experience, Wave could help simplify the whole 'get back to dry land' deal. It'd be a lot easier than Xiaomu using her magic to do it.