Scene #1477: Shrine of Midnight

Owner	Pose
Miko Fujimoto	Three days ago... Miko Fujimoto awoke in her bed within her quarters at the Citadel. As her eyes drifted open, she could recall the content of her dream clearly. Because it was no ordinary dream. White Rose, the Sacred Fairy who acted as her advisor, had spoken to her within her dreams. White Rose had always been indistinct, though of vaguely female form. Possibly humanoid, but she was too faint and too bright to make out anything clearly. But now her light was more contained, more controlled. Not dimmer, but somehow just... Less intense. As though there were something else mixed in. A buffer or barrier of some kind. Some sort of shaded protection for her eyes - both physical and mental. And White Rose, who usually communicated in emotions and small cute noises to express her intent, now could employ speech. "Go to the abandoned Midnight Shrine," White Rose had said. "There you may learn of the history of the Sacred Scepter, and perhaps gain new strength!" And when Miko had awoken from her dream, she recalled those instructions. She recalled floating in the void of the dream world, with the little fairy, who now looked like a little woman in a pure-white kimono, with ribbons trailing after her and fluttering about like wings. And she recalled the vision she was shown of the shrine's location. Today... Miko researched the shrine's location, and made her way there. But not until after she informed her fellow Confederates. Because she isn't about to wander out alone to some shrine because a dream pixie told her to. Not with enemies all throughout the city. When the others arrive, she is standing at the bottom of a long, long flight of stairs, leading all the way up from the side of a road in the mountains, looking over farmlands and forest far below. Trees and bamboo line the slopes alongside the stairs, and a finely-crafted torii (an arched gateway made of wood - this one in slight disrepair), hangs over the distant top of the stairs. The hour is late, and it is somewhat chilly, but it is not yet quite fully dark. Miko waits for her allies to arrive before proceeding further.
Lute	Lute owes Miko a bunch of favors. Plus, he personally finds her kind of cute. So, these two facts together are why he is showing up today. He flies over the landscape of Japan, heading towards the meeting location. He is riding upon Giratina, the Legendary Pokemon. If anyone /does/ see Giratina, it will probably look /somewhat/ frightening. Luckily, they aren't right over a city. Or there might be some reports of 'OH GOD THERE IS AN EVIL DRAGON IN THE SKY'. He lands, near Miko, before returning Giratina to the Pokeball. Lute smiles, nodding at her. "Hey, it's been a while. Thanks again, for helping me out with Giratina. So. I didn't get the full memo, but like..." A slight pause, as he considers and tries to remember. "...We're supposed to be destroying some shrine or something?" He swings and he misses.
Metal Man	Metal Man did have aform where he could pass as a civilian grade robot master, he couldn't out right hide his nature but he could hide he was the infamous Soldier of Dr. Albert Wily. Also the fact he's not covered in sawblades is a pretty good idea or so he thinks. He gets Miko needs a hand and why not? Metal Man has no issue with her and he looks to Lute for a moment. "Lute, heard you got your noodle back together, good to hear." Metal has no hostily to Lute he might give him trouble at times but he did consider him a friend.
Sarracenia	Sarracenia heard the call for assistance, and figured it would be a good chance to show her allies that she isn't just some prissy princess. She can do stuff! As the others gather, something looking like a wooden fighter jet flies by, and from it leaps the Princess of the Sundew Kingdom. Rather than her dynamic entry she uses when encountering enemies, she floats down via the wagging tanuki tail of her furry suit. Once she lands safely, a puff of smoke surrounds her, leaving her in her usual dress and holding a little tanuki plush, which she stuffs into her purse before looking at the others. "Lute even -having- a proper noodle is a surprise." she says with a smirk. It might not seem unusual to Miko or Metal Man, but Lute might notice she is not holding her hammer at the moment. "So...what are we doing, again? Escorting you to a temple?"
Miko Fujimoto	When she hears the whoosh of a dragon incoming, Miko holds down her skirt with both hands to avoid any unfortunate consequences of dragon-generated wind. Miko hasn't met up with Lute since Mount Battle, and when she sees him again, memories come flooding back of what happened at the end. Her face reddens and she turns to face up the stairs while she composes herself. "Oh, it was my pleasure! Friends help friends, right?" She turns back around, smiling, when she says that. "Close!" she affirms, even though it's not close at all, because she tries to be supportive. Holding up her index finger, she starts to explain, but then Metal Man arrives. Miko isn't sure she has met him before, though she believes she recognizes his name from the radio. She bows in greeting. "Thank you for coming." Metal Man makes reference to Lute's 'noodle' being back together. Miko takes a very hesitant and embarassed moment to figure out what exactly that refers to, not helped at all by Sarracenia's arrival and subsequent comment. Eventually she decides they're talking about his brain and not... Anything else, and just bows to the princess as well. "A pleasure to meet you and Mister Man in person!" She then explains, "The 'Midnight Shrine' may hold some information regarding the nature of the magical artifact I use to become Princess Paladin. That information may potentially aid me in growing stronger. However, there may or may not be some manner of 'dark presence' here to deal with. That part of my information was not quite as clear." Miko is glad that the giant dragon has been returned to its pokeball, because it would probably wreck the place otherwise. And that is something to be avoided. "Damage to the area is something we should prevent as much as possible though. I'm not familiar with this place, so I don't know what to expect or where this information might be kept. But if this 'dark presence' is genuine, we should be on the look-out. On my world, there are demons and other magical girls aside from me, among other things. While they tend to utilize certain tactics, predicting their capabilities is difficult, and there could be threats as-yet unencountered that I would have no information on." Miko then smiles, far too cheerfully for what probably amounts to heading towards a horror-fest of some kind, and says, "Let's get on our way. If we are lucky, we might make it out of here before it gets too much darker." Then she starts her way up the stairs. What's that? Magic herself up and just leap up the stairs to save time? PSHAW.
Lute	As Sarracenia arrives, Lute moves to take her hand, and give it a kiss. Because she is a classy lady like that, who likes this sort of thing. He assumes. "I ensure you, milady, my noodle is proper, and quite adequate." ...She probably doesn't mind the innuendo. He waited to kiss Miko, mostly becase he wasn't sure how she felt about the /last/ one. The blushing leads him to an answer, though: Not in front of all these people. He nods as he listens to what is going on, though. "Alright, so we go to the shrine, and beat the spirit of the shrine up for information, got it. --If beating it up is necessary." A glance at Metal Man. "And yeah, I'm back together, thanks." He offers Metal Man a high five. "I'll guard the back of our party." And as such, he will... be trying to walk up the stairs last. Because Miko wears a skirt and Sarracenia wears a dress.
Sarracenia	Sarracenia can't help the slight blush that colors her cheeks when Lute kisses her hand and offers that innuendo. "Yes..well..." She coughs, unsure of how to counter that comment. She then looks toward Miko and curtseys politely. "I am Princess Sarracenia Sundew, crowned princess of the Sundew Kingdom. It is an honor to assist you in this endeavor. And let me assure you that I can take care of myself just as effectively as anyone else." she says before starting up the stairs herself. When she hears the position in the formation Lute has volunteered for, she rolls her eyes lightly then smirks. "Very well, but be warned..." She reaches into her purse, then pulls. The haft of something emerges before she reaches further in and pulls again. With a sound like something being stretched through rubber, her battle hammer pops free. She gives it a twirl, then rests it on her shoulder. "...I am very good with this." she says, head nodding toward the hammer that is nearly as big as she is.
Metal Man	Metal Man accept the high five from Lute, Lute seems to be doing much better now and he's offering to guard the back. That works for him she now finds just what they are facing she notices Miko for a moment and nods for a moment. "Yes that is a thing. I see so magical girl got it." He knows the drill with that and he's just falling in at this point.
Miko Fujimoto	Miko turns around to walk backwards when she hears Lute's suggestion, and says, "Oh! Good thinking, Lute-senpai! We don't need some creepy monster sneaking up on us and picking us off from behind one by one!" Then she faces forward again. Okay, so she's not clueless. She knows what they're going into. She just trusts Lute and somehow doesn't have any idea of his tendencies even after all this time. Or maybe she said that so that he'd be too busy ACTUALLY watching their backs to watch anything else. It's quite a trip up the stairs, but for those with any degree of athleticism, it is completed within like... Three or four minutes. Still a lot of stairs. The air is a bit colder the higher up they go. At one point, along the way, there is motion in the trees and bamboo all around, especially up above. Is this the wind that contains Lute's hopes and dreams!? Apparently not, because though the foliage is moving about as though there were wind... There's no noticeable change in air current. Infact, it's more like some invisible presence just went leaping through the trees above them, and disturbed the bamboo thicket in its passing. After a little while, the foliage settles back down. Well, THAT'S certainly not creepy. Miko says, "S-so, you have a hammer?" to try to change the subject. It's certainly an interesting weapon! And the way it was produced is remniscent of Miko's own method of drawing forth the Sacred Scepter. Is Princess Sarracenia also a magical girl!? "Mm! That's right, Mister Man! ...Or would that be Mister Metal?" Or Mister Metal Man? She doesn't know, but her attention is stolen off of this subject once she reaches the top of the stairs, leg muscles burning a bit from all the climbing, and passes beneath the torii. The quickened breathing from effort is halts momentarily when she catches sight of the shrine. It certainly IS abandoned, that's for sure. The place is in tatters. There main temple is physically falling apart. Tiles are missing from the roof, the paper sliding doors and walls have holes in them and seem to be shredded in places as though by hands or claws... The steps leading up to the porch are snapped in half, and there are weeds growing up out of the ground all over, as well as a nearby well that stinks pretty bad. Even more disturbing, while it was still not quite sunset on the way up the stairs, it has somehow become full night when the group arrives at the top. There's even a full moon hanging in the sky overhead. And there's a cold in the air that makes those who breathe produce steam in the air when they do so. Miko almost doesn't dare speak, and the desire to turn around and leave is almost overpowering. But she clenches her fists, and when she speaks, she whispers without even realizing she's doing so. As though she realizes innately that there may be things here that are best not disturbed. "This is the place. Be careful, everyone."
Lute	Lute nods, "Well, I'll do my best to keep an eye out. Yes. Most definitely." And, he is keeping his word. Because he has a Unown on his back, so he can keep looking forward and up while looking back through its unblinking eye at the same time. The only sad part is there just isn't enough wind. And so, he fistshakes at the wind a little bit. "Look, if you're going to be a /really creepy wind/, do it right, and blow much harder!" It is... worth a shot. Maybe. Sadly, though he has /other/ methods of 'being creepy', he doesn't want to blow his cover, quite yet. But, even then, there are more important things. At the top of the stairs, he looks at the shrine. Everything in tatters, everything not looking good... "...Yeah, the moon shouldn't be up yet. And... I don't think it is supposed to be a full moon tonight? I'm guessing magic." But, still, for a brief momnt, he does a little bow. "Please forgive us for trespassing on this shrine, if any spirits may be here. We come here seeking knowledge and spiritual advice." He... isn't sure if this place is haunted, or has any other spirits around. But, it's worth being careful and being respectful. Even /Lute/ knows this.
Sarracenia	Princess Sarracenia nods at the question. "I got it special from a passing merchant. These kinds of hammers are not uncommon on my world, but usually they send you into a frenzy of hammering mayhem when you pick them up. Mine has a special seal though. I get the benefits of its strengthening powers without the angry carpenter attack." she explains as they climb. When they do reach the top, the princess is...well, she is looking a bit dishevelled. Sure, she is in good shape, but four minutes of stair climbing? She is a princess! Not a plumber! As if not even hearing Miko, she immediately looks around for somewhere to sit, choosing a broken down section of wall as a bench. "Wh-what was that...spooky thing...in the trees...I didn't...even see..anything.." she pants out. Unlike Lute, she seems to have little reverence for this place. It looks like a broken down dump to her, and smells like it, too. "This place had better not be as dirty as it smells! I just got this dress repaired!"
Metal Man	Metal Man say "Call me Mr. Wily if plan to do that." He is a Wily after all, much likw Rock and Roll are Lights. Either way he's here to help right? So he keeps alert as he moves ahead he does not seem to be armed but those who'd know him, would know he's but a command from having enough blades to look like he was a kitchen section of a store. HE makes note of the place it's state and wonders just what's actually lurking in the dark.
Miko Fujimoto	Miko nods to Metal Man upon the instruction of what to call him by. Lute's approach is a good one. Though the fact it's night and there's a full moon out (though it's SUPPOSED to be tomorrow tonight, not tonight) is definitely unnatural, Miko isn't sure yet if whatever that... Invisible thing was is responsible or if it's tied more to the place itself. Miko stands by for now, allowing Lute to do the negotiating, and just being glad that the princess with them didn't decided to start smashing everything with her hammer. The large open space of the temple grounds all around them may be choked with weeds growing up out of the cracked tiles, but there's not a lot of places to hide aside from the building. Maybe the well. Of course, if they're dealing with something invisible, ANYWHERE could be a good place to hide. There is no immediate reply to Lute, but that doesn't mean anything necessarily. Likewise, there is no immediate reaction to Sarracenia's irreverence. Clouds gradually drift through the night sky, blotting out the moon. And while the quartet are looking around or bowing or sitting down to complain, at some point, without ever noticing exactly WHEN it arrived, something joins them. It appears humanoid, but is easily missed at first. With how dark the grounds become when the moon is blotted out, that is not surprising. But when some illumination returns, even minutely, it becomes clear that on the other side of the ground, in front of the temple, there's a figure shrouded in deep shadow, with long, stringy black hair. She appears to possibly be female, but even that is a tenuous identification, based more off of hair length and attire than anything else. Her clothing is a ragged shrine maiden's garb, the red skirts tattered and blood-stained, and no sign of any legs actually being within. Pale hands are held hooked and tense, as though fingers were claws. The figure's head is hanging so that her hair drapes around her face, concealing her features. When the clouds finally pass completely, the area around the disturbing figure remains darkened, even when everything else around them resumes being bathed in moonlight. In the darkness that approximates a face, a pair of baleful blue-white lights, like twin lamps, bloom into existence with a sound like torches being lit. Flames actually flicker slowly from her eyes. "Leaaaaave..." comes a hissing voice like a deluge of maggots being run through a seive. WELP. TIME TO GO, RIGHT?
Miko Fujimoto	Miko has never wanted to be anywhere less than here and right now. But she can't just be chased off by totally freaky ghosts or whatever this is. Even if she's getting flashbacks to various horror movies she has seen. That well nearby in particular makes her shudder almost as much as the creature before them. But she steels herself, and draws forth a gohei, a wooden wand with a pair of zig-zagging paper streamers trailing from it. It comes from thin air, just appearing in her hand. She has no idea if she can perform an exorcism or whatever. The Sacred Scepter runs on two types of magic: Holy and Law. Is it up to the task of driving out a spirit? She works to control her emotions, not to be passionate or determined, but simply to regulate what she feels and to what degree. Sure, there's determination in there. But her passion is likely to make her RUN not stay, in this instance. So she shuts it down. She shuts down fear as much as possible, making herself calm, and cold, and collected. "I am sorry," she offers to the ghost, bowing as Lute has. "But we will remain until our business here is conclud-" NOW there's a blast of wind, though it's almost like a solid wall of freezing air that strikes them, with the sound of screams tearing past their ears. The ghost's long black hair is flying out around its head like greasy tendrils, or rot-slicked serpents. The menace and murderous intent, the pure MALICE of this monster, is plain to see and to feel. Miko has to shield her eyes with one hand while holding her wand with the other. She can't do anything else as long as this awful wind continues!
Lute	Lute pauses, to stare at the woman. Normally, he would hit on such a thing. But, with the situation at hand, that seems unwise. That is, until, the wind goes crazy, and the woman becomes more terrifying. And Lute comes to a conclusion. Because everything revolves around him, it is, most likely, something that he did. Or more accurately, /didn't/ do, as he is guessing. "I'm sorry I didn't flirt with you right away, ghost girl! I didn't mean to make you jealous!" Still, though, he goes somewhat on the defensive. He doesn't want to release his Pokemon to attack, quite yet. Sometimes, a show of force can only piss off spirits. Or so he heard. Instead, he offers a different plan. "Girls, come close to me. I'll help support you against the wind!" Even as he says this, though, he is grabbing for his Pokeballs. Fingering a couple of them on his belt, /ready/ for if the ghost tries to become more malicious.
Sarracenia	Princess Sarracenia blinks at the raspy, altogether strange and creepy voice. She stands up quickly and brandishes her hammer. "Leave? We came here to find some super important artifact of some kind. We can't just leave!" she says as she moves close to the others again. "So, why do -you- not leave, and allow us to continue in peace? We wish no harm to you or your shrine, but if you stand in our-" That is about the time the wind hits. It is only thanks to her hammer that Sarracenia is not picked up and blown away by the powerful wind. But, once she has her footing again, she slams her hammer down to make a good anchor, then hangs on for dear life. "My hair! You are ruining it!" she whines. Princesses hate ruined hair. Her hair and her dress flutter in the wind as she hangs on to her hammer. "If you do not stop this windstorm right now, I will be forced to use...uh...force!" She doesn't wait long before she decides on the force. She pulls her hammer up, then crouches down to reduce her wind resistance and holds her hammer in front of her like a shield before she starts forward. If she makes it close to the ghastly woman, she reaches into her purse, then pulls out...a Bullet Bill! With a twirl she tosses it forward a bit then hits it in the primer with her hammer, sending it sailing forward like a missile. It explodes when it hits something, though it is consciously aimming itself at the creature.
Metal Man	Metal went in first he can be repaired fairly easiluy compared to organci allies, while there's only like one person on his world made of flesh he'd take a hit fort 3either way Metal Man is now smacked pretty darn good for lack of a better term. "No we're not leving, it's time for you to move on your time's ended..."
Miko Fujimoto	"R-right!" Miko replies, as she moves towards Lute, with difficult. She's trying not to get knocked down by the wind. Honestly, if she loses her balance she's likely to go flying down those stairs behind them and break her neck. Despite her attempts to not be scared, it's not that easy to shut out survival instincts. She is no machine (no offense to Metal Man). When her brain and body are both in fear mode, just not WANTING to be scared isn't enough. But she holds out her gohei in front of herself, a hand on each end of the wand, as though to block the wind itself. And somehow it works. At least a little. It's like the thin wooden rod is producing a barrier larger than itself, causing the air to visibly bend around it. It doesn't block ALL the flesh-chilling onslaught, and it's a physical strain for Miko to keep the gohei held up, but it's something. And it demonstrates that the Sacred Scepter - even in its most basic non-transformed state - has some influence in a situation like this. That kind of decides it for Miko. Negotiating further might be possible or might not. But whatever this ghost's deal is, she is clearly gripped by a terrible curse born of hatred. A grudge that persists through and beyond death. If it's not stopped here, this grudge curse will likely carry on and spread. Curses in Japanese mythology and culture, especially those associated with ghosts, are terrible, awful things. They have no peaceful resolution, no end, no release. It just passes from one victim to the next, forever, each victim becoming a new aspect of the curse. A cycle of hatred and death that just swirls around and around and around, sucking in more and more people. To break that kind of curse is not easy. It's not like just saying magic words. Further, each curse is different, so what might work for one probably won't work for another. One thing that is certain: Hammering bullets is probably not the way to break the curse. Still, Sarracenia's efforts buy time, if nothing else. The ghost doesn't even bother to dodge the Bullet Bill, allowing it to strike her, or her location. She never bothered to reply to Lute's apology for not flirting with her. It's hard to tell if she ever actually understood anything that ANYONE said. The dead girl is consumed by her own malice. And now she is consumed in flames. ...Or is she?
Miko Fujimoto	Ropey masses of long black hair slither out of the impact site, still obscured in fire and smoke, and attempt to seize Sarracenia. They go for her throat, prepared to attempt to strangle her. The owner of the hair crawls out of the crater, as embers flicker upwards into the air. The flames are turning green, the sparks looking almost like tiny blazing jewels as they rise slowly into the air. Playing it safe and not showing hostility is no longer an option. She has to act. But when she starts to transform, something is different. Instead of a flash of pink light that replaces not only her wardrobe but her entire body with someone else's, to better conceal her identity, she is engulfed in a mix of white light and shadows that flow outwards from her Gohei in spiralling strands, wrapping around her entire body, and encasing her in a sort of skin-tight black cocoon. When the cocoon breaks open in an explosion of magical force, there is someone no one has seen before standing there. Yet, oddly familiar. It's not Princess Paladin. Not enough pink. She's too tall. Too well-developed physically. And the clothing is all wrong. As a matter of fact, she is dressed like a shrine maiden. A bit like the ghost they are facing right now, even. But her facial features are very reminiscent of... An older version of Miko. A pale glow seems to emanate from her, or to shine down upon her, in the same way that shadow clings to the ghost. And the gohei in her hand... One of the streamers is white, while the other is black. This new transformation must be a power-up or something! ...Right? The magical girl doesn't seem very emotional. She's not rushing to help Sarracenia, or to stop the ghost. She's not even paying attention to the others around her. She's just... Standing there. Metal Man is close enough to try to help Sarracenia against the ghost. Lute has his pokemon who may be able to help as well. But he's also the one closest to this 'new' Miko. He is the only one in a position to figure out what's going on with her, to snap her out of whatever trance she's in, or SOMETHING. The super strong robot and the super strong princess can probably handle themselves against an awful murder-ghost, right? The upper body of the ghost, since she has no legs, suddenly starts to crawl its way out of the green flames. Her eyes are still blazing, but now there's a jagged-toothed maw in her face where before there was only shadow. She drags herself towards Sarracenia, one claw-nailed hand at a time. Nice and slow. Like she wants everyone to see their deaths coming.
Lute	Lute is, somewhat, surprised by the transformation of Miko. What's going on? Is this a reaction to the shrine, or just... Some new power being unlocked? But, he can't focus on it too much yet. There is DANGER AFOOT. He will try and help her out of her trance, but first things first. He throws forth a Pokeball. Not Giratina's, thankfully. Or... maybe not thankfully. "GO, KAELIN! Pull Sarracenia back!" Lute's Tentacruel appears. Its own tentacles fling at the princess, trying to pull her out of the way of the ghost's attack. Of course this is PROBABLY NOT the preferred method of rescue for Sarracenia. But, with Sarracenia /hopefully/ helped, Lute throws something else out. "GO, REGISTEEL! SHADOW RUSH!" And, Lute's /other/ Legendary Pokemon appears. The giant golem of steel appears, and begins to run straight at the ghost, trying to tackle it with its Shadow powers. This may or may not be effective. Lute, finally, starts looking at Miko. He tries to get in front of her. Yeah, normally she'd be rushing to help. And so, he speaks up, a bit. "Hey, get it together! This is, like. A magical upgrade, right? You're now a new level of Magical Girl? So act like it and beat the monster-of-the-week! USE THE POWER OF LOVE!" And then Lute of course goes in for a kiss. Because this completely worked /last time/. Except not.
Sarracenia	Princess Sarracenia hasn't met Miko before, so doesn't know the difference between this and Miko's usual transformation. Even if she did, she probably wouldn't notice while being strangled by tendrils of hair. "H-hey! Get away from me you n-nngk-!" Sarracenia's face scrunches up and her eyes go wide as her windpipe is squeezed shut. Her legs kick frantically and her free hand goes to her neck, trying to loosen the hair strands. Her other hand swings that hammer about, aiming at the hair, the ghost, anything that might get her free! Then, -more- tendrils. It is certainly a good thing this not some sort of Japanese comic book, because this situation could quickly turn...bad. As it is, the princess is caught in a tug-o-war with the hair demon and the Tentacruel. She flails even more as her body and her dress are stretched while hair and tendrils wrap around her at various points. She does not carry blades, so cutting this hair is unlikely for her. Her only hope is that Lute's pokemon or Metal Man get rid of this hair creature.
Metal Man	Metal Man looks this undead thing over and then comes the hair? He can deal with that Metal Man summons the blade's he's known so well for. He then starts throwing them to sever it. He also start moving now not wnating to sit still and at this point he summon his combat armour which just forms up and about his body shattering any illusions about what he is. "...What the...wait it's her?" Only now foes Metal Man notice that this thing is like an older version of Miko.
Miko Fujimoto	The ghost is still on fire from Sarracenia's attack. When Registeel stampedes over her, smashing her beneath its heavy steel feet while engulfed in shadowy power, the ghost is sent flying into the temple, smashing through the doors. And now the doors (and temple) are on fire too. The wood might be too moist to burn properly. Let's hope, anyway. Because otherwise, the information they came here for may be destroyed in the blaze. It's not like the attacks aren't HITTING or aren't DOING anything. But how can you tell if a dead girl is suffering damage? The wooden temple begins to creak and rumble, boards snapping under some great weight, the roof getting pushed up by something inside. Suddenly, a flood of black hair bursts out through the walls, slithers its way up out of the roof, punching holes in the tiles where necessary, and it all starts flowing towards these intruders upon sacred grounds. Pale arms, dozens of them, are mixed in with the deluge of black strands. Reaching and grasping in a tangle of limbs, with a sound like blood and meat caught in a drain gurgling forth among all the other sounds of the collapsing building, and the shouts for pokemon to attack or people to snap out of things, or of crackling flames. The hammer strikes the hair with great force, possibly splitting some of the strands, but hammer is about as effective against hair as upon cloth. You can't cut hair with a mallet and you can't repair a wizard's robe with a blacksmith hammer. Even so, Sarracenia's mighty attacks leave more craters in the tiles, demonstrating that she is not in any way weak. None of those present are. They are simply facing an unconventional opponent. Thankfully, Metal Man's blades slice through the ghostly strands despite their supernatural strength and prehensile nature. It's still hair, after all. Sarracenia is freed! Yay for breathing! When Lute kisses Miko this time, there is almost no reaction from her. It's not like on Mount Battle, where she was simple surprised. Their lips meet, and Miko does not move away, does not resist. But her lips are cold, and she is unresponsive. It's almost like she's as dead as the ghost they're fighting. But then her eyes fix upon Lute's and she raises one hand to delicately push him away. Then she asks in a voice like Miko might speak in several years from now, "Why should I fight?" She turns her attention on the well - that foul-smelling well that had scared Miko due to its similarities to a certain horror movie - and starts walking over there, completely ignoring the tide of ghost hair and ghost limbs and hatred and death. Completely ignoring the friends and allies who came here to help her. This... Isn't Miko. Or at least no Miko that anyone here knows. There's no emotion to her. She's calm, and cold, and calculating, and clearly does not care what happens to the others. Some effing power-up.
Lute	And, with the hair cut, the Tentacruel pulls Sarracenia back. Unless Sarracenia resists, she will be dropped into Lute's arms. Yes, he was hoping to set up a heroic moment, and his Pokemon are trained for such. But, Lute almost /immediately/ sets Sarracenia down, if she ends up in his arms. He then immediately moves to get to the other side of Miko, to try and stop her from going to the well. He will try to physically restrain her, if possible. "You should help us because there is a ghost trying to kill us. And what do you want with the well? Tell me or else I won't let you go there." And, with no instructions, Lute's Registeel is going to simply attack on its own. Which is a BAD IDEA. Because, it is a Shadow Pokemon. A beast of rage and rampage. And so it simply runs towards the Ghost, trying to leap at it and claw at it with its massive metal talons. It isn't /trying/ to cause colateral damage, but it isn't likely to try /not/ to.
Metal Man	Metal's blades dop their thing and he sees now Sarracenia is free, and can breath again he looks for a moment as Lute kisses Miko, okay just what is he up to there. She's now like a dead fish and he wonder what ssort of effect. Metal Man while living in Japan is the creation of a German man, he doesn't /get/ Japanese horror at all really so he's not so spooked by this. He makes with the blades again muttering something about where in the world is Shade Man,. For now he contiunes to engage the hair and looks over ot the well he wonders. "The well?! Wait it could be taited and why this place is a mess!"
Sarracenia	Sarracenia is free! And with her body temporarily weakened from oxygen deprivation, she is easily pulled into Lute's arms. She coughs a few times as her lungs try to refill, then eeps as she is just about dropped. She lands on her feet unsteadily, then growls at the hair demon. But, she still doesn't have blades. So, she leaves the hair thing to Metal Man and Registeel while making a mental note to invest in a sword or at least a dagger and heads to help Lute with Miko. "What are you doing?! You are a shrine maiden! You are supposed to purify things like this evil spirit and that well and whatever else is wrong with this place! So, hurry up and do it!" And, just to drive the point home, Sarracenia brings a gloved hand around and applies a fairly firm slap to Miko's cheek. "Snap out of it and do your magical girl job!"
Miko Fujimoto	Lute places his hands on Miko and there's a flip of her gohei as she attempts to strike his arm aside painfully. Despite her seemingly having the physical fitness of a religious figure rather than a warrior, she apparently hits rather hard. Nowhere near the hardest that Lute has ever been hit, if he even is, but concentrated into a point like that, it might sting a bit! "Stand aside. The well has the information about the Sacred Scepter that I seek. The vengeful spirit is irrelevant. If you continue to stand in my way, I will kill you." Her tone is calm, soft, and would almost be gentle if not for the absolute frigidity. There is nothing in what she says that indicates she's bluffing. Whether she could ACTUALLY kill Lute or not is another matter, since he's probably more powerful than her. But she seems to fully intend to try if he stays in her way. When Sarracenia attempts to strike Miko, she turns around and attacks right back after the impact. And she isn't holding back. She lashes out as though trying to bisect the other woman's head with that wand of hers. And her eyes still betray no sign of emotion. Not even anger. Registeel and Metal Man are fighting the ghost. Blades tear through hair, Registeel stomps the pale limbs protruding out of the mass, and the whole time only hateful hissing and a throbbing, headache-inducing sensation of PRESSURE from the ghost emerge from it. No screams of pain, no more threats or warnings. But it is when Lute starts heading towards the well that the ghost actually seems to take action other than a near-mindless attempt to kill. It diverts a part of its mass towards the pokemon trainer. Now Miko shows some sign of interest. Whether her attack upon Sarracenia worked or not, she holds up her gohei as Miko did when trying to block the wind before. This time, a blast of white light erupts from it and seems to disintegrate the hair before it can reach Lute. Or, more likely, before it can reach the well, since that's all she seems to care about. "I am Midnight Shrine Maiden. Unlike Miko, and unlike Princess Paladin, I use my abilities as I see fit, and to fulfill only a single 'quest'," she explains - perhaps to the ghost, perhaps to Sarracenia, perhaps to everyone, perhaps to no one. She strides forth into the path of the ghost that is now struggling to get away from the beating it is receiving from Registeel and Metal Man, to get to the well. "To do as -I- wish."
Miko Fujimoto	Then she holds up her gohei above her head, and brings it back down. She says dispassionately, the red mark from Sarracenia's blow already fading from her pale skin, "Holy Avenger Shock." A miniature sun made out of holy energy appears, floating above the Sacred Scepter's altered form. Rings of shadow encirce it like an atomic symbol. And when she brings the Scepter down and fires the attack, it tears into and through the ghost, leaving its hair strands burning red-hot in the attack's wake, and obliterating a huge chunk of the temple grounds. Not just the temple itself, but this entire area. If Metal Man and Registeel don't get out of the way in time, they may suffer damage as well. When Lute reaches the well, the overpowering stench is even greater. Not only is the water foul, fetid, and swarming with flies... There's also a dead body stuffed into the well. The body of a girl in a shrine maiden's oufit. Her neck is broken, her head twisted, and her limbs likewise snapped and bent so that her corpse can fit inside. Even after being hit with Midnight Shrine Maidne's strongest attack, something that might be a head is starting to rise out of one of the piles of burnt hair (which, by the way, also smells completely awful). "Kill youuuuu..." the ghost hisses. That body must be the key! ...Or something!?
Lute	With Miko being possessed by a shrine maiden, even Lute knows better than to fuck with her more. Things are /not going well/, and as such, he just sort of... steps out of the way. There, really, isn't too much more he can do. Aside, maybe, keep everyone else safe from the ghost. "REGISTEEL! RETURN! Uh... Let's see. GO, SAVANT! MAKE A BARRIER!" And, Lute releases his (male) Gardevoir, while recalling his Registeel. The Gardevoir does as told, creating a psychic barrier to try and keep the ghost away from Miko, Sarracenia, and his Tentacruel. Metal Man can totally solo a ghost, right? As for Sarracenia attacking Miko, and the return strike... Well. Lute isn't going to get in the way of that. He can't pick sides in a catfight.
Sarracenia	THWACK! Sarracenia wasn't expecting such a brutal return to her rather harmless slap, and it shows when she is struck across the face by that little wand thing with the paper streamers. The strike is so strong and unexpected that the princess staggers to the side. When she recovers from the hit, a giant red wand-shaped mark on the side of her face, she is -seething- mad. "Oh no you did not!!" she screams! She is just getting ready to swing her hammer at Miko when Miko fires that burst of holy energy and decimates part of the apparition. This -is- sort of what Sarra wanted, so she puts a lid on her rage for now and redirects her hammer swing just in time to avoid hitting Miko. Instead, an unfortunate shrine statue is the victim. It shatters and the pieces go scattering across the lawn as Sarracenia stands there, partially crouched after the attack. The steam rising from her breaths is even more powerful than before. She looks -really- mad. "Midnight Shrine Maiden, huh?! You seem more like Midnight Shrine Barbarian!" she screams. It seems to help at least. She rests her hammer against her shoulder again, then stalks after Miko. It is only now that Sarracenia notices...this is not the same Miko they climbed the stairs with. "...hey, did you change your hair or something?" she asks, a bit confused, as she looks the more mature Miko over.
Metal Man	Metal Man is dealing with the ghost, he's shouted out the idea the well may be the center of it all, but for the moment he's got to deal with the ghost. Okay wait how the hell is he going to deal with a Ghost? He's not sure but he's trying to fend them off at this point. "Is that so then get to your mission already!" He's not in the best of moods with this as things are just well getting nutes here. MEtal Man just leaps out of the way in time, she finds there's the body and frowns for a moment as hs sees what's going on. "... A Murder victem dumped in the well?! Like this!?" there's only a few people who Metal thinks should be left like that and most of them are the likes of the Federation of his world's leadership. He's going to try to keep the ghost busy but calls out. "This place needs to be reconstrated and purifed. Not to mention her body properly treated and burried!"
Miko Fujimoto	The ghost is injured, weakened, but as long as the dead girl's body remains as it is... Is there any way to really put a stop to her haunting? When Midnight is left to her own devices, she leaves the battle in the hands of others and heads at a somewhat quicker pace than before towards the well. She gazes upon the festering corpse, and then simply reaches in and hauls it out, if it even means further damage to the twisted skeleton within the putrid flesh. She tosses the body carelessly to the ground, and it lands there, splattering gross all over. If Sarracenia is too close, she might get some of it on her. Midnight Shrine Maiden focuses back on the well. "This is a transformation born of Miko gaining control over her passions, and utilizing her powers without hatred or anger or fear. This place, with the mix of shadows and holiness, was the perfect catalyst for my awakening. I am not Miko." She waves her gohei over the well, back and forth, and the waters within begin to bubble, surge, and glow. Eventually, they erupt in a geyster that blows the roof off of the well, and go flying off into the woods. Oh, good. So it doesn't just rain down on everyo- A single column of gross water rains down almost directly above Sarracenia, unless she dodges. This woman is MEAN. The barrier can not be penetrated despite the attempts by the reforming undead to force her way through. Her fingers are longer now, tipped with blades, and she is now just a ribcage, arms, and a saw-toothed smile with hair pooling in a head that is missing the upper half of its skull. Her glowing flame-eyes are just hovering in the air above that bloody mass, as the ghost presses up against the barrier, staring right at Lute, with an expression that says, 'I am going to unzip your skin and make it into my new kimono.' It's effing creepy how intense this ghost is. She really, REALLY hates all of them!
Miko Fujimoto	"The supernatural threat the ghost poses will be a hinderance in delving deeper into the well." the magical girl says finally. She looks at the dead body, writhing with rot-eating insects, and holds out her free hand. There is a pale glow like solidified moonlight, and suddenly a set of chimes hang in Midnight's grasp. She lightly strikes them with her gohei, and a tone rings out. It fills the entire area, reverberating the stones, resonating in the trees, vibrating the rotting timbers. And the ghost falls to the ground, clutching her half-head in pain. She doesn't even have EARS anymore, but those chimes are apparently incredibly agonizing. The chimes continue to ring, producing beautiful-yet-painful music in several different notes and tones in sequence. The ghost tries to crawl away, and unless prevented, does exactly that. She flees into the ruins of the temple and vanishes under the floorboards. The murder victim's body bursts into blue flames and begins to burn. Midnight then turns her blank gaze on Metal Man and responds, "Burying bodies and purifying temples is not my desire. It can burn for all I care." She lowers the chimes and they vanish back to wherever they came from. There likely WILL need to be more work done to lift the curse from this place. Metal Man is absolutely right. But with the body destroyed through holy cremation, the ghost is probably going to lose her grasp on this place - at least for awhile. But for now... The well is empty now. Empty except for a single brick with an emblem upon its surface. Midnight Shrine Maiden somehow manages to pry it out of the well's wall with her bare fingers by leaning over the edge of the well and reaching down to get it. If this were -actually- Miko, her bending over in a skirt would likely be great for Lute. As it is... This woman is just... So cold and unpleasant and completely unlike the girl that the other Confederates know that she might actually be a huge turn-off. Miko cared about all of them. This woman doesn't even care enough to get angry when Sarracenia hit her. Didn't care enough to respond beyond lightly pushing Lute away when she was surprise-kissed. They're nobodies to her. And as she finally obtains what she is after, holding a damp, mossy brick in her hand that seems to be hollow and have some kind of journal visible inside of it, this awful excuse for a magical girl goes away.
Miko Fujimoto	Shadow unfolds from her, and flies away in a flash of light, leaving normal Miko standing there. And normal Miko seems dazed, confused, and winces as she realizes how sore her jaw is. "Wh-what..." She looks around, sees the devastation wrought, looks at the brick in her hand, sees the red mark on Sarracenia's face, the piles of hair around Metal Man thanks to him repeatedly chopping the ghost apart, and the pokemon still bravely defending them all even with nightmare fuel staring him in the face. "...What happened?"
Lute	With the ghost fleing, Miko being a bit /less/ insane than she was while possessed and likely back to her normal self, and chaos all around, Lute decides that it is likely best that he handels the explaination to Miko of what happened. As such, he walks up to her, standing in front of her. He stares straight in her eyes, and places both hands on her shoulders. Surprisingly, this isn't for a kiss. "Okay. So. Long story short, you were possessed by a total asshole. So, welcome to the club." He pauses for a bit, to let that synch in. "And, okay. To sum it up. Some cold, heartless, emotionless entity is within you, called the Midnight Shrine Maiden, and the fact you were able to transform into your magical girl form with no emotions caused her to come up. As such, now you'll be randomly possessed by the Midnight Shrine Maiden, who is after some brick things like the one you're holding. And, again, I must reiterate. She is an asshole." A pause. "Did I mention she is an asshole?"
Sarracenia	Sarracenia is not a speed demon. When that column of water comes down, she cries out before FWOOSH she is covered in the grossest water -ever-. She stands there, arms held out from her sides, her dress now clinging quite nicely to her. Which might be tempting to Lute if not for the strings and specks and pieces of who knows what that is now all over her dress and in her hair. And speaking of hair, there is a clump of old decaying hair draped over her nose. Anyone who knows Sarracenia might be surprised by what happens next. The princess starts trembling, then suddenly falls to her knees, sniffling. "Eeeeeeeeew." she says in a trembling voice. She is so grossed out that she doesn't even know what to do. She just sits there, tears in her eyes, gross things dangling and dripping from her. Her dress is surely ruined, and she will have to wash her hair for days. "Wh-why...why would she do that...it was on purpose..." She sniffles like some sort of child in an adult's body.
Metal Man	Metal Man is bury right now he hears what Midnight says and he just at a loss for words at this point the body is creamate and he thinks that mighht help for a bit but the victem can't be IDed now there can be no named grave. Metal is going to have to of all things look into this and see about getting someone form the chaplain's office of the proper faith to do the needed rituals here if he can't convice Miko for help here. Then Lute brings up something he was about to say and sights. "Lute's right and we need to finish concrating this place agin and get her a proper grave or this is never going to end. Also we need ot ID them...someone murdered them and dumped her here. It ... can't be that long as there was flesh left..."
Miko Fujimoto	"Eh...?" Miko offers, blushing as Lute grabs her by the shoulders. Her eyes widen at the explanation. "...Eh!?" Then she looks around at everything, and tries to parse what happened. "EHHHH!?" she cries out in dismay and confusion. "B-but, how...? I thought I could only turn into Princess Paladin! Why would-But I-Does that mean-" She tries to put a hand to her aching head, but she has her gohei (now with both streamers white instead of one-white one-black) in one hand, and a brick in the other. Either choose would be painful, so she gives up. She starts to choke from the stench of foul water, a dead body right nearby in the process of being cremated, the odor of burning hair, and just goes to sit down on the ground. "...I don't think this is what White Rose meant when she said I could become stronger here. I must have messed it up. I did something wrong and..." She dismisses the wand back to whereverspace and rubs her head. "...And I don't feel very good. I'm sorry. Is everyone okay at least?" She notices Sarracenia is crying and covered in gross, and looks concerned. She could transform into Princess Paladin and use her healing magic to 'restore' the princess back to being clean, but... She doesn't know if she should trust her transformation right now. At least not here. "I'm sorry! I know a really good bath house and I'll pay for the cleaning of your dress!" This is the Miko everyone knows. The nice one, the one who cares. The one who feels regret even for things she had no control over. She nods wearily to Metal Man, agreeing with him. "I'll do whatever I can. It seems I have a lot to make up for. If I could just turn into Paladin I could repair this entire area and everyone in it in an instant. But..." But what if that other person comes out instead? It was transforming without emotion that made that happen, according to Lute. Well, she's feeling plenty of emotion right now! But also, plenty of fatigue. It seems just 'being' that 'other self' is exhausting. The teenager puts the brick down, and notices the small book inside of it. More like a flattened scroll than a book really. In her dazed state, she simply pulls the scroll out, unrolls it, and starts reading it. While she listens to any further explanations, at some point she tunes everyone else out. Her blood goes cold. "E-everyone..." she starts. Then she turns the scroll around and shows it to the others. They might not get the nuances if they don't read Japanese. But it seems to be a depiction of something that looks like a giant or a god made of crystals and blades, fighting against a mass of shadowy faces, winning, and then transforming into something else. A wooden rod with two white zig-zagging streamers. It's being wielded by a white-haired woman in a white kimono. "The Sacred Scepter... The thing I use to transform... It isn't an artifact at all," Miko explains tremblingly. "It's a person."
Lute	"Okay, so the Sacred Scepter is an asshole. Just as a note." Lute pauses, pondering. "When you're not using it, store it in someplace really uncomfortable to annoy her." But, he does take on a more serious tone. It's still the stupid Lute, but hey, he needs to be clear here. Even he knows when it is serious. "Look, this is probably one of the big problems with using random magical artifacts. They can have major downsides. But, we'll figure this out, and okay?" A pause. "...Also, one last thing I need to take care of. Our ally needs some help over there as you can see." He walks over to Sarracenia. Despite the corpsewater being on her, he's approaching. As a Man, he can handle this. He has to help her, and he has to White Knight a bit and be the good guy here. And so he goes in to give her a hug. Followed by a kiss on the cheek. At the least this will give her a /target/ for her rage.
Sarracenia	Usually, Lute approaching would be enough to get Sarracenia moving. And even more usually, if he hugged her and kissed her cheek...well, there's no telling how she might react. But now? In her current state? She just looks at him, looking for all the world like a little girl. Except for the woman's body and the clinging dress. "H-...hero...?" she says, seeming to be in a bit of a dazed state. She wraps her arms around Lute and hugs tightly. "C-can you...carry me...?" she asks, still trembling a bit and sniffling pathetically.
Metal Man	Metal Man says "I have no idea Miko, Magic is not my thing." She stands about for a moment and looks about wondeirng about what's going on here. "Wait wait the thing you use to transform is ... what?!" He stares for a moment they are getting int osouls and that's a strange area for him. "So your using someone else's soul to transform? Look we should see about getting this place handled, and before some of our necromatic allies sniff about here I think."
Lute	And, despite Sarracenia being a mess, Lute picks her straight up, without even pausing about it. He holds her fairly close, trying to be /fairly/ comforting. Despite the fact she will be pissed by this later, most likely. Maybe. He can never tell with her. Lute tries to nuzzle her a little bit to calm her down, anyways. He then looks to the crowd. "...Anyways, let's just get back now. We... We probably all need time to rest a bit."