*Sailor Jupiter*

Jupiter kept looking around and listening for things and to people and just decided to walk over and look at things. She was tired of waiting... "I am tired of just standing here..I'm going to take a look around..." With that statement, she walked forward in front of the group searching for anything moving as she walked.

Sailor Mars

A haziness clouded her sight, and she opened her eyes. Things were so unclear, it made her stand on edge. "There's... something here. Nothing alive, but... I sense something," she responded to Mamoru's question. "We should be careful."

She stood in a ready stance as Jupiter wandered out front. What was she doing moving without the group?! Not to mention that Minako usually called the shots. She braced herself, eyeing Usagi to ensure she was within distance to be shielded if some demon or energy lashed out at her princess.

Sailor Venus

Finally, it seemed like the group was ready to jump into action. Luna explained how the machine would generate some sort of 'augmented reality'... So an illusion? What kind?

Before she could try to figure things out, the scenery around them changed into that of a desolate wasteland.

...So what?

What was the goal here? Were they supposed to try to escape? Or maybe find what happened to this place? If not for a specific target, what would be the purpose of an illusion? Such tricks were favored a lot by their enemies. What possibly could they learn more that they haven't learnt from the actual illusions they fell victim to already?

Perhaps to be able to deduce that this actually is an illusion? After all, the main problem with such trickery is that they were never certain it was such a case.

"Jupiter... Going off on your own like that is a surefire way to fall into the first trap available. We need to be a little more patient," she called out to her friend rather instinctively. "Neptune? Is your mirror able to show anything here?" she asked of the wavy-haired girl, before turning her attention to Mercury. The genius of the party seemed to be already hard at work with her mini-computer, so she was certain she'd let them know the moment she found something useful.

*Sailor Jupiter*

Jupiter had walked out a little when Venus spoke to her. She turned to her and walked back saying, "Yeah I know Venus...this area though scares me a little and plus don't you think we need at least move around...we might be too easy to get to in our cluster group here..just saying...but you are the leader...so...yeah..." She went back to the group and turned looking around.

Michiru smiled gently at Makoto. "It seemed like a nice change of pace. Besides, I haven't seen the arcade base this in depth. You've all done very well with this." She motioned to everyone with a wave of her hand. She wasn't sugarcoating it, either. The arcade was fairly impressive. At this moment, their princess transformed-and Michiru followed suit.

"Neptune Crystal Power, Make up!" After the smell of the sea died down, Neptune could hear the discussions Mercury had with the others.

So it was all to be an illusion? Well, that made some sense. Though it's not as though Neptune's mirror would be of much use here, if the environment was fabricated. It was very clever, actually-since she relied on the mirror somewhat during battles. It's been a while since she was in a fight that didn't require its use.

Or so she thought. Before she knew it, they were in some sort of wasteland. Any signs of the blank room they were in beforehand had vanished. Venus and Mars seemed to sense something-so Neptune pulled out her mirror and gazed into its reflection, in an attempt to see if there was anything it'd pick up. She approached the group as she did this, nodding to Venus at the suggestion.

Sailor Pluto looked around at her new surroundings, taking it all in. The landscape was saddening to see, but the silence and the stillness didn't bother Pluto one bit. Silence and solitude was like home to her - it was where she was destined to roam. Centuries at the Gates had hardened Pluto to circumstances like this.

Perhaps this trial wouldn't be so hard, after all.

Pluto watched in silence as the others tried to find a solution, but it was Jupiter's response that caught her attention most. It was easy to see that Mercury, Mars, and Neptune were all trying to use their powers and abilities to find their way through this trial, but perhaps Jupiter was the one on the right track. An augmented reality such as this may be immune to certain magical abilities, so maybe they should start moving around to get some clues, or at least some action.

The Guardian of Time approached Sailor Jupiter and gave her a nod of approval. "I think Sailor Jupiter has a point. We should explore the landscape and adapt to it, instead of trying to manipulate it or work around it. This reality is different from the ones back home - perhaps our abilities aren't as useful here as they would be under normal circumstances."

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Sailor Neptune's mirror seems unable to show her much at all, at first. Then she notices something strange. Something underground, she thinks. It looks like a whole network of intertwining tunnels that stretch for miles around them. As to what made those tunnels, it's hard to say.

Whatever it was must have been very large in size.

As Neptune gazes upon her mirror, the magical reflective surface showing her the area's hidden secrets, the ground begins to quake.

The cracked ground just ahead of the group erupts, chunks of the dry dirt bursting heavy into the air, dust lingering. A large snake-like creature rears its head, screeching as it bares its large pointed teeth that drip with something green. Half of its body still remains underground but before anyone can react it tilts its head back and spits.

A spray of green acid rushes towards the group in a concentrated rain.

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Goal: Tell us how your character reacts throughout all of this and what they are doing now!

Decide whether or not your character would be able to dodge out of the way of this acid spray or gets injured. Maybe they try to protect someone else but get injured in the process? Maybe they ignore the acid, taking the hit, in order to ready an attack of their own? Feel free to explore how the character is feeling as well! Are they frustrated at being attacked so suddenly? Angry? Maybe they're just worried about how to proceed?

Because this RP is in a kind of limbo (meaning there's no real set timeline or anything), feel free to use whatever powers you want for your character! As long as it has appeared somewhere in Sailor Moon Canon (anime/manga/musicals/liveaction) it's fine to use!

Saturn watched the others talk with each other, patiently observing their dynamics. Everyone seemed to either immediately went to work with their abilities or had different ideas about what to do. Pluto made a good point about their powers not working there, but...

A sudden eruption put her on guard, and soon a creature appeared before them, looking menacing with all its sharp teeth. As it reared back and spit at them, Saturn didn't have time to think. She just acted.

"Silence Wall!" she cried out, rushing forward so she was at the head of the group, creating a wall of shield in between the group of senshi and the acidic liquid. Making sure everyone else was behind her and the wall, she looked up at the creature's maw and gulped. She hadn't thought about rushing to be this close to the enemy. She had simply been driven by the need to protect everyone. But while she was keeping this wall up, someone else had to take care of the creature, because she couldn't do anything else.

The moment the snake erupted from the ground, his instincts kicked in. The rose appeared in his fingers before he remembered summoning it, and when he threw it to the side that familiar tuxedo and cape wrapped around his body. It was over in a split-second, an instant reaction to that sudden danger.

The word from his lips was one he'd uttered similarly so many times before.

"Usako!"

Tuxedo Mask rushed towards Eternal Sailor Moon, cape outstretched, ready to shield her from the spray of acid. Surprisingly, it didn't hit him. He turned, looking up through the mask to confirm the creature still arched over the group, and then saw the raised arms and the violet uniform. Sailor Saturn? He couldn't help feeling impressed at the young girl's initiative and braveness, but clearly she was overwhelmed facing the snake alone.

"Quick, everyone!" he rallied, a rose ready in his gloved hand. He knew the sailor soldiers could work together to defeat this.

*Sailor Jupiter*

As Jupiter was walking back she saw Sailor Pluto nod at her and give her approval which made Jupiter happy. She listened to the Time Senshi then it happened... 'Finally some action' She thought as some type of snake-like creature arose from the ground spitting at them. Her first instinct was to protect Eternal Moon and when she went to Tuxedo Mask had beaten her to it. 'hehe figures' She thought then looked forward seeing Sailor Saturn in the front using her Silence Wall. Jupiter then stepped to the side still behind the Wall, "My Turn! Jupiter Thunder Dragon!!" She sent it at the snake creature. 'Nobody attacks my princess and my friends..' She thought.

Sailor Venus

Pluto was of the opinion that perhaps impulsively spreading out in the surrounding area wasn't such a bad idea -- or at least that's what the blonde gathered from her words. But moments later, a monster popped out of the ground a bit ahead of them. Exactly where someone might be standing if they moved along on their own. Well, obviously she was right. But now was not the time to be smug about it.

Maybe later.

Hotaru jumped on the defensive immediately, a task for which she was probably best suited, admittedly. Good call. She grinned at the girl, gesturing a V sign for a job well done, before jumping high into the air, pointing her index finger towards the snake and unleashing her shower of light.

"Crescent Beam Shower!"

 Sailor Mercury
Brows furrowed, pouring over information, attempting to find within the cloud structure any acidic or basic compounds, Mercury had been completely unprepared for the sudden eruption. The burst of energy startled her and she jerked, her head snapping up just in time to see a gob of green spit coming right for her - she'd never be able to move in time --  She shut her eyes tight and winced, but nothing hit her when it should have. Eyes jumping open, she stared as the gob slid down an invisible wall and quickly got back to work. 

She had made a mistake, but she wouldn't do so again.

She pointed the computer to the machine and quickly scanned the outpouring of information racing across her visor, separating them from the familiar patterns of Jupiter's dragon and Venus's beams, attempting to find a weak point for them to focus their efforts.

Sailor Moon knew that Mars' spiritual readings were unmatched, that joined with Mercurys' knowledge and data, it was a force to be reckoned with. Usagi had remained mostly silent while everyone was surveying the area. Her area of expertise wasn't exactly gauging situations.

"Usually when we think we're alone, we are ambushed by a random monster, so I guess anything could happen." She said to Mamoru, moving closer to him, feeling a bit frightened herself. She turned to Luna and Artemis. "So... there's nothing to be afraid of, right? You all have this under control? I want to have one more meal if this is going to end badly!" She laughed nervously after a gulp. Her humor was sometimes annoying, but it helped her nerves.

Sailor Mars

As the acid shot out, Rei turned her head toward Usagi, and saw Mamoru on his way to shield her. At the same time, Hotaru threw up a barrier, and various attacks were shot off by other members of the group. She moved, closing the space between herself and Minako, and lifted an ofuda between her fingertips. "Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!" She released the slip, knowing it would sail outward, attacking the still standing snake, or any other hidden threats they had yet to detect.

She was safe, and for this Tuxedo Mask could only feel gratitude. Her friends and protectors having leapt forward, ready to fight. Jupiter's lightning, Venus's crescent, and Mars' exorcising flew towards the serpent while Mercury continued analysis, the blue-haired strategist's eyes concentrated on the data from her visor. Sailor Moon's friends showed their strength commendably, providing support for the young yet bold Saturn.

And what of his beloved? He heard the nervousness in her voice as she moved closer to him, and he could see the concern in her eyes. She joked, trying to ease the tension.

He wished she could believe in herself the way everyone else did.

"You can do this, Usako," Tuxedo Mask urged, tossing his cape over his shoulder. He extended a hand to her, hoping to give her strength and lead her on. "They need you."

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Mercury's readings show that the snake is largely covered in a thick skin that would easily absorb most attacks, its iridescent scales a kind of natural armor. Its face, however, is less protected. The sides of the snake's face are especially vulnerable, and is where the snake seems to store its acid.

The giant acidic snake seemed confused at first, hesitating. This gave the first volley of attacks an easy target and it screeched its pain in an ear-shattering bellow. Still, despite this, it doesn't seem overly phased by the attacks, head moving to look around for its next target.

As large eyes focused on the barrier that stopped its own attack, the injured snake rears back once more--and plunged back into the ground with only the opening of a new tunnel left behind.

Artemis

Artemis winced at the incoming acidic rain, and he moved towards Luna in an attempt to cover her however much he could. He closed his eyes tightly, expecting the pain... except nothing happened.

Eyes blinking cautiously open, Artemis saw the barrier being held by Saturn, and he grinned at the girl, turning that grin towards Luna. Luna didn't look at him, her own focus seeming to be on the on-going fight, but Artemis didn't let this bother him. A small victory was still one to celebrate, if only for a short moment.

He watched as the senshi went into action, taking the chance to attack. The giant snake was getting hit, but... were the attacks being effective?

Struck by inspiration, Artemis was about to ask Mercury to use her computer to learn more about this monster, but the girl was already on it, typing away with steeled concentration. Well, that was for the best, really, he thought with a swell of pride.

Staying by Luna's side, just in case, he decided to wait, a silent support, confident that the senshi would be successful. Even as the snake dove back underground, his belief in this group did not waver.

*Sailor Jupiter*

Jupiter watched the attacks hit the snake but it might not have done anything but possibly tick it off. She then watched it burrow once again and with that she yelled, "I know this is obvious but be aware of where we are standing...just be careful I'm saying...Mercury...you get any more info yet?" She then turned to Eternal Moon, "You doing ok, Eternal Moon?"

With a nod and a newfound determination in her eyes, she stood tall, ready to face whatever was about to come.

Alas, that feeling of bravery was cut short, with the new creature.

"Uwaaahaha!!!!" Usagi jumped back as she saw the serpent.

"I'm doing just fine, Jupiter! Except for this giant snake about to melt my face off!

Scanning the creature up and down she was wondering if the magical attacks were even effecting it. Should she dare try the moon kick? Or would she be melted into oblivion. This was quite a pickle. "MERCURY!" she called out "Is it dangerous to touch, if not, I'm going in for the moon kick!" She began to run, hoping that something would come out of this. She was ready to stop at any moment, however if the moment arose.

The monster came as quite a surprise to Pluto, but she was not thrown off her guard. If anything, she was calm and collected, just as always. But she could not hide the broad smile from her face when her beloved daughter placed herself at risk to defend the entire group. Pluto glanced at Sailor Neptune, hoping to exchange silent glances of pride and maternal understanding, before refocusing on the battle. Pluto was not usually one to investigate enemies' weaknesses; she instead took to understanding their patterns and strategies. 

This one didn't seem too hard to figure out. Hopefully with Mercury's computer, they would be able to identify a weak point. But for now, they were playing defense. 

"Watch the ground! It won't stay down there for long!" Pluto yelled to the group. The garnet orb on her staff glimmered faintly, ready to spur into action at Pluto's command. She would not attack unless she desperately needed to.

Sailor Mercury
"Aim for it's face!" Mercury called out, tucking the computer into her pocket for now as she moved farther back from the wall, but then the snake disappeared and she pulled it back out and started to scan the area around them, looking for any blip on either its screen or on her goggles. "The rest of its body is well protected by its skin," she said, taking advantage of the brief respite, "Its weak point is in its cheeks, but that's where it's storing the acid so be careful!"

Sailor Mars


Her first attack was successful, but they still needed to be cautious. As the snake plunged below the earth, she called again on her ofuda. "Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!" She used several this time, hoping they would reveal the snake's path underground.

With Mercury's cue, Sailor Moon charged toward the giant serpent and leaped into the air. She made sure to time her kick in between Sailor Mars's attack. "SAILOR KICK!!" She yelled, lodging her long white stiletto into the Snake's eyes.

After her kick landed, she jumped back and waited to see what was going to happen. "Mamo-chan,! Be ready to use your rose or cane if you have to! It should be accurate enough to strike a blow to the head!"

She thought for awhile about if her Therapy Kiss would be effective against the monster, but it was so sporadic that she was sure it would be more trouble than it's worth. She didn't have a tiara anymore, so that was out. Maybe Sailor Kick was the only thing she had in her arsenal.

As the snake dove back underground, Saturn stepped back, her wall disappearing from view. She looked around, keeping her guard up. She didn't miss the gestures of approval from both Sailor Venus and Artemis, and her heart swelled with pride. She might be the smallest of them all - well, while Chibi Moon wasn't around - but she was useful! For more than just destroying the world!

Mercury pointed out its weak point, and Saturn kept that in mind, now knowing where to attack the moment the creature showed itself again.

Well, at least she was eager.

Tuxedo Mask kept his eyes carefully watching the area, glad that the other sailor soldiers remained alert, listening to Mercury's instructions. With the snake in the mysterious tunnels below them, there wasn't much any of them could do. It had to show itself once more. He just hoped they could hear or scan for its arrival, so that it wouldn't catch anyone off guard.

The ground rumbled all around them, heralding the approach of the snake. As the group tensed, readying their next attacks, the world stuttered.

Feeling stuck in place, the group watches as the world seems to glitch around them, hair-thin breaks sending waves through the generated scene.

A few seconds later, it falls away completely with a mechanical hum that whines into silence. The generated world is gone, leaving them all sitting in the featureless room once more, though the adrenaline rushing through their veins still feels very real.

"Looks like we still have some kinks to work out," Artemis said with a sheepish grin. With that, he pattered over to the machine, poking at the buttons with an intent expression on his whiskered face. "Yeah, it's out for the count. Take the rest of the day off. We'll call you all back when it's ready to go again."

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And that's that! xD Thank you all for participating and I hope you were able to get some good exercise with your character! Sorry we didn't get to kill the monster proper but you know how finicky these new fandangled machines can be haha <3

Keep an eye out in the OOC thread in the coming days for a little prize! because I am a doof who didn't realize until this very moment that she'd forgotten to ask for a prize to be made hehehe D:

EDIT: Bubbles is a saint and made this speedy quick! <3

Thanks again everyone!! Hope to see you in the next event! <3