So Ribbon was the one who’d been feeding him information about them. She couldn’t help the pang of betrayal even if she knew which side Ribbon started on. But since they’d only been together briefly in the maze, perhaps Ribbon didn’t know enough.

Worry filled her as he spoke about which one to ‘break’, and then… Nocturnus?!

She heard the anguished voice through the mental link, and though she certainly wasn’t as angry as she would have been had she remembered who Nocturnus was, hurting a child was still a low blow. She prepared to attack again when Callisto transformed into a bear, but again the attack missed, and he floated up above them.

“Fight like a man, you coward!” she growled, and shot Wave Tide Maelstrom toward him, the water and Oberon’s wind combining hopefully enough to trap him.

Spoiler:

Quote :

*Bellatrix still not to size ^^'
After some quick maneuvers using Bellatrix's spear to catch the dock and pull them closer, they jumped off the boat and ran, thrusting open the gate to sprint down the pathway crowded with grave markers jutting out at them from every angle, heading towards the Palace and the presumed monster within.

She couldn't look at the tombstones; she glared forward at the Palace in tunnel vision. She knew of the deaths, she knew they were fighting a losing battle. She knew that each grave marked a life lost, and a failure on her part, none so great and hurtful as the tall spire that she spotted out of the corner of her eye, the one she knew belonged to her. She couldn't look - she wouldn't consider, wouldn't remember or mourn. She would use the pain to fuel her fire, to burn whatever leader ahead into cinders to crush beneath her heels.

She gathered her emotions to one spot within her and processed them only to bolster her anger, and ran on.

You can't break what's already broken.  Sure you can smash the bits and pieces up into tinier bits and pieces but it didn't really have the same affect.  Achelois did have a small bit of hope left, though she kept it hidden under layers of anger and rage.  As her eyes settled on the man before them, he looked remarkably like Enya, as much as someone of the opposite gender could.  Images of him lying defeated flashed through her mind, but the battle drew her attention back out.  Funny how he marked upon the senshi's last speeches and declarations, cause it seemed he didn't know how to be quiet himself.  

Sedna's healing had no affect on Ribbon, it seemed there was more to the mist.  But Nocturnus, as much as Achelois wanted to slam the man before them with everything she had, they had already seen him dodge the attacks so far.  She instead sent waves of calming energy to Nocturnus, attempting to stem off the crushing guilt she would be feeling.  

< Don't give in Nocturnus, find the calm and latch onto it! >

OOC:

Sailor Light smiled sadly at Jasper and nodded. She kicked some rocks at her feet as the light of the flames of the forest lit up her pink hair.

"I suppose we should."

But as she stepped forward, she moved her hand to her ear. She seemed to hear something only she could comprehend. She slowly moved to the river and knelt down.

"Yeah, I'm here," she said plainly. "Who are you?"

"Hello, Light... is it?" a disconnected, ghostly voice responded from the river. "A lovely name... though ironic I suppose for you to choose it. I am you... a piece of you, really. A piece of you that separated before you ever lost your memories. This isn't the first time you've lost them and knowing us, I don't think it'll be the last. It's hard to explain so, rather, let's get down to what you need to know.

"The people you came to save are likely already dead or locked in a battle with the rest of your group for the fate of the universe. Unfortunately, my scrying can only see so much. However, I know that the forces of Cosmos need you two now more than ever."

If Jasper came closer to see what the voice was, he would see what initially might have been just Light's reflection. But further inspection proved that this was some kind of projected image. It was a window to what appeared to be Light's face, but it belonged to a different person, one adorned in pearls and exquisite jewelry.

"But how? How can I help?" Light asked in desperation.

"As you are now, there is no possible way you could get to the others in time," the image spoke back mournfully. "I am terribly sorry to say this but the only way you could have helped is to have offered up your energy to Cosmos so that the others could receive it, but none are powerful enough to achieve something of that magnitude. To be frank, the fate of Cosmos truly stands upon the edge of a knife. All you can do now, dear Princess, is pray that things will be all right.

"From what I was able to scry, your group does not know the two of you are alive... but likely neither does the enemy. In fact, anyone would be right to assume you are dead given what happened. I can use my power to keep this channel open until representatives of our planet come to retrieve you. One of them is a friend of yours, Light."

"And the people we're trying to save?" Light continued as her face fell. "The one that the group doesn't know we're alive is going to. Do I have a friend there?"

The woman in the image turned away. Tears built up in her eyes and as she closed them, they poured down her face. It was silent but clear communication between the two of them. Light's body shook as a strange, uncharacteristic rage took over her. Frustration took hold. She didn't know anything. She couldn't know anything. Where could she go to save those important to her? Why was she so helpless?

Light yelled out in anger, picked up a rock and threw it hard against the ground. She held her face in her hands and stood very still for some time.

"Jasper," the voice in the river spoke as she wiped her tears, "thank you for saving the life of our princess. In the grand scheme of things, your failure to fight in the final battle might have jeopardized Cosmos itself, but there is honor in choosing the life of a friend over an easy path. You may never remember the actions that led you to this point, but I will commit to never forgetting them."

And then something else slipped in, wafting through the miasma of doubt and sorrow that she felt. It was like the soft glow of something familiar and comforting, but not the starlight of her mother. Something else that she knew. Nocturnus realized slowly that it was Achelois, piecing together the blonde's words and the gentle feeling that gradually eased her distress.

The overwhelming feelings of her regrets were still there, but they were tempered now. She almost felt like there was a slight, thin barrier between the guilt and her self. She could focus slightly more now, even though the force that should have rightfully belonged to Enyalius—who would never have hurt her—pressed her down and inhibited her movement. The dark-haired child sucked in an uneven breath, fighting back against the power that tried to crush her, and shakily attempted to drag herself closer to Ribbon. She didn't know if she could do it, if she could actually move, but she had to try.

Her and Oberon's combined attack actually worked, which was something she made a mental note of - it seemed like it could be a useful combination for future reference. The Chaos incarnation retaliated and Andromeda felt the blow on her shield.

< He's strong. >

Not surprising, but certainly worrisome. She only had so much magic, so once again she attempted a throw at him with her Chrome Blade.

She was relieved to see that it had worked, she had used that technique on Enya so many times before.  She quickly located him with her eyes again, glaring at him, a look of thought resting upon her face.  She allowed some of the anger she felt to fuel her imaging of this man's brain, she would prod the cells to continue to grow past their unnatural rate if she could.

Brain Cancer:

The others were still trying to fight him. As she inched forward, mind never leaving her thoughts of Ribbon and trying to save the pink-haired girl from this fight she didn't belong in, she realized that there might be more she could do. Her thoughts were clearer with every moment, calmed by the energy Sailor Achelois had so graciously bestowed upon her.

He was the one who had harmed her friend. He sought to harm her other friends as well. It didn't even occur to her to reflect on the harm he directly aimed towards her; it was the others she felt that spark of injustice for. That made her want to act, even if she knew the odds of her powers causing much impact were fairly low.

She didn't divert from her target of reaching Ribbon, but she turned for a moment to face the grinning form—now holding Andromeda's sword—and felt the power of her guardian stars gather within her, concentrating.

"Ecliptic Rotation!"

Attack:

Jasper came to a halt when Light turned to approach the river. Didn't they just barely escape the water with their lives? Why would she approach the dreadful stream when they knew it to be the cause of their induced amnesia? He thought to ask what his companion had heard, but she then spoke in a manner that suggested direct communication to another entity.

Am I hearing things?

Jasper cringed when a disembodied voice spoke up from the river. Though eerie, the voice soon introduced itself as 'part' of Light, however implausible that seemed. He drew nearer to the river bank, kneeling beside the pink-haired senshi to get a better look at the elusive speaker.

It was her own reflection.. or was it? Jasper's eyes darted between Light and the surface of the memory-devouring waterway. They were virtually identical, but the reflection was speaking and moving independently of Light. Furthermore, the visage of this woman was significantly less plain. This confidant of his associate wore polished pearls and fine jewels to establish a dignified, respected persona.

He wanted to ask more questions, but this reflection of Light brought some awfully grim news to their attention. They were entirely isolated from the conflict; Chaos did not appear to register their presence, and their allies essentially assumed the two were dead. A reasonable conclusion, but their situation was made no more pleasant by that knowledge.

Light prodded her reflection for details about the individuals she wanted to save, then cried in frustration and covered her face in her hands. Jasper's own recollections were badly damaged in the rescue effort, but his own gut instinct believed there was a reason he had chosen to risk so much for the sake of this girl. He dragged a sleeve across his eyes, then reached out to embrace the despondent senshi with both arms.

Jasper didn't know what value this girl had to him, let alone anyone else in the universe. What he did know was the pain of suffering in solitude, and in order to survive it, he sought refuge in audacity and absurdity. He decided that the only way he could survive the horrors of the Dark Kingdom was to become an even greater horror - a bogeyman's bogeyman. Neither experience was something he would wish upon another person.

As he attempted to comfort Light with his presence, her reflection wiped its own tears away to bestow gratitude on the deeds he couldn't quite fathom. He certainly hoped that Cosmos would not be endangered by their absence, but what was the alternative? She would have died in that dreadful estuary without any intervention. Seemingly uncomfortable with the praise being heaped on his shoulders, Jasper spoke up in an effort to change the topic.

"Do you know if this memory loss can be undone? I don't know how well either of us can function until we find ourselves again, but I'll look after Light until we get away from this terrible place."

Callisto paced underneath the Chaos Prince, still snarling from his disgusting compliment to her. She'd rather be killed than volunteer to join his side, especially after what he had done to Enyalius. He used senshi like tools, and she had no desire to be his next one. Watching Oberon and Andromeda's attacks connect with him was very satisfying though, but she still needed him back on the ground to do any damage, or at least within jumping distance. 

She dodged the energy blast he fired their way in retaliation, and watched for any possible opening, but no matter what they seemed to do, she still couldn't reach him. And now he was back to hurting Ribbon...

< If he were just a little closer to the floor, I could do something.... > Callisto thought to the group as she circled his position. < Does anyone have any ideas? >

Mercury hurried after Mars when their boat made it to the other shore, though she really wanted to do a more thorough examination of her. Mars wouldn't have the patience for it, so she wold have to take her word that she was okay.

Even knowing that the graveyard would be coming up didn't weaken its impact, and as they ran across it, it was impossible to ignore the endless graves and monuments to the fallen. It only served as a harsh reminder of what was already sacrificed, and if she stopped to look at them, Mercury wasn't sure she would be able to move on. 

Instead, she distracted herself by monitoring the area, using her visor to keep on the watch for enemies. She could see the palace in the distance, now they just needed to get there in time to help. Mercury was taking the lack of the first group's bodies to mean that they were still alive, and she'd cling to that hope until proven otherwise.

Light felt something, but she wasn't sure what it was. She moved her fingers down from face slightly to see Jasper's arms around her. Even without her memories, she could feel that this was supposed to Jasper's way of supporting her. But the action felt cold to her. She wasn't even sure who this man was to her. Was he her friend? Who was he to her? Even he didn't know, which made his actions all the more confusing to her.

As Jasper left to ask the woman in the river more on the issue, Light sunk and sat upon the ground in a daze, still riled with emotion.

The woman reflected in the river gazed at Jasper solemnly. She sighed, seemingly unable to find an easy answer to his question.

"Before the incident that put you two in this predicament, Light thought that this was the River of Oblivion, a river which steals memories for those who enter it, as you are now aware. It may be the same river, but if it is its purpose has been twisted. You see, Light knew of this place so she served as a bit of a guide for your team. I confess that she knew much more of it than I do. She knew of another river, one called the River of Memories, but if that river still exists is anyone's guess. This place has been twisted by the new evil that now resides here. It is nothing like the place Light once knew. I have no idea how you could find the River of Memories now."

"So in other words," Light buttered in, "I'm just as useless as I was before. None of this is helping at all. It only confirms that we're stuck here. You should have left me in the river, Jasper. You should have went on ahead."

"Princess!" the image pleaded.

The confused sailor soldier stepped forward, clenching her fists so hard, her nails dung into her skin. Her yellow eyes seemed to blaze with the fiery forest backdrop behind her.

"What was the point of saving me?" she asked venomously. "If I was in that river in the first place, it means that I was too weak to fight whatever battle is ahead."

"Princess, you chose to give up your memories to save the others," the image clarified desperately. "It wasn't your fault that the enemy fooled the others into leaving you for dead."

"If I took such a risk, then I really should have been left behind. If I'm feeling this heartbroken over people I can't remember, how selfish was I to put my life at risk for them? To put you and that planet you say we share in awful danger? Why would anyone choose to cause others so much pain? Wasn't there another answer? Why was I so willing to do something so awful?"

Light didn't seem to react much to Jasper's embrace, leaving him internally flustered. He might not have been quite as sensitive as he would otherwise believed. It was also possible that the gesture was.. strange, considering the two didn't know the exact reasons for their association. It was certainly comforting to assume they were friends, but that might not have been the true story.

He stood between the despondent Light and her reflection, weighing their words along with his own muddled emotions. He listened for a few moments, then shifted his posture to face the pink-haired senshi with slightly narrowed eyes.

"Why would you ask such a thing?" came Jasper's blunt challenge to Light's declaration of self-loathing. He was upset that his own actions were being called into question. Only the mystic half of Light seemed to have a clue as to what happened, yet the man in black believed he had a rational mindset - that he wouldn't second guess a decision that demanded such a heavy commitment.

"The point of saving you was to ensure you would continue living! I may not remember the exact why, but I can speculate!" Gesturing with his right hand over the palm of his left, Jasper raised three fingers - one at a time as he enumerated possibilities for taking the plunge into the River of Oblivion. "Perhaps I smelled deception from the ferrywoman? Or, I might have been concerned that the Cauldron was somehow tainted. What if, on a personal level, I didn't care to see Schwarzpferd's tragedy repeat itself?"

Having vented his anger, Jasper shook his head and dropped his hands. The only being on this strange world who deserved the full force of his wrath was the bastard who had fled here with the stolen sailor crystal.

"We came here to prevent some would-be Chaos lord from further desecrating and warping the crystal of Enyalius. He's a threat to all life, and regardless of our opinions of Enya, we could agree that her strength did not belong in his hands." Jasper made no attempt to hide the look of disgust on his face as he mentioned the fallen soldier's name. That soon faded as he moved onto a more relevant question, meant for Light herself.

"Missing memories aside, do you think that kind of knowledge would have influenced your decision?"

He felt a pang of something coming from Ribbon as he eyed their enemy. Their attacks had gone through and Oberon could admit being rather satisfied about what Andromeda's and his combined looked like, but it wasn't enough and it surely didn't keep His attention on them.

< Maybe. >

He came in front of those nearest to him so he wouldn't hit them accidently, then dropped both his swords, his spears appearing in his small hands.

< Keep his attention off Ribbon, she is weakening. >

He was cautious not to pinpoint Nocturnus in his words before he swung the spear and threw it toward their charming foe.

Quote :

8  Oberon throws the Avalon Spear towards the Chaos Prince!
Did it hit?
--1
It missed!

Quote :

The Chaos Prince teleported away, sensing an attack would come after having been hit once. He reappeared near Ribbon, thinking to strike at her again to dishearten them, but then... he smirked.

5 Chaos Prince attempts to kick Sedna  in her head!
Did it hit?
--4
How much damage?
--5
--STR 8
----Total of 3 points of damage! Oberon Shield dissipates!
Darkness surrounds Sedna, paralyzing her!

---

Battle Round Two:
15 Chaos Prince Brain Cancer: -5 HP per round until death
14  Achelois  Oberon Shield: 9
13  Andromeda Oberon Shield: 2
11  Nocturnus Oberon Shield: 10
10 Chaos Prince
9  Sedna Paralyzed
8 Callisto 
8  Oberon 
5 Chaos Prince

Round Two has ended; Round Three begins

Achelois threw materialized energy in the shape of small daggers towards the agent of chaos.

OOC:

Having solid ground beneath her feet had never felt so reassuring. The time for feeling relief was not now, however, and as a group, Bellatrix followed Mars and Mercury in running forward. They had to reach their goal - they couldn't allow for everything that had happened to be for nothing. She refused to look behind her.

Passing the tombstones, Bellatrix faltered in her steps - what was this place? It gave her chills just seeing them. But Mars was already bolting ahead, and there was no time to lament any of these fallen people. They had to continue forward. There was nothing to do to help these people anymore. The focus had to remain on the people they could still save.

Nodding to herself, and gripping her spear tightly in her hands, Bellatrix ran to catch up to Mars.

Her blade hit this time, but Andromeda did not like the look on his face when he pulled it out of his leg. She gasped when she saw shadows surrounding it, seeming to infuse it with darkness. That was the blade that had saved her life and helped her slay her first enemy. The thought of him twisting it into something else made her physically ache.

But then Nocturnus' attack knocked it to the ground, and Andromeda turned towards her with a grateful smile. She knew better than to touch it though, now that he'd obviously corrupted it in some way. She felt frustrated; she needed something to fight, at least as long as he was keeping himself away, but she could not risk using her Trident. It was too important.

Then she heard Callisto's words, and with a grim expression, she summoned her chains. < Be ready to pounce, I'm going to try to ground him. >

The idea of being tied to him made her skin crawl, but if she were fast enough... She waited until Achelois' attack go through, then shot the chains toward him, targeting his legs to tie it around them while simultaneously pulling him down toward the ground, after which she would plant the other end of the chain onto the floor.

Sure, he could still teleport, but maybe he'd be grounded long enough for Callisto to do her thing.

< Achelois, perhaps it'd be a good idea to call the Chimera in to help us? >

While she didn't want to leave their backs open to enemies that could come from the outside, perhaps it was a better idea to go ahead and bring Wigglebottoms in.  

< Alright, I'll call them then. >

Achelois took a deep breath, felt her lungs fill with air, turn toward the entrance and shouted, "Wigglebottoms, come to my aid!"

OOC:

They had not seen the enemy, but they had stood guard dutifully. Not even a shining creature had shown, but they were vigilant. 

As the doors to the graveyard opened with a squeak, the Dragon turned her attention to that direction and waited, eyes narrowed.
Who comes? Ram asked.
I cannot see. Dragon replied.

The call echoed through the chamber and the ground, and her ears perked.
Ssshe callssss, Snake stated, picking her head up from the ground.
We were to watch - Dragon stated.
That does not matter now - she calls, we will respond. Lion replied, and they stood and rushed the building. 

There had been a door in the way. 

As the wood and glass exploded from around them, Ram lifted his head, shaking off the reverberations that had accompanied the destruction of the obstacle. They ran down the expanse towards Achelois and skidded to a stop, a growl deep in Lion's throat.

Callisto waited for her chance to strike, and when Achelois peppered the Chaos Prince with energy knives, and Andromeda tethered him with a chain, she lunged again.

This was revenge for all he had done so far, and it was obvious by the fury the bear fell on him with that she was channeling a lot of rage.


Callisto pounced on the Chaos Prince, digging in with her claws and teeth.

The timing had worked out well, now maybe they could end him with Wigglebottoms with them.  Achelois quickly explained to the chimera,

< He took Enya's crystal, we kill him, we can get her back. >

Things seemed to be looking up, what with the arrival of the Chimera and their teamwork working well enough to get the bear within range. It felt good to watch Callisto rip him to shreds, well... almost. Shadows appeared once more, this time around Callisto's face. Seeing that it also started repairing his wounds, she alerted through the link, < Callisto, pull him away and get out of those shadows! It's helping him! >

While she wanted to throw more damage, more anger, more anything at the man currently being tackled by a bear.  Something else called to her attention.  While she hadn't agreed with Ribbon's earlier actions, she wasn't going to let her die.  Achelois sent a wave of healing energy to the young girl. Then she downed the bitter liquid she knew would help re-energize her.

OOC: