She'd struck a nerve! Literally! Andromeda pulled back her blade as the hand retracted, and moved away from the door. Ganymede was already taking care of Soul, so she moved toward Leviathan, who seemed to have been gravely injured as well. Not knowing whether Achelois was finished with her or not, though, she decided to wait and see if the injured senshi would need assistance to walk.

The light had revealed the room to be much bigger than she imagined it to be, and it seemed to lead to the other room the changed fairies had come from. That meant they could easily go that way if necessary. "Should we try asking the fairies where to go again? Before that thing tries to come back with friends."

Quote :

Andromeda moves to PP18.

Being as careful as she could, Ganymede wrapped her arms around Soul, holding her in place. "I'll try not to..." she said, quieter this time. "You did scare me though." Ganymede admitted. Considering how quickly they had been attacked and how powerful the monsters in here could be, it was a miracle they all weren't hurt more than this. At least no one seemed permanently injured. Achelois could probably heal Leviathan's leg, right?

Pluto was unsurprised as Ganymede rushed over to check on her lover. She moved away, leaving Ganymede to comfort Soul and keep an eye on her. She held onto her staff with her hand again and looked down into the pot. “I apologize for that jolt. Are you both alright?” She asked of the fairies inside the metal as she began heading towards the large door on the other side of the room, away from the arm and open doorway.

Spoiler:

Quote :

The two fairies looked up at her fearfully. They pulled apart from each other, but still held hands tightly as they seemed to give themselves and one another a visual check, before nodding their heads.

Andromeda looked at the two fairies as Pluto moved near her. They seemed to be alright, if understandably scared. "Hi there! We're trying to find and rescue your Queen and Princess. Would you happen to know where they are in this castle?" she asked.

Quote :

The fairies looked to one another again, and nodded once more.

As the fairies nodded once more, Andromeda felt her spirits rise. "Could you guide us to where they are, please? You can get out from there, by the way, it's safe now." The pot was already open, so she hoped they could coax the fairies out somehow. They just needed to keep watch of these fairies better since they'd lost the original ones they'd come with somehow.

Quote :

The fairies looked to one another again, as though for support, and, still holding hands, jumped up and flew out of the pot.

Hesitating for only a moment, they flew diagonally from their position towards the room the Changed Ones had entered, steering clear of the open door. 

They hovered in place, unable to open the large door by themselves.


The fairies are floating at space RR22.

Enyalius watched the two fairies flit past her to hover in front of the door, and posed her own question. "Is the Evil One with your Queen and Princess?" she asked.

Quote :

The fairies checked with each other before shaking their head negatively.

"Is the Evil One near your Queen and Princess?" Enyalius clarified.

Quote :

The fairies once again shook their head 'no'.

"Where are your Queen and Princess?" She probed simply, being very specific with her choice of words.

Quote :

The fairies pointed through the door, and then up.

Enyalius nodded, then looked to Achelois, "The opposite direction seems best then."

Sailor Leviathan let out a squeaking noise when her attack missed. It was both out of relief and despair, for missing Soul but also for missing the monster. She tried to back away from the scene in terror, but found she couldn't move very far.

But then Sailor Achelois appeared. Leviathan always thought the girl was a bit strange, but seeing her now was the most she could have asked for and she almost hugged her in gratefulness. She covered her face with her hands as the healing process began. She held in a scream as the wood was pulled from her leg.

She felt the pain going away, but something didn't feel right. Her leg looked fine, but it felt like something was stuck inside of it.

"It's not all out," she said in quiet horror.

She went to stand up, but staggered and fell. She swore and clenched her fists. The same thought kept going through her mind. She couldn't run. She couldn't run. If she needed to flee, she couldn't run.

"I think I need help walking," she said in a defeated tone. She didn't have a warrior's pride like Sailor Enyalius, but she still didn't want to lean on them for support.

Pluto watched as the fairies pantomimed, wondering briefly why they didn't speak. Perhaps they were still too scared? She looked over at Achelois tending to Leviathan and was relieved to see she was alright, though unable to walk. She frowned at that and moved over, putting the pot away and wrapping an arm around Leviathan's waist lightly. “Come on. We must be close, we can't afford to slow down now.” She helped Leviathan walk towards the fairies at the door.

Spoiler:

Andromeda looked between Enyalius and Pluto, sensing that they were clearly heading in different directions. "So... are we splitting up then? One group to find the Queen and Princess and another to take care of the Evil One?" It had seemed like a bad idea the first time around, but this time they had clear goals and two separate missions they did need to achieve, and perhaps not a lot of time...

She had no idea where she wanted to go, though.

Enyalius turned her gaze from the door to Andromeda, her mind searching for words. 

It was one thing to just naturally split up - she and Achelois were used to fighting Agents of Chaos, and while Achelois might be of some help with the fairy situation, she figured her own set of skills were not needed on that front, especially with so many there and Sailor Moon's magic having already proven able to do the job. It seemed clear to her that she should seek the Chaotic Agent out and fight against it; together with Achelois at her back, they might be able to handle the being by themselves, but another warrior or two in the mix would not be unwelcome. 

Still, she did not want to diminish ranks in the chance that the fairy royals were being guarded by evil creatures. 

Eventually she answered, "That may be the only way to accomplish both goals."

After Achelois had removed the wood, she stopped the bleeding and closed the wound.  She knew that there were splinters still in there but they didn't have time for her to offer more than this nor did she have the energy to spare.  Leviathan was safe from immediate peril but she would need to finish her leg later.  By the time she had finished with Leviathan Soul had been released and everyone had moved away from the door. 

She hovered nearby as the fairies told them where their Queen and Princess was.  However the Chaos agent was not with them.  They were running out of time too... She met Enya's look as the discussion turned to splitting up.  There was definitely two clear objectives that needed to be completed.  She knew that the group that fought Chaos would need her as their healer but what if the other group met trouble along the way to the fairies?  She knew Moon could heal but she also needed to save energy for the fairies.   Achelois smiled at the girl, she was stronger than they gave her credit for.

"I think Enya is right, I can go with the group that takes on Chaos and Moon can handle the group that goes after the fairies." She glanced back at the monster in the doorway.  We need to decide now...

Location!:

She looked at everyone, already trying to figure out where they would go. Leviathan was injured; she should probably stay with the other group and away from the more dangerous battle. Of course, the Changed Fairy Queen and Princess might be dangerous as well, but hopefully they wouldn't need to battle those two too much before Moon could heal them. The rest, she wasn't sure. She massaged her temple, wishing someone would just tell her where to go.

"I think probably my skills are better-suited in battle with the Chaos Agent. I haven't got any healing powers whatsoever."

Also, after everything this planet had done to her, she was really itching to kick it where it really hurt, and doing it to someone who was truly responsible for making the planet this way would be the icing on the cake.

Seeing how the group wanted to split in two, Ganymede wondered which way she should go. She didn't think that she'd be very much help with the fairies, and none of her attacks were very gentle. Even her restraining powers caused pain. Maybe it would make more sense to battle chaos instead, and trust the other half of the mission to Sailor Moon and whoever else would go with her.

"I want to go too." Ganymede said to Enyalius, bending down to pick up her axe. "I don't think I'd be very useful in saving the Queen." She wasn't sure if Soul would come with her or not, but she hoped she would go with the other group. It was probably safer.

Sailor Leviathan smiled meekly at Sailor Pluto. She thought back on when she apologized to her back in Crystal Tokyo. She didn't need to apologize at all, but the gesture was still appreciated. She had her doubts about the senshi, but she knew she could trust her.

"I can't do much to help those fairies," Leviathan said with some bitterness. "I can't really fight the Chaos either, judging from my failure just now. The most I can do is provide illusions to distract enemies. If I'm not a hindrance, I could help you guys beat whatever presence is here."

She pointed at Sailors Enyalius and Ganymede with a flushed face.

"Alright, Sailor Machos. Where one of you goes, I go. If one of you can carry me, we could make this work. Otherwise, I'll stay back and... hope you guys come around to get me when all of this done."

Seeing Ganymede announce that she wanted to go with Enyalius and Achelois to fight the Chaos agent prompted Soul to make her decision. "I'll go as well." When she saw that Ganymede wanted to protest, she walked closer to her lover. 

"We both know that with most of my powers being blocked out by the Chaos I'm not use to them. I'm better off attempting to fight."

Ganymede sighed when Soul volunteered to go with her. "Alright, I won't try to stop you."  Her eye twitched in annoyance at the term "Sailor Macho", but she went over to Leviathan anyway.

"Get on my back, and try not to move too much," she said. Enyalius would probably need both her hands to fight, and Ganymede was used to carrying people around anyway. Leviathan wasn't much of a hindrance to her.

Based on the group's current discussion, her path was already decided for her. Achelois did have a point in wanting someone with healing abilities on each team. As much as Sailor Moon hated the idea of splitting into two groups, it was clear that was what was bound to happen. She turned towards Sailor Saturn and grinned sheepishly. She couldn't help hoping that her closest friend would come with her, but if Saturn was particularly interested in searching for the Chaos agent, Lady would not protest.

She was particularly happy to see the fairies were fully healed and seemed willing to lead them towards the queen and princess she sought.

Movement wrote:

Moon moves to QQ19, QQ20, and RR21, just behind the fairies.

Once Achelois was by her side, Enyalius was ready to go, but the volunteers to accompany her kept her in her place momentarily. She nodded to Andromeda - with all that the girl had suffered on this planet, she could see why she would want to accompany them. Ganymede stepped forward, and Enyalius nodded again, then turned her attention to the door. This would be a strong yet diverse team; Achelois shouldn't be kept too busy with -- she was caught off guard when Leviathan's comment. She knew why Leviathan would want to be with either her or Ganymede for a protection purpose, but they were fighting Chaos. There would be no time for babysitting, especially babysitting invalids who could not walk, let alone dive out of the way of the attack. And then Soul, too? Enyalius turned her head to look at the blonde, the same incredulous look on her face - Soul was practically wincing with pain from where the hand had gripped her - could she even breathe properly? And she, too, wanted to fight against Chaos?

Even if she were to let them accompany the Chaos team, that would leave Pluto, Saturn, and Moon alone to face whatever awaited them upstairs. "No," she firmly stated. "If you cannot dodge incoming attacks, you will be a liability that we cannot afford."

To Leviathan, she continued, her expression serious. "The enemies we faced moments ago did not fall for your illusions - your illusions enraged them. Do you think their master would be any different? Any less intelligent? And if Ganymede does carry you, for I certainly will not carry an injured warrior onto a battlefield, you would be impeding her speed and her strength, making the possibility that you will both be wounded increase dramatically. And if she were to dump you somewhere on the floor in whatever room this being is calling home, you would still be unable to dodge incoming attacks and our attention would be divided."

She turned to Soul, "As you yourself just admitted, you are unable to use many of your powers. Why, then, would it be a good idea for you to accompany us? You, too, would serve only as a distraction for Ganymede, who would no doubt put protecting you over the mission goals."


She crossed her arms over her chest, her body tense as it hovered above the floor - they would not like her for what she said, but she would not negotiate on this point. She would rather continue alone with Achelois than introduce such liabilities into a fight. "I realize that none of you have fought against Chaos before, and perhaps our victories here have falsely emboldened you. This will be no easy task." She motioned to Achelois, "Already Achelois has had to heal many wounds, and her energy regeneration is no different from anyone else's - it is finite here. I will not allow invalids to enter this fight unnecessarily for the strain it will put on able fighters, and on her."

She paused, taking a soft breath. She would not back down from this. "You may join the team to rescue the Fairy Royalty - and I suggest some do, as we have no idea what awaits them up there - or you may stay here, but neither of you will be coming with me." She broke eye contact with them, turning to Ganymede. Her voice softened, but remained firm. "You may choose to stay with Soul if you wish, but we could use you down there."

"Sweet," Sailor Leviathan said when Sailor Ganymede offered her a piggyback ride.

But her dreams were squashed when Sailor Enyalius revealed the truth about their dire situation. She had a point, admittedly, but it didn't make Leviathan very happy.

"I mean, Chaos can't be that smart, can he... she... it?" she asked her. "Anyway, I can do more than make things appear! I can make you all disappear too! You saw what I did back there with the dragons. You could get a surprise hit on the dumb guy!"

The sailor senshi waved one arm about and flailed as she clutched Ganymede's back.

"Whatever, if you think I'd only be a hindrance, I suppose I could stay behind with Sailor Soul. What do you say, Soul? Want to hang out until this all blows over? Maybe... uh... go together if your boyfriend, er, girlfriend? You guys are going out right? The way you two look at each other, I could swear you were addicted to cupcakes and Ganymede was a giant strawberry cupcake."

Leviathan laughed as though she was joking, but as much as she disliked Soul, she would rather be with her than alone. She tried to come off like she didn't care what the others were saying, but it was clear she was feeling down on herself.

Achelois listened as Enya  turned down Soul and Leviathan's decision to come along.  She offered up no objection; Enya was right.  She did however flash a brilliant smile at Leviathan and Soul.  "This Chaos agent took over a whole planet, I don't think intelligence is a question." She remained hovering off the ground as she spoke.  "Enya's words have no animosity in them, her focus is not just on the mission but she's also worried about your safety." She glided on over next to Enya and looked at her, the expression on her face soft.  "I don't have much energy left, only about a handful of healing spells.  If you're not in top shape then neither Enya or I can guarantee your safety; the less people that go, the lighter the burden of healing for me and the better I can heal." She looked to Andromeda and Ganymede, "Enya is right, only one or two more should go with us." She looked back to Soul her expression soft and pleading, "Please, either stay here with Leviathan and keep her safe or go with Moon for your help will be needed." She turned back to Enya and grinned; for all her brashness she was usually right about these things.  Either way she would follow, this would always be her choice.

Location!:

Pluto was mildly surprised, and mildly devastated when she realized they did have to find the Chaos agent first, and possibly not the fairy royalty. She looked worried over at Enyalius, who had seemed to have no problem with dividing the group. What if they weren't strong enough to defeat Chaos? She looked around at the group slowly, then looked at Enyalius again, asking quietly. “Do you really think it's a good idea to split up?...We both know Chaos is...a nightmare. Maybe all of us should go to fight Chaos, and worry about the royalty afterwards.” She also couldn't stop remembering the last mission, and what a dismal failure the separation last time had caused.

Soul's eyes narrowed in anger as Enya continued with her speech and then Achelois added in her two cents. How dare she! Just because she was cut off from her empathic powers or was unable to make contracts with spirits meant that she was completely useless. She highly doubted that Enya was concerned with anyone's safety but hers and Achelois. 

Wasn't it her choice if she fought? She knew the risks of the mission when she signed up again - that she may never come back from Zenar. They all did. If Enya only wanted to fight Chaos with Achelois, why had she bothered to sign up with Neo Queen Serenity on either of the missions. Surely there were other agents of Chaos in other places? According to Enya, she was not fit to fight with her yet she was fit to face whatever was with the Queen and Princess? Bull. Soul debated saying something and decided against it. There didn't seem to be a point. The other senshi was stubborn and would not listen to any reason once she had put her mind towards something. 

Summoning her staff, she turned, body tense as she walked towards the others. She would do what she had to to finish this mission. She used her powers to calm her emotions, pushing them into a corner and locking them behind a mental shield. There was no place for emotions right now. Anyone who could see her face would see a stern expression with dull, emotionless eyes that took in everything surrounding her.

Quote :

if your current position differs from that on the map, please update me on here or in Skype asap

Enyalius appreciated Achelois attempt at softening her statement, but the change in Leviathan took some resolve to go through. Soul's anger could have been expected if Enyalius thought her way through what she was going to say before she said it, but how the girl's demeanor quickly changed was new and a bit puzzling, but they did not have much time to waste. Pluto's reaction nearly made Enyalius sigh with exasperation, but she kept herself in check, only to easily remembering that Pluto was placed in command of this party and she, by stating that she was leaving regardless of what anyone else did, was practically committing mutiny. She needed to try to make Pluto understand before they left. 

She drifted forward and landed beside Pluto, making sure her wings did not bother Moon or Soul, and placed her hand on Pluto's arm comfortingly. She spoke quietly, "Pluto... at this point, even if we don't seek out the Queen and Princess, we need to split up. Soul can't run. Leviathan can't walk, let alone run. Bringing them into this battle would be irresponsible - it would put everyone in danger, because despite swearing on the contrary, we would be attempting to protect them, ourselves, and fight whatever awaits us down there." Her look was imploring, "Achelois does not have the energy to support all of us in a battle of this size. With Moon helping her, maybe, but, as you said, this thing we are to fight could very well be a nightmare. If we succeed, it may be that we have no energy left to pursue the fairy court. And if we fail... would you really want your Princess involved in that?"

She paused, not liking the implication but thinking it anyway. They, and those who go with them, may very well die down there. Sailor Moon was too important to lose on a planet this far removed from her Kingdom. The Court of Crystal Tokyo was a key figure in the balance of the galaxy, and to lose its only heir would have catastrophic consequences. She hoped Pluto knew what she meant without having to say all that aloud, especially with the girl in the room with them. 

"Sailor Moon is here specifically to heal the Fairy Queen and Princess, that they may be restored to their people. We were given two objectives, Pluto. Find and defeat the Evil One, and attempt to heal the fairy royalty. Chaos was to be primary, but with our current injuries, plans need to change. If we fail in defeating Chaos, this mission could still have some success."

She squeezed the other woman's arms gently. "You're the leader; ultimately, you can override my decision. But these are my thoughts and my reasons for splitting the group now." She let go of Pluto's arm and waited a moment for a response before she guided her team through the door on the other side of the room and down.

DM wrote:

THE KREKKEN'S HAND RETURNS! Apparently having reformed and healed itself, it reaches in again to grab at another senshi!
Does it grab anyone within reach?! Dexterity and position check; those with less than the creature's dexterity (10) will roll. Those within a 4 square radius of the door may be caught. If more than one roll to be caught, a coin will be tossed to see who is actually caught.
Soul 6
Leviathan 5
Ganymede 1
Pluto 1
Enyalius 5
Andromeda 1
Three-way tie, three sided die. Soul = 1, Leviathan =2, Enyalius*=3 Enyalius will still roll, but based on her dexterity, she will evade the catch. Also based on her dexterity, she will have the opportunity to move quickly enough to push a person out of the way of the hand through a roll.
Roll: 2. 

The hand attempts to grab Leviathan!

As she waited for Pluto's reply, a shouting growl tore through the air and the giant creature's hand returned. Enyalius turned, her muscles tensed, and threw her weight into her right foot to propel her sideways, hoping to knock the hand's intended target out of the way!

Quote :

Enyalius attempts to push Leviathan out of the way of the hand!
Did it work? Leviathan's stationary, so it would be an automatic hit, but as Enyalius's speed matches the hand's speed, we'll roll to see if she gets there in time.
--3
Enyalius arrives a split second too late!


------------------------------------------
It squeezes Leviathan in a rage and flails her around the room! 

Does she hit anyone?
Soul 6
Ganymede 6
Pluto 1
Enyalius 2
Andromeda 3
How much damage? 
Soul
--5
--Critical +1
--Armor bonus -3
----Total of 3 points of damage; shoved aside
Ganymede
--1
--Critical +1
--Armor bonus -3
----total of 0 points of damage; shoved aside
Leviathan
--=5+1=6
--Armor bonus -3
----3 points of damage



The Giant Krekken, enraged by its earlier mangling (it's using its other hand) slams Leviathan into a wall!
How much damage?
--6
--Critical hit! +1 
--Armor bonus (his hand) -2
----Total of 5 points of damage.

Enyalius was a moment too late, crashing into the ground beside Ganymede. Close enough to make a difference, she dug her hands into the stone, swung around, and launched herself back towards the hand, sword pulled out and aiming for its wrist. 

Quote :

Enyalius attempts to attack the Krekken's hand, aiming for the wrist!
Does it hit?
--4
How much damage?
--4
--Strength bonus of 14
----Total of 18 points of damage.


The Krekken yells in rage, shaking the floor as it hops in pain! It still manages to hold a grip on Leviathan!

Soul turned a second too late to react to the Krakkens hand returned. It grabbed Leviathan and flailed her around like it had done to herself earlier, slamming her into the wall. As the hit was unexpected, Soul didn't have enough time to react and her head slammed into the brick wall before she slide down and almost collapsed on the floor. The pain exploded from the back of her head, momentarily taking over her senses. 

Leviathan, she had to help Leviathan. She tried to stand, only to be overcome with dizziness. Managing to move to her knees, she tried to focus on the krakken only to find her vision was blurry. Soul Blast she called out, allowing the energy to form in her hand. She sent the blast careening towards the monster. However, between its speed and her inability to concentrate, she shot wide, thankfully not hitting anyone else. She tried again to get to her feet, only to lose her balance and stumble back against the wall. She groaned slightly in pain as her ribs began to protest the violent treatment of being slammed against brick only moments early. She felt herself slowly sliding down the brick until she rested on the floor. Her brain felt fuzzy, like it was stuffed with cotton. 

This wasn't good.

She was about to protest more about left behind when the scene turned sour once more.

If she was in a less dire situation, she would have highly appreciated that her fuku included shorts. Instead, she wearily thought about how her comrades could have let something like this happen again. She could only imagine what would have happened if the others had left her and Soul alone.

Alone.

Alone.

She blacked out when the Krekken smashed her against the wall.

---

Optional Flashback:

---

Sailor Leviathan's eyes jolted open as the jewel on her tiara began to glow the same, eery dark that it had before when she was laughed at by Sailor Ganymede.

As she was slightly jostled by the Krekken's repetitive jumping, she finally understood the predicament she was in. Already Sailor Soul was firing Soul Blasts at the creature. If she couldn't get out of this soon, who knew if she would live or die by its hands or the others' by accident.

"Leviathan Illusion," she said wearily and attempted to form the image of a Krekken around herself. She recalled that they had frenzied in her previous attempt to scare them by looking like one of them. Perhaps this one would let her go if it saw her to be one of its kind.