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[and with that done, Mana is going to attempt to leap up and kick at Rikka when she inevitably falls, aiming her kick to strike Rikka in the stomach]

[Mentally, Rikka wants to shake a fist at the traitorous laws of physics that are going to get her very, very killed. Externally, she frowns, and waits for the just the right moment, putting her hands on Heart's outstretched leg and pushing herself up and out of the way, and pushing Mana down enough to get herself away from danger.

She wants to take up her Love Heart Arrow, like Rosetta already has and probably intends to use soon, but... she kind of wants her hands free... choices. But no, she'll need that sooner rather than later. Holding out a hand above her head as she sails, she calls, "Love Heart Arrow!" The weapon coalesces into light above her, and she reaches out for it, gripping it with her right hand, and already realizing she's got a problem; that stopped her momentum dead in the air, and she's just hanging there for a second. A second she doesn't have, more than likely.]

I can't... I can't just keep defending, but...!

[due to Rikka's forced change in momentum, Mana falls, hitting the ground with a thud. She's stunned for a moment, but pushes herself up...

... and frowns. Both Rosetta and Diamond have their Love Heart Arrows, but Mana's is useless on people...

... but she did have something she could use.

Roaring with anger, Mana's hands clenched into fists, and she became surrounded in a pink aura. Then, in a flash of speed greater than before, she leaped up at Rikka, eyes burning with anger.

And as she swung, Rikka might be reminded this power up increased more than just speed...]

[Oh, yes. Yes, she did, and Mana had somehow moved faster than she'd expected, almost faster than she could perceive - one moment she was on the ground, and the next she was just there, and there's a fist coming and no time to dodge or block or freeze it or panic-

It connects, and Diamond flies backward at terrible speed, flying what must be a couple dozen feet before bouncing once, twice on the sand and rolling a distance to a stop. While she files, she's screaming, but she's trying to force her head to work through the pain - and the betrayal. Whatever else this looked like, Mana just punched her and meant it, and she was forcing herself to rethink how to handle this. She couldn't just defend. She had to... she had to do something, or she really was going to die.

Forcing herself to her feet slowly, pushing off the ground with Love Heart Arrow- not in hand; when had it flown ten feet away? Nope, she needs that. She breaks off at a run to retrieve it, diving and hoping she'll grab it without getting knocked out of the way first. Without that, she's sunk. Twinkle Diamond won't stand up to Rosetta Reflection, and Mana's anger - righteous anger, as far as she was concerned - was probably enough to power through, to say nothing of her sheer stubbornness.]

[As Diamond scrambles, Rosetta lands, and levels her Love Heart Arrow in the direction her other best friend and love is headed.]

Precure... ROSETTA REFLECTION!

[The large, clover-shaped energy shield bursts to life before her... before she just gives a hard push forward, launching it like a wide, energized, battering ram across the beach.]

[The dive just isn't fast enough. But she might... she's got to get it, or she's sunk... she's going to...!

Diamond's hand closes around her Love Heart Arrow just in time to be blown thirty feet into the air and a long, long distance away. There's a long moment where she doesn't seem to react at all, but she forces her body back into motion, one arm jerkily bringing her weapon in front of her.]

Precure... Diamond Shower!

[A hit on the tambourine, and ice spreads out in a curve behind her, like a ramp she slides across, and she builds it with enough of an incline that it bleeds her momentum, leaving her standing in midair on a platform of ice quite some distance away. From here, she can just make out Heart and Rosetta - this form helps her vision quite a bit, otherwise she'd have lost them quite some time ago. Taking stock, her right arm isn't moving quite right, and she's got bruises everywhere, even through her amazingly tough Cure costume. There's a big one on her stomach she's trying not to think about, because it's going to be there for a week or three; her left hand goes to it, and she winces. Everything hurts, and they'd only been fighting for maybe a minute, including flight time. This was a whole different league from what they did at home; another big hit like that, and she'd probably pop out of her form.

She needed help. As much as she wanted to keep this her problem, as much as she didn't want to trust anyone else not to hurt her friends... she couldn't do it herself. Reaching for her journal she'd kept behind her back since she transformed, she opened it briefly to share a simple message:]

Please, help me...

[In the heat of the sun and the stress of combat, that's all the has time for - Diamond feels the ice starting to give under her, and she hastily returns the journal to its nook at her back before freefalling toward the sand.

[It's a good thing that Henry's been keeping a close eye on his journal after everything that's happened. He hears Rikka's message immediately and wastes no time in heading out to find her.

And oh boy, is it an interesting situation he sees when he does. After what Alice had said to him, he was afraid that this'd happen, but he'd been hoping it wouldn't. Still, nothing to be done about that now. He needed to make sure that this wouldn't go horribly wrong.

He decides to to let himself be known in the most direct way possible.

By taking out his Ruin tome and shooting a blast of dark magic at Alice.

He's toned the spell down a lot, since he's not intending to kill or seriously injure her, but with how powerful his magic is, it's still going to hurt a lot if it manages to connect.]

[Rosetta, right then, is focused completely and totally on Diamond. Nothing else in the world, besides Heart alongside her, seems to matter to her. In some twisted effect of her twisted desires mixed with her actual love, nothing else DOES matter to her right then.

So, she doesn't see the incoming Ruin until it's almost right on top of her.

She reacts quickly, throwing up a free hand and generating a Rosetta Wall from it. But it's a small shield, and she barely has time to direct it. It absorbs a portion of the attack, but otherwise... She screams as the REST hits her.

Unable to keep her concentration - or perhaps once again feeling that bit of uneasiness flowing through her powers, powers that are supposed to vanquish evil and dark thoughts - the Wall shatters and she's flung back, slamming into the beach.

Only a moment later, though, she's rising up again, murder in her eyes.]

You, again...! I warned you, Henry-san! You will not take her from me!

ROSETTA!

[Even possessed, Mana is still Mana. So when she sees Rosetta get blasted, her attention is diverted from Rikka to her partner, and then to the one who attacked her. Mana's lips curl into a snarl, and she turns towards Henry... before launching herself at him, fist drawn back in preparation to punch the mage's head off.

Unfortunately, this is an act of impulse... and doesn't acknowledge anyone else on the battlefield]

[As she falls, Rikka tenses and waits for something to hit her. When it never comes and there's shouting in the distance, she chances a look over... and sees the darkness cross Alice, and she knows her backup has arrived and painted a big target on his damned face. On one hand she's glad for the covering fire. On the other... he's not going to last without her help.

As she hits the ground, Diamond lands in a three-point crouch in the sand to not stress her legs any more than they already were, before pushing off in a dash for Henry.]

Hold on... I'm coming!

"O maddening gale of the spirits of the earth... Stalagmite!"

[The ground before Mana ruptures and towering sharp boulders burst from the sand, forcing her to either stop or get skewered. Henry isn't the only one who's been watching his journal.

Jade had hoped he could use Rikka to force the other two to stand down, but it seems they're too far gone for that. There's nothing to do but take them down by force.

Though, with Rikka injured and Henry being a spellcaster... Looks like Jade may have to get more physical than usual.]

I think it's about time we bring this farce to an end. I really hate this sort of drama.

[Even as Jade arrives, Rosetta's focus shifts back to Diamond as she lands, and calls out to Henry. Fury explodes in her fractured mind again, and she gives a shout as she throws herself in the blue Cure's direction.]

No, NO! You stay away, they'll only hurt you more!

[She says this, of course, even as she lunges out with her free hand trying to grab Diamond by anything. Arm, hair, neck. Whatever she can her her hand on as she nears.]

[Mana has no time, or sense, to react quickly enough, and ends up running headlong into Jade's attack. It's only the durability of her Cure Form that keeps her from being torn apart, and the sudden upwards thrust ends up sending her flying.

She lands, sprawled out on the sand, stunned and unable to move, gritting her teeth in pain]

[Henry grins as he spots Jade. Normally he wouldn't be that grateful about having to share his opponents with more people, but considering that he wasn't trying to kill anyone for once? Yeah, he wasn't going to say no to some reinforcements.]

Ahaha, it sure is getting busy here.

[He glances over at Alice, as she lunges for Rikka. No way is he letting that happen, not if he has anything to say about it.]

Hey, hey, that's not nice. You shouldn't try to hurt your friends, Alice!

[He fires off another blast at her, hoping to intercept her before she gets to Rikka and, at the very least, push her back some.]

Edited 2014-01-11 23:06 (UTC)

[Jade can't risk casting an arte on Alice yet; she's moving too close to Rikka, who is in no state to take any friendly fire.

His focus remains instead on Mana. She may be stunned, but if the girls are as durable as Rikka said, he's not going to count on her staying down that easily. The colonel dashes for their captain in hopes of restraining her before she can recover, prepared to summon his spear when he gets there.]

[While focused on Diamond, Rosetta is now quite aware of the other combatants present. Henry shouting at her beforehand also gives her a bit of a heads up. Enough that when the Ruin launches again, she kicks off the ground in a cloud of sand to dodge it.

She attempts to drop in the direction of Diamond, but grits her teeth in frustration all the same, because she knows very well, messed up psyche or not, that is enough to give her time to dart away or retaliate while she's in the air.]

[Retaliate indeed. Now's her chance to break this battle wide open...! It's going to hurt her now, but it's going to end this madness, and so she'll take it and beat herself up over it later. Raising her Lovely Commune again and slamming a new Lovies into it before sliding it back into its holster on her hip, she spins carefully on her heel to face Rosetta, and...!]

Sparkle! Twinkle Diamond!

[A brilliant ray of ice jets toward the yellow Cure suspended in air, glistening in the sky. She'll only get one chance this perfect to take care of things, and her aim is dead on. This would end it!]

[For however skilled and battle aware Rosetta may be normally, even as much of that carries over now, her mind still is not all there. She realizes a second too late how much she just left herself open to Diamond, and attempts to level her Love Heart Arrow to intercept.

Cure Diamond proves faster, however. The ice beam strikes her dead on. She screams, covering her face as ice begins to cover her arms and upper body, and begins to do even more before gravity takes over and - with some considerable added weight - Rosetta drops to the beach like a rock.

As dust clears from her landing, she does not yet move much. Though not completely frozen, notable chunks of ice have formed around her, and she is visibly shaking from that cold.]

[Yes! She hit! Alice should... um. There's not nearly enough screaming in pain or outwardly-apparent exorcism going on here. Did it work?

And then something goes wrong, and it's like there's something stabbing right between her eyes. She shrieks for just a moment like she's been injured, but the pain clears almost as rapidly. And yet... she feels off. Like she'd just run a few dozen laps on the track. Just... oddly drained. She sways on the spot, barely catching herself as she digs into the sand. This entire thing didn't make any sense - she hit with that attack. Why did she feel off, all of a sudden? Was there something on Earth that powered the attack that wasn't there all of a sudden?

But that wasn't important now. To start with... she had to get to Rosetta. Her steps dragged as she worked her way over, and it felt so far away... much too far to cover in any reasonable time. Had Alice really been so distant when she'd shot her down? Or was it just that Diamond felt so terribly sluggish now?]

[With all the spells and power being slung around, Gaius knew he'd be out of place in such a battle. It had seemed that Mana and Alice could take care of things, but with two others joining in the fight, their targets had multiplied.

Perhaps it was time he stepped in. Given the beating Rikka was taking from the other two girls prior, she was easily the more favorable target, and Henry and Jade seemed preoccupied with Mana and Alice. He waited. He watched. He saw an opening, and he made his move.

The thief was fresh for the fight, and he had to work fast. That was his specialty, after all- quick in, quick out. His steps were light, his path already predetermined. Rikka might a flicker of black from the edge of her vision, Gaius' cloak billowing up as he practically appeared behind her, his steel blade gleaming as he yanked it from its sheath, twisting to put the entire momentum of his body into the swing.]

Edited 2014-01-12 06:37 (UTC)

[Jade can hear the fight going behind him, though unfortunately he can't hear Gaius approach. The moment he reaches Mana, his spear materializes out of his arm and points to her throat, while his foot comes down on her arm to pin her down.]

Call off your friend, Mana. I won't ask twice.

[Hopefully she still has some semblance of survival instinct left.]

[Mana grit her teeth, glaring up at Jade like a mad dog. She grabbed at his saber, and attempted to push it away from her... which, given her enhanced strength, she might actually have a chance at.

In either case, she's going to kick up at him as well, intent on driving her knee into his waist.]

Edited 2014-01-12 17:55 (UTC)

[Rikka's not looking behind her, or to the side, or at Mana, or really anywhere she needs to be looking. She's focused solely on checking on Rosetta. That proves to be a very, very big mistake.

She barely feels the steel driving into her back, for a moment; Gaius might notice that he's meeting some resistance. But it passes, and her advance just... stops, as she lets out a small sound of question, and the briefest whimper of pain. There's a faint pop of blue as her costume disappears, replaced with the casual clothing she'd been wearing ten minutes ago, and her hair returns to its normal blue; her Lovely Commune hits the beach just after, Raquel out for the time being. The sword sticking out of her back gleams in the sunlight; the girl falls to her knees after a second, the blade falling out and dropping to the sand with a good coat of her blood, then falls flat onto the beach another second later. She's still alive, but not by much, and she's in no condition to resist much of anything, let alone try and keep fighting.]

Edited 2014-01-12 18:19 (UTC)

[As he was focused on Alice for the last few moments, Henry hadn't spotted Gaius heading for Rikka until it was too late. He watches her fall and instantly heads for her, his tome open ready to send out another spell.

He doesn't fire though, not yet. For the moment, he gets in front of Rikka, glancing at her to verify that she's alive. And she is. Good. Now to make sure she stays that way.

He stares at Gaius, his usual grin still there, but just a little darker than usual.]

Ahaha, I'd really rather not fight you, you know! So if I were you, I'd just back off now.

[He holds his hand over the Ruin tome, the dark magic starting to form.

...of course the reason he doesn't want to fight Gaius isn't just because he doesn't want to fight another Shepherd, though that's definitely a part of it. Mostly it's that he's a fragile little mage that won't last long if he can't go all out. Especially not while outnumbered and protecting someone who's injured.]

Just a friendly warning.

[It had been a momentary falter- for someone wearing such an outfit, the thief hadn't expected any resistance. Proof enough when the blade's left his hand, but it was quickly recovered the moment it hit the sand. He'd made a dive for it, scooping it up by its handle and rolling back to his feet to put himself back on the defensive as he noticed the dark mage's attention drawn.

His eyes narrow as Henry speaks, noting the tome and knowing he'd be best off avoiding anything cast at him. He also recalled that mages weren't too impeded by moving on sand, so he had to be doubly careful.]

Don't think that's an option, 'specially if you've already started.

[He moves, dropping low and darting to the side. His intent is to strike Henry from the side, try to catch him off guard. Not that he's reckless though, he's still quite mindful that he's dealing with a mage. Gaius just hopes he can move faster than the boy can cast.]