[center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/16a8bf35-d965-4909-ac95-0db9781b733e.png [/img][/center] [center][@FamishedPants] [@AtomicNut] [@BrokenPromise][/center] To Gaia’s considerable disappointment, it appeared that her Patron’s blessing had done little more than cleanse a small segment of the park, although it did also seem to be confining the abominations’ influence to the boundaries of the park itself. Still, Gaia had hoped it would’ve had considerably more effect on the monstrosities themselves. Oh well, it seemed a more direct approach was called for, especially now that a massive beam of swirling spirits had appeared and was sweeping inexorably towards them. However, before she could deal with this threat, Gaia’s attention was drawn to the sight of the dark warrior smashing its way out of Connie’s Nightmare Barrier. Wasting no time, Gaia took hold of Connie and, after leaping back to avoid the fissure racing towards them, sent another swarm of vines to entangle the armored figure. [color=SpringGreen]“Connie! Hit her again!”[/color] [color=DarkOrchid]“O-Okay!”[/color] Raising her hands, Connie shot a massive blast of nightmare magic at the armored magical girl, although she didn’t know how much this would actually accomplish. After all, the frightening warrior had already escaped one of her most powerful attacks, but at least this would hopefully buy them some time to work out a more effective solution. [color=SpringGreen]“I can see that you hunger for battle, warrior,”[/color] Gaia called to the ensnared magical girl, [color=SpringGreen]“but the Daughter of Mother Earth has slightly more pressing matters to contend with at the moment!”[/color] Holding Connie close, Gaia closed her eyes and focused all her energy on the ground directly beneath them. There was a loud rumble, before a mighty beanstalk shot up to tower over the park, its top considerably higher than the wall of souls. Standing atop it, Gaia pointed Nature’s Blossom in the direction of the spirit beam’s origin. [color=SpringGreen]“Now, abomination, taste the full force of Nature’s Fury!”[/color] Charging the staff with all the mystic energy she could muster, the verdant magical girl fired a brilliant emerald beam of pure life energy at her target. Smaller beams shot forth from the many leafs of the staff, merging with the main beam, before splitting apart like tendrils to dodge the obstructing sprits and strike around the primary point of impact. In conjunction with this, several of the oversized leafs of the beanstalk curled up, warped, and blossomed to reveal golden cobs of corn. These then fired off like missiles to explode with potent magic power. Gaia was hurling an all-out [i]Barrage[/i] at the Druid of Spirits, and when coupled with Sakura’s simultaneous [i]Killing Blow[/i], the attack was certain to cause the monstrosity some serious harm indeed. [hr] [hider=Sorry, no bonus piece today I’m afraid…] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ZIreKEP.png[/img][/center] [center][color=MediumAquamarine]Psych![/color] [color=888888]–Stacy[/color] [color=FireBrick](Sigh.) These quote things are so stupid…[/color] [color=888888]-Ramona[/color] [color=MediumAquamarine](Dramatic gasp!) Don’t let BrokenPromise hear you say that![/color] [color=888888]-Stacy[/color][/center] [b]Some time earlier, before the rave went [i]completely[/i] off the rails…[/b] Stacy was having a blast, literally. She was happily lobbing Molotov cocktails at random people and, despite her usually abysmal aiming skills, was hitting her target every single time. This was because her pal, Ramona, was controlling her movements like a puppet, via strings of dark energy. That didn’t bother Stacy, though. Thanks to Ramona’s assistance, she was able to cause untold amounts of chaos, and that was the most important thing. [color=MediumAquamarine]“This is great, Ramona! I can actually [i]hit[/i] stuff now!”[/color] [color=FireBrick][i]Yeah, it’s absolutely amazing,[/i][/color] Ramona replied over their telepathic link in her usual moody tone. [color=FireBrick][i]I just wish we had better targets…[/i][/color] Stacy knew what the other girl meant. Ramona was hoping the Beacon Ascendancy would show up to crash the party, but they still had yet to arrive. Stacy could understand her friend’s annoyance. She wanted to face off against the elite of Beacon, too. How long were they gonna take? Were they even coming at all? A moment later, the answer was provided, as the Ascendancy made their grand entrance. [color=FireBrick][i]Finally…[/i][/color] Ramona exulted in a dark and predatory tone. [color=FireBrick][i]Okay, Stacy, time to bring out the big guns.[/i][/color] [color=MediumAquamarine]“Hells yeah!”[/color] Stacy cheered, lightning crackling over her patchwork body as she charged her main attack. They watched as multiple barriers were conjured to separate the Ascendancy forces from the rest of the rave, but neither of them was particularly concerned. [color=FireBrick][i]Wait for it…[/i][/color] Ramona instructed as Stacy’s charge continued to build. [color=FireBrick][i]Wait for it…[/i][/color] Soon enough, the barriers dissipated, and the battle between light and dark recommenced. As the combatants swirled in a maelstrom of violence, Ramona drew closer to Stacy and cloaked them both in a shroud of darkness. This would hopefully prevent the Ascendancy squads from noticing them, while Ramona kept her eyes peeled for the perfect target to present itself. [color=FireBrick][i]There.[/i][/color] As the number of monster girls and dark magicals began to thin, Ramona was able to get a clear view of [i]just[/i] the person she was looking for, a dark-haired girl, wearing a skimpy military uniform. She was standing by the entrance, imperiously directing the rest of the Ascendancy’s troops. [color=FireBrick][i]Violette…[/i][/color] Ramona seethed. [color=FireBrick][i]I owe that bitch some payback…[/i][/color] [color=MediumAquamarine]“Don’t worry, Ramona,”[/color] Stacy said eagerly. [color=MediumAquamarine]“I’ll blast her real good!”[/color] [color=FireBrick][i]Wait just a little longer,[/i][/color] Ramona told her. [color=FireBrick][i]I’m gonna give you an extra power boost. I want you charged to the max. You can handle that, right?[/i][/color] [color=MediumAquamarine]“Y-You k-know i-it!”[/color] The patchwork girl affirmed as her body shook with pent up energy. [color=MediumAquamarine]“G-give m-me e-everything y-ya g-got!”[/color] [color=FireBrick][i]That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.[/i][/color] As she channeled more mana through her dark strands, Ramona could see a crackling aura of lightning envelope her patchwork companion. Twin spheres of ball lightning appeared atop each of the bolts on either side of the girl’s neck, while a larger globe was rapidly growing between Stacy’s hands. Ramona was just about to have Stacy fire upon her hated Ascendancy foe, when Violette suddenly fell to her knees, giving voice to a scream of unimaginable agony. [color=FireBrick][i]What the hell?[/i][/color] Ramona soon realized that it was not just Violette who had been affected. [i]All[/i] of the Ascendancy’s troops were falling to the ground amid shrieks of pain, blood pouring out of every orifice. Although it gave Ramona great joy to see her enemies suffer in such a manner, it was also rather disappointing, in that [i]she[/i] hadn’t been the cause of it. She had also lost sight of Violette, who, having fallen to the ground was now obscured by the taller monster and dark magical girls. [color=FireBrick][i]Well, that’s disappointing…[/i][/color] [color=MediumAquamarine]“R-Ramona! L-Look!”[/color] Stacy called out, while pointing her lightning sphere towards the exit. Between gaps in the crowd, Ramona could barely make out the prone and violently spasming form of Violette being dragged up the stairs by a pair of disembodied hands. [color=FireBrick][i]Damnit! She’s getting away![/i][/color] [color=MediumAquamarine]“D-Do y-you w-want m-me t-to f-fire?!”[/color] Stacy asked urgently. Ramona hesitated in a moment of uncertainty, wondering if she could get a clear shot, and that moment was all the floating hands needed to drag Violette further up the stairs and out of sight. [color=FireBrick][i]Forget it. I’ll have to kill that bitch some other time…[/i][/color] [color=MediumAquamarine]“W-What t-the h-hell e-even h-happened?!”[/color] An answer was provided a moment later, when a voice invaded their minds. It rambled on about a call to war and how some group called the Penrose Independent was responsible for the psychic attack on the Ascendancy. Ramona simply grit her teeth. Thanks to this bitch, she’d been deprived of the revenge she’d so eagerly awaited. They would have to answer for that, but not now. Now, Ramona’s attention was fixed entirely on the nearby robed woman and her crackling sword. Her eyes going wide as she anticipated what was to come, Ramona drew even closer to Stacy and ordered the girl to unleash her charged up lighting. It manifested not as an offensive blast, but rather a spherical shield surrounding the two companions, which even now struggled to repel the intense barrage of blessed lightning pouring forth from the robed woman’s sword. Stacy’s power was great, but Ramona knew that it was as nothing before the furious tempest that assailed them. As she watched, the ravening arcs of lighting took on the forms of serpentine dragons, their fanged maws eating away at Stacy’s own crackling barrier. Swiftly realizing what had to be done, Ramona closed her eyes and focused on her Interdimensional Home. She only hoped that they could reach it before Stacy’s barrier was breached. In the end, just before the barrier gave way to the voracious lightning dragons, the two corrupted girls vanished into nothingness. A moment later, and they were both standing in a gothic-themed bedroom. [color=MediumAquamarine]“Wow! That was so frickin’ awesome!”[/color] Stacy cheered after a moment of stunned silence. [color=MediumAquamarine]“Best rave ever! I can’t wait to get on Glimmer and tell everyone about it!”[/color] [color=FireBrick]“You’re gonna have to wait a bit for that,”[/color] Ramona told her. [color=FireBrick]“You can’t exactly get a signal in here.”[/color] [color=MediumAquamarine]“Oh, uh, that sucks. So, um, whadaya wanna do now?”[/color] [color=FireBrick]“Care for a game of chess?”[/color] [color=MediumAquamarine]“Sure! Just one question, are we gonna use the special rules for ‘Free Parking’ or not?”[/color] Ramona closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. [color=FireBrick][i]This is gonna be a long night…[/i][/color] [/hider]