[center][img]https://images-ext-2.discordapp.net/external/t_Vh_bCFIduE0YhNZqUtcFzHf7tICce1Nu1PmLZeTYA/https/media.discordapp.net/attachments/546056855978377216/823258399663194172/dfrgthyujhyrgtef.png[/img]
Level 4: 32/40
Location: On the Atomos over Black Bay --> The Black Bay's Surface next to Shippy
Word Count: 1,467
Points Gained: 3 -4 from Friend Hearts
New EXP Balance--- Level 4: 31/40 [/center]

	Sakura took a step back as Geralt gave his command. 

	[color=f49ac2]([i]So I [/i]should [i]have jumped down earlier!? [/i]Ugh! [i]I'm the worst! I wish someone would just tell me what to do! Well, I guess someone just did.)[/i][/color]

	She looked a little concerned at Geralt's order. But the choice was made for her nonetheless. The bird flew away! With Geralt on it! [color=f49ac2]"Uh oh!"[/color] She looked at Bowser, Kamek, and Bella. Bowser was back down to normal size, and Kamek was already preparing to cast some cool spells. Bowser's eye was almost pecked out, too, but he seemed more angry than he did hurt. 

	It looked like Kamek was about to be thrown. Sakura was probably a little heavier than Kamek, and moreover, she couldn't fly. She kind of wanted to try it out, though. Maybe later. For now she would do her own, controlled descent. Like last time.

	[color=f49ac2]"I'm gonna go help out Shippy, too! [i]Ikuzo![/i]"[/color] She shouted above the wind. With that, she sprinted at high speed, the wind at her back carrying her even faster. 

	[color=f49ac2][i]"Yoisho!"[/i][/color] She took a running leap, propelling herself two stories in the air. Now she saw that Shippy was beginning to look different. And also, how bad of a shape Shippy was in. She was hurt- bad. Abyssals were crawling all over the place and turning to dust, but they just kept coming. Sakura cut quite the dramatic figure, soaring through the air. A lot of her loose fitting clothing shot upward, revealing the not exactly elegant gym wear underneath. Her bandana traced an arc behind her head, and her arms and legs wheeled as she soared downwards.

	Another thing Sakura realised was how bad of an idea it was to leap off the top of the Atomos when it was this high. And also from the top, with the wind at her back, as opposed to last time where she left through the back door. 

	[color=f49ac2][i]"Uh oh!"[/i][/color] She tried to course correct, laying flat to slow down. The ocean surface was approaching fast. A second before impact Sakura brought her legs underneath her again, angled her toes downward and brought her arms in an X across her chest. She squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath and torpedoed down into the water in a small splash that reflected the profeciency in which she entered the water.

	Her eyes opened, and beneath her was the abyss of the ocean. She could have sworn she saw dark shapes move within, shadows among shadows. All of it was blurry, the sound of water and muffled warfare in her ears. Down there, there was only unknown evil she could not hope to face. 

	[color=f49ac2][i](Nope nope nope)[/i][/color] Sakura pushed herself back to the surface, easily overcoming the weight of her wet clothing and metallic rigging. Once she emerged, she inhaled briefly to get her lungs back to full capacity. The rigging came to life and she was water walking once again. 

	Shippy was looking a lot healthier! Someone must have Friend Hearted her![color=f49ac2] "[i]Un![/i] Yeah!"[/color] She shouted happily. Sakura also took part in the annihilation of the oncoming bombers, happily firing her cannons into the swarm, since there was no chance of friendly fire.

	Sakura zoomed closer, looking to take part in the protection of Shippy. She was unhurt for now, and Sakura was going to help keep her that way. 

	A madwoman was laughing maniacally while blasting Abyssals to dust. Sakura grimaced and waved her arms frantically, hoping to spare herself of the same fate. [color=f49ac2]"Hey! It's me, Sakura! I'm finally here! Sorry for the delay!"[/color] Ace, Blazermate, Link, and Frog were all in the water. They could use her help! Link looked quite different, but she still recognized him. Fusions had a very distinct look about them, in her opinion. He looked strong enough [color=f49ac2][i](and had big enough hands!)[/i][/color] to help the others overboard. Shippy also looked...a little creepier. But that was okay- Sakura'd get used to it.

	Meanwhile, the coolest looking Shipgirl in the world, riding a gigantic metal shark, was tearing through the Abyssals harassing Link and Cadet. It was a gruesome sight, but it was still a victory for the good guys. It also meant her friends would be okay. Kamek's clones and spells were going off, and she felt safer already. She was friends with a freaking wizard!

	Not all of Shippy was safe, however. A lot of the action was focused to one side. The port side of the ship [color=f49ac2][i](Naval knowledge! Thanks, Araisho.)[/i][/color] was mostly unguarded. Abysalls were there clawing into poor Shippy's flank like animals. A weird looking shadow clone of Junior showed up a little bit before her, to help. Cool! 

	She front flipped and brought her leg down hard, transitioning into an elbow across the ribs. She brought both fists together and hammered the Abyssal upward in an uppercut, and finished off the combo with a sweeping uppercut, her stance going wide as she leaned her whole body into it.[color=f49ac2][i] "Shouoken! Tshah!"[/i][/color] She and the Abyssal both went airborne from the punch. Though it was only a single punch, the impact felt like eight strikes in one as the fist pushed forward. Sakura wasn't fighting to kill, but her hits would hurt. Being defeated by Sakura in this fight didn't mean death, only getting knocked unconscious. As she floated back down, she caught sight of Briney Beard.  He was hurt, bad!

	[color=f49ac2]"Hey, Briney Beard!"[/color] She called out, briefly taking her attention off the Abyssals around here. She doubled tapped her chest and produced a Friend Heart. [color=f49ac2]"Push this into your heart! It'll fix you up!"[/color] Keeping pace with Shippy, she threw it with precision to the brave pirate captain. 

	Sakura was still under the impression that one needed to do the symbolic gesture to be un-Galeemified. It didn't really make too much of a difference, though.

	Sakura turned her attention back to the fight, realising she had been distracted. One of them, a hideous monster of teeth and mouths with no beautiful woman attached, lashed out at her. [color=f49ac2][i]"Ah hah!"[/i][/color] Sakura yelped in pain and then gasped, a feminine squeak that sounded like the Abysall had just squeezed a dog toy. Not exactly a heroic expression of pain. She'd tried several times to make herself go Argh or something, but it never worked. She always forgot. Probably because she was getting punched in the ribs.

	As it raised it's fist to bring down another bite-punch, Sakura braced herself. The swing was pretty slow and cumbersome compared to someone like Karin. She hadn't really gotten a chance to use this technique, and she'd forgotten about it completely in her fight with Karin.

	Pitch black energy swirled around Sakura's silhouette as the swing came in. She took a stance, getting low into a defensive crouch, like she was at the starting block of a track and field race. Timing it just right, the swing came in. Instead of hitting her, it merely grazed off, the swirling energy dissipating the swing completely. At that moment, Sakura shot upward. [color=f49ac2][i]"Daagh!"[/i][/color] 

	Her knee slammed into the face of the Abyssal with tremendous impact, breaking several teeth and sending it stumbling backwards, crumpling it to it's knees. She brought her elbow down onto it's head with a crash, yellow energy sparking from the impact. Landing on the surface of water, she twisted her upper body, arms wide. [color=f49ac2][i]"Shunpukyaku!"[/i][/color] One, two! Propelling herself back into the air, she brought her spinning leg around, hitting it hard.  Landing on her feet she dropped to a knee and gathered yet another Friend Heart into her hand. Time to invent a new move on the spot! That was practically her speciality!

	[color=f49ac2][i]"Yujo-Shouoken!"[/i][/color] She shouted. She surged forward like a regular Shouoken, only instead of her powerful fist it was a clawed hand with a glowing pink Friend Heart in the palm. She hit the center of the Abyssal with the Friend Heart. Then she flattened her palm completely and instead of focusing on doing damage, pushed the Abyssal as high and as far away as possible. [color=f49ac2]"Get outta here!"[/color] She commanded in an unusual combination of a taunt, a victory cry, and genuine plea.

	 She span in the air and landed back on the surface and zoomed forward to get back into the fray to further defend Shippy. When an Abyssal was nearly unconscious, she would Friend Heart them where she could. So far she made a friend out of Bella personally, and of Rika when Kamek followed her example. Sakura had no intention of stopping her Friend Heart technique anytime soon.