Magical Fracas, Episode 5: New friends and enemies?

[PyrosNine]

Ashley frowned. This was just icing on the top of an already bad day. She took the ribbon out of her jacket and threw it to the ground, and walked back into the house to change into some casual clothes for another night on the couch watching TV alone.

Frustration couldn't even begin to describe both magic girl and ribbon, who had both lost something that day: a date, and a signal. The Verda signal had been easy to pick up within Ashley's person, but apart from her magical field, an Autekkan device had no hope of following a signal meant for Verda.

The ribbon decided to curl up it's being into a circle, and roll after the departing Ashley.

[Astral Harmony]

Shimizu landed, both of her arms wrapped tightly around her body. "The Autekka beacon seems to originate from-"
"Screw that for now, Ponpon!" Shimizu's face was about as red as her hair. "Clothes, dammit! Clothes!"
"Ah...ah ha ha ha. Understood, paya. Reengaging Barrier Jacket Combat Connections."

A shimmering later, and Shimizu was still holding herself even though she was fully suited up. "Are you alright, paya?"
Shimizu slowly regained composure. "Next time that we have to get somewhere really fast, we'll find another way."
"But Mother, there isn't-"
"We'll. Find. Another. Way." Shimizu said flatly. "Now, what about the beacon?"
"The Autekka beacon is originating from underground, paya."
"So...a cave or something?"
"That seems to be the most obvious possibility, paya."

Shimizu looked around. "Is there a way for this All Purpose Scanner to find it?"
"I'm afraid not, paya. We'll have to search for it, paya."
"Or make our own entrance."
A sweatdrop appeared on Ponpon when Shimizu aimed it right into the ground. "No, paya! Let's...let's just wait for the others to arrive, paya! They can probably find a way inside, paya."
"Boring," Shimizu said. "But I guess it's the best idea. Akari is probably already here, right? Let's find her. Maybe she already found the entrance."
"Phew...paya."

[Menarker]

"Yo, Verda!"

WHAT THE HELL? Who is this voice and from where? Mern jolted his head back and forth fruitlessly in search of the invading voice.

"This is the Great Priestess Ayame, you might remember me, we met during a battle a week ago. In any case, I'm here to warn you, there's a chance the distress beacon is a trap, so approach it with caution. I'll be waiting near the edge of a field of magical influence surrounding the beacon as well, come there if you would like to work together. This is the Great Priestess Ayame, signing off."

A map appeared swiftly after in his consciousness accompanied with the image of a shrine maiden in red and white whom Menarker vaguely recalled from the first night of his magical experience.

His steps stumbled for a bit as his thoughts wavered from finding Mero and heading to Ayame to potentially enlist any volunteers to assist. Ayame's warning that the beacon could potentially be a trap however had the opposite effect. The more he thought about it, the more he sped toward it, hoping to catch Mero in time before she falls foul of it, his barrier jacket on to a more powered up degree in case he himself has to deal with the trap.

[Naqel]

As Daichi reached the park he picked up a female voice, it was announcing something, or maybe requesting, but he couldn't exactly feature the words used or the exact tone. A map of the park flashed in his eyes, but only for long enough for him to confirm he didn't have to search further. When the bus left the stop, he checked if there was anyone nearby and disguised himself as previously. Over the course of his secret training he figured out why did the Wizard keychain looked different, and learned how to counter such things. He tightened the strap of his bag, so as not to have it fall off in case of an attack, and went to look for the owner of the voice he heard...

[PhoenixFlame]

*VWRR* Akari streaked like an azure comet from on high, her entire body flickering the color of her energy wings from time to time as her personal shield absorbed high speed debris.

"Approaching Inuyama National Park, you should be able to make out the target soon if you can't already." Ceres reported moments after the park had come within clear view under the cloudcover. It was a mountainous area, covered in trees and heavy foliage. Surely, a difficult place to land, but...

["Beacon appears subterranian. Southern face."]

"Akari, we are vastly exceeding landing velocity."

"Faster we go, less chance anyone can see us." She replied to Ceres' warning, fully thrilled by the way the ground rushed beneath her, and trees began to whip by and blur into a singular form.

"Striking the ground at 250 knots will be-" The device continued to retort, but was cut off as Akari abruptly reversed her thrust and did a full-combat deceleration, falling under the canopy and skidding to a halt in record distance inches before a particularly large oak. A large dirty rent in the ground stretched twenty odd feet behind her, and the bark of the tree was chipped at the base where her greaves stopped agaisnt it.

"Huwah! I knew I could do it outside of the simulations!" Akari cheered, thrusting her hands triumphantly into the air. "Wasn't that awesome, Ceres?" She had to shout over the backspinning whine of her essence-wings as the paired flares pulsed like neon strobes, slowly dying as they vented excess power.

"... If you say so. The cave is ahead."

Shimizu arrived at approximately the same time, and Akari waved to her as she talked to Ponpon.

"Hey Shimizu, nice timing!"

[phil_]

Synopsis: Panko & Picky decide to meet up with "Ayame" when they reach the signal. Panko falls on her face yet again after yet another surprise mid-jump, this time being running into Nicia as she jumps across the trail she's walking.

"Picky, did you hear that?" Panko said, slowing down to a stop.

"No, but I felt it. I'm guessing we have help this time?" Picky said, looping back around.

"Yeah, that priestess from a week ago. She said she's near the beacon. Should we meet up?"

"Yeah, let's go. It's about time we stopped mucking around." With that, Picky continued toward the beacon, Panko chasing behind.

--

After skirting the edge of the more developed parts of the park and a trek through the woods beyond, Panko had almost arrived at Ayame's meeting point. All that was left, according to Picky's messages, was a low-traffic nature trail and a few meters uphill. Panko got ready to jump across the trail and keep going.

Then she caught her leg in a bush and came crashing down across the small path. Unexpectedly running into tattoo-girl from school when you're preparing for a laser fight has a way of throwing off one's coordination.

[Overcast]

And if unexpectedly running into tattoo-girl from school when you're preparing for a laser fight has a way of throwing off one's coordination imagine how running into a cat suit wearing dwarf girl in the woods while looking for a magical distress beacon is.

For Nicia it meant immediately raising up her hand to blast the creature with the power of love. Luckily Carcinos leapt up and clamped on her finger to maintain their facade and cutting her short from releasing the spell. With a slight yelp she shot him a glare that he shot back in his crabby way. In the end though they both realized this was a bit awkward looking so she put Carcinos on her shoulder and composed herself to stare at the interruption.

Taking another look at the girl it was a bit less like a dwarf in a cat suit and a bit more like a living plush doll. It was a bit like it generated its own cute to try to make it less awkward than it seemed. It was still rather awkward, but less so than she originally figured,

"Hey are you alright, you seemed to hit the ground pretty hard there."

[phil_]

Synopsis: Panko runs away from Nicia and meets with Alex.

"Oh, uh, yes, I'm fine," Panko said as she got off the ground and dusted herself off. "Um, excuse me, but I have to be going," she added with a bow. "Enjoy your walk... with your crab..." she added confusedly before jumping off the path towards the meeting point, hoping that tattoo-girl hadn't recognized her in the brief time she'd been seen.

Picky waited impatiently at the edge of the clearing. "Took you long enough, what happened?" he said with his usual irritated tone.

"Nothing, nothing," Panko mumbled, looking ahead towards the shining priestess they'd come to meet. The two of them approached Alex in the hilltop clearing, Picky clearing his throat to announce their arrival. "Oi, Ayu.. er, Priestess, I'm here." Panko lamely added as she approached Alex and his familiar.

[Overcast]

Carcinos watched as the short person took off toward where he felt the Verda beacon coming from. It took him a moment to process it all but it wasn't long before it was obvious what he was looking at there. It seemed like this wasn't going to be a trap after all so he scuttled up to Nicia's ear, after all the big plan wasn't all that necessary if competent meat shields had already arrived,

"That was a fellow mage...a fairly odd looking creature I'll be honest, but definitely Verda."

Nicia looked over at Carcinos awkwardly as she let that settle. She had been expecting something else when it came to the other mages. Now her barrier jacket seemed a bit stereotypical in comparison. Maybe she should rework it a bit. She would have to see the rest of them...oh but if she saw the rest of them she wouldn't be able to change it because it was already the established costume,

"How do you know?"

"Her power was transformation based. Autekka are decidedly bad at that."

They both stared the way she left for a moment. This was it, somewhere down the line the rest of her compatriots lay in wait. People she hadn't met in anything other than their natural forms and possibly didn't know very well at all. People who she had to trust with her life.

It was a big thing,

"You think I should head on as my alias?"

"I don't think it is a trap at the time, if so you have backup now...but hide me in your hat. The short one might connect the real you to your alter ego if you walk around with a crab like me."

The void pulled in around her pulling out to become the reverie once more, she dropped a veil over her face to add to the effect this time and to maintain her anonymity and put Carcinos on her head before slipping the hat down,

"What if I need you advice?"

"I'll be in here, just tell them your familiar is a talking hat. Not unusual."

She nodded confidently,

"Got it."

She advanced on to the beacon and onto the current party like she was coming out of the woodwork. She wasn't going to say anything yet...because just like in real life she had no idea what to say.

[Teal Mage]

Hair and costume blazing in the morning's sunlight, Ayame stood in the hilltop clearing's center. She watched with a small pleased smile as her first guest arrived, a girl in a cat suit. Miranda descended from above to land on the shoulder of her charge's kimono. The small dove fixed its amber eyes on Picky and Panko in turn; it seemed amused at the sight of them.

"Oi, Ayu.. er, Priestess, I'm here." The girl said lamely as she approached.

Ayame offered a kind smile in return, "I'm glad to see you, I was starting to worry no one would come."

There's another one. Miranda observed as a white haired witch approached from the woods.

Mia? Ayame wondered, frowning in confusion at the newcomer. No, she's wearing a Jacket. Must have just put it up too... The shrine maiden shrugged.

"Alright ladies," Ayame addressed the pair without missing a beat, "basic introduction time!" She flipped her hair dramatically, "I'm the Great Priestess Ayame! This is Miranda." She gestured to her dove, which promptly vanished in white light, "She's not social." The miko wryly observed, before bringing her hand up beside her face. "I have the powers of love," a heart shaped ball of red light appeared over her palm, "and," her expression hardened and she swept her arm down, crackling white energy following it's path, "Lightning." Her face lightened, "I'm not bad with a sword either." A soft laugh followed the statement.

"So Kid," she glanced at Panko, "Morgan," her gaze shifted to Nicia, "what are your deals?" Ayame crossed her arms, serious again, before crisply adding, "Be brief and to the point. But," she smiled again, "don't forget something important."