Achelois sighed, long and heavy as she watched Sedna and the ferry woman fall into the river as well.  However the others replied that while under attack they would be able to reach the boat without assistance.  No choice but to wait...

< Alright well let me if the situation needs my assistance then, Sedna how are things on your front? >  

As she glanced back in the direction of the palace, her anger swelled in her chest but as her thoughts turned back to the last few minutes, she managed to push it back down.  She pondered Oberon's concern and mentioning of the shields, smacking her hands together as she realized that Callisto was in need of healing. 

< Please inform me if you take damage and I'm not aware of it, wouldn't want you to faint, underwater. >

Achelois sensed for Callisto's position before sending a wave of healing energy to her.

Heals:

 

3mp cost, single heal for Callisto XD

Upon seeing Callisto resurfacing, he unhooked himself from the wood, feeling as muscles he didn't use as much anymore worked to release their hold. He walked closer to the edge and let his feet grip the wooden floor tightly again, extending an arm for Callisto to take his hand.

Just as she shrank the size of her shield, the Giant eel struck Andromeda's water sphere, knocking her further below. Callisto grit her teeth, but forced herself to the surface. She needed air if she wanted to go down a second time...

Callisto grabbed Oberon's hand and pulled herself back onto the boat, coughing as the water dripped off her. She could swim fine, but she wasn't a huge fan of it.

< Andromeda is still down there, the eel got in her way. She's not hurt though, > Callisto rung the water out of her hair, looking frustrated. < If she and Sedna don't come back soon, I'm going back down there again... >

She grunted in frustration when the eel pushed her under again. Just protecting herself against them might not be enough, but there wasn’t much she could do down here. The water slowed her down and she couldn’t fight the way she wanted to.

She replenished the Water Sphere’s powers and continued swimming toward the surface.

Sailor Leviathan slipped into sleep. She fell to the ground in an unceremonious thud. If the others couldn't find a way to wake her up, the illusion would surely slip away as well. Not to mention, all of Leviathan's knowledge would be gone with her.

In her dreams, she sat at a casual, hole in the wall bar with an infamous, golden clad soldier. Her red lips curled as she smirked at Leviathan seated next to her.


"Oh my little Platinum Dragon... no, it's Sailor Leviathan, isn't it? A lot has changed  about this place since we died, hasn't it? But one thing remains the same. You're still under the boot of power. Another power this time. You know, at least I was honest about what I would have you do to take your pitiful ocean core of a planet off the chopping block. Eradicate Azazel, steal sailor crystals of other pitiful planets. The devastation you caused to Behemoth... exciting to say the least. But here? They're just prepping you up to have everything crumble around you."


Even if Leviathan wanted to respond in the dream, she couldn't. For whatever reason, she couldn't move. She could only stare at the cup wrapped in her fingers.


"You think any of them care about the people of Planet Leviathan? No, they're just waiting for you to buckle and pledge your allegiance to the brightest star so they can have a post on the only viable planet in the Tanakh System. And with you goes Enoch... and you know already how much they're willing to tolerate him. Leaving him for dead on a war torn planet? I at least would have given him the honor of a proper death."


She patted the rookie soldier on the back and smiled.


"Everything is calculated, my little Platinum Dragon. Everything."

Before she could even comment on Shadow's opinion, she heard a thud behind them. Mercury tuned around to see Leviathan collapsed on the forest floor. She felt like hitting her forehead for letting herself forget about this place's effects. They had stayed still for too long.

They had no choice but to move if she wasn't going to wake up immediately.

"Sailor Bellatrix, could you carry her? I think it's best if we just attacked and made a break for it as best we can." If they were lucky, Leviathan might wake up along the way and they could disappear again... The spiders were just ahead, but Mercury was not about to leave the party completely defenseless.

"Shabon Spray." When she was first fighting as a senshi, it would have taken much longer to call up her signature fog, but now she had gotten it down to a simple movement of a hand. This should confuse the spiders enough to get a surprise hit on them.

Having been so focused on their surroundings, the sudden thud straight in front of her took Bellatrix by surprise. Had they been attacked without her noticing?

But then she saw the prone form of Leviathan. It was then she wondered if the exhaustion she felt was not due to her own weakness but because of something more sinister. How long before they all fell in a similar way, leaving them completely helpless against the spiders?

At Mercury's question, Bellatrix nodded. It felt strange to dematerialize her Murzim Spear whilst being surrounded by enemies, but she had to trust in her comrades. It was more difficult to actually do that than she anticipated. So long had it been since she had properly worked with others that coming to rely on them instead of herself frightened her a little.

But she dematerialized the spear all the same, and bent down to pick up Leviathan. As she stood up again, misty fog filled the area, having been called forth by Sailor Mercury. At least if they lost their invisibility, they now had some extra protection.

Unable to contribute to the fight, Bellatrix instead looked down to the girl in her arms. She shook Leviathan, and whispered to her in an attempt to wake her up. "Leviathan, wake up. This is no time to be sleeping." She kept her voice low so as not to attract the attention of the spiders.

Not sure if her attempts were working, Bellatrix split her attention half on waking Leviathan up, and half on readying herself to run whilst bearing extra weight. "Just say the word," she said in response to Mercury's plan. "I have Leviathan secured."

The ferrywoman was really starting to tick Sedna off. Why wouldn't she let go of the oar? Honestly, what was so special about the oar that she would risk going into the water for? Stay calm a voice whispered in her head. Where the words would normally keep her calm, the familiar mantra she always told herself, her memories of why she as supposed to stay gone where no longer there. 

Why should she stay calm? She wracked her memory, the words familiar, they must have some meaning. 

If there was no reason to remain calm, then she had no reason to hold back against this woman. Who did she think she was anyway? She had dragged her, Eshana, daughter of the Goddess Sedna of the Underworld over a bought. How dare she? The slight would not be forgiven. She would pay with her life. 

Taking one hand off the oar, she summoned Water Typhoon to surround the ferrywoman. Let's see how well she can breathe underwater.

Shadow's eyes darted from Mercury, then towards Mars. Those two had worked closely together for longer than he could remember, and it was a fair assumption that the raven-haired priestess would put all her passion and fury into supporting the quickly-devised escape plan. Coincidentally, it was better to begin his attack from a distance so Mars wouldn't risk throwing "friendly" fire.

Taking his right hand off Schwarzpferd, Shadow scanned the forest line for the eight-legged menace. Though no conspicuous energy could be seen within his palm, a certain something could be felt by those who were sensitive enough to the environment. However, unless he could make eye contact with the spiders, it would be wasteful of his strength. Worse yet, it could reveal his position.

Battle wrote:

12  Mercury uses Shabon Spray (2 MP) 
Shabon Spray Special Effect:
Did it hit -1 for enemies in area


Battle Round One: 
13  Mars
12  Mercury
12 Shadow
12  Bellatrix
4  Leviathan

Forest Map

Mars nodded at Mercury's plan to work around them while invisible, thus avoiding an attack, but then their tentative cover was blown before they had taken steps forward through the enemies ahead when Leviathan succumbed to the unnatural weariness something in the forest was causing. She again waited for Mercury's plan; without the enemies being in range, she wouldn't unnecessarily send out any attack - running through a forest fire wasn't preferable to pretty much any other course of action, especially without knowing what lay ahead as far as obstructions went.

When Mercury suggested the best course may be to attack and make a break for it, Mars broke her hands apart and prepared to run; if she saw one of these "spiders" as they ran past she would hit it with an ofuda to bind it where it stood, and then burn the forest down behind them so they wouldn't be running into flames.

The moment he had anticipated never arrived. Mars seemed prepared to bring the heat, but otherwise her restraint was commendable. He didn't know whether to chalk this up to an external miscommunication or a hasty assumption on his part.

Letting his accumulated energy dissipate, Shadow leaned down to snatch the cut branch that had served as his hook. He glanced back to Mercury, gesturing with the branch towards the direction where she had last warned of the arachnids' presence.

"I can lead the way forward until we find the bugs. Once that happens, I can create a distraction while you run for the water."

Mercury nodded. "That sounds reasonable. We'll inch forward until we can see the spiders, launch an attack, and then try to move past them." Mars' fire would hopefully keep them too occupied to give chase. If needed, she'd lay down a second Shabon Spray Freezing to further blind them and slow the spiders down.

"And as a last resort..." Mercury pursed her lips. "I'd rather not have it come to this, but this forest is flammable. Simply burning our way down the rest of the path is a technically viable option..." She didn't like the thought of starting a forest fire, but she was fairly confident that she could keep the flames off their group with her own powers. "But for now, let's just move forward."

How dare she take the oar with her?! Narrowing her eyes in concentration Eshana used Falling Star on the Ferrywoman as she kicked her way to the surface of the water, bringing the water typhoon with her so it broke through the water and into the air above.

When the ferrywoman and Sailor Sedna went over the side, Sailor Nocturnus stood up and peered over, again trying to see below the water. As before, the surface was too reflective; she had no idea what was going on down there except for the questions and answers broadcast through the telepathic communication link. She could imagine what it might look like to see Callisto, Andromeda, Sedna, and the rower down there, but it was all conjecture—no reality. Without being able to see, she couldn't use any of her powers (weak though they might be) to assist the group below.

Staring down only made it worse. She returned to her crouched position, keeping her body below the edge of the boat, and did the only thing that she could do in a situation like this one.

"Please, please keep them safe," Nocturnus prayed, the hands in the dark gloves clasped tightly together.

Oberon pulled a wet Sailor Callisto over the side of the boat.

That left only two down there that they needed—Andromeda and Sedna. The child hoped desperately that those two would rejoin them soon. They needed to keep going, but they weren't going to leave anyone behind. At least, Nocturnus wouldn't.

"Let me know when they get too close."

Shadow proceeded to pull, rip, and tear at the obfuscating foliage that interfered with their forward progress. He listened closely to the noisome forest as he cut through the brush, muscles tensing with every chop. Even if the clearing actions would distract from Shadow's watch, getting his blood flowing was far more preferable to risking a sudden wave of fatigue. The additional effort he'd require to outmaneuver the spiders would also help keep him awake while his friends made their bid to escape.

What was the hold up? 

Mars's temper rose as Shadow turned to talk about what he was going to do instead of just doing it, and her brows tightened for every second he hesitated. Mercury had said to attack and move - why was he standing still? The mist wasn't going to last forever and his talking wasn't doing them any favors - the spiders already knew they were here, they would have noticed the mist - if they were looking to trap them they could use the mist as their own cover and use his voice to pinpoint their location in it! What was wrong with him? All words, no action - typical!

That Mercury then agreed to inch forward had her gritting her teeth - he chickened out and they were having to change the entire strategy for him? They could run around the bushes, why did he insist on clearing a path at a snail's pace rather than just walking through?! As he bent to continue moving forward slower than the forest was closing behind them, she had had enough. 

With a loud growl of frustration, she pushed past him and simply stepped through the bush, avoiding its trunk. Her boots were high enough that her thighs were barely scraped by the twigs and leaves, and now that Bellatrix carried Leviathan, they could all easily push through without wasting a thousand years for a guy to attempt to be chivalrous. Without looking back she continued on, leading them forward, keeping her eyes and senses open to the threat of the spiders somewhere down the path.

In Sailor Leviathan's dreams, Sailor Galaxia, a figment of her imagination, kept speaking to her as she remained frozen in place. Leviathan's drink of choice was a margarita with salt sprinkled around the edges. It looked extremely tempting. Just one move and Leviathan could have a sip, but she had no willpower to choose to partake in it or even move. So Galaxia spoke on and on without interruption.


"Is this sailor soldier team idea of yours some kind of defense mechanism in case things go wrong? In case they decide they're tired of your insubordination? You know it's pointless. Enoch, Azazel Knight, whatever you call him, is but a shell of his former self and even his former self was hardly greater than your current, weak form.


"And Sailor Makemake, what a joke! We obliterated her in the 20th century faster than she could transform. She's destined to die a meaningless death with every life cycle. You want an ignorant waste to be associated with you? She only accepted your offer because she was too stupid to realize you being her "friend" is just you tolerating her for your own benefit!"


Galaxia pressed her face close to Leviathan's. She grabbed the frozen girl on the back of the head to drive her point further.


"So who is going to be next? Shadow? How long are you going to trust him? It's only a matter of time before he betrays your trust as well, knowing who he's allied with. And Ribbon! Hah! Far too weak.


"Why do you only have half the potential  that you did in your previous life? Where is Sailor Leviathan? The World Eater? The Planet Smasher? You're going to need to bring her out if you're going to stand any chance against the brightest star. So let's dig a little deeper into that brain... where did your power go? Where is the other half of your soul?"


This wasn't Sailor Galaxia talking. Now it was straight up Leviathan's own voice coming out of the shadow of an enemy past. 


In the real world, Sailor Leviathan remained very still in her sleep. She was almost lifeless in Bellatrix's arms.

She finally broke the surface, and grabbed the side of the boat as she climbed back onto it. Dripping wet, she rolled onto the deck, panting from the unexpected workout.

She felt a bit disoriented, as if a chunk of knowledge was missing. It was odd; she didn’t fully understand the objective of this mission anymore. She knew she was here for Achelois and they were chasing Chaos from planet Enyalius, and she knew Achelois was upset about something, but she knew the reason for neither. She frowned and remained sitting where she was, trapped in the puzzle of her own mind.

When Sailor Andromeda pulled herself over the side of the boat, a significant portion of Nocturnus's worries abated. The relief was instantly visible on her face like sunshine breaking through the clouds on a dark day. Her black eyes shined, reflecting the situation deeply, projecting the sense of gratitude the younger one felt to see her dear teammate restored to them. Almost instinctively she moved forward to hug the older girl, only vaguely able to resist the impulse.

"Oh, Andromeda! I was so worried!" she said softly, sighing deeply.

It was then that she noticed Andromeda no longer carried the shield, but she wasn't going to mention or bring attention to that now. She had heard the exchange regarding it, but some part of Sailor Nocturnus had hoped it would somehow be restored. Perhaps they could somehow try to find it... later.

Right now they needed to get Sedna back, too.

She was so lost in her mind that she didn’t see someone approaching until the person put their arms around her. Andromeda was surprised—the embrace felt warm and comforting, but when she looked up to see who had done it, she met a completely unfamiliar face.

It was a young senshi, too young to be in a dangerous battle like this. Her hair was dark as night yet her eyes were bright as the stars despite their equally dark color. She looked so sweet, so out of place in a situation like this. Andromeda felt the instinct to protect her, if only because war was not the place she belonged, but rather a loving home.

The thought of the young soldier made her wish she had a younger sibling, though at the moment she was still puzzled as to how this unknown child not only knew her name but had also hugged her so familiarly, as if they were close friends. Had she been with their group in this mission from the beginning? If so, how come Andromeda didn’t remember her being there? Had she appeared when Andromeda was off the boat?

“T-thank you for your concern,” she said formally, her own arms still limp on her sides. She felt awkward to hug someone she didn’t know, so she didn’t return the gesture.

She attempted an uncertain smile toward the young senshi.

“…but who are you?”

Nocturnus stared, then blinked twice, her expression changing rapidly from "relief" to "extreme concern". She startled slightly, loosening her arms from around the other sailor soldier, that strange sensation of mistaking someone you don't know for someone you do know overtaking her. But no, wait, that couldn't be it. This was Sailor Andromeda in every possible way—Nocturnus knew her. She did.

But there was no recognition in the young woman's eyes.

"I..." she faltered, unsure of what to say to such a simple question.

"It's me, Nocturnus," she managed to voice, mumbling and blushing.

How could...? What had...? What was going on?

Callisto untensed some more when Andromeda finally broke the surface and re-boarded the boat. That was one person safe at least. Now they just had to hope Sedna popped up soon. She dropped her Minor Guard and watched as Nocturnus immediately went to hug Andromeda, happy to see her not so worried. 

But Andromeda's response threw her off. Why wasn't she happy to see Nocturnus? She looked more confused than anything. And then she asked who she was, and Callisto now had no idea what was going on. Was this some kind of joke? Because it wasn't very funny.

"Andromeda, what are you talking about?" Callisto asked.

“Nocturnus?” she repeated the name that felt unfamiliar on her tongue. Certainly the girl acted as if that was enough of an explanation, but this did not offer Andromeda the slightest clue about her identity.

She frowned, wracking her brain to try and find any information about this face and this name.

There was none.

“I’m sorry, have we met before? Perhaps you can remind me where. I can’t seem to remember you…”

She looked up as another voice broke in. This time she looked up at a more familiar figure.

“Sailor Callisto. Do you know her?”

She clearly remembered this other senshi, so that was a relief, at least. Having amnesia in the middle of battle would be bad.

"We all do, we've been through more than one battle together," Callisto said, frowning. Andromeda couldn't possibly be joking now, this was too far. But how could she just... forget someone like that? Wait...

Callisto's mind went back to how she felt underwater, like she couldn't think straight anymore. Did that have something to do with it? But Callisto remembered everyone here just fine. Had it somehow affected Andromeda differently?

"The river..." she mumbled, looking back at it. "Andromeda, did you feel anything... strange while you were sinking?"

Everything felt wrong.

Andromeda, who she had fought with on so many missions before, had just turned to Sailor Callisto and asked the other young woman to explain Nocturnus's presence. (Although not in so many words.) Sailor Nocturnus sat there, suddenly frozen, her limbs immobile—held back with a mixture of confusion and rising panic. How could Andromeda of all people ask Nocturnus if they had met before? Another worry flickered through the young sailor soldier-in-training's mind—what if Callisto didn't know her either?! The lump that formed in her throat was large enough to choke her.

The dark-haired girl stared at the brunette with pure horror in her eyes that only dimmed slightly when the bear-themed sailor soldier confirmed having fought with her before.

And then she mentioned the river. Oh no, could that be it? And Sailor Sedna was still down there!

More than one battle?

She remembered being in more than one battle with Callisto; on Andromeda and on Enyalius, but she didn’t remember this little soldier in either battle. How was that possible?

Then Callisto mentioned the river, and she blinked. The confusion did start after she was in the water… she thought so, at least.

“I know I felt confused… was I holding something? A… shield? I seem to remember not wanting to let it go, but then I don’t remember anymore why.” She looked at the others in alarm. “I don’t even know what we’re here for besides fighting Chaos.”

Panic rose in her as she considered there might be holes in her memory. “Oh gods. What is happening to me?”

Nocturnus opened her mouth to try and say something, only to find that she couldn't voice anything aloud. The lump in her throat was still there, cutting off any ability to speak. She could barely breathe. She tried to take a slow, deep breath only to find that she coughed slightly on it midway through drawing the intake. She didn't even realize that there were tears in her eyes—tears that were slowly spilling over the edges of her lower eyelids and slowly trickling down her face.

No, she wasn't crying. It was just wet in this boat. Just water, splashed in from the river and all the people falling out and climbing back in later. Awful, awful water from that river, which they were all justified in feeling unease about. It made everything so much worse. How were they supposed to get to the other side?

She shifted slightly, trying to hide her face and silence the sniffling. She was a sailor soldier (-in-training...). An adult.