School House Rumbles 3: Act 3. Warriors and Liberators.

[Cthulhu_of_R'yleh]

"I think. Maybe? I don't know." Skye smirks at herself. "Seems like the kind of decision a 17 year old shouldn't have to make."

"Not like we've been doing anything age appropriate since we left the dome." Casimir responded. "But if that is something you decide on, I'll back it." He gave her a small smile.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

The energy is enough to ease the pain, but does little to prevent the transformation.

Still hunched over, his skin begins to harden and crack, changing into some strange combination of dark stone, and diamond. At the same time, the girls would hear his bones break violently before growing larger, causing him to whimper in pain.

The process didn't take long, and when it was finished, Casimir didn't even resemble his normal self. He barely even looked human.

His transformation nearly brings her to tears, but she bites them off and forces herself to remain calm. His new appearance makes that nearly impossible. "Wha-what have they done to you?" she whispers.

Cas' new appearance shocked, worried and disturbed Rivia, but she didn't let it make herself lose focus. As she kept up the magic circle barrier and controlled the energy within, she spoke calmly to Max, "Talk to him."

Bobbing her in an absent-minded nod, she circles the barrier to face him. Summoning nerve and swallowing her fear, she says, "Casimir?"

[Rhyvurg]

The expression on Takeshi's face told Irie that it was probably time to stop messing with him. Besides, she was still curious as to the cause of this complete shift in behavior.

"Even though I've witnessed it enough times over the few months since we've met, the courage he's displayed continues to surprise me. Sato-san, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he has, since the last time you saw him, become a very courageous individual- not to say that the shyness has entirely gone away."

Okay, now it's a good time to stop messing with him.

She sighed.

"Sato-san," Irie said, bowing again before her, "I apologize in advance for my rude request. As improper as it is of me to interrupt the time you are now sharing with your son, especially given how long it's been since you last saw him, there's something I need to speak with him about- in private. Will you allow me- as undeserving as I am- the time to do so?"

"Oh I couldn't stand to be away from my Taki-kun, we have so much catching up to do." She hugs his arm tighter. "Mom, I'm not a kid anymore." "Well I still think of you as one."

[Cthulhu_of_R'yleh]

His transformation nearly brings her to tears, but she bites them off and forces herself to remain calm. His new appearance makes that nearly impossible. "Wha-what have they done to you?" she whispers.

Bobbing her in an absent-minded nod, she circles the barrier to face him. Summoning nerve and swallowing her fear, she says, "Casimir?"

Still on his hands and knees, he looks up at Max and sees how scared she is. Unable to look at her, he drops his head quickly. "... Everything hurts."

[Yun Lao]

"It's been underwhelming so far. Best part is that you nearly killed the one guy who'd think of protecting Rose even in that situation. If you need her alive in order to actually get anything done, you better be smarter about it." Sloane forced himself to stand.

"Underwhelming? Perhaps." 'She' didn't seem too bothered by Sloane's opinion, although she did seem to recall something to ask. "Since she wasn't able to figure out, perhaps an outside perspective might work? Tell me, what do you think the secret behind this girl's power could be?"

[The Dog]

"Something wrong?" Ramilia says, walking up to her. It occurred to her a few minutes ago, after Kirby St. John's outburst, that she hadn't actually met Selma, so what better time than now.

Looking over, Selma shrugged and said "Mostly just feelin' left out of tha loop. And what I can get from tha bits an' pieces Ah catch from tha others talkin', it seems that we're 'bout ta be doin' more fightin' from folks upset we invaded tha Gulag."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Still on his hands and knees, he looks up at Max and sees how scared she is. Unable to look at her, he drops his head quickly. "... Everything hurts."

Oh, he can see she is afraid. Frowning more at herself, she inhaled deeply and kneels down in front of him. "It will be okay, luv. I promise I will do everything I can to make this better."

Looking over, Selma shrugged and said "Mostly just feelin' left out of tha loop. And what I can get from tha bits an' pieces Ah catch from tha others talkin', it seems that we're 'bout ta be doin' more fightin' from folks upset we invaded tha Gulag."

Her mouth twitches into a smile and she shakes her head. "Not from what I've heard. We're waiting for the ship that will be landing here in a few minutes. Once it gets here, we're gonna ambush the crew and take the ship to get back to Eden. I doubt anyone knows we've invaded the Gulag yet."

[FarBeyondC]

"Oh I couldn't stand to be away from my Taki-kun, we have so much catching up to do." She hugs his arm tighter. "Mom, I'm not a kid anymore." "Well I still think of you as one."

She couldn't argue with that- nor did she really want to; no matter how it came about, the fact that Takeshi and his mother were getting along- for the first time in half a decade- was a good thing, right?

The fact she didn't know what happened was beginning to eat at her.

Perhaps it was time for a change in scenery.

"I understand, Sato-san," she replied. "I'll leave the two of you alone, so that you can catch up with each other."

She bowed one last time, and then looked towards Rai.

"I remember you saying that there was an old friend of yours here," she said to him.

"You mean Amare? Yeah, she's probably- no, definitely- still around here somewhere."

"Let's go find her, then- she'd probably be willing to entertain the thought of helping us out, right?"

"Oh, she'd definitely help. Whether it's the type of help you're looking for is another story. But you'll see what I mean when we find her."

Raishin was already moving in the direction of the prison's directory, to find out where Amare was held.

"Keshi-kun," Iriesia said with a smirk on her face, "come find me when you have the time."

With that said, she turned to follow Rai.

[Cthulhu_of_R'yleh]

Oh, he can see she is afraid. Frowning more at herself, she inhaled deeply and kneels down in front of him. "It will be okay, luv. I promise I will do everything I can to make this better."

"Max... I can't.. you can't... how bad is it?"

[Tami]

Still on his hands and knees, he looks up at Max and sees how scared she is. Unable to look at her, he drops his head quickly. "... Everything hurts."

Oh, he can see she is afraid. Frowning more at herself, she inhaled deeply and kneels down in front of him. "It will be okay, luv. I promise I will do everything I can to make this better."

Her mouth twitches into a smile and she shakes her head. "Not from what I've heard. We're waiting for the ship that will be landing here in a few minutes. Once it gets here, we're gonna ambush the crew and take the ship to get back to Eden. I doubt anyone knows we've invaded the Gulag yet."

Rivia's mind raced, trying to figure out what more she could do. Biting her lower lip, she realised how little she understood her own powers, much less his. "Cas," still focused on the circle around him, "I'm going to try to slowly drain away some of your energy. I'm not a healer, but maybe I can also numb your pain. Use this to try and control this transformation, ok?"

[Cthulhu_of_R'yleh]

Rivia's mind raced, trying to figure out what more she could do. Biting her lower lip, she realised how little she understood her own powers, much less his. "Cas," still focused on the circle around him, "I'm going to try to slowly drain away some of your energy. I'm not a healer, but maybe I can also numb your pain. Use this to try and control this transformation, ok?"

He could still feel his insides rearranging themselves, and while it wasn't getting any more painful, it wasn't getting any better. Unable to do much else, he just nodded weakly. "Okay.."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Max... I can't.. you can't... how bad is it?"

"Don't tell me I can't do anything!" she all but yells out. Unsheathing her glass sword, she uses it to show him his reflection.

[Eternal Torment]

"Underwhelming? Perhaps." 'She' didn't seem too bothered by Sloane's opinion, although she did seem to recall something to ask. "Since she wasn't able to figure out, perhaps an outside perspective might work? Tell me, what do you think the secret behind this girl's power could be?"

"Well, I probably don't have it right. But my guess is that Gawain's a sort of vessel to transfer power from Matron to successor. It might be a 'second rate puppet', as you said. But I figure it must have more use than a simple failsafe."

Sloane straightened up, waiting for Lunarius' response.

If he says it's the Sword, I'm calling bullshit.

[Cthulhu_of_R'yleh]

"Don't tell me I can't do anything!" she all but yells out. Unsheathing her glass sword, she uses it to show him his reflection.

He's silent while he looks at his reflection in the sword. He'd turned into some sort of elemental.. He looked like a monster... But.. They had turned him into this.

"Oh.. God." Looking up at her he said softly. You.. both... You can't be okay with this.."

[The Dog]

Her mouth twitches into a smile and she shakes her head. "Not from what I've heard. We're waiting for the ship that will be landing here in a few minutes. Once it gets here, we're gonna ambush the crew and take the ship to get back to Eden. I doubt anyone knows we've invaded the Gulag yet."

Selma smirked as she said "An' that's what happens when yer left outta tha loop. Ya start thinkin' yer 'bout ta have ta fight folks angry 'bout yer invading a prison."