How long had it been since the battle began? Ten minutes? Fifteen minutes? or was it by chance more. Snow now covered the mountain top, Yet the fierce cold that had quelled so many seemed to have minor effects upon the duo. The only hindrance to them seemed to be the vast quantity of the snow, with such a large amount, the movement of the duo seemed somewhat less, unable to garner their full speeds with having to wade through the knee high powder. To top it off, this entire white battlefield was Melissa's play ground, so one would think she had the advantage during this fight, despite being outnumbered. The white powder had also succumb to the effects of many footprints, the evidence of their battle imprinted upon the powder. Crimson liquid had darkened the whiteness, the long rope of of Illyana had been cut many times, yet through her mastery of her abilities she seemed unfazed, able to knot them and extend her ropes as needed. Blood covered her, wounds littered her beautiful face, her clothes tattered as the same crimson liquid was evident all over her body.

Within Melissa's hand, a spear of snow, one that was also covered with his red colourant. The weapon that had carved the body of Illyana so beautifully. "As expected" Illyana huffed, her breathing heavy and intense. "Can I?" Captain Tespro asked. Unlike Illyana whom had recieved many a wound from the snow Queen, Tespro was unharmed. Any attack that was aimed at her had been met with Illyana's defenses. "I didn't expect......someone as strong...as you" Melissa huffed. Her left arm was limp, broken from the shoulder, her body bruised from the blunt force abilities of the rope action style that Illyana had employed. Melissa's body was worse off, though she did not bleed as much as Illyana, her body was black and blue, having taken a great number of hits to the face, her nose was broken, her left eye swollen, her legs hurt as did her abdomen, she had rope burn from where the rope had ensnared her around her legs and her chest. If it were not for the snow around them, she would have been defeated almost ten minutes ago.

"Shall we?" Illyana asked, the two ropes within her hand twitching, much like a whip. During the long battle, Melissa had come to know that the twitching of the ropes was never a good sign. "Lets" The Snow Queen uttered as she threw the spear of snow with all her might. At the same time the rope shot forth, its normal colour flowing into a dark black, as dark as night itself. Attacks connected on both sides. The rope knotting as it moved to deliver a fierce blow to the abdomen of the Yuki Yuki No Mi user, forcing her from her feet, sent flying into the snow behind her. "Mother FUCKER" Melissa coughed out, blood and spit flowing from her mouth as she held her stomach. "MOTHER FUCKER" Illyana shouted as the spear imbedded into her left arm. It would seem in this game of chicken, Melissa had came out on top. The spear had through sheer luck penetrated Illyana's shoulder. Tiredness had set in from their battle.

Upon their battle beginning both combatants had taken to feeling each other out with miniscule attacks, though eventually, this battle developed into a battle of speed and strength, with Rokushiki backing her up, Melissa believed getting in close was her best bet against the rope user whose reach she believed to be medium length. Yet this had been her first mistake, Illyana's ability to wield her ropes in all ranges had indeed came to light. The battle had raged, with blurring motions of speed, each avoiding attack after attack. Eventually, the duo had tired enough that more attacks landed, but their power was receding with fatigue. Even now with the spear penetrating Illyana, Melissa's own fatigue cost her dearly, she could have manipulated the snow spear. shaping it from within Illyanas body. Yet Melissa's body ached, it took so much strength for her to stand. Illyana stumbled. Though it would seem her willpower in staying upwards, to continue on far exceeded that of Melissa's own whose vison was beginning to fade.

"I am an avid user of Kenbunshoku. The minds eye, Melissa Devaroux, a name the Revolutionary army has heard before. In fact during your time in Water 7, it was spoken about recruiting you into our ranks. We heard how you assembled the slums against the marines, fought against them many times. Even now we have heard about your fight against Perrington, we know that you joined the Schichibukai to protect the very same people. An honourable woman, a warrior through and through. Yet the marines, the World Government is corrupt, full of hatred for all those who oppose their way. Yet this entire fight, I have given it my all to try to end your life. Not through wanting too but through weakening the World Government" Illyana spoke, retracting her ropes, wrapping them around her hands. Her voice shook, as did her body. The cold finally seeming to get to her after exerting herself so much.

"Wh...wh..what off it" Melissa said as she winced, pulling herself to her feet slowly, she tumbled once, then again before she managed to fully place herself up. "I have not detected a single piece of killing intent, in any of your moves" Illyana said. "Why". The woman of snow stood still for a moment. She had been good at faking her killing intent, with a smile, with her eyes. Yet she had yet to fight an avid user of this form of haki, one as advanced as Illyana. The fishman and those she had frightened off had certainly been scared by her features and her power, yet they had not been able to sense the lack of actual intent behind her moves. "I don't kill" Melissa said softly. "But you have, you have killed thousands." "Not anymore" "Then you should know. If you do not come at me with the intent to kill. Then you shall never beat me" Illyana said.

For that mere moment, Melissa felt it, Illyana's intentions, her emotions searing through Melissa, they caught her off gaurd, the empathy this revoloutinary member felt for the dog of the World Government, enough that Melissa did not see the ropes that came for her, that wrapped themselves around her waist. "The end" Illyana said, her smile upon her face. She truely believed she had won.

It mattered not that another was coming for them. Acno's presence had already been felt well before he himself had made his true appearance. Nothing halted from Illyana's objective. The ghosts he tried to hide, all were within her scope of vision. "You have no killing intent" the wounded female uttered. "But he had plenty" Illyana would say. "Yet I still can't stand watching him kill people" Melissa said wincing as the rope around her tightened. Her eyes drifted to Acno, perhaps he needed a better signal? Perhaps he needed to actually speak. The duo were not on the same terms, Melissa could not read his mind and simply flicking his sword to spread the snow was not significant enough to make her immediately think Oh...SNOW STORM. Despite that, Acno had not been present for the majority of the fight that Illyana and Melissa had been apart of. Snow storms were ineffective against this womans powers. Her ability to see not with her eyes but her mind. That was where the true pain in the ass was. As Melissa's hand curled around the black rope, the Yuki Yuki No Mi user smiled. "Gotcha" Melissa said as the top half of her body enlongated at great speeds, curling around the rope.

Clearing the distance, using the rope as a counter point, Melissa's facial features expanded, creating something more akin to a demon than a beautiful young girl, the shock of such a sudden change was enough to catch the Rev Commander of guard for a second, that second was all that was needed for Melissa to sink her new fangs into the right shoulder of Illyana. The rope around Melissa's waist loosened, the black aura binding her waist falling from her skin, allowing her lower half to soar through the air to meet her top half. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH" Illyana screamed as the fangs sunk deep in to her. "Commander, NOW?" Tespro asked. "not....now" Illyana grunted through gritted teeth. Blood trickled down her body from where the four enhanced fangs penetrated her. "Yer mine" Melissa mumbled with her mouth full of flesh and blood.

"ya think?" Illyana uttered as her hand shot up, with buso enhancement and the bundles of rope around her fist, Illyana would strike Melissa hard in the gut. This caused the Yuki Yuki No Mi user to gasp, opening her maw enough that Illyana could break free from her without causing as much damage as Melissa had originally intended. Melissa stumbled, falling to her knees, winded as blood, saliva and what certainly remained of her lunch emptied itself from her bowels. Illyana staggered, strong as she was, the damage taken was also great, stumbling again she hit the floor with her knee. "Make sure he does not interfere" Illyana spoke. Tespro would nod. "Those strange things you released, we can sense them all. You are clouded in darkness, disgusting really, not interesting in the slightest" Tespro said as she stood twenty meters from Acno. "Recall your spirits demon, flee this land or you shall succumb to your worst nightmares" Tespro uttered. Her eyes momantarily glancing at Melissa and Illyana whom were both attempting to stand up, though it would seem their stamina reserves were causing them both some issues. "It also seems you foolishly have come across your own "Captains" abilities. This entire mountain is covered in her very snow" Tespro said, making a point of nodding to the white powder.

@Ghost

Effects on Ghost:

OOC:

The words that flowed from Acno's mouth where nonsense, his mouth slackened, his words slurred inbetween the violent chattering of the intense cold that sapped away the strength of his body. Unlike Illyana, Melissa and Tespro, he was unable to defend against the cold. Melissa herself was immune despite this, Tespro and Illyana seemed to be forcing themselves to battle through via pure willpower. As he attempted to raise his sword, his hands would be unable to wield the large slab of cold metal, slipping through his grasp it would strike the ground. The cold took his hands, his body and his mind, His words became unrecognisable, perhaps in his deep deep concious he had thought out an entire plan, he may have even believed it to come to fruition from the cold seeping in to his brain. An amnesiac like quality, he would try to move, yet his feet would continuously fall out from under him, his body taking its time to react to the signals sent by the brain.

Due to his brain being tampered with, even the ability to control his hollows would be called out, how could he send them to battle when he himself would be struggling to keep his own mind off anything but the unforgiven cold, he would be unable to fight against the severe issues of the cold that he was being forced to take on, though his mind was not yet a prison, amnesia would begin to slowly take hold, was he going to struggle to retain new memories of what these warriors could do? Or was his past going to intertwine with memories created by his psyche. Though his ability to control his devil fruit powers was not taken from him, his ghosts would suffer, taking longer to recieve the mental commands from their master. Though regardless Tespro would not move as the sluggish explosive ghosts erupted.

As the smoke cleared, she had knelt down, her hands over her head protecting her face and head by going into a ball as much as she could, her arms and her torso enhanced by the dark power of Buso Haki. The over all explosive power was weak in comparisson to the natural defensive capabilities of Tespro. Her legs taking damage unworthy of even mentioning. "Intent is there, but weak." the woman said dusting herself off. Her eyes would follow the movement of the man who was struggling to move, stumbling more than actually properly walking, his speeches cutting off from the slurred speaking. "It's obvious that you and the Shichibukai don't work in unison. The lesser warrior does not respect the stronger. Your experience is nought compared to hers, you rush in, not placing any thought on your own allies abilities. Being hindered by her field of effect. Weakened and futile. Hands unmoving, your mouth halting, the brain going right? Right now, a bullet could simply take you out by not taking in to consideration the area in which you fight. Tespro said as she pulled a single flintlock from her holder. "A single bullet" she uttered as she took aim, releasing a single shot. Though in actuality the gun would simply smoke, shooting out a pellet that would not pierce what it hit but simply cause bruising and pain much like a BB Gun. "Shame I don't have one of those" she said smiling. She did not seem worried about the negative hollows that circled around Acno,, though none came for her yet.

---

While all this was going on, Melissa and Illyana continued to struggle to their feet. The Yuki Yuki No Mi user managing to catch minor glimpses of what was happening between Tespro and Acno. It would seem the level of discapline between Tespro and Acno was far different, one had control, one was able to quell the cold through sheer will power, while the other....the other just tried but failed to ignore every single possible aspect of the cold that danced through their body. Melissa knew she had to release her snow age, in this Acno had royally fucked her over, that was his issue, believing himself to be super strong, unstoppable and all knowing. Yet if Melissa cancelled her technique, if she halted her Snow Age and allowed its dispersion, she would lose the ability to manipulate the battlefield which was the only thing keeping her on par with Illyana.

Yet if she did not the cold would take him, if he was within her field of effect for much longer, he would succumb to worse conditions. "Wh...what....a...an...idiot" Melissa said, speaking to Illyana about Acno. "Girl, you can say that again....Tespro's a gem, you and that uhmm...wierdo, don't sync" Illyana said as she stood up. A smile on her face. "Recovered?" she said, though she did not give Melissa time to react as the rope shot forward, wrapping itself around the female. "MOTHER FUCKER" Melissa shouted as she was thrown into the air and launched towards Acno with superior speeds. Her body flying through the air, aiming to strike directly into him and his ghosts, yet as she flew, she made her decision. The snow dispersed, Acno would still feel the effects for a little while yet [one post from after this one].

Whether she hit Acno or not, she would struggle to her feet, coughing up blood. "You...you gotta go" Melissa said as she stumbled. "She's too strong....even battle worn" Melissa said as she looked to Illyana who walked forward, stumbling from being tired. "That...that one...she hasn't fought at all......her power.....its gotta be...something" Melissa said breathing in. There was no way Illyana was going to have a weakling as her subordinates.

@Ghost

Rope shot forth, rapidly multiplying itself into eight, the enhancement of Buso haki and the sheer power of it was enough to easily tear through the explosive ghosts if it connected. While her secondary hand would shoot her second rope out, another four ropes spawning from this singular one. The speed of it was great, Melissa's own eyes due to the pain and fading of her willpower struggled to see it naturally. Yet, it was as if some form of ghost was moving faster, showing her the path that the rope was going to take. As stumble here, and a tumble there and the four knotted rope fists that intended to strike her blasted into the ground. She was too weakened to help Acno, he would have to escape Illyana's attack. Though after this attack Illyana would fall to her bottom. Melissa stumbling once more would do the same. "A fight like this" Melissa spluttered out as her breathing rapidly increased. "IS better than a good fucking pounding" Illyana finished, the duo smiling at one another. Though enemies, they were certainly kindred spirits, too alike for their own good. Too stubborn for their allies. "When your ready Tespro." Illyana said as she smiled, her eyes closing as she succumbed to the exhaustion.

"She passed out first" Melissa choked out, "I....wi......." she would not finish her sentence, for her kneeling body tumbled forward, exhaustion had completely set in now, the world darkened. Now all that remained was Tespro and Acno. "That one has some fight in her. if she were to regain her killing edge, Illyana would have been in trouble, It would seem your Captain is rather similiar to my Commander" Tespro uttered. Her Ken haki keeping track of the movements of everything going on. "Illyana always prefers to fight on her own, rather than allowing me to end things instantly, I may be weaker in than her in terms of battle power, but my abilities lie elsewhere, It would seem your commander, your Captain holds you in some regards as well. The snow has dispersed and your body seems to be recooperating, that snow was the only thing keeping her on par with Illyana in this scenario, yet she hindered herself to save you. Tespro said cocking her head quizzingly.

"She would make a fine Commander of the Revolutionary army, you on the other hand, Your malice, your intent. The darkness in you, it seems as though purging that would be impossible, a waste of time. You should leave while given this chance" The woman uttered, she would not move from her position, given no attack was released towards her. Ready to defend herself at a moments notice. "You may leave, or you may perish, that is your only option" Tespro said, her arms crossed. She was full of openings, yet she did not come of as cocky, her belief in her words, her confidence flowing from her, she was ready for anything. What would this mans tactics be.
@Ghost

This would be the end. Tespro had given him the option. With her haki she could detect the man who was uninjured by the after explosion of Illyana's final attack. Ye there would be no snow that followed with the explosion, for as previouslt stated, the snow upon the mountain had vanished, fleeing from sight as Melissa dispersed her abilities as to save her strange comrade. In actuality, the snow had not been dispersed, it had burst up into the sky flowing high into the air into a familiar sign, revealing the location. "She is a clever one isn't she." Tespro nodded to the passed out snow queen. "The marine presence out weighs our own, we don't have time for this...not with Commander in this condition" She said just as Acno began to leave his body. Though whether this was too little or too late was his decision.

Tespro would lift her hand upwards, and from her hand erupted a flurry of yellow pollen, sparkling gold dust erupted from her palm, rapidly flowing to the edges of the mountain, showering every body in the location. "Today, you all get a good dream" She said. Whether she was concerned about Ghost or not, Tespro would head to Illyana, she did not have the strength to take Melissa, Acno and Illyana, thus though Illyana wished for Melissa to be brought in, they would be unable to do so, with Acno still breathing despite his spiritual form, his body and brain were all linked. Thus his body would be unable to resist the sleep inducing dream powder if he breathed in at all.

"Worthy adversaries" Tespro said as she dragged Illyana's sleeping body to the elevator. This would only happen if her attempt at quelling the ghost manipulator of course, if not she would be unable to hold on to her plan. IF the marine sqaud that was on its way got to them before they could fully evacuate, then she would be unsure on what to do, How would he play this one, how would they escape her attack?

@Ghost

Hit called:

Alas, the battle was complete. Those who were within the field of her dust would succumb to the effects, nont a single one of them having the capacity to halt the dreams that flowed into their head. Tespro was a kind soul, the dream dust having infected them with dreams of happiness. Due to this evidently causing a knock out effect, this would disperse the remaining ghosts of Acno. "I should put you down" Tespro would say to the sleeping body of Acno, with her ken haki, she could detect the emotion in his heart, his soul was black. Except Tespro had no time. They had taken longer than expected and Illyana's deep slumber granted her a dead weight, though Illyana was nothing but fat, she weighed a lot more than anticipated, thus dragging the wounded body of her Commander to the lift took some time. Eventually the lift would reach the bottom.

The rev depot had exactly fifteen members not including Tespro and Illyana. "Evacuation process Delta, leave the non essentials." Tespro said as two men came rushing to grasp Illyana. "Ma'am, why. You bested those three. Captain Illyana went toe to toe with a shichibukai. one of the men said. "Why not kill her and her ally? strike a blow to the government?" "Because Commander Illyana liked her" Tespro replied as the remaining members rushed about, the base was temporary so their wasnt exactly any secrets that could be gained, just the minor tidbits of technology of how they transformed a mountain into a safe hold.

Through the use of underground tunnels, the Revs located within this specific depot would begin to shift what they could. Alas though they would be unable to take it all. "I don't get why we can't just use your Dream Dream No Mi." The man said. "With your powers we could just put the marines to sleep and then we wouldn't need to leave". "As you are well aware Taiho, my devil fruit can only effect a select few at a time, any more than four breaks the dreams of those who were previously effected. The snow witch and that ghost boy would be able to enter the battle, and I would rather they continued to dream peacefully than fight us once more" Tespro said.

"Captain Tespro, Illyana is being transported through the tunnels, the marines have the mountain surrounded, more than four times our numbers. Our security protocols will hold them for a few minutes, but they will breach soon" "Cut the power, get everyone into the tunnel ,we need to blow it before they breach" Tespro said. That is just what they did, no revs would be caught as the explosives rigged in the underground tunnel under the floor of the base would halt any one from giving chase, this tunnel leading to another depot, they had taken as much of the seastone as they could yet alas the majority of the previously mined stone remained within this base.

With Tespro over one hundred meters away, the dream dusts power would fade.

---

Waking from a dream unlike any other, a dream that....was supposed to be happy, tarnished by the nightmare of waking. battered and bruised, broken ribs and a broken arm, Melissa Devaroux stood, pushing herself to her full height, her good hand curling around her waist. Her eyes shimmered, tears gently streamed from her face. "I liked that bitch" the tearful warrior uttered as she sat down wincing as she did. "WHAT THE FUCK" Melissa shouted wincing in pain as she noticed the sleeping blacksmith who was half on the mountain half off. "Where the fuck did she come from?" Melissa coughed out. How long has she been a sleep? As she wondered, a squad of marines would be almost upon them.




@Ghost

For someone who had done literally nothing the way this man held himself was laughable. He had been foolish, Melissa had experience of fighting those who were stronger than he was, they could not have won. With Tespro revealing her ability at the end, Captain Illyana had though she fell first all but defeated Melissa in the end, this could have been due to her being forced to halt her own attack to protect Acno. Yet he picked up some weapon brought to them for no reason what so ever, the blacksmith hadn't even given them the sword he had used, so why she had suddenly felt the urge to bring them a weapon that the marines had originally tried to withhold was completely bewildering, the blacksmith would probably be in some serious shit. Alas though, Melissa wouldn't fret on such details.

Instead she remained where she was, her knees brought up to her chest, her arms around her knees, hugging them tightly. A position her mind had just been in, with her father holding her. She was happy, yet sadness dawned upon her, she had set upon her life aiming for revenge, now marines had castrated her, not in the literal sense of course, but her emotions had gotten the best of her. Seeing that she was doing exactly what they had done, she had murdered so many fathers, mothers, brothers and so forth, she had taken family from them all because they had done the same, it had been something she had not thought of before until being confronted by the marines back in marineford. Many pirates wouldn't care, but this.....it hit home for her.

She must have sat like that for an hour, maybe two until the marines finally managed to break her from her trance, by this time they had scouted the entrance and confirmed the escaping of the revs, they also confirmed a large amount of seastone, though they had escaped it had not been for nothing, by the marines calculations this was the largest deposit of seastone to date, secured by the Shichibukai who had chased the revs and led them here, though this had not been Melissa's intent, dreams had a funny way of revealing who you truely where, and as she looked to the marines who spoke to her like a friend, a comrade, she couldn't help but see their faces warped into the man who had ordered the death of her father. If she had any energy left, she would have tried to strike him. Murderous rage filled her yet.....she knew she could do nothing about it. Instead, her body bruised and battered was carried by these people. These innocent people who believed they were on the side of good.

She had been taken to her bed, to her cabin, resting for hours, she woke up in sweats, nightmares of her fathers demise swirling in her head, not once had she dreamed about this since she had protected the slums, since she had saved her people, her new family. Did this make her a bad person, did this make her a horrible daughter. Thankfully a bucket was present within her room, for her stomach twisted, her body jolted and soon the usually calm and collected wielder of the Yuki Yuki No Mi, vomited into the metal tin. Her body could not stop convulsing, she must have emptied everything, yet she continued to drive heave. Eventually she pulled herself up, shakily to her feet, stumbling to the mirror upon the wall. Her eyes were baggy, had she really been this exhausted?

She looked at herself in the mirror, unable to see the woman she was, how had she let herself fall so far, if she had not killed, then her new family would be dead, if she had not killed, she wouldn't have tracked down so many of her fathers killers. She had pushed killing from her repitoire because she had felt bad, she had not been able to kill since the marine confrontation...but how many had they killed? How many had been saved. The more she looked at herself, the angrier she became and with the last bit of physical strength she held on to, she screamed with utter rage and pushed her fist into the glass, shattering not only the mirror itself but piercing the wooden wall behind it. Broken, she fell to the floor, holding herself.....alone. Crying herself to sleep, surely anyone who saw her, she would not strike fear in the hearts of those, not in this state.


[/exit]