Third Target: Spike

"Someone coming for us? Quickly, hand me Spike, I'll take care of him while you deal with this rude intruder."

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"Okay!" She handed Spike off to Xana before rushing towards the invasive runt to give them what-for.

Anika rushed towards SARENA... Or at least that was the plan as a barrier trapped the neko.

Once that was done, Xana called SARENA and handed her Spike "Take him to safety... This one is... Personal..." She finished with a sad sigh, as soon as she saw SARENA leave, Xana took out her kamui and picked up her lance before releasing Anika "I'm sorry, but this ends here." The barrier trapping now both of them as Xana felt the neko's anger.

Ani was confused at first, struggling to think of why Xana would trap her and then hand Spike off to this stranger. It didn't take too terribly long for her to realize Xana wasn't under the Life Fiber's control, perhaps she never was in the first place.
Suddenly she felt a sense of betrayal, that one of the two people she loved most had stabbed her in the back. That sense of betrayal and tinge of sadness was soon overcome by anger. "You... How could you!? We were so close, I was so close! I could've made Nui proud and I trusted you to help me!"

"I couldn't take it anymore, all the other targets were freed as well the moment we left, and now I'll free you once and for all, Ani." Xana replied with a tone filled with sadness, she didn't have much time left, it was now or never, Anika's words stung like a dagger on her heart, she knew the neko loved Nui and that wasn't because of the kamui but real feelings for her... It was time, she would have to choose and Xana was ready for whatever was the outcome "Ani, you told me about your feelings for Nui and I respected them... But it's time to choose, me or Nui."

Anika: 28
Xana: 25 + ???: 100

Anika's mind spun a mile a minute as she fully processed her actions, her confession, her emotions. The Life Fibers tying her mind down were strengthening her love for Nui, but her ever-present love for Xana contested it unflinchingly.
In her heart was a rage at Xana's willingness to turn against her, but deep down, she knew she was doing this for her. It was a chaotic, unrelenting warzone inside her heart filled with several warring emotions matching and even surpassing her anger, making her slow to respond.
Eventually flames kicked up from her body as she roared with a twisted blend of feelings, desires, and malice. Every emotion was caused by Xana in this moment and the more she looked at her, the more intense and confusing they became.
With a powerful leap, she swung her claws down on Xana in an attempt to force her out of her sight, and out of mind.

She was running out of mana but that didn't affect her reflexes or her skills, as soon as Xana saw Anika leaping at her, she aimed to block the attack with her lance, stopping the neko's claws "So this is your answer..." She sighed "Very well..." With a swing, she made Anika step back as she lunged forwards with her lance in tow, thrusting at the neko and slaahing her several times, she missed the final blast though as Anika leaped out of the way.

Double Claw (I suppose unless you want this to be free style? ): 41, 99
Shearing Storm: 12, 88, 62, 40, 73

Anika: 23
Xana: 25 + ???: 95

What Xana hadn't noticed is that she had yet to truly answer her. Having missed her attacks merely fueled tbe flames with an additional emotion: Frustration. With another feral cry, Anika launched herself at Xana, intent on downing her.

-Tackle-

A golden dust started to come of of Xana's hand but she clenched her fist to stop it "Not yet... I'm not done yet..." thanks to this, she failed to notice Anika tackling her as both ended up on the ground, Xana looked at Anika "You must choose... Me or Nui!" She asked once more as a small trail of tears ran down her cheek.

Tackle: 56, Xana is now Downed.

Anika: 23
Xana: 23 + Downed + ???: 95

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Anika's roar turned to a pained growl as she heard Xana and witnessed her tears. "Rrrrrr....WHY IS THIS SO HARD!!"
She shouted in frustration as every new element taken in made her head hurt more and more. She wanted to clear her head so badly, she was willing to bash her head in.
It just so happens Xana was the closest thing she could use for that.

-Headbutt- 3 Damage to Target, 3 Damage to Self

Xana, being under Anika, wasn't able to acptthe headbutt, enduring the pain, she kept looking at Anika, she was unarmed and unable to use magic, the neko had her claws and was on top of her, the odds didn't looked good, but Anika's inner conflict was the only thing that was avoiding the carnage "You were angry at Spike, you threatened him! All because he lost to Nui and now look at you! React and answer! Me or Nui!?"

Headbutt: autohit

Anika: 20
Xana: 20 + Downed + ???: 90

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The android unit that IDOL's administration AI, SARENA, is directly controlling had already received Spike and evacuated him from the vicinity.  What Xana might not have known is that the evacuation point is relatively close by where several interceptor droids and a few medic droids and transport droids were also flying within the area.
 
"Reporting: Resident has been rescued: Mental pattern still in flux.
Scanning: No Life Fiber Detected.
Recommendation: Evacuate Resident to Check Point C medical facility.:"

---

From a short distant away.  A built camp containing the IDOL soldiers and and a rather peculiar sight.  An orange-haired scylla with visors was operating on what could be described as a mainframe computer and a a lot of interfaces around her, operating not only on the mainframe but several of the interfaces around her, the latter using her lower octopus half with all 8 arms.

"Roger. We'll take care of him and make sure he's OK.  In the meanwhile, make sure Xana is doing alright but don't engage unless the situation is dire.  Apparently Xana needs some closure on this.  I'll send one medical and support with you.  Over."  Her human half works her fingers across the panel directing the droids with the instructions

---

Having received their instruction, one of the transport droids surround Spike and forms what could be describe as a pod, allowing Spike to be safe within before slowly heading to the check point escorted by most of the interceptor droids and support droids.  One medical support droids stays behind and floats near SARENA.

"Acknowledge: Resident is secure with a transport droid.  Delegating objective.  Returning to conflict zone.  The unit will not engage unless Xana is in danger."

With that, SARENA and the two droids following her, flies off back towards where the fight is still taking place.

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!! I CAN'T THINK!!" She kept Xana firmly pinned as she struggled to come up with a clear thought that wasn't muddled by confusion, confrontation, or mental manipulation.

"No!" With a push, Xana turned the table, pinning Anika "You HAVE to choose! For your sake and for mine!" She kept pressing in the matter "You are strong, you can break free on your own! Fight, break free and then choose!"

Struggle: 10
Xana: 20 + ???: 90

"I SAID SHUT UP!!" All her unrelenting fury boiled up to a breaking point as her flames grew more and more intense until they erupted from every inch of her body at such a heat that even her Kamui would be damaged by it. She just wanted a moment to think, just a small, tiny second without distraction or confusion.

-Self Destruct- Deals 5 Damage to the targets, 3 damage to surrounding foes and allies, and 3 damage to Anika

Xana realized a bit too late of Anika's intentions, the explosion got her completely by surprise, the burst of flames sent her flying, that had been a really strong blow, to the point that she had to use magic to reduce the damage of her impact against the nearby wall due to this, gold dust started to come out from her body once more "A-Ani... N-Not yet..." Xana knew what that dust meant, she was running out of time, once her mana pool were completely empty, she would return to Dixi, unable to go out again until she recovered...

Self Destruct: 98

Anika: 17
Xana: 15 + Stunned + ???:85

Not only had Xana taken quite a staggering hit, but so did the Life Fibers in her outfit. Not only by the intense flames that even they weren't ready for, but the utter force of the blast. Xana was close enough to really knock her around, but the only thing closer than contact is her clothes. Her outfit was in near-tatters, allowing her to think a little clearly.
"Fuck...I did it again. I can't believe I let it happen again!" As she realized what had happened, what she'd done, and what the Life Fibers were still tryinf desperately to do, all other emotions faded away aside from guilt and anger.
Her flames burned back to an intense flames as her body seemed to glow like molten rock. "GOD DAMN IT!!" Another eruption, one that made the previous one pale in comparison, looking like a sparkler. This blast flat-out melted and disintegrated the rest of the Life Fibers from her body, but when the dust settled and everything had calmed, her body lay on the ground in curled up ball, patches of skin blackened and her breathing shallow.

-Glory of Ra- An All or Nothing attack that leaves Anika in critical condition afterwards. Deals a full 10 damage to those within ten feet of her and eliminates all of Anika's remaining health.

"ANI!" Xana yelled as the neko exploded in a burst of fire even greater than before, after a couple of desperated seconds, the flames were gone, leaving Anika with severe burns all over her body, Xana crawled with difficulties towards the neko, pulling her into her arms "A-Ani... Why..." Xana's tears were dropping on Anika's face.

Glory of Ra: 72

Anika: 0
Xana: 15 + ???: 85

Anika's face scrunched up a bit from the cold feeling of her tears, but otherwise remained unconscious. The black patches weren't quite burns, but how could she pay attention to that now. Anika had managed to eliminate her Life Fibers with that blast, but now who knows when she'd wake up.

Xana wiped her tears and made a choice, pulling her communicator she sent one message to SARENA "I will heal Anika, this will make me return to Sanctuary... Take care of her, please." Once she sent the message, Xana focused the last of her mana pool on healing the burnt neko, the more Anika was healing, the more gold dust came out from Xana, her legs started to become translucent, she didn't had much time, once all her mana was spent she only said one last thing "I will wait for your answer... Ani..." With those last words, Xana's temporal body vanished into gold dust across the wind.

Anika stirred and remained grounded in her fetal position, out of commission for who knows how long.

SARENA was flying back towards the scene of the battlefield before she received the transmission.  Before she can reply, the transmission was cut off.  As the android unit arrives at the scene, she sees Anika curled up, the life fiber outfit scorched and off the nekomata though the neko herself doesn't seem be heavily burned as implied with the life fiber's fate or the charred ground.  However Xana was nowhere to be seen.  SARENA can only relay of what she have seen so far back to Angie.

Reporting: Infected resident unconscious.  Life fiber entity heavily burned.  Xana not detected.  
Last transmission: "I will heal Anika, this will make me return to Sanctuary... Take care of her, please."

"Alright, I'll check her vitals.  Make sure to dispose the life fiber."  The medic droid floats down before emitting a soft green glow over Anika's prone form.  "Alright, conditions still stable.  No lasting injuries aside fatigue.  Stress level pretty high though.  Man...I think I kind of know what happened..."

As the scylla finishes her scan, SARENA walks over to the prone life fiber before grabbing it within her hand.  There seens to be no effect on her at all as she walks over to a distant far away from Anika and the droids before dropping it down on the ground.  Her hands open briefly revealing a pair of nozzles hidden underneath before strong gouts of flame blasted into the outfit.  After about 15 seconds of torching, there is nothing but charred ground and ashes remaining.  Right afterwards, some part of her synthetic skin opens up and large amount of steam and hot air is vented from her body before it closes back up.

Reporting: Life fiber has been disposed.  Heat level at optimal point.  
Objective: Returning with resident.

SARENA slowly moves back to Anika whom has been finished diagnosed by Angie. She bends down to gently pick her up into her arms before jets from her boots flare up and she starts flying towards the checkpoint but at a much slower speed, taking in mind of Anika, Angie's droids following behind.

"Xana..." Anika was mumbling in her state of exhaustion induced slumber, any rough movement stinging as she was flown to a better place.

Back at the Sanctuary, Xana came out stumbling from Dixi's room, she had just awoken, her magic was still on a minimum but before she could walk too far away from her sister room Dixi placed her hand on Xana's shoulder "Don't stop me, sis, I have to go..."

But Dixi didn't let her go "Don't be reckless, I'll go with you, use this body." She offered, Xana turned around and looked at her sister with a look of gratitude on her face as they fused together and Xana took control "Thank you sis..." Right then Xana proceeded to go back to Anika, rushing as fast as her wind runes allowed her to run on her current state.

SARENA has flown Anika back to the camp known as Checkpoint C with Anika in her arms. As soon as she touches down onto the ground, medical personnel carefully moved her onto a stretcher and towards the infirmary.

---

On the outer perimeter of the camp, several IDOL watchers were alarmed of a fast moving object heading towards their direction but the alarm later turned to relief when they have identified Xana moving towards their way.

"Oh Xana, if you are looking for Anika, she was just brought into the infirmary." The watcher points to the green makeshift building with a flag with twining leaf over a flagpole with a cross. "Though please don't push yourself. Angie has been concerned about your condition since you disappeared."