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Johnny King was never showing up late to a Halloween ball ever again.

It had taken him at least two hours to work up the courage (not to mention the energy) to get out of bed and put his costume back on, and then another hour to convince himself that it was okay to leave his dorm room. Ares has made her point emphatically clear, and while he didn’t doubt she’d hunt him down if he so much as put one toe out of line he hadn’t done anything to warrant her violent temper. At least, he was pretty sure he hadn’t done anything. That was part of the reason for his hesitation. He was still recovering from the first beating, and soliciting himself another one was not on his to-do list for the week. He still had a black eye as a very upsetting reminder of the last one.

But, reasons for skipping aside, the green-haired teen had expected to slide into the ball relatively unnoticed and spend the night sneaking the fruit toppings off of the dessert table. What he hadn’t expected to find when he pulled open the door was the ballroom in complete and utter chaos. He was forced to make a commitment – in or out – much more quickly than he would have liked as bits of just about everything imaginable were blasted around the hall. It was tempting to turn tail and run back to his dorm room. Very tempting. It was only the sight of the numerous youma, not to mention the plethora of coloured uniforms marking many different senshi and what he assumed were negaverse agents, that convinced him to stay. If Ares found out he’d ditched a ballroom blitz she may not let him walk away with his kneecaps intact.

Ducking behind and overturned table, it took him precisely two seconds to change forms, one dark costume simply melting into another. There were certain benefits to being a cavalier, the lack of a henshin pen being one of them. A rumble sent him skittering to his feet, stumbling to get his bearings as he tried to locate his nearest ally. Any senshi would do really, so long as they didn’t try and punch him out for looking too much like their enemies. Sliding in so he was back-to-back with the nearest Sailor Senshi with a rather prehistoric looking uniform Laocoon called, “Can I ask what on earth we’re doing in here?”

Fiona had absolutely no plans to attend the ball because she could not stand the thought of possibly not being the most beautiful girl there. While she had doubted that it would happen she didn't want to risk it. However as she walked around the outskirts of the convention center she felt a surge of power, the one she had come to understand meant there were powered individuals running around and since the feeling was almost overwhelming she decided that it would be in her best interest to investigate.

Besides she was curious to see what was going on, that and she simply couldn't back down from a challenge and the overwhelming feeling of mixing powers was just too tempting. But Fiona was smart and knew that charging forward as a civilian was not the smartest idea. So she quickly took a look around her surroundings and finding that there was no one around her she whipped out her pen and muttered her transformation phrase "Denebola Power, Make Up!"

In a flash Sailor Denebola was pumped and ready to go. She darted into the building only to stop in awe at the sheer amount of senshi, and negaversers, that filled the building. She had stopped near a senshi with glasses and a scarf. Turning to him she couldn't help but ask, "What's going on?"

Had it been a normal situation for Alba Gale Delores, not only would she have already been at the Destiny City Halloween Masque dancing the night away, but she would have stepped through those marble-tiled hallways in hand-made glamour; a prize granted after weeks of slaving under a sewing machine and sweating over fragment discounts in fabric shops. Oh how she longed to mysteriously peer over a paper maché mask*, decorated in only the finest of string pearls and other shining baubles.

However, as it were, the Costa Rican was still trying to get her life back in order after having woken up from a not-so-restful coma. There were multiple letters to write to worried family members to assure that indeed, she was fine, and that there was no need to return to her beloved country just yet. There were piles of homework that she only recently was able to complete to make up for her absence in order to graduate on time, and it had only been a few since since she moved into the Sovereign Heights dorms. Boxes still lined the living room, half of them opened with their contents dispersed in their appropriate places. She had been in the middle of unpacking a box labeled in thick permanent marker, KITCHEN UTENSILS AND PAPER CRAFT when she heard a knock on the door and found Simon in her entry way, sheepishly holding onto a box of pizza in one hand and a few horror movies in the other.

Certainly a break wouldn't be too bad at this point.

They were deeply involved Night of the Living Dead, both clutching at the blanket and neither eating their slice of pizza when their phones sang in unison. Alba jumped in surprise, knocking over her plate in the process. "MIERDA! The carpet!" She exclaimed before answering the phone, already dreading the news that would be coming from the other side.

"Wait, what? Orion, I can't hear you!" But it was too late. The senshi of meteors had already hung up and left Alba to stare tiredly at her best friend. While they could easily dismiss the phone call and continue on their lazy night, there wasn't a bone in her body that would refuse the beckon call for help from a friend, regardless of how exhausted she was.

It didn't take long for Super Sailors Alcyone and Atlas to get to the Convention Center. The chaos that greeted them as they entered was mind numbing, and Alcyone almost had half a mind to turn right back around and avoid this mess of a fight. But as it were...

"Come on. Let's go find Merope and Orion."

(*actually made by paper maché, holy wow)

Where Alba was more concerned with the state of the carpet when their senshi phones rang, Simon was more concerned with not having a panic attack right then and there -- the movie was enough to put him on edge, and the shrill caterwauling his phone had made made him jump up out of his seat. He was trembling enough that the device almost fell off his hands... and after that movie he really, really didn't want to go outside after dark... but senshi duty called.

And he didn't want Alcyone to go out alone, either.

Upon seeing what was actually going on in the convention center it really was difficult to not exchange a glance with his partner, turn around, and promptly go back to cowering in front of the TV screen -- talk about information overload, this really was too much at once! But instead he nodded at Alcyone and the two carefully trotted into action, mindful of the ice on the floor.

Crystal?

Suddenly realization dawned on Denebola's face, if the negaverse so desperately wanted it, then it was important. Maybe it had to do with the moon princess that they were supposed to be finding. Swallowing somewhat dryly she nodded her head and clenched her fist tightly. Maybe this was a situation that her ability would be most handy. Speed certainly seemed to be necessary and she was pretty fast natural with her dragonfly boost then...

But where was the crystal? She knew it was here but where exactly? Suddenly her answer was presented to her, thought not specifically to her, by another whom she assumed was a senshi.

It was in a coffin, gotta get to the coffin.

Denebola broke into a run forward ducking low when a spider-like youma swung a leg at her. It wouldn't hurt to try right?

Unfortunately for her the coffin exploded and the crystal went from person to person before flying across the room along with a chunk of the coffin. Skidding to a halt she was unsure of what to do next. She hadn't even noticed the still-perfect cake.

Ariel, eyes wide opened was looking at the scene useless, she was scared, scared like never she had been. Tears started rolling on her check, she had her pen in her hand but she was not able to move or transform.

She never fought anything else than one youma and it was already not a good memory. But here there was so many youma, senshi like people but who looked bad and senshi, a lot of senshi.

She tried to find a spot where she could hide, her hand upper her head, but still watching. She wanted to help but her body wouldn’t move. And she really didn’t understand the reason of everything, except that it was for a crystal.

Alshain would find that the cake table was very hard -- impossibly hard -- to move, and despite his efforts it refused to budge even half an inch. Which was doubly strange, considering the table would prove to not be bolted to the floor if one checked.

Mopping sweat from his eyes, Alshain swallowed the curses that wanted so desperately to be voiced. He didn't think the table would be so impossible to move. Bending down, he checked just to see if maybe there were any bolts or screws holding it to the floor. Nothing.

"Man, they just don't make furniture like this anymore," he muttered and chalked it up to amazing craftsmanship. Which left him with a problem. Some of the weaker senshi (like himself) would end up wearing themselves out if they kept slinging attacks and would need a reasonably safe spot to rest. Or someone to stand over them while they got their breath back.

Trying to think, he thought he vaguely recalled hearing someone yell the name Chronos. And thanks to the senshi grapevine, he knew Chronos was a princess. Maybe she'd have some ideas. Pulling himself to his full height, he cupped his hands around his mouth.

"If there's a Chronos here, I think we could really use a plan or something!"